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A Great High Priest Whose Name Is Love

Sunday, June 5, 2022
Pastor Jojo Ma

Weekly Bulletin | Worship Lyrics

Exodus 28:31-43

 

31 You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. 39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

I.          The Holy Clothing of God [v41]
II.        The Danger of Approaching God [v35, v43]
III.       The Dirty Priest of God [Zech 3:3]
IV.       The Holy One of God [Zech 3:8-9]

I.         The Holy Clothing of God [v41]
41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.

God expected holiness, modesty, and reverence in this special calling of the priests --- from top to bottom, from the outer ephod and breastpiece all the way to the hidden undergarments. All their clothing was given by God and to be holy to the Lord in every way…lest they bear guilt and die.

II.        The Danger of Approaching God [v35, v43]
35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die…43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die.

38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

The high priest had the most dangerous job in ancient Israel.

35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

Do you have the covering and protection and sacrifice and righteousness of the great high priest Jesus? If you are in him, in Christ, you are safe, you can approach God with confidence and joy and acceptance.

III.      The Dirty Priest of God [Zech 3:3]
Zech 3:3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

Joshua is clothed in disgusting, vile, putrid, rank, filthy garments…and he is in God’s presence as high priest? What’s the point of the text? That human sin is filthy and unacceptable to God.

Zech 3:4-5 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments.

Is 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

IV.       The Holy One of God [Zech 3:8-9]
Zech 3:8-9 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.

One of the clearest pointers to Jesus in Exodus (and all the Old Testament) is the office of the high priest.

Spiritually and morally, we often only show our best, not our worst. Like that Zoom analogy, we know how to show ourselves on the top well, but deep down we know that we’re still in our pajamas below. We’re just good at showing people what we want them to see and hiding what we don’t want people to see.