Scripture Daily

Context No. 1002 of 4322 · Exodus

Context · Reflection

Exodus 28:36-43: in context

36“You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ 37You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash. It shall be on the front of the sash. 38It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39You shall weave the tunic with fine linen. You shall make a turban of fine linen. You shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer. 40“You shall make tunics for Aaron’s sons. You shall make sashes for them. You shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty. 41You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. 42You shall make them linen pants to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the waist even to the thighs. 43They shall be on Aaron and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they don’t bear iniquity, and die. This shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring after him.

The high priest's garments are being described, and here comes the crowning piece: a plate of pure gold engraved like a signet with the words HOLY TO THE LORD, fastened with a blue cord to the front of his turban, worn always on Aaron's forehead. Its purpose is stated: Aaron shall bear the guilt of the holy things, whatever the people consecrate, so that their gifts may be accepted before the LORD. The passage then covers the rest, the woven tunic, the sashes, the linen undergarments, all so the priests may minister without incurring guilt and dying.

The golden plate on the forehead is the heart of it. The high priest walked into God's presence with HOLY TO THE LORD written across his brow, the very first thing that would be seen, declaring not his own holiness but the holiness required to stand there. And its stated function is startling: Aaron bears the guilt of the holy things. Even the people's offerings, their best and most sacred gifts, carried imperfection, and the priest, wearing that plate, absorbed that guilt so the gifts could be accepted. In other words, even our holiest acts of worship need someone to bear their flaws before God will receive them. That is exactly what Christ, our great high priest, does: he wears the true HOLY TO THE LORD and bears the guilt of even our holy things, so that our imperfect worship is accepted in him. We do not come to God on the strength of how pure our devotion is; we come accepted because the true High Priest carries what is defective in even our best offerings.

Do I imagine my worship is accepted because it is pure enough, or can I rest in the High Priest who bears the guilt even of my holy things so that they are received?

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