Reflections on Exodus 28

 

Exodus 28 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Send for your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They are the ones I have chosen from Israel to serve as my priests.
2. Make Aaron some beautiful clothes that are worthy of a high priest.
3. Aaron is to be dedicated as my high priest, and his clothes must be made only by persons who possess skills that I have given them.
4. Here are the items that need to be made: a breastpiece, a priestly vest, a robe, an embroidered shirt, a turban, and a sash. These sacred clothes are to be made for your brother Aaron and his sons who will be my priests.
5. Only gold and fine linen, woven with blue, purple, and red wool, are to be used for making these clothes.
6. The entire priestly vest must be made of fine linen skillfully woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and decorated with gold. It is to have two shoulder straps to support it and a sash that fastens around the waist.
7. (SEE 28:6)
8. (SEE 28:6)Put two onyx stones in gold settings, then attach one to each of the shoulder straps. On one of these stones engrave the names of Israel's first six sons in the order of their birth. And do the same with his remaining six sons on the other stone. In this way Aaron will always carry the names of the tribes of Israel when he enters the holy place, and I will never forget my people.
9. (SEE 28:9)
10. (SEE 28:9)
11. (SEE 28:9)
12. Attach two gold settings to the shoulder straps and fasten them with two braided chains of pure gold.
13. (SEE 28:13)
14. From the same costly material make a breastpiece for the high priest to use in learning what I want my people to do.
15. It is to be nine inches square and folded double
16. with four rows of three precious stones: In the first row put a carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald,
17. in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond,
18. in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst,
19. and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount the stones in delicate gold settings
20. and engrave on each of them the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
21. Attach two gold rings to the upper front corners of the breastpiece and fasten them with two braided gold chains to gold settings on the shoulder straps.
22. (SEE 28:22)
23. (SEE 28:22)
24. (SEE 28:22)
25. Attach two other gold rings to the lower inside corners next to the vest
26. and two more near the bottom of the shoulder straps right above the sash.
27. Then take a blue cord and tie the two lower rings on the breastpiece to those on the vest. This will keep the breastpiece in place.
28. In this way Aaron will have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his heart each time he enters the holy place, and I will never forget my people.
29. He must also wear on his breastpiece the two small objects that he uses to receive answers from me.
30. Under his vest Aaron must wear a robe of blue wool
31. with an opening in the center for his head. Be sure to bind the material around the collar to keep it from raveling.
32. Along the hem of the robe weave pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool with a gold bell between each of them.
33. (SEE 28:33)
34. If Aaron wears these clothes when he enters the holy place as my high priest, the sound of the bells will be heard, and his life will not be in danger.
35. On a narrow strip of pure gold engrave the words: "Dedicated to the LORD."
36. Fasten it to the front of Aaron's turban with a blue cord,
37. so he can wear it on his forehead. This will show that he will take on himself the guilt for any sins the people of Israel commit in offering their gifts to me, and I will forgive them.
38. Make Aaron's robe and turban of fine linen and decorate his sash with fancy needlework.
39. Since Aaron's sons are priests, they should also look dignified. So make robes, sashes, and special caps for them.
40. Then dress Aaron and his sons in these clothes, pour olive oil on their heads, and ordain them as my priests.
41. Make linen shorts for them that reach from the waist down to the thigh, so they won't expose themselves.
42. Whenever they enter the sacred tent or serve at the altar or enter the holy place, they must wear these shorts, or else they will be guilty and die. This same rule applies to any of their descendants who serve as priests.
    

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    Instructions for the tabernacle and its furniture had been given Moses. Now God instructed him concerning the priests who would serve in the tabernacle before the Lord. Aaron and his four sons were designated for this role. Verses 2 and following, for the remainder of the chapter, concern the garments to be worn by the priests. The garments were for "glory and beauty," and were for "consecrating him (Aaron) to serve Me as priest." (28:2, 3) The craftsmen who were to make the garments were gifted by God with the skill for this task and "filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron's garments." (28:3) It is not clear what this "spirit of wisdom" was with which God filled the craftsmen, but it may have been the ability to know the details of the garments not described in the instructions given to Moses.
    
    Five pieces made up the garments of the priests: "a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a specially woven tunic, a turban, and a sash." (28:4) Names of the twelve sons of Israel were engraved in two places on the garments so their names were brought before the Lord when the priests entered the tabernacle. First, they were engraved on two onyx stones, six names on one and six on the other. The stones were worn with one on each shoulder. A second place in which the sons of Israel were named on the garments was on the breastpiece. The breastpiece was for decisions, and on it were to be four rows of gemstones, three stones in each row. On each stone was to be engraved the name of a son of Israel. The priest wore it over his breast when he sought counsel of the Lord in judging cases regarding the people. It was the Urim and Thummim, placed on the breastpiece, that represented decisions from the Lord, as decribed in 28:30: "Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD."
    
    The robe, made of blue yarn, had gold bells hanging around its lower hem. In this way, the people could hear the priests from outside the tabernacle as they went in and out of the "sanctuary before the Lord." (28:35) Also, a gold plate was worn on the front of a turban worn by the priests to "bear the guilt connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as all their holy gifts."  It was to "always to be on his forehead, so that they may find acceptance with the LORD." (28:38)
    
    Once the garments were ready, Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated in readiness for their service.