We'll be finishing Chapter 27 today and beginning Chapter 28. These sections deal with the light of the tabernacle lampstand and with the commissioning of Aaron's family line to be the priests of Israel.
"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening til morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come." (Exodus 27:20-21) The "lamps" are those on the lampstand, the tabernacle lampstand. Scholars disagree about whether the lamps burn continually or only from evening until morning. At times the lamp wicks would need to be trimmed or replaced and the oil would need to be refilled, so it's not clear whether the lamps provided a continually burning light or whether they only burned from dusk until dawn. Leviticus 24:1-4 seems to indicate the light is never to go out due to these verses' use of the word "continually", but some linguists believe that the word translated "continually" would be more accurately translated as "regularly", meaning that the lamps are to be lit every single evening without fail. If that's the case, just as you and I "regularly" turn lights on in our houses at dusk, the priests were to "regularly" light the lamps at dusk.
Since we know for certain the lamps were burning all night, we know the Israelites could look toward the tabernacle at night and see the glow from the lampstand. This reminded them that God was awake and watching over them. "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121:4) This reminds me of how comforting it was as a child when I knew one or both of my parents was up and about during the hours of darkness. When I was a small child my mom didn't work outside the home but my dad was generally on the job by 7am, so Mom would have to get up by 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning while it was still dark to cook a filling breakfast for my dad and to pack his lunchbox for the workday. From my open bedroom door I could see the glow of the kitchen light around the edges of the kitchen door. There was something so comforting about that light! My dad would join her in the kitchen when breakfast was about ready and I could sometimes hear the low murmur of their voices. I'd drift back to sleep in the confident knowledge that should any emergency arise before daylight, my parents would be on top of it instantly.
If anyone in the Israelite camp tossed and turned restlessly during the hours of darkness, he or she could look toward the tabernacle and be reminded that God was up and about during the night. They could experience the same confident knowledge I experienced as a child when I knew someone capable and powerful was up and about, ready to tackle any situation that arose. God never sleeps. He is on the job 24/7. No matter what need arises during the night, our Father never has to be shaken out of slumber to deal with the problem. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise or catches Him off guard. A favorite quote during a dark time in my life was this quote, attributed to Mary C. Crowley, the Christian woman who founded of Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc.: "Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway." God watches over us during the hours of darkness just as much as He watches over us during the hours of daylight. It's no use to pace the floor restlessly or toss and turn while we wrestle with our thoughts. As the Bible says, "He gives sleep to His beloved." (Psalm 127:2) Like a loving parent, He pats us lovingly and says soothingly, "Shhhh, child. All is well. You rest now. I'll be watching over you."
As we begin Chapter 28 we find the Lord establishing Aaron's family line as the priestly line of Israel. As we learned in Genesis, Moses and Aaron are of the line of Levi, Jacob's fourth born son by his first wife Leah. Whenever we see a person called a "Levite" we know he is of the priestly tribe of Israel, though not everyone descended from Levi chose to serve the Lord. The Lord says to Moses as we begin Chapter 28: "Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve Me as priests." (Exodus 28:1) We were previously given the names of Aaron's four sons in Exodus 6:23. His two elder sons are going to come to a bad and shocking end in Leviticus 10 when they deliberately disobey a holy ordinance of the Lord by making a sinful offering at the tabernacle. We'll be discussing their costly mistake when we move on into the book of Leviticus later this summer.
"Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve Me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve Me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen." (Exodus 28:2-5) These men are to perform sacred duties before the Lord and are going to pass along the Lord's word to the people. They must be dressed in a way that befits a person who carries out such important tasks. Take our modern church pastors, for example. We almost always see them dressed in a suit and tie, or at least in a sport coat and dress slacks and a button-down shirt, when standing to deliver a sermon to the congregation. What would we think if the pastor appeared in the pulpit on Sunday morning wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip flops? We'd think He didn't have much respect for the Lord, for the Lord's house, or for the Lord's people. In this same way the priests are to be dressed in such a way that they show respect for the Lord, for the Lord's house, and for the Lord's people.
Join us tomorrow as we begin a detailed look at the items of a priest's wardrobe and the symbolism of these items.
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