Exodus 39

God made man in His own image. He walked with man in the garden. But man violated his relationship with God by disobeying the Word of the Lord. Man ate the fruit that he was commanded not to eat. Through this breach of faith, this serious disregard for the Word of the Lord, sin entered the world, and death with sin. Yet just as God announced this great difficulty, He also announced that it would be through a man, the seed of the woman, that the head of evil would be crushed.

Man would now need a mediator with God in order to have fellowship with the Almighty. In the time of preparation for the gift of the Messiah, there would be a special office given to Israel allowing the blessings of God to come upon the people, and enabling the offerings of the people to be given to God. It would be through the office of priest that the Lord would provide a way of limited access to God. Only Aaron and his descendants could be priests. Aaron himself would be the first high priest, and his sons would serve beside him as his assistants. Both the high priest and the other priests would have special garments according to the pattern that God had shown to Moses.

Under, the direction of Moses, and the oversight of Aaron and Bezalel, Oholiab and other gifted artisans would have the special task of making these garments. The making of these objects of holy clothing was recorded for future generations.

The creation of man was more impressive than the creation of the tabernacle or anything in it. Man would be a priest to God. To be a priest to God was a very high calling. Could the clothing make the man? Was there any outfit that could allow a man to come before God and represent the people before the Lord's perfect holiness?

Just as the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin, and just as sacred water could not cleanse the hearts of those who would approach God in worship, there would be no garment that Oholiab and Bezalel could weave and sow that could make a man acceptable before the Lord for holy service. Yet men like Oholiab had the privilege of building the picture of a priest to come that Aaron would wear. As we consider Aaron's gift of service for this time of preparation, our hearts are drawn to the better gift of a High Priest with the spotless attire of His own righteousness. Then we call to mind that Jesus was willing to stain His garments with His own blood that we might be granted the spotless robes of His priesthood and serve God forever.

Aaron's ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen had its purpose in its day. That sacred garment would bear the names of the sons of Israel. But could Bezalel have engraved a special stone for every individual in Israel and placed those hundreds of thousands of gems on a more comprehensive ephod? That weight would have been more than Aaron could bear. Even to carry the weight of guilt for one sinner would have been impossible for the man who had himself been implicated in the making of a calf idol. How could any man bear the penalty that all of Israel deserved? But this is what Christ has done, dying not only for the sins of Israel, but for all the scattered children of the Lord from throughout the earth who would eventually take refuge in His priesthood.

Aaron's breastpiece, with its four rows of stones, would also be a remembrance before God of the twelve tribes. But would there be a priest who would remember us particularly before the Lord? Could there ever be a man who would know more than our names, even being aware of the truth of our own weaknesses, and carrying us before the throne of the Almighty in His perfect strength? This could only be symbolically portrayed in the work of Bezalel, and the expert stitching of Oholiab, but neither of these men, or any of the descendants of Aaron, could have ever provided the priesthood that would secure for us eternal blessedness in the presence of God.

These gifted craftsmen could make the twisted chains of gold for a garment of preparation, but they could not bring to earth the Man of heaven who would lead the way for us to resurrection life. They could weave the robe of blue with the skill required so that it might not easily tear. They could prepare the hem of Aaron's garment according to the Lord's command. But only Christ could feel the faith of one of His beloved children in need who would touch the hem of his simple garment and be healed.

They could make special coats for Aaron and His sons, and the special caps with a message of consecrated holiness. But only Christ could be the Man of consecration for us. When He loved us to the very end, soldiers would cast lots for one of his garments, and would split another along its seams so that each man could have a portion. But when His body was torn by nails in His hands and feet, His blood would bring a power of purity that no garment assembled by Oholiab could have adequately portrayed. Jesus truly was what every high priest in the tradition of Aaron had to be, though none of them could ever achieve it. He was “Holy to the Lord.” In Him, all of the meaning of the tabernacle system of worship found its fulfillment. His work received a word of blessing from God that was more powerful and enduring than anything that could every have been spoken over the works of the gifted hands that served the Lord in the building of the tent house of Israel's God so long ago.

The Lord God Almighty in His heavenly sanctuary saw all the work of His Son. Jesus did everything according to the eternal commandment of His Father, who received the fullness of His Son's offering on our behalf. In Him we are truly blessed.