Uniforms are important for many jobs. They identify a person. They give a group unity and collegiality. They are purpose built for the requirements of the job.
We have several organizations which serve the community and have distinctive, purpose made uniforms. The new Fire & Rescue NSW Uniform, for example. Check it out at http://secure.atwone.com/www.ufua.asn.au/pics/080714_mfb_ppe_300.jpg. The tunic is fire resistant and has a high vis strip. The boots have fire retardant properties. The helmet offers and face shield offers protection. If the face shield starts to melt, you know you need to get out.
But the modern Australian soldier doesn’t want high visibility. They wear camoflauged fatigues for battle, as seen at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-03/private-christopher-donovans-uniform-on-display-at/1002028. But they want all the protection they can get, so they have a bullet-proof vest and helmet. They also have communications and weapons at hand.
And of course, each of these organizations have their own symbols, of which they are very proud. See http://www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=933 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Army_Emblem.JPG
In Ancient Israel, God set up a community service organization. It was called the Priesthood . The Priesthood was there to serve the community. It was a privileged job. But it was a dangerous job. And it served under dignified emblems which they were proud to represent.
The whole nation of Israel was called to be a Kingdom of priests. They were a Holy Nation. The whole nation were called to represent Yahweh to the nations and the nations to the people. (Exodus 19:6)
However, Yahweh set up a Priesthood within Israel. One family alone were called to serve at the tabernacle. Yes, the Levites had to protect and guard the tabernacle. They tribe of Levi served and guarded the priests. But the priests themselves were of one Levitical family. And that is the family of Aaron, Moses' older brother. Aaron’s sons were to be the Priests, and Aaron was to be the High Priest. In Exodus chapters 28 to 29 and chapter 39, and Leviticus 8-10, God institutes and sets up the Priesthood.
Their job was to approach Yahweh, who condescended to dwell in the camp. It was an honourable position, a privileged position. But it was also dangerous and life threatening, just as tending a nuclear reactor or fighting a fire is life threatening. The great danger was the Holy God. If they disobeyed any of God’s instructions, or decided they could do things better than what God had said, then they would die. As shown by the fact that, two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were killed by fire from Yahweh when they offered unauthorized incense and fire (Leviticus 10:1-2).
Priestly Garments
The priests' clothing, the clothing of Aaron’s sons, showed the sort of job they had to do. Their special clothing had a mixture of purposes. Some was protective, some was high vis, some was symbolic. All the clothing God said to make gave the office of priest dignity
Sacred Undies (Exodus 28:42)
And God starts with the very basics. First of all, the undies. Exodus chapter 28 verses 42-43:
42 “Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants. (NIV)
The Altar or Tabernacle was no place for a wardrobe failure. And the underwear was first of all protective. The priests must not expose their private parts in Yahweh’s holy place. Otherwise, they would die.
Now, we might think wearning undies is pretty normal. But apparently, underwear was not normal. Apparently it was not until Queen Victoria’s day that underwear became fashionable. Queen Victoria wanted women to be able to go out without embarrassment[1].
Like Queen Victoria, this reminded the priests that Yahweh was different to the Canaanite gods. They were fertility deities. Worshipping them involved sexually immoral practices, and uncovering the private parts. Worship of Yahweh the Holy God was different. There is a proper place for nudity and sex. But it was in the marriage bed, not in the tabernacle.
In fact, in the time of the judges, when the tabernacle was at Shiloh, there were priests who sinned in this way. The sons of the High Priest Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were wicked men. They slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (1 Samuel 2:22). And they were punished by being put to death on one day (1 Samuel 2:34; 3:13; 4:11).
The White Robe, Sash and Turban (Exodus 28:39-41)
Aaron and his sons were also to wear a white uniform during their priestly service. It consisted of a white robe, sash, and turban. This was for all the priests, all the sons of Aaron, and was their distinctive uniform for the work in the courtyard. This gave them dignity and honor. The white robes were most probably symbolic of purity. All their ministrations were conducted barefoot with washed feet and hands. For they stood on holy ground. For artists' impressions of the priestly and high priestly clothing see:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timna_Tabernacle_3.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foster_Bible_Pictures_0072-2_Priests_of_the_Tabernacle.jpg
High Priestly Garments
The high priest wore all the garments that the Priests wore. But for all of his ministrations, except for the day of Atonement, he had additional garments placed over the top of them. When the High Priest was in the courtyard and the Holy Place, the High Priest had three layers on top of the white linen garments worn by the ordinary priests. Aaron, and his son designated the High Priest after him, wore additional highly symbolic and ornamented clothes.
We notice firstly that the High Priest matches the tabernacle. Gold, blue, purple and scarlet linen (Exodus 28:5). The High Priest belongs in the Tabernacle.
And he is a royal figure, a King. His clothes are royal and rich, gold and precious stones, and he wears a diadem, or crown plate.
And it was also Hi Viz clothes. He was distinctive and could be seen.
Worn immediately over the white robe was the blue robe (Exodus 28:31-43; Ex 39:22-31). On it’s bottom hem it had alternating bells and pomegranates. The bells would ring as he walked barefoot in the courtyard and the Holy Place. Not only could he be seen, but also heard. A courtesy to the King, Yahweh, and a matter of safety for the High Priest. For if the bells did not sound, he would die (Exouds 28:35).
The Ephod was worn over the Blue robe (Exodus 28: 6-14; Ex 39: 2-7). This garment matched the tabernacle colour scheme, being interwoven with blue, scarlet, purple and gold.
Set into the Ephod were two engraved Onyx stones, one on each shoulder. On each stone was inscribed the names of 6 tribes of Israel. The High Priest symbolically carried the Israelites on his shoulders in the tabernacle.
Exodus 28:12 says the stones are: ... as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.
The following picture is an artist's impression of what the High Priest's ministrations in the Holy Place might have looked like: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jones_The_Holy_of_Holies.jpg.
Over the Ephod, and made of the same materials, was the breast piece (Exodus 28:15-28; Exodus 39: 8-21). See http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Kohenbreastplate.jpg. Square, and doubled over like a pocket (Ex 28:16), it was said to contain the Urim and the Thummim. We don’t actually know what the Urim and the Thummim were, except that they were devices that provided guidance from Yahweh and enabled national decisionmaking.
The 12 precious stones set into the Ephod were again each inscribed with the name of a tribe of Israel. The names of the precious tribes of Israel were not only born on his shoulders but placed over the High Priest’s heart. In his ministrations, he continually presented their names before the Lord as a memorial to them (Exodus 28:29) The symbolism clearly demonstrates that the High Priest is thus a representative of his people. His clothes said he was a representative. The High Priest carried God’s people over his heart and bore them on his shoulders. Picture him in the Holy Place, before the Altar of Incense and the curtain, offering incense symbolic of prayer, as he carried the names of God’s people on his body.
In addition to the white turban, the High Priest wore the Gold Head piece or head plate (Exodus 28:36-38), also called the sacred diadem (eg Exodus 29:6). On the gold plate was engraved ‘Holy To Yahweh’. This is the symbolism of the Gold head piece.
It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord (Exodus 28:38 NIV).
The High Priest is firstly Holy. But we notice he is Holy for a purpose. So that he can bear the guilt of his people who aren’t holy. God places the guilt of Israel’s offerings on the High Priest’s head. For he represents his people before God.
There was one exception however, to the High Priest’s dress. For the High Priest was only ever allowed to go into the Most Holy Place once a year. And not without shedding much blood, for his own sin, and the sin of the people. That was on the Day of Atonement. On that day, he didn’t wear his regular blue, purple, red and gold clothes (Leviticus 16:4). He wore only white linen clothes. He came into the Most Holy Place with incense from the altar of incense and blood from the bronze altar. And he sprinkled blood on the atonement cover of the ark. And this blood atoned for the sins and rebellion of the people. God said the ceremonies of the day of Atonement (the high point being the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies with blood and incense) would cleanse the people from all their sins (Leviticus 16:30). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holman_The_Mercy_Seat.jpg.
Well, the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is our High Priest. All of the types of the High Priest’s office are fulfilled in Christ’s work for us.
17 For this reason [Jesus Christ] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. … (Hebrews 2:16-18 NIV)
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV)
Jesus is our Mediator. He intercedes and comes before the Father on our behalf. He is one of us – truly human. He was tempted, though without sin. But being without sin enhances his ministry. Because it enables him to provide a pure and perfect sacrifice for us.
Jesus also makes atonement for his people. So the author to the Hebrews says:
1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. (Hebrews 8:1-2) 24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 … But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:24-26 NIV)
When Jesus died, he was stripped down to a seamless garment, woven in one piece from top to bottom (John 19:23). This is the same description as the robe worn by the High Priest. And then he was stripped naked as the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus Christ was both priest and sacrifice. He who was always Holy to the Lord, bore our guilt and rebellion on his head. He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
And because of his blood, every Christian can offer acceptable sacrifices to the Father. We are all priests, and we offer ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be our logical living, sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). These spiritual sacrifices are now acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5, 9).
For friends, every believer is now a priest, and Jesus Christ, our brother, is our great High Priest. Jesus’ has cleansed our garments white with his blood, so our priesthood is acceptable.
So we read in Revelation 7 of a great multitude whom no one can cound from every nation, tribe, people and language (v9). They are wearing white robes, priestly robes. Not those of the High Priest, but those of the Priests. Jesus has made us a Kingdom of Priests (Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:9-10). And so we read in Revelation 7:14-15:
These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.’ (NIV)
That is us. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin has left it’s crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. Jesus has justified us by his blood (Revelation 19:23). The white linen we receive is the justification that each of the saints receives through Jesus’ death (Revelation 19:23). Jesus Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25).
And so now all that’s left for us to do is to be busy offering our Father acceptable sacrifices. Not bloody sacrifice. That’s already been done by Jesus Christ. But a sacrifice of praise, fruit of lips that confess his name (Hebrews 13:15). We are a royal priesthood that declares the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9-10). And of course, when we do it with unbelievers, this becomes evangelism. We have the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that other Gentiles might because an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by his Spirit (Romans 15:16)
And we must not forget that we should do good and share with others, for now because of Christ, with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:16).
Brothers and sisters, as fellow priests, let’s pray.
[1] http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/ommoverride/qvu_tn.pdf