The Heart of Our High Priest
Aaron and the high priests of Israel's history were to wear specific clothing as they ministered before the Lord in the Most Holy Place.
Exodus 28:29–30 (ESV) So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
The most striking feature of the priestly garments for was the breatpiece.
Exodus 28:15–21 (ESV) “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
The priest was to have a covering over his chest with four rows of three treasured gems each representing the names of the sons of Israel. The gemstones were worn by the priest as he entered into God's presence reminding the people that they were God's treasured possession.
When Israel was fully free of Egypt and before the received the law, God announced this to them:
Exodus 19:5 (ESV) Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
The same gemstones here in Exodus were also in Eden:
Ezekiel 28:13 (ESV) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
The gemstones were worn on the heart of the High Priest for generations as he would attend to the sacrifices and atonement before God every year. Their weight would be heavy as they were all valuable metals. Each metal represented a name. Each name represented a character and person. Each person represented several different faults, failures and sins. The history of Israel will show that every tribe was tainted and misdirected by something. Yet God had the High Priest bear them on his heart as He bore the judgement (Exodus 28:30) of the people before the Lord.
Our great High Priest Jesus bore the judgement of our sins on the Cross for us. His heart was weighted heavily with YOU - His precious possession. If we realize that the stones listed here in Exodus also appear in Eden and the New Jerusalem - it is not too much to figure out the point of the Bible - God is coming after what was lost. We've been exiled by our sins away from His presence, and He is working to bring us back. He came to feel the weight of our sin upon Himself. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He is worthy of our praise!
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Exodus 28:29–30 (ESV) So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.
The most striking feature of the priestly garments for was the breatpiece.
Exodus 28:15–21 (ESV) “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
When Israel was fully free of Egypt and before the received the law, God announced this to them:
Exodus 19:5 (ESV) Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Ezekiel 28:13 (ESV) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
They will finally appear in the heavenly city at the end of Revelation:
Revelation 21:19–20 (ESV) The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
The gemstones were worn on the heart of the High Priest for generations as he would attend to the sacrifices and atonement before God every year. Their weight would be heavy as they were all valuable metals. Each metal represented a name. Each name represented a character and person. Each person represented several different faults, failures and sins. The history of Israel will show that every tribe was tainted and misdirected by something. Yet God had the High Priest bear them on his heart as He bore the judgement (Exodus 28:30) of the people before the Lord.
Our great High Priest Jesus bore the judgement of our sins on the Cross for us. His heart was weighted heavily with YOU - His precious possession. If we realize that the stones listed here in Exodus also appear in Eden and the New Jerusalem - it is not too much to figure out the point of the Bible - God is coming after what was lost. We've been exiled by our sins away from His presence, and He is working to bring us back. He came to feel the weight of our sin upon Himself. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He is worthy of our praise!
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
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