Exodus 28-29: Specific Details Relating to the Priesthood
Priestly garments signify holiness for those serving in the holy courtyard.
28:1-43 The high priest's clothing.
Since the area within the courtyard was holy ground, those assigned to serve there must also he holy. To illustrate this, Aaron and his sons were given sacred garments. The materials used in their production, gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen (5), not only highlight the dignity and honour bestowed upon Aaron and his sons, but also associate them with the tabernacle, which was made of similar materials. To distinguish Aaron as high priest, he was to have a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash (4). His sons were to be given tunics, sashes and headbands (40). The lack of reference to footwear might indicate that the priests served barefoot (when God appeared in the burning bush, Moses was commanded to remove his sandals because the ground was holy; Exodus 3:5). Most attention is focused on the special items worn by the high priest, especially the ephod and breastpiece.
Exodus 3:5 CSB: “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 28: 6-14
Because the biblical text is too brief, it is hard to picture the ephod, but it was something like a waistcoat worn over the other vestments (4). Special mention is made of the two precious stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Mounted in gold filigree settings (11), they were fastened on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel (12). They were a reminder that Aaron served God as high priest, not on his behalf, but on behalf of all the Israelites.
Exodus 28: 15-30
The next item, the breastpiece, appears from its description to have been a square pouch which the high priest wore over his chest. The pouch was made of similar materials to the ephod and was attached to it. On the outside of the pouch were four rows of precious stones, with three stones in each row; each stone represented an Israelite tribe. Although Aaron came from the tribe of Levi, as high priest wearing the names of the twelve tribes on his chest, he ministered on behalf of all the people. The use of precious stones symbolised the value which God places upon his people, Israel. Finally, instructions are given that the Urim and the Thummim should be placed in the pouch (30). The precise form of the Urim and the Thummim remains uncertain, but they were used to determine God's judgment (cf. 22:8-9)
Exodus 22:8-9 CSB: [8] If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must present himself to the judges to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property. [9] In any case of wrongdoing involving an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or anything else lost, and someone claims, ‘That’s mine,’ the case between the two parties is to come before the judges. The one the judges condemn must repay double to his neighbor.
Exodus 28: 31-43
The blue robe, adorned with embroidered pomegranates and golden bells, was presumably worn under the ephod and breastpiece. The tinkling of the bells would serve to identify the one entering or leaving the Holy of Holies, enabling the high priest to come close to God in safety; anyone else venturing into God's presence would die (cf. 19:12-13, 21-24). As a further reminder of the sacred nature of the priestly service, the front of Aaron's turban had a gold plate engraved with the words, HOLY TO THE LORD (36). Because he would he set apart as holy, Aaron, as high priest, was able to mediate on behalf of the Israelites, ensuring that their sacrifices were acceptable to God (38). Apart from the items already mentioned, Aaron was also to wear a tunic, turban and sash (39). (The tunic appears to have been worn under the robe of the ephod; cf. 29:5.) Because they do not relate directly to the 'dignity and honour' (2) of the priests, the instructions concerning under-wear are given separately. The priests were to wear linen undergarments to prevent them from inadvertently exposing their genitalia in the Holy Place (cf 20:26). Such nakedness was inappropriate in the presence of God (cf Gn. 3:7, 10, 21). Moreover, since only the priests could enter the tabernacle, the command that they should wear undergarments would reassure those outside that nothing unseemly occurred within the tabernacle.
Exodus 19:12-13, 21-24 CSB: [12] Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don’t go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death. [13] No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and not live, whether animal or human. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.” [21] The Lord directed Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die. [22] Even the priests who come near the Lord must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out in anger against them.” [23] Moses responded to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since you warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it.” [24] And the Lord replied to him, “Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out in anger against them.”
Exodus 20:26 CSB: Do not go up to my altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.
Genesis 3:7, 10, 21 CSB: [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. [10] And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” [21] The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them.
Note. Exodus 28:41
The Hebrew term translated as 'ordain' in the NIV means 'you will fill their hands.' This does not refer to 'ordination', but rather to the supplying of the priests' needs (cf. 29:22-28).
Exodus 29:1-46: The consecration of the priests.
The instructions concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons form a natural sequel to the preceding chapter. For the priests to minister in God's holy presence, they too must be holy. Since, as the book of Exodus reveals on different occasions, only God has an innate holy nature, various measures must be taken if a human being is to become holy. The present account reflects the stages mentioned in Exodus 28:41, which lead up to the consecration of the priests: clothe, anoint, 'fill the hands' and consecrate. After assembling the necessary items (1-3), Moses was to clothe Aaron and his sons in their priestly garments (5-9). Next, he had to offer up three different sacrifices, involving a bull and two rams. The first (10-14 best understood as a purification offering) involved the bull, and followed closely the instructions given later in Lv. 4:3-12 concerning the unintentional sin of an anointed priest. In this instance, however, the blood was probably placed on the horns of the large bronze altar in the courtyard and not on the gold incense altar within the tabernacle (12; cf. Lv 4:7). The blood purified the altar, which had become defiled through contact with individuals who were considered unclean.
Exodus 28:41 CSB: Put these on your brother Aaron and his sons; then anoint, ordain, and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests.
Leviticus 4:7 CSB: The priest is to apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. He must pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
The next sacrifice (a whole burnt offering, vs 15-18) followed exactly the instructions given later in Leviticus 1:10-13 for the offering of a ram. The whole burnt offering atoned for the sins of Aaron and his sons. The destruction of the animal was a vivid reminder that sinful man could not approach a holy God. The animal died as a substitute for those who were identified with it by the laying of their hands on its head. The third sacrifice (19-34) resembled closely a t fellowship or peace offering, made as an expression of thankfulness (cf. Lv. 3:6-11; 7:12-15).
Leviticus 1:10-13 CSB: [10] “But if his offering for a burnt offering is from the flock, from sheep or goats, he is to present an unblemished male. [11] He will slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the Lord. Aaron’s sons the priests will splatter its blood against the altar on all sides. [12] He will cut the animal into pieces with its head and its fat, and the priest will arrange them on top of the burning wood on the altar. [13] But he is to wash the entrails and legs with water. The priest will then present all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Leviticus 3:6-11 CSB: [6] “If his offering as a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord is from the flock, he is to present a male or female without blemish. [7] If he is presenting a lamb for his offering, he is to present it before the Lord. [8] He must lay his hand on the head of his offering, then slaughter it before the tent of meeting. Aaron’s sons will splatter its blood on all sides of the altar. [9] He will then present part of the fellowship sacrifice as a food offering to the Lord consisting of its fat and the entire fat tail, which he is to remove close to the backbone. He will also remove the fat surrounding the entrails, all the fat on the entrails, [10] the two kidneys with the fat on them at the loins, and the fatty lobe of the liver above the kidneys. [11] Then the priest will burn the food on the altar, as a food offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 7:12-15 CSB: [12] If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice, he is to present unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. [13] He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship. [14] From the cakes he is to present one portion of each offering as a contribution to the Lord. It will belong to the priest who splatters the blood of the fellowship offering; it is his. [15] The meat of his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship must be eaten on the day he offers it; he may not leave any of it until morning.
However, despite its similarities to the regular offerings, the ritual described here has distinctive features, appropriate for this unique occasion. First, Aaron, his sons and their garments were to be consecrated by sacrificial blood (19-21); whatever the blood touched became holy. 'The priest must have consecrated ears ever to listen to God's holy voice; con-secrated hands at all times to do holy deeds; and consecrated feet to walk evermore in holy ways' (Die Bücher Exodus und Leviticus / erklärt von August Knobel - Transalation: Die Bücher's Exodus and Leviticus explained by August Knobel [see below])
Secondly, Exodus 29: 22-35, focuses on the remuneration which Aaron and his sons were to receive as priests. The NIV wrongly refers to this as the ram for the ordination (22; cf. 29:26, 27, 31, 34). It is lit. 'the ram of [the] filling'. This 'filling' refers to the portion which the priests received into. Their hands after offering up different sacrifices (cf Lv. 6:14-18, 25-29; 7:1-38). The ritual which Moses was to perform consecrated the right thigh and breast of the sacrificial animal for priestly consumption. A distinction was drawn between the breast, which was waved, and the thigh, which was presented (27). In this instance, the breast was given to Moses as his reward for offering the sacrifice (26) and the thigh was burnt on the altar, along with some bread (25). On future occasions, after the priests had been consecrated, the breast of the fellowship sacrifice was to be presented to all the priests, and the thigh given to the priest who officiated (Lv. 7:28-36). Apart from the breast, thigh, and various fatty portions, the rest of the ram was cooked and eaten, together with the remaining bread, at the entrance to the tabernacle. Only the priests were allowed to eat this holy food.
The ritual outlined in Exodus 29: 1-34 was essential for the consecration of the priests. Most commentators believe, on the basis of v35, that this ritual was to be repeated every day for seven days. Alternatively, the sacrifices outlined in v36-41 may have been offered during the next six days, with Aaron and his sons under strict instruction to remain within the courtyard of the tabernacle (cf. Lv. 8:33-35). In either case, the process of consecration or sanctification required time.
Leviticus 8:33-35 CSB: [33] Do not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the time your days of ordination are completed, because it will take seven days to ordain you. [34] The Lord commanded what has been done today to make atonement for you. [35] You must remain at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and keep the Lord’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I was commanded.”
Moses was next instructed about the consecration of the altar (Exodus 29:36-37). The sacrifice of the bull as a sin offering resembled the sacrifice mentioned in v 10-14. The death of the animal purified the altar by making atonement; the anointing of the altar with blood made it holy (36). This was to be repeated for seven days. Finally, instructions were given concerning the daily sacrifice of two lambs as whole burnt offerings; one animal was to be sacrificed in the morning, the other at twilight. These were to be regular offerings, continuing daily after the priests and altar had been fully consecrated. v42-43 highlight the purpose of these instructions: the establishment of the sacrificial ritual was a requirement before God could meet with the Israelites. As God affirmed, 'there ... I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory' (43). As v 46 makes clear, the ultimate purpose of God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt was so that he might dwell among them. The fulfilment of the instructions regarding the consecration of Aaron and his sons is recorded in Leviticus. 8:1-36.
Notes. Exodus 29:4:
Purity and cleanliness were closely associated with being holy (cf. Exodus 19:10, 14). v14 The sin offering is best understood as a purification offering (see Lv. 4:1-5, 6:24-30).
Leviticus 4:1-5 CSB: [1] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: [2] “Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally against any of the Lord’s commands and does anything prohibited by them — [3] “If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to present to the Lord a young, unblemished bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. [4] He is to bring the bull to the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord. [5] The anointed priest will then take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the tent of meeting.
Leviticus 6:25-30 CSB: [25] “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is the law of the sin offering. The sin offering is most holy and must be slaughtered before the Lord at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. [26] The priest who offers it as a sin offering will eat it. It is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. [27] Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of its blood spatters on a garment, then you must wash that garment in a holy place. [28] A clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled is to be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it is to be scoured and rinsed with water. [29] Any male among the priests may eat it; it is especially holy. [30] But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place; it must be burned.