Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Exodus-Chapter 28

Exo 28.1-43 will tell us about the priestly garments. Paul will allude to these garments in Eph 6 because the priests are engaged in spiritual warfare (Num 4.3 where “service” is “tzava” or warfare). These garments will have a kedusha and so does the position of a priest. Kedusha is defined as designating something or someone for the service of God by formal and legal restrictions and limitations. Once these garments are set aside to God, they will have a kedusha. We have a lot of misconceptions about the word “holy.” We confuse the word “holy” with “righteous.” These garments had a kedusha as soon as the priest puts them on, and the priest will be in a state of kedusha. That means there are certain restrictions and limitations to what he can do or where he can go. The HIgh Priest will be a picture of the perfect man in the Olam Haba.

v 1…Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to me. Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

v 2…And you shall make holy (had a kedusha) garments for Aaron your brother for glory (kivod) and for beauty (tiferet; these garments would distinguish him from everyone else).

v 3…And you shall speak to all skillful (“chachmay” lev or wise-hearted) persons whom I have endowed with a spirit of wisdom (ruach chachmah) that they make Aaron ‘s garments to sanctify him (with a kedusha), that he may minister as priest to me (these people had their hearts in the project, not just “followers”).

v 4…And these are the garments which they shall make (for the high priest to v 39); a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and tunic of checkered work (embroidered), a turban and a sash; and they shall make garments for aaron your brother and his sons, that they may minister as priest to me.

v 5…And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and scarlet and the fine linen (each of these will make one thread; one thread of gold, six blue, six purple, six tola shanni and six linen which teaches that man, whose number is six, was made in the image of God, and gold, God, is added making man complete or “seven” in the garments of the high priest, who is a picture of the perfect man in the image of God in the Olam Haba).

v 6…And they shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet and twisted linen, the woek of a skillful workman.

v 7…It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends that it may be joined.

v 8…And the skillfully woven band (at the bottom of the ephod around the waist) which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linen.

v 9…And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,

v 10…six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth order (these are on the shoulder and the engraving speaks of eternal security of the believer, and the shoulder speaks of strength and security. Israel is “borne”, or “nasa” meaning to lift, on the shoulders of the Messiah in Isa 9.6. These stones are called the “avnay zikron” or stones of remembrance).

v 11…As a jeweler engraves a signet you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel ; you shall set them in filigree (enclosed) of gold.

v 12…And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear (see v 10 notes) the names of before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial.

v 13…And you shall make filigree (enclosed settings) of gold,

v 14…and two chains of pure gold ; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains in the filigree (settings).

v 15…And you shall make a breastpiece of judgment (choshen mishpat), the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linen you shall make it.

v 16…It shall be square (four corners) and folded double (making a pouch when the high priest wears it), a span in length and a span in width (9.6 inches).

v 17…And you shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby (“odem” for Reuben, red), topaz (baneket” for Levi, red, white and blue striped), emerald (“pitdah” for Shimon, green);

v 18…and the second row a turquoise (“nophek” for Judah, bluish green), sapphire (“sapir” for Issachar, blue), and diamond (“yahalom” for Zebulon, clear);

v 19…and the third row a jacinth (“leshem” for Dan, blue), and agate (“achalamah” for Gad, grey), and an amethyst (“shevo” for Naphtali, purple);

v 20…and the fourth row a beryl (“tarshish” for Asher, aquamarine), and onyx (“shoham” for Joseph, black) and a jasper (“yashfeh” for Benjamin, possessed all colors; the Temple Institute in Jerusalem went to great trouble to research these stones when making the breastplate for the high priest, but there is no way to be definite because there are so many opinions);

v 21…and the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes.

v 22…And you shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold (all God).

v 23…And you shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold (on e on the breastpice and another on the shoulder piece), and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

v 24…And you shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.

v 25…And you shall put the other two ends of the cords in the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at front of it (top of it).

v 26…And you shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod (the two lower ends).

v 27…And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

v 28…And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings (speaks of eternity) to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord (our eternal security rests on the God of heaven), that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and the breastpiece may not come loose from the ephod.

v 29…And Aaron shall carry (Aaron will symbolize all the high priests that will come after him) the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart (symbolizing his love, intentions and thoughts as he intercedes) when he enters the holy place (to trim the kamps and offer incense) for a memorial (to pray for his people) before the Lord continually (to put him in remembrance of his covenant).

v 30…And you shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim (lights) and the Thummim (perfections; a free translation would be “full of light as to amount of light, and perfect as to kind, a complete illumination, or in other words, a definite oracle from God; see the book, “The Tabernacle of Israel” by James Strong, p.110-112; NUm 27.15-21 says that Joshua would be the successor or Moses and he will inquire of the high priest with the Urim V’Thummim and tell Joshua what to do; Hos 3.4-5 says that Israel will be without these things for many days, but will return the Yehovah in the last days and will seek true worship and service to God; Neh 7.65 says that priest who cold not prove they were priests could not eat from the kodshai kodashim, the priestly portions of the korbanot, until a priest arose with the Urim V’Thummim).

v 31…And you shall make the robe of the ephod (under the ephod) all of blue (heaven).

v 32…And there shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it (to put his head through); around its opening there will be a binding of woven work (to strengthen it), as the opening of a coat of mail, that it may not be torn.

v 33…And you shall make on its hem pomegranates (symbolizes Messiah’s kingship and authority and his commandments) of blue (from heaven) and purple (his royal standing) and scarlet (blood of the redemption), all around on its hem, and bells (speaks of his testimony and calls attention the pomegranates) of gold (God) between them all around (alternating):

v 34…a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe (the Temple of Solomon had pomegranates all over it because the Temple was seen as Gan Eden; the Menorah had pomegranates and it was one of the Sheva Minim brought at Shavuot; a six-petaled pomegranate forms a “Magen David” or a shield of David speaking of protection-Prov 30.4-6; this is not a new concept; the bells could be heard as the high priest moved, but he did not wear the high priestly garments into the Holy of Holies; the pomegranate has much meaning in Jewish thought).

v 35…And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place (not the holy of holies) before the Lord, that he may not die (it had a kedusha and because not having this on invalidated his service because it was not according to the pattern God has commanded).

v 36…You shall make a plate (“tzitz”) of gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, “Holy (set apart with a kedusha) to Yehovah” (they knew what his name was).

v 37…And you shall fasten it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban (to hold it in place).

v 38…And it shall be on Aaron’s forehead (seat of the intellect and showing the headship of God), and Aaron shall bear (Hebrew “nasa” or to lift up a load, to put up with and care for, and can mean “forgive”) the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy (had a kedusha) gifts (everything presented must be in agreement to what the Lord has said; the high priest is responsible for this); and it shall always be on the forehead (in times of service), that they may be accepted before the Lord.

v 39…And you shall weave a tunic of checkered work (embroidery) of fine linen and shall make a turban of fine linen (they had the anointing oil on their head), and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.

v 40…And for Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics (believers are clothed in Messiah’s righteousness and fitted for his presence); you shall also make sashes for them, for glory (kivod) and for beauty (tiferet; see v 2 notes; this is the last time this term is used in the Tanak).

v 41…And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate (they have a kedusha) them that they may serve me as priests.

v 42…And you shall make for them linen breeches (reaching to the knees; there is no mention of a covering for the feet) to cover their bare flesh (works of flesh are not acceptable to God-1 Cor 15.50); they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs).

v 43…And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die (for violating the commands of God and doing their own thing, like Nadab and Abihu in Lev 10.1; everything pertaining to the flesh is forbidden). It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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