It has honestly been a struggle to read parts of the Old Testament. At the moment I am in Deuteronomy. I am following a one year plan that has Old, New and a portion of either Psalms and Proverbs each day. I really enjoy Psalms and Proverbs and the New, but when it comes to the Old, I have a bit of a hard time trying to understand beyond knowing it is a foreshadow of Christ.
Sometimes something will jump off the page and I will add it to a list I keep of going back and meditating and searching deeper. Since having moved and started a new job, I had gotten away from that list. In prayer the other morning I was reminded of Exodus and Aaron’s robe.
Exodus 28 is a chapter devoted to God’s requirements for the priests of the Tabernacle to wear certain garments. On the surface, it seems meaningless… or does it? Something stood out to me. We start to read of what they define, the Blue Robe of the Ephod. An ephod is a sleeveless garment worn by Jewish priests. Aaron had a particular ephod he wore.
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate 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. 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 habergeon, 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 place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 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 needlework. Exodus 28:30-35,39
Aaron was the chief priest and could enter the Holy of Holies. I think after this we will explore the details of the Tabernacle, but for now, the Holy of Holies was the place where the chief priest entered into the presence of God Almighty. Aaron was given specific rules on what he could and could not wear. Why? Why do we need to read these details?
I believe that everything in the Bible has spiritual layers. Because God’s Word is living and breathing, depending upon our spiritual maturity will depend upon how much is revealed. The clothes were significant and a command during the time this was written, but now that Christ has broken the laws and the house of the Lord is in me…what significance does this play?
It’s not about the clothes, but I believe it is what they symbolize. It’s the spiritual aspect. The clothes have great spiritual application. The high priest is a picture of the Christian. Through Christ we are all made priests.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9
Because we are a priest we need to make sure we are also coming to the presence of God wearing the right “clothes.” Just as Aaron could go in the Holy of Holies, we too can come into the presence of God and we need to be properly spiritually dressed.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Hebrews 10:19-23
Aaron enetered the Holy of Holies with a blood sacrifice. We no longer need a blood sacrifice of an pure blemish free animal. We can take the blood of Christ through the rent vail and commune with our Heavenly Father, BUT we need to be properly dressed.
The first thing I noticed in these passages were the description of fabric used (v39.) The robe was to be made of fine linen. Is there signifigance to linen and not the use of a material such as leather or wool, which was more common? First of all, God told Aaron it was to be linen so that should be enough to just do what you’re told, but it doesn’t satisfy the curiosity.
16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. Ezekiel 44:16
Well that is an interesting detail. Here Ezekiel is teaching the proper edicate to what they needed to wear and not wear, and there a small clue hidden in these verses: they shall not wear anything that makes them sweat. I kind of chuckled at this part of the verse. We all have heard or have our own story of stinky sweaty smelly people we have worked with. But then something came to me. Work. Work produces sweat.
The judgement for the sin committed by Adam and Even was, they would now have to work the fields and by the sweat of their brows they would have bread.
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:19
Sweat represents man’s toil, work and effort. A linen robe represents everything against man’s sin and effort. A robe of linen was to help a priest be cool, calm, and collected as he ministered. He does not do the ministering, God does the ministering through him. When we come to Jesus we cease our own works, turn completely from sin and rest in him. Our Heavenly Father says six days you work and on the seventh rest. Jesus is our rest and sabbath.
God does not want us to sweat, but rest in him. A man who takes his death clothes off and puts on the linen of righteousness is a man who ceases his own vain efforts and works and enters into rest. No one can come into the presence of God until he stops trying to save himself and rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We do not come before him with sweat. We come before him with the blood of Jesus.
Jesus gave himself for me that he might give himself to me that he might live through me. (read that a few times)
We sometimes find ourselves living half a gospel. Some only come to Jesus to get their sins forgiven, but they fail to recognize they are not just saved and reconciled, but that we are to live our life through Jesus. He wants to do something through us. All our Heavenly Father wants from us is to die. I know that sounds morbid. He wants us to die to sweating. He wants us to die to our own selfishness and prideful desires. When we do, when we get out of his way, we finally start living.
God does not want our effort. God wants us to yield and let Christ do all the work. He wants us to rest and let him do the rest.
I really believe that the first step in preparing to come into the presence of God is to make sure that we are completely surrendered to him. To profess and claim that God is the great I AM and sovereign. He is in control of everything and I am just a vessel that he uses for His will to be done and not mine.
It Starts Small 
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