Exodus 28

God's commands for worship involved not only a special place, the tabernacle, but also special leaders of worship, the priests. Those priests were to wear special garments according to the directives of the Lord through Moses. Aaron and his descendants would serve the Lord as priests throughout the entire Old Covenant. They were set apart based on their family heritage, but at the appropriate time of life, they would be set aside by ordination. Their clothing would tell a story that reaches into the realities of New Covenant and even into heaven.

The holy garments that God spoke about to Moses were “for glory and for beauty.” They would be made by those who were gifted by the Holy Spirit for this great work and skillful in assembling such garments. The Lord was the designer. He reserved that job for Himself, since everything in the tabernacle, including these special garments, were full of symbolic meaning. The office of the priesthood was a particular calling that a man could not presume to take upon himself, and the clothing that the Lord commanded was one way, together with the ceremonies He ordained, to set apart men for this special blessing of drawing near to Almighty God.

These garments included a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. The names of the twelve sons of Israel were to be engraved on two onyx stones, six on each stone, and the stones were to be set on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Twelve precious stones in four rows were to be set on the breastpiece, each one inscribed with one of the names of the twelve tribes. The breastpiece and the ephod, each with this constant reminder of the descendants of Jacob, were attached together with cords and rings according to the Lord's instruction. The symbolic importance of this picture was explicit: “Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.”

The breastpiece of judgment had a special function as its name suggests. The priest was to use the Urim and Thummim to understand the Lord's will for Israel at times when they inquired of the Lord. This too would be on the heart of Aaron, the High Priest. Israel needed the Lord's direction for living, and the use of this system provided that necessary help. God put it this way: “Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.” The answer of the Lord for the tribes of Israel would be of utmost importance in many challenging situations for years to come.

The hem of the priestly garment would make noise as the priest moved. Bells of gold would be heard when the High Priest went into the Holy Place before the Lord. The Lord said that this was a matter of life and death for the High Priest, reinforcing a message that became more pronounced as the Lord's directives for worship were given through Moses: To come before the Lord in the tabernacle as a priest was a dangerous matter. Only those authorized by God were allowed to draw near to Him, and only with appropriate reverence and awe.

Beyond the names of the sons of Israel, there was one more set of words engraved on a plate of gold and set on the priestly turban. That plaque gave this important directive: “Holy to the Lord.” This requires very little interpretation. The priest, the one who would be a mediator between God and the people of Israel, would have to be a man who was set apart for the Lord's service. Surely the God who gave such a probing commandment as “You shall have no other gods before Me,” and “You shall not covet,” was looking for more than mere ceremonial holiness. Surely the one who would be a priest before God for others would have to possess moral righteousness in accord with the Law of the Lord.

Where could such a man be found? And what would Israel do without a priest that was holy to the Lord? Aaron would soon make a golden calf. Two of his sons would die when they made unauthorized fire. These garments were for real. Approaching God with recklessness could be deadly. The Lord needed to provide an acceptable priest or all was lost, but no sinless priests came from Aaron's descendants.

Aaron was a sinful man wearing a turban with a gold plate fastened upon it, and that plate made a claim that neither Aaron nor his sons could fully live up to. They were to represent their brothers among the Israelites as they wore their tribal names engraved on precious stones before the presence of the Lord. Those tribes were full of those who were unacceptable, and they would be represented by priests that were not holy to the Lord in the depths of their hearts.

But now we are accurately counted as holy to the Lord. In the New Testament era we have one great High Priest for both Jews and Gentiles who believe in His Name. Our names are written on His hands. By His wounds we have the forgiveness of sins. He was perfectly holy to the Lord. In this one holy Head, the body of the entire church of Jesus Christ has been counted as holy. Now in heaven, this one High Priest represents us before God, and in Him, we are holy priests before the Lord.

Any priestly clothing we have in heaven comes from the merit and mediation of Jesus Christ. He still loves the tribes of Israel, but also bears the names of many other beloved children close to His heart. God has rendered a judgment of eternal blessing for us in Him. May He grant to His children growth in holiness appropriate for those who are priests of God forever in Jesus, our Lord.