Leviticus Lesson 3

Leviticus

Lesson 3

Hi, Welcome back to this study of the Book of Leviticus. We have already learned a lot (or at least I have), but there is so much more awaiting us in this Book. So, let's continue on.

In this lesson, we will be looking at Chapter 8 of Leviticus. This chapter describes, in great detail, the dedication service for the first priests (Aaron and his sons). And, yes, that is very important. However, what we will mainly be looking at in this lesson, are not the details of that dedication service, but rather some of the many insights that are tucked away in this chapter, concerning the garments of the High Priest and what they reveal ... and...... well, I don't want to give it all away before we begin. So, without further ado, let's begin.

And, you guessed it, we need to begin with an assignment. So, your assignment now is to read chapter 8 of Leviticus, (yes, just one chapter this time, can you believe it?). Just read it! Do not get hung up with the details. Just read it!

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Pause while you do this assignment <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Finished? Great! Now, based on what you read, answer the following questions:

Who were the priests who were dedicated in this chapter: (hint read verses 8:2) _______ and his _______

Yes, this was the ordination of Moses' brother, Aaron and Aaron's four sons. We are not given the names of his sons in this chapter, nor in chapter 9, but they are named in Chapter 10. So, just so you will know who they are, let me tell you their names. The firstborn (oldest) son is Nadab (and as firstborn son of the High Priest, which is what Aaron is going to be at the conclusion of this Ordination service, he, Nadab, will be next in line to succeed as High Priest at the death of his father). The three other sons are Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Remember those names as we will be meeting them later, in another lesson, and will learn something very important from them and their actions.

And who did the officiating at the dedicating ? (8:1,10, etc) ___________________ .

Correct, Moses was appointed by God to do this initial act of dedicating the first priests and instituting the priesthood for the Jewish nation. However, in the future, it will be the High Priest who will perform the dedication ceremonies of new priests. But, for now, as the Levitical Priesthood is being established, and God appointed Moses to perform the various parts of this first dedication ceremony.

And speaking of the term, Levitical, and of the book of Leviticus, which, has the same word (Levi) tucked away in its title, what does the Tribe of LEVI, from which these terms derive, have to do with the priesthood? (Write your answer in the space below.)

Yes, you are correct if you said that it is from the tribe of Levi that ALL of the priests would come. No one could be a priest or serve in the Temple unless they were a descendant of the tribe of Levi. And no one could be a High Priest unless they were a direct descendant of Aaron.

Now, looking at the Dedication service itself.

Who "attended" the service. (hint: read 8:1-4) Circle your answers from the choices below:

God

Moses

Aaron

Aaron's 4 sons

the entire assembly (ie. ALL of the nation of Israel, all 2 million or so)

Yes, you are correct if you circled all of those choices. And, again, based on those same verses (8:1-4), what things or items (in addition to Aaron and his 4 sons) did Moses also bring with him to this Dedication service? List the items in the space below:

Yes, Moses was instructed by God to bring their (priestly) garments, the anointing oil, a bull for the sin offering, 2 rams, and the basket containing bread made without yeast. Do some of these things sound familiar based on your study of Lesson 2? Sure. And, in addition to the sacrificial offerings and the grain offering about which we studied in lesson 2, you are probably also aware that the priestly garments and the anointing oil had just recently been made. They were made at God's specific design, instructions, specifications, and commands which had been given to Moses while he was with God on Mt. Sinai just a few months previously.

Indeed, when Moses was on Mt. Sinai with God, among other things, God had given Moses precise and detailed instructions for the making of the garments of the priests, the oil, the tabernacle and all of its furnishings, the offerings (what they were and how to do them), and etc.

Moses and the people, for the past 6 to 9 months had been working on and making all of these things. Now, the work was finished. The garments, the tabernacle and its furnishings, and the anointing oil had all been completed. The tabernacle had been erected and all the items had been placed in their proper places.

And, now, it is time to Dedicate and Consecrate the High Priest, the Priests, the Tabernacle, and all the items of worship.

In Chapter 8, you read what happened during this dedication service.

Now, let's look more closely at the High Priest and his garments and see what is represented or pictured by the High Priest and by these garments which he will wear.

You will recall that when we read about the Offerings in Lesson 2, we discovered that the various things that were done were often shadows, pictures, or types which pointed to the life, death, and work of Jesus Christ. Well, guess what, we are going to find even more types, shadows, and pictures pointing to Jesus Christ in these events and especially in the specific garments of the priests and the High Priest. So, ready to begin? I thought so. So, get ready. This is going to be really thrilling.

Looking again at Leviticus 8, we notice that after Moses washed Aaron and his sons with water (8:6), he began to clothe Aaron, the High Priest. We will first list the items which Moses put on Aaron. Then, we will briefly examine each of the items and see what they picture or tell us about Jesus, who is, of course the Great High Priest. So, Aaron is not just a priest; rather, he and his articles of clothing, serve as a type or a picture of the Great High Priest, Jesus.

Read Leviticus 8:7-9 and list in the space below, in order, the items of clothing or apparel that Moses placed upon Aaron, the Great High Priest:

Great! I see that you have finished. And, we will continue, (Note: in transferring this lesson to this new website, the original picture of Aaron that we had used here got lost. So we found this one from the Temple Institute in Israel. Actually it is better than the missing one so we have stopped the 'search' and will go with this.)

Ok, let's continue -- I assume that you correctly listed the white under tunic (coat) with its sash, the (blue) robe that went over the tunic, the multicolored ephod with its skillfully woven and also multicolored (curious) waistband (which is different from the white sash that accompanied the tunic), the breastplate with the Urim and Thummin placed within the breast piece (breastplate), a turban, the gold plate (sacred diadem) tied onto the front of the turban (headpiece, miter).

Now, let's very briefly look at these garments and items. And, I wish we had time to look at them in greater detail and to really dig deeply into what they picture, teach, and tell us. But we don't have the time. However, I hope to whet your appetite. Then, if you are interested and want to learn more, there is a book, from which I discovered many of these interesting facts about the garments of the High Priest. I strongly suggest that you get this book and read it all -- from cover to cover -- as it will give you much much more information and many more insights. What we mention in this lesson is really only the tip of the iceberg of what is in that book. The book title is: These are the Garments by C. W. Slemming. The copy I have was published by Christian Literature Crusade -- Fort Washington, Pennsylvania 19034. Its SBN number is 87508-507-5.

Why are we doing this? Why are we going to look at some of the details of the garments of the High Priest?

Well... The reason we want to look at the individual garments of the High Priest is because

Each garment or item that the High Priest wore represented

some aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ and or His Character!

Just as we saw that the various aspects and elements of the Offerings and Sacrifices represented things which pointed us to Jesus, so, too, do each of these priestly garments picture as a shadow various aspects of Christ, His power, His work, and His character.

So, with that in mind, the first article of clothing that Moses put on Aaron (and later he put this same thing on the 4 sons) was the (see 8:7,13) ____________________________

Yes, the Tunic (coat). This was the undergarment to this entire outfit. Well, actually, there were britches that were worn under this, but since they don't show in this picture, and were not mentioned in these verses which you just read, we will not discuss them here. They are discussed in that book by C. W. Slemming, however.

The Tunic, shown in the drawing above, is the white long coat beneath the blue robe, and was made of a very wonderful and fine linen. It was so wonderful and so fine that it looked and felt like silk! Wow!. The white color was very significant because white represents Righteousness and holiness.

Obviously your mind is already thinking, "Jesus is Righteous and it is He Who, though His sacrificial death, is able to make us righteous!" And, you are exactly correct. That is what the white tunic represented.

The white linen girdle worn with this coat and under the blue robe is also significant because a girdle is usually representative of service and therefore depicts a readiness for action.

The next item of clothing was the __________________ . Yes, it was the blue robe which was worn over the white tunic and under the multicolored ephod. (It is supposed to be blue on the drawing above, but, who knows what color it will be on your computer screen or printer. Sigh.) This robe was seamless and was made in such a way that the neck band of the hole in the top of the robe, through which the head could pass, was as strong as an armored plate or a coat of mail. Therefore it would be impossible to tear it. (Does this remind you of the seamless robe of Jesus, the one for which the soldiers cast lots at the time of the crucifixion? It should.)

The significance of the blue color of the robe is that blue represents Royalty, the royalty which belongs to Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest (who is pictured as a type or shadow of Christ by Aaron and all the future High Priests). Blue is also the color which is used to represent Grace and Divinity.

On the hem of the blue robe were golden bells and blue, purple and scarlet pomegranates, alternating in an orderly arrangement and going around the entire hem. Pomegranates are a very popular, desired, and delicious fruit in the East. Thus one shadow which they portray to us is that they suggest a service of fruitfulness. And, Pomegranates also are a picture of peace.

The golden bells interspersed among the pomegranates are pictures of the gospel of peace. As C.W. Slemming describes and explains in his book, "...each bell had a distinct mellow ring, and yet they rang together with a beautiful melody. That is just like the gospel of Jesus Christ. While it was written by independent men at different times, each with his own personality and each from his local viewpoint, the individual writer rings clear and yet they ring together without jar, discord, or contradiction."

Astounding! And even more could be said about each of these garments, but, we must continue on.

The next item of apparel that Moses placed on Aaron was the ______________ and its ______________ .

Yes, the Ephod and the curious girdle (called curious girdle in the King James Version whereas the NIV describes it as a skillfully woven waist band and if the version of the Bible that you are using has another variation in naming, not to worry, they are all referring to the same item.)

The name, however is not as important as what these items were and what they represent or portray as shadows or pictures of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. So, let's consider the Ephod and the Girdle.

Exodus 28:5 - 8 describe these in detail. I will give you these verses. As you read them, underline or highlight the colors that are used (If you want to do your underlining or highlighting in the same color that you are marking, that would be wonderful. But, if you don't have these colors, mark with whatever you have. The idea is that you have an appreciation of the colors that were used and the beauty and details involved.)

Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen -- the work of a skilled craftsman. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it -- of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. Exodus 28:5-8

As C.W. Slemming states in his book, "These are the Garments", ....."Nothing is said concerning this garment and very little can be learned from it as a garment. Its lessons are secreted in the colors. ..."

So, let's look at those colors.

Based on what you read and underlined, what 4 colors were visible in the ephod and the girdle? List them below in the left hand side of the space provided. Then, as we learn what these colors represent or picture as shadows or types of Jesus Christ, write that information in the right hand side of this chart. (The information which you will use to fill in this chart will be in the information provided just after the chart, so as you read the information, think about what each color represents or pictures about Jesus and then summarize the main thoughts and put them in this chart.) I will do the first one for you as an example.

The GOLD used in the ephod and girdle was real gold!

Exodus 39:2-3 tells us how they did this.

"They made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut strands to be worked into the blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen -- the work of a skilled craftsman." Exodus 39:2-3

Gold is the emblem of Eternal Deity and speaks of the Godhead, It was the most precious of all metals and it is the metal that stands the test of time. Nothing will change gold. As C.W. Slemming tells us "It is not affected by exposure to air and it will not deteriorate if buried for thousands of years. Acid will not destroy it, and fire will not burn it: from these it only comes out purified. ... "

As we have previously mentioned, BLUE is the color which in Scripture typifies Divinity. In the Ephod and the girdle, the gold and blue were side by side, thus representing Deity and Divinity together! Blue is seen all through nature and especially in the sky. Looking upwards into heaven, the blue sky is measureless and speaks of the infiniteness of God.

Wow! But we must continue on.

So, looking now at the next color, SCARLET (RED). As Slemming says: "Blue and scarlet can oft times stand in great contrast to each other, thus needing the purple as an intermediary color to blend them."

And, indeed, in the ephod and girdle, the purple is placed between the red and the blue. Interesting. But not only that, this placement of the purple between the blue and the red (scarlet) teaches a very important principle!

So, let's look at these colors (blue, red / scarlet, and purple) and what they and their placement arrangement teach .

Blue, we already know, speaks of Divinity.

Red is the color of earth. The name Adam comes from a Hebrew word which means "red earth" and from this (earth, dirt), Adam was made. And, Esau, you will recall was born a red and hairy baby and became a man of the earth with carnal desires and earthly appetites and sold his birthright for a dish of red lentils. Therefore, red also speaks of man (mankind).

Now, as Slemming explains in his book,

"The revelation that comes through the Word of God is that He (Jesus), Who had His beginning with God and Who was the Son of God (BLUE) stepped down from heaven to earth (RED) and became the Son of Man (RED) and dwelt among us. The step He made was stupendous because the dye (used in making the Priestly garments) was deeper than that of the ... "red earth", it was scarlet, a color derived from the coccus ilicis or cochineal, which in Hebrew is termed 'the scarlet worm' and therefore the color is called 'worm scarlet.' When Christ humbled Himself He stepped to the very lowest.

So it was that he 'Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.' (Phil 2:6-8). David in his prophetic Psalm (22:6) said concerning the Lord: 'I am a worm and no man.'

Slemming continues his explanation:

The ... (BLUE) denotes Divinity and the ... (RED) Humanity. Now these have become diverse from each other because of sin, for it was sin that separated man from God. Is it possible that there can be harmony again? Naturally speaking the answer is ... (NO !)... But when blue and scarlet are mixed they produce PURPLE which is the intermediate color.

WOW ! Think of that !!!

PURPLE ... is the intermediate color. Now Christ was made in the likeness of man that He might bring man back to the likeness of God. Mystery of all mysteries, wonder of all wonders ! When blue and red, Divinity and humanity, God and man, were blended we have revealed Jesus, Immanuel -- God with us -- or God manifested in the flesh. As such and only as such could he become a Mediator. As God (BLUE), Jesus can satisfy the claims of God; as man (SCARLET -RED), Jesus can meet the needs of man, and as a Mediator (PURPLE), Jesus is able to bring God and man together.

'For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man-Christ Jesus.' (1 Timothy 2:5)

So, we see that these and the other garments of the High Priest and even the colors that were used are very significant! They serve not only to clothe the High Priest but they also point to, teach, and illustrate the future coming High Priest of ALL Priests, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Yes, Aaron and all the High Priests that followed him offered sacrifices and offerings to the Holy God, but the work they did and the effects of their sacrifices and offerings were incomplete and temporary.

BUT, the good news is that the very apparel that the High Priest wears and the very sacrifices and offerings that the High Priest offers are actually pictures, types, shadows, and promises pointing to The Future arrival of the Lord God Jesus Christ Who would one day come and provide the final, ultimate, and complete sacrifice.

Jesus, the God-Man and the High Priest of all High Priests is the necessary and required Perfect Mediator between Holy God and sinful man.

As Mediator, Jesus' offering and sacrifice of His own precious life and blood provides the atonement needed to allow sinful man to be declared Righteous and to be able to have fellowship restored with the Holy God!

And all of this is pictured as shadows in the garments and colors of the Priest, in the colors and materials in the Tabernacle, in the various articles of worship, and in the offerings and sacrifices of the Temple worship.

These things were not just accidental or happenstance. They were carefully and meticulously designed and planned by God and then given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Moses was instructed at Mt. Sinai to tell the Priests and the people that everything was to be done and observed with precise and careful detail. Why was this detail so important?

Because, God was providing insights and prophetic clues intended to enable the people of the Nation of Israel to be able to know and to identify the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, their ultimate High Priest and Mediator, when He would arrive in the future. These things all pointed to Jesus !!!

...

But we must continue on as there is still more to know about the garments that Aaron, as High Priest, would wear.

There is the Curious Girdle (the skillfully woven waist band ) which was made of the same material and colors as the ephod. What did it represent or picture, you ask? Well, perhaps the reason 'curious' is part of it's name in the KJV gives you a clue in that it is difficult to be sure exactly what it "means". But, as Slemming says:

"... ... this curious belt so connected the ephod with the person who wore it as to impart to him the virtues it contained. ... This appears to be its intention. The robes, as they have been considered, speak of the character of Christ -- white, His Righteousness -- blue, His Divinity -- scarlet, His Humanity -- purple, His Mediatorialship -- bells and pomegranates, His Peace. All these things, like character, are inseparably bound to Him because they are part of Him. ...

The next item of apparel placed on Aaron was the (Leviticus 8:8) _____________________________ into which Moses placed the _____________________ and the ________________________ .

Yes, the Breast piece (breastplate) into which were placed the Urim and the Thummin are the next articles of apparel placed upon Aaron.

What were these and what did they represent?

Well, alas and alack, we do not have time to do these things justice. You really DO need to read that book by Slemming for it goes into much detail concerning the Breast piece. Indeed he has several chapters on this one item alone.

But, in very brief summary form, the Breastplate (breast piece) is called the Breastplate of Judgment in Exodus 28:9-30. It represents or is a picture, shadow, or type of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Deity, Divinity, Humanity, Mediatorialship, and Righteousness (as indicated by the colors in it).

The breastplate was doubled so as to form a pocket or pouch into which the Urim and Thummin were placed. It was through the Urim and Thummin that God was to give His judgment or decisions in the event of doubt. There is much debate as to what exactly the Urim and Thummin actually were. Some believe they were stones, possibly one black and the other white. But there are many other "opinions" and ideas. And, no one really knows for sure. But, we do know that in Hebrew the word Urim means LIGHTS and Thummin means PERFECTION. Thus they picture or shadow for us the fact that Christ is light ('for in Him there is no darkness at all) and Jesus is the light of life ... also Christ is Perfect ! So, we will just leave it at that and say that these objects, whatever they were, also picture Christ and were placed within the folded Breastplate.

Another thing about the breastplate that we know for sure, is that on the outside of the Breastplate were 12 precious stones. These stones represented the 12 Tribes of Israel (Jacob) and were placed in 4 rows of 3 stones each on the breastplate. The name of each tribe was engraved on each stone and each stone was of a different material. There is so much to be learned from a study of these stones, their position, and the tribes they represent. But, you will just have to read that for yourselves in the book by Slemming (or some other source). But, please do take the time to read about these things. You will be awed and thrilled at what they teach.

But, we must continue on.

The last 2 items placed on Aaron were the ______________________ and the _______________________ .

Yes the turban (mitre) and the gold plate (the Sacred Diadem). And what was inscribed on this Gold plate? Well, we were not told this in Chapter 8 of Leviticus, but, they had been previously informed as to the inscription. Now you will be also. So read this passage in Exodus and when you find the words that are engraved on the Sacred Diadem, underline or highlight them.

They made the plate, the sacred diadem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses. .. Exodus 39:30-31

So what does all of this mean, you ask?

Well, the turban (mitre) was white and was made of fine linen, the same type and appearance of the linen used in the white coat. Thus, the head was crowned with the same symbol of holiness and righteousness.

The head, of course, also denotes authority and controls the body. Christ, therefore, is again being pictured, because Christ is Holy and Righteous and is the head of everything and controls everything. The head is also speaks of "wisdom" and, once again, you can see another shadow, picture, type of Christ.

The Gold Plate (the Sacred Diadem) and its inscription, (write the inscription here) ____________________________ are very important.

The fact that it was GOLD speaks of (hint: refer to what you have already learned about what Gold represents ) ________________________________

and the fact that this plate was fastened with a BLUE cord is a reference to ___________________________ .

Yes, once again, we see that the colors (Gold = Eternal Deity, the Godhead and Blue = Royalty, Grace, Divinity ) and the words, Holy to the Lord (Holiness to the Lord in the KJV), obviously all point to Jesus.

So, the garments of the priest -- from the undercoat to the head covering and the sacred diadem -- all point to and are pictures (shadows) of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Redeemer, Savior, and High Priest!

Therefore, the garments, the gold plate (sacred diadem with the inscribed phrase, HOLY TO THE LORD), all serve to constantly remind the Priest and the worshipers that without Holiness to the Lord, all else is worthless!

All the forms, ceremonies, priestly attire, sacrifice, prayer, -- all are mockeries and worthless if not done in Holiness!

And that is the bottom line!

Think on these things. And we will continue our study of Leviticus in the next lesson.

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