CLOTHING FOR THE PRIESTS (EX.28)
Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Alazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Yisharal so they may serve Me as priests. Make special garments for Aaron that are marvellous and beautiful. Instruct all those who are wise and skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with My spirit of wisdom and have them make garments for Aaron that will identify him as a priest set-apart for My service. These are the garments they are to make: a breastplate, a shoulder-garment, a robe, an embroidered long tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these special garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve Me as priests. So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread.
THE PURPOSE OF THESE PRIESTLY GARMENTS IS TO SET THEM APART FROM EVERYBODY ELSE IN YISHARAL. UNTIL THIS POINT IN YISHARAL’S HISTORY THEY HAD NEVER HAD AN OFFICIAL PRIESTHOOD AND WHATEVER TYPE OF WORSHIP STYLE THEY ENGAGED IN PRIOR TO THE EXODUS MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY UNSYSTEMATIC, PERSONAL AND PROBABLY VERY UNFOCUSED ACTIVITY. SO THIS WAS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT TAKING PLACE HERE. ANOTHER BIG REASON FOR THIS `UNIFORM’ WAS TO REFLECT YAHUSHA’S BEHAVIOUR OF PURITY AND A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF MODESTY. IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE AMONG THE PAGAN RELIGIONS OF THE DAY TO HAVE THE PRIESTS PERFORM THEIR RITUALS TO THEIR DEITIES IN THE NUDE AND IF THEY DID WEAR SOMETHING, IT WAS HIGHLY SENSUAL OR EROTIC, INVOLVING ALOT OF FERTILITY RITES AND SEXUALITY. SO HE WAS WASHING THEIR MINDS CLEAN AND TRAINING THEM IN CLEAN BEHAVIOUR.
THE SHOULDER GARMENT
The wise craftsmen must make the shoulder-garment of finely woven linen and skillfully embroider it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It will consist of two shoulder-pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders. The decorative sash will be made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Take two shoham stones, and engrave on them the names of the tribes of Yisharal. Six names will be on each stone, arranged in the order of the births of the original sons of Yisharal. Engrave these names on the two stones in the same way a jeweller engraves a signet seal. Then mount the stones in settings of gold. Fasten the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the shoulder-garment as a reminder that Aaron represents the people of Yisharal. Aaron will carry these names on his shoulders as a constant reminder whenever he goes before Me. Make the settings of gold, then braid two cords of pure gold and attach them to the gold settings on the shoulders of the shoulder-garment.
DESIGN THE BREASTPLATE
Then, with great skill and care, make a ‘breastplate of purity’ to be worn for seeking a decision from Me. Make it to match the shoulder-garment, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Make the breastplate of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch 23cm square. Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red ruby, a pale-green topaz, and an emerald. The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue sapphire, and a white diamond. The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, a shoham, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in pure gold and each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Yisharal, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a signet seal.
To attach the breastplate to the shoulder-garment, make braided cords of pure gold thread. Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the breastplate. Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the breastplate. Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the shoulder-garment. Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the breastplate next to the shoulder-garment. And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the shoulder-garment, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the shoulder-garment. Then attach the bottom rings of the breastplate to the rings on the shoulder-garment with blue cords. This will hold the breastplate securely to the shoulder-garment above the decorative sash.
In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Yisharal on the ‘breastplate of purity’ right over his heart when he goes into the Set-Apart Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before Me. Insert the Urim and Thummim into the breastplate of obedience so they will be carried right over Aaron’s heart when he comes into My presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine My will for My people whenever he comes in before Me.
