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Exodus 39:1–31
“From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses” (v. 1).
Unless the priestly garments were made according to the specifications given in Exodus 28, the Israelites could not rightly worship God at the tabernacle, for the priests could not do their service without the proper attire. In today’s passage, we read that as was the case with the tabernacle structure, the priestly garments were all fashioned according to the Lord’s exact specifications (Ex. 39:1–31). Much of chapter 28 is repeated in order to make it plain that the people did just what they were supposed to.
By now, we have become accustomed in our study of the tabernacle construction to see the building process repeat the details of the instructions God gave for His tent sanctuary (Ex. 35:30–39:31). That this indicates the obedience of the Israelites to the Lord is important enough, but one commentator notes a further ramification of this obedience. It tells us that things were done properly at the very beginning of formal corporate worship in Israel. If the directions had not been followed and the worship of God’s redeemed people was corrupt from the start, there would have been little hope that the relationship of the people to the Lord could mature and become ever more fruitful. Worship is the fundamental response of the creature to the Creator, so it is important to get it correct from the beginning if the creature is going to progress into a deeper understanding of the things of God. Thus, the biblical reform of worship is always an imperative when it is needed. Reforming worship according to Scripture helps ground our relationship with the Lord more securely, making possible our advancement in that relationship along the proper path.
Today’s passage also provides interesting details on the process that the Israelites employed to produce the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarns required for the priestly garments (see Exodus 28:5). Instead of dyeing some threads a golden color, the craftsmen took the actual gold metal and hammered it flat enough so that it could be cut into threads. These threads were then combined with the other colors to make the yarn that was later sewn into clothes for the priests (Ex. 39:2–5, 8). The end result was shimmering garments in the colors of royalty, making the priests fit attendants for the glorious majesty of God the King. As the people saw the priests moving about in their royal garb, they would have been reminded of their own vocation as a royal priesthood (see Exodus 19:1–6), and their minds would have been directed to contemplate the King and His good, sovereign reign over all creation.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The priestly garments and various biblical passages such as Psalm 47:2 tell us that praising the Lord as our sovereign King is an inherent part of rightly ordered worship. The majesty of God and His reign over all things should be regularly proclaimed when we gather with other Christians to praise the Lord in corporate worship. Moreover, we should remind one another of God’s good reign even when we are outside public worship.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
- Psalm 44:4
- Jeremiah 10:10
- 1 Timothy 1:17
- Revelation 19:6