The High Priest's Garments of Glory and Beauty

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The people of Israel were possessed of a magnificent ritual, and because Israel’s ritual pointed to Christ, the smallest details are given. Let us look at Exodus 28, which describes the priests’ robes, as the chapter following describes the ceremonies connected with the consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priestly office. Aaron and his sons typify Christ and Christians. The priesthood of Aaron’s sons depended upon the priesthood of their father as ours depends upon that of the Lord Jesus. They were priests by divine call (Heb. 5:44And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Hebrews 5:4)). Christ’s call is found in Psalm 110:44The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4); ours in 1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5).
The Ephod
The ephod is described first, as being the principal priestly vestment, and stood for all that the priesthood represented. Every detail speaks of priestly grace. “They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.” The gold speaks of the divine in our Lord and was interwoven with the blue and other colors, for the union of the human and the divine in His person is one of the holiest mysteries of our faith. In all His ways and words, this marvelous union shines forth. Blue is the heavenly color. “The second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:4747The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:47)). He who thus condescended to become human had subsisted from eternity in uncreated glory above.
Purple is the royal color. The Son of God has kingly rights and inherits Joseph’s rights as his legal heir (Matt. 1). Scarlet speaks of earthly glory (Rev. 17:33So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3); 2 Sam. 1:2424Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. (2 Samuel 1:24)). It is not enough that Christ should be glorified on high; God will see to it that He is also glorified below in His own time. The fine twined linen testifies to His perfect spotlessness. Though born of a human mother, He did not inherit any moral taint from her. He was emphatically “that holy thing” (Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)). He only of all who have ever walked the earth could say to His critics, “Which of you convinceth Me of sin?” (John 8:4646Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? (John 8:46)).
The Girdle of the Ephod
The curious girdle of the ephod was made of the same materials as the ephod itself (vs. 8) and is the emblem of service—compare Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37); 17:8. The thought is overwhelming that our Lord Jesus could possibly constitute Himself the servant of His people, but it is true, so wonderful is His grace. Like the Hebrew servant of Exodus 21, He had purposed to be servant forever. Accordingly, He ministers on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary during our earthly pilgrimage, while Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37) tells us that in a coming day He will make us sit down to meat and come forth and serve us.
The Shoulder Pieces
We have next the shoulder pieces (vss. 9-13), on which were two onyx stones, with the names of Israel’s tribes engraved upon them, six on each stone. The shoulder is the place of power. Hence the good Shepherd lays His once-lost sheep on His shoulders and brings it home rejoicing (Luke 15:55And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (Luke 15:5)). The names were cut into the stones “with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving of a signet” (vs. 11) and then “set in ouches of gold.” The eternal security of every believer is typified in this, and none can “pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)).
The Breastplate
The people’s names were on the breastplate also, for in Christ power and love combine for the blessing of His people. We read in Exodus 28:2929And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. (Exodus 28:29): “Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart.” The changeless love of Christ is our solace and joy. John 13:11Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1) is as true for us as for the disciples of long ago: “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.”
In the breastplate God would also show us His tender interest in each individual believer. In the shoulder-pieces six names were engraved on each stone; in the breastplate each name had a stone to itself. Each individual saint, however poor and lowly, has his own place in the divine affections.
What a lovely picture is suggested by the high priest of Israel bearing the names of the people of God upon his shoulder and heart in the divine presence continually! Yet how soon everything failed in the hands of man! The garments of glory and beauty appear never to have been worn in the presence of God after the calamitous circumstances of the day of consecration (Lev. 10). From that point the holiest was closed to the priesthood, save on the annual Day of Atonement, and on that day Aaron was to draw near in white linen garments (Lev. 16:1-41And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; 2And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. (Leviticus 16:1‑4)). What immense comfort it is for our hearts to know that there can be no such failure in our Lord Jesus Christ!
The Urim and Thummim
In the breastplate, among the names of the children of Israel, was placed the Urim and the Thummim. The words mean “the lights and the perfections.” What it was exactly, Scripture does not say. It is mentioned altogether seven times in the Scripture; in two of the passages the Urim only is named, and in one (Deut. 33:88And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; (Deuteronomy 33:8)) the order is reversed and given as “Thy Thummim and Thy Urim.” It evidently gave the answer of Jehovah concerning matters that were referred to Him by the priest. It is because the breastplate contained this instrument by which divine decisions were given that it is called “the breastplate of judgment.”
It is God’s delight to make known Himself and His will to those who desire this blessed knowledge. The Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate of the high priest were the pledge that Israel never need be in darkness about any matter. Today, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, the completed Word of God in our hands, and a glorified Christ interesting Himself in us, there need be no obscurity in our minds concerning the smallest detail of our pathway. Where the eye is single and the heart is true, the path becomes clear.
The Robe of the Ephod
“The robe of the ephod” was made wholly of blue (Ex. 28:3131And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. (Exodus 28:31)), emphasizing that ours is a heavenly Priest. “Such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:2626For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)). We are the brethren of Christ and partakers of the heavenly calling; heavenly people need a heavenly priest. A priest of Aaron’s order is of no use to us, for his priesthood was exercised in an earthly sanctuary on behalf of an earthly people. The feeblest Christian stands on higher ground than Israel ever knew.
Around the hem of the blue robe were golden bells and pomegranates, which speak of testimony and fruit. When Jesus ascended to God, the Holy Spirit came forth and set the golden bells of gospel testimony ringing in this dark world. The bells also sounded when Aaron came out from the divine presence, for in like manner a fresh sound will be heard when the Lord Jesus comes again. A new testimony will be commenced in the earth, and abundance of fruit will be gathered by means of it. Israel, not the church, will be God’s witness in that day, for “out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:33And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)).
The Holy Crown
We come now to the plate of pure gold, with its inscription, “Holiness to the Lord” (Ex. 28:3636And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (Exodus 28:36)). This was fastened to the forefront of Aaron’s mitre by a blue lace, and it is twice called “the holy crown” (Ex. 39:3030And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (Exodus 39:30); Lev. 8:99And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 8:9)). He whose brow was once encircled with the crown of thorns is now “crowned with glory and honor” (Heb. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)). The golden plate was put upon his forehead, “that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord” (vs. 38). Such is our infirmity that, even with the purest of motives, we are utterly unable to render spiritual sacrifices to God in perfection. Our comfort lies in the fact that all our offerings come before God through the hands of the perfectly holy One in His presence.
Aaron’s Son’s Robes
Aaron’s sons’ robes, though of linen, are said to be “for glory and for beauty” (Ex. 28:40-4340And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. (Exodus 28:40‑43); Ex. 39:27-2927And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:27‑29)). Aaron’s sons typify Christians, viewed, not as members of Christ’s body, but as belonging to the priestly family of which Christ is the Head. Every detail of the sons’ robes as well as of the robes of their father speaks of Christ. What have we then in this picture but every Christian so completely covered with the perfections of Christ that the holy eye of God sees upon us nothing but Christ when we draw near in faith before Him!
W. W. Fereday (adapted)