cubits, and the breadth *fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. 19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. 20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil-olive beaten for the light, to cause the lampt to burn always. 21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. CHAPTER XXVIII. 2 And thou shalt make 'holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 Ard hou sha't speak unto all that are wisehearted, whom I have fined with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, 'a mitre, and a 'girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined Orders being given for the fitting up of the place of worship, in this and the followas the menial servants of the God of Israel. He hired servants, as a token of his purpose to reside among them. In this chapter, I. He pitches upon the persons who should be his servants, v. 1. II. He appoints their livery; their work was holy, and so must their garments be; and answerable to the glory of the house which was now to be erected, v. 2-5. 1. He appoints the garments of his head servant, the high priest, which were very rich. (1.) An ephod and girdle, v. 614. (2.) A breastplate of judgment, (v. 15-29,) in which must be put the Crim ing chapter, care is taken about the priests that were to minister in this holy place, linen, with cunning work. and Thummina, v. 30. (3.) The robe of the ephod, v. 31-35. (4.) The mitre, v. 36-39. 2. The garments of the inferior pricats, v. 40-43. And these also were shadows of good things to come. AND take thou unto thee "Aaron thy brother, 7 It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9 And thou shalt take two onyx-stones, and grave and his sons with him, from among the children on them the names of the children of Israel: of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the 10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Elea-six names of the rest on the other stone, according zar, and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. fifty by fifty. i ver. 9. k Lev. 24. 2. t to ascend up. I c. 30.8. 1 Sam. 3. 3. 2 Chr. 13. 11. Luke 12. 35. 74 c. 28. 43. 29, 9, 28. Lev. 3. 17. 16. 34. 24. 9. Num. 18. 23. 19. 21. 1 Sam. 30. 25. a Lev, 8. 2. Num. 18. 7. 2 Chr. 26. 18, 21. Heb. 5. 1-4. which the linen hangings were fastened; the hanging which served for the gate was finer than the rest, v. 16. This court was a type of the church, enclosed and distinguished from the rest of the world. The enclosure supported by pillars, denoting the stability of the church, hung with the clean linen, which is said to be the righteousness of saints, Rev. 19. 8. These were the courts David longed for, and coveted to reside in, (Ps. 84. 2, 10,) and into which the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving, (Ps. 100. 4:) yet this court would contain but a few worshippers; thanks be to God, now, under the Gospel, the enclosure is taken down; God's will is, that men pray every where: and there is room for all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ. V. 20, 21. We read of the candlestick in the twenty-fifth chapter; here is an order given for the keeping of the lamps constantly burning in it, else it was useless; in every candlestick there should be a burning and shining light; candlesticks without candles are as wells without water, or as clouds without rain. Now, 1. The people were to provide the oil; from them the Lord's ministers must have their maintenance. Or, rather, the pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which are communicated to all believers from Christ the good Olive, of whose fulness we receive, (Zech. 4. 11, 12,) and without which our light cannot shine before men. 2. The priests were to light the lamps, and to tend them; it was part of their daily service to cause the lamp to burn always, night and day; thus it is the work of ministers, by the preaching and expounding of the scriptures, (which are as a lamp,) to enlighten the church, God's tabernacle upon earth, and to direct the spiritual priests in his service. This is to be a statute for ever, that the lamps of the word be lighted as duly as the incense of prayer and praise is offered. NOTES TO CHAPTER XXVIII. V. 1-5. We have here, I. The priests nominated, Aaron and his sons, v. 1. Hitherto, every master of a family was priest to his own family, and of fered, as he saw cause, upon altars of earth; but now that the families of Israel began to be incorporated into a nation, and a tabernacle of the congregation was to be erected, as a visible centre of their unity, it was requisite there should be a public priesthood instituted. Moses, who had hitherto officiated, and is therefore reckoned among the priests of the Lord, (Ps. 99. 6,) had enough to do as their prophet to consult the oracle for them, and as their prince to judge among them; nor was he desirous to engross all the honours to himself, or to entail that of the priesthood, which alone was hereditary, upon his own family, but was very well pleased to see his brother Aaron invested in this office, and his sons after him, while (how great soever he was) his sons after him would be but common Levites. It is an instance of the humility of that great man, and an evidence of his sincere regard for the glory of God, that he had so little regard to the preferment of his own family. Aaron who had humbly served as a prophet to his younger brother Moses, and did not decline the office, (ch. 7. 1,) is now advanced to be a priest, a high priest, to God; for he will exalt those that abase themselves. Nor could any man have taken this honour to himself, but he that was called of God to it, Heb. 5. 4. God had to their birth. b c. 29. 5, 29. Lev. 8.7, 30. Num. 20. 26, 28. Ps. 132. 16. e Is. 61. 3, 10. Rev. 5. 10. 19. 8. d c. 31. 3. 35. 30-35, Prov. 2. 6. 1 Cor. 12 11. ver. 15. c. 89. 8, 21. 18. 59. 17. Eph. 6. 14. f ver. 6. g ver. 31. c. 39. 22. A Lev.8.7. i c. 39.28. Zech. 3. 5. k Is. 11. 5, or, embroidered. said of Israel in general, that they should be to him a kingdom of priests, ch. 19. 6. But, because it was requisite that those who ministered at the altar should give themselves wholly to the service, and because that which is every body's work will soon come to be nobody's work, God here chose from among them one to be a family of priests, the father and his four sons; and from Aaron's loins descended all the priests of the Jewish church, whom we read so often of, both in the Old Testament and in the New. A blessed thing it is, when real holiness goes, as this ceremonial holiness did, by succession in a family. II. The priest's garments, appointed for glory and beauty, v. 2. Some of the richest materials were to be provided, (v. 5,) and the best artists employed in the making of them, whose skill God, by a special gift for this purpose, would improve to a very high degree, v. 3. Note, Eminence, even in common arts, is a gift of God, it comes from him, and, as there is occasion, it ought to be used for him. He that teaches the husbandman discretion, teaches the tradesman also; both therefore ought to honour God with their gain. Human learning ought particu larly to be consecrated to the service of the priesthood, and employed for the adorning of those that minister about holy things. The garments appointed were, 1. Four, which both the high priest and the inferior priests wore, namely, the linen breeches, the linen coat, the linen girdle which fastened it to them, and the bonnet or turban; that which the high priest wore is called a mitre. 2. Four more, which were peculiar to the high priest, namely, the ephod, with the curious girdle of it, the breastplate of judgment, the long robe with the bells, and pomegranates at the bottom of it, and the golden plate on his forehead. These glorious garments were appointed, (1.) That the priests themselves might be reminded of the dignity of their office, and might behave themselves with due decorum. (2.) That the people might thereby be possessed with a holy reverence of that God whose ministers appeared in such grandeur. (3.) That the priests might be types of Christ, who should offer himself without spot to God, and of all Christians who have the beauty of holiness put upon them, in which they are consecrated to God. Our adorning, now under the Gospel, both that of ministers and Christians, is not to be of gold, and pearl, and costly array, but the garments of salvation, and the robe of righteousness, Is. 61. 10. Ps. 132. 9, 16. As the filthy garments, wherewita Joshua the high priest was clothed, signified the iniquity which cleaved to his priesthood, from which care was taken that it should be purged, (Zech. 3. 3, 4,) so those holy garments signified the perfect purity that there is in the priesthood of Christ; he is holy, harmless, and undefiled. V. 6-14. Directions are here given concerning the ephod, which was the outmost garment of the high priest: linen ephods were worn by the inferior priests, 1 Sam. 22. 18. Samuel wore one when he was a child, (1 Sam. 2. 18,) and David when he danced before the ark, (2 Sam. 6. 14;) but this, which the high priest only wore, was called a golden ephod, because there was a great deal of gold woven into it: it was a short coat without sleeves, buttoned close to him with a curious girdle of the same stuff, (v. 6, 8;) the shoulder-pieces were buttoned together with two precious stones set in gold, one on each shoulder, on which were graven the names of the children of Israel, v. 9—12. In 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like | the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a "memorial. 13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches. 15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16 Foursquare it shall be, being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 17 And thou shalt *set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a tsardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and ra jasper: they shall be set in gold in their tenclosings. 21 And the stones shall be with the names of the I ver. 36. m ver. 29. c. 39. 6, 7. n Josh. 4. 7. Zech. 6. 14. o c. 39. 8. Lev. 8.8. children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it. 26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the fore part thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgfill in it fillings of stone. † or, ruby. p Rev. 4. 3, 21. 19. 20. fillings. 9 Rev. 21. 12. r ver. 12. allusion to this, 1. Christ, our High Priest, appeared to John, (Is. 40. 11,) with the most tender affection. How near should girt about the paps with a golden girdle; such as was the curious Christ's name be to our hearts, since he is pleased to lay our girdle of the ephod, Rev. 1. 13. Righteousness is the girdle names so near his; and what a comfort is it to us, in all our of his loins, (Is. 11. 5,) and should be of ours, Eph. 6. 14. He addresses to God, that the great High Priest of our profession is girt with strength for the work of our salvation, and is ready has the names of all his Israel upon his breast before the Lord, for it. 2. The government is said to be upon his shoulders, for a memorial, presenting them to God, as the people of his (Is. 9. 6,) as Aaron had the names of all Israel upon his shoul- choice, who were to be made accepted in the beloved! Let not ders in precious stones. He presents to himself and to his any good Christians fear that God has forgotten them, nor Father a glorious church, Eph. 5. 27. He has power to sup-question his being mindful of them upon all occasions, when port them, interest to recommend them, and it is in him that they are not only graven upon the palms of his hands, (Is. they are remembered with honour and favour; he bears them 49. 16,) but graven upon the heart of the great Intercessor. See before the Lord for a memorial, (v. 12,) in token of his appear- Cant. 8. 6. ing before God as the Representative of all Israel, and an Advocate for them. V. 15-30. The most considerable of the ornaments of the high priest was this breastplate, a rich piece of cloth, curiously wrought with gold and purple, &c. two spans long, and a span broad, so that, being doubled, it was a span square, v. 16. This was fastened to the ephod with wreathen chains of gold, (v. 13, 14, 22, &c.) both at top and bottom, so that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod, v. 28. The ephod was the garment of service, the breastplate of judgment was an emblem of honour; these two must by no means be separated. If any man will minister unto the Lord, and do his will, he shall know his doctrine. In this breastplate, I. The tribes of Israel were recommended to God's favour in twelve precious stones, v. 17-21, 29. Some question whether Levi had a precious stone with his name on or no. If not Ephraim and Manasseh were reckoned distinct, as Jacob had said they should be, and the high priest himself, being head of the tribe of Levi, sufficiently represented that tribe. If there was a stone for Levi, as is intimated by that, that they were engraven according to their birth, (v. 10,) Ephraim and Manasseh were one in Joseph. Aaron was to bear their names for a memorial before the Lord continually, being ordained for men, to represent them in things pertaining to God, herein typifying our great High Priest, who always appears in the presence of God for us. 1. Though the people were forbidden to come near, and obliged to keep their distance, yet, by the high priest, who had their names on his breastplate, they entered into the holiest; so believers, even while they are here on this earth, not only enter into the holiest, but by faith are made to sit with Christ in heavenly places, Eph. 2. 6. 2. The name of each tribe was engraven in a precious stone, to signify how precious, in God's sight, believers are, and how honourable, Is. 43. 4. They shall be his in the day he makes up his jewels, Mal. 3. 17. How small and poor soever the tribe was, it was a precious stone in the breastplate of the high priest; thus are all the saints dear to Christ; and his delight is in them as the excellent ones of the earth, however men esteem them as earthen pitchers, Lam. 4. 2. 3. The high priest had the names of the tribes both on his shoulders and on his breast, intimating both the power and the love with which cur Lord Jesus intercedes for those that are his. He not only bears them up in his arms with an almighty strength, but he bears them upon his heart, as the expression here is, (v. 29;) carries them in his bosom, II. The Urim and Thummim, by which the will of God was made known in doubtful cases, were put in this breastplate, which is therefore called the breastplate of judgment, v. 30. Urim and Thummim signify light and integrity; many conjectures there are among the learned what they were; we have no reason to think they were any thing that Moses was to make, more than what was before ordered; so that either God made them himself, and gave them to Moses, for him to put into the breastplate, when other things were prepared, (Lev. 8.8,) or, no more is meant than a declaration of the further use of what was already ordered to be made. I think the words may be read thus: And thou shalt give, or add, or deliver, to the breastplate of judgment, the illuminations and perfections, and they shall be upon the heart of Aaron; that is, "He shall be endued with the power of knowing and making known the mind of God in all difficult doubtful cases, relating either to the civil or ecclesiastical state of the nation." Their government was a theocracy; God was their King, the high priest was, under God, their ruler, the Urim and Thummim were his cabinet council; probably Moses wrote upon the breastplate, or wove into it, these words, Urim and Thummim, to signify that the high priest, having on him this breastplate, and asking counsel of God in any emergency relating to the public, should be directed to take those measures, and give that advice, which God would own. If he was standing before the ark, (but without the vai!,) probably he received instructions from off the mercy-seat, as Moses did, (ch. 25. 22;) thus, it should seem, Phinchas did, Judg. 20. 27, 28. If he was at a distance from the ark, as Abiathar was when he inquired of the Lord for David, (1 Sam. 23. 6, &c.) then the answer was given either by a voice from heaven, or rather by an impulse upon the mind of the High Priest, which last is perhaps intimated in that expression, He shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart. This oracle was of great use to Israel; Joshua consulted it, (Num. 27. 21,) and, it is likely, the judges after him. It was lost in the captivity, and never regained after, though, it should seem, it was expected, Ez. 2. 63. But it was a shadow of good things to come, and the substance is Christ. He is our Oracle; by him God in these last days makes known himself and his mind to us, Heb. 1. 1. John 1. 18. Divine revelation centres in him, and comes to us through him; he is the Light, the true Light, the faithful Witness, the Truth itself, and from him we receive the Spirit of truth, who leads into all truth. The joining of the breastplate to the ephod denotes that his prophetical office was ment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an "habergeon, that it be not rent. 33 And beneath, upon the hem of it, thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in "unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 36 And thou shalt make a "plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it Lev. 8. 8. Num. 27. 21. Deut. 33. 8. 1 Sam. 28. 6. Ezra 2. 63. Neh. 7. 65. Heb. 9. 24. u Neh. 4. 16. Job 41. 26. ⚫or, skirts. v Heb. 9. 12. to c. 39. 30. Zech. 14. 20. Heb. 7. 26. 12. 14. Rev. 21. 27. rver. 28, 31. Num. 15. 88. y ver. 43. Lev. 10. 17. 22. 9. Num. 18. 1. Is. 53. 6, 11. Ez. 4. 4, 6. John 1. 29. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 9. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 24. founded in his priesthood; and it was by the merit of his death that he purchased this honour for himself, and this favour for us. It was the Lamb that had been slain, that was worthy to take the book, and to open the seals, Rev. 5. 9. V. 31-39. Here is, In re may be upon the mitre: upon the fore front of the mitre it shall be. 38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. 40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for 'glory and for beauty. 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.§ 43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die. It shall be a statute for ever unto him, and his seed after him. Lev. 1. 4. 22. 27. 23. 11. Is. 56. 7. 60. 7. Eph. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5. a Pa. 45. 14. b ver. 2. c c. 29. 7, 30. 30. 40. 15. Is. 61. 1. All their hand. d Lev. 8. Heb. 5. 4. e Lev. 16 4. Ez. 44. 18. 1 flesh of their nakedness. § be. ƒ c. 20. 26. g Lev. 5. 1, 17. 20. 19, 20. 22. 9. Num. 9. 13. 18. 22. A c. 27. 21. Lev. 17.7. as to bear it from us, and through him it is forgiven to us, and not laid to our charge. (2.) Through him, what is good is accepted; our persons, our performances, are pleasing to God upon the account of Christ's intercession, and not otherwise, 1 Pet. 2. 5. His being Holiness to the Lord, recommends all those to the divine favour that are interested in his righteousness, and clothed with his Spirit. And therefore he has said, it was for our sakes that he sanctified himself, John 17. 19. Having such a High Priest, we come boldly to the throne of grace, Heb. 4. 14-16. 3. The rest of the garments are but named, (v. 39,) because there was nothing extraordinary in them. The embroidered coat of fine linen was the innermost of the priestly garments; it reached to the feet, and the sleeves to the wrists, and was bound to the body with a girdle or sash of needlework. The mitre, or diadem, was of linen, such as kings anciently wore in the East, typifying the kingly office of Christ. He is a Priest upon a throne, (Zech. 6. 13,) a Priest with a crown. These two God has joined, and we must not think to separate them. V. 40-43. We have here, 1. Direction given concerning the robe of the ephod, v. 31-35. This was next under the ephod, and reached down to the knees, without sleeves, and was put on over their head, having holes on the sides to put the arms through, or, as Maimonides describes it, was not sewed together on the sides at all. The hole on the top, through which the head was put, was carefully bound about, that it might not tear in the putting on. ligious worship, care must be taken to prevent every thing that may distract the minds of the worshippers, or render the service despicable. Round the skirts of the robe were hung golden bells, and the representations of pomegranates made of yarn of divers colours. The pomegranates added to the beauty of the robe, and the sound of the bells gave notice to the people in the outer court, when he went in to the holy place to burn incense, that they might then apply themselves to their devotions at the same time, (Luke 1. 10,) in token of their concurrence with him in his offering, and their hopes of the ascent of their prayers to God in the virtue of the incense he offered. Aaron must come near to minister in the garments that were appointed him, that he die not. It is at his peril if he attend otherwise than according to the institution. This intimates, that we must serve the Lord with fear and holy trembling, as those that know we deserve to die, and are in danger of making some fatal mistake. Some make the bells of the holy robe to typify the sound of the Gospel of Christ in the world, giving notice of his entrance within the vail for us; Blessed are they that hear this joyful sound, Ps. 89. 15. The joining of the pomegranates, which are a fragrant fruit, denotes the sweet savour of the Gospel, as well as the joyful sound of it, for it is a savour of life unto life. The church is called an orchard of pomegranates. 2. Concerning the golden plate fixed upon Aaron's forehead, on which must be engraven, Holiness to the Lord, (v. 36, 37,) or the Holiness of Jehovah. Aaron must hereby be reminded that God is holy, and that his priests must be holy; Holiness becomes his house and household. The High Priest must be sequestered from all pollution, and consecrated to God, and to his service and honour, and so must all his ministrations be. All that attend in God's house must have Holiness to the Lord engraven upon their foreheads, that is, they must be holy, devoted to the Lord, and designing his glory in all they do. This must appear in their forehead, in an open profession of their relation to God, as those that are not ashamed to own it, and in a conversation in the world answerable to it. It must likewise be engraven like the engravings of a signet, so deep, so durable, not painted to be washed off, but sincere and last-ness of Christ, if we appear not before God in that, we shall ing; such must our holiness to the Lord be. Aaron must have this upon his forehead, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things, (v. 38,) and that they may be accepted before the Lord. Herein he was a type of Christ, the great Mediator between God and man, through whom it is that we have to do with God. (1.) Through him what is amiss in our services is pardoned. The divine law is strict; in many things we come short of our duty, so that we cannot but be conscious to ourselves of much iniquity cleaving even to our holy things; when we would do good, evil is present; even this would be our ruin, if God should enter into judgment with us. But Christ, our High Priest bears this iniquity, bears it for us, so 1. Particular orders about the vestments of the inferior priests. They were to have coats, and girdles, and bonnets, of the same materials with those of the high priest; but there was a difference in shape between their bonnets and his mitre. Theirs, as his, were to be for glory and beauty, (v. 40,) that they might look great in their ministration: yet all this glory was nothing compared with the glory of grace, this beauty nothing to the beauty of holiness, of which these holy garments were typical. They are particularly ordered, in their ministration, to wear linen breeches, v. 42. This teaches us modesty and decency of garb and gesture, at all times, especially in public worship, in which a vail is becoming, 1 Cor. 11. 5, 6, 10. It also intimates, what need our souls have of a covering, when we come before God, that the shame of their nakedness may not appear. 2. A general rule concerning the garments both of the high priest and of the inferior priests, that they were to be put upon them, at first, when they were consecrated, in token of their being invested in the office, (v. 41 ;) and then, they were to wear them in all their ministrations, but not at other times, (v. 43,) and this at their peril, lest they bear iniquity and die. Those who are guilty of omissions in duty, as well as omissions of duty, shall bear their iniquity. If the priests perform the instituted service, and do not do it in the appointed garments, it is (say the Jewish doctors) as if a stranger did it, and the stranger that comes nigh shall be put to death. Nor will God connive at the presumptions and irreverences even of those whom he causes to draw most near to him; if Aaron himself put a slight upon the divine institution, he shall bear iniquity, and die. To us these garments typify, (1.) The righteous bear iniquity, and die. What have we to do at the wedding feast, without a wedding garment? or, at God's altar without the array of his priests? Matt. 22. 12, 13. (2.) The armour of God prescribed, Eph. 6. 13. If we venture without that armour, our spiritual enemies will be the death of our souls, and we shall bear the iniquity, our blood will be upon our own heads. Blessed is he therefore that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, Rev. 16. 15. Lastly, This is said to be a statute for ever, that is, it is to continue as long as the priesthood continues. But it is to have its perpetuity in the substance, of which these things were the shadows. CHAPTER XXIX. The Consecration of the Priests. EXODUS. Particular orders are given in this chapter, I. Concerning the consecration of the own and bless them in all their services, v. 42-46. AND this is the them, to minister unto me in thing that thou shalt do unto 2 And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened 4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto 5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod. 6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. 7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. 8 And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. 9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and *put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt tconsecrate Aaron and his sons. 10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock. 11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. 13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, a Lev. 8. 2, &c. b Lev. 2. 4. 6. 20-22. c c. 30. 19-21. 40. 12. Lev. 8. 6. Heb. NOTES TO CHAPTER XXIX. V.1-37. Here is, I. The law concerning the confirmation of Aaron and his sons to the priest's office, which was to be done with a great deal of ceremony and solemnity, that they themselves might be duly affected with the greatness of the work to which they were called, and that the people also might learn to magnify the office, and none might dare to invade it. The ceremonies wherewith it was to be done were very fully and particularly appointed, because nothing of this kind had been done before, and because it was to be a statute for ever, that the high priest should be thus inaugurated. Now, his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the 14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and camp: it is a sin-offering. and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. 15 Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon 16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt the altar. wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put 17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and them unto his pieces, and unto his head. altar: it is a burnt-offering unto the LORD; it is a 18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, 23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled and in the hands of his sons; and shalt "wave them 24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, for a wave-offering before the LORD. and burn them upon the altar for a burnt-offering, 25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands, Is. 53. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21. i Lev. 8. 15. tor, midriff.k Lev. 4. 11, 12. Heb. 13. attending in the courts, so that the door between the court and 1. The work to be done was the consecrating of the persons 4. It was done with many ceremonies. (1.) They were to whom God had chosen to be priests; by which they devoted holiness, must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and be washed, (v. 4,) signifying that they must be clean who bear and gave up themselves to the service of God, and God declared spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Is. 1. 16-18. They were now washed all the vessels of the Lord, Is. 52. 11. They that would perfect his acceptance of them; and the people were made to know over; but afterward, when they went in to minister, they that they glorified not themselves to be made priests, but were called of God, Heb. 5. 4, 5. They were thus distinguished washed needs no more, John 13. 10. (2.) They were to be from common men, sequestered from common services, and clothed with the holy garments, (v. 5, 6, 8, 9,) to signify that washed only their hands and feet; (ch. 30. 19,) for he that is set apart for God and an immediate attendance on him. Note, it was not sufficient for them to put away the pollutions of sin, All that are to be employed for God are to be sanctified to but they must put on the graces of the Spirit, be clothed with him. The person must first be accepted, and then the perform-righteousness, Ps. 132. 9. They must be girded as men preance. The Hebrew phrase for consecrating, is, filling the pared and strengthened for their work; and they must be hand; (v. 9,) Thou shalt fill the hand of Aaron and his sons, robed, and crowned, as men that counted their work and office and the ram of consecration is the ram of fillings, v. 22, 26. The consecrating of them was the perfecting of them; Christ with the holy anointing oil, (v. 7,) that the church might be is said to be perfected or consecrated for evermore, Heb. 7. 28. filled, and delighted with the sweet savour of his administratheir true honour. (3.) The high priest was to be anointed Probably, the phrase here is borrowed from the putting of the tions, (for ointment and perfume rejoice the heart,) and in token sacrifice into their hand, to be waved before the Lord, v. 24. But it intimates, (1.) That ministers have their hands full; his work. Brotherly love is compared to this oil with which they have no time to trifle, so great, so copious, so constant is of the pouring out of the Spirit upon him, to qualify him for their work. (2.) That they must have their hands filled. Of to be anointed, (ch. 30. 30,) not on their heads, as the high necessity, they must have something to offer, and they cannot priest, (Lev. 21. 10,) the oil was only mingled with the blood Aaron was anointed, Ps. 133. 2. find it in themselves, it must be given them from above. They that was sprinkled upon their garments. (4.) Sacrifices were The inferior priests are said cannot fill the people's hearts, unless God fill their hands; to him therefore they must go, and receive from his fulness. to be offered for them. The covenant of priesthood, as all other covenants, must be made by sacrifice. 2. The person to do it was Moses, by God's appointment. Though he was ordained for men, yet the people were not to consecrate him; Moses, the servant of the Lord, and his agent herein, must do it. By God's special appointment he now did ( 232 ) them, v. 10-14. The law made them priests, that had infirm- for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a waveoffering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part. 27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heave-offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. 28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel; for it is an heave-offering: and it shall be an heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering unto the LORD. 29 And the holy garments of "Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. 30 And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation, to minister in the holy place. r ver. 18. * Lev, 8. 29. t Num. 18. 11, 18. Deut. 18. 3. u Num. 18. 8. he of his sons. Lev, 8. 35. 9. 1. wver. 2, 3, 23. z Lev. 10. 13-18. John 6. 27, 28. They were to put their hand on the head of their sacrifice, (v. 10,) confessing that they deserved to die for their own sin, and desiring that the killing of the beast might expiate their guilt, and be accepted as a vicarious satisfaction. It was used as other sin-offerings were; only, whereas the flesh of other sin-offerings was eaten by the priests, (Lev. 10. 18,) in token of the priests' taking away the sin of the people, this was appointed to be all burned without the camp, (v. 14,) to signify the imperfection of the legal dispensation; (as the learned Bishop Patrick notes;) for the sins of the priests themselves could not be taken away by those sacrifices, but they must expect a better High Priest, and a better sacrifice. [2] There must be a burnt-offering, a ram wholly burned, to the honour of God, in token of the dedication of themselves wholly to God and to his service, as living sacrifices, kindled with the fire, and ascending in the flame of holy love, v. 1518. The sin-offering must first be offered, and then the burntoffering; for, till guilt be removed, no acceptable service can be performed, Is. 6. 7. [3.1 There must be a peace-offering; it is called the ram of consecration, because there was more in this, peculiar to the occasion, than in the other two. In the burnt-offering, God had the glory of their priesthood, in this, they had the comfort of it: and, in token of a mutual covenant between God and them, First, The blood of the sacrifice was divided between God and them, (v. 20, 21 ;) part of the blood was sprinkled upon the altar round about, and part put upon them, upon their bodies, (v. 20,) and upon their garments, v. 21. Thus the benefit of the expiation made by the sacrifice was applied and assured to them, and their whole selves from head to foot sanctified to the service of God. The blood was put upon the extreme parts of the body, to signify that it was all, as it were, enclosed and taken in for God, the tip of the ear, and the great toe, not excepted. We reckon that the blood and oil, sprinkled upon garments, spotted and stained them; yet the holy oil, and the blood of the sacrifice, sprinkled upon their garments, must be looked upon as the greatest adorning imaginable to them, for they signified the blood of Christ, and the graces of the Spirit, which constitute and complete the beauty of holiness, and recommend us to God: we read of robes made white with the blood of the Lamb. Secondly, The flesh of the sacrifice, with the meat-offering annexed to it, was likewise divided between God and them, that (to speak with reverence) God and they might feast together, in token of friendship and fellowship. 1. Part of it was to be first waved before the Lord, and then burned upon the altar; part of the flesh, (v. 22,) part of the bread, for bread and flesh must go together, (v. 23;) these were first put into the hands of Aaron to be waved to and fro, in token of their being offered to God, (who, though unseen, yet compasses us round on every side, and then they were to be burned upon the altar, v. 24, 25,) for the altar was to devour God's part of the sacrifice. Thus God admitted Aaron and his sons to be his servants, and wait at his table, taking the meat of his altar from their hands. Here, in a parenthesis, as it were, comes in the law concerning the priests' part of the peace-offerings afterward, the breast and shoulder, which were now divided; Moses had the breast, and the shoulder was burned on the altar with God's part, v. 26-28. 2. The other part, both of the flesh of the ram, and of the bread, Aaron and his sons were to eat at the door of the tabernacle, (v. 31, 33,) to signify that he called them not only servants, but friends, John 15. 15. He supped with them, and they with him. Their eating of the things wherewith the atonement was made, signified their receiving the atonement, as the expression is, (Rom. 5. 11,) their thankful acceptance of the benefit of it, and their joyful communion with God thereupon, which was VOL. I.-30 31 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the "bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. 34 And if aught of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. 36 And thou shalt offer 'every day a bullock for a sin-offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. 37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy. 53, 55. y Lev. 22. 10. z Lev. 7. 18. 8. 32. a Ez. 43. 27. Heb. 10. 11. & c. 30. 26, 29. c c. 40. 10. d c. 30. 29. Matt. 23. 19. the true intent and meaning of a feast upon a sacrifice. If any of it were left, it must be burned, that it might not be in any danger of putrefying, and to show that it was an extraordinary peace-offering. Lastly, The time that was to be spent in this consecration: Seven days shalt thou consecrate them, v. 35. Though all the ceremonies were performed on the first day, yet, (1.) They were not to look upon their consecration as completed till the seven days' end, which put a solemnity upon their admission, and a distance between this and their former state, and obliged them to enter upon their work with a pause, giving them time to consider the weight and seriousness of it. This was to be observed in afterages, v. 30. He that was to succeed Aaron in the high priesthood must put on the holy garments seven days together, in token of a deliberate and gradual advance into his office, and that one sabbath might pass over him in his consecration. (2.) Every day of the seven, in this first consecration, a bullock was to be offered for a sin-offering, (v. 36,) which was to intimate to them, [1.] That it was of very great concern to them to get their sins pardoned, and that, though atonement was made, and they had had the comfort of it, yet they must still keep up a penitent sense of sin, and often repeat the confession of it. [2.] That those sacrifices, which were thus offered day by day to make atonement, could not make the comers thereunto perfect, for then they would have ceased to be offered, as the apostle argues, Heb. 10. 1, 2. They must therefore expect the bringing in of a better hope. Now this consecration of the priests was a shadow of good things to come. First, Our Lord Jesus is the great High Priest of our profession, called of God to be so, consecrated for evermore, anointed with the Spirit above his fellows, whence he is called Messiah, the Christ; clothed with the holy garments, even with glory and beauty: sanctified by his own blood, not that of bullocks and rams; (Heb. 9. 12,) made perfect, or consecrated, through sufferings, Heb. 2. 10. Thus in him this was a perpetual statute, v. 9. Secondly, All believers are spiritual priests, to offer spiritual sacrifices, (1 Pet. 2. 5,) washed in the blood of Christ, and so made to our God priests, Rev. 1. 5, 6. They also are clothed with the beauty of holiness, and have received the anointing, 1 John 2. 27. Their hands are filled with work which they must continually attend to; and it is through Christ, the Great Sacrifice, that they are dedicated to this service. His blood sprinkled upon the conscience, purged it from dead works, that they may, as priests, serve the living God. The spirit of God (as Ainsworth notes) is called the finger of God, (Luke 11. 20, compared with Matt. 12. 28,) and by him the merit of Christ is effectually applied to our souls, as here Moses with his finger was to put the blood upon Aaron. It is likewise intimated that Gospel ministers are to be solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry, with great deliberation and seriousness, both in the ordainers, and in the ordained, as those that are to be employed in a great work, and intrusted with a great charge. II. The consecration of the altar, which seems to have been coincident with that of the priests, and the sin-offerings which were offered every day for seven days together, had reference to the altar as well as the priests, v. 36, 37. An atonement was made for the altar. Though that was not a subject capable of sin, nor, having never yet been used, could it be said to be polluted with the sins of the people, yet, since the fall, there can be no sanctification to God, but there must first be an atonement for sin, which renders us both unworthy and unfit to be employed for God. The altar was also sanctified, not only set apart itself to a sacred use, but made so holy as to sanctify the gifts that were offered upon it, Matt. 23. 19. Christ is our Altar; for our sakes he sanctified himself, that we and our performances might be sanctified and recommended to God, John 17. 19. ( 233 ) |