Exodus 28

Exodus 28:1-5

In this chapter, (1.) God pitcheth upon the persons who should be his servants, ver. 1. (2.) He appoints their garments, ver. 2—5. 1. Of the high-priest, (1.) An ephod and girdle, ver. 6—14. (2.) A breath-plate of judgment, ver. 13—29, in which must be put the Urim and Thummim, ver. 30. (3.) The case of the ephod, ver. 31—35. (4.) The mitre, ver. 36—39. 2. Of the inferior priests, ver. 40—43. And these also were the same of good things to come.

AND take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, rove Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Elzezar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. 3. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 4. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breath-plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 5. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

The altar being prepared, they who must minister at it are appointed, with their robes.

1. Aaron and his sons. His descendants are preferred to Moses’s own children. God chutes his own servants. Nee, It is bad intruding into the ministry without a divine call. No man may take this office, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron.

2. Their garments must be glorious and beautiful, not only in the preciousness of the materials, but also in the exquisiteness of the work. These magnificent garments, 1. Signify the transcendent excellence and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. The beauty of holiness, which God puts on every believer, when he is consecrated a priest unto him. 3. The eminence of gifts and graces, which every gospel minister should possess.

Or embeutend.

6. ¶ And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. 7. It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8. And the curious girdle of the ephod which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; rove of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9. And thou shalt take two onyx-stones, and graze on them the names of the children of Israel: 10. Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving of a signet, shall thou engrave the two stones, with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod, for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD, upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13. ¶ And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14. And two chains of pure gold at the ends: of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

Witk. vii. 24.

Exodus 28:6-14

The high-priest’s cloathing is peculiar. The other priests wore an ephod (or short coat without sleeves) of linen; his was embroidered with gold, and his girdle of the same. On the shoulders it was fastened with jewels set in gold, with the names of the twelve tribes engraven on them. Thus Christ appears, Rev. 1. 13. ever living to make unmention for his people. He presents their names, not merely engraven on stones of onyx, but more deeply on his heart, in characters of unchangeable love.

Chap. ann. 8.

15. ¶ And thou shalt make the breast-plate of judgment, with cunning work after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen shalt thou make it. 16. Four-square it shall be, being doubled; a span

shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 17. And thou shalt set in it fittings of stones, rove four rows of stones: the first row shall be a 3 fardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19. And the third row, a figure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20. And the fourth row a bevel, and an onyx, and a jigger: they shall be set in gold in their jinclosings. 21. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names: like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name shall they be, according to the twelve tribes. 22. ¶ And thou shalt make upon the breast-plate chains at the ends, of wreathen work, of pure gold. 23. And thou shalt make upon the breast-plate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breast-plate. 24. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breast-plate. 25. And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains, thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it. 26. ¶ And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breast-plate, in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 27. And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod, underneath towards the fore part thereof, over-against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 28. And they shall bind the breast-plate by the rings thereof, unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breast-plate be not loosed from the ephod. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment, upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

Exodus 28:9-19

This court surrounded the tabernacle, and is typical of the church of Christ, inclosed from the rest of the world, and brought into a nearer state of communion with his blessed self. It was about fifty yards long, and twenty-five broad; small, compared with the wide camp of Israel. Thus, among the professors of Christ, a small compass will contain the faithful; for many are called, but few chosen.

20. ¶ And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil-olive beaten, for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 21. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vali, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: Is shall be a statute for ever unto their generations, on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28:15-29

This was another distinguished part of the high-priest’s dress; the breast-plate of judgment, to be worn when Aaron went into the holy place. On it were fixed precious stones, engraven with the names of the children of Israel; and it was fastened to the ephod by the golden chains. Nee, (1.) Though the holy place of heaven is not yet accessible, yet, our high-priest bearing our names there, we are, in virtue thereof, already said to be set down with him in heavenly places. (2.) The spiritual graces adorning particular fairs, make them like these stones: all are jewels, though each stone with some different and peculiar lustre.

30. ¶ And thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart, before the LORD continually.

Exodus 28:20-21

Provision is here made for the continual supply of the lamps in the golden candlestick, and Aaron and his sons must attend them. The oil signifies the graces of God’s feasts, which shine forth in the constellation of his people; and Aaron’s care is to remind every faithful minister, how diligent he should be in his labours towards the flock, of which the Holy Ghost hath made him overseer.

CHAP. Babam Chist 2021.

Exodus 28:30

Many have been the conjectures of learned men respecting these words, Urim and Thummim; some conceiving it a part of the high-priest’s cloathing; others, that it signified some bright appearance of the precious stones of the breast-plate; others, that it meant no more than the peculiar gifts which should be communicated to the high-priest, when thus cloathed he should appear to enquire of God: which latter fense seems most probable. The words signify Illuminations and Perfections, and may well imply the clear answers, and perfect direction, which in all cases of difficulty God would give the high-priest, either by secret impulse, or an audible voice. The written word of God is now our Urim and Thummim; and when we are enquiring there of his will, he can, and still doth, by divine irradiation on our minds, inform and comfort us under every difficulty.

31. ¶ And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32. And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work, round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an haltergeon, that it be not rent. 33. ¶ And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round about. 34. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35. And it shall be upon Aaron, to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy

holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 36. ¶ And ’thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre: upon the fore-front of the mitre it shall be. 38. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts: and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39. ¶ And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needle-work.

Exodus 28:31-39

The other parts of the high-priest’s garments are here described.

1. The code of the ephod, all of blue, without sleeves, reaching to the knees, surrounded with bells, and worn in work like pomegranates. Aaron, on peril of death, must not dare to draw near to God without it. Nate, A peculiar as well as decent garb becomes those who minister in holy things.

2. The golden plate on his forehead, with its engraving, v. 36—38, reaching us, 1. That God’s mindless must never be ashamed of their profession. 2. That they who appear before God, should have holiness written on their hearts. 3. That true holiness is not a superficial thing, but deep engravings, and dreadful. 4. That in our best duties, so much contagious cleaves to them, that, were it not for our great high-priest’s advocacy, our very prayers would destroy us, whilst in him all our services are farciness of a sweet smell.

3. His other garments; his inside embroidered coat, which reached to his feet, and to his wrists, with a girdle of needle-work around it, and a linen mitre, or shadow, on his head. Our High-priest is also our King: he not only arouses for our sins, but will subdue all our enemies without or within us.

4. ¶ And ‘for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him: and shalt ‘anoint them, and ‘consecate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 42. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness: from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach. 43. And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die. It shall be a stature for ever unto him, and his seed after him.

Exodus 28:40-43

The inferior priests must be clothed nearly as to fashion in the same dress for beauty and glory, though not equal to the high-priest. It is well for us, if at its humble distance, we are in any thing like our glorious head; and they are enjoined, on penalty of death, never to appear before God but in these garments. Nate, (1.) The righteousness of our divine Redeemer can only cover our iniquity: if we presume with any other plea to draw near to God, we die. (2.) When a minister of known immorality approaches God’s altar, or preaches to others what he hath never practiced himself, this is to expose his nakedness to the people.