Introduction: Read Exodus28

Introduction

Exodus 28 is one of those chapters in the Bible that has very limited appeal to me! I am very much opposed to clergymen wearing vestments and I hate dressing up. Shopping for clothes would rank as one of my least favourite activities. I hope that we can learn a few lessons by examining the purpose of the High Priestly garments. The vestments of the High Priest:

(1) Made the wearer special.

God told Moses, "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honour." v2. They could be said to do this because they were:

(a) Unique. Only the High Priest wore the specified garments.

(b) Made of costly materials. The ephod or waistcoat was made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and decorated with jewels.

(c) The work of skilled craftsmen. The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved on the jewels of the breastpiece.

Comments:

(a) Special attire is particularly appropriate for ceremonial purposes. It lends dignity to the master of ceremonies. A judge is a master of ceremonies. He does not give the verdict or make the law or even argue the case. A circus ringmaster has a ceremonial role. He introduces the acts. However, the circus could go on without him. The speaker in the House of Commons presides over debates but plays little part in enacting legislation.

The High Priest's role was ceremonial. The key players whenever a sacrifice was offered were: the person who brought it, the animal that died and God who in grace accepted the sacrifice and made it effective for the forgiveness of sins. This being the case the person who presided over the sacrifice needed special robes to give him honour and dignity befitting the ceremony.

(b) Dignity and honour are easily lost notwithstanding the splendour of the high priestly garments. Eli lost the respect of the people because he was a glutton and corrupted by the best joints of meat his venal sons gave him. Eli lost all control over his sons who took meat from the sacrificial animals that they were not entitled to and also seduced female servants of the Tabernacle. Hundreds of years later the high priests Annas and Caiaphas hardly adorned their office. They were self-serving politicians rather than humble spiritual leaders.

Humility, self-discipline, impartiality, hard work and integrity confer dignity and honour better than gorgeous robes.

(c) Those exercising real power do not need special dress for dignity and honour. Winston Churchill, Britain's great war leader, did not need gorgeous apparel in order to exercise authority or to dignify his office - nor for that matter did that wonderful sportsman, Muhammed Ali.

Great religious leaders like Moses, John the Baptist, Paul or Billy Graham did not need splendid robes to enhance their ministries. John the Baptist had the most austere dress and Paul went around, by his own admission, in rags.

The supreme example for all Christian leaders is not Aaron and his sons but Jesus. Jesus wore nothing to distinguish him from his disciples. Judas needed to identify him with a kiss. The only scarlet robe Jesus wore was the one put on him for mockery. Jesus, John the Baptist, Moses and the rest did not wear vestments because their role was NOT ceremonial.

(d) So what about church leaders today? Is it appropriate for Anglican clergymen to wear distinctive robes? I am afraid it is part and parcel of the clergy thinking of themselves as priests. It is significant that only ordained clergy can administer the Communion in the Church of England. So are these Anglican priests offering a sacrifice at the Communion. Have they a ceremonial role like the Old Testament priests? If not, then why do they call themselves priests?

I don't believe any further sacrifices for sin are required. This is something the writer to the Hebrews makes perfectly clear. He writes: But when this priest(Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made hs footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. Heb10v12and13. And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. v18. The ultimate sacrifice for sin has been made and accepted by God. No priest is needed when Christians celebrate and remember Christ's death by eating bread and drinking wine at the Communion service. And, if there are no priests, there need be no vestments.

In my view church leaders are elders. They preach, teach and pastor the flock. Their function is NOT ceremonial anymore than Moses or Paul's was. If they possess the qualities described in 1Tim3v1to7 they will have dignity and honour.

So I strongly disapprove of vestments because of their association with a priestly ministry that has no place in Christ's church. The sacrifice for sin has been made once and for all. Our great high priest is in heaven. We need none other.

(2) Conveyed a message.

The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were engraved on the onyx shoulder stones and the twelve jewels of the breastpiece. So just as the High Priest carried the names of the twelve tribes on his person so he bore the responsibility to meet the spiritual needs of all his people. The High Priest was the representative of every Israelite. He could not favour one tribe or one clan or one family above another.

We are reminded of God's universal concern for every man. Jesus said, "For my Father's will is that EVERYONE who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Jn6v40. Paul wrote to the Galatians: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal3v28. God does not show partiality. All believers are equally precious to him.

The leaders of a local church should serve every member of their flock. James warns: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism. James2v1. There is a real danger of leaders giving more time and attention to those who like them, agree with them and share their interests. Some pastors devote a disproportionate amount of time to the young and neglect the old. Some are even known to fuss around the ladies and ignore the men.

I think Members of Parliament have something to teach some pastors. Once an MP has been elected he or she is honour bound to represent all the people in his or her constituency regardless of their political allegiance. Ian Paisley, a hard line, Northern Ireland Protestant, was committed to help Roman Catholics in his constituency with their problems.

Trouble occurs in churches where the pastor favours his friends, a clique of admirers or special interest groups. If people feel neglected or, even worse, outsiders - unrest will ensue.

(3) Supplied an aid to decision making.

The breastpiece which rested on the front of the ephod or waistcoat, was a bejewelled pouch. It contained two stones - the Urim and Thummim. It seems likely one was a 'yes' stone and the other a 'no' stone. Perhaps the 'yes' stone sparkled and the 'no' stone didn't. So if a decision requiring a yes - no answer was needed a stone could be drawn from the pouch.

In Britain today we still use a method little different from the Urim and Thummim - we sometimes toss a coin to arrive at a decision. Occasionally contestants on Bargain Hunt can't decide which of two antiques to buy. So they agree to abide by the toss of a coin - if heads comes up they will buy one antique and if tails comes up they will buy the other. Cricket captains decide who will have the privilege of choosing whether to bat or field first by the toss of a coin. There is no better way to do it and in the long term it is fair because luck evens itself out.

The Israelites believed that by using the Urim and Thummim to make a decision they were allowing God to make the choice. He would decide which stone was drawn from the pouch.

A good example of how the Urim and Thummim were used is found in Nehemiah 7v64and65. Some people were able to prove from family records that they were descendants of Aaron and consequently entitled to be recognised as priests. Others claimed priestly ancestry but had no records to prove it. This group had to wait until the High Priest could use the Urim and Thummim to substantiate or repudiate their claim.

Even the early church cast lots to decide whether Joseph or Matthias should replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles. True - they prayed that the Lord would show them which one he had chosen. Some think the disciples made a mistake and should have waited until Jesus showed them that Paul was the apostle of his choice.

Is casting lots a good way to make a decision? If a church was considering a man for the ministry and he got 50% of the votes and the chairman was undecided how to use his casting vote would the church members be justified in tossing a coin to decide the matter? Would God actually determine the outcome of the toss?

Most churches would accept that the church was divided over appointing a minister who only got 50% of the vote. They would agree to wait until there was more unanimity over a candidate.

I have never decided anything important by drawing lots. Tossing for it is only justified where a decision has to be made by a deadline and there is no better way to make it.

(4) Provided reassurance.

Golden bells were attached to the hem of the blue robe worn by the High Priest. 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.

When the High Priest went about God's business in the Tabernacle the people could hear him performing his sacred tasks. The tinkling bells reassured the people in the courtyard that the high priestly ministry was progressing and was accepted by God.

The tinkling bells also reassured the High Priest. He knew the people were listening to the golden chimes, thinking of him and awaiting his return. The bells united the High Priest and the people in a shared experience.

I have been reassured whenever my fellow Christians promise to pray for me when, for example, I set out on a long journey or conduct a funeral or a wedding. We need our brothers and sisters to be prayer partners in God's service. It is sensible to make our fellow church members aware of our need - to ask for their prayers - to tinkle our bell. It is immensely reassuring to know that there will be prayer support for the service God calls us to. This is something I and my fellow workers were very much aware of when we worked at Pioneer Camp - a Christian holiday camp for boys and girls. All the churches that sent young people to the camp prayed for us. That prayer support was undoubtedly responsible for the many conversions that took place.

(5) Included a warning against impiety.

God told Moses: 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. The gold plate was a kind of crest and a perpetual reminder that the God whom the High Priest served was holy. This was something the High Priest should never forget. It should inform his service which he should perform seriously, competently, humbly and carefully. Above all, the High Priest needed to keep constantly in mind that he was serving God and not his own interests. In the time of Jesus, Annas and Caiaphas the high priests were only concerned with promoting their own interests.

The High Priest was responsible for the spirit in which the Israelites brought sacrifices to God. The offerings needed to be made willingly and thankfully not grudgingly, complacently, routinely or in a legalistic spirit. The High Priest should remind supplicants that they were not doing God a favour or earning merit by making sacrifices. Priests and people had to be aware that they were reliant on God's grace for forgiveness and acceptance.

Eventually it was the prophets, the Old Testament preachers, who had to remind the Jews that God required more than sacrifices. For example, Micah wrote: With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ....... He has showed you, O man what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Mic6v6to8. David, the sweet psalmist, wrote: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise. Ps51v17.

It is important to remember God is holy when we worship, pray and serve. Warren Wiersbe writes this in his commentary on Exodus: I've attended some Christian "worship" services and evangelistic meetings where the main emphasis was on "having a good time" and not glorifying God. The music was entertaining but not edifying, and the preaching shallow and flippant. The speakers were more concerned with getting the crowd to laugh than with helping them to see Jesus and repent of their sins. God didn't kill anyone at these meetings, but we didn't sense the life and power of the Spirit in what went on. Because the participants weren't focused on honouring God, the meeting killed itself.

I can understand Wiersbe's disgust! However, neither is God honoured by lifeless singing, inattentive hearing, boring preaching or passionless prayers. I myself am guilty of singing hymns without concentrating on the words and falling asleep at my private prayers which are repetitive and uninspiring. I daresay we all have room for improvement.

(6) Encouraged personal cleanliness.

The High Priest was told to wear linen underpants beneath his white, woven tunic. This was hardly on the grounds of modesty as some commentators suggest. The High Priest wore two long robes - one white and the other blue. I doubt they would ever be swirling around his head!

I can only think that the underpants were to prevent the priestly robes getting soiled. It was relatively easy to wash or replace stained underpants.

The Law did encourage good hygiene and ritual cleanliness. Laws existed about contacting dead bodies, purification after child birth, infectious skin diseases, mildew, bodily discharges and so on. There is no doubt that this concern for hygiene and cleanliness helped to maintain good public health as it still does. British hospitals have a clean hands policy. Every time I visit a ward I use the dispenser to clean my hands.

Notwithstanding the benefits of good personal hygiene it is far more important to have a clean heart. The psalmist wrote: Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Ps24v3and4. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Ps51v10.

Thank God for: 1John1v7: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from ALL sin.