Please turn with me in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 28.
I'm preaching from Exodus 28 and Exodus 39,
but because 39 is almost a word-for-word fulfillment
and repetition of Exodus 28,
I'm not going to read it at the beginning of the sermon.
I'll just read chapter 28, verses 1 to 43.
If you don't have a Bible, please raise your hand.
We can bring one over to you that you can use while you're here.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Amen.
Heavenly Father, we don't want to lose sight of what a privilege it is
that we get to approach your throne of grace,
that we are in your presence now,
that we will have eternal fellowship with you
in the new heavens and the new earth,
and that that is all because of your Son, Jesus Christ,
our great high priest.
So exalt his name this morning.
remind us powerfully of how he serves us,
how he saves us.
Convey to your precious saints
how precious they are to you this morning.
Please, in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
If you would please stand, if you are able.
And I'm going to read Exodus chapter 28.
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, Eliezer and Ethamar.
And you shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother,
for glory and for beauty.
You shall speak to all the skillful
whom I have filled with the 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 checkerwork,
a turban, and a sash.
They shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother,
and his sons to serve me as priests.
They shall receive gold, blue and purple,
and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
And they shall make the ephod of gold,
of blue and purple and scarlet yarns,
and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.
You shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges
so that it may be joined together.
And the skillfully woven band on it
shall be made like it and be of one piece with it,
of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns,
and fine twined linen.
You shall take two onyx stones
and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
six of their names on the one stone
and the names of the remaining six on the other stone
in the order of their birth.
As a jeweler engraves signet,
so shall you engrave the two stones
with the names of the sons of Israel.
You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree,
and you shall set the two stones
on the shoulder pieces of the ephod
as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel.
And Aaron shall bear their names
before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.
You shall make settings of gold filigree
and two chains of pure gold twisted like cords,
and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.
You shall make a breast piece of judgment in skilled work.
In the style of the ephod you shall make it,
of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns,
and fine twined linen shall you make it.
It shall be square and doubled,
a span its length and a span its breadth.
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 jacent,
an agate and an amethyst,
and the fourth row a beryl,
an onyx and a jasper.
They shall be set in gold filigree.
There shall be twelve 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 twelve tribes.
You shall make for the breast piece
twisted chains like cords of pure gold,
and you shall make for the breast piece
two rings of gold,
and put the two rings on the two edges
of the breast piece.
And you shall put the two cords of gold
in the two rings at the edges of the breast piece.
The two ends of the two cords
you shall attach to the two settings of filigree,
and so attach it in front
to 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 front to 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 breast piece 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 breast piece shall not come loose from the ephod. So Aaron shall bear the names
of the sons of Israel in the breast piece of judgment on his heart when he goes into the holy
place to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. And in the breast piece of judgment you
shall put the urim and the thumim and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord.
Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
You shall make the robe of the ephod all a blue. You shall have an opening for the head in the middle
of it with a woven binding around the opening like the opening in a garment so that it may not tear.
On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns around its hem with bells
of gold between them. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the
robe. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the
holy place before the Lord and when he comes out so that he does not die. 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 that they may be accepted before the Lord.
You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen and you shall make a turban of fine linen and
you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes
and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on
his sons with him and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them that they may serve me as
priests. You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from
the hips to the thighs and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons 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.
This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. This is God's holy and
authoritative word. You may be seated this time. Two years ago on December 23rd, 2020,
when then President Donald Trump used his executive powers to pardon Charles Kushner,
the father of his son-in-law, Roger, and as well as Roger Stone Jr., his longtime advisor and friend
who was doing jail time for lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses, as well as Paul
Manafort, the chairman of his 2016 presidential campaign, who was doing jail time for text fraud,
bank fraud, and conspiracy all on the same day, I remember thinking to myself,
it must be nice to have a friend in high places.
We were all once sinners under condemnation and we too needed a friend in high places.
We talked last week about the inaccessibility and the unapproachability of the tabernacle,
how no man can draw near safely without first offering atoning sacrifice.
But the Israelites could not even offer an acceptable sacrifice to God on their own.
They could not even enter into the holy place. They needed someone who had access to God in the
holy place and the most holy place where they themselves did not have access. They needed a
mediator who would represent them and make the sacrifices they need for their sins. They needed a
friend in high places. And this is precisely why God appoints Aaron and his sons as priests in this
passage. Aaron would be a high priest, his sons, regular priests, to represent the Israelites to God.
God says in chapter 28, verse 1, bring near to you Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him from among
the people of Israel to serve me as priests. This is the first explicit statement in the Bible when
God appoints Aaron and his sons to be priests. In order to serve as priests within the tabernacle,
they need to be holy, consecrated, which means to be set apart for a special purpose, just like the
tabernacle is salt, which is described as holy. So that's why in verses 2 to 5, God commands
Israelites to make holy garments for Aaron and his sons. The garments are repeatedly called holy
because they're supposed to wear it when they go into the holy place before the Lord.
In scripture, the word holy is the opposite of what is common. It refers to something that is
uncommon, something that is special. So you can't go to, for example, a special party like a wedding
with common clothes like t-shirts and blue jeans. You need special clothes that set that occasion apart.
Likewise, to minister in God's special place, the holy place, his sanctuary, the priests need holy
garments. And special garments cannot be made by anyone of ordinary skill. It has to be made by
skillful people. So God specifically commissions, quote, all the skillful whom God has filled with the
spirit of skill to make the priestly garments. So these garments are not going to be made by clumsy hands
in a janky way. You know, these are not going to have loose seams and uneven proportions. They are
going to be made with skillful hands for glory and for beauty. That phrase occurs twice in this passage
here in verse 2 and again in verse 40 to emphasize that the priest's garments are to be glorious
and beautiful. But what does glory and beauty mean? Glory refers to all of, it's really a summary of all of
God's divine virtues and attributes. Some people say that it's deity on display, glory. When God's deity,
his divine power, his attributes are displayed for people to see, we call that glory. So glory really
is unique to God. Nothing and no one in this world has any glory in and of themselves. They possess glory
only in so far as they display and point to who God is and what he is like. So when we say that the vast
ocean and its crashing waves are glorious, we're saying that the ocean displays God's eternal vastness
and his power. When we say that a mountain range is glorious, we're saying that it reflects God's
immovable strength and constancy, that it is unchanging. When we say that a king in his splendor,
his royal garb is glorious, we're saying that he in some way resembles God's royalty and his rule and
authority. So to glorify God then is not to give him something that he doesn't already have. It's simply
to acknowledge who he already is. God is not glorious because we glorify him. We glorify him
because he is glorious. And throughout Exodus, we have repeatedly seen this phrase, glory of the Lord.
The Israelites witnessed the glory of the Lord in the wilderness in Exodus 16. And later when the
tabernacle is completed in Exodus 40, it says that the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory
of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the
cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. You may have heard the phrase
Shekinah glory before. You guys heard that phrase before? So that's Shekinah comes from the Hebrew word
shakhan, which means to dwell. That's the word from which we get the word tabernacle, which literally
means the dwelling place. So God's glory, the glory of the Lord is what you see. It's the visible
manifestation of God in the place where God dwells. It's the glory that's connected to God's dwelling
place. So then the fact that the priest's garment is specifically crafted for glory shows that they are
to be associated with Yahweh's glory to minister in his dwelling place. The priest's garment is also designed
for beauty. The Hebrew word translated beauty in this verse is also almost synonymous with the word glory,
which sometimes is translated glory or honor. But more specifically, it's a word that is used to describe
beautiful ornaments in Isaiah 3.18. And it's used to refer to beautiful jewels in Ezekiel 16 and Ezekiel 23 as well.
Beauty is an attribute of something that is splendid and radiant and dazzling and glorious. Beauty awes people.
It turns onlookers into admirers, maybe even worshipers. So it is fitting that this is linked to glory,
that these holy garments are made for glory and beauty. Do you think of God as beautiful?
I think we more often think of him as glorious, but maybe we don't often think of him as beautiful.
But scripture teaches us that God is beautiful. Psalm 96.46 uses the exact same Hebrew word to
describe God in his dwelling place. His four great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. Splendor and
majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Psalm 27 uses the
slightly different word, slightly different word, but gets the same idea. One thing have I asked of the
Lord that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life
to do what? To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. The Lord our God is the
beautiful one. Whenever you see something beautiful in nature, whenever you draw or create or build something
that is beautiful, you are in a way pointing to our God who is beautiful,
who is lovely, radiant, splendid. And this is why the holy garments of the priests who represent
the people to God must be made for glory and beauty because they're associated with God himself.
The connection between the priests and the Lord is further reinforced by the material that the skilled
craftsmen use to make the holy garments. Verse five says that they are to be made of gold,
blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. Does that sound familiar to you? Right? You
guys have seen these materials before. It's the exact same materials that are used to make the
tabernacle, God's dwelling place. So they're kind of a set, the high priest and the tabernacle, right?
When you see, people wouldn't have normally seen the high priest walking around in his priestly
garment because they only put it on when they go into the holy place to minister. But imagine you saw
him walking around. Nobody's going to look at the priest and think, oh, I wonder what he does for work.
It's very obvious. You take one look at him and one look at the tabernacle, like, oh, I know exactly
what he does for work. That's, they're a set, they're associated with the dwelling place of God.
God, we wouldn't have been able to go into the most holy place. Only the high priest could. We
wouldn't have been able to go in even to the holy place. Only the priests could. So they had to go.
They were the friends of the Israelites in high places, the high priest who would go where they
cannot go to represent them before God. They can offer the sacrifices. They can mediate. They can
represent us. And we're going to learn today about how that entire office of the priesthood
ultimately points to Jesus as our great high priest and that God set apart Jesus as our great high
priest so that he might serve as the mediator of his precious people, bearing our name, bearing our
judgment, and bearing our guilt. Those are going to be my three points as we go through this. Let's first
talk about how the high priest bears the names of God's people. We find the instructions for the
ephod, first in chapter 20, verse 6. Ephod is just a Hebrew loan word. It's just a, and it's like an,
it's an apron, apron-like garment you'd wear on the front and the back and over the linen undergarments
that he mentions later. It covered the front and back and were joined together by the shoulder straps
and the shoulder pieces, as it's called in verse 12. And it was made of gold and of blue and purple
scarlet yarns and fine twine linen. And the most significant detail for the ephod is found in verses 9 to 12.
The two shoulder pieces of the ephod are decorated with these gold laces, gold settings. And then in that
gold setting, you, they were to place two onyx stones, one on each shoulder piece. And this onyx stone,
it's not exactly, we're not exactly sure what kind of stone it was, but if it's really an onyx, it would be this
precious crystal of jet black color with these milky white bands surrounding, kind of alternating
around. It's a beautiful stone. And you put those stones on the shoulder pieces. And on those stones,
they are to engrave the names of the 12 sons of Jacob, representing the 12 tribes of Israel,
meaning the entire people of God, six on each stone. So quite literally, the high priest is bearing
their names when he goes into the presence of God. He's bearing their names as his burden on his
shoulders as he goes into the presence of God. That's his function. And from the ephod hangs the
breast piece connected by two chains of pure gold. And the breast piece, which sits on top, I think I have
pictures, a picture to show you guys. So there's a turban on the top and then the golden medallion
attached to it. And then you see the blue robe. And on top of that, the ephod. And on top of that,
the breast piece with the precious jewels, the 12 jewels on it. It says there's three rows of jewels
on each, verse 17 to 19. It gives the list of jewels that I read earlier. And just as the two onyx
stones on the shoulder had six names of the tribes of Israel on each, each of those precious stones on
the breast piece has the name of the tribe of Israel, of a son of Jacob. Before we talk about
why the names are engraved on these stones, let's first talk about what the precious stones reveal
about how God sees his people. God does not command the Israelites, Moses, to engrave the names of the
tribes of Israel on ordinary rocks that they picked up off the street.
He commands them to engrave the names on precious stones, rare, costly jewels. The Israelites, of course,
we see throughout the Old Testament were not perfect. Each tribe had its failings throughout their history.
And yet, as the redeemed people of God, as God's chosen, special, set-apart people, they were precious to him.
The precious stones are, therefore, a visible representation of what God said to the Israelites
earlier in Exodus 19, verse 5. He said,
You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, among all the nations, among all the peoples
in the world. I chose you as my special, my treasured possession. That's what these jewels represent.
And that's the case not only for the Old Testament saints, but also for us, the New Testament church.
Revelation 21, 9 to 21,
there John describes a vision,
a prophetic vision that an angel shows him.
And he says this, that he saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
So this is referring to the church,
which is the bride of Christ,
that's described as the bride of Christ in many places.
Jesus describes the Lamb of God and the bride,
the bridegroom in many places.
And then he continues, he says,
He showed me the holy city,
Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God,
its radiance like a most rare jewel,
like a jasper,
clear as crystal.
It had a great high wall with 12 gates,
and at the gates, 12 angels.
And on the gates,
the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed.
And the wall of the city had 12 foundations,
and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.
So not only the names of the 12 tribes of Israel,
but also names of the 12 apostles,
meaning representing the New Testament church,
the people of God.
So John continues,
The wall was built of jasper,
while the city was pure gold,
like clear glass.
The foundations of the wall of the city
were adorned with every kind of jewel.
The first was jasper,
the second, sapphire,
the third, agate,
the fourth, emerald,
the fifth, onyx,
the sixth, carnelian,
the seventh, crystallite,
the eighth, beryl,
the ninth, topaz,
the tenth, chrysoprase,
the eleventh, jacent,
the twelfth, amethyst.
Do you see the parallels?
The list of jewels is almost identical
to the list of jewels
on the breastpiece of judgment.
If you account for translation issues,
the Old Testament was written in Hebrew,
the New Testament was written in Greek,
it may actually be the exact same list.
He may even be referring back
to the breastpiece of judgment
and the 12 jewels that are there.
So like the breastpiece,
the heavenly city of Jerusalem,
upon which the 12 names
of the apostles representing us,
the people of God,
are written,
they're engraved
on their bedecked
with jewels.
Dear saints,
God's people,
do you know that you are precious to God?
You're not a common possession,
neglected,
forgotten.
You are His treasured possession.
Do you know that in Ephesians 1.18,
God describes us,
His people,
as the riches of His glorious inheritance.
We are God's inheritance,
His riches.
When you tour the Tower of London,
which is a historic castle
and palace of the British monarch
in central London,
they'll show you many things
that are, you know,
dazzling and splendid,
connected to the British royalty,
but they save the very best for last.
They take you into this room
and at the end of the tour,
they take you to see
the crown jewels
of the United Kingdom,
which is a collection
of royal ceremonial objects
kept in the Tower of London,
including the coronation regalia,
the most impressive of which
is Saint Edward's crown,
made of gold
and bedecked with numerous
precious stones.
Dear brothers and sisters,
that's what you are to God.
The church of Christ
might not look very impressive
today.
Mocking the church
and denigrating it
seems to be fashionable nowadays
in our society and culture,
but whatever men might say about it,
God sees the church of Christ
as the crown jewel
of all his possessions.
the Lord says to you,
the redeemed people of God
in Isaiah 43,
fear not,
for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name.
You are mine
because you are precious
in my eyes
and honored
and I love you.
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange
for your life.
Whatever your life situations
might be
that might lead you
to question
how God sees you,
learn from his word,
listen to what he says
to you here in this passage
that you are precious to him,
that you're his treasured possession.
So the precious stones
on the high priest's garment
is associated
with the people of God,
but what is the purpose
of engraving the names
of the sons of Israel
on the breastpiece?
He says in verse 29,
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.
So the ephod and the breastpiece
share a same purpose.
They both enable the high priest
to bear the names
of the sons of Israel.
With the shoulder pieces,
the priest is quite literally
bearing their names
on his shoulders
and with the breastpiece
of judgment,
the high priest bears
their names on his heart.
The goal of both
is to bring the people of God
to remembrance
before the Lord.
Now that's not saying
that God is forgetful
and needs reminders
to remind,
hey, these are your people,
remember?
No, it's saying that
one of the high priest's
main function
is to represent
the people of God
before the Lord.
Like a lobbyist
who constantly comes
before the congressman
and is in their ears
all the time
about the interests
of the groups
that they represent,
the high priest represents
the interests
of the people of God
and intercedes
on their behalf.
He is their advocate,
their mediator,
and he quite literally
bears their names
on his shoulders
and on his heart
because the Israelites
themselves could not
enter the tent of meeting,
but the high priest,
he was their friend
in high place
and he would go meet
with God,
talk to God,
represent them
before God.
And this role
is ultimately
fulfilled by Jesus.
It's pointing to Jesus.
It's telling us
about Jesus.
As we read in our call
to worship this morning
from Hebrews 4,
Jesus is our great
high priest
who has passed
through the heavens
and he is not unable
to sympathize
with our weaknesses
so that we can approach
the throne of grace
with confidence
because we have Jesus
as our great high priest.
Jesus knows our infirmities
and weaknesses.
He knows every single one
of your failings
and weaknesses.
He knows intimately
all our thoughts,
all of our hearts
are laid bare before him.
He's seen all
that we have done.
Jesus empathizes
with us,
sympathizes with us
and Jesus went
where we could not
ourselves go.
Jesus passed
through the heavens
to the right hand of God
and he is right now
making intercession
for us.
We speak often
of Jesus' death
and resurrection
but maybe not as often
of Jesus' ascension
and session
which is referring
to how Jesus
is now seated
at the right hand
of the Father.
It is there
right now
that Jesus
is presently
interceding for us.
It says in Romans 8,
33 to 34,
who shall bring
any charge
against God's elect?
It is God
who justifies
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.
Jesus
accomplished
our atonement
by his death
and resurrection
and he applies
that finished
atoning work
to us
presently,
constantly,
daily
through his
intercession.
he is bringing
right now,
bringing our names,
your name
to remembrance
before God,
advocating for us,
reminding God
that we belong
to him.
I paid
for his sin.
She belongs
to me,
purchased
by my blood,
forgiven
of their sins.
that's why
we are heirs
of every
spiritual blessing
in the heavenly
place.
Just as the
high priest
bore the names
of Israelites
on his shoulders
and on his heart,
Jesus,
our great
high priest,
always is
bearing our names
on his shoulders
and on his heart.
That means
you can be assured
that you
will always
be known,
you will always
be remembered.
there's some,
sometimes,
right,
I mean,
we have to admit,
you know,
people share
a need
that's in their life
and you say,
I'll pray for you.
Sometimes you write it down
and you go home
and pray.
Sometimes you forget.
Jesus never
forgets.
Your name
is on his heart
and he's at the
right hand of the
Father interceding
for you.
This is way
better than having
your name
engraved on the,
on a star
on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.
Who will remember
those people?
Jesus remembers you
in the heavenly court.
As we were singing earlier,
before the throne
of God above,
I have
a strong
and perfect
plea.
A great
high priest
whose name
is love.
Whoever
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.
Depart.
the breast
piece
still
serves
another
purpose.
You may
have noticed
that this
passage
repeatedly
refers to
the breast
piece
as the
breast
piece
of
judgment.
But what
does that
mean?
Verse 30
tells us,
it says,
And in
the breast
piece
of judgment
you shall
put the
Urim
and the
Thummim
and they
shall be
on Aaron's
heart
when he
goes in
before the
Lord.
Thus Aaron
shall bear
the judgment
of the
people of
Israel
on his
heart
before the
Lord
regularly.
This
doesn't
mean that
Aaron is
constantly
bringing
down God's
judgment
upon the
Israelites.
We can
understand
these verses
better by
looking at
what the
function of
the Urim
and the
Thummim
are.
God never
commands
Moses to
make the
Urim
and the
Thummim
and he
simply assumes
their existence
and tells
Moses to
put it in
the breast
piece of
the high
priest.
So that
suggests that
Urim and
Thummim
likely already
existed
and were
in use.
So that's
why we're
never given
in any
place in
the Bible
sufficient
information
to know
exactly what
they looked
like or
what they
were or
how they
were used.
But we
aren't
completely
clueless.
So in
1 Samuel
14,
King Saul
and the
Israelites
consult the
Lord to
see if they
should attack
the Philistines.
However,
the Lord
doesn't answer
them.
And so
disturbed by
the silence
of the
Lord,
Saul consults
the Urim
and Thummim
in verses
41 to 42.
It says
this,
Therefore Saul
said,
O Lord God
of Israel,
why have you
not answered
your servant
this day?
If this
guilt is in
me or in
Jonathan my son,
O Lord God
of Israel,
give Urim.
But if this
guilt is in
your people Israel,
give Thummim.
And Jonathan
and Saul
were taken.
But the
people escaped.
Then Paul
said,
Cast the
lot between
me and
my son
Jonathan.
And Jonathan
was taken.
So this
was because
Jonathan had
violated the
oath that
Saul had
placed all
of the
Israelites
under.
So we
can see
from this
passage that
Urim and
Thummim
can function
kind of like
casting of
lot to
decide a
doubtful case.
However,
we also
know that
Urim and
Thummim were
not simply
a lot,
like sticks
of different
sizes or
stones.
The longer
one means
yes,
the shorter
one means
no,
or two
stones of
different
colors,
the black
one means
yes,
the white
one means
no,
or good
or bad
or chosen
or rejected.
It was not
something that
just gave a
simple binary
answer like
a lot.
The reason
why we know
that is because
it says in
1 Samuel 28
5,
that when
Saul inquired
of the
Lord,
the Lord
did not
answer him
either by
dreams or
by Urim
or by
prophets.
Because God
had rejected
Saul as king
because of
his sins,
because of
his unfaithfulness,
God's not
answering him
and he
doesn't answer
him even
by the
Urim.
If it's
just a lot,
there would
always be
an answer.
So clearly
it's something
that God
uses.
It's not
something that
always gives
an answer.
This is why
Saul is so
frustrated
he's not
hearing anything
from God
goes to
the medium
at Endor
to seek
a cultic
medium
out of
his
desperation.
I spent
probably too
many hours
trying to
think and
figure out
what the
Urim and
Thummim
are.
I couldn't
come to
a decision.
I was
wishing that
I had
the Urim
and Thummim
to consult.
But that
brought me
to the
realization
that I'm
actually quite
glad
that nobody
knows,
has a
clue
about
what the
Urim
and Thummim
actually
looked like.
Can you
imagine
how obsessed
people would
be if they
could reproduce
the Urim
and the
Thummim?
I don't
even want to
think about it.
How much
access there
would be?
How dependent
people would be
on them?
People would
abuse them
like a crystal
ball.
Saul.
In the
same way
that Saul
who had
turned away
from God
turned to
the medium
at Endor.
In this
new covenant
age,
God has
given us
his word
and he
has indwelled
his church
with his
spirit
to guide
us.
And seeking
the will
of God
through means
other than
that which
God himself
has appointed
is an act
of rebellion.
It's no
different from
what Saul
did by going
to that medium.
It's like
saying,
I want
to know
what I
should do
without
hearing
from your
word,
without
talking
to you
in prayer,
without
having a
relationship
with you,
without
keeping in
step with
your spirit.
I don't
have the
time to
bother
with that
stuff.
Just
give me
the
Urim
and the
Thummim
so I
can know
what to
do.
So I'm
glad that
no one
actually has
any idea
what the
Urim
and Thummim
look like.
So the
Urim
and Thummim
were used
in the
Old
Testament
times
to render
God's
judgment
and this
helps us
with making
sense of
verse 30.
The breast
piece contains
the means
of rendering
God's
judgment.
That's why
it's called
the breast
piece of
judgment.
And the
high priest
bore the
means of
God's
judgment
of the
people of
Israel
on his
heart,
representing
God's
rule over
them,
his authority
over them.
So in
this way,
the breast
piece of
judgment
also points
to Jesus.
John 5,
22,
24,
says that
God the
Father
has given
all judgment
to the
Son,
that all
may honor
the Son
just as
they honor
the Father.
whoever hears
my word
and believes
in him
who sent
me has
eternal
life,
Jesus says.
He does
not come
into judgment
but has
passed from
death to
life.
Jesus
now is
the one
by whom
the Father
judges the
world.
Jesus
is the
one who
divides
humanity
with God
or without
him.
He is
the fulfillment
of the
Urim and
Nethumim.
John 3,
18-19
says,
whoever believes
in Jesus
is not
condemned,
but whoever
does not
believe is
condemned
already because
he has not
believed the
name of the
only Son
of God.
And this
is the
judgment.
The light
has come
into the
world and
people love
the darkness
rather than
the light
because their
works were
evil.
will face
many judgments
in this
life.
You could
face the
judgment of
the courts.
You could
face judgment
at your
school.
But the
most important,
most pressing
judgment that
you face is
the judgment
before God
and God
appointed Jesus
to be that
judgment.
Jesus is the
line that
divides the
light from
the darkness.
So what do
you say about
Jesus?
that has
every implication.
That has
eternal
consequences.
How you
answer that
question.
Who do you
say that
Jesus is?
So the
high priest
bears our
names and
he bears our
judgment.
And there's a
third thing
that this
passage tells
us that he
does and
that's to
bear our
guilt.
Throughout
verses 31
to 43 we
see this
there's a
mortal threat
that is in
the backdrop
of many of
these instructions
regarding the
priestly garments.
For example
in the
instructions for
the blue
robe which
accompanied the
ephod and
was worn
underneath it
he says in
verses 33
35 on
its hem you
shall make
pomegranates of
blue and purple
and scarlet
yarns and
around its
hem with
bells of
gold between
them a
golden bell
and a
pomegranate a
golden bell
and pomegranate
around the
hem of the
robe and
he shall be
on Aaron
when he
ministers and
his sound
shall be
heard when
he goes
into the
holy place
before the
Lord and
when he
comes out
so that
he does
not die.
It's
fascinating.
The bottom
of the robe
alternating
decoration of
pomegranates
which is a
symbol of
the fertility
of God's
promised land
as given
in Numbers
13 23
and the
golden bell.
What's the
bell for?
It's kind of
similar to how
some of you
guys' dogs
have bells
so you know
when the
dog's coming
going?
It's not
because God
needs a
heads up.
I mean he
knows everything.
He sees
everything.
Rather it's
the high
priest's way
of asking
God's
permission
to enter
and asking
leave of
him.
Much like
the way you
knock on
someone's
door as
a courtesy
before entering.
It's a
manner of
courtesy and
respect toward
God.
God
because you
cannot just
barge in
there even
if you're the
high priest
like it's
your own
living room
or bedroom.
No one
not even
the high
priest may
enter into
God's
presence
unannounced
and if he
did not show
proper deference
to God
then he
would be
struck dead.
I guess
the people
would know
that he's
dead because
the bells
wouldn't be
ringing
anymore.
The same
thread is
mentioned
again in
verses 40
to 43
where God
gives instructions
for the
simpler
priestly garments
of Aaron's
sons.
The high
priest had
the more
ornate
garment
that I
showed you
earlier.
The sons
had simpler
garments,
the linen
undergarments.
They were
all to wear
these undergarments
made of fine
linen that
reached from
hips to
the thigh
to cover
their naked
flesh so
that 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.
Again,
a mortal
threat.
Not wearing
the proper
undergarments
could lead to
indecent exposure
within the
tent of
meeting which
would be an
act of
gross
disrespect
toward the
king,
toward the
divine king.
So once
again,
there's a
thread of
death.
All these
threats of
death are
reminders to
us that
God is
holy,
he is not
someone to
be treated
lightly,
and he
takes
offenses against
his glory
and holiness
very seriously.
There's still
yet another
reminder of
this fact
in a detail
that is
conspicuously
omitted
from this
passage.
The priest's
footwear.
There are no
instructions for
manufacturing priestly
shoes.
And this is not
an oversight.
God told Moses in
Exodus 3, 5,
Do not come
near.
Take your
sandals off
your feet,
for the place
on which you
are standing
is holy
ground.
When you
draw near to
God, when
you want to
stand on
holy ground,
you must
remove the
sandals off
your feet as
a gesture of
respect and
worship.
Not only that,
after removing
their sandals,
Aaron and his
sons were
required to
wash their
hands and
their feet
with water
at the
bronze basin
in the
courtyard,
before they
go into
the tent
of meeting,
so that,
it says in
Exodus 30,
that they
may not
die.
Another
mortal threat.
All of
these details
show just
what special
care that
the priest
and the
high priest
had to
take when
ministering in
the tabernacle.
And that
begs the
question,
if even
the high
priest,
with his
holy garment,
he could not
enter the
presence of
God without
his holy
garment,
made for
glory,
and beauty,
if even
the high
priest could
not meet
with God
without golden
bells to
announce his
coming,
or without
the linen
undergarments
that covered
all of his
nakedness,
or without
removing his
shoes and
washing his
hands and
feet,
lest he die,
then how
could ordinary
Israelites
ever hope
to meet
with God
with all
their sin,
with all
their
commonness.
That's
precisely
why God
appointed
the high
priest,
that he
might serve
as the
mediator of
his precious
people,
bearing our
names,
our judgment,
and our
guilt.
Look with
me at
verses 36
to 38
of chapter
28.
Aaron is
to fasten
the gold
medallion,
the plate,
to his
turban,
so that it
sits on
his forehead.
The Hebrew
word that
is translated
plate literally
means flower
or rosette,
so it's
possibly
tasseled at
the golden
plate had
the shape
of a
rose or
flower.
And this
plate had
an engraving
on it which
said,
holy to
the Lord.
It's only
when Aaron
is properly
dressed,
wearing his
golden plate
on his
forehead as
he ministers
in the
temple,
that they,
it says,
the people of
Israel and
their holy
gifts may
be accepted
before the
Lord.
The plural,
the reference
to them,
Israelites,
and their
gifts suggests
that the
inscription holy
to the
Lord doesn't
merely refer
to Aaron,
the high
priest,
but actually
to the
people of
God.
God had
promised,
next verse 19,
6,
to make Israel
a kingdom of
priests and a
holy nation.
So they are
holy to the
Lord,
and this
serves as a
reminder to
God of the
covenant promises
that he had
made to the
Israelites.
So when Aaron
offers the
gifts and
offerings that
the Israelites
are bringing
to God
within the
tabernacle,
he bears any
guilt that
comes from
that,
himself.
And because
of Aaron,
God forbears
with them and
accepts the
Israelites in
spite of the
fact that their
offerings are
inadequate and
imperfect.
it's notable
that even
the holy
things that
the Israelites
consecrate as
their holy
gifts to
God incur
guilt.
Isn't that
amazing?
This is the
sacrifice that
they're making
because of
their sin,
and that
very sacrifice
incurs guilt
because of
how sinful
they are,
even in the
manner that
they bring
it.
Isn't that
so true of
us?
As we
read in our
confession of
sin today,
though Christ
has imputed
his righteousness
on us and
has clothed
us with a
bridegroom's
robe and
decked us
with jewels
of holiness,
he said our
best prayers
are stained
with sin.
We need to
repent of
our repentance.
We need our
tears to be
washed.
We have no
robes to
bring to
cover our
sins,
no loom to
weave our
own righteousness.
We're always
standing clothed
in filthy
garments,
and by grace
are always
you are
receiving
change of
raiment,
for you
do always
justify the
ungodly.
Even our
obedience is
tinged with
pride and
pretensions.
Even our
prayers are
stained with
selfishness and
self-righteousness.
Even our
service is
tainted with
self-promotion.
Isaiah 64,
6 says,
all our
righteous deeds
are like
a polluted
garment.
This is why
there is
no way
in heaven
and on
earth
that any
of us
can save
ourselves.
What are
you going to
do to save
yourself when
that very
act of
trying to
save yourself
itself is
unworthy of
God?
When your
righteousness
itself is
filthy rags,
how are
you going
to save
yourself?
This is
why again
and again
the Bible
says we
need a
righteousness
that is
from God.
We need a
righteousness
that is of
Christ,
that is not
our own but
of another.
That's why the
New Testament
repeatedly speaks
of how we
need to put
on the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3
27, as
many of
you as
were baptized
into Christ
have put
on Christ.
When we
put our
faith in
Jesus, our
great high
priest, we
remove our
filthy garments
and we put
on Christ,
become part
of him,
in him,
wear his
priestly robe
of righteousness
so that we
ourselves become
kingdom of
priests.
It's only
through Jesus'
ultimate
sacrifice,
that we
can offer
any sacrifice
to him,
offer our
life as a
living sacrifice
to him,
that is
acceptable.
Only because
of Jesus'
intercession at
the right hand
of the Father
that our
prayers are
acceptable,
that it's a
pleasing aroma
to God.
So friends,
I think there
are some of
you here who
feel the
grime and
the stink
of your
polluted
garment,
your guilt,
your shame.
You don't
know what to
do with it.
You can
take off
your garment
and put on
the garment
of righteousness
that Jesus
alone offers
you.
Jesus stands in
the gap between
us and God
as the
mediator.
He has
gone into
the heavenly
tabernacle
where we
could not
go ourselves
as our
friend in
high places,
as our
great high
priest,
bearing our
names on
his heart,
bearing our
judgment,
and bearing
our guilt
so that we
too can
meet with
God and
live with
him forever.
forever.
Let's
pray.
Oh Lord
Jesus,
we love
you.
thank you
for going
to places
we could
not go.
Thank you
for going
to the
cross
as the
unblemished
lamb of
God where
we could
never go
because of
our
blemishes.
Thanks for
being raised
from the
dead and
ascending to
the right
hand of
the Father
where we
could never
go because
of our
rebellion
and sin.
Thank you
for your
atonement,
for bearing
our guilt.
Thank you
for your
constant
intercession
for us.
You are
truly glorious
and beautiful.
we adore
you.
We
worship
you.
We bow
before you.
And it's
in your
precious name
Jesus we
pray.
Amen.