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THE PENTATEUCH PART II: EXODUS
Lesson 14: Exodus chapters 27:1-28:43
Instructions for the Holy Sanctuary Part II and
Instructions for the Liturgical Vestments of the Priest
During his forty days on the mountain of God, Moses received instructions on how to duplicate the heavenly Sanctuary on earth, creating a focal point for worship and liturgy that not only mirrored the heavenly reality but held the promise of an eternal future, living and worshiping eternally in the heavenly Sanctuary in the Presence of Yahweh-God.
The altar of sacrifice stood in the courtyard of the Sanctuary which was the open space between the entrance and the Tabernacle. It was circa 7.5 feet square and c. 4.5 feet high. The altar of sacrifice, like the ark, table, frames of the Sanctuary and the incense altar was to be made of acacia (shittim) wood overlaid with metal.
The altar was a wooden box without top or bottom overlaid with bronze. It had projections at each of its corners, which the biblical text describes as "horns." The horns of the altar had an important function in the priestly ritual of blood sacrifice (i.e., Ex 29:11-12; Lev 4:7), and in the future, when the sanctuary was built to cling to the horns of the altar was to plead for mercy (1 Kng 2:28).
A grating of bronze was to be made that would fit inside the square bronze frame of the altar so the ashes from the fires that consumed the sacrifices would not collect on the top. With its raised meshwork the grating fitted into the box of the bronze covered wooden form of the altar.
The bottom of the altar was the packed earth of the ground. A ramp probably allowed access to the top of the altar which also had a ledge on which the priest stood when officiating in offering sacrifices (Ex 27:5). This would explain the expression "going up and coming down" connected with the priestly service in offering sacrifice (Ex 20:26; Lev 9:22, etc.).
Four bronze rings, two rings on two opposite sides, were attached to the altar and two wooden poles covered with bronze were slid through the double rings so the altar could be transported. Everything made for the Sanctuary had to be easily disassembled for the wilderness journey to the Promised Land, and those furnishing and the structure of the Sanctuary and its Tabernacle had to be just as easy to reassemble at each stop along the way.
The "tent of meeting" refers to the Tabernacle "the meeting place between God and man. The Menorah was to be kept burning in the Holy Place outside the curtain that hung in front of the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Testimony (Covenant) was to be kept.
The Hebrew word tamid literally means "standing," and like the word "standing" in English the Hebrew word has a double meaning. In this passage the word is used in "standing" as in continual or perpetual "of the seven lamps of the Menorah at least one is to be kept burning perpetually.
Chapter 28: The Instructions for the Priestly Vestments
The Vestments of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest)
- Ketonet (tunic): A tunic made of white linen that reached to the feet. It was woven all of one piece with a boxlike knit. It was worn under the other liturgical vestments next to the skin and was tied with a sash (Ex 28:40; 29:5; 39:27; Lev 6:3/10; 8:7, 13; 16:4).
- Me'il (robe): a one-piece blue garment reaching almost to the feet with only a neck opening. It was similar to a chasuble or a poncho. The Hem of the me'il was of alternating pomegranates and bells. The pomegranates were made of blue, purple and scarlet wool, and they were alternated with gold bells (Ex 28:31-35; 39:22-26).
- Ephod (priestly ephod): garment with shoulder straps and stones on the shoulders [avnei shoham = onyx stones? ] with the engraved names of the sons of Israel according to birth order, six on each shoulder, with a tie belt made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet wool and twisted linen (Ex 28:6-14; 39:2-7).
- Abnet (waistband): A girdle or sash woven of fine linen with embroidery work in blue, purple, and red (Ex 28:4, 40; 39:29).
- Choshen/ hosen (breastplate): The breastplate of judgment was a folded pocket worn on the breast with 12 stones in 4 rows of 3, one stone for each of the 12 Tribes of Israel engraved with the name of each tribe and in which the Urim and Tumim [Thummim] were carried. The chosen [breastplate] is attached to the Ephod with straps/ties (Ex 28:15-30; 39:8-21).
- Misnepet (head-dress): A turban/ miter made of linen to which the golden head-plate, the symbol of consecration, was attached on the front with an embroidered blue ribbon (Ex 28:37, 40; 39:31).
- Tzitz (head-plate): This item also called the nezer (diadem or crown). It was made of pure gold, inscribed with the words "Holy to YHWH" and was tied with a blue ribbon to the miter (Ex 28:36-39; 39:27-31).
- Miknasim (underpants): Breeches made of linen, extending from the waist to the thighs and secured with a cord (Ex 28:42-43; 39:28; Lev 6:3/10).
Question: It is interesting that there are eight sacred vestments for the High Priest instead of seven. What is the symbolic meaning of the number eight in Scripture and why is it significant that the vestments of the Kohen Gadol reflected the number eight?
Answer: Eight is the number of redemption, salvation, and re-birth. As Yahweh's High Priest, Aaron was to stand before the people as the image of redeemed man. It was the High Priest's role to serve as Yahweh's chief minister, as the people's intercessor, and as a symbol of redeemed man "the symbol of man fully restored in God's image and therefore an image of the living sanctity the people were to strive for in their lives.
The inspired writer of the Book of Wisdom (18: 20 - 21) wrote of the intercession of Aaron as Israel's holy High Priest when the people were threatened with annihilation in the desert:
Included among the garments of the High Priest was an ephod. The designation "ephod" in Scripture appears to be applied to more than one type of religious garment:
- There was an ephod that was a garment similar to a loin cloth that was worn next to the skin and was a sign of a priestly order ( 1 Sam 2:18; 22:18; 2 Sam 6:14, 20-23; 28:42; 1 Chr 15:27). It may have been worn over the linen underpants when performing certain tasks that would have soiled the linen tunic.
- There was the sacred ephod of the High Priest which was an elaborate ceremonial garment made of linen with dyed wool and gold embroidery that was suspended from the shoulders like an apron with shoulder straps and a waistband. It was worn over the linen tunic and worn over the ceremonial robe (Ex 28:6-14; 39:2-7).
- Some verses refer to an ephod as an oracular device which was carried "these passages are probably referring to the "breastplate of judgment" containing the urim and thummim which was "carried" by the High Priest in that it was worn on the High Priest's chest over the priestly ephod ( 1 Sam 14:3, 18-19, 36-42; 22:18; 23:9-11; 30:7-8; Judg 18:5).
The High Priest's ephod was sleeveless garment shaped something like an apron with shoulder straps and a waistband. On the shoulder straps were two stones engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Israel. It is unclear what stones were used. According to the Septuagint the engraved stones were emeralds. Josephus identified them as "sardonyx" which is the best grade of onyx (Antiquities of the Jews 3.7.5).
Question: In what way were the two stones with the twelve names a "reminder" before Yahweh?
Answer: They served as a reminder to the High Priest that when he ministered in Yahweh's Sanctuary that he represented all the covenant people of Israel who were the descendants of the twelve sons of Israel.
Question: What cultic objects were carried in the breastplate of judgment and what was their function? See Num 27:21; Judg 18:6; 1 Sam 10:20-21; 14:41-42; 23:2, 10-12; 2 Sam 2:1; 5:19.
Answer: The urim and thummim were apparently objects similar to lots which were cast to determine a "yes" or "no" answer according to the will of God.
Etymologically the Hebrew words urim and thummim mean "lights and "perfections" These objects were a mysterious gift of God intended to illuminate Yahweh's divine will. When used by the High Priest they functioned as an oracle (also see Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; Dt 33:8; 1 Sam 14:41; 28:6; Ezra 2:63 and Neh 7:65) giving answers to "yes" or "no" questions posed to God by the High Priest or the King. These objects were last mentioned as being used during the reign of King David (1 Sam 28:6). Their loss was lamented after the return from exile in Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65.
Question: How was the robe worn in the order of the vestments?
Answer: It was worn immediately under the ephod and over the linen garment and breeches.
Question: What color was the robe and what was its distinctive feature?
Answer: It was dyed blue and along the hem there were blue, purple, and red pomegranates and golden bells.
The miter of the High Priest was not like the soft folded contours of a turban but it was made full and stiff by the many thick swathes of linen which gave the miter its shape when covered by a single layer of linen. The golden head-plate with the words "Consecrated to YHWH" was attached to the miter with a blue ribbon.
Leviticus Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty: Laws Concerning Judgments for Religious Offenses
This section of the Holiness Code consists of fourteen prohibitions and judgments for the violators dealing with moral offenses against the families of Israel that were prohibited in chapter eighteen and offense against God. It also reflects some of the abuses listed in chapter nineteen.
This section reaffirms Yahweh's appeal for holiness (20:7) after the second law and concludes with Yahweh's extended appeal for Israel to live in holiness when they take possession of the Promised Land (20:22-26). These laws are not only moral laws but are religious laws with judgments that, in the majority of cases, impose the death penalty or exile. When these laws are violated, the implication is that the violator isn't just immoral but he ceases to be holy as God is holy and in three cases the violators is rejecting God in favor of false gods or spirits.
CHALLENGE: “How can the Gospels of Mark and Luke be accurate? Neither Mark nor Luke was an eyewitness of Jesus.”
DEFENSE: You don’t have to be an eyewitness to write an accurate biography. Today biographers don’t have to know the person they are writing about. They don’t even have to be alive at the same time as their subject. Consider all the recent biographies of Abraham Lincoln. No modern authors were eyewitnesses of Lincoln, yet people don’t discount their biographies on that basis. What matters is that a biographer has access to reliable sources, and both Mark and Luke did.
According to the first-century figure John the Presbyter, who was likely one of the authors of the New Testament and who is sometimes identified as the apostle John, Mark served as Peter’s interpreter (cf. 1 Peter 5:13) and wrote his Gospel based on his knowledge of Peter’s preaching (see Eusebius, Church History 3:39:14–15).
Based on the unusual prominence of Peter in Mark’s Gospel, scholars have generally agreed that this is correct.
Richard Bauckham has even argued that Mark uses a literary device known as inclusio to signal the fact that Peter stands behind the information in his Gospel (see Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, chapters 6–7).
Mark is thus based on eyewitness testimony. Similarly, Luke informs us at the beginning of his Gospel that the information in it was “delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (Luke 1:2).
We can even tell which eyewitnesses much of the information came from. First, Luke used Mark as one of his sources, so some of his material came from Peter through Mark. Second, Luke spent several years with Paul in Rome (Acts 28:16, 30), where Peter also spent the later part of his ministry. Peter thus served as a major source for Acts 1–12 (see Day 26), and Luke likely derived some of the material in his Gospel directly from Peter as well. We can also detect other sources. For example, Luke preserves traditions derived from the Virgin Mary, and he signals this by noting how Mary “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, cf. 2:51).
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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