OPENING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your holiness and for the privilege of coming into Your presence. We know that we cannot approach You by our own goodness or according to our own ways. Thank You for providing the way through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our High Priest.

Open our hearts and minds to understand what You want to teach us. Help us see how the Tabernacle, the priesthood, and the sacrifices point us to Jesus. Teach us to pursue intimacy with You through Him, to trust His finished work, and to draw near to Your throne of grace with confidence.

Consecrate our hearts, our ears, our hands, and our feet for Your service. May our lives reflect Your holiness and may we become faithful representatives of Christ to our families and to those around us.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

The furniture of the Tabernacle points us toward the cross. Even the arrangement of the Israelite camp around the Tabernacle, when viewed from above, gives us a picture resembling a cross. The message is significant: the way into the presence of God ultimately points us to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. The Tabernacle teaches us that God is holy, humanity is sinful, and we cannot approach God on our own terms. God Himself provides the way for us to come near to Him. As we continue in Exodus 28, we see that God provided priests to minister before Him. But these priests themselves ultimately point us to Jesus, the perfect and eternal High Priest.

EXODUS 28

1 “Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

God commanded Moses to bring Aaron and his sons near so that they could minister as priests to Him. The priest was a servant of God who stood between a holy God and sinful people. He represented God to the people and represented the people before God. Aaron had four sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—and they were appointed to serve in the priesthood.

This immediately teaches us an important principle: we cannot simply approach God in whatever way we want. God determines how He is to be approached. The priesthood itself was God's provision for sinful people to come near to a holy God.

But this truth becomes even clearer when we see what happened when two of Aaron's sons attempted to approach God in a way He had not commanded.

LEVITICUS 10:1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ ”

Nadab and Abihu were priests, but they approached God improperly. They offered strange fire, something God had not commanded. Their story gives us a serious warning: sincerity is not an excuse for disobedience. We cannot say, “I sincerely want to worship God,” and then approach Him according to our own preferences.

God is holy, and those who come near Him must treat Him as holy.

This is why pursuing intimacy with God is not simply about having a spiritual desire. We must pursue God His way. The question is not merely, “Do I want God?” but also, “Am I willing to come to God according to His instructions?”

That principle continues in the garments God commanded the priests to wear.

2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.

The garments of the high priest were called holy garments. They were not merely designed for public appearance or personal honor. They were connected with his ministry before the presence of God.

The clothing was an external reminder of an internal reality: the person who serves God must be consecrated to God. The priest was constantly reminded that he belonged to God and that his life was dedicated to God's service.

The first important part of his clothing was the headpiece.

EXODUS 29:6 and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.

The crown bore the words “Holy to the Lord.” The message was simple and profound: the priest belonged to God.

Before we talk about what the priest does, we must first understand whose he is. His identity and his service are connected. Likewise, our service to God must flow from belonging to God. We do not serve God merely to become His people; we serve Him because, through Christ, we already belong to Him.

HEBREWS 5:1 For every high priest… is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;

The priest was appointed to serve on behalf of people in things pertaining to God. Humanity is sinful, while God is holy. Therefore, we need someone to stand between us and God.

The priest represents the people before God, but he also represents God's purposes to the people.

However, Scripture makes it clear that nobody can simply appoint himself to this position.

HEBREWS 5:4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

The priesthood was not something a person could claim for himself. God had to call and appoint the priest.

This becomes especially important when we consider Jesus. Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron. He was not from the tribe of Levi. He came from the tribe of Judah. Yet He became our High Priest—not because He appointed Himself, but because God appointed Him.

HEBREWS 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him… 6 …“You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

This introduces us to Melchizedek, whose priesthood was different from the Levitical priesthood.

GENESIS 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

Melchizedek was both king and priest. His name and the name Salem are associated with righteousness and peace. In the Old Testament, the priests descended from Aaron were priests, while the kings came from another line. But Melchizedek uniquely appears as both king and priest.

This points forward to Jesus. Jesus is both King and Priest. He is our King who rules over us, and He is our High Priest who brings us to God.

And this was part of God's original purpose for Israel.

EXODUS 19:6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

God originally called Israel to be a kingdom of priests. Israel was supposed to represent God to the nations—to demonstrate what it meant to belong to the true God.

But Israel repeatedly failed to live according to God's holy standards. The nation did not fulfill that calling in the way God intended.

Yet God's purpose for a priestly people was not abandoned. In Christ, the calling is given to God's people.

1 PETER 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Peter applies this priestly identity to believers in Christ. We are a royal priesthood.

We are not Old Testament temple priests offering animal sacrifices. Jesus has already accomplished the perfect sacrifice. But we have a priestly responsibility: to proclaim the excellencies of the One who saved us.

We have been given the privilege of intimacy with God through Jesus, and that intimacy gives us a mission. We are to point people to Christ.

And the garments of Aaron give us a beautiful picture of what this ministry should look like.

11 As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold. 12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial.

The high priest carried the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders. The picture is powerful: the priest carried the people before God. The shoulders remind us of responsibility, burden, and service. Jesus perfectly fulfills this picture.

ISAIAH 53:12 …Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Jesus is the ultimate burden bearer. He did not merely carry the concerns of people; He carried our sin. He bore what we could never bear ourselves. Therefore, as God's royal priests, we should also be willing to carry the burdens of others. We may not be able to solve every problem, but we can bring people before God in prayer and point them to Jesus.

The high priest carried the names of Israel not only on his shoulders but also over his heart.

29 Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

The shoulders picture bearing the burden, while the heart pictures loving the people.

This teaches us that Christian service cannot simply be duty. We are not called merely to perform religious activities. We are called to love people.

A person can serve without loving, but genuine ministry requires both responsibility and compassion. And again, Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of this picture.

HEBREWS 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus understands our weakness. He experienced suffering, temptation, rejection, and pain, yet He remained without sin.

Sometimes we do not know how to empathize with another person's pain. Sometimes we cannot fully understand what another person is experiencing. But Jesus understands perfectly.

That is why when people come to us with problems, our ultimate responsibility is not to pretend that we have every answer. Our responsibility is to point them to the One who does.

HEBREWS 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Because Jesus is our High Priest, we can draw near to God with confidence. This is the heart of the message of the Tabernacle. The holy God who could not be approached casually has provided a way for us to come near. And that way is ultimately Jesus Christ.

We may not be able to meet every need of every person, but we can bring them to Jesus. We can pray for them. We can tell them about His mercy. We can point them toward the throne of grace.

The high priest also carried the Urim and Thummim over his heart.

30 You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

The Urim and Thummim were associated with seeking God's judgment or direction.

NUMBERS 27:21 Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in,…

The people sought God's direction through the priesthood and the means God had provided.

1 SAMUEL 28:6 When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

Saul wanted an answer from God, but his relationship with God was not one of humble obedience. This reminds us that seeking God's will is not simply about getting information from God. It is about being willing to obey God.

We cannot say, “Lord, tell me Your will,” while secretly planning to do what we want. The proper posture is reverence.

PSALM 25:12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose... 14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.

The fear of the Lord means reverence, respect, and submission to God. If we genuinely want to know God's will, we must genuinely want to obey God. We cannot treat God casually. Intimacy with God involves surrender.

Today, we do not need the Urim and Thummim to discover God's will. God has given us His Word.

PSALM 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

God's Word provides direction for our lives. The Bible is not merely a book we consult when we have a problem. It is the revelation through which God teaches us how to live.

Therefore, when we ask, “What is God's will?” we should begin with what God has already revealed in Scripture. For example, God's Word gives clear direction concerning our relationships.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers…

There are times when we already know what God has commanded, but we continue looking for another answer because we do not like the answer God has already given. That is not genuine pursuit of God's will.

A person who truly wants intimacy with God must be willing to obey what God has already revealed. We cannot play games with God. We cannot pursue intimacy while deliberately holding on to disobedience. And this brings us to the greatest difference between the Old Testament priesthood and Jesus Christ.

HEBREW 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

The Old Testament priests were sinners themselves. They needed sacrifices for their own sins. They had to repeatedly offer sacrifices.

But Jesus is different.

He is holy, innocent, undefiled, and sinless. He did not need to offer a sacrifice for His own sin because He had none.

Instead, He offered Himself for us.

HEBREW 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus does not merely save us and then leave us alone. He lives to intercede for us. He is our eternal High Priest. Through Him, we can draw near to God. Through Him, we receive mercy. Through Him, we receive grace. Through Him, we have access to the Father.

This is why Jesus is not simply one mediator among many.

1 TIMOTHY 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

There is one God and one mediator—Jesus Christ. We do not need another mediator to bring us to God. We do not need another priest to provide access to God. Jesus Himself is our High Priest and Mediator.

Therefore, when we confess our sins, we come to God through Christ.

1 JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Because of Christ, we can confess our sins directly to God. We do not need to hide from Him. We do not need to pretend that we are righteous. We come honestly, confessing our sin, trusting in His faithfulness and righteousness. And when we pray, Jesus Himself gives us the way to approach the Father.

JOHN 16:23 …Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

We approach the Father in the name of Jesus. Our confidence does not come from our own goodness. Our confidence comes from our High Priest. This brings us back to our identity as God's people.

1 PETER 2:10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We become a royal priesthood not because we choose the position for ourselves, but because God has called us and made us His own through Christ.

1 PETER 2:11 …I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As royal priests, we are aliens and strangers in this world. This world is not our permanent home. Our citizenship is in heaven.

Therefore, we should not become so attached to this world that we forget where we are going.

Our identity as royal priests must be visible in the way we live. Intimacy with God should produce a transformed life.

We are not only called to know God; we are called to serve God. We are not only called to draw near to Him; we are called to represent Him before others. That is why the consecration of the Old Testament priests gives us another important picture.

EXODUS 29:20 You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet… 21…so he …shall be consecrated, as well as his sons…

The blood was placed on the ear, thumb, and toe. The ear represents what we hear. The hand represents what we do. The foot represents where we walk. The picture is one of total consecration. Our ears belong to God. Our hands belong to God. Our feet belong to God. Our entire life belongs to God.

Consecration means that our relationship with God is not limited to Sunday worship or Bible study. It affects what we listen to, what we do, where we go, how we speak, how we treat people, and how we live.

The priest was also commanded to distinguish between what is holy and what is profane.

LEVITICUS 10:8 The Lord then spoke to Aaron, saying, 9“ Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die… 10 and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,

The issue was not simply the beverage. The larger principle was that the priest was to be sober, discerning, and able to distinguish between what is holy and what is profane.

As God's royal priests, our lives should demonstrate the difference Christ has made in us. We are to be examples. We are to represent the Lord properly. We are to live in such a way that people can see that we belong to God. But we must never forget that our transformation does not come from merely knowing God's commands.

HEBREWS 10:11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,

All the Old Testament high priests points to Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate High priest. Because of Jesus, all our sins are completely forgiven.

HEBREWS 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,”…

The Ten Commandments reveal God's holy standard, but the commandments themselves cannot change the human heart. They show us God's righteousness and expose our sin, but only Jesus can truly transform us from within.

HEBREWS 10:16 …He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

The Old Testament priesthood could never permanently remove sin. The sacrifices had to be repeated. But Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time.

Therefore, the entire message of the Tabernacle points us beyond Aaron, beyond the priesthood, beyond the sacrifices, and beyond the rituals—to Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the fulfillment. Jesus is our High Priest. Jesus is our sacrifice. Jesus is our mediator. Jesus is our burden bearer. Jesus is the One through whom we draw near to God. And Jesus is the One who makes us a royal priesthood.

CLOSING PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us Jesus Christ, our perfect and eternal High Priest. Thank You that through His sacrifice, our sins are forgiven and we can draw near to You with confidence.

Help us not only to know about You, but to pursue intimacy with You through Jesus. Teach us to carry the burdens of others, to love people with compassion, to seek Your will through Your Word, and to live as Your royal priesthood.

Consecrate our ears to hear You, our hands to serve You, and our feet to walk in Your ways. May our lives point others to Jesus, the only Mediator between God and man.

May everything we do bring honor and glory to Your name.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

Pursue Intimacy with God through Jesus, Our High Priest

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By God’s grace, this website, The Message of God, was created to share His Word, encourage others in their faith, and lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God has uniquely designed and equipped every believer to take part in His work, and this website is one small expression of that calling.

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