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HOLY HELP FOR THE HOPELESSCOPIES AND SHADOWS 2Exodus 28-29INTRODUCTION As many of you know, Jane and I worked for Campus Crusade for Christ for 20 years. As with many missionary organizations it was part of my responsibility to raise financial support to cover the cost of our salary, benefits and ministry expenses. I began developing our support by calling everyone I knew in my hometown of Oregon, WI who might be interested in hearing about our work and consider investing in it. It only took me about 6 weeks to talk to everyone I knew and then I was out of people to contact. At that time a friend told me to call one of their friends who they were sure would be interested in what we were doing. I called John and Marilyn Knutson and they invited Jane and I to come visit them and explain our work to them. After I explained the ministry we were going to begin at Michigan Tech. Univ. John told us that they had already decided to invest in our work. Then he told us that they also had many friends they went to church with whom he was sure would be interested in what we were doing as well. While we sat in his living room he called two of them and set up appointments for us. Then he gave us a list of fifteen other people with their phone numbers and told us to tell them he had told us to call and that they should meet with us. Thus it was that a group of about a dozen of John and Marilyn Knutson’s friends became our friends and invested in our work with CCC for twenty years. We would never have met any of these people, nor would they have invested in our work if not for the fact that their friend, John Knutson, became our friend. We were welcomed into all these homes and given financial help by all these people because John became our representative, our mediator with them. In the same way, the Bible makes plain that none of us can approach God nor can any of us expect to receive any help from him without someone to represent us. This is the point of Exodus 28-29. We saw last week that God instructed Moses to build a tent surrounded by a courtyard and furnished with certain implements according to the pattern that he showed Moses on Mt. Sinai. God said the reason for the tabernacle was so that he could dwell with Israel. However, having a place for God to dwell among the tents of Israel was not enough. Israel also needed a high priest to represent them to God so that they might safely live near God and obtain the benefits of his presence. That is the message of Exodus 28-29. We find here the description of what the high priest was to wear, how the priests were to be commissioned for their work and a brief description of what their work consisted. Again, we know from the book of Hebrews that this tabernacle and this high priest of Israel was a symbol, a copy of heaven and our great high priest, Jesus Christ who serves us there. This morning we are going to look at what these two chapters tell us about the high priest who served in the earthly sanctuary in order that we might more fully appreciate what kind of person it takes to successfully introduce us to God so that he is willing to live with us and provide for us. MAIN POINT We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who… I. Shares in the divine nature (28:1-5) The opening paragraph of chapter 28 explains that Aaron and his sons have to wear “holy garments” (“sacred garments”, NIV) if they are going to be able to serve God as priests. They cannot enter into God’s presence wearing ordinary clothing. They can only safely and successfully represent God’s people if they wear certain clothes. Before I get into the detail of what these clothes symbolize let me describe the entire thing following the order in which the articles would be put on the priest as described in Leviticus 8. First there is white linen underwear that covers the priest from the waist to the thigh. Next a long-sleeved white linen tunic that reaches to his ankles is put on. A cloth sash is wrapped around this like a belt. Over that a sleeveless, blue robe with gold bells sewn on the hem and figures of pomegranates embroidered along the bottom edge is slipped on over the head. Over this is the colorfully embroidered white linen ephod that is sort of like an apron that is attached to the shoulders of the blue robe with two onyx stones. Then, attached to the ephod is a nine inch square cloth pocket with 12 semi-precious jewels sewn into it that is attached to the ephod with golden cords and which contains the Urim and Thummim. Finally a turban is placed on his head with the golden metal plate on the front of it engraved with the phrase: Holy to the Lord. The first thing to notice is that according to vv. 5, 6, 15 & 33 these clothes are to be made out the same materials that the tabernacle itself is made out of: gold and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen. In other words, the priests were to put on the tabernacle in order to serve in the tabernacle. What is the primary function of the tabernacle? It is the place where God’s glory dwells with Israel. Therefore, the priest by “putting on” the tabernacle indicates that the priest “wears” the divine presence, the divine glory. This is made explicit in v. 2. Notice how the clothing is described. First of all the garments are holy (sacred in the NIV). Second, they are “for glory and beauty” (“to give dignity and honor” in the NIV). All three of these words, “holy, glory and beauty” are most often used throughout the OT to describe Yahweh. Listen to a few of the hundreds of examples: Exodus 15:11 in Moses’ song, celebrating God’s destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Isaiah in his vision of heaven tells us that the angelic seraphim throughout all of eternity cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory.” Later the Lord says through Isaiah (46:13): “I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my beauty to Israel.” Salvation is described as God giving his beauty, his presence to his people. The point in the use of these words is that the only person who can come near to God must be God. Only God can intercede with God. The clothing of the high priest in the tabernacle was a copy and a shadow of the divine glory that the Son of God who became man possesses. This is exactly what is meant in Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of his being…” If Jesus Christ is not God then he cannot represent us in heaven. The deity of Jesus Christ sets him apart from every other so-called prophet and Savior in the world. If you are not going to be introduced to God at the final judgment by one who is himself God, then you will not be welcomed into God’s presence. If you were trying to meet the President of the U.S., George Bush, you wouldn’t ask Osama bin Laden to introduce you to him. You would want someone who shares the President’s glory, like his wife or one of his daughters or a close friend or advisor. To seek to approach God either on your own or represented by one of the countless human saviors is no different than seeking to approach the President by having Osama bin Laden introduce you. It will not go well. Unless you are represented by the divine Son of God, Jesus Christ, you are going to be turned away by God and not welcomed into his house. We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
II. Carries us with him into God’s presence (28:6-30) The first article of clothing that the Lord tells Moses to have made for Aaron, the high priest is a linen ephod. This is a colorfully embroidered white linen apron that is attached to the shoulders of the tunic and then has a belt to fasten it to the waist of the priest. The most significant thing about the ephod is the two onyx stones that are set in gold fittings and then fastened to the ephod on the shoulders of the high priest. The two stones have the twelve names of the tribes of Israel engraved upon them. The point of this is in v. 12, “Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.” Then, attached to the ephod is the “breastpiece of judgment” (“breastpiece for making decisions” in the NIV). This is 9inch by 9inch square piece of cloth that is doubled in order to make a pocket. This square piece is attached to the ephod at the shoulders by two gold chains and at the waist by two blue cords tied to two gold rings on the ephod. On the breastpiece are mounted four rows of three semi-precious stones. Each stone has the name of one of the tribes of Israel engraved on it, just like the two onyx stones. Then v. 29 says, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment as a continuing memorial before the Lord.” The high priest has the names of the tribes of Israel written upon precious stones two times which he always carries on his shoulders and over his heart when he enters into the Holy Place. These names written on these stones symbolize that the high priest is acting on behalf of the people of God. Everyone whom God has chosen and has saved by his grace is represented by their high priest in the presence of the Lord. The high priest carries the names as a memorial before the Lord. All that he does he does as the representative head of the people of God. In other words, God views the people in the high priest. Who he is and what he does is who the people are and what the people do. This symbolizes our union with Christ. Hundreds of times in the NT believers are described as those who are “in” Christ and in whom Christ dwells. In Romans 6:3-4 we are told, “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death, we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might live a new life.” Again in Ephesians 2:4-6 it says, “But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved—and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” Everything that Jesus did we did. Everything that happened to him, happened to us. Everything that will happen to him will happen to us. All of this is true because he bears us upon his shoulders and over his heart before the Lord. Jesus did what he did for us and the Father sees us in him. God views us as he views his Son because his Son has our names upon him. Just think about that. If you are a believer in Jesus, then when he was born of the Virgin Mary, your name was already written on him. As he began his public ministry being baptized by John and then resisting the devil for those forty days in the desert, your name was written on him. As he taught and performed miracles and obeyed his father, at every point your name was written on him. As he was betrayed and tortured and crucified, your name was written on him. As he rose from the dead and as he now sits at the right hand of God Almighty, your name is written on him. He bears our names upon him before his father to remind his father that all he has done, we have done in him and thus all that he is due as the reward of his obedience, we are due along with him. We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
III. Gives God’s judgments to us (28:15-30) In the pocket of the breastpiece are placed the Urim and the Thummim. We are never told of what these two objects are made or exactly how they are to be used. However, the entire breastpiece is called the “breastpiece of judgment” in v. 15 (NIV has “breastpiece for making decisions”). Then in v. 30 the Urim and Thummim, which are in the pocket, over Aaron’s heart are described in this way: “Aaron will carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before Yahweh, continually.” These two mysterious objects are called the “judgment of the sons of Israel.” I know the NIV calls them “the means of making decisions”, but that is really an interpretation, rather than a translation. It is based on other texts rather than what is here. The question we have to answer is: what do the Urim and Thummim represent about the Lord Jesus Christ? We need to begin by asking what does this term “judgment” refer to? First of all, this term is used 11 times in the book of Exodus itself. Most of the time it is used in reference to God’s just laws, which he gave to Israel on Mt. Sinai as he tells Moses in 21:1, "These are the judgments you are to set before them." Twice it refers to the concept of justice as in make sure you treat the poor with justice and don’t take advantage of them because they are poor. The word occurs another 70 times in the rest of the books of Moses and in the vast majority of the cases it refers to God’s just laws governing the life of Israel. The primary thing that these two objects and this breastpiece represent then is God’s laws, his instructions to his people, his "judgments" on what a good and righteous life is to be. Thus the priest carries over his heart, not only the people of God but also the law of God, his will for his people. The priest embodies God’s word. Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ is called the “Word” in John 1. He is the complete revelation of God and his will for us. He said about himself that his food was to do the will of his father and that he always did what pleased his Father. In other words, Jesus embodies God’s law by perfectly obeying it. He carries God’s law in his heart and he carries it out in his emotions, thoughts, words and actions. However, there is one other function of the Urim and Thummim. In Numbers 27:21 God tells Moses that he is to appoint and commission Joshua to take his place as the leader of Israel after he dies. He then tells Moses this: “Joshua is to stand before Eleazar the high priest, who will obtain judgments for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out and at his command they will come in.” In other words, the high priest by means of the Urim in a fashion that is not described anywhere in the Bible, seeks God’s directions concerning the movement of the people of Israel on behalf of Joshua the leader of Israel. God, in response to Joshua’s request for direction, renders his judgment concerning when and where Israel should set out. The people of God discover and obey the will of God through the high priest. In addition, in Deuteronomy 17 the appointed judges in the cities are told that when then are confronted with a dispute or a question of how God’s law should be applied which they cannot figure out then they are to go to the tabernacle and consult the high priest to find out what judgment God will render. While the Urim is not mentioned here the act of rendering a judgment by the high priest is clearly described. In other words, the high priest is not only the embodiment of the law of God but he is the final arbiter in how that law is applied to the daily realties of the people of God. He is the source of God’s “judgment” about how the law is to be applied in any given situation. Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is the only one who has the right to tell us what God’s law means. He is the only one who has ever lived out God's judgments in their completeness. It is only in him, by him and through him that we can understand God’s word and apply it correctly to our lives. In addition, it is by the work of the Holy Spirit who is Christ in us, that we are able to understand God’s word and how it applies to the tasks and relationships and conduct of our lives. This is not referring to Jesus telling us who we should marry or what job we should take but rather it symbolizes that Jesus is the key to understanding the Bible and enabling us to apply it correctly to our lives. This one who represents us to God also represents God to us, revealing to us his will for a whole and happy life in his kingdom. We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
IV. Is able to live in God’s presence and not die (28:31-43) In vv. 31-43 the other parts of the high priest’s outfit is described. The seamless, sleeveless blue robe with the gold bells on it, the turban with the gold plate inscribed with “Holy to the Lord”, the white linen tunic and its sash and the linen underwear. I’m not going to deal with all the details of these items because I want to draw your attention to three things that are said about the function of these items. At the end of v. 35 after describing the bells, God tells Moses that the reason for the bells is so that when the high priest enters the Holy place before the Lord and when he comes out “he will not die.” Then in v. 38 the purpose of the golden plate on the turban is so that he will bear the guilt of the sacrifices the Israelites offer and thus they (the Israelites and their gifts) will be "acceptable to the Lord." Or to say it negatively, so the Lord will not reject Israel and her gifts. Finally, in v.43 the purpose of wearing the linen undergarments is so that whenever Aaron and his sons enter into the Holy Place they will not incur guilt and die. The proper attire represents that the priest is holy and thus can safely enter into the presence of a holy God and not be killed. Entering into God’s presence is not very safe. The high priest have the most dangerous job in Israel. It could be fatal if he did not do exactly as he was told. This is what Aarons’ two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, found out days after they were consecrated as priests. They made incense according to their own recipe and not according to God’s recipe and when they entered into the Holy Place with their homemade incense burning, fire came out from the Most Holy Place and consumed them. God also killed Eli the high priest and his sons in the days of Samuel because they did not perform their duties as God required. In fact, the reason that God gives in the prophets for why he eventually destroys all of Israel and sends them into exile is in part because the priests do not do what they are supposed to do. Only priests who are dressed in glory and beauty and who perform their functions according to God’s directions can safely come into God’s presence. When you consider the inflexibility of God and the fierceness of his anger when his requirements are not met it is a wonderful thing to realize that Jesus always lives in God’s presence without fear. He is clothed in perfect righteousness. He has never disobeyed and will never disobey and thus he never has to fear the wrath of his Father. He always lives in God’s presence to intercede for us. This is our hope as well. When we read of God’s wrath poured out on people in the OT or when we hear Jesus tell us in the parable of the wedding banquet that God threw out one of the guests into the outer darkness because he was not dressed in proper attire, we should be glad that we come to God through Christ, dressed in his very righteousness. Our filthy clothes have been taken off and we have been dressed, "in Christ," in the perfect robes and tunics and have a gold plate on our forehead declaring that we are “holy to the Lord” and thus we do not need to fear the fire of God’s merciless anger against sinners. We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
V. Is chosen and prepared by God to represent us (29:1-37) Chapter 29 records the ordination ceremony the priests were to follow prior to their service. The main feature in the ceremony to prepare Aaron and his sons to serve as priests are three animal sacrifices: a bull for a sin offering, a ram for a burnt offering and another ram for the ordination offering. Before each animal is killed the priests lay their hands on its head as a symbol that their sins are being laid upon the animal and thus it dies in their place. The fact these men could not serve without having these sacrifices offered on their behalf is used by the author to the Hebrews as evidence that they were unfit to serve as priests and to show that Jesus is infinitely superior. The reason, according to Hebrews 7:27 is that unlike these human priests, Jesus did not have to offer a sacrifice for his own sins, because he has no sin. The ordination service as a whole, however does symbolize that just as God chose Aaron and his sons to serve as priests and he made them fit for their service through this ceremony, so also God chose Jesus to serve as high priest and he also made Jesus fit to fulfill that role on our behalf. The fact that Jesus was chosen and appointed by God, like Aaron, is stated in Hebrews 5:4-6 and in numerous other places in the NT. The way in which God made him fit for his service is also shown there in 5:8 when we are told that Jesus learned obedience by what he suffered and through this obedience was made fit to be our high priest. However, there is another way that the gospel writers connect the ministry of Jesus to this ordination ceremony. Aside from the sacrifices, there are three things that are done to ordain the priests: they are washed with water, dressed in their holy clothes and then anointed with oil. At the beginning of each of the four biographies of Jesus’ life, which we call “the gospels” is recorded the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. If you will remember this involved two things: First, Jesus is washed in water and second the Holy Spirit descends upon him. Anointing with oil is explicitly identified as a symbol of being anointed with the Holy Spirit in Zechariah 4. This washing with water and this anointing with the Holy Spirit at the onset of Jesus’ ministry is a clear reflection of the gospel writers' understanding that Jesus was ordained to his ministry as our priest just as the OT priests were ordained. Jesus is ordained to be our priest by God through John. That Jesus is "dressed" in the clothing of the priests is primarily seen in the evidences of divine glory and righteousness in his life. However, there is a fascinating detail that John records in his gospel to which several commentators draw attention. In John 19:23 we are told that the soldiers, while Jesus hangs on the cross, divide up Jesus’ clothing but that one article of clothing, the tunic, was seamless and it was for this item that the soldiers cast lots in fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 22:18. The other gospel writers merely state that they cast lots for his clothes. Only John records that it was for a seamless tunic, just like the ones worn by the high priest as he uses the same word. John is seeking to connect Jesus’ person and his work on the cross with the person and work of the Jewish high priest. If the U.S. government wants to make a treaty with the Chinese government who will they talk to? Will they talk to a private Chinese citizen who claims to represent China or will they talk with the Ambassador that China chose and commissioned to act on their behalf with the U.S.? The answer is obvious, you talk with the appointed ambassador, not the unknown volunteer. Just as God chose and prepared the high priests to perform their duties so also God the Father chose and prepared God the Son to perform his duties as our high priest. God chose no other representative and so you are a fool if you think you can approach him apart from this chosen and prepared mediator. We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
VI. Is there to offer sacrifice for sin (29:38-43, 27:1-8) What is the primary duty of the priests in the tabernacle? In our study in the letter to the Hebrews we recently saw that the primary purpose of priests in the system God revealed to Moses was to offer sacrifices. Here we see at the end of the description of the clothing and the ordination ceremony of the priests that this is indeed their primary function. Their service is the work of slaughtering animals, burning up their bodies on the altar of burnt offering and throwing their blood against the sides of the altar. The most noticeable thing when you came into the tabernacle was the blood stained altar and the blood stained priests. Every morning and every evening for hundreds of years the priests killed a year old lamb, splashed its blood against the altar and burned up its body on the altar. This taking of innocent life in the place of the guilty Israelites was their primary function. It is the same with our Lord Jesus. He was chosen by God, fit by God to be our high priest in order to offer himself, the innocent Lamb of God for all the sins of all those who will trust in him. He became our priest in order to die, to offer himself as our sacrifice. In the coming weeks we will fully explore the greatness of this sacrifice and the benefits that come to us by it as we work our way through Hebrews 9 and 10. But for now the question stands before each of us, are we trusting in this priest and the sacrifice he has offered or are we trusting in ourselves and our sacrifices in order to be accepted by God? We can only enter heaven if we are represented by one who…
© Copyright 2007 John Swanson.
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