The Ephod: Part 3 of 6 – High Priest’s Garments Series

Psalm 105:37-41
37 “He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there was NONE FEEBLE AMONG HIS TRIBES.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.”

–

(“God brought them out with silver and gold

and there was none feeble among them.”)

–

God is such  a good God!  We see this so clearly in the way He took care of His people when they left Egypt and while they were wandering around in the desert. It is pictured so beautifully in the part of the high priest’s garments known as the Ephod. 😍

–

None Feeble.

The Israelites had just been delivered from the cruel mistreatment they had endured as slaves at the hands of the Egyptians.  Many were no doubt in pretty bad shape due to their physical abuse.  Yet, after celebrating that first Passover, they rose up the next day healthy and strong!  There was no one on crutches, no one limping, not even a sniffle!  That’s the power of the blood of the Lamb!

–

This is nothing short of amazing, considering that their company numbered somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-3 million people at that time.  In fact, it’s a total miracle that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS HEALTHY!  Remember though, what they partook on that first Passover was only the shadow representation of the Holy Communion we take.  You and I have Jesus, the SUBSTANCE!  We should have super health!

–

The Wealth Of Egypt.

Just before they exited Egypt, the LORD accorded them great favor with their neighbors.  The Egyptians gave them precious gems, precious metals, and many other spoils.  This made them incredibly WEALTHY.  Everything they would need to contribute to the building of the tabernacle and all the priestly garments was supplied to them……and then some!  That’s grace!

Yep, folks; you read that right.  He’s the God of health and wealth.  I realize that some out there might be offended.  But think of it:  Our Daddy owns the cattle on a thousand hills!  In His presence, no one can be sick or infirm!

–

Rich With Meaning.

Each part of the high priest’s garments is rich with meaning.  These two parts of his attire, the Ephod and the breastplate, were by far the most expensive of all the priestly garments.  They were far beyond price!

Every single piece, even every measurement of the Tabernacle, reveals wonderful truths about our Great High Priest.  Through them, the Holy Spirit unveils to us the glory and beauty of this wonderful Jesus!

–

(For more on the the Tabernacle and some mind-blowing details, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/12/07/four-times-covered/)

–

–

The Ephod.

Moses was told that the Ephod was to be woven of “Gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine linen, artistically worked.”  It was square piece of cloth work that was attached by solid gold, braided and twisted chains to the shoulder pieces on which were mounted two onyx stones.  Attached to the Ephod was the Breastplate of Judgment with its twelve precious stones, which we’ll be discussing in part 4 of this series.

You can read the full account of the making of the garments in Exodus 28.

–

Gold.

Gold, the first component God mentioned, typifies Divine Righteousness wherever it is found in scripture.  It was, by far, THE MOST expensive material.  Through this element, the Holy Spirit is demonstrating to us that our redemption cost God more than we can ever imagine or understand.

Though garments worn by all the priest were consecrated, only the High Priest’s incorporated gold thread.  It lent both a sheen to the fabric as well as great durability.

–

Graphic Description.

The making of the gold thread is what really gets me!  It was beaten, pressed, and hammered into paper-thin sheets, then cut it into tiny strips.  These were then rolled and hammered some more until each piece was the tiniest, finest thread.

–

Some translations say it was “Hammered,” others say “Beaten.”  This is a picture of what our Jesus endured for our sakes.  He was beaten, pressed, hammered, cut, bruised, and battered for our redemption.  How’s that for a graphic description!  He took a merciless beating so you and I wouldn’t have to!  (Box of tissues, please.)

–

(The Holy Place.)

–

As if that weren’t graphic enough, every piece of gold in the entire tabernacle was prepared in the same way:  They were beaten, hammered, and pressed over and over and over until they were formed into shape………and there’s a WHOLE LOT OF IT!!!  {Another box of tissues, please!}.

I don’t know about you, but makes me want to fall on my face in awe, praise, and thanksgiving for what He did for us;  for me!  It is truly beyond comprehension!

–

Message In The Colors.

All the colors used are listed by the Holy Spirit in a particular order because He is, again, drawing us more pictures of Jesus.  If you read part 2 of this series, what comes next will be review.  In case you missed it, here’s why God used these colors and in this order:

Blue.

“Blue” speaks of Jesus Divinity as Very God. It is also the color of grace.  Before He was born of Mary, Jesus was “ALL God,” so to speak.  In other words, “all blue.”  God, in fact, made the sky blue to reflect the glory of His Son!

Blue also speaks of Jesus’ finished work.  The word in Hebrew for “Blue” in these verses is “Tekhelet.”  The verb form of this word, “Kûlah,” is what Jesus cried out from the cross: “FINISHED!”

–

It’s interesting to note that this is also the root of the Hebrew word for “Bride!”  We, the Bride of Christ,” are the “Complete ones!”  COMPLETE IN JESUS!  HALLELUJAH!

–

Here’s another interesting note:  The golden box in which God lived in the Old Testament, (The Ark) when it was carried around from place to place outside of the Tabernacle, was always had a BLUE cover over it so those outside of Israel could not look on it.  Only the high priest could view it without its cover.

The Ark is a picture of Jesus!  After He rose from the dead, He only appeared to believers.  Today, when those who don’t believe in God look up to heaven, what do they see?  Blue sky.  He is hidden from their eyes.

Not so believers.  You and I, when we look up to heaven, can “Look beyond the BLUE veil” and see Jesus clearly!  He is not hidden from us.  We are priests and kings of the New Covenant after the order of Melchizedek.

–

Purple.

Purple is mentioned next.  It is the color of Royalty, which Jesus most certainly is.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  It is always mentioned second.  We’ll see why in a moment.

Now, when you place red and blue next to each other, it’s a bit jarring to the eyes.  But place purple in between the two and they are more harmonious.

–

Scarlet.
Scarlet, or red, is the last color mentioned. In Hebrew, the word for red is “Adam” or “Edom.”  Adam, one of the words for “man” and literally means “red blooded man.”  It is derived from the root word in Hebrew for blood:  “Dam.”

Red speaks of Jesus’ shed blood, The One Who became the second “Adam,” or “red or red-blooded man.”

–

–

Linen.

The finest, purest white linen serves as the foundation fabric for not just the garments of the high priest but all of them.  It representats Jesus’ purity and righteousness.  It is the foundation for everything.

Notice that there are five components:  Gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and linen.  That’s the number of GRACE!  That’s Jesus!  He is full of grace!

–

Message In The Order.

Why are they in this particular order?  To paint this beautiful picture:
Jesus came from heaven.  What do you see when you look toward heaven?  Blue sky.  Blue is the color of God, you might say.

He was born of a Virgin.  Humans are red-blooded human.  You might say, “Jesus was all blue.  He was born to a “red blooded human you might say.   Mix the blue and red together and you get the “Purple” man: the God/Man; Very God/Very Man:  The perfect human being, Jesus!

–

Our God became something He never was before.  He used to be “All God.”  Now, He is also “All man;” The Perfect Man!  Tokay, there is a real, live, beating human heart in heaven representing you and I at the right hand of the Father.   Our Great High Priest has human emotions, human understanding, and human compassion.  He doesn’t merely understand what we feel: HE FEELS WHAT WE FEEL!

When you and I accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we…who are all “red”…accept the “blue” of Christ’s divinity…..and we become “purple,” too!  We become just like Jesus!  The difference is, we started out all red; He started all blue, and of course, we are not God.

–

Forever Purple!

Once you are saved, i.e. “purple,” YOU ARE PURPLE FOREVER.  It cannot be undone.  He is showing you that you CANNOT lose your salvation!  It’s the perfect depiction of this passage in John 10:

“27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them ETERNAL LIFE, and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH; NO ONE will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; NO ONE can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

–

Oh yeah:  You are ETERNALLY secure because Jesus Himself says so.  Eternal means IT NEVER ENDS.  Why would Jesus say that if there was anything you could do to lose it?  If you can lose it, THEN IT ISN’T ETERNAL.  IT IS TEMPORAL…..and Jesus lied.

Does Jesus lie?  I DON’T THINK SO!!! 😡 

–

–

Isn’t it awesome what you can see and learn about Jesus through understanding the meaning hidden in high priest’s garments, like the Ephod!

–

Follow the link below to Part 4.  We’ll be discussing the breastplate of judgement:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/the-breastplate-of-judgment-part-4-high-priests-garments-series/