Day 45, February 14 Bible Reading
Ex. 28 … for making the ephod, breastplate and priests’ garments
Ex. 29 … for consecrating the priests / Daily offerings
Ex. 28 … for making the ephod, breastplate and priests’ garments
Ex 28:1 God separated Aaron, and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to be priests unto Him and to represent the people.
Ex 28:2-4 So God wanted gifted artists, whom He has filled with the spirit of wisdom to make the high priest’s garments: breastplate, ephod, robe, tunic, sash. So artists, tailors, designers can also be filled with the spirit of wisdom not just preachers, apostles, high priests, teachers. So have you even thought that with this one size fit all high priest garments, if they are not all Aaron’s size, how would subsequent priests fit in them?
Ex 28:5-8 The Ephod was a garment with the breastplate that basically functioned as a walkie talkie device with God. It had the same material construct as the tent of meeting: gold, blue, purple, scarlet thread and fine linen.
Ex 28:9-14 Two onyx stones were engraved with the names of the sons of Israel, set on Aaron’s shoulders with gangsta like linked gold chains in gold settings.
Ex 28:15-21 Next up the breastplate of judgement as part of the ephod containing precious stones, with the Urim and Thummim, the mystical stones that lit up to indicate a decision from God. There were four rows of stones, each again with the names of the sons of Israel [Note the NKJV and the KJV had different ordering for 1st and 2nd rows):
First row: sardis, topaz,emerald
Second row: turquoise, sapphire, diamond
Third row: jacinth, agate, amethyst
Fourth row: Beryl, onyx, jasper
Who found the first diamond? Here is a nice history of jewelry and how jewelry was used in ancient times
In comparison in Rev. 21:19-20 the precious stones in the 12 foundations of the walls of New Jerusalem were the following:
First foundation - jasper
Second foundation - sapphire
Third foundation - chalcedony
Fourth foundation - emerald
Fifth foundation - sardony
Sixth Foundation - sardius
Seventh Foundation - chrysolite
Eighth Foundation - Beryl
Night Foundation - Topaz
Tenth Foundation - Chrysoprase
Eleventh Foundation - Jacinth
Twelfth Foundation - Amethyst
Ex 28:22-30 The breastplate was fastened with gold rings to the ephod with blue cord (showing the Spirit is interwoven everywhere, to ensure everything is firm and nothing is loose). Finally the Urim and Thummim also resided on the breastplate. Literally it means “the Lights and the Perfection” or Lights on Perfection and Perfection on Lights. There is not much said about this, but from the Hebrew it represents the fullness of Christ – the Highest order of existence where we have grown up, have gone onto to perfection [maturity] (Heb 6:1-3), and together possess the mind of Christ.
Ex 28:31-35 Under the ephod, there is a robe of all blue with an opening for the head woven like a coat of mail so it cannot tear, with golden bells and pomegranate alternatively placed at the hem. Fruit and gifts of the spirit anyone? These bells were there to indicate Aaron the High Priest was still alive when they went into the holy place.
Ex 28:36-38 Plate of Gold on Aaron’s Head engraved “Holiness To the Lord” meaning, separated, dedicated, consecrated without corruption to the Lord.
Ex. 28:39-43 Under the color ephod with breastplate, and under that the blue robe with bells and fruit, under that as underwear frankly was a linen garment. No one can show their nakedness.
Ex. 29 … for consecrating the priests / Daily offerings
This chapter reveals from the mind of God the process of setting apart God’s representatives for His work. This is how He makes His representatives holy. What do you need? Well first you need a young bull (bullock), two rams with no defects. Check. Then you need to do some baking, specifically some loaves of unleavened bread, some cakes made with oil and wafers brushed with oil. Check.
Stage 1 of the process a sin offering. Aaron and his sons are to first place their hands on the bull’s head. Then the bull was killed, some blood placed on the horns of the altar and the rest of the blood poured out at the bottom of the altar. Then the fat that cover the internal organs, the lobe/ caul of the liver and the kidneys with the fat are burnt them on the altar. That is part of the sacrifice to make peace between God and man. However the bull’s meat, skin (hide) and its dung are burnt outside the camp as it is a sin offering. (also see Peace and Sin Offering: Lev 4:3-12)
Stage 2 involves a burnt offering, where the first ram, after Aaron and his sons’ laid their hands on the bull’s head, was cut into pieces, its internal organs and legs were washed, and then burnt entirely with its head and other pieces as a soothing aroma to God.
Stage 3 is finally the consecration/ peace offering where the second ram, after Aaron and his sons’ laid their hands on the bull’s head, slaughtered it, and had some blood place on their right ear lobes, right thumbs and right big toes. Then some blood was sprinkled at the altar on all sides (unlike poured before) and then on the Aaron and his sons, with their clothes. (Literally they looked like a bloody mess after this was done). Then from this ram, just as in the peace offering, the fat that cover the internal organs, the lobe/ caul of the liver and the kidneys with the fat were taken, but this time the fat tail(rump) and the right thigh leg were separated. Aaron and his sons will take a loaf of the unleavened bread, the cake made with oil and a wafer from the basket and waved it to the Lord as a wave offering. They were then burnt with the burnt offering. Moses took the ram’s breast and wave it to the Lord in a side to side manner. The ram’s thigh (shoulder leg) was heaved before the Lord (in an up and down manner). Moses acting as high priest in this ordination kept the breast. As an ordinance, the breast and thigh that was a weave and heave offering to the Lord was given to Aaron and his sons as their portion. The meat was boiled and eaten at the tent’s entrance, with the rest of bread in the basket. Whatever was left was burnt up in the morning.
God wanted Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons for seven days repeating the sin offering very day. Regularly, they were to offer lambs, one in morning and one at twilight, with flour, oil and wine as the daily sacrifice. (Seven days of creation anyone?!!??)
All this blood cleansing reminds me of the writer of Hebrews own commentary:
Heb 9:22 — Heb 9:24
22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Here Heaven is said to contain the true versions of all elements in the tabernacle and temple and necessitated a better blood sacrifice to cleanse the kosmos.
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