The Pentateuch Exodus

Making the Priestly Garments

Discover Jesus as: Deliverer Exodus 39 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 50 of 730
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INTRO

Exodus is constantly pointing to how we can experience the presence of God. Moses and the Israelites had been instructed to build a tabernacle. In Exodus 37 and 38, the people built all of the individual parts of the tabernacle. Exodus 39 gives the instructions for making the garments for the priests.

TEACHING

Exodus 39:1: Ryken wrote, “Vern Poythress describes [the priests] as ‘vertical replicas of the tabernacle.’”1The yarn on the outside of the tabernacle looked like the yarn of the priests’ garments. Even though Aaron made a lot of mistakes and was the guy who made the golden idol, he was now going to lead the charge into God’s presence. God can use anyone! He’s a redeeming God! Every one of us has made mistakes. Aaron was washed with water to be cleansed to do the work of the Lord (Exodus 40:12). Aaron was a mini tabernacle because of his garments.2If you think about it, aren’t we all?

Exodus 39:2–5:Bezalel was going to make the different aspects of the priestly garments. The first thing he made was the ephod, and then he made the shoulder pads.Basically, the priest served as an ambassador. God was literally appealing through Aaron and his sons (2 Corinthians 5:20), and now, through us! We plead on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God. Then the waistband was made, “Just as the Lord commanded.” They were not cutting corners. They honored what the Lord had asked them to do. Do what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do, even if it’s weird or doesn’t make sense.

Exodus 39:6–21:The onyx stones were engraved with the 12 sons (12 tribes).The Lord said, “I want you to remember who the Israelites are and take them before Me.” Next the breast piecewas made with 12 stones, which sat over the priest’s heart.The priest was to take the people of God before the throne of God.

Exodus 39:22–29: Next the robewas made entirely of blue. Then they made the tunic,the turban, andthe sash.

Exodus 39:30-31: The medallion was made to go on the turban. Everything was, “Holy to the Lord”. Everything was for a purpose.David Levy pointed out there are three major reasons we need these garments: (1) the holiness—set apart; (2) the glory—it exalts the priestly office; and (3) the beauty—reflects the Tabernacle.3All of it reflects God.

These priests were not perfect. Look at Exodus 32 when Aaron fashioned the golden calf (Psalms 132:9). Aaron and the Levitical priests did everything they could to be clothed in righteousness and, despite all their attempts to come before the presence of the Lord in holiness, they still fell short. In Leviticus, the priests still sinned. They had to make offerings, on their own behalf, on a regular basis. We need a high priest who is different. Aaron was the high priest, but Jesus is the great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14; 10:21).

I want to walk you through why Jesus is superior to Aaron the high priest (Philip Ryken)4:

  • Jesus serves in a superior place. (Hebrews 8:1–2). Jesus is at the right hand of God, not inside the tabernacle veil. He’s serving in the true tabernacle, in the Heavens.
  • Jesus serves with superior righteousness(Hebrews 7:26–28). He is Holy, innocent, and undefiled. He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices daily; He did it once for all, perfected forever.
  • Jesus serves with superior sympathy(Hebrews 4:15–16). Because He can connect with us, we can connect with Him. Approach Him with boldness.
  • Jesus serves with superior longevity(Hebrews 7:23–25). He remains forever and holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore, He is always able to save.
  • Jesus is the superior sacrifice(Hebrews 9:12, 25–26). He offers eternal redemption, once for all!

In spite of their holy garments and how they pointed to Jesus, the Levitical priesthood always fell short. But it still points us to Christ (1 Peter 2:4–5, 9; Revelation 1:5b–6). All of this points to us experiencing the presence of God. They needed a priest to represent them before God in the holy tabernacle.

Exodus 39:32–33:All the work was finished!The clothes were made and done, “Just as the Lord had commanded.”Notice the work wasn’t accomplished only by Bezalel, Oholiab, or Moses. It was a team effort that made it possible for others to experience the presence of God. The whole nation was represented here. They brought the tabernacle to Moses.

Exodus 39:34–41: The Israelites began to list all the items God had instructed them to build. John MacArthur wrote, “It was fully His architecture and His design at every level of the undertaking.”5They were bringing these things together that point to the coming Messiah.

Exodus 39:42–43:The Israelites had done all the work. They didn’t take any shortcuts. Moses inspected it all.Moses blessed the people; and this is the first time we see this in Scripture.

CLOSING

Spend some time digging into and comparing the work of Moses to the work of Jesus in Hebrews 3:1–6. Moses as the deliverer points ultimately to Jesus as the Deliverer.

  1. Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus (ESV Edition): Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), p. 1078.

  2. Ryken, p. 1076.

  3. David M. Levy, The Tabernacle: Shadows of the Messiah (Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1993), p. 160, quoted at Ryken, p. 1076.

  4. Ryken, p. 1080-1081.

  5. John F. McArthur, Exodus and Numbers: The Exodus from Egypt (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2008), p. 77.

Questions

  1. The description of Aaron’s priestly garments in Exodus 39 sounds a lot like the description of the tabernacle with regard to materials and colors used. Do you think God had this in mind when He gave Moses the instructions? Why or why not?
  2. In Exodus 39, it’s written nine times (vv. 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 32, 42, 43) that everything was made just as the Lord commanded Moses. Have you considered why this was such an important point to make? (Hebrews 8:5)
  3. The priestly garments were also called holy garments (Exodus 28:2; 39:4). In Psalm 132:9, the priests were to be clothed in righteousness. Whose righteousness did the garments reflect (Psalm 132:9; Isaiah 61:10; Romans 13:14)? Since we are called priests (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6; 5:10) in the New Testament, what are our holy garments? (Isaiah 61:10a; Romans 13:14; Colossians 3:12–14)
  4. There was a reason for the specific details and directions God gave Moses for the tabernacle and all its furnishings. Can you think of a Biblical example of someone who did not do exactly as God asked? Has God ever called you to do specific things? If so, did you struggle with doing exactly as He asked?
  5. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Exodus 39 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Exodus 39:42-43

"The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.”

As you read the detailed instructions for making the ephod, breastplate, and priestly garments, nine different times you see the phrase, “As the Lord commanded Moses.” When you read a phrase repeated this many times in one chapter, take notice. The skillful Israelites obeyed everything the Lord commanded. Not one detail was left undone.

In the New Testament, Jesus said that the greatest command is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as yourself. Are you obedient to this commandment? Obedience to the Lord is love. As you receive grace from Jesus, you are able to walk out His commands in faith.

“The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had command-ed Moses. Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.”

Exodus 39:42–43

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Matthew 22:35–39 — “And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
  • Romans 1:5 — “We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations, on behalf of His name.”
  • 2 John 1:6 — “And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.”