Exodus 28:31-43
~14 min read
💭 Consider this: When you approach God, how does your attire reflect reverence and holiness?
TRANSCRIPT
I greet you all in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 28:31–43. When you come to church, have you ever wondered what clothes you ought to wear? What kind of clothes are appropriate for worship? Sometimes, people use the term ‘Sunday best.’ The term ‘Sunday best’ often refers to the best clothes a person would wear on a special occasion or to meet an important person.
We would never wear clothes in a sloppy manner—perhaps wearing t-shirts, shorts, slippers, or sandals—when meeting dignitaries like the President or the Prime Minister. But sadly, when it comes to the worship of God, many people couldn't care less about what they wear. They have this mindset that it doesn't matter what we wear, afterall, ‘God sees the heart, not the outward appearance.’
But the truth of the matter is that what we wear on the outside reflects what is in our hearts. If you and I are willing to go to all the trouble of choosing our best clothes to wear for special occasions or to meet important people, how much more should we take into account what we wear when we come to worship and serve the Almighty God?
This is what we want to learn from this passage. Although it describes the garments of the high priest and priests, we can draw spiritual lessons from it. The title of our message is: "Is Our Worship Attire Really That Important?"
I. The Garments Of The High Priest
Firstly, let us consider the garments of the high priest. The Almighty God gave specific instructions on what the high priest should wear as they approached His holy majesty. Since the high priest was the mediator between God and the people, it was extremely important what kind of attire they should wear as they come before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords because what they wear must reflect purity, modesty, holiness, and decency.
In a previous message, we learned that the high priest wore an ephod with two precious stones attached to the shoulder straps. Engraved on those stones were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Attached to the front of the ephod was the breastplate containing a beautiful collection of precious stones—twelve stones in total, one for each tribe of Israel. Each stone was engraved with the name of a specific tribe.
The ephod rested on the high priest’s shoulders, while the breastplate was kept close to his heart. In other words, when the high priest entered into the Tabernacle to make atonement for the sins of the people, symbolically and spiritually, he was carrying them on his shoulders, at the same time he was also carrying the people close to his heart. It was his responsibility to bear their burdens and keep the people’s interests close to his heart.
According to Exodus 28:31-39, underneath the ephod and breastplate, the high priest wore a seamless garment. Which means it was made out of a single robe, much like a poncho - we will come to that later on. This garment was made in the same colours as the tabernacle—blue, purple, and scarlet. Around the bottom skirting, it was decorated with pomegranates and with a golden bell.
Look at verse 35: “And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.” Remember, no one could enter the Holy of Holies except the high priest. In a sense, the high priest had the most dangerous job in the whole of Israel. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was allowed to pass through the veil from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. Even then, it was only for a brief period.
When the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, it was believed that the bells attached to his garments would ring, just in case he was struck dead. In any sense, if the high priest was unclean, he would be killed. When the people did not hear the bells ringing, they would know he was dead.
They could not enter into the Holy of Holies to bring him out, as no one was permitted to enter there. The only way they could retrieve him was by pulling him out using a rope. Each time they heard the bells ringing, they knew he was still alive and moving around, ministering and serving the Lord in the Holy of Holies.
Some theologians believe the bells served another purpose. The bells announced that the high priest was coming into the presence of God. No one could barge into God's presence suddenly, just as no one could abruptly intrude into the office of the president. There had to be an announcement. The bells served as a sign that the high priest was entering into God's presence. This demonstrates how serious it was to approach the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
There was a stern warning in Exodus 28:35, at the end: "and when he cometh out, that he die not." Remember, the high priest acted as a mediator between God, on behalf of the people, therefore verse 36 says: "And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace" - which means a blue thread - “that it may be upon the mitre” - which means the turban. Take note of the sign HOLINESS TO THE LORD - our God is perfectly holy, and anyone who wants to approach His majesty must be holy too.
Verse 38 says, "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." In other words, when Aaron offered the sacrifice on behalf of the people, his mind was consumed with the thought that he was approaching a holy, perfect, and just God. He prayerfully sought the Lord, hoping He would accept the offering and forgive their sins. So this sign, Holiness to the Lord, was placed on his forehead.
Verse 39 says, "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 needlework." Underneath the outer clothes, the high priest wore a tunic. It was made of fine linen, a long-sleeved garment that went down to the ground, with a turban on his head. So this sign, Holiness to the Lord, was always attached to the turban, which was on the forehead of Aaron.
Now, why was it placed on the forehead? Firstly, it was a constant reminder to Aaron that he was approaching a holy, perfect, and pure God. Secondly, it was a reminder to Aaron that he himself must be holy—a reminder of his personal holiness. Representing the people before God was an awesome responsibility. Thirdly, it was also a reminder to the people. When they saw this Holiness to the Lord on Aaron’s forehead, they understood the severity of the situation. If Aaron was struck dead, so would they be. If Aaron was killed, they would face the same fate. So when they saw Holiness to the Lord, they expected their mediator to be pure and holy—otherwise, they would be dead.
Now, Aaron was not perfect, nor were all the other high priests who came after him. So how could a sinful, imperfect man represent them before God? The prophet Zechariah gives us a picture that connects this passage to the Gospel. Zechariah 3:1 says, "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him."
At that time, Joshua was the high priest. He was dressed in priestly garments, standing before the angel of the Lord—a common term used for the Lord Jesus Christ. There was Satan, standing at Joshua's right hand, resisting, opposing, and accusing him, perhaps saying, ‘How can this imperfect, sinful man represent the people before God? Who is he to stand before the Almighty? Who is this Joshua the high priest?’
Look at what God said: "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zechariah 3:2). In other words, God was saying, ‘Is it not I who has chosen Israel and Jerusalem? Is it not I who has chosen to save this man, plucking him like a branch out of the fire?’ As the high priest, Joshua was supposed to be the most holy man in Israel. If you looked at the entire nation, the high priest was seen as the holiest person.
But there was a problem. Verse 3 says, "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." The word ‘filthy’ is a strong term, it refers to faeces—something unclean and defiled. This reminds us of Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." That included the high priest. Even though he was dressed in elaborate priestly garments, inwardly, he was sinful.
Dear friend, outwardly we may be dressed in our Sunday best. We may be dressed in clean clothes. We may come to church to worship. We may be singing hymns. We may be praying with flowery words. But inwardly, we know that we are all sinful—full of pride, anger, jealousy, envy, greed, and all kinds of hidden agendas. Only God knows. All our righteousness are but filthy rags.
Who then can stand before God? Can you stand before God? Even the high priest could not stand before God. So how could we? Even though Joshua, the high priest, was dressed in purity, holiness so to speak, decency, and modesty, yet inwardly he was covered with sin. Who then can stand before God? Not even the high priest. But God did not stop there. Do you know what God did? Look at Zechariah 3:4: "And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.”
In other words, the Almighty God clothed him with a change of raiment. The question is, whose raiment? It was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ's. He was clothed with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know many of us here are very familiar with the account when our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross of Calvary. The wicked Roman soldiers took His garments and divided them into four parts, each receiving one part. And then we stop there.
But do you notice the garment that our Lord Jesus was wearing? John 19:23: "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout." Who would wear a coat without seam, from the top to the bottom? Only the priests. By mentioning the seamless garment that our Lord Jesus wore when He was crucified on the cross, the Apostle John was hinting that our Lord Jesus was doing the priestly work of bearing our sins.
Dear friend, Jesus Christ is our great high priest. He carried our sins on His shoulders. He carried our concerns close to His heart. He represents us before God. He did not need to wear the elaborate priestly garments. Why? Because He was perfectly holy. He wore the seamless garment, implying that He was the great High Priest. Today, you and I do not need to look to the priest, the pastor, the preacher, or anyone else to represent us before God. We do not need to question whether the person is holy enough to represent us. All we need is our Lord Jesus Christ—the perfect one, the one who died on the cross and shed His precious blood to wash away all our sins.
When God saves us, plucks us out of the fire, He will clothe us with a new garment, just as He did to Joshua, the high priest. He wore this change of garment—it was the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So when God sees us, He sees us clothed with Christ's righteousness, not our own righteousness, because all our righteousness is but filthy rags. That is the reason why we can come boldly before the throne of God's grace.
II. The Garment Of The Priest
Next, let us consider the garment of the priests. Look at verse 40: "And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles” - or waistbands -”and bonnets” - which means turbans - “shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."
Aaron was from the tribe of Levi, and they were to serve as priests. As priests, they must be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified. Now, although they must serve as priests, it was not automatic. They must be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified, which we will consider in our next message—how the priest had to be ordained.
Today, there are people who say they are called to be pastors and preachers. But just because they profess that they are called to be pastors and preachers, does it mean we automatically accept them as pastors and preachers? No. They must first be observed, examined, and then tested by the spiritual leaders—the elders. Then, they must be consecrated, which means they must be set apart to do certain specific work, whether it be preaching or serving in some capacity. They must also live a sanctified life. So it is not automatic. We have to observe, examine, test, and set them apart to certain work by the laying of hands—that is the ordination. And then, we must observe that they continue to live a sanctified life.
Now, verse 42 is very interesting: "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach. 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 statute forever unto him and his seed after him."
The priests did not wear the same garments as the high priest with the ephod and the breastplate because they did not represent the whole nation of Israel. The high priest represented the whole nation when he entered into the Holy of Holies. But interestingly, they all wore the same undergarments to cover their nakedness.
In other words, God told them what He wanted them to wear all the way down to the underclothes. Can you imagine that? The purpose was to protect their decency and modesty. He wanted them to wear clothes that were fit for holy service. So it was not just any clothes they could wear. God gave specific instructions from the top down to the bottom. They had to wear specific clothes that reflected purity, holiness, modesty, and decency.
Now, take a moment and consider this: if the priests were to wear any clothes, what would happen? They would be rejected by God. They would be struck dead. If the priests were to wear immodestly, what would happen? The people would follow suit. The saying goes, ‘like people, like priests’. If the priest could wear such clothes, so could the people. The congregation would follow most certainly.
Dear friend, today, we do not wear such elaborate priestly garments as in the Old Testament, as described in this passage. However, the same principle applies to us. As a pastor, preacher, Sunday school teacher, or parent, we must bear in mind that we are representing God before the people whom God has placed under us. Whatever we do, those whom God has placed under us will follow suit. If we are not modest, they will not be modest. If we are ungodly, they will follow suit. Do you think God does not care what we wear? Do you think God does not care about our personal purity? Do you think God does not care how you and I ought to approach Him in worship? God forbids!
Some people might think, ‘Well, God does not look at the outward appearance because He sees into our hearts.’ But do you think God is blind, that He can only see into your heart and bypass what you wear on the outside? He sees everything. He sees into the innermost parts of your heart, and He sees what you wear. He knows what you wear reflects what is in your heart. He knows whether you dress to impress people or dress to come to worship Him. He knows whether you wear revealing clothes to seek attention or wear modest clothes because you want to be godly. He knows your heart. He knows everything about you. He sees what is outside, and He sees what is in your heart. And He cares.
This is extremely important for us when we come to church to worship God, when we give to the Lord, and when we serve the Lord. Whatever clothes we wear come from our hearts, and God knows that. That is why it is crucial that when we come to worship God, our hearts must always be in tune with Him. We must be pure, godly, modest, and decent.
I pray that none of us follow the culture of this world. The culture of this world says, ‘Anything goes.’ But God does care. He cares what you and I do with our bodies. We are to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord, and that includes how we present our bodies. I pray that all of us must remember this when we come to serve the Lord and when we come to worship. It is not about ‘anything goes,’ but we must ask ourselves: Is this clothing I am wearing going to glorify my God? Or is it going to stumble the people around me? Is it going to reflect godliness, purity, and decency? Or is it immodest and attention-seeking?
We know the answer in our hearts. May the Lord help us so that we all approach God in a manner that He will accept. Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this portion of Scripture. Even as we study the garments that Thou hast given specific instructions to the high priest and the priests, the same principle applies to us. You are holy, and we who come before Thee to worship and serve Thee must also be holy. Help us always to remember this - that when we approach The Almighty God, when we approach important people in this world, we go through all the trouble to choose the best clothes to wear, for we want to please and impress them.
Oh Lord, how can we approach Thee carelessly? God forbids! Thou art the most important being in this world. Thou art everything to us. When we come to worship Thee, help us to have a godly mindset, that we come with godliness. That we approach Thee in a way that Thou would accept. We do not want to be rejected by Thee. God forbids! Teach us, that all of us, will live such a life, thus our worship attire really matters most certainly because it reflects what is in our hearts. We give Thee thanks for teaching and reminding us, for as humans, we often forget. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
The Veil That SeparatesThe Veil That SeparatesExodus 26:1-37
A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandA Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandExodus 27:1-19
Who Can Represent Us Before God?Who Can Represent Us Before God?Exodus 27:20-28:14
How Can We Know God’s Will?How Can We Know God’s Will?Exodus 28:15-30
Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Exodus 28:31-43
The Ordination Of PriestsThe Ordination Of PriestsExodus 29:1-21
The Provision For PriestsThe Provision For PriestsExodus 29:22-29
Remind Us For We Always ForgetRemind Us For We Always ForgetExodus 29:36-46
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
