Exodus 39:1–43
In the 39th chapter of Exodus the work of the Tabernacle is finished. Blessed is it to note that all was done “as the Lord commanded Moses.” Mark how this expression occurs eight times in that chapter: vv. 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, 43; while in vv. 32, 42 it is added, “and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they . . . According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.” “The Lord had given the most minute instruction concerning the entire work of the tabernacle. Every pin, every socket, every loop, every tach, was accurately set forth. There was no room left for man’s expediency, his reason, or his common sense. Jehovah did not give a great outline and leave man to fill it up. He left no margin whatever in which man might enter his regulations. By no means. ‘See that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount’ (Ex. 25:40). This left no room for human device. If man had been allowed to make a single pin, that pin would most assuredly have been out of place in the judgment of God. We can see what man’s ‘graving tool’ produces in chapter 32. Thank God, it has no place in the tabernacle. They did, in this matter, just what they were told—nothing more, nothing less.
It is so important that when we worship God we do so according to the Regulatory Principle of Worship which tells us that the Bible regulates what we do as we worship God. Here, the Israelites over and over obey to the letter all God told Moses. In fact, we will see this phrase…, as the Lord had commanded Moses, over and over again throughout this section. God does not leave it to sinful man to dictate the terms of His worship but like in this section of Exodus, He tells us how it is He is to be worshipped.
1. Aaron’s Garments (39:1-31)
39 From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
These “clothes of service” were very significant and highly symbolical. They are listed three times by Moses (Exodus 28, Exodus 39 and Leviticus 8). Aaron was not allowed to appear before the Lord God as Israel’s priest, to do service in the holy place without these “holy garments,” without these “clothes of service.” They were vital to his priestly work; and we are specifically told that they were “garments of consecration,” “for glory and for beauty.”
These garments were made specifically for Aaron, to show forth the glory and beauty of his work as Israel’s high priest. But they show more than that. These garments were made for and put upon Aaron to show forth the glory and beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, of whom Aaron was but a type and picture.
Actually, Aaron had two sets of priestly garments. This glorious apparel, which he wore before Israel and before the Lord in his common, daily functions in the tabernacle, and those holy Linen garments mentioned in verse 28 and more fully described in Leviticus 16:4, which he wore only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On that great Day of Atonement, when he went in with the blood of the paschal lamb before the Lord God in the holy of holies, Aaron was robed only in spotless white, portraying the infinitely meritorious obedience and personal righteousness and holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ, by which he was worthy and able to undertake and accomplish the stupendous work of putting away the sins of his people by the sacrifice of his own blood.
The garments described in our text (Exodus 39) were specifically ordained of God to show Aaron’s glory and beauty to the people he represented and served as a priest. These garments are described in great detail for us, so that we might see and be assured of the glory and beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ, as our great High Priest.
A. Ephod of Gold-
2 He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 3 And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. 4 They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. 5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7 And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The ephod was the outer apron that hung over Aaron’s robe. It was made of two parts, covering both his back and his chest. The two pieces of it were joined together at the shoulders by golden clasps. Those golden clasps were the setting for the onyx stones. Like Aaron’s robe, the ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen. The breastplate with the names of twelve tribes of Israel and the Urim and Thummim (Lights and Perfections) were worn on the ephod.
Try to get the picture. — Here is Aaron, wearing his gorgeous, costly robe, strapped over his shoulders, held by gold clasps is this gorgeous, costly apron, upon his heart and shoulders hangs the breastplate with the names of God’s chosen people, engraved in precious stones and somewhere in the ephod or in the breastplate are those mysterious emblems of light and perfection, called the Urim and Thummim. What does all that mean? I know I can only scratch the surface; but it certainly means that…
1. The Lord Jesus Christ constantly has his people upon his heart.
2. He carries us upon his omnipotent shoulders.
3. He guides us according to the light and perfection of his purpose and grace.
4. We are the sparkling jewels of his glory and beauty!
5. We are totally safe, beyond the reach of any enemy.
B. Breastpiece
8 He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14 There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 16 And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 17 And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18 They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 19 Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 20 And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
This breastplate upon Aaron’s chest portrays our Savior’s constant love for and care of us, it speaks of our constant, perfect, immutable acceptance with God in him.
The names of God’s elect are known to our great High Priest. They are engraved upon his heart, and cannot be erased! He says, “I know them…I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish!” For them he makes intercession (John 17)…
· Continually. – The Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, bears the judgment of his people before the Lord continually!
· Personally.
· Collectively.
· Effectually!
Can you see your Priest yonder in heaven, with your name upon his heart? Not only are you, my brother, my sister, beyond the reach of any enemy. In Christ we are beyond the influence of any foe or any evil!
What a consolation this is to this poor sinner. The Lord God almighty always sees me, and only sees me in his Son, as a sparkling jewel, shining in him gloriously! — In his eyes, I shine with all the brilliance of Christ himself! — Is he precious? We are precious in him! — Is he accepted? We are accepted in him! — Does he live? We live in him!
But there, in heaven’s glory, before the dazzling brilliance, brightness and purity of the white light of God’s holiness, things are seen clearly, as they really are. That, my tempted, tried, tempest tossed, heavy hearted, sinning, falling, weeping brother, — That, my tempted, tried, tempest tossed, heavy hearted, sinning, falling, weeping sister, is the very thing that ought comfort our hearts! — We are jewels in Christ, with Christ, upon his heart, in his heart in heaven. — The more brilliantly the light shines upon a diamond, the more it sparkles with radiant beauty! — He has set us as a seal upon his heart (Song 8:7). — Oh, what grace!
· What Joy!
· What Peace!
· What a cause for whole hearted devotion and consecration to God our Savior.
· We are, in Christ, made to be partakers of his beauty and his glory!
Now, watch this. — Did you notice that the Lord God made special arrangements to attach the breastplate to the ephod in such a way that the breastplate could not be loosed from the ephod, hanging on the broad shoulders of his priest? — This breastplate of judgment speaks loudly and beautifully of our everlasting salvation and absolute security in Christ Jesus!
Romans 8:33–39 (ESV)
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C. The Robe
22 He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, 23 and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. 24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Moses clothed Aaron with the priestly robe, as God commanded. This was the robe of the ephod (the outer apron), worn under the ephod and had a hem of golden bells and pomegranates.
This robe represents the righteousness of Christ. It is that with which Christ himself is clothed and with which we are clothed in him. It is a robe covering the whole man, from head to foot.
“Bring hither the best robe!” — This was a robe prepared according to the law of God.
The golden bells portray the perfection and sweetness of Christ’s intercession for us.
As Aaron moved about inside the holy place of the tabernacle, the ringing bells told the people, “All is well. Aaron is alive. God accepts your priest.” – They speak of our living, exalted High Priest and the sweet savor of his intercession in heaven for us.
27 They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen, 29 and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” 31 And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
2. God’s Approval (39:32-43)
32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. 33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 34 the covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen; 35 the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; 36 the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37 the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38 the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; 39 the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests. 42 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.
There is another detail in Exodus 39 which, in its spiritual application to ourselves, is very searching: “And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the lent, and all his furniture, etc . . . And Moses did look upon all the work” (vv. 35, 43). Everything was brought before the typical mediator for his inspection. All had to pass under the scrutiny of his eye.
1 Corinthians 3:11–13 (ESV)
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
We have seen the phrase repeated…
Hebrews 8:1–5 (ESV)
8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”
Why? Because it all points to Jesus…
Resources Used:
CLOTHES OF SERVICE by Don Fortner
Gleanings in Exodus by AW Pink
https://fpcjackson.org/resource-library/sermons/priestly-garments/ by ligon duncan
exodus by phillip ryken
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