Exodus 28:22-43  Instructions About Priests’ Garments, Part 2

[Study Aired November 28, 2022]

Exo 28:22  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 28:23  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:24  And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:25  And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 
Exo 28:26  And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 28:27  And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 
Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 
Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 
Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 
Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. 
Exo 28:33  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: 
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 
Exo 28:35  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. 
Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 
Exo 28:39  And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. 
Exo 28:40  And 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 beauty.
Exo 28:41  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.
Exo 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Exo 28:43  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 statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

The second part of Exodus chapter 28 continues with instructions about the making of priestly garments. As indicated in the study of the first part of this chapter, garments have both positive and negative connotations. On a positive note, priestly garments represent the righteousness of Christ.

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The negative aspect of garments reflects the sinful deeds of the flesh during our walk in Babylon and the world.  That is why in the scriptures, we are admonished to change our garments when we come to Christ as shown in the following scripture:

Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. 

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 

These priestly garments reflect our righteousness in Christ and without them, we cannot enter into the presence of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, when he came to himself and asked for forgiveness from his father, he received a new garment or robe.

Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

What is significant about the priestly garments is that they were all to be made of linen.

Lev 16:3  Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 
Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

As we can see, the garments of the priests were made of linen. This is because it is a very unique fabric which keeps the wearer cool in hot weather, and warm when it is cold. Linen, therefore, does not cause sweat. Sweat represents exertion of effort or energy.

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Eze 44:15  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 
Eze 44:16  They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 
Eze 44:17  And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 
Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

The spiritual significance of wearing linen is to let us know that our salvation, including the changing of our garments into priestly outfits, is all the result of the work of God. Man plays no part in the things of God.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

In today’s study, we will continue to learn more about other aspects of the priestly garments – the breastpiece, the mitre or the turban and the linen undergarment.

Exo 28:22  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exo 28:23  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:24  And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 28:25  And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 
Exo 28:26  And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
Exo 28:27  And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

The priests wore a long robe covering their whole body, then on top of this robe, there was a tunic, a kind of coat (breastplate) to the knees. On top of the tunic there was the ephod. These verses are to show us how the ephod is fastened to the breastplate (coat) through chains and rings made of pure gold. The importance of the chains and the rings is to ensure that the breastplate does not swing out from the ephod. As we have indicated, the whole of the priestly garments represents Christ. Since we are the body of Christ, we also represent the priestly garments. Just as the breastplate and the ephod must be fitly joined together, so is the body of Christ which must be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Fitly joined together implies that there are no divisions in Christ. Any sign of division means that we have failed. We are all of the same mind pursuing one goal in Christ which is to please God, and this is achieved through what everyone offers in the house of God.

1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 
1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 

Aaron was the first High Priest. Aaron represents Christ who is our High Priest and bears the names of all the elect of every generation in His heart. Verse 29 is therefore another way of saying that as our High Priest, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as He intercedes on our behalf.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Rom 8:34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 

The Urim and the Thummim are parts of the breastplate worn by the High Priest attached to the ephod. They were priestly devices for knowing the mind of God concerning a matter that was brought to Him. Scripture is unclear how these two elements are used by the Priests to know the will of God in a matter. Urim means “light” and Thummim symbolizes perfection. This means that being perfect in the sight of God means walking in His light or will.

Gen 17:1  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

During the time of Nehemiah, certain tribes who came from Babylon could not find their names in the register as Priests. They were therefore requested not to eat holy things until there stood up a Priest with Urim and Thummim. This is significant in the sense that it shows us that we, His elect, representing the Priest with Urim and Thummim, are the only ones who can discern the mind of Christ and also know whether one is a priest (an elect) or not.

Neh 7:63  And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
Neh 7:64  These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 
Neh 7:65  And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 

As we have indicated, the color blue represents the Lord Jesus in our heavens. The robe of the ephod represents righteousness. Verse 31 therefore implies that our righteousness is of Christ and not by ourselves.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
Exo 28:33  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: 
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

The robe of the ephod must have an opening for the head in the middle of it. This opening should have a woven binding around it so that it does not tear. This woven binding is decorated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarns around the hem with bells of gold between them.

Spiritually, the opening for the head regarding the robe of the ephod is another way of saying that in order to put on the righteousness of Christ, we should make a way for the Lord. To make a way for the Lord is to repent from our sins. In other words, we must be aware of spiritual poverty if we are to repent from our sins. This is the message that John the Baptist preached throughout his ministry.

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 
Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 
Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

As stated in verse 32, the opening for the head and the binding of woven work are what prevent the robe of the ephod from tearing. As indicated, the woven work is the embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, inter-spaced with golden bells. Pomegranates symbolize the bearing of the fruit of the spirit when we start to possess our bodies or land.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

The embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet is to remind us that we start our walk in the Lord bearing fruits of the flesh (purple and scarlet) before we bear the fruit of the spirit or Christ.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

As indicated in the previous study, putting on the ephod garment is to put on Christ.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The question is, “what does it mean to put on Christ?” The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature.

The golden bells which are part of the embroidery work are inter-spaced between the pomegranates. As we indicated in the previous study, the robe is one of the sacred articles of clothing for the High Priest. It was worn under the ephod. The significance of the robe was the bells attached to it. Their sounding as a result of Aaron’s movement, is to alert those outside the Holy place that Aaron is alive and well. The symbol of the golden bells on the embroidery work is therefore to remind us of the holiness of the Lord. It is when we walk in holiness that we are alive in Christ. The bells therefore represent holiness.

Zec 14:20  In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Exo 28:35  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.
Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 

Now we come to the mitre, which is the turban that covers the head of Aaron, the high priest. As we indicated in the previous study, putting on these priestly garments is not different from putting on the whole armor of God, which is to help us stand against the wiles of the devil. The mitre or the turban represents the helmet of salvation.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In verse 36, the mitre bears the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” and was to be put on the forehead of Aaron, the high priest. This is to remind us that we were marked by the Lord to walk in holiness before the world began.

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:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The fact that the inscription was made of gold is to show us the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire to attain holiness. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness.

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

In verse 37, the inscription was to be put on a blue lace. The color blue signifies the Lord Jesus in our heavens. It is when the Lord comes to our heavens that we can attain holiness and be designated as “Holiness to the Lord”.

Exo 28:39  And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
Exo 28:40  And 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 beauty. 
Exo 28:41  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.

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect are priests before the Lord and are therefore required to serve or minister in the presence of the Lord.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Though many priests served in the Tabernacle, there was only one acting High Priest at any given time. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. At his death, the office of High Priest was then transferred to his oldest son, down through the generations. As we are aware, we are the firstborn sons and therefore are entitled to wear these priestly garments as transferred to us by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Here in verse 40, we are given two reasons why the elect must be clothed with the holy garments. It is for glory and for beauty that we are required to put on the holy garments. The holy garments refer to the righteousness of Christ. The glory here refers to the glory of the Lord which represents the Lord Jesus Christ. What this means is that it is when we walk in righteousness (Put on the holy garments) that we can know Christ (see His glory). The other reason for putting on the holy garments is for beauty. This beauty spiritually means to worship the Lord in holiness.

1Ch 16:29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psa 96:9  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Verse 40 suggests that it is when we walk in righteousness we can worship the Lord in holiness.

Exo 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 
Exo 28:43  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 statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

We are commanded to make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Here in verse 42, we are given additional reasons why we need to put on these priestly garments. That is, to cover our nakedness. As we put on the righteousness of Christ, our nakedness is covered. This also implies that we do not uncover the nakedness of our brothers and sisters. The nakedness here spiritually signifies our wrongdoing or sins. It is through love (obedience to the Lord) that we are able to cover the multitude of sins of our brothers and sisters.

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.

May the Lord be merciful to us and grant us the grace to put on Christ, and as we do, we do not make provision for the flesh. Amen!!