The Expositor's Bible: The Book of LeviticusKellogg, Samuel H. (Samuel Henry)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Leviticus
Kellogg, Samuel H. (Samuel Henry)
Bible. Leviticus -- Commentaries; Bible. Leviticus -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Such then appears to have been the symbolic meaning of these "garments
for glory and for beauty," with which Moses now robed Aaron, in token
of his investiture with the manifold dignities of the exalted office
to which God had called him. But we must not forget that we are not,
in all this, dealing merely with matters of antiquarian or
archæological interest. Nothing is plainer than the teaching of the
New Testament, that Aaron, as the high priest, not by accident, but by
Divine intention, prefigured Christ. In all the directions given
concerning his investiture with his office, and the work which, as
high priest, he had to do, the Holy Ghost intended to prefigure,
directly or indirectly, something concerning the person, office, and
work of Jesus Christ, as our heavenly High Priest, the Fulfiller of
all these types. As Aaron appears in his fourfold high-priestly
garments of four colours, which represented him as the minister, on
the one hand, of the tabernacle, and, on the other, of the God of
Israel, the Inhabitant of the tabernacle, so are we reminded how
Christ is appointed as the "Minister of the greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands" (Heb. ix. 11), the earth, the heaven,
and the heaven of heavens, to reconcile, by the offering of His blood,
"both the things which are on earth and those which are in the
heavens" (Col. i. 20). We look upon the blue robe of the ephod, and
remember how Christ is made a minister of "a better covenant, enacted
upon better promises" (Heb. viii. 6), representing, as that old
covenant did not, the fulness of the revelation of God's condescending
love and saving mercy. So also the inwoven scarlet reminds us how
Christ, again, as the great High Priest, is the minister of the God of
life, and is also Himself life and the Giver of life to all His
people. We look upon the high priest's purple and gold, and are
reminded again that Christ, the High Priest, is also invested with
regal power and dominion, all authority being given unto Him in heaven
and on earth (Matt. xxviii. 18).
Again, we look on the ephod of fine linen, inwoven with blue, and
scarlet, and purple, and gold, with its girdle, symbolising service,
and its pendant breast-plate of judgment, and are reminded how Christ
in all the relations thus pertaining to Him as High Priest, is the
Ruler and the Judge of His people, who, as the bearer of the true Urim
and Thummim, is not only Priest, and King, and Judge, but also, and in
order to the salvation of His people, their Prophet, continually
revealing unto those who seek Him, the will of God for their direction
and guidance in every emergency of life. The girdle, the symbol of
service, brings to mind, again, how in all this He is the Servant of
the Lord, serving the Father in saving us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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