The end of the book of Exodus begins the more tedious readings in the Bible: the beginning of the Law, specifications for the tabernacle, the building of the tabernacle along with all the accessories, utensils and garments, more laws to come followed by stimulating geneological accounts of the people of Israel. It is at this point that reading through the Bible in a year becomes a little less glamorous, a little more daunting, and honestly, a little more boring.
But something captured my imagination today as I read about Aaron's priestly garments. All along I've been trying to remind myself that these specifications are reflections of the original institutions in heaven, but I had never considered what that must mean for the beauty of Christ.
Exodus 39 says, "8 He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. 10And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 16And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 17And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 19Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 20And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 21And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses."
My mind and heart have been fascinated by the implications of the garments fashioned for those who were the foreshadowers of Christ.
First, if such ornate design went into the garments of the Levitical priests, how much more intricate is the perfection of Jesus for His duty as Great High Priest. How perfectly God formed Him in the virgin womb. How intentional every step He took on earth, every word that came from His mouth, every life touched by His hand. If no detail or extravagance was spared in the finite replica for Aaron, how much more confidence can we have in the perfectly, intentionally, infinitely extravagant Person of Jesus Christ?
Second, how beautiful He is. How holy He is. The breastpiece held 12 stones, the colors of which I am not familiar. How expensive and rare and precious. The garments were white with gold intertwined in the cords and embroidery. Literal gold that had to be flattened and shaved into threads. The priest was to shine, to be radiant, splendid. Oh how beautiful the body of Jesus. On earth we decorated His with stripes, with ribbons of crimson, with intertwined thorns. But when He returns He will shine in brilliant light, and He will not need a sign such as Aaron had. Aaron's sign was for his forehead and read, "Holy to the Lord." But when Jesus comes, there will be no question. No soul will doubt His holiness. He will be clothed in the brightest white, piercing darkness once and for all.
And every eye will see His beauty, His infinite worth, His all-consuming holiness. Not just Moses, not just the redeemed. Every eye. Physically. Face-to-face, as much as our faces can withstand.
And every knee will bow. The weight will be too great, the contrast too stark, the reality too humbling. We will realize how unworthy are our eyes to behold such beauty and we will bow our knees, our selves, before the King, the Savior, the Great High Priest.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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