Exodus 28 Bible Study (Israel's Priests' Garments) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Father, we lift our hearts to you tonight because we've come to meet with you. And, Lord, while on this night, people have dedicated to lusting and drinking and sensuality, Lord, We altogether acknowledge before you that we've tasted something better. We've tasted and seen that the Lord is good. And, Lord, we are ruined forever because we want so much more of you. And so, lord, we come hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

And so, lord, we begin this meeting by immediately disregarding or realigning ourselves to the proper motive of being in your house. And, Lord, so easily can we fall into this mechanical routine. But, Lord, we choose to start by saying we hunger for you. We choose to start by saying we long for you, Lord, That we wanna see you in your word, lord. We wanna know you through your word.

We wanna know your presence. Lord, there are needs in here. There are temptations that people are experiencing in this place. There's sin that's clinging on to people. There is discouragement.

There's so much mess, it seems, that seems to be burying people. But, Lord, we pray that as your truth is declared and shared, that, Lord, there would be freedom because you have said of your own word that the truth, you will know it, and it will set you free. And so, Lord, we pray for freedom from anything that is not according to your will in this house tonight. And, Lord, we pray that as we give our hearts to you and we say, Lord, here it is. Here is my life.

Here is my will. Here is my future. Here is my present. Lord, we just ask that You would You would ignite it again for You, Lord. You would ignite these hearts again, Lord Jesus.

We need Your help. We desperately need your help. And so, Lord, we pray that this meeting would be far from being dead. And, Lord, we pray that this meeting would be far from boring, Lord, but that it would be life giving, Lord. It would be transformative, oh God.

It would peel back as though eternity was peeled back, and we would get a glimpse of glory. And as we compare that glory, it would make all of our afflictions look light in comparison. So, Lord, we just pray for a special touch on this message as we unpack the priestly garments. Help us understand that Christ is here, that Christ is here, that Christ wants to show himself even now in this chapter. Lord, help us assist every person that's opening their mouth to share the scriptures and let it carry the weight that it has, Lord.

And let our hearts not be so hardened that it would not penetrate. But, Lord, your very word says in Jeremiah twenty three twenty nine, is not my word like a fire? Declares the Lord. Like a hammer that smashes the rock in pieces. And so, Lord, there are some dry people in this place that need some fire.

And there are some hardhearted people and hard headed people that need your word to smash it into smithereens, lord, and that it would be replaced with your heart and your love. And so, lord, we we surrender to you from the beginning, trusting that you're gonna lead us through this chapter. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

Actually, stay standing. I apologize. Getting so excited that we forgot to read Exodus 28, the first five verses. Then bring near to you Aaron your brother and his sons with him from among the people of Israel to serve me as priests, Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory and for beauty.

You shall speak to all those skillful whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the garments that they shall make, a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priest. They shall receive gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twine lining. Lord, touch us again, we pray, as we take these verses to heart.

In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. I'm gonna need some assistance tonight with reading, but before we get into the next verses, let's just look at these first five verses here. It seems like in the middle of God's instructions concerning how to build the tabernacle, he kind of intersects with these garments. But we have to understand that what good is a tabernacle without priests.

And so these garments are still within that consistent theme that we've been following with the tabernacle, that there is something of Christ here. There's something of the church, and there's something for the individual believer. Here we come, and the Lord says in verse one, concerning Aaron and his sons, that they are to come and to serve as priests and their specific garments. Now the role of a priest, there are many. We can't really just give one role.

But to generalize it, a priest a priest was given the responsibility around the activity within and around the tabernacle. That was their domain. That was where they worked. That was where they spent their time. Whether it was surveillance, whether it was maintenance, whether it was transportation, whatever it was, it had to do with the activity within and around the tabernacle.

Now the priest had a hefty responsibility. They had a specific they had an awesome responsibility, an awesome privilege, but it came with much much weight. Why is that? What is the role of a priest? Barrett?

Standing in place between God and man. Sure. And it can be said vice versa. Between God and man, the priest is the representative. He is the channel.

He is the one who mediates between, yes, God and man. He represents God to the people. That's a hefty responsibility. That is a heavy, heavy responsibility.

Going off of that, he also sets the tone of, like, you know, obeying God. Like, he sets the tone of, like, you know, showing the leadership. It's like, okay. How does his devotion, you know, translate to the people, you know?

Absolutely. Yes. And the priest had the instruction by God to give instruction to the people. We see this verse later on. We'll see where he says that you, priests, must determine the holy and the unholy, the common and the uncommon.

He sets the standard. But the priest does not just stand as a representative for God before men, it's also for men before God. And so he's like this middle piece here that glues both parties together, and so it all falls upon the Levitical priesthood. And so this is important. And we're gonna see these priests mentioned not just in the first five books of the Bible.

We're gonna see them mentioned in the prophets because of this specific responsibility. Now within the priest, there's two categories. What are those two categories? Somebody said it, but whispered it, I think.

High priest.

High priest is one, and then you have the priest. Now what's the difference between the high priest and the priest? Is it just the name? What comes to mind when you think high priest? The the the difference between the high priest and the priests.

Yes? And

they can enter the Holy of Holies?

Yes. That's one of the aspects. They have and so we can take that statement and generalize it. The high priest had specific responsibilities and specific privileges that the priest did not have. Though the high priest could involve himself in the ordinary affairs of the tabernacle, the priest could not do that.

They could not find themselves mingling with the high priest's work. There was something separate just for the high priest. And so unique is the high priest, so distinct even amongst the priesthood that we have an entire chapter that's dedicated to their outfit, just the high priest. That they have a specific garment, that they have a specific article of clothing that even the priests do not have. High priest is important then.

To have their own outfit, to have all these details displayed that God himself even wants to give instruction to the very tee of how the high priest must dress. And the Bible is not shy to interpret what a high priest is or who the high priest is or a picture of in the New Testament or who priests are. So let's let's just settle this. Who is the great high priest? Jesus Christ.

Hebrews four fourteen tells us that he's not just a high priest, he is the great high priest. And then we come to first Peter two nine, and it tells us what? But you are a chosen race, a holy a what? Royal priesthood. Not just a priesthood.

A royal priesthood. And so we can settle this here that the principles of the priesthood in the Old Testament, there is something to teach us here about our great high priest and even us as priests. So as we come to the purpose of these garments, we just read that he called these people forward, Aaron and his sons, to give instruction of how they are to dress. And verse two tells us the purpose. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for what?

For comfort no. For glory and for beauty. Glory and for beauty. And this is what? This is specific.

Holy garments for Aaron, your brother. So this is just for the high priest at the time. And when you put these garments on, it will be glorious and it will be beautiful. And so when somebody would see the high priest, they would realize that even by his outer garments that he is distinguished, that he was unique, that he is, out of all the rest, highlighted, noteworthy by those around him. These garments would adorn the high priest and would arrest the attention and cause people to awe about who this man is and what he represents.

So the glory and the beauty, be careful here, is not just found in the colors that are chosen and the materials that are used. The glory and the beauty of these garments are in the very things that they represent. The message that these garments carry display a glory and a beauty to those that would see him. And this tells me something about our Lord, our great high priest. That in order for you and I to be able to grasp his glory and to grasp his beauty, he needs more than just a glance.

He needs you and I to stare at him. He needs you and I to behold him. These people would see the high priest and they would they would know that there's something different about this one. There's something distinct. There's something unique.

There's something beautiful. But listen. The longer you look, because you see the detail here, you see the different garments, it needs more than just a quick look. It demands you to behold him, to analyze him, to study him, to stare at him. And the more you look, the more you realize how glorious he is and how beautiful he is.

And so you and I must give our attention to how the high priest in those things that he represents yeah. Yeah. We're gonna see it in the Old Testament, but this is just a shadow of who Jesus is. We're gonna see his heart here. And you and I, in order for us to understand and behold his glory, you gotta take the time to to dissect each aspect of who he is.

From head to toe, you and I must take that time to scan him, to analyze him, to meditate. He's too holy. He's too beyond. He's too incomparable for us to not just meditate. It demands meditation.

And the more we do that, the same way in the physical you would look at this high priest and the more you would look, the more you would get a different glimpse of those stones on his breast. And that gold plate on his forehead, and those pomegranates and those bells that are on the hem of his garment. The more you would look, the more you would realize this is glorious. This is beautiful. And it's one thing to hear from another Israelite how awesome the high priest looks, but it's a whole another experience when you give yourself to behold him yourself.

And so I see this invitation to behold his beauty, behold his glory. And the more you do so, the more you will get a revelation. You will get a revelation of the things that he carries as high priest. I wanna show off my high priest. That's what the Lord is saying.

So we come now to these different articles, a breastpiece, verse four, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. So I need somebody right now to read between verse six to verse nine. Can anybody do that? Just lift up your hand. Nice and loud and clear.

And then after that, I need somebody to read from verse nine down to verse 14. Nice and loud and clear, please. So go ahead, and we're gonna talk about this first article, this first garment of the high priest.

And they shall make that five golden blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen, artistic artistically work. It shall have two shoulder straps joint at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be the same workmanship made of gold, purple no. Gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven leather. Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel.

Six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone in order of their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones of the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear the names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.

You shall also make settings of gold, and you shall make two chains of pure gold, like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

Now before we move forward here, this ephod, this this piece, it would it would serve like an apron. It would look like an apron, but it was attached to shoulder pieces. And I want us we're gonna pop this image up more than once, but I want us to just get an idea. If we put all these articles, these garments together, this is what a high priest might have looked like in the Old Testament. And so we have the colors, and we see the ephod there.

We see the blue there. That's we're gonna talk on the robe later on. We see the the pomegranates in the bottom. We see the bells. We see the breastpiece.

We see the turban. And so this is just an idea. As you're reading these things, try to just visualize something like this. Now because of the instructions are not exact exact, we don't have the exact idea of what it looked like, but this is a good estimation. Here it is set apart, the different parts here.

And so you see the ephod where it's pointed. It's almost like an apron piece, but it is connected to shoulder pieces here. And those shoulder pieces are very, very, very significant. Look at verse 12. What does it say here in verse 12 concerning these these stones?

There's two stones, onyx stones, that would be placed, one on each shoulder. And it says here that the stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, that's what they are. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. And so here are these two separate stones, and on each of them would be the six names of the tribe of Israel in birth order. And they would be placed one here and one here.

And what's the purpose? What does verse 12 tell us? Why? For remembrance before the lord. And so as this high priest would enter into the work of the tabernacle, those names would ever be before God, which tells me something so wonderful about you and I when we connect ourselves to the high priest.

That when you and I are in union with our great high priest, our names are ever before God the Father. That you and I, our existence, our lives, our futures, every detail of who we are, because we're linked to the high priest, we are forever before God's eyes. We have his attention. We have his care. We are there before him.

That cannot be possible unless you have linked yourself to the high priest. But once you do that, when the Lord looks at Christ, he also sees those who are hidden in him, those who have linked to him, those who bear his name. And I love how it says here that he has their names in birth order. It's though he sees them as individuals. He didn't just say Israel.

No. I want the names of the tribes, and I see them as individual, and I respect them as individuals. I regard them as individuals. We are treasured by God individually, uniquely. Each of those tribes had a different history.

Each of those tribes had different futures. Each of those tribes had different strengths and different weaknesses. But before God, we all have his attention. All your days, all your years, all your anxieties, all of those things are ever before him because of Christ and our union with him. Our relationship with Christ gives us that access.

I love this idea of the fact that not only are we ever before him because of Christ. He will never leave me nor forsake me. But the fact that these stones are precious stones. He didn't say go pick up some pebbles on the side of the tabernacle and put them on your shoulder.

No. I want onyx stones, and

I want you to beautify them. I want, like, a jeweler's work, I want you to engrave those names on those stones. See, your life, my life in Christ, in the hand of God is not a burden, it's a delight to his sight. We're treasured. We're valued.

We're precious. We're we're cherished by God. He's making a statement here. He could have said put on any material. No.

He says put them on precious onyx stones so that when I see those names, I see something that I value. I see something that I will protect. I see something that's dear to me, that's beautiful to me. This is hard to imagine about a God who's so holy, but it's true. If it was true for the Israelites, how much more true for you and I?

If it was true for these rebellious people, these inconsistent folk, how much more you and I? He chooses even the material specifically because it signifies how much his heart goes out to us and the value he puts on you and me. Beautiful in his sight. Reminds me of a verse in Zechariah two:eight. Zechariah two:eight.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of my eye. He who touches you, Israel, is like somebody touching the apple of my eye. Now think about how precious your eyes are to you. Nobody in here would dare even sell one eye for a billion dollars. Would you?

You care about your eyes. You care about your sight. And here's the Lord talking about the precious value of an eye, and He's talking about the protective care that you have over your eyes, and He has that same sentiment. He has that same love towards His people. That when the enemy touches you, that whatever happens to you is like somebody touching the apple of my eye.

Do you not think I will react? Do you not think I will take record? Do you not think I will take vengeance on your behalf? Whoever touches you is like one who touches my eye. Careful, I'm protective, I I cherish you.

Not only that, these these stones teach us a valuable lesson just by their position. Where are they placed? Where are they placed? These stones now, we're gonna come to the heart part. They're on the shoulders.

These two onyx stones are on the shoulders of the high priest. And if shoulders represent anything, represents strength. You do work with these shoulders. It's funny when Jesus talks about the parable of the sheep. When he finds that missing one, he does something specific with it.

Luke fifteen five, what does he do? He carries that sheep on his shoulders rejoicing. He carries you and I on his shoulders. You know what that teaches me? You know what these stones are teaching me?

Teaching me this, Rest in the work of the high priest. Let him carry you through life. Let him

carry you through life. Let him carry you through life. Let him carry you through life. Let him carry you through life.

Let him carry you through life. Let him carry you. He rejoices in carrying you and me. It's not a burden to him. He doesn't slumber or sleep.

He doesn't get weak. He doesn't grow weary. We do that, so we lean on him. We rest in him. You know what that looks like?

You know what that language is, resting in him? It looks like this. It looks like you, in all your endeavors and your efforts for Christ and for his glory, you draw from his strength. You bring those things before him. You include him in all your things, and you ask for his power to be infused in you, and he'll do it.

They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And so it's this constant dependency with delight. See, so many people are like, okay. I'm gonna depend on the Lord. And they they're so they're so burdened by that idea itself.

The process of it itself is burdensome. Do you know what I'm saying? Go and seek the lord for strength. And while they're doing it, they're doing it, and they're just losing more strength while doing it. That's not the idea.

It's you just resting in the knowledge that as you've done your part to lay whatever circumstance, whatever sin, whatever plan, whatever purpose, whatever endeavor, whatever, you lay it before him. You rest in knowing that you've put it on him, and he'll take care of it because you've done it. It's that easy. I'm sorry if it sounds simple, but he's made it so simple that I can cast my anxieties upon him. He's made it so easy that as long as I bring whatever it is in my life before him, that transaction should enable you to have a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Remember that peace that surpasses all understanding is only possible through the transaction of laying all your anxieties before him. And that anxiety does not leave when God answers the prayer, that anxiety should leave knowing that you've given it to him in prayer. It's in God's hands now. Whatever person, whatever circumstance, whatever future, whatever, you lay it before him, I'm done. I I'm resting in that truth now that he's in control.

I have acknowledged him in all of my ways. Now I can expect my paths to be straight. That's faith. That's where you and I have to come to in our walk with him. We have to learn how to rest in his strength.

We have to come to lean on Him. Lord, pick me up like one of those sheep. I'm so helpless. I need you to lift me up. And you know what?

He does it with rejoicing. Sometimes we think we give things to God and he goes, oh, that? Really? You you couldn't believe me? He rejoices in everything that you bring before him.

All the things that you include him in, he delights in it. And I love how these stones are there on those shoulders. Resting, resting, resting. And guess what? You don't overwhelm him ever.

You don't overwhelm him. Now we come to the breastpiece. So I need somebody to read between verse 15 down to verse 21. Who can do that? Verse 15 to verse 21.

Barrett, and then I need somebody from verse 22 down to verse 27, and we'll stop there. Whoever is going for the first one, go for it. And who's gonna do the second one? Don't be afraid. Tim, thank you.

You shall make a breastpiece of judgment and skilled work. In the style of the ephod, you shall make it. A gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine fine twine linen shall you make it. It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its

k. Stop there. So we have this idea right now that it's perfectly square. Right? This perfectly square breast piece.

Go ahead.

You shall set in it four rows of stones, a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row, and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond, and the third row a jacinth, a agate, and an amethyst, and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. They shall be 12 stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like cygnets, each engraved with its name for the 12 tribes.

Okay. Stop there. So now we have this other set of stones, individualized, different stones for each tribe placed in rows on this breastpiece. God really thinks something of his people. With the names engraved on it.

Yes. So we have this idea of this piece here with these precious stones there, place, with the names. Whoever's reading next, please go for it.

You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords of pure gold. And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold. And put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. And you shall put the two cords of gold and the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front of the shoulder pieces of the ephod.

You shall make two rings of gold and put them at the two ends of the breast piece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in the front of the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod.

Thank you, Tim. So this is the idea now. We have this this breastpiece, but it's not just hanging there from nothing. We have these gold rings involved. We have these gold cords.

We have this blue lace that is firmly attaching this breastpiece to the breast of the high priest. And look what verse 29 says. So Aaron now we have the purpose of why this is happening. This is the high priest. So 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.

And so we have this immediate understanding of what the purpose of this breastpiece is, is that they would be, yes, near the heart of the high priest, but that they would be represented by Aaron concerning judgment. That Aaron carries these names on his heart. And as he comes before the presence of the Lord, and as God looks upon his high priest, he would realize that because those names are there, near the heart of the high priest, that whatever Aaron has done is accounted to the names, to the people of Israel. Gospel. Gospel truth.

But those names and those accounts could not be dealt with unless those names were on the breastpiece. You could not have your name. You could have not have your account accounted for unless you were born in Israel, unless you were born through one of the tribes. That was true in the Old Testament. You had to be born through the tribe of Reuben or through the tribe of Issachar or Zebulun.

You have to be one of those tribes in order for your name to be on that breastpiece. You have to be born as an Israelite in order for God's judgment to be upon Aaron and not upon you. But in the New Testament, it's not about where you're born or where you're from. It's about you being born again. That's how you come to the place in which Christ carries you in his heart and he takes your judgment.

When you not born as an Israel. You're not born in the tribe of no. No. No. Born again.

And when you're born again, that is dealt with concerning judgment. Our great high priest steps in. And I love this. Judgment, the idea of judgment being taken care of is linked with the idea that he does it from his heart. It's in his love that he receives our judgment.

That he's willing to do that because we are near his heart, which comes to the next point. That these names, out of all the places didn't he say put six stones in your pocket and six other stones in your other pocket? No. He says, I want you to place them on your on your breast. And he says it right here.

What? What? Judgment on his heart. And it reinforces that truth about you, believer. These are precious stones in the sight of God.

That when he sees those names, he sees something beautiful, delightful. And it's a specific type of love. How is it a specific type of love relating to the different instructions of this breast piece? It's a constant love. Say how?

We have to look here. Verse 28, the second part. So that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. All those things, the lace and the gold cords, all of those things, Those cords were attached here, and they were everything was given. All those verses we just read to declare one truth.

I want the people to know that my love for them is immovable. It's concrete. It's set. It's stable. It's not loose one day and strong another day.

It's the same. It's something that you can rest in. It's something that you can be secure in. And so he says take that lace, take those gold cords, and you tie those stones tightly to your bosom. And so you and I don't have to fear that one day God is gonna run out of compassion for me, run out of patience for me.

Why? Because I read something here about his love, that my name is tied by cords of love to the bosom of my Lord. I think about that. I was reading that going, that's amazing. That's amazing that his love is so strong.

His love is so obvious, and my name is in his heart forever. And if he can hold my name like that, how can I hold my heart back from his name? How precious am I placing the Lord in my heart, seeking you as a precious jewel? Lord, to give up, I'd be a fool. If He's that precious jewel, is He near my heart?

Do I cut loose from anything of this world and tie that jewel near to me, my affections, my devotion, and my desires? He does no matter what, even if you don't. That's what astounds me about the love of Christ. And here's a verse that you can meditate on for a year that you and I should meditate on every single day for the rest of our lives concerning the love of Christ. If there's any commentary on the love of Christ that should shock you and me, it's found in John seventeen twenty three.

I mean, we can just read this verse over and over again and and call it a night. Jesus prays a high priestly prayer of all things, and he says, I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me. That would floor me if he loved me a quarter of how much he loves Christ, the father and the son. A fraction of that love should stun us in our seats. No.

Love them even as you have loved me. You, me. Does that not paralyze you in the pursuit of sin? Is there nothing within you that says that is incredible? And you and I are called to pray for that love to be more real and more obvious to us.

And God is so gracious enough that even sometimes language doesn't help, so he puts it in a picture. And he says, take these stones, put them on a breastpiece, char them. Make sure that it doesn't get loose, Aaron. Because I I want my people to know that every time they see that high priest, they see their names on those stones, and they see that my love for them is not going anywhere. What a what a reminder.

It's not only that though. There's something else here. Just in case we think that this is just an isolated statement of God's love, in Song of Solomon eight verse six, the Shulamite woman says something to her bridegroom that people debate what it means, but I believe it has a strong connection to what we just read up to this point. She says what? Sent me a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm for love is strong as death, jealousy as fierce as the grave.

Perhaps, just perhaps, it's a possibility that when the Shulamite was expressing her desire for the love of her bridegroom, of her beloved, she was calling out for him to love him the same way we see the love displayed by God through the high priest. We just read about names upon the shoulder somewhat connected to the arm. And we just read about a love that's placed on the breast, signets, seals. And perhaps the Shulawite movement is saying to her beloved, I want you to love me like that kind of a love. I want you to set my name upon your arm.

I want you to set your name my name upon your heart. I want you to bind me to yourself. I want you to be protective of me. I want you to care for me. I want you to know I wanna know that my my care for you, my love for you is I want I want the full picture of what love should look like.

And I believe she's pointing back to this. But see, here's the beauty. You and I don't have to beg God for that kind of love. He already established it. She's asking her, beloved, to love the same way this high priest is displaying the love of God.

Can I tell you something? You're never gonna find love like God's love for you. And we are to imitate God's love. Husbands ought to love their wives like Christ loved the church, and wives should submit to their husbands like the church submits to Christ. But all of those are just pictures of God's eternal, unchanging, incomparable love.

And she says, set me as a seal upon your heart. Set me as a seal upon your arm. May your love, beloved, be as consistent, as pure, as holy, as unchanging as God's love is for us as the people of Israel through the high priest. What a glorious picture. But there's something else in verse 30 concerning this piece, this garment.

Can somebody read verse 30, please? Of Exodus 28.

And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the firm and thometh, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

So now there's this extra accessory given by God that is to be placed near the heart of Aaron, and that is the Urim and the Thummim. And does anybody know what those two things are or have an idea? Yes, Marfa?

That's what they use to cast lots on whether God's will is this or that.

Sure. Yes. Is that what you want to say as well? So nobody nobody can agree really on whether these are two stones or 12 stones. We dice, rocks.

We're not too sure what these things represent. We just know that they are used throughout the scripture by the high priest, by individuals in order to determine God's will for a specific situation. If we can put up first Samuel 28 verse six, it gives a commentary about Saul and his lack of depending upon God, and it includes what we just read about how he sought out a different type of guidance. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him at either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. So we know that this is something that determines God's will for a specific situation that they don't have necessarily a black and white answer for.

I'll read another place in scripture just to solidify this point. You don't have to turn there. Numbers twenty seven twenty one. And he shall stand before Eliezer, Eliezer the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word, they shall go out, and at his word, they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.

So again, numbers twenty seven twenty one, first Samuel twenty eight six tells us that these accessories were used to somehow be determined by God. God would use these things to show an answer for a specific situation. And we see this pattern, not necessarily with the and the but we see this idea of casting lots all the way to what point?

Acts.

Book of Acts. Where they cast lots for what? The disciples. To determine who would replace Judas. Now do we see it after that point?

Why? Because the Holy Spirit comes now. The Holy Spirit comes in now, and we don't have to cast lots. Now we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit in dwelling within us to tell us to go this way or that way, to help us make decisions within the church. But there's still a statement here being made by God about the Urim.

If this represents the Urim and the Thurman represent God's will being decided for us. Look at where it's placed. Again, not in a pocket, not in a pouch. These two things, they are two articles. They are the two exes.

Near his heart Near his heart. Near the heart of the high priest, which tells me something about God's will. That God's will as revealed in his word and God's will for you individuals, your specific calling in life, and Him revealing it to you as you seek Him are all from the overflow of His love for you. Every line, every command, every chapter of God's revealed will is from his heart. It's from his heart.

His will for your life, what he has planned for you has been designed and has been given and has been built from a place of incomprehensible love. He says it to the high priestess. I want you there. So every time that they ask of my will, they will notice that I am going to determine something for their good, That I'm going to give an answer because I do it out of love. You know what that tells me?

That when I seek for God's will, I can trust that it's always for my good. Always, always, always for my good. It may not make sense to me, but it's for my good. I may not understand God's timetable, but it's for my good. There's an amazing verse in John.

I love these verses that just people just kinda maybe skip over, but it says so much. In John 11 verse five, after hearing about Lazarus being sick, it says here, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he had heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. If you heard one of your friends were sick, what would you do? You know, we read the first part, we would think, and Jesus loved Martha, loved Mary, loved Lazarus.

And when he heard Lazarus is sick, he picked up everything right away and ran towards where they were. No. It says he loved them, and because he loved them, he waited two days. Can anybody think why or at least what message that is telling you and me, Isaac?

Even his timing is of love.

Even his timing is of even the things in which for us would make sense for God to intervene in, and he doesn't, his apparent delay is still always in love. Everything he does, what might seem to you, because even later on, he's gonna hear from these very people that he loved, if you had just come sooner, maybe he would have lived. But God in his wisdom, not just in his wisdom. See, we think, okay. God did this because he wanted to delay so that he would get maximum glory because Lazarus would be dead.

He would call Lazarus from the dead, and they would all see that he has power to raise the dead. That makes sense. And there's a whole camp that says everything is about God's glory, rightfully so. Everything is for God's glory. But it says here that because he loved them, he delayed.

So it's not just for his glory, but because he knew that this would be for their good, and that this would be something for their faith, and that this would be something for their relationship with him. And so in love, not just for my glory so that Lazarus would be dead and everybody would see that. No. But because I love you, I'm gonna do this my way. So whatever delays in my life, whatever lack of intercession or intervention rather is in my life, I can trust that God is doing this because he loves me.

Everything is in his love. Everything is an extension of his love. Just like these random articles that we read about, these random things that are to be a part of the high priest garment. Is there anything else you would wanna add to that wonderful truth? Well, we come to something.

We're not gonna touch on all these garments. We come down to verse 36. You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, holy to the Lord. And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban.

It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, and they may be accepted before the Lord. When you read that, what comes to mind concerning high priest and you? So we see that there's another added piece, a plate that says holy to the Lord. And that has to be on his forehead.

But what's the significance of it? What's the symbolism here? What's being taught about this? It's a very strong gospel truth. It's right there in verse 38.

It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. This holy to the Lord is a stamp upon Aaron, the high priest, to symbolize a specific role that he would fulfill, though he fulfilled many roles up to this point. And what this stamp says is that he would bear the guilt of the people. Not just this, not just the sins. This is amazing.

Even the holy things that they offer. Even the things that they consecrate unto God as a gift, as a sacrifice, even those good things are tarnished and tainted by sin, polluted. And so Aaron himself would bear upon his responsibility that he has this given role that even the holy things would be sanctified. In other words, that the entire nation would be able to transfer their guilt upon Aaron, and Aaron has the authority to transfer holiness to the people. And even in their good deeds, it's still wretched before God.

Even their good deeds needed to be sanctified. Even your good deeds are as filthy rags before God. There needs to be a high priest that steps in, that has a holiness that can be transferred onto you and to me. Apart from that, we're finished. That's exactly why Aaron is so important up to this point.

That apart from Aaron, whatever even sacrifice they bring to the altar, it's still tainted by wickedness. He's saying that there will be a consecration of the holy gifts. And so we need a mediator. We need a high priest. We need somebody to be able to take those things.

But instead our high priest does something else, he does the work. Because as awesome as Aaron is, as great as his responsibility is, as wonderful as the status of holy to the Lord, it's it's temporary. It's not powerful enough. It will not do what it's supposed to do. Let me read these verses.

Hebrews seven twenty three. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But he being Jesus holds his priesthood permanently. We're not waiting for another high priest. We're not waiting for somebody to take Christ's place.

He took the job and he will be that high priest forever. Forever. And look, Aaron dealt with Israel, but look what this high priest, look how he deals and what he is capable of doing because he continues forever. Verse 25. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost.

Those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Welcome. You wonder what Christ is doing right now? Interceding. And he's always making intercession and he's in that position permanently.

And we can call upon him at any time. And apart from him, there is nothing good in us. It's all there. You need to throw your name, your identity upon Christ. In order to experience all those wonderful truths that are found here concerning God's attention, God's love, God's will for your life, you need to throw yourself upon Christ.

That's the only way. And apart from that, you're just a stone. But in him, you're precious, you're treasure. It's all about Christ. But there's something for the church.

It's found in verse 40. Can somebody read verse 40 down, please?

For Aaron's sons, thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them for glory and for me.

K. Stop there. So now we're talking about Aaron's sons. We're not talking the high priest anymore. And he's saying something about Aaron's sons that they will have these specific articles of clothing.

For what purpose? For glory and for beauty. For the same purpose. Let's keep reading, please.

And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother and his sons with him, and shalt anoint them and consecrate them and sanctify them that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness, from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach. And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place, that they bear not iniquity and die, it shall be a statue forever unto him and his

seed after him.

Priests of God, royal priests, so we just finished speaking about the glories and the beauties of our high priest. But God did not want to finish with the high priest. He wanted to say something to his priests. He wants to say something to you and me concerning garments and concerning clothing and concerning how we represent ourselves. So he says, you will have specific articles of clothing for glory and for beauty.

And though the high priest has a unique ministry and carries a specific distinct message and characteristics and attributes, would it make sense to God that those who represent him would not resemble him to some degree? And so though there's things unique, there's still some similarities between his people that represent him. And he says, you priests, I want you to wear these things. And he says something specific. We just read it.

There's a specific article of clothing. Linen garment, undergarment. And so out of all the things that the priests are to represent God in, he does it with this, the linen garments. With those little things, yes. But he says, I want you to do what?

What are those what are those undergarments supposed to do? This isn't in your bible. Cover the nakedness. Cover the flesh. And that that flesh will be covered by pure white garment.

Put on the lord Jesus. Put on humility. This is what we're going through in Ephesians. This is exactly it. That as representatives of this wonderful God, those who minister for him and unto him must be a people that are free from any sight of the flesh.

And that what people will see in the people of God is a simple beauty, but what they won't see is flesh. What God won't see is flesh. So those who hope in him must purify himself as he is pure. God is anti religion. Says who?

Says who? That's not what James one tells me, that religion that is pure and undefiled before God the father is this, that they do what? Give attention to widows and orphans, and there's something at the last part that they like the widows and the social justice. Yes. Widows and orphans.

Let's go out there. Let's go and serve the poor. Let's go out there and give some rights to people. Hold on. You forgot the second part, which is what?

Keeping oneself unstained from the world. So I am to, yes, actively go out and serve the widows and orphans, but I am also on defense mode that this linen garment is to be free from any stain of the flesh, of anything that would make it polluted, dirty. And this is significant because it says here in verse 43, and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting. So, yes, it's glory and beauty for the other people that when they look at the priest of God, the royal priesthood, they should see something identifiable. They should see something that resembles the high priest.

They should be something and they can make the connection. You know, these priests, they look like they're not perfect. No. But they look like the high priest to some degree. They can make a connection.

But not just for glory and beauty, for the world to see, for others to realize that this is a royal priesthood on a Friday night here sitting under bible study. There's something in relationship to God. What does it say? And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons, in verse 43, when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, lest they bear guilt and die. So this undefiling from the world is is not just for people to be able to understand that we're not like the world and that there's no flesh.

Even ministry and presenting ourselves in the house of God and presenting ourselves in any relationship to God. Oh, lord. Give me clean hands and a pure heart so I can ascend on this holy hill. That's the idea. And so so much to say of the high priest, and here's the little instruction for the priest.

You and I have been given a responsibility to display glory and beauty in what? How cool we look? If we get the latest and the nicest? No. When you begin to take on the characteristics of the high priest and people can look at your life and make some connection between you and Jesus Christ, That's where true glory and beauty is.

Women, do you wanna attract a man of God? Become like Christ. Men, do you wanna attract a woman of God? Become like Christ. You wanna win the world?

It's not like becoming like the world. It's becoming like this high priest So they can see something different. They could be attracted. But not only for the world, it's for God himself. He goes, I don't wanna see flesh.

I don't wanna see flesh. And that's just not living in sin. That's not just living in secret sin. No. It's even doing things in the flesh.

False motives in ministry. Different ambitions when we come to worship him. Different motives as we come into his house. He says, I don't wanna see any of that. And for the high priest and for the priest, they would die.

They would die. That's how serious it was to God. And though God is so gracious and merciful, there is instances in the New Testament where he can discipline people even physically. But there's something else here, spiritually speaking, that something so lively and so awesome can shrivel up because there's flesh exposed. So those priests had to examine themselves, making sure that they were covered from that from their hip down to their thigh, making sure that what God asks of them is there so that they can display to the world Jesus.

That was their motive. Display to the world that they are a different breed of people, but also in the relationship to God. That he would be able to receive from them. He would be able to commune with them because God is holy and we gotta set up we gotta set up our lives according to that standard. I wanna tell you tonight, this book is about Jesus Christ.

I wanna tell you tonight, look for Christ. Realize that this is Christ right here in Exodus 28. Realize that even here we can see the gospel declared. Here's the scary thing that we can always fall into, is that we can just amen and stuff and we miss it. And I say, Lord, please please help me understand the depths of your love.

Help me really grasp what you're trying to say here in the Old Testament. I wanna know it. And Lord, if you really take my name and you really see my life as a precious jewel, I wanna make the same for you in my heart. I wanna remove anything else, and I wanna put right there with cords of love devoted to Jesus Christ. Oh, we can look at this through the whole different lens, but we'll stop right here because I want us to pray into that truth as we close to just meditate upon his love and to let that love melt away all sin, all compromise, all apathy saying, Lord, help me see it.

The same way those Israelites would have saw him. Lord, give me a glimpse of the high priest. Let me see his garments. Let me see every facet of who he is. I need this for my life.

Or sometimes it's hard to even comprehend the fact that you would identify us so beautifully when we're so wretched. Oh, lord, help us also realize that it's because of the high priest that we have such a status in standing before you. And so, lord, we thank you for our great high priest who's alive now as we're praying, who's making intercession, who is forever the high priest, who is a mediator of a better covenant. And, Lord, perhaps it's not hard for some to understand your love for them, but what's more difficult is trying to love you the way you deserve. And so, Lord, even if there's a flicker of love, would you ignite it to be something greater?

Because you deserve so much more. So, Lord, we we thank you that you have set us a seal on your heart, and you set us a seal upon your arm. We thank you that the Urim and the Thummim are near your heart. And so your will for us, whether in the scriptures or for our lives personally, good works set before us, good works prepared before even the foundation of the world. It's all an overflow of your great agape love for us, your people.

And that when we come to you and say, Lord, what is your will? And you give us your will, as hard as it may be, as difficult as it may be, as delayed as it may be, Lord, help us believe you love us so much. And so we say yes to your will. We say yes to your word. We say yes to your future for our lives.

Lord, if there's anybody in here that doesn't feel secure in your love, let them feel it tonight. If there's anybody in here that feels like your love is inconsistent, let them know that there are cords of gold that bind their name to your chest. Help us, Lord, as we as we worship you. Let it be in response to the love of God in Christ Jesus, and may it from us receive, Lord, a life of obedience and love to you. You're worthy.

We thank you. We thank you that you speak to us in these things, and we respond in adoration. You have our hearts tonight, Lord. And not just tonight, you have our hearts every day. In your name we pray.

Amen.