LESSON 31
THE PRIEST AND HIS GARMENTS (Continued)
By E. L. Bynum, Pastor
Memory Verse: Ex. 28:29————Lesson: Ex. 28:22-43
III. THE BREASTPLATE. v. 15-30 (Continued from last week)
The chains of gold (v. 14) on the ephod, and the chains of gold on the breastplate (v. 22) were used to bind these parts of the high priest's garments together, A part of the accessaries were the rings of gold to which they were attached. Gold speaks of divinity, and so the chains of love that come from Christ, bind us together upon His heart.
B. The Breastplate United With The Ephod. v. 22-28
1. A complex part of the ephod, girdle, shoulder-stones. v. 22-25. The breastplate was the costliest and most important part of the garments for the high priest.
2. The same interwoven materials. v.15, 6, 8
3. The positioning of the breastplate. v. 26-28. It was positioned and bound to the ephod in such a way that the two could not be separated..
C. The Breastplate Worn Upon The Heart. v. 29-30
1. The breastplate was attached to the shoulders for strength. Isa. 26:4. "Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."
2. It was upon the heart speaks of Strength and joy.
a. This is mentioned 3 times in v. 29-30. The high priest is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The precious stones, are a type of the saved ones, who are borne up to the Father by Christ.
b. It was a continual memorial.
c. God's grace, mercy and love binds us to His heart securely.
(1) This ensures that all things will work together for our good. Rom. 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
(2) It sustains our high calling. Phil. 3:14, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(3) The breastplate kept the stones from falling. Jude 24, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. John 10:28, And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.
3. The breastplate contained the Urim & Thummim. v. 30
a. We have little explanation about this.
b. The secret things belong to God. Deut. 29:29, The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
c. They are mentioned seven times: Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63
d. In some manner they were used to receive information from God. (Exactly how is a mystery.) We now have God's Word to reveal to us the will of God. II Pet. 1:19, We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
e. The position of the breastplate could not shift. So also is the position of the redeemed upon the heart of the Saviour.
4. The names. v. 30. We believe they were two objects.
a. Urim means "lights." A type of Christ. John 1:5, 9. John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
b. Thummin means "perfections." A type of Christ the perfect one. Rom. 9:5, Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Luke 1:35, ... that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. John 7:46, The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
c. They were both used in some way to determine the will of God. Num. 27:21, And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. I Sam. 28:6, And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
d. It is through Christ and His Word that we know the will of God. Heb. 1:1-3, God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.... John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
e. Their origin. Moses was not told to "make," them but to "place" them. The were placed in pouches in the breastplate behind the twelve stones.
IV. THE ROBE. v. 31-35
A. Its Color And Strength. v. 31-32
1. "All of blue," speaks of heaven.
2. It appears to be seamless, with a hole for the head. This reminds us of the one piece garment of Christ. John 19:23-24, Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also [his] coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
3. "Habergeon," speaks of strength. It was there so that the garment would not split around the hole for the head and neck.
B. Pomegranates And Bells Upon The Hem. v. 33-35
1. Pomegranates of blue, purple, & scarlet hung between bells of gold. 33-34
a. A cushion to prevent discord.
b. Represents a perfect fruit in the midst of active service.
2. Alternating golden bells. v. 34.
3. The purpose of the bells. v. 35.
a. "Upon Aaron to minister." Identification.
b. "His sound shall be heard." Manifestation.
c. "When he goeth in ...cometh." Administration.
d. "That he die not." Continuation. If the bells had stopped ringing his work would not be finished, and he would have died.
4. Pomegranates-fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
5. Golden bells-testimony connected with fruit.
V. THE MITRE. v. 36-38
A. The Plate of Gold. v. 36. "Holiness to the Lord."
1. A constant reminder of the incomparable God. Ex. 15:11.
2. "When Aaron stood before the Lord clothed in his magnificently glorious and beautiful garments, the Lord looked at that plate flashing forth holiness unto His name and accepted the people in their priest in all the moral beauty and ceremonial righteous which he displayed and represented." I. M. Haldeman
3. The holiness of God on the head, guided all his work.
B. Worn Upon The Forehead. v. 37-38
1. An emblem of acceptance before God. v.38. Heb. 12:28-29, ...let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
2. Aaron, the figure of Christ, was to wear this to bear "the iniquity of the holy things." II Cor. 5:21, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Eph. 1:4, According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
VI. THE BROIDERED COAT. v. 39
A. A Woven Work Of Fine Linen. Ex. 39:27
1. This is the same word for coat as is used in Gen. 3:21.
2. It was made of fine twined linen which represents righteousness.
B. The Mitre And Girdle. v. 39
1. The mitre was a linen cloth wound around the head of the high priest as a turban.
2. The girdle was worn around the waist to bind his garments together.
C. Summary of the Teaching of the Garments for Glory and Beauty.
1. Linen coat and breechesthe Sinless One.
2. Linen girdlethe Serving One.
3. Robe of the ephodthe Heavenly and Gracious One.
4. The ephodthe Human and Divine One.
5. Shoulder piecesthe Strengthening and Sustaining One.
6. Breastplatethe Loving One.
7. Mitrethe Obedient One.
8. The golden platethe Holy One.
VII. THE ORDINARY GARMENTS OF THE PRIEST. v. 40-43
A. For Glory And Beauty. v. 40
1. One of the sons of Aaron would one day be the high priest.
2. These sons were to wear the garments for glory and beauty.
B. For Service And Identification. v. 41
1. They were to be anointed, consecrated and sanctified. The consecration of the priests is presented in Lev. 8.
2. This is a picture of what believer priests are to be today. Without it we cannot successfully minister unto God.
C. For Modesty And Covering. v. 42
God always requires modest.
D. For A Statute To Follow. (For them and their posterity.)
—by E. L. Bynum
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Other than the twelve stones representing the tribes of Israel, what else did the breastplate contain?
2. What was attached to the hem of the robe?
3. What was the purpose for this?
4. Where were these words worn, "Holiness to the Lord?"
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