Exodus 29:15-18 Burnt offering ram

"Take one of the rams,

and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.

Slaughter it and take the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides.

Cut the ram into pieces and wash the inner parts and the legs,

putting them with the head and the other pieces.

Then burn the entire ram on the altar.

It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma,

an offering made to the LORD by fire."

Exodus 29:15-18 (NIV)

__________________________________________________

These verses describe part of the process of consecrating the priests of the LORD (which is described in Exodus chapter 29).  Already in this process, Aaron and his sons have been washed and dressed in their priestly garments, and a bull has been offered as a sin offering.

Now one of the two prescribed rams has been selected as a burnt offering to the LORD.  This offering, according to the ESV Study Bible, is later described in Leviticus as one which is offered as atonement for the sins of the one offering it. (Leviticus 1:3-4)

The entire ram is burned on the altar, after all the pieces have been washed and arranged.  This seems to symbolize total dedication to the LORD.

The other ram's purpose, which involves consecration for ordination, will be discussed in the next post.

Exodus 29:10-14 The Bull: the sin offering

"Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting,

and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.

Slaughter it in the LORD's presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Take some of the bull's blood

and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger,

and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.

Then take all the fat on the inner parts,
the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them
and burn them on the altar.

But burn the bull's flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp.j
It is a sin offering."

Exodus 29:10-14 (NIV)
________________________________________________

The bull mentioned in these verses was the one specified in the early verses of this chapter. (v.1,3)

Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head, indicating that this animal will be the substitute for themselves and that their sins will be transferred to it.  This is a concept called substitutionary atonement.  We will certainly deal more deeply with this as we get into the book of Leviticus, but for the moment, here are some verses where such a concept is displayed:

  

Exodus 29:10  "Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head."

Exodus 29:14  "But burn the bull's flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp.  It is a sin offering."

Leviticus 1:3-4  "If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect.  He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD.  He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him."

Leviticus 3:8  "He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting.  Then Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides."

[I know this may sound gross to some of you, but let me note two things:  1)When it says 'slaughter,' it is not in a cruel, hacking-with-knives frenzy which that term may bring to mind due to your association with certain horror movies, and 2) the sprinkling of the blood against all the sides of the altar, (and it is 'sprinkling,' not flinging gallons of blood about the place) -- though messy, reflects the concept of the blood being a covering for sin.  Hebrews 9:22 says, "In fact the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Leviticus 4:3-4  "If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.  He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting  before the LORD.  He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD."

 

So the process of consecrating the priests of the LORD which is described in our passage (Exodus 29:10-14) also incorporates this idea of having a sacrifice to deal with the sins of the priest and his sons in order that they may be fit to later offer sacrifices for the people.

The process seems pretty straightforward -- after Aaron and his sons lay hands on the bull, it is to be slaughtered in the LORD's presence at the Tent of Meeting, and some of the bull's blood is put on the horns of the altar.  The fat on the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat are to be burned on the altar, while the bull's flesh and hide and offal are burned outside the camp.

There are no doubt many other aspects which I have not mentioned, but we will cover more of that at a later time when we get to Leviticus and discuss these things in greater detail.

Exodus 29:1-9 Aaron and His Sons Are Dressed for Their Ordination as Priests of the LORD

"This is what you are to do to consecrate them,

so that they may serve me as priests:

Take a young bull and two rams without defect.

And from fine wheat flour, without yeast, make bread,

and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil.

Put them in a basket and present them in it --

along with the bull and the two rams.

Then bring Aaron and his sons

to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting

and wash them with water.

Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic,

the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece.

Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.

Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban.

Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.

Bring his sons and dress them in tunics

and put headbands on them.

Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.

The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.

In this way shall you ordain Aaron and his sons."

Exodus 29:1-9 (NIV)

________________________________________

These paragraphs serve as an overview of the process of ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests of the LORD.  A young bull and two rams without defect, along with bread, cakes and wafers made from fine wheat flour and oil are presented to the LORD.  Then Aaron and his sons are brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, ceremonially washed, and dressed in their priestly garments.

The text is careful to note that this priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.  Following paragraphs will give more of the details about the ordination process and the consecration of the Tent of Meeting, the altar, and the priests themselves.

Exodus 28:36-43 HOLY TO THE LORD

"Make a plate of pure gold

and engrave on it as on a seal:

HOLY TO THE LORD.

Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban;

it is to be on the front of the turban.

It will be on Aaron's forehead,

and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate,

whatever their gifts may be.

It will be on Aaron's forehead continually

so that they will be acceptable to the LORD.

Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen.

The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.

Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron's sons,

to give them dignity and honor.

After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons,

anoint and ordain them.

consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body,

reaching from the waist to the thigh.

Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting

or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,

so that they will not incur guilt and die.

This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants."

Exodus 28:36-43 (NIV)

________________________________________________________________

The theme of holiness and being set apart unto the LORD continues in these verses, which speak of the turban, tunics, sashes, headbands and undergarments which Aaron and his sons will wear in their service as priests of the LORD.

The plate of pure gold attached to the turban, with its engraved message of 'HOLY TO THE LORD' set the tone of these verses.  Aaron, as high priest, would bear the guilt for any sin/shortcoming involved in the offering of sacred gifts by the Israelites.  Remember that on the Day of Atonement, the high priest (as representative for the Israelites) would make an offering for the sins of the nation.  I suppose that any guilt occurring from offering sacred gifts in a less than acceptable way would be covered by this arrangement until the next day of Atonement.  Thus the pure gold plate would be "...upon Aaron's forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD."

As usual in the previous priestly garments, the tunic and turban (and most likely, the headbands and sashes) would be woven of fine linen.  The sashes would be the work of an embroiderer.

Tunics, sashes and headbands would be made for Aaron's sons to give them dignity and honor.  As previously mentioned, this was not so that they would be proud of their position, but so that they would be recognized by the people as being set apart for the work of service to the LORD.

Linen undergarments would be worn by Aaron and his sons to prevent indecent exposure (and thus guilt) as they ministered in the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar to minister in the Holy Place.  [Exodus 20:26 "And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it."]  At times Aaron and his descendants would minister on altars with steps (Leviticus 9:22, Ezekiel 43:17), yet these linen undergarments would prevent such problems of exposure.

These instructions were to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.

Exodus 28:31-35 The Robe of the Ephod

"Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth,

with an opening for the head in its center.

There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening,

so that it will not tear.

Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn

around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.

The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate

around the hem of the robe.

Aaron must wear it when he ministers.

The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place

before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die."

Exodus 28:31-35 (NIV)

______________________________________________

The design for the robe of the ephod was fairly straightforward:  made from blue cloth, with an opening in the center for the head, with a woven edge around the opening to prevent tearing.  The robe was decorated around the hem with alternating pomegranates and gold bells.

The NIV Study Bible says regarding these verses:

"According to Jewish tradition,

one end of a length of rope was tied to the high priest's ankle

and the other end remained outside the tabernacle.

If the bells on his robe stopped tinkling while he was in the Holy Place,

the assumption that he had died could be tested by pulling gently on the rope."

 

...because, I suppose, nobody wanted to be the one who had to enter the Holy Place and pull the unfortunate man's body out if he had somehow transgressed and paid for the sacrilege with his life.

Why, though, did God direct the priest to have the bells as part of his outfit in the first place?  The text above says that the sounds of the bells will be heard when the priest is entering or leaving the Holy Place, "...so that he will not die."  Obviously, God did not need to be warned that someone was entering or leaving the Holy Place, because He knows everything.  However, this explanation from the ESV Study Bible may provide some insight:

"Approaching God carelessly can lead to death (Exodus 19:21-25).

Every part of the tabernacle service involves intentional actions

 on the part of the priests and the people

 that are meant to teach Israel that the LORD is holy.

The LORD did not need to be alerted to Aaron's presence by the sound of bells,

but they served to greet God reverently when Aaron entered and left the tabernacle."

   

The Urim and Thummim: Breastpiece of Decision

In the previous post, we were looking at the construction of the breastpiece of the High Priest.  For details of how it was to be made, read  the posts on Exodus 28:15-21 and Exodus 28:22-30.  After studying Exodus 28:15-30 carefully, we had a fairly clear idea of the appearance of this breastpiece.  Now, in this post, we will deal with several questions which probably arose in your mind, as they did in mine:

What was this breastpiece of decision and what were the Urim and Thummim?

Let me take these questions one at a time.

Obviously, the breastpiece of decision had something to do with, well, making decisions.  Not 'what-should-I-have-for-breakfast' types of decisions, but instead, decisions which had to do with what God wanted the people of Israel to do as a nation.  Otherwise, the high priest, who represented the nation, wouldn't have had to have one.

What I usually do when there is a subject in the Bible which I don't fully understand, is to look at all of the passages in the Bible which speak about that subject.  Now, you could do that several ways, like reading through the whole Bible and listing the passages which speak of the matter, and then studying them to get the full picture.  However, a quicker way to do that is to look up the subject in a concordance, where all of the references for passages which contain that particular word/subject are listed.  Then you can look each reference up in the Bible.  You don't have a concordance?  Don't worry, there are concordances online which can be freely used.  You  may also be able to use one at a library, if they have one.

Another Bible study help is a commentary.  Commentaries contain just that:  comments upon a particular word or passage or concept.  Use a variety of them, as many as you can find.  I have found that most will have some nugget of information which you can use.  Many will also give you an outline of each book of the Bible, its historical background, and helpful maps and drawings or pictures.  Recognize that the writers are also fellow humans, and thus, can make errors or come to wrong conclusions.  I compare what they write with the Bible, to see if what they say rings true.  Remember that only the Bible is the source which is always true.

Now, back to our study.  Let's look at some of the Bible passages which speak about the breastpiece.  Most of the references to the breastpiece seem to be in the books of Exodus and Leviticus.  Check it out:

Exodus 25:7
             28:4,15,22-24,26,28-30
             29:5
             35:9,27
             39:8,15-17,19,21

Leviticus  8:8

Most of the references above are regarding the construction of the breastpiece or how it was placed in relation to the high priest's outfit.  The highlighted references above may yield some other facts, so let's take a look at them more closely:


Exodus 28:15  "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions -- the work of a skilled craftsman.  Make it like the ephod:  of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen."


[As we already noted, this breastpiece was somehow to be used in making decisions for the nation.]


Exodus 28:28-30  "The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.  Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD.  Also, put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD.  Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD."
    
[There was great care taken to fasten the breastpiece securely to the ephod so that it was not left swinging about in an undignified manner.  Aaron bore the names of the tribes of Israel over his heart.  The Urim and Thummim were put into the breastpiece, so that Aaron would always have the means of making decisions for the Israelites.]

The NIV Study Bible comments on this verse noted that "...the Hebrew for the phrase 'Urim and Thummim' probably means 'the curses and perfections'...Urim begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Thummim begins with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  They were sacred lots and were often used in times of crisis to determine the will of God (see Numbers 27:21).  It has been suggested that if Urim (curses) dominated when the lots were cast the answer was "no," but if Thummim (perfections) dominated it was "yes."  In any event, their "every decision" was "from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33)."

I must confess that I find this method of decision-making a bit odd.  It seems that it was only used in a crisis situation, though, so perhaps it was done this way so that the people would not have to worry if the decisions being made were just coming from out of the high priest's own mind and not from God.  Or perhaps it underlined the fact that they were relying upon the LORD for direction in the crisis.

Leviticus 8:8   "He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece."

[This was part of an account where Moses was ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests of the LORD.]

Here are some verses where the the Urim and Thummim, or just the Urim, are mentioned.  There are not a lot of such verses, but perhaps they can shed some light upon how they were used or in what kinds of circumstances they were employed:

Exodus 28:30
Leviticus 8:8
Numbers 27:21
Deuteronomy 33:8
I Samuel 28:6
Ezra 2:63
Nehemiah 7:65

Some verses where King David called for "the ephod," [which implied the accompanying articles of the high priest's garment, including the breastpiece, which held the Urim and Thummim] are as follows:

I Samuel 23:9-12
I Samuel 30:7-8

That is all that I know at this time regarding the Urim and Thummim.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Exodus 28:22-30 More About the Breastpiece

"For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope.

Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece.

Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece,

and the other ends of the chains to the two settings,

attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners

of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod.

Make two more gold rings and attach them

to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod,

close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod.

The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied

to the rings of the ephod with blue cord,

connecting it to the waistband,

so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,

he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart

on the breastpiece of decision

as a continuing memorial before the LORD.

Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, 

so they may be over Aaron's heart

whenever he enters the presence of the LORD.

Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions

for the Israelites

over his heart before the LORD."

Exodus 28:22-30 (NIV)

__________________________________________

There are an awful lot of prepositions in this section, so I tried to put spaces between the various steps involved in the making of this breastpiece.  Otherwise you can get lost in the midst of the rings, chains, settings, corners and ephod!

I found that if I read this passage slowly, imagining what I would be doing at each point if I was actually making the breastpiece, the description made perfect sense.

Of course I also asked God for wisdom, as He instructs us to do in James 1:5 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault,

and it will be given to him." 

James 1:5 (NIV)

Now comes the really puzzling part.  What was this "breastpiece for making decisions" (Exodus 28:15) all about?

Also, what on earth are the Urim and Thummim?

Since over the years I never fully researched an answer to these two questions, and since this post is already long enough for one reading, I will deal with these questions in the next post.

I will say, though, that even as I just began to examine various passages which speak of the Urim and Thummim, God's Word itself began to make the matter clear.  This is what I love -- when the Word is interpreted by the Word itself, instead of by anyone's mere speculation.  We are not given exhaustive information about these matters, but enough to move on in confidence about the purpose of these items.  So I look forward to studying these matters more fully and sharing with you what I find.

Exodus 28:15-21 The Breastpiece of the High Priest

"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions--

the work of a skilled craftsman.

Make it like the ephod: of gold,

and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn,

and of finely twisted linen.

It is to be square

 -- a span long and a span wide --

and folded double.

Then mount four rows of precious stones on it.

In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl;

in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald;

in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;

in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.

Mount them in gold filigree settings.

There are to be twelve stones,

one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,

each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."

Exodus 28:15-21 (NIV)

______________________________________________

So far, the construction of the breastpiece is fairly straightforward.  It is made of materials identical to materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarns and finely twisted linen.  It is square and folded double.  Mounted upon it in gold filigree settings are twelve precious stones -- one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

[It should be noted that the precise identification of some of these stones is uncertain, so you may find some stones listed differently in other versions of the Bible.] However, the attention to detail and the use of gold filigree settings and precious stones engraved with the name of each tribe certainly indicate the great value and loving regard which God placed upon His people.

Exodus 28:6-14 The Ephod

                                   

       "Make the ephod of gold,
and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn,

       and of finely twisted linen --

the work of a skilled craftsman.

         It is to have two shoulder pieces

         attached to two of its corners,

   so it can be fastened.

Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it --

of one piece with the ephod and made with gold,

and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn,

and with finely twisted linen.

Take two onyx stones and engrave on them

the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth --

six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other.

Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones

the way a gem cutter engraves a seal.

Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings

and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod

as memorial stones for the sons of Israel.

Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders

as a memorial before the LORD.

Make gold filigree settings

and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope,

and attach the chains to the settings."

Exodus 28:6-14 (NIV)

_________________________________________________________

I so need pictures.  I have seen very helpful pictures about the priestly garments in various study Bibles, but I am sure that it is not legal to copy them without permission.  There may be some pictures online for public use.  It would make things much easier to understand.  I have been wanting to get more pictures for the rest of this blog, too.

Some observations in the meanwhile:

• The ephod is made of blue, scarlet, purple and gold yarns and finely twisted linen.  These materials are the same as those used in the tabernacle itself.  The priests are to act as God's representatives to the people.  The ESV Study Bible notes on these verses list five ways that the priests acted as God's representative to the people:

                                 1)  They oversaw the sacrifices.

                                 2)  They pronounced blessings.

                                 3)  They taught God's Word.

                                 4)  They administered justice.

                                 5)  They were examples of holiness.

• The two onyx stones (engraved with the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth, six names on one stone and the other six names on the other stone) show the great value which God places upon the nation as a whole.  The breastpiece,which we will talk about in the next post, has twelve precious stones, each with the name of an individual tribe.  Exodus 28:12 says this about the two onyx stones:  "And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel.  And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance."

• Note:  'remembrance', at least on the LORD's part, does not mean that He would have forgotten them otherwise.  This word or concept of remembrance/memorial often means that God brings them to mind in order to do something good for them.  For example, in Genesis 8:1, "God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."  As the NIV Study Bible notes: "To 'remember' in the Bible is not merely to recall to mind; it is to express concern for someone, to act with loving care for him." 

Palm Sunday: The Reason for the Celebration

I wanted to take a brief break from the book of Exodus to write about Palm Sunday, which was celebrated several Sundays ago.  This was because I taught about it in my Sunday School class of 5th and 6th graders, and in the research leading up to that class, I found some great verses and concepts which I wanted to share with all of you.

First of all, it was interesting that our class 'landed' upon the section of material in our Sunday School curriculum which dealt with Palm Sunday.  In previous weeks, we had been going through a study of the Israelites in Old Testament times, and how they had been taken into captivity because they had not listened to God's prophets and kept worshiping other 'gods' in addition to the one true God.  Then we had continued to learn about how God graciously restored the Jewish people to their nation, and how the prophets warned the people that they should be careful to continue to only worship God.

In one week's lesson, we had dealt with the prophet Joel.  Prophets usually either preached repentance or foretold events which would take place in the future.  Joel did both.  Israel at the time was experiencing a plague of locusts so great that Joel referred to them as a 'nation'.  Joel explained that these locusts were God's judgment upon the people for their wicked ways, and he urged them to repent.  Seemingly, the people repented, for God took the locusts away.

Joel also preached about things which would come in the future.  He spoke about "the Day of the LORD".  This was a coming judgment which was far more serious than the plague of locusts.  When prophets speak of  "the Day of the LORD", or "That day" or "in the end" or "in the latter days" or similar phrases, they are usually speaking about the time of the last judgment or the end times.  The plague of locusts in Joel's day was similar to what would happen in the time of that last judgment because the sheer number of locusts darkened the skies, like the events of the last days, in which the sun, moon and stars are going to be darkened.  Also, the locusts brought destruction and terrified the people, which is also the way people will respond to the events happening during those last days.

In those last days, Joel prophesied that the LORD would gather all nations into a valley near Jerusalem called the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  "Jehoshaphat" means "the LORD judges".  The nations believe that they are actually gathering to fight against Jerusalem and destroy it once and for all.  They do not know that they are going to face their own destruction.  At that time, the sun and moon will grow dark and the stars will stop shining.  Joel also compares this valley to a winepress.  The armies gathered in the valley are like grapes in a winepress, ready to be stomped upon because of their unrepentant wickedness.

After that, the LORD restores many good things to Israel.  The land will be fertile, producing grapes and other food in abundance.  A fountain of water will spring from the temple and water the valley north of the Dead Sea.

More importantly, it is a time when God will restore spiritual blessings to Israel.  God will pour out His Spirit upon all people, and be with His people in a mighty way.  No enemy army will ever threaten Israel again.  Jesus will be recognized as Israel's Messiah, and He will rule the world from Jerusalem.  This is in fulfillment of the promises God had made to Abraham long ago, when He promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession.

What does this all have to do with Palm Sunday and why was it interesting that our class had landed upon a certain section of Scripture on that particular day?  Well, in the few months before, our class had a rather sporadic attendance.  If everyone came, there should be about 6 children present, but instead, each week only one or two had been coming.  I would teach the lesson I had prepared, but then the next week, there would also be only one or two attending, and this time it would be a different set of children who hadn't been present the last week.  Because I didn't want anyone to miss the information covered in the material, I would teach these children the prior week's lesson before moving on to new material.  It was kind of frustrating, but I figured it was best this way.  We were behind according to the curriculum, but at least I had taught them all as thoroughly as I could.  Besides, sometimes if they had missed the previous week's lesson, they would not understand the context of the new material.

On this particular Palm Sunday, we were about to study about the prophet Zechariah.  Zechariah prophesied about the first coming of the Christ/Messiah and also about his second coming.  Here was one of our passages from Zechariah 9:9:

"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)

This passage is quoted in the New Testament by Matthew in chapter 21:5.  To read the whole thing in context, let's look at Matthew 21:1-17.  Keep in mind that it occurred 550 years after Zechariah prophesied these events:

"As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

'Go to the village ahead of you,

and at once you will find a donkey tied there,

with her colt by her.

Untie them and bring them to me.

If anyone says anything to you,

tell him that the Lord needs them,

and he will send them right away.'

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

'Say to the Daughter of Zion,

"See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey." '

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

They brought the donkey and the colt,

placed their cloaks on them,

and Jesus sat on them.

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,

while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

'Hosanna to the Son of David!'

'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'

'Hosanna in the highest!'

When Jesus entered Jerusalem,

the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?'

The crowd answered,

'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'

Jesus entered the temple area

 and drove out all who were buying and selling there.

He overturned the tables of the money changers

and the benches of those selling doves.

'It is written,' he said to them, 

'My house will be called a house of prayer,'

but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple,

and he healed them.

but when the chief priests and the teachers of the law

saw the wonderful things he did

and the children shouting in the temple area,

'Hosanna to the Son of David,'

they were indignant.

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,

" 'From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise'?"

And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany,

where he spent the night."

Matthew 21:1-17 (NIV)

So the reason it was interesting that we were studying Zechariah that morning was because we were studying a passage in Zechariah which spoke about the very events which were fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday...and it was Palm Sunday.

However, a more important fact is that this passage is the fulfillment of so many prophetic passages in the Scriptures: 

Check it out: 

1.  The obvious one is that Jesus fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 as he rode into Jerusalem.  By doing this, He was saying that He was indeed Israel's Messiah.

2.  Jesus entered the temple and drove out the buyers and sellers.  That may seem rude until you realize that the sellers were occupying the space which was meant to be for Gentile worshipers of God from other nations.  The Jews were chosen to be God's people, not so that they could keep it to themselves, but so that they could bring the news about salvation through the Messiah to all the nations.  How could people from other nations draw near to hear of the true God if these merchants were selling there?  Also, at least some of the sellers were cheating the people with unfair prices and exchanges of currencies.  Most importantly, the temple was meant to be a house of prayer, not a marketplace.  When people objected to his action of clearing the temple court, Jesus reminded them that the Scriptures said that the temple was supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:6-7), and that their dishonest actions were fulfilling what Jeremiah 7:11 said was the offense of making the temple into a den of robbers.  The 'den of robbers' imagery was not only about the cheating going on there.  The NIV Study Bible notes on this verse indicate that, just as robbers trusted in their den as a place of safety, some of the religious leaders trusted in their association with the temple to keep them safe, despite their sins.  Jesus' words are a warning to these religious leaders that since Jesus had given them ample evidence that He was the Messiah, their continued rejection of His claims and their plans to kill him (Matthew 12:14) would not be overlooked just because they had this professional connection with the temple.

3.  Jesus healed the blind and lame at the temple.  This fulfilled Psalm 103:2-3, which indicated that the LORD would bring healing:

"Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits --

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,..."

Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV)

 Jesus had also healed people at many other times in his ministry.

4.  The children shouted "Hosana to the Son of David".  They recognized Jesus as the Son of David who was to reign, the Messiah...even if the chief priests and teachers of the law didn't.  Their very praise fulfilled  Psalm 8:2, a prophecy about how God would be praised through children...and how this praise would '...silence the foe and avenger'.  Their praise was a composite of other verses as well, such as Psalm 118:25-27:

"O LORD, save us;

O LORD, grant us success.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

From the house of the LORD we bless you.

The LORD is God,

and he has made his light shine upon us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar."

Psalm 118:25-27 (NIV)

The context of those verses in Psalm 118 speak of the 'cornerstone' (Psalm 118:22) which is Messianic imagery.  Also, the stone which overcame all worldly kingdoms and grew to fill the earth in Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:27-45) was God's kingdom, which would overcome all other kingdoms.  Jesus had presented himself to Israel as God's Messiah, come to make atonement for sinners, and most of the religious leaders had rejected his offer.

The verses immediately following (Psalm 118:28) speak like this: "You are my God and I will give you thanks; you are my God and I will exalt you." -- which is why the religious leaders were indignantly asking Jesus if he had heard (i.e, understood) what these children were saying about him. When Jesus calmly referred them to Psalm 8:2,

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise

because of your enemies,

to silence the foe and avenger"

Psalm 8:2 (NIV)

 ...it appears that his detractors had nothing else to say.  They knew that he implied that he was the Messiah and that they were acting as foes and avengers.  They had reacted to Jesus' revelation of himself as Israel's Messiah, not with godly zeal, but, as the NIV Study Bible noted, as "one who strikes back in malicious revenge".  True to Psalm 8:2, they fell silent.  Within the week their actions would reveal their true intentions, as they arrested Jesus and sought his crucifixion.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me be quick to note that I am not blaming the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Jesus chose to die for the sins of the world.  Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners in need of a Savior.  Several passages in Scripture make it clear that no one could force Jesus to do anything.  Some of my favorite ones are these:

"...Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword,

drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

'Put your sword back in its place,' Jesus said to him,

'for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once

put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled

that say it must happen this way?' "

Matthew 26:51-54 (NIV)

____________________________________________

"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him,

went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?'

"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.

"I am he," Jesus said.

(And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)

When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground."

John 18:4-6 (NIV)

  I especially like that last passage in John 18, because it shows who really was in charge of the events which were taking place.  The crowd was armed with swords and clubs, but Jesus was in charge of the situation.  Their falling on the ground after his announcement is a nice touch, too.  There had been a sense of  majestic dignity in his words.  In the gospel of John, there are many times where Jesus uses these words "I am." to describe himself.  (See John 6:35; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 10:7,9; John 10:11,14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 18:4-6)  The NIV Study Bible notes that in the Greek language, these words are solemnly emphatic and echo Exodus 3:14:

"God said to Moses,

'I AM WHO I AM.

This is what you are to say to the Israelites:

"I AM has sent me to you."

Exodus 3:14 (NIV) 

I do not think that it is an accident that Jesus uses these same words here.

There is much more to be said on these matters, but these are some of the thoughts which occupied my mind during the weeks between Palm Sunday and Easter/Resurrection Sunday.

Exodus 28:1-5 Garments and Duties of the Priests of the LORD

"Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites,

along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, 

so they may serve me as priests.

Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor.

Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters

that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration,

so he may serve me as priest.

These are the garments they are to make:

a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash.

They are to make these sacred garments

 for your brother Aaron and his sons,

so they may serve me as priests.

Have them use gold and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen."

Exodus 28:1-5 (NIV)

_______________________________________________

In this passage, Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar are set apart as priests of the LORD.  The garments which they are going to be given will help indicate their position of dignity and honor -- not so that they will exalt themselves, but so that the people will recognize that God has set these men apart to serve Him as priests.  In fact, three times in this very passage similar statements are repeated: "...so they may serve me as priests"/ "so he may serve me as priest".

The garments which are to be made are the following:  a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash.  In the following posts which deal with verses 6-43 of Exodus chapter 28 we will take a closer look at each of these items.

First, though, let's take a moment to see what Scripture says about the duties of the priest of the LORD.  The NIV Study Bible notes on these verses mention these three duties:

1)"to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins"  Hebrews 5:1-2

2)"to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray"  Hebrews 5:1-2

3) to read the law of Moses to the people and remind them of their covenant
    obligations                Deuteronomy 31:9-13  

      "So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.  Then Moses commanded them:  'At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.  Assemble the people -- men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns -- so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.  Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.' "
                                                                              Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (NIV)


"...all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.  They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.  He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand.  And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law."
                                                                              Nehemiah 8:1-3  (NIV)

Note:  Later verses in Nehemiah chapter 8 (v.4) indicate that Ezra read from a high wooden platform which enabled everyone to be able to see him.  Also, the Levites instructed the people and explained things so that the people could understand what was being read. (v.7-8,12)  Hearing God's Word brought both joy (as they understood the meaning of the law) and the realization of their own sins (as they realized that they had not kept their covenant obligations).

Exodus 27:20-21 Lamps and the Light of the World

"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives

for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.

In the Tent of Meeting,

outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony,

Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD

from evening till morning.

This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites

for the generations to come."

Exodus 27:20-21 (NIV)

___________________________________________

The NIV Study Bible notes on these verses inform us that unripe olives were crushed in a mortar, then placed in a cloth basket so that the oil could drip through, producing a clear fuel which burned with little or no smoke.

Aaron and his sons were to keep these lamps burning from evening till morning.  The lamps were outside the curtain which is in front of the ark of the covenant/ark of the Testimony.  Previously I had written about this curtain, which was made of blue, scarlet and purple yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it.  (Exodus 26:30-33)  Since this curtain separated the Most Holy Place, where the ark of the Testimony was set, from the Holy Place, it had these cherubim worked into the design not only for beauty, but as a warning that no one should approach the Most Holy Place carelessly.  Its symbolism harks back to the time when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life, so that Adam and Eve in their sinful state should not take of the tree of life and live forever in that condition. (Genesis 3:22-24)

Only the high priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies -- and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement.  Before he did so, he had to purify himself and offer a sacrifice for  his own sins, before coming before God's presence in order to intercede on behalf of the Israelites:

"Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.  This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 5:1-3 NIV)

Interestingly, at the very moment when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, the curtain in Herod's temple tore from top to bottom, signaling that the sacrifice Christ made on the cross had opened the way for the believer to approach God directly -- and that no further sacrifice needed to be made on man's behalf, for Jesus Christ had offered his own blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sins:

Mark 15:37-38  (NIV) "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!' " 

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV) "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a High Priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

Hebrews 10:19-22  (NIV) "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."

Exodus 27:9-19 The Court of the Tabernacle

"Make a courtyard for the tabernacle.
The south side shall be a hundred cubits long
and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen,
with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases
and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long
and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases
and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

 The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide
and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases.

On the east end toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide.
Curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on one side of the entrance,
with three posts and three bases, and curtains fifteen cubits long
are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.

For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits long,
of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen
-- the work of an embroiderer --
with four posts and four bases.

All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases.
The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,
with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases.
All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle,
whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it
and those for the courtyard,
are to be of bronze."

Exodus 27:9-19 (NIV)
_________________________________________________

The instructions for the courtyard of the tabernacle are continued in these verses.  These instructions are very specific as to the length and width of the courtyard, and the materials to be used in making the curtains, the hooks and bands on the posts, other utensils and even the tent pegs.  Detailed instructions regarding the positioning of the curtains is also included.

Although some may find these details tiresome, they serve to underline the serious nature of coming to worship the God who made the universe.  The details also reveal an emphasis upon God's holiness:  It is no light matter to come before the Holy One.

Some of the material is even repeated for emphasis.  The last paragraph in these verses is a summary of previous details which were given regarding the construction of the tabernacle courtyard.  Some new information, though, is included:  the curtains are to be five cubits high, which is about 7.5 feet or about 2.3 meters.  Also, the instructions for the making of other utensils -- even down to the tent pegs -- are additional commands.

Exodus 27:1-8 The Altar of Burnt Offering

"Build an altar of acacia wood,

three cubits high;

 it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.

Make a horn at each of the four corners,

so that the horns and the altar are of one piece,

and overlay the altar with bronze.

Make all its utensils of bronze --

its pots to remove the ashes,

and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans.

Make a grating for it, a bronze network,

and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network.

Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar.

Make poles of acacia wood for the altar

and overlay them with bronze.

The poles are to be inserted into the rings

 so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.

Make the altar hollow, out of boards.

It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain."

Exodus 27:1-8 (NIV)

______________________________________________

Some observations:

• This altar is the altar of burnt offerings. (Exodus 38:1-7)
• There were horns at each of the four corners. Their function is not elaborated upon, but both Adonijah and  Joab laid hold of these horns when attempting to seek refuge from Solomon. (I Kings 1:50; 2:28)  I will go into more detail when we get to those passages, but Adonijah had made moves to secure the throne for himself when David was old.  Specifically, he had "exalted himself" (I Kings 1:5) by inviting the king's sons and all the royal officials of Judah to what basically amounted to a party to declare his own right to the throne.  He neglected to invite officials from Israel or anyone else who had been loyal to David, like David's mighty men or the prophet Nathan or Zadok the priest...or his brother Solomon.  When Bathsheba (Solomon's mother) and Nathan warned David of these things, David called for Solomon to be immediately declared king in his place, as he had promised.  When Adonijah's guests realized that Solomon had been declared king by David, and that they had become unwitting partakers in Adonijah's rebellion, they fled the scene and Adonijah had taken hold of these horns on the altar.
• The ESV Study Bible notes that it was a common ancient Near Eastern custom to take asylum at shrines.  (Exodus 21:12-14)   However, even in that passage in Exodus, it allows for the possibility of being taken away for punishment even from the Tabernacle altar's horns, for the asylum was intended for when someone had accidentally killed another, not murdered him.  Of course Adonijah had not murdered anyone yet, but if he had been declared king I am sure that Bathsheba and Solomon and others loyal to David would have been removed.]
• By the way, when Solomon found out that Adonijah was clinging to the horns of the altar for refuge, he promised that if Adonijah acted worthily, he would be spared, but if Adonijah continued in rebellion, he would die.  Unfortunately, Adonijah later made another not-so-subtle attempt to usurp the throne when he requested one of David's former wives as a wife for himself.  Being the oldest of David's living sons and having one of David's former wives would have lent Adonijah a certain credibility in the eyes of the people and strengthened his claim upon the throne.  King Solomon recognized this attempt by his older brother to rebel against his own rule and gain the throne for himself, and had him killed.  Joab, who fled to the horns of the altar, was also killed, for his support in this plan and also as punishment for his part in the previous murders of Abner and Amasa.  (I Kings 2:13-36)  Again, the idea of refuge at the altar did not include using it as an escape from willful murder.
• Verse 8 of this passage notes that Moses had been shown how the Tabernacle furnishings should look -- when he was on the mountain with God.