The garments of the high priest (Aaron) were for glory and for beauty (Exodus 28:2). This is also said of the priests’ garments. They were Aaron’s sons (Exodus 28:40). But only a few verses are devoted to the priests’ garments. The high priest’s clothing is described in great detail. This is because Aaron is a picture of the Lord Jesus. He is the true High Priest.

Six garments of the high priest are described in Exodus 28. They are mentioned at the beginning (Exodus 28:4): breastpiece, ephod, robe, tunic, turban, sash.

The high priest did not put the garments on in this order. The list follows a moral order. The breastpiece and the ephod are brought forward. Both are described in great detail. Everything points to one important point. The high priest represents the people before God. The people’s names are engraved on the breastpiece. They are also on the ephod’s shoulder pieces.

The Ephod

The ephod had four colors. They are known from the tabernacle curtains. They testify of the Lord Jesus’ different glories. These are blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. Cherubim were not woven in, as with the veil. The thought of executed judgment does not fit the high priest. Yet gold was used in the ephod (Exodus 28:5). Gold speaks of divine glory. Our High Priest is the Son of God (Hebrews 4:14). (Gold was not in the curtain that tore. Divine glory and tearing do not fit together.)

All the different colors were tightly interwoven. They are symbols of his glories (see also Exodus 39:3). You cannot separate them from each other. His divine glory cannot be separated from these glories either:

  • blue – Man from heaven
  • purple – Son of Man
  • scarlet – Son of David
  • fine linen – the Holy One

When Christ comes in power and glory, all these glories will be fully visible. He will sit as a priest on his throne (Zechariah 6). But he already has them now.

The Sash and the Shoulder Pieces

Before the shoulder pieces are described in more detail, the sash is addressed. This sash was an integral part of the ephod itself. Exodus 28:8 describes it as a “skillfully woven band.” It was made from the same elaborate material as the ephod itself. It served to secure the breastpiece (Exodus 28:28).

The ephod consisted of two parts. It was held together by shoulder pieces. Two valuable onyx stones were attached to the shoulder pieces. They were set in gold with braided gold chains. Onyx was prized (Job 28:16). It could be polished well and engraved cleanly.

Each stone bore six names of Israel’s tribes. They were in birth order. The birth order suggests that this is about position. It is not about moral order. When it is about the new birth, we are all equal. We all have the same position before God.

By this we see  that Christ, our High Priest, carries us before God. He carries us on his strong shoulders. He carries us through life as well. We have divine security and stability in this. The onyx stones were set in gold. They were also fitted with golden cords.

When the high priest went into the sanctuary, he carried the names of the twelve tribes on his shoulder (Exodus 28:12). When God saw the high priest, he also saw the tribes’ names. When Christ appears before God, our names are, so to speak, seen on him. We are inseparably connected with our Representative in heaven. This gives security, rest, and confidence. It secures divine blessing and mercy.