SCRIPTURE: Exodus 28
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face. [John 19:2-3]
The high priest is decked out in the finest of attire, and treated with the dignity and honour that he deserves.
And on his shoulders, and near to his heart, he bears the names of God’s people.
There is a similarity and a contrast between the priestly robes of Aaron, and what happens to Jesus before He died. Each carried the burden of the people before the Lord (symbolized by the ephod, two stones engraved with the names of the 12 tribes, on shoulders) and close to their heart (symbolized by the breastplate, with its 12 stones for each tribe).
Each was to appear before God with the sacrifice of atonement, to receive forgiveness of sins.
Each one served as a mediator between God and the people, bringing the peoples’ concerns to God, and bringing God’s will to the people (symbolized by the Urim and Thummim).
The contrast of course is in the indignity suffered by Jesus as he was robed in mockery, not respect.
He was flailed, not hailed. He did not offer sacrificial lamb, He was the sacrificial lamb.
It was not the anointing oil that dripped down His beard and onto the stones bearing the names of God’s people, it was His blood.
He did not just symbolize purity (as did Aaron and the other priests, with their clean white linen robes), He was purity.
Jesus was the ultimate high priest, as well as the high king.
Like the mysterious Melchizedek, he was both priest and king [Hebrews 7], the priest of the new covenant [Hebrews 8] and the sacrificial lamb [Hebrews 9:11-10:18].
He is the perfect fulfillment of all that the old covenant symbolically points forward to.
I especially take comfort from the fact that my name was engraved on His heart, that my sins were born on His shoulders, and that I receive forgiveness and acceptance through Him before God.
I am loved, I am accepted, I am forgiven, I am free and alive! Hail, the king of my life!
May we treat Him with the honour and dignity He deserves!
PRAYER:
Lord, You are amazing, You are perfect, You are everything I need! Thank You for engraving my name in your heart, and dying so that I might live!
The names of each of the tribes was inscribed in a precious stone and fixed in the breastplate. The names are upon the heart showing how precious His people are in His sight. No matter the size of the tribe, they were all dear to Him. So the names were in two places – on the shoulders and upon the heart. The high priest was the people’s representative before the Lord at all times. He spoke to God on the people’s behalf – the go between – the mediator.
Christ speaks on our behalf today. By His blood we are made clean and He represents all His children in His Father’s presence. Our names are written in the palm of His hands. Our doings, my actions are pleasing to the Lord only through Christ’s actions.
As the priest’s clothes show righteousness so that they could come into His presence, in Christ Jesus I am made right with the Father through the Son. I am alive, alive forevermore through the power of Christ my Savior.
Alive alive alive forevermore
My Jesus is alive
Alive forevermore
Alive alive alive forevermore
My Jesus is alive
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive forevermore
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah
My Jesus is alive