*Scripture: Exodus 38:21—39:8, 22-23, 27-31 (NKJV)* 38:21 This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer, a weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine linen. 24 All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place, that is, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a bekah for each man (that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 27 And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents, one talent for each socket. 28 Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them. 29 The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils for the altar, 31 the sockets for the court all around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the court all around.
39:1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3 And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4 They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5 And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6 And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 8 And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 22 He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear. 27 They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, 29 and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 31 And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the LORD had commanded Moses. *Devotion* The Old Testament priests functioned on behalf of the Lord and in the place of His people. The high priest in particular represented the Lord to Israel, and all of Israel to the Lord as he went about his sacrificial duties in the Tabernacle. Wearing the holy vestments, he was “clothed” in God’s holiness. The stamp of God’s holiness was pressed upon his head in the gold plate of his turban which read, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” Likewise, he bore the entire nation of Israel on his heart in the twelve stones of the breastplate that he wore over the ephod. Jesus is the great High Priest of His Church. He is the revelation of God’s holiness and glory toward us, clothed in the garb of our human flesh and blood. He was anointed by the Spirit at His Holy Baptism to be both Priest and Victim, Who would win for Himself a holy people by offering the once-for-all atoning sacrifice for sin. By raising Christ from the dead, the Father appointed Him Chief and eternal Priest to serve as our Intercessor and Mediator before the throne in Heaven. (Heb. 5:1-10; 7:1-28). All those who believe and are baptized into Christ are clothed in the pure garments of Christ, for through Holy Baptism their robes have been washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). Baptized believers are stamped with Christ’s holiness in the forgiveness of their sins. Thus they serve God the Father as His royal priests together with Christ, each according to his or her station and vocation. (1 Pet. 2:5, 9). Rev. Dcn. Jerry Dulas, as eCourier of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America
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