Exo 28:1-29:37 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Exod 28:1-43: 28:1-43 These glorious and beautiful (28:2 ) garments for Aaron were to distinguish him as a priest set apart (Hebrew qadash , “consecrated”) for [the Lord ’s] service (28:3 ). The magnificence of these garments is in keeping with the grandeur of the Tabernacle, which functioned as a portable earthly palace for God. There would come a day when Jesus Christ, the true High Priest, would enter the Most Holy Place once for all, and the distinction between priests and people would fade away (Heb 10:11-22 ). Until that time, human mediators were needed to symbolize the wonderful thing that God was planning to do in the hearts, lives, and behaviors of those with whom he shared his presence. Summary for Exod 28:1-2: 28:1-2 The garments described in this chapter are primarily those for Aaron, the first high priest. The clothing for Aaron’s sons, who functioned as his assistants, is described in 28:40-43 .

Summary for Exod 28:1-43: 28:1-43 ^a These glorious and beautiful (28:2 ^b) garments for Aaron were to distinguish him as a priest set apart (Hebrew qadash, “consecrated”) for [the Lord’s] service (28:3 ^c). The magnificence of these garments is in keeping with the grandeur of the Tabernacle, which functioned as a portable earthly palace for God. There would come a day when Jesus Christ, the true High Priest, would enter the Most Holy Place once for all, and the distinction between priests and people would fade away (Heb 10:11-22 ^d). Until that time, human mediators were needed to symbolize the wonderful thing that God was planning to do in the hearts, lives, and behaviors of those with whom he shared his presence.
Summary for Exod 28:1-2: 28:1-2 ^e The garments described in this chapter are primarily those for Aaron, the first high priest. The clothing for Aaron’s sons, who functioned as his assistants, is described in 28:40-43 ^f.
Summary for Exod 28:6-14: 28:6-14 ^g The ephod was a kind of apron consisting of front and back pieces joined by shoulder straps (28:7 ^h) and secured by a decorative sash (28:8 ⁱ, 27-28 ^j). Perhaps it is mentioned first because it was understood to be the distinctive high priestly garment. The fact that Gideon later made a gold ephod (Judg 8:27 ^k) suggests that the garment was thought to have special powers.
28:12 ^l names on his shoulders (cp. Isa 9:6 ^m): The badge of office on the shoulder indicated what the person was really carrying. Thus, the high priest represented the people before God, and with his royal garments he represented the glory of God before the people.
Summary for Exod 28:15-30: 28:15-30 ⁿ More attention is given to the chestpiece than to any other item, suggesting the importance attached to it. It apparently symbolized the priest’s representation of Israel (28:17-21 ^o, 29 ^p) and was a container for the Urim and Thummim, by which God made his will known (28:30 ^q). The chestpiece represented the totality of the high priest’s tasks of bringing the people to God and bringing God’s word to the people.
28:29 ^r The high priest would go into the Holy Place (the outer room of the sanctuary) to trim the lamp, replace the bread on the table, and replenish the incense on the altar that stood outside the Most Holy Place.
28:30 ^s The Urim and Thummim (Hebrew terms that might translate as lights [or curses] and perfections) were apparently a pair of stones that were thrown down to get a yes or no answer from God. No physical description of these objects exists; their use is further explained in Num 27:21 ^t; Deut 33:8 ^u; 1 Sam 28:6 ^v; Ezra 2:63 ^w; and Neh 7:65 ^x.
Summary for Exod 28:31-35: 28:31-35 ^y The robe worn under the ephod is described. The bells signaled that the priest was still moving and had not been struck dead by God’s presence (see Lev 10:1-2 ^z). Jewish tradition tells us that the priest had a cord tied to his ankle so that if he died in the Holy Place (Exod 28:35 ^aa), his body could be dragged out.
Summary for Exod 28:36-38: 28:36-38 ^ab Like all the other elements of the high priest’s clothing and activities, the medallion worn on the front of the turban was to remind the people that God is holy, and his holiness had implications for their entering his presence. God wished to dwell with his people, but his holiness would destroy them unless he took preventative steps. God determines the way into his presence; we do not. The central question of the Bible is how a sinful people can live in the presence of a holy God so that God can share his holy character with them. Ultimately, the answer is provided in Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God who is the perfect mediator (Luke 4:34 ^ac; Heb 9:11-15 ^ad). He did not die only to rescue us from the consequences of our sin, but so that God can live in us, reproducing his holy character in us (Eph 2:10 ^ae; 4:22 ^af; Phil 1:27 ^ag; 1 Pet 1:13-16 ^ah).
28:39 ^ai Apparently the tunic was a shirt worn under the robe (see 29:5 ^aj).
Summary for Exod 28:42-43: 28:42-43 ^ak Expressions of sexuality were a frequent part of pagan religion, as worshipers attempted to control the powers of fertility. In some cases, priests served their deities in the nude. Not even a hint of sexual manipulation was acceptable in the worship of the Lord. His blessings could not be achieved through magical manipulation. Thus, even unintentional display of the genitals was guarded against.

‏ Exodus 29:1-37

Summary for Exod 29:1-37: 29:1-37 ^al Moses was required to consecrate (or sanctify) Aaron and his sons to serve the Lord. This emphasis on making the priests holy is found throughout the ceremonies (29:6 ^am, 21 ^an, 28 ^ao, 29 ^ap, 34 ^aq, 36 ^ar, 37 ^as). They were set apart not merely for service, but to serve a God whose nature is utterly different from that of fallen, sinful humans. The report of how these instructions were carried out is found in Lev 8 ^at. 29:1 ^au with no defects: The same word is translated “blameless” and “perfect” in reference to human and divine behavior (e.g., Gen 17:1 ^av; Ps 18:30 ^aw, 32 ^ax). The sacrifice is representative of God’s own character and the character he seeks in humans.
29:4 ^ay wash them with water: This act dramatized the truth that no one can live in God’s presence with the filth of sin in their lives (29:21 ^az).
29:7 ^ba The anointing oil empowered a person for a task through the Holy Spirit (see Isa 61:1 ^bb).
29:9 ^bc forever: The fulfillment of this promise, as with the one to David, clearly leads beyond the merely human. Aaron’s own behavior was less than sterling (e.g., ch 32 ^bd; Num 11 ^be), and the behavior of his sons and descendants was no better (1 Sam 2:12-17 ^bf; Isa 28:7 ^bg; Ezek 8:15-16 ^bh; Mal 2:1-9 ^bi). The promise could only find its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ (see Heb 7:26 ^bj; 9:11 ^bk).

• To ordain (literally to fill the hands) means to give a person a task to perform.
Summary for Exod 29:10-34: 29:10-34 ^bl The consecration of the priesthood of Aaron involved a sin offering (29:10-14 ^bm), a burnt offering (29:15-18 ^bn), and an ordination offering (29:19-28 ^bo). The same patterns established here are expanded to the regular offerings of the people (see 29:38-46 ^bp; Lev 1–5 ^bq). In all three cases, Aaron and his sons lay their hands on [the] head of the sacrificial animals (Exod 29:10 ^br, 15 ^bs, 19 ^bt), indicating that sin is a matter of life and death, and that it can only be removed by a death. Because it represents life, blood is prominent in these ceremonies (29:12 ^bu, 16 ^bv, 20 ^bw, 21 ^bx).
29:13 ^by The fat was considered the best part and so was given to God.
29:14 ^bz The remains represented what was unclean in human behavior.

• sin offering: See Lev 4 ^ca.
Summary for Exod 29:15-18: 29:15-18 ^cb The next offering was a gift of thanks to God; it also represented the complete giving of oneself to God.
29:18 ^cc pleasing aroma: Such language is anthropomorphism, describing God with human terms and experiences. God’s delight in an appropriately offered sacrifice is like a human’s enjoyment of a pleasing smell.
Summary for Exod 29:19-28: 29:19-28 ^cd This ordination offering is very similar to the peace (or fellowship) offering later described in Lev 3 ^ce. The fat was burned as a gift to the Lord, but the breast and the thigh, after having been dedicated to the Lord by lifting them up before him (29:24-26 ^cf), became the portion for the priests to eat (29:26-28 ^cg). In the regular peace offering, the remainder of the meat was to be eaten by the person making the offering in a fellowship meal (Lev 7:11-18 ^ch), as the priests did here (Exod 29:31-34 ^ci).
Summary for Exod 29:20-21: 29:20-21 ^cj The placing of the blood on the earlobes, thumbs, and big toes represented dedication of the entire person to God. Sprinkling it on their clothes indicated that the clothing, too, could be used only for holy purposes.
29:30 ^ck The descendant who succeeds him: Each succeeding high priest was to be ordained in the same way.
29:31 ^cl This sacred place was probably in the courtyard of the Tabernacle.
Summary for Exod 29:32-34: 29:32-34 ^cm Eating in the presence of the Lord signified an intimate relationship with him (as in 24:9-11 ^cn).
29:33 ^co their purification: Or their atonement. Traditionally, atonement has been described as a “covering over.” Some more recent commentators seek to derive the term from another Semitic root (which does not occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible) and thus arrive at “blot out, erase, or cleanse.” In either case, the effect is the same: Persons and objects are made capable of surviving in God’s presence because of a negation of the effects of their sin.
29:37 ^cp As with the priests, the altar was to be made holy so it could be used in service of the holy God.