Portion Pikudei: Exodus 38:21-40:38
Priesthood was reserved to the family of Aaron. The priests brought sacrifices and were to seek the LORD’s guidance, teach God’s law (Torah), function as judges and watch over the tabernacle. They were considered mediators between the LORD and the people of Israel. They sacrificed on their own and on the people’s behalf. They also led worship and were the channel through which the LORD revealed His will and showed His forgiveness.
The Priests
Today, in the Messiah, every believer is a priest, with direct access to the Lord. Every one of us can intercede on behalf of others and be a channel through which the Lord can reach the lost (cf. Lev. 16).
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Heb. 10:10–14).
Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. Yeshua is our High Priest who entered the Holy of holies; He became our atonement.
Aaron and his sons were chosen in a special ceremony (Exodus 29:1-46)
The priests had unique tasks of service at the altar of incense, perpetually offering sweet-swelling incense to God (Exodus 30:1-10). Only once a year, the high priest made atonement on the horns of the altar of incense with the blood of the sin offering.
In the book of Revelations (chapter 8:3-4) we are reminded that our prayers and our praise are a pleasing sweet odor to the Lord.
The priest had special clothing (Exodus 28:1-43). And the different items of their clothing each had a unique meaning, like, for instance, the ephod (Exodus 28:6-14). Engraved upon the ephod were 12 precious stones, each one bearing the name of one of the tribes of Israel. These precious stone were near the priest’s heart.
In 1 John 2:1 it is written:
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Yeshua, our high priest carries the names of the sons of Israel on His heart and represents us in heaven, loves us, and each one is very dear to our Savior.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Heb. 10:10–14).
Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. Yeshua is our High Priest who entered the Holy of holies; He became our atonement.
Aaron and his sons were chosen in a special ceremony (Exodus 29:1-46)
The priests had unique tasks of service at the altar of incense, perpetually offering sweet-swelling incense to God (Exodus 30:1-10). Only once a year, the high priest made atonement on the horns of the altar of incense with the blood of the sin offering.
In the book of Revelations (chapter 8:3-4) we are reminded that our prayers and our praise are a pleasing sweet odor to the Lord.
The priest had special clothing (Exodus 28:1-43). And the different items of their clothing each had a unique meaning, like, for instance, the ephod (Exodus 28:6-14). Engraved upon the ephod were 12 precious stones, each one bearing the name of one of the tribes of Israel. These precious stone were near the priest’s heart.
In 1 John 2:1 it is written:
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Yeshua, our high priest carries the names of the sons of Israel on His heart and represents us in heaven, loves us, and each one is very dear to our Savior.
The Breastplate of Judgment
The priest also wore the Urim and Thummim on his breastplate, in order to know the will of God, though we don’t fully know how the Urim and Thummim were used in order to find out God’s Will for His people. Ex. 28:30
Yeshua, our high priest, has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and if we seek Him, He will show us God’s will.
Furthermore, the priests’ clothes were made of linen. In the book of Revelations, the pure linen symbolizes the righteousness of the saints and with this correlation we have a clear illustration of how God clothes us with His righteousness and wants our best.
Yeshua, our high priest, has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and if we seek Him, He will show us God’s will.
Furthermore, the priests’ clothes were made of linen. In the book of Revelations, the pure linen symbolizes the righteousness of the saints and with this correlation we have a clear illustration of how God clothes us with His righteousness and wants our best.