February 8- Dressing Well

February 8, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus 28; Matthew 25:31-26:13;
Psalm 31:9-18; Proverbs 8:12-13

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. ~Coco Chanel

Exodus 28

When I was a young girl Easter was a particularly fun holiday for my mom.  It was the one holiday where she was able to justify buying new shoes, dresses, and accessories for the girls in our family.  Did I mention that I had no brothers?  Yep. I had two sisters.  Mom got to buy for herself and three daughters. Her purchases reflected her style and mood for that year.  Easter was fun because we all got to dress well.  Looking nice on Easter represented giving our best to God.

Today, God dresses Aaron, the High Priest of Israel, very well. God thinks for Himself and He thinks aloud by using the priestly garments as a picture. God pictures Christ and His work as our High Priest by setting apart a magnificent outfit for Aaron.  The High Priest would wear this outfit only during service to God.  The details were highly symbolic. Only the finest materials were used in its construction.

• The garments were to be made of the finest linen in the colors of gold, blue, purple and scarlet.  We have already dealt with the symbolism of these colors.
• The ephod: This is two pieces of linen that are held together at the shoulders by a stone on each shoulder.  On these stones are engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The High Priest, as He went before God, held the 12 tribes on his shoulders.  This represents that Christ as our High Priest carries us on his shoulders as he intercedes for us to God.  He is our strength and power. Picture Christ as the Shepherd who carries the lost sheep that was found on his shoulders.  This is another picture of that truth.

• The breastplate: This is a beautiful vest of judgment.  It pictures that sin will be judged.  The jewel stones that are placed in this vest are arranged in four rows of three.  The stones put in this breastplate are the same stones that form the foundation of the City of New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation.  This tells us that the death of Christ, which allowed our sin to be judged and paid for, creates the foundation of our perfect existence in paradise with God forever.  It is no mistake that the breastplate is worn over the heart of the High Priest.  Christ wears us over his heart.  With his love and his heart, he paid the penalty that sin required.  This is the foundation of our relationship with God.
• Urim and Thummim:  We don't really know what these are, but they represent the ability to know the will of God.  Certainly, Christ perfectly followed the will of His Father.  The Lord's Prayer is our example that Jesus is the Urim and Thummin of God.
• The robe:  This robe had pomegranates and bells attached to the hem.  This is a beautiful picture of the fruits and witness of Christ.  Pomegranates represent fertility and fruit.  Christ is the seed that produces good fruit in our lives.  He is also the first fruit among those who would be raised from the dead.  The bells are a call to worship and witness.  These represent sending out the good news of the gospel among the nations.  Christ certainly was a ringing bell of good news.
• The head piece:  On Aaron's head would be a gold plate that was before his forehead engraved with, "Holiness To The Lord."  This is a reminder that the High Priest is set apart for service to God to be holy, harmless, undefiled and separated from sinners.  Only Christ could fulfill this requirement.
• Undergarments: Remember how Adam and Eve needed new underwear?  The priest was to cover his private parts in reverence to the holiness of God. His flesh was no part of this work.  Sins are to be covered by the sacrificial work of Christ. Christ is our undergarment and our covering.

What an elaborate picture. A Project Runway designer could be proud if they were ever able to come up with such a beautiful and meaningful garment.  They would win the season, no doubt!

What does this design for the High Priest teach you?  How do you see the beautiful work of Christ in this picture?

Matthew 25:31-26:13

A Parable about The Faithfulness of the Nations- The Sheep and Goats

Jesus continues to give us a glimpse into the future. The disciples have asked Jesus to explain the end times. Jesus uses three parables in his description. The first parable was about Israel's being invited into the millennial kingdom (The Ten Virgins). Belief in Christ is a required part of being invited into the wedding feast. The virgins who had the oil in their lamps were invited in. This means that those from the nation of Israel who believe in Christ at the end of the Great Tribulation will be invited into the wedding feast, which is Christ's earthly kingdom. The oil in their lamps represents having the Holy Spirit inside of them. Faith in Christ is how one receives the Holy Spirit.

The second parable of The Talents emphasized that God has entrusted true believers with the earth and expects them to use their gifts to bring others into the kingdom while on earth before he returns. People will be rewarded based on how they use their gifts to increase God's kingdom.

The last parable about the end times is The Sheep and Goats parable. Here, Jesus describes his second coming to earth that precedes his earthly reign for one thousand years. Jesus is pictured as the King in the parable. The sheep are the righteous nations and the goats are the unrighteous nations. Jesus describes coming in glory with his angels and the nations being gathered in his presence at this time. Now is the time for King Jesus to judge the nations. At that time, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats.  What does this mean? Remember, goats represent sin in the Bible and sheep represent the righteous who follow the Good Shepherd. Jesus explains through the story that he will separate ethnos or cultural groups based on how they treated the nation of Israel during the turbulent end times on earth. Those groups who gave aid and help to Israel will be invited into Christ's millennial kingdom on earth because when they helped Israel because of their faith in God, they were actually helping the kingdom of Jesus Christ to come about on earth. It should be noted that the righteous people in this parable are unaware that they were actually helping Jesus Christ when they aided Israel. Jesus says, "The King replied, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:40) Because his kingdom on earth is tied to the land of Israel and to the believing Jews who endure to the end, this help is rewarded by entrance into his kingdom. This parable emphasizes that truth. Read Zechariah 14 for background.

The story indicates that  unbelieving nations will try to justify themselves to Jesus by the general good works they did for people while they lived on earth.  Jesus responds, "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" (Matthew 25:45) Once again, Jesus is emphasizing that helping Israel meant helping his earthly kingdom.  Because the unrighteous nations were against Israel, they were essentially against Jesus' earthly kingdom coming.  The treatment of the believing Israelites and the nation of Israel will be key to the judgment of the nations at the end of time. Jesus will judge the nations according to this standard. He will decide if he truly knew them and whether or not their good works really were done in His name for the nation of Israel.  He is the judge of your faith and mine.  In the end, people who did not truly believe in Christ are cast away from God.  He, once again, emphasizes that there are eternal consequences for our decisions and actions on earth.

Christ tells the disciples that after the Passover Feast, he will be betrayed and crucified.  Meanwhile, the religious leaders are meeting with Caiaphas, the High Priest, to plot how to capture Jesus.

We see the story of a woman who comes to Christ and anoints his head with oil.  The disciples are indignant because the woman is wasting extremely expensive perfume on Christ.  They say she could have sold it and helped the poor.  Jesus is not buying this argument.  He says that her act is an act of belief in what he has prophesied.  She believes he will be crucified, and she is preparing him for His burial.  He predicts that her act will become famous. You and I are discussing this today because Jesus was right!

How does your life reflect that you believe what Jesus has to say?

Psalm 31:9-18

To me this is another psalm of the words Christ would speak and the feelings Christ would feel in anticipation of his crucifixion.

Proverbs 8:12-13

Wisdom lives with her friend, good judgment.  I want to visit their house!  Wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverted speech.

What did you learn today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton