Matt's Messages - Aaron and His Sons

"Aaron and His Sons"
July 24, 2005
Exodus 28:1-29:46

Let me ask again this week: where is Israel at this point in the story? Where is Israel in Exodus chapter 28? At Mount Sinai. That’s right.

YHWH has rescued Israel from Egypt and brought Israel to Himself at the foot of Mount Sinai. And YHWH has come Himself in His holiness, given them the Law, and made a covenant with Israel.

Now, let me ask you this. Where is Moses in Exodus chapter 28? Moses is on top of Mount Sinai. God invited him up. Moses has entered the cloud of God’s presence at the top of the mountain of God–the cloud that looks to Israel like a consuming fire.

That’s where Moses is. And God is talking to Moses. Forty days and forty nights. And God is giving Moses something. We studied it last week. What is it? [Blueprints.]

God is giving Moses the blueprints for His tent, His dwelling place among His people. The Tabernacle.

God is moving into the neighborhood. The Great King is setting up His throne room in the midst of His people. A Most Holy Place with the Ark of the Covenant. A Holy Place with the Table of the Presence and the Golden Lampstand. In a tent. Surrounded by a courtyard set off by curtains. With a big bronze altar inside of the gate. The blueprints for the Tabernacle.

God is also giving Moses something else.

God is giving Moses instructions on establishing the priesthood.

Here at Mount Sinai, God is not only making a covenant, giving the Law, and setting up a dwelling place for Himself. God is also establishing the Levitical Priesthood–the permanent priesthood to serve God in the Tabernacle.

Now, let me ask you a question. Who knows who will be the first priest(s) of the people of Israel?

Aaron and His Sons.

Moses’ brother Aaron and His descendants will serve before God as the priests of Israel. They are descendants of Levi, therefore, they are the Levitical Priests.

Aaron will be the first High Priest (Chief Priest, #1 Priest, Top Dog Priest) in Israel.

And Aaron’s sons will follow him.

Aaron and His Sons.

We’re only going to study two chapters this morning. Chapter 28 and chapter 29. Chapter 28 tells us about Aaron and His Sons’ Clothing. And chapter 29 tells us about Aaron and His Sons’ Consecration. Clothing and Consecration.

What I want to do is read chapter 28 pausing along the way to look at all of the details. And then stop to draw out what I think is the major theological big idea of the chapter and apply it to our lives. And then we’ll do the same thing with chapter 29. There will only be two points this morning. One on chapter 28 and one on chapter 29.

Let’s pray and then begin reading about Aaron and His Sons.

[prayer]

Exodus chapter 28. Aaron and His Sons’ Clothing. Verse 1.

"Have Aaron your brother brought to you [Moses] from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. [King James: "glory and beauty."] Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen." Pause there for a second.

God is asking Moses to summon the tailors of Israel. They are to make a work-suit for Aaron to wear when he is serving as priest before God.

It is a suit unlike most other suits. Verse 4 again. "These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. [V.5] Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen."

What does that sound like? The blueprints for the tabernacle we read about last week! The priests are to look like the tabernacle. Their amazing outfits are to match, to correspond with, the amazing stuff that the tabernacle is made of.

Now, God gives Moses the particulars. First, the Ephod. Verse 6.

"Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen– the work of a skilled craftsman. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it–of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth–six names on one stone [the older brothers] and the remaining six on the other [the younger brothers]. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD. Make gold filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings." Pause there.

Now, last week, I said that I wasn’t much for reading blueprints. The same is doubly true this week for reading clothing patterns!

However, I’ll do the best I can. The Ephod appears to have been an apron-like piece of clothing. Sleeveless. With two shoulder pieces holding it together at the top. And a "woven waistband" [I believe that is the sash] to hold it together at the bottom. It’s made of glorious materials like the tabernacle, "...gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen–the work of a skilled craftsman."

Now, I think that the most important thing to notice are the onyx stones that are mounted on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod. Did you catch what is engraved on them?

The names of the tribes of Israel. Six on one. Six on the other. And YHWH says in verse 12, "Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD." We’re going to see more about that.

The next piece of clothing is the breastpiece. Verse 15.

"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions–the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It is to be square–a span long and a span wide–and folded double [9" by 9" and folded double to make a little pocket. Verse 17]. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes." We’ll come back to that. 12 Stones. 12 Tribes. Mounted on the front of the breatpiece. V.22

"For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. [Notice that the ephod is worn under the breastpiece.] Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod. Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD." Pause there.

I think that the point of all of the gold rings is just to show Moses how it’s supposed to hang together and not swing around a lot. And it’s made of gold because it’s going in to the Holy of Holies.

The breastpiece is also used for guiding Israel in decision making. That’s what it said in verse 15. Now in v.30, God gives the decision-making equipment. V.30

"Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD." Pause there.

We don’t know much about the Urim and Thummim. We can guess. It seems like they are two lots that are kept in the "breastpiece pocket" and cast to make decisions and be guided by YHWH. One of them probably meant Yes or Success and the other meant No or Curse. We’re not sure how it worked. We only know that it did and that it was part of the Aaron’s High Priestly Clothing.

Next is the Robe. V.31

"Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die." Pause there.

The robe is worn under the ephod and the breastpiece. It is beautiful and ornate, and it must be worn exactly like this or there will be deathly consequences. Aaron is to wear it and when he moves in the Most Holy Place the bells will tinkle and they will know that all is well.

[In later years, tradition has it, that they would also tie a rope around the leg of the High Priest so that if he did die, they could pull him out without having to go in after him.]

Now, the Turban. Verse 36.

"Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron's forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD."

We’ll talk more about this again in a minute. V.39. The Tunic.

"Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons, to give them dignity and honor [,too. The tunic is worn under the robe under the ephod under the breastpiece.] After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests." That’s the next chapter. One more layer of clothing. V.42.

"Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants." Stop there.

This is not a sex-religion. The priests are not naked. Not exposed. They wear linen underwear. And then a tunic. And then the High Priest wears a robe. And an ephod. And a breastpiece. And on top: a turban with a title on it that says: "Holy to the LORD."

Question. What do they wear on their feet?

It doesn’t say.

My guess is that this is Holy Ground. And they are to take their sandals off on Holy Ground.

Now, do you have the picture in your head? At least a little bit? If you want to see a picture of what it might have looked like, you can go to BiblePlaces.com and click on the tabernacle. There are a few pictures from there up on my weblog. You could check them out there, too.

What do you think is the biggest idea that is being communicated by this clothing?

All of our clothing sends a message. What is the biggest message that is being sent by God in this clothing in Exodus chapter 28?

I want to suggest that it is this. Point #1 (of 2):

Representation Before God.

The priest represents the people before God.

That’s what a priest does!
And His clothing communicates that, doesn’t it?

What is on the shoulder pieces of the ephod? The names of the tribes of Israel.

What is on the costly gemstones on the breastpiece? The names of the tribes of Israel.

What is going on there?

Verse 12. "Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD."

Verse 29. "[Aaron] will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart..."

When Aaron goes into the Holy of Holies, He is Israel!

He (symbolically) represents Israel before God.

That’s the point of the Turban, too. V.36 again.

"Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron's forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD."

Aaron is representing the guilt of Israel before YHWH when he brings in the sacrificial gifts to YHWH.

REPRESENTATION BEFORE GOD.

Now, let’s apply that.

First, AS SINNERS, WE NEED A REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE GOD.

You and I need representation before God.

If we don’t have it, we are toast.

You and I need a High Priest.

And that’s exactly what Jesus is!

The book of Hebrews says it like this. Chapter 4 (v.14), "[W]e have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God..."

Before the Throne of God Above
I Have a Strong, A Perfect Plea
A Great High Priest Whose Name Is Love
Who Ever Lives and Pleads For Me
My Name Is Graven On His Hands
My Name is Written On His Heart
I Know That While In Heaven He Stands
No Tongue Can Bid Me Thence Depart
No Tongue Can Bid Me Thence Depart (Charitie L. Bancroft (1841-1892))

"[W]e have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God..."

That is, if He is your High Priest. You can know He is by putting your trust in Him and what He did on the Cross.

That was representation before God! When Jesus went to the Cross, He was us.

As Sinners, We Need a Representative Before God.

And Jesus is it. The priest par excellence!

Second application to this first point. AS PRIESTS, WE NEED TO INTERCEDE FOR OTHERS.

As a priest, you need to represent others to God in prayer.

Now, some of you are saying, "Whoa, Pastor Matt, I am not a priest!" I don’t wear a black suit with a big white collar on it. I’m a woman. And there are no women priests!

But that’s not what the Bible says.

Raise your hand if the Bible says that you are a priest.

1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9.

"[Y]ou are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." All of you.

Revelation chapter 1. Verse 5.

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen."

In the Old Testament, generally speaking, the priesthood was reserved for children of Levi, children of Aaron, children of Eleazar and Ithamar. And for men of those families only.

But in the New Covenant, the priesthood is what we are all saved into.

I am not a priest any more than you are. But you are one. And so am I.

And so we need to do our own representing of people before God. Not like Jesus did. His was perfect and complete. But we can take people before the throne of God in prayer. And we should.

Do you pray for other people?

As a sinner, you need a representative before God.
Now, as a priest, you need to represent people before God in intercessory prayer.

Now, chapter 29 is all about Aaron and His Sons’ Consecration.

The clothing was to be prepared for this moment of consecration and then their priestly work to follow. Let’s study the instructions for Aaron and His Sons’ Consecration. Chapter 29, verse 1.

"This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. And from fine wheat flour, without yeast [remembering the Passover], make bread, and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. Put them in a basket and present them in it–along with the bull and the two rams. [A basket of bread, cakes and wafers, one bull and two rams.] Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting [tabernacle] and wash them with water. [We’ll see what was available there for washing things next week. First a cleansing bath. Then, V.5] Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. [We’re suiting up.] Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban. [He is representing Israel: Holy to YHWH.] Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head." He is set apart as the High Priest. This actually happens in Leviticus chapter 8. Verse 8.

"Bring his sons and dress them in tunics and put headbands on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. In this way you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. [And now, there are three offerings. Offering #1. Verse 10.] Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. [Identifying themselves with the bull.] Slaughter it in the LORD's presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. Then take all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. But burn the bull's flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp. It is a sin offering."

This is a typical sin offering. It is to atone for Aaron and his sons’ sins. They identify themselves with the bull. They sacrifice the bull. It is a payment for their sin. Now, the second offering. The first ram. V.15.

"Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head [identification again]. Slaughter it and take the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides. Cut the ram into pieces and wash the inner parts and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire."

A burnt offering. This is another kind of offering. It symbolizes complete dedication. Devotedness. Committment. The whole thing goes up in smoke as a symbol of complete dedication. First a sin offering. Then a burn offering of dedication. And then the third offering which is for the ordination itself. V.19

"Take the other ram [ram #2], and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head [identification once again]. Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides."

Ears, hands, toes. All are offered for God’s work. V.21

"And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated. [These beautiful garments are to be stained with blood. And that consecrates them. V.22] Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the LORD, take a loaf, and a cake made with oil, and a wafer. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, an offering made to the LORD by fire. After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron's ordination, wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your share. Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons: the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. This is always to be the regular share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the LORD from their fellowship offerings. Aaron's sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. [Succession.] The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days. Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. [This ordination sacrifice is a fellowship sacrifice and gets eaten in God’s presence. V.32] At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred. And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred." Stop there and let’s get our bearings.

There are three offerings. The first is a sin offering (a bull). The second is a burnt offering (the first ram). And the third is an ordination-fellowship offering. It atones for Aaron but it is also shared by Aaron. And that’s probably why it is waved before YHWH. It’s not waved side to side but forward and backward towards the altar and back to Aaron. They are together. They are sharing this. This is fellowship with God. Aaron’s ordination is marked by relationship with God in the sacrifice. Do you see the picture? Aaron is now ordained, consecrated, set apart for God’s service.

And he does it in God’s presence.

This is the way to do it every day. V.35

"Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy. [And then, this is their daily offering task. V.38] This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning–a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. [Catch this. This is what happens every day.] There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God."

This is why they are rescued.

They are rescued to have fellowship with God. Consecrated to have fellowship with God Himself.

Here’s the big theological idea that is the focus of chapter 29:

CONSECRATION TO GOD.

If chapter 28 was about Representation before God, chapter 29 is about Consecration to God.

Aaron and His Sons were to be consecrated. Made holy. Sanctified.

Specially set apart for God’s holy service.

Consecration to God.

There were three main steps. A sin offering to pay for their sin. A burnt offering to offer their whole selves to God. And an ordination-fellowship offering to symbolize fellowship and whole-hearted service to God. Consecration.

Now, let’s apply that to our lives.

Two points of application. #1. AS SINNERS, WE NEED A TOTALLY CONSECRATED HIGH PRIEST.

Because, you know what, Aaron really messed up. We’re going to see that in just three chapters. Aaron flunked. And Aaron’s sons really messed up. Nadab and Abihu flunked. They don’t ever make it to High Priest. And even those High Priests who serve well, they keep dying off. And none of them are totally consecrated. They keep requiring blood and sacrifice and blood and sacrifice again and again and again.

This priesthood wasn’t designed to be perfect. It was designed to point towards perfection and give way when the perfect came.

Hebrews chapter 7, verse 21.

"[Jesus] became a priest with an oath when God said to him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. [Totally consecrated! That’s what we need! "Holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens!"] Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins [there were none!], and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man."

We have a totally consecrated High Priest!

"Holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." Totally consecrated. Just what we need.

What Aaron and His Sons were picturing was fulfilled and is fulfilled and will be always fulfilled in the perfect priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isn’t that the greatest news ever?

And those of us who put our faith in Him will never be disappointed. "[Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

Second application and last. AS PRIESTS, WE NEED TO BE TOTALLY CONSECRATED TO GOD.

He is the Priest we need. And we need to be priests like Him. Totally consecrated to God.

Aaron was prefiguring our total dedication.

The sin offering was fulfilled in Jesus’ death on the Cross.
The burnt offering is fulfilled when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices pleasing to God.
The ordination offering is fulfilled when we have fellowship with God and serve Him in total consecration of our lives.

All of our lives in fellowship with Him and serving Him.

Does He have all of you?

Not just theoretically. But really.

Does He have all of you?

Are you totally consecrated?

No one is perfectly. We have to come for cleansing each and every day.

We have to get up on the altar every day and offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

How about right now?

Does He have all of you?

Jesus died to purchase you. He was totally consecrated, and He represented you before the throne of God above! Your name is written on His heart.

Is His name the focus of your heart?

"Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated, Lord to Thee." (Frances Rile Havergal)

What are you holding back?

Your ears?
Your hands?
Your feet?

Consecrate it all to Him.