The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 266

HOMILIES BY Y ARIOUS AUTHORS. Vf'r•. 1----4.-Thr priP~tfi' garm,ont". I. OBSERVE HOW TRE [Nl)IVIDUAL rs HERB l'U11onnrt-A1'ED TO TRE oFFI0E. Jehovah tells Mo888 here, amid the solemnities of the mount, that hi~ brother Aaron and Aaron's sons are to be taken for service in the priest'~ office; but no word is said concerning the charsct.el'8 of any of theBe men, not ..-ven _Aaron himself. There is a demand tha.t those who ma.de the priestly garments should he wise-hearted, men with a spirit of wisdom which Jehovah himself would put into them; but nothing is !!Bid e.s to Aa.ron himself being wise-hearted. Nor is there any indication given beforeha.nd of e.ny personal fitness that he had for the office. We gather much e.s to the way in which God had been training Moses; but Aaron so far as we ca.n see, seems to have been led by a way that he knew not. All the commandment to Moses is, "take to thee Ae.ron thy brother." He is indicated by e. natural relation, and not by anything th1tt suggests spiritual fitne.~s. It is interesting to compare the utt.er P.bsence of a.ny reference here to personal charscter with the minute details of what constitutes fitness for bishop and deacon, e.s we find these details in the epistles to 'l'imothy and Titus. In the old dispensation where there was but the shadow of good things to come, the trappings of the official and the ceremonies of the office were of more importance than the charact.er of any individual holder. The purpose of Jehovah was best served, in proportion !Mi the people, beholding Aaron, forgot that it was Aaron, and were chiefly impressed by the fact that they were looking on the appointed priest of the Most High. Il. OBSERVE W'HAT WAS AIMED AT IN THE OONSTRUCTION OF THE PRIESTLY OAR• ME?-"TS. They were to be for glory and for beauty. Not only different from the gar- ments of the common people, but much more splendid. Gold was worked into the very Rubsta.nce of these garments; precious stones glittered upon them ; and everything \'l"a.:< done to make them beautiful and impressive. Nor was the splendour of these gar- ments for a mere occasional revelation. Though not worn constantly, yet they had to he assumed for some part of every day; and thus all eyes were continually directed to ~.vmbols of the glory, beauty, and perfection which God was aiming to produce in the character of his people. There WIMi a.s yet no finding of these things in human nature. The gold of human nature could not yet be purified from its debasing dross ; but here for a symbol of the refined and perfected man, was gold, pure and bright, we may ima;:6ne, as ever came out of the furnace; and here were these precious stones, inesti- mably more precious since the tribal names were graven on them, and with the precious- ness crowned when they took their place on the shoulders and breasts of the priest. 'l'hus, whenever thc..-.e stones flashed in the light, they spoke forth afresh the great truth, thl.t this priest so gloriously nttired, was the representative of the people before God; not a representative whom t.hey had elected for themselves, and who would therefore go to God on a peradventure, but one who, because God himself had chosen him, could not fail to be acceptable. The principle underlying the direction to make these splendid :;:arments is that which underlies the use of all trappings by government and authority. The outward shows of kingly state, the crown, the sceptre, the throne, the royal robes-- these may not be impressive now as once they were; but they have been very serviceable once, and may still serve an important purpose, even though it be not easily perceived. ] t might m.a.ke a difference in the administra.tion of justice, if the garb of those who are the chief administrators were to differ nothing in public from what it is in private. III. OBSERVE THAT TO SHOW FUBTHEB THE lllilPOBTANCE ATTACHED TO THESE GAB· MESTS, Goo BiltBELF PROVIDED SK.ILL FOB THE M.AXING OF THEM. Much skill might be needed, far more than could be guessed by the observer, to make these garments ::rraceful and impressive. What was all the richness of the material unless there was also dextrous, tasteful, and sympathetic workmanship? The gold, and the blue, and the purple, and all the rest of the promising materials would have availed nothing in :-.urue hauds to avert a clumsy and cumbrous result. The people provided all they could, aud it was a great deal ; but God had to provide the craftsmen in order to mak6 lull U£C of the people's gift.-Y. Vers. 1, 2.-" Wlw shall ascer.d into the hill of the Lord 1" The tabernacle ( cf. outline oo :u:vi. 30) shows through what steps a man must pass who would approach God. 'l'ho C:11, XXVIII, 1, 2,] TIIE BOOK OF EXODU~. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------ - - -