True Priestly Attire

Exodus 28:1-14 

1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron's sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
    5 “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.  9 “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

Priestly Attire was given by instruction of God for Aaron and his four sons.  They were to wear holy clothing to set them apart from others and apart for ministering to the Lord in His holy place of meeting for worship and instruction.  These special pieces of clothing were both beautiful and for God’s glory as described by God to Moses.  They were an ephod (vest), a breastplate to represent the people of God in intercession, and other clothing, showing the holiness of God in representing themselves as set apart or holy in their service.  The first piece described is the ephod vest, artistically made (“for beauty”) and containing stones on the shoulder straps with the twelve tribes of Israel from His twelve sons (God’s people of His glory).  These names were then born on their behalf by the priest before God to remember them and represent them in supplication and worship as their representative.  We now have Christ representing and interceding eternally for us as our one true High Priest; we no longer need holy clothing on the outside, but worn on the heart and lived out to others in word and deed (1 John 3:18).  He represents us to the Father in His holiness and righteousness, and He alone is hailed as being full of mercy and grace.  No holy garments or special priests represent us or are now required, for we all who are in Christ are His priests (Exodus 19:6, 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10, Revelation 1:6, 20:6).  This then speaks of True Priestly Attire; not the ceremonial of the physical tabernacle, but the true spiritual of the heart.  We now worship God in the beauty of holiness, being set apart by and for Him alone.  Amen and amen.