What did the high priest wear?

Exodus 28:2:10  "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron,  thy brother,  for glory and beauty.  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted,  whom I have filled with the Spirit of wisdom,  that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him,  that he may minister unto me in the priests office.  And these are the garments which they shall make:  A breastplate and an ephod,  and a robe, and an embroidered coat,  a miter,  and a girdle.  And they shall make holy garments for Aaron,  thy brother,  and his sons,  that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.  And they shall take gold,  blue,  purple,  and scarlet,  and fine linen.  And they shall make the ephod of gold,  of blue,  of purple,  of scarlet,  and fine twined linen,  with skillful work.  It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof;  and so it shall be joined together.  And the beautifully woven girdle of the ephod,  which is upon it,  shall be of the same,  according to the work thereof;  even of gold,  of blue,  and purple,  and scarlet,  and fine twined linen.  And thou shalt take two onyx stones,  and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:  Six of the names on one stone,  and the other six names of the rest on the other stone,  according to their birth."   

The garments of the high priest were glamorous;  they were colorful and very beautiful.  It is quite interesting that, in nature, the male species is much more attractive than the female.  It is only in homo sapiens that the male is subdued and the female goes in for color and ornaments. The high priest was dressed magnificently - he was dressed more colorfully than a bird. He wore a basic garment  -  white linen britches.  Over that he wore a white linen robe,  made from the finest Egyptian linen,  it was almost like the silk that we know today.  All the priests wore this same basic linen robe. 

Then,  the high priest, wore the robe of the ephod. 

This was a long seamless garment of blue linen with an opening for the head and it was worn over the basic white robe.  

The breastplate that he wore was like a vest. 

It was the breastplate of judgement and it spoke of the fact that sin has been judged. 

We today need the breastplate of righteousness as believers. 

The breastplate covers this vile heart within us and the only way that we can stand before God is if our sins have been judged. 

The Lord Jesus died a judgement death. He bore our punishment on the cross of Calvary and He has imputed to us His righteousness. 

The breastplate was part of the ephod and it was a thing of great beauty.  

It was fastened to the ephod with golden chains and it had twelve costly gems set in gold on it. 

On each gem was engraved one of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

The high priest wore on his head a holy crown. 

It was made of linen but on the front, engraved in solid gold,  were the words 

"Holiness unto the Lord." 

This is a picture of the high priest.  

He was very beautiful to look at and when he functioned in the tabernacle, he gave a magnificent appearance.

The ephod: 

The ephod was a short outer garment .  It was of  gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen.  It consisted of two pieces,  front and back joined at the shoulders by  two onyx stones.  It was not as long as the white robe.  The ephod was never ever to touch the ground. It was joined at the shoulders with two onyx stones.  The two onyx stones were set in gold and had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on them. The high priest carried the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders. Circling the hem of the garment, there were golden bells and pomegranates of blue,  purple  and scarlet.  First there would be a golden bell and then a pomegranate, another golden bell and then another pomegranate and so on - running in the series of the three colors. 

This colorful garment has a spiritual meaning for us today.

The high priest,  primarily represents our Saviour,  Christ Jesus.  

The Lord Jesus is our Great High Priest and all believers are priests. 

All the believers make up a royal priesthood.  

1 Peter 2:9-10  "But ye are a chosen generation,  a royal priesthood,  an holy nation,  a people of His own,  that ye should show show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  Who in time past were not a people but are now the people of God;  who had not obtained mercy  but now have obtained mercy."  

When the high priest went into the holy place the people could not see him,  but they could hear the bells.  

When they heard the bells they knew that he was ministering on their behalf.  

Today the Lord Jesus Christ, our high priest,  is ministering in heaven on our behalf.  

The question is,  

ARE WE HEARING THE BELLS?  

Everything about the high priest speaks to us about Christ.  

The white linen robe,  speaks to us of His righteousness and the amazing thing is,  that He has made over to us, His garment of righteousness  -  the breastplate. 

The only way  that we can ever come before a Holy,  Righteous and Just God, is if we are 

clothed in His righteousness. 

Christ has imputed His righteousness to those who belong to Him.

They are accepted in the Beloved?  

If perhaps you dear reader are not born-again may I ask you this day to please consider Him?  

Ask the Lord Jesus to be your personal Saviour.   

Hebrews 7:24-25  "But this man,  because He continueth ever,  hath an unchangeable priesthood.  Wherefore,  He is also able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,  seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."  

The Lord Jesus Christ imputes His righteousness to those who trust Him as their Saviour.  

He saves entirely all those who come unto God by Him and He keeps every little lamb that belongs to Him for all eternity.

If a little lamb wonders away and gets lost,  He goes and finds that little lamb,  and carries it home on His shoulders. 

This is too wonderful for words.  

Luke15:5   "And when He hath found it,  He layeth it on His shoulders, rejoicing."  

Our Great Shepherd carries us.  

Like the high priest carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulder  -     

The Lord Jesus carries all the names of those who are His own, on His heart.  

He knows each sheep by name.  

He says that some day He will give each one of His sheep a new name.  

Revelation 2:17  "He that hath an ear,  let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches:  To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna,  and will give him a white stone,  and in the stone a new name written,  which no man knoweth except he that receiveth it." 

A new name is very personal - He has a new name for each person that belongs to Him, and He carries them on His heart. 

Each name will be different because He means something different to each one of us. 

It will be His personal and intimate name to each of us.

Now what about the pomegranates and the bells?

Exodus 28:33-34  "And beneath upon the hem of it  thou shalt make pomegranates of blue,  and of purple,  and of scarlet,  round about the hem thereof;  and bells of gold between them round about: A golden bell and a pomegranate,  a golden bell and a pomegranate,  upon the hem of the robe round about.  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister:  and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord,  and when he cometh out,  that he die not."  

Pomegranates speak of fragrant fruit and bells speak of sweet sound.  Something to hear and something to taste.  

The sound speaks of the calling of the believer and the sweet fruit speaks of the conduct of the believer.  

The apostle Paul speaks of the conduct of the believer in 

Ephesians 4:1  "I therefore,  the prisoner of the Lord,  beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called."  

Our calling and our conduct should correspond.  

There should be a bell and a pomegranate  -  a bell and a pomegranate.

The bells.

Every one of us,  today,   is ringing a bell.  We are all preachers whether we know it or not. We preach a message by our lives.  Whoever we rub shoulders with,  will receive a message from us.  In the neighborhood,  at the church,  at the school,  on the sports field,  in the shops where we get our supplies,  at the doctors surgery,  at the golf club and wherever else we may go -  each one of us is preaching a message.  We tell others all about ourselves by the way we live our lives.  Some farmers,  still today put a cow bell around their cows neck so that when the cow wonders away and cannot be seen anywhere,  the cow can be heard by the sound of the bell round its neck.  We,  are also heard wherever we go.  

The bell that we ring, tells just where we are.  

Do we give out the Word of God?  

Do we tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ?  

Do we ever speak of His blood that cleanses us from our sins?  

Ephesians 1:7  "In whom we have redemption through His blood,  the forgiveness of sins,  according to the riches of His grace."  

We are saved by the shedding of His precious blood alone.  

Do we tell others about the things that the Holy Spirit convicts us about? 

Do we rationalize our behaviour?  

Do we explain away our conduct?  -   we want to make friends not enemies,  we are to get along with people and we are to have fellowship and therefore we have to keep silent about certain truth?  

Many Christians lack conviction.

Did you know that God's men have ALWAYS BEEN LONELY MEN?  Can you ever imagine Elijah having a talk with King Ahab about coexistence?  Or John the Baptist talking to Herod on the subject of  "brotherhood? These men sure stood for God and they never learned the art of how to make friends and influence people.

They were men with a strong conviction.  

Believers are to stand up and be counted for God.  

We are ringing a bell today.  

THE THING MOST NEEDED TODAY IS CONVICTION. 

Silence is not golden    -  IT IS YELLOW.  

Listen to the apostle Paul in 

I Corinthians 15:58  "Therefore,  my beloved brethren,  be ye steadfast,  unmovable,  always abounding in the work of the Lord,  forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Oh, how we need to take a stand for God today, 

in this world in which we live.  

Are you willing to stand for God today?

The pomegranates.

The pomegranates speak of the fruit in a believers life. 

Our Lord Jesus said,  

"that by their fruits ye shall know them"  (Matthew 7:20). 

And He also said in 

"Herein is My Father glorified,  that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8).     

The fruit,  is of course, that which the Holy Spirit produces in and through us. Next to our profession of faith, there should be, practice.  We need to have the fruit of knowing the Bible. We need to believe that it is God's INSPIRED WORD to us, from cover to cover.  

The Word of God should be real to us and active in our lives.  

2 Timothy 2:15  "Study to show thyself approved unto God,  a workman that needeth not be ashamed,  rightly dividing the the Word of truth." 

The important thing is to study.  

How much time do we spend studying the Word?

We also need the fruit of genuine love for Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:10  "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,  AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS,  being made conformable unto His death."  

We are to know Him.

Know our Great High Priest.  

Is knowing Him the ambition of your life today?  

The question that the Lord Jesus is asking us today is found in  

John 21:17  "Jesus said unto Him the third time,  Simon, son of Jonas,  lovest thou Me?  Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time,  lovest thou Me?  And he said unto Him,  Lord,  Thou knowest all things:  Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus said unto him,  feed My sheep."  

We are also to have the fruit of a worthy walk.  

We have been pardoned.

Titus 3:8  "This is a faithful saying,  AND THESE THINGS I WOULD THAT THOU AFFIRM CONSTANTLY,  that they which have believed in God  MIGHT BE CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS.  These things are profitable unto men." 

Does our conduct show that we have been washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? 

Then we do need the fruit of steadfastness.  

Are we willing to pay the price of standing for God in  truth?  

All the praise and honor and glory goes to our  God who is seated in glory that He has called those who are His own to stand for Him down through the ages.

What kind of a sound are we making today? 

Are you willing to make a decision to stand for Christ Jesus in truth today?

Please ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart,  and ask Him to help you to study His Word. Ask Him to live His life n You and tell Him that your desire is to yield to the promptings of the Holy  Spirit within you. 

Gracious Abba Father,  Thank You this day for Your marvelous gift of salvation. Thank You Lord Jesus for going to the cross and bearing my sin in Your own body upon the cross of Calvary. Thank You that You are my High Priest and that You are right now making intercession for me. Please forgive me Father for I have sinned against Thee and I have done things I ought not to have done and said. Father I want to do the right thing and my desire is to live the life of Christ yet before I know it I do the wrong thing. I do know better so there is no excuse for me Lord Jesus. Please cleanse me from all my sin which is right now before me. I have thought unkind things and before long I have entertained those thoughts and then put them into words. O merciful Father help me because my tongue can start a huge fire and so often my tongue has gotten the better of me over the past few days. Please cleanse me of all the evil thoughts that influence me and fill my mind with Your Word O God that I might walk worthy of my high calling in Christ Jesus and bring glory to Your holy name I ask for Lord Jesus sake.     

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold:
Take my intellect, and use
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine:
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store:
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Thanks: Sermonaudio.com

Amen!

THIS PAGE UPDATED:  21-10-2008.