130 - All Dressed Up and Somewhere to Go

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the eye?

Is there anything here for me? I mean, it's just words printed on paper, right? Well, it may look like just print on a page, but it's more than ink. Join us for the next half hour as we explore God's Word together, as we learn how to explore it on our own, as we ask God to meet us there in its pages.

Welcome to More Than Ink. So we know that in the Jewish tabernacle, there were a lot of priests doing a lot of work coming and going. How do we know who the high priest was? Oh, well, the high priest had some really elaborate clothing, lots of colors.

Oh, and rich and gold and jewels, and his clothing meant something. Yes, it was really significant and God's teaching us a great truth, and we'll see it again today on More Than Ink. Well, hello, this is Jim. And this is Dorothy.

And you have tuned into More Than Ink. And we are having a delightful time working our way through Exodus. And we're getting to the end.

We're getting very close to the end. Yeah, we have looked forward to this portion of Exodus for a long time. We've gotten all the instructions, how to build a tabernacle, how to deck out the priest. I mean, we've been looking at all the shit stuff. And then last week, we built a lot of stuff in the week before. Well, yeah, and then we had the list, the final accounting of what all was spent on what, how much gold, silver, bronze.

Yeah, yeah. And it kind of was the signed receipt for all of the materials. The medals list, the millions of dollars in gold and silver.

The official record. And then I mentioned last time that we still had one more item to finish making that had nothing to do with the tabernacle or the courtyard of the tabernacle. It had to do with the high priest.

Yeah, but it has everything to do with where he serves. Yes. So we'll talk a little bit more about that maybe at the end.

But let's just get them clothed. What do you say? So if you're reading with us and we're reading out of the ESV version, we're starting chapter 39. And this is the last of the things that have to be made before we can actually contemplate building up the tabernacle and running the tabernacle. So we do that today. So you want to start with this?

Sure. In fact, as I recall here, this is the handiwork of a Holy Op, right? Because he was the guy who was big into the textiles and the design and so now we're heavy textiles.

So let's see what happens. He was in charge of the soft things, it seems like the embroidery and the design. Okay, so kind of it picks up right at the end of that materials list of all the hardware. And then right in verse one, and from the blue and purple and scarlet yarns, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place. They made the holy garments for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses. Now do you want to get right into the garments?

You got anything to say about that beginning? That's it. So this holy place required specific clothing of the high priest who was going to serve there. Right. And it is as specified and detailed as the design of the entire tabernacle. It's very detailed. Which is really interesting. And it's interesting here that in chapter 39, we get all of the things that we were told about back in chapter 28. But in 28, we get this little kind of commentary as to why or what happens regarding these pieces of clothing.

Here we don't get that, we just get the description. But the reason I said that is because when it says, and they made the holy garments for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses, back in chapter 28 verse two, the Lord had said, and make that for glory and for beauty. Yeah, glory and beauty.

Right. So glory, the idea being recognition and shining beauty. So as we are reading through this, it kind of makes me think of creating almost like a wedding gown. It's very detailed, it's purpose-made garment.

And if you're wearing that, you're only doing what that garment signifies. Yeah, it's for that particular thing, that event that happening. Yeah.

And it's very specifically detailed. Yeah. And here as well, we understand that in God's specifications for not only the tabernacle, but the clothing of the high priest, he's telling us something. So we'll recall some of that here because Aaron is going to be decked out with kind of a graphic novel of information for the people of Israel. Everything he wears means something.

Yeah. So let's start with the ephod. Here we go, verse two. Verse two, the ephod. He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. And they hammered out gold leaf and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and scarlet yarns and into the fine twined linen in skilled design. They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces joined to it and its two edges and the skillfully woven band on it was a one piece with it and made like it of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen as the Lord had commanded Moses.

You know, let's stop there before we get to the stuff. Well, I noticed I had gone back to Exodus 28 to check the specification. And one thing that was different that's mentioned here and which I was surprised by, in verse three, the hammered out gold leaf. Yeah, the gold leaf actually worked into the fibers. Worked into the fibers. And I went back when you look at Exodus 28, like verse six, it says, and they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns.

So I had always read that to mean like gold colored yarn, but he says the ephod of gold, comma, of blue, purple. So they moved, they actually put, they hammered it out. They actually wove it into, they cut it into threads and worked it in. That is very cool. How meticulous is that? And how beautiful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really, really cool.

And you'll notice that the stock of the colored yarns matches also the colored yarns that are used for all the other great tapestries in the tabernacle and then, you know, and going and coming places, you know, the gates. So I can't think of the name for that. What do they call that? The entry? The entry, yeah.

The doorway of the entry. Well, you know, the emphasis on the purple and the scarlet and the blue, these are colors that are associated with royalty and luxury. These were expensive dyes, not something your average person wore. Exactly, yeah. You know, I was thinking today that Aaron probably had never been dressed like this in his life.

Oh, heavens no. Well, yeah, they left Egypt kind of as slaves and we don't know that they brought any hot, fancy fashion statement Egypt clothing with them. They probably were still in slave clothing. But they were clearly carrying the materials. But they had the materials, yeah, yeah. Okay, so we've begun this little repetition here that at the end of each section it says, As the Lord had commanded Moses.

Yes. You know, I don't know if you noticed this, Jim, but going through this chapter, these first 30 verses, that is repeated seven times. Yeah, I know. In the description of clothing the high priest and making his garment. And I'm thinking that, you know, when we find something repeated seven times in the scripture, that's telling us something. It's telling us this is the complete thing.

This is the whole thing, the whole story. Well, we're already past one of them in verse one, you know. Right, right. As the Lord had commanded Moses. So that's just another way of saying this is according to the design that we got back in 28.

Well, this is obedience in every detail. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, let's put some stones on this thing. Okay, so now there's this next piece. And they made the onyx stones enclosed in settings of gold filigree and engraved like the engravings of a signet according to the names of the sons of Israel.

That was verse six, seven. And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel as the Lord had commanded Moses. Yeah, so this is interesting looking.

As you know, we recall, these are black stones, onyx, polished, probably polished, and it has written on them the names of the tribes. Right, and they go on his shoulders. On his shoulders. So, you know, my visualization of that is that they're facing upward.

Yeah, I would think so. He's bearing them on the top of his shoulders. And that actually is what it says back in chapter 28, Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial. So you know, on your shoulders is where you carry a burden. Or you carry your child maybe on your shoulders. We carried our kids that way. So you know, it's just kind of a it's an interesting picture.

Yeah, I was looking at in ancient times, it was always the place of work. You know, you bear things on your shoulders and carry stuff. And so when it says he's bearing their names, he's actually, he's carrying a burden into the presence of God, because remember, his job is to come and go into the presence of God. So it very clearly symbolizes the fact that here is the precious 12 tribes of Israel, and he's bearing something about them into the presence of God.

And it's interesting that they're on onyx. So they're on a black stone, being born by the high priest, yeah, with their names facing upwards with their names facing symbolically where God is looking down. Yeah. Yeah.

So that so you could say quite literally, one of the roles of the high priest is to bear the burden. Yes, of the sins, let's say of the nation. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah, that's part of his role is what he does. And here it is symbolically right there in the onyx. And it's all it's all kind of connected together with the ephod. So we're still dealing with this, this piece of the garment that was called the ephod. So verse eight, he made the breast piece. And in in chapter 28, it's called the breast piece of judgment. So he made the breast piece in skilled work in the style of the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

It was square, they made the breast piece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. So it was sort of a pouch or pocket kind of Yeah, okay, verse 10. And they set in it four rows of stones, a row of sardius, topaz and carbuncle was in the first row, and the second row an emerald, sapphire and a diamond, and the third row adjacent and agate and an amethyst and the fourth row a barrel and onyx and a Jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree.

There were 12 stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name for the 12 tribes and they made on the dress on the breast piece twisted chains like cords of pure gold. And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings and put the two rings on the edges of the breast piece and they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breast piece. They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree and thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. So it's this a pretty detailed description of actually how the thing was hung together. It's got to be well attached. Then they made two rings of gold and put them at the two ends of the breast piece on it on its inside edge next to the ephod. And they made two rings of gold and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of ephod at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. And they bound the breast piece to his rings and to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue so that it would lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and that the breast piece should not come loose from the ephod as the Lord had commanded Moses. Should not come loose. Yeah, there's a whole section here about how you attach it so it doesn't fall off.

It's very clear that it's not going anywhere. Well and think how embarrassing it would be if Aaron's marching by you and you're saying, look, honey, there's our stone for our tribe and it pops out onto the ground and go, oh, no, God rejected us. So the thing's got to, I mean, I'm being a little silly here, but I mean, it's got to hold together and be actually a part of his outward costume that doesn't come off.

Well, and its location is very important because, well, it's not referenced here. Back in chapter 28, it says in verse 29 of Exodus 28, and Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breast piece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually. So, you know, this idea of him bearing the burden of the people in their sin and yet carrying them over his heart, tied on so tightly, they will not come loose. Yeah, it's such a great picture. It's a beautiful picture. The name of every tribe is written in two places, on the high priest, on his shoulders and over his heart.

So one speaks of, perhaps, judgment and the other speaks of God's love. Yes, yes. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. And I've always thought about the fact that, I mean, literally as the high priest would walk around and people would see him, they would look for their stone, you know, which you could see on the breast piece. If they knew by tribe which stone was attached to it.

Yeah, but you couldn't see the engraving on the shoulders, but you could see that. And so it was a very special kind of signal to those who watched him saying, you know what, Aaron is going to now go into the presence of God and he's carrying our name into the presence of God. And you can tell that by the very unique stone that's on there. And so I think it's just a very personal connection for the people to say, you know, we are represented and there's our stone right there.

I think it's great. And you know, they were beautiful and fairly large, I would think, large precious stones. So they would be visible. I think they would be visible. And they're all distinct.

I think that's why he did it that way. Instead of having all the stones be the same and write 12 names on them, distinct characteristics. Although I've always wondered, and this is Jim's stupid wondering about technical things, but how do you scratch a name on a diamond? Well, oh, that's a good question. I don't know. With another diamond. I don't know. I know.

But they did it. So there's 12 stones, 12 different stones, 12 names on them. Okay. It's possible that it didn't look like the diamonds that we think of as diamonds today. Yeah, it could be.

Could be. Well, anyway, let's press on. Let's press on. Verse 22, he also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue. And the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment with a binding around the opening so that it might not tear. On the hem of the robe, they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. They also made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates, a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe before ministering as the Lord had commanded Moses. Okay. So now we have the high priest dicked.

Okay. But you remember back in chapter 28, it tells us why he had bells on the hem of his robe. So they could hear him moving. It says so that they will be on Aaron when he ministers and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the Lord that he may not die. That he may not die. In other words, they can hear him moving in there so they know that the ministry work is going on.

He has not been struck dead. Yeah. I think it's a twofold reassurance too, because firstly, it's not only the fact that he's still alive, because we're going to the presence of God.

That's a sobering thing. But the second reason is that although you can't see what he's doing, you can hear that he's doing it for you. You can hear it. Yeah.

So what a great representation, just having this constant sound inside. You know, that's interesting, because when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus at night, he says, you know, that's the way it is with the spirit. You can't see it like the wind.

You can't see it, but you hear it moving in the leaves of the trees. Yeah. You see the effects of it.

You see the effects of it. Yeah. So it's just a great reassurance.

It's a great thing. I have never figured out the pomegranate part of it. You know, I was thinking about that a little bit.

Around the edges. Yeah, it only really shows up either as food or here in the scriptures. Well, and it's also not something that's in the rest of the tabernacle. There's no pomegranates that I can remember in any of the imagery. I don't remember there being any of the description.

Yeah, I think it's just here. But you know, if you know anything about a pomegranate, it's a single, whole, beautiful red fruit, but when you break it open, there are countless seeds inside. Oh, man, full of seeds.

It's all seeds. And so I wonder if there isn't some little connection there of being one and yet being many. Could be. I mean, we can't build a theology on that, but it's an interesting symbol that it only shows up here. Yeah, yeah. And if you ever visit Israel, actually that symbol shows up in a lot of decorations in kitsch that you get for tourists and stuff like that.

It does. Pomegranates. Yeah. And you know, the juice of the pomegranate is red. And so the color red in scripture is very symbolic too. So I know there's a lot of interesting ideas perhaps, but we're not given anything concrete as to why it's pomegranates around the hem of the high priest's robe. Yeah, yeah.

Okay. It's colorful. So as the Lord had commanded Moses, there's number five, they also made the coats woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen. So these are all the other priests also get special clothes, but they're not anywhere near as ornate. Yeah, yeah.

And the linen undergarments of the fine twined linen, and the sash of fine twined linen, and of blue and purple scarlet yarns embroidered with needlework as the Lord had commanded Moses. Yeah. So if you recall, you go back to 28 again, chapter 28, there's a specification for Aaron's sons who will also operate as priests, you know, under his leadership.

But their specification isn't as detailed or really quite as colorful either. No. Or it's definitely not as involved. No, the high priest is a standout figure. That's exactly right.

That's exactly right. And it's clear by the way that all that clothing is put together that they exist to support what he's doing, right? So this is really an important deal about how Aaron is dressed, and now all the other guys, pretty much his sons are also the same. Okay, so they all have turbans. But in verse 30, it says, and they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet, holy to the Lord, and they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above as the Lord had commanded Moses. Right, right. So, you know, again, back in chapter 28, when it talks about this gold, this gold badge on the front of the turban, it says, and it shall be, this is verse 38 of chapter 28, it shall be on Aaron's forehead and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts, and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Right. For whose benefit does that say holy to the Lord? Does God need a label?

Or is it for the people? I think it's kind of, I think it's multi, to tell you the truth. I mean, the fact that it's so prominent on the high priest, and you know, I always go back, we have to make sure we understand what holy means. It doesn't just mean, doesn't mean sinless. Holy always means set apart for a purpose. So every time you see the word holy, I think there's a purpose going on here.

There's a purpose in this picture, and as well, this thing is marked as being set aside for whatever that purpose is. So I mean, very clearly, if you look at Aaron, he has been set aside for the purpose of being the high priest, and the fact that it's on his head and not an armband or something like that, kind of tells you that everything that he thinks about and he pursues, I mean, all that who he is, is dedicated to this one job, this one purpose, and it's solely for God's purpose and not his own. So he's holy to the Lord. But then there's also the effects that he has on the nation, you know, they're set apart also by God. Because what he is doing is making them holy. Exactly. Because he's carrying the blood of the sacrifice into the holy of holies.

Yeah. So I think it's multifold, but I think it starts with him. He is God's agent. He has a purpose that's actually printed on his forehead on a piece of gold, and his purpose is to be the intermediary between God and a sinful people. Well, and I love that back in chapter 28 again, when it says, and it shall be on his forehead that they may be accepted.

That they may be accepted. For the Lord. Right. There's an amazing verse in Leviticus 26, 11 that says, when God is speaking to his people, moreover, I will make my dwelling among you and my soul will not reject you. Right.

You have been accepted. Right. Right. And the thing that causes us not to be accepted is our sins. Is our sin. And, but God reassures Moses when they, you know, when they go the second time around the covenant, he says, I'm slow to anger. You know, I let sins go. You know, I'm quoting for Exodus 34 out of my head.

Freely paraphrasing. But I mean, yeah. So that's what we're talking about. The fact that God himself is the one who takes care of the problems that we have imposed on ourselves. And as a result, we're accepted based on what God does for us.

Yeah. So all of this sets me in mind of the ministry of Christ, because we know that Aaron is serving as a type, a picture of Christ when he's serving as the high priest. He is carrying the sacrifice for our sin. He carries the burden of our sin on his shoulders. He carries our names over his heart. And, you know, Hebrews tells us that he entered the Holy of Holies and anchored the way open for us there. Well, we know that Aaron had to come and go once a year. But our Lord Jesus Christ entered the Holy of Holies one time for all, carrying us.

We are in Christ. So in this picture of the high priest wearing the names of the people, it's like a coloring book picture of the identity of the people he's representing being in him as he goes about his ministry. And it's not lost on me either the fact that Aaron and the high priest, he looks a lot like how the tabernacle itself is decked out.

And the colors and the linens and stuff like that, especially the colors and the decorations. And so what it's trying to tell you is you look at him and you say, well, he's not totally from here. He belongs here. Yeah, he's a man, but he seems to have a foot in heaven because the tabernacle is kind of reflecting heaven.

It's got pictures of cherubim and stuff like that. So the high priest is definitely a guy that's in between. He not only is fully in the world, but in some way, which is what his robes look like, it tells us he also is part of heaven. He's also part of where God is. So he is the only one in this entire scene that has a dual place. He's both in the world and both in heaven in a sense as that intermediary between us and the world and God. And so he's clearly has a role that's the in-betweener.

He's the intercessor. And that's why the intercessor has to have access not only to where we are and our sins, but also into the presence of God. And his clothing says that it matches God's house. And that just brings to mind that verse from Timothy or Titus that says, and there's one mediator between God and man, the man of Christ Jesus. There's only one high priest.

Right. And so if you heard our broadcasts on Hebrews, you know that the high priest is a powerful picture of Jesus as our high priest, who both as man and as God is suited to be in both places and as a suitable intermediary because he is both fully man, he's where we are and he's in the presence of God. And that's what Aaron does right here in the tabernacle. And his ministry, Christ our high priest, is constant and never ending, whereas Aaron's ministry was going to end when he died and his sons would take over. But the ministry of Jesus as our high priest lives forever. And the result of what Jesus has done for us is God does not reject us when we come into his presence. No, as a matter of fact, there's this incredible verse in Revelation 22 in the picture of when God puts everything right.

I won't take time to read the whole thing. But in 22 when it says, and there shall no longer be any curse and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his bond servants shall serve him. Okay, that's us. Right. And they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads.

On their foreheads. Right. Well, that's where the high priest was marked with holy, holy, holy.

Holy to the Lord. Yeah. And I'll mention one passage I love too. When Jesus was in Nazareth and he started his ministry, he read Isaiah 61. Yes. And at the end of the section, which we don't think he read, but it's in that section, it says that about us, you've clothed me with garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.

A lot of connections. So go read Isaiah 61 because I actually had that passage in front of me too. Oh, we are so out of time. We are so out of time. Well, at this junction, we finished making everything and so next week we start figuring out how to put it together. Oh, I'm so excited. And the big test will be after we put it up, will God show up? So I'm Jim and I'm Dorothy and we're glad you're with us on More Than Ink. There are many more episodes of this broadcast to be found at our website, morethanink.org. And while you're there, take a moment to drop us a note. Remember, the Bible is God's love letter to you. Pick it up and read it for yourself and you will discover that the words printed there are indeed more than ink. This is how it goes.