Daily Devotions
Exodus
"My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name." Malachi 2:5
Text: Exodus 28 : 2-3
A HOLY OFFICE
God impressed upon Israel the concept of holiness! The Tabernacle and all its furnishings were “holy” after they were consecrated! It follows those who would be named as priests must comprehend that they were going to fill “a holy office”. The idea of a holy priesthood was a very new concept to Israel as a nation!
CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS
God chose many ways to teach Israel how it should regard the priests and their ministries! One of those ways was to make provision for special garments for the priests to wear when they ministered at the Tabernacle. In particular, the high priest, would don special garments!
“And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother,
for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are
gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,
that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him,
that he may minister to Me as priest.”
EXODUS 28:2-3
1. “Holy garments”
The “holiness” would be derived from the nature of the spiritual ministry of the Tabernacle, and from the Lord Himself. Objects like the ark of the Testimony, the Golden Lampstand, and the Table of Showbread would be considered “holy objects” after they were consecrated. It should be no surprise to read that the very garments that the high priest would wear would be called “holy garments”.
2. “Gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom”
God was the One who initiated these thoughts! He would also be the One who would provide the people who would fulfill all that He had instructed! Did Moses wonder if he could find “gifted artisans” for all the things that God had instructed? He need not have worried! God had already prepared these artisans. They would be “filled with the spirit of wisdom” so that they could accomplish all that God had spoken!
3. “To consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest”
The idea of consecration was not entirely new to Israel. They were told how to consecrate themselves for the day when the Lord would descend on Mount Sinai to address them (Cf. Exodus 19:10ff).
But of course, the priests must be specially consecrated for the service of God in the Tabernacle! Most importantly, the high priest must be carefully prepared for consecration! Aaron was singled out for mention, since he was going to be the first high priest of Israel! However, these words of instruction would hold true for all who would succeed Aaron as high priest of the nation of Israel! To serve God as priest was high honour indeed! No detail must be missed out!