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FULLY DRESSED

The high priest in Israel has some very ornate things to wear. If we had a chance to see the high priest in Israel, I think that even if we did not know who he was, we would still have recognised him as a very important man of God. We probably cannot afford to wear such clothes today, and wearing them to school or work would be impractical, but the clothes of a high priest actually represented the thinking and actions of a servant of God.

The Ephod was made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, teaching us of the way we can grow to become God’s people. On the shoulders of the ephod were two onyx stones with the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them. We need to use our shoulders – our strength – to help our brothers and sisters.

The breastplate was like a pocket that sat over the priest’s chest. Inside were two stones, the Urim and the Thummim which were used for making decisions. These were over his heart. When we make decisions they must be godly decisions that sit well with our heart. On the breastplate were also rows of twelve gems engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. Our brothers and sisters must be people of value in our hearts.

The priest was to wear a robe of blue cloth showing his nearness to God.

He also had to wear a turban that had a gold plate across the front of it engraved with the words “Holy to the LORD.” (Exo 28:36) This gold plate sat over the forehead of the high priest. Our thinking need to be holy to the LORD too.

And underneath, the priest was to wear linen undergarments. So we must be clothed with the righteousness that comes from God. Without these undergarments the priest would “incur guilt and die.” (v.43)
Let us be seen as priests of God, not by what we wear, but by how we act as his servants.