4 - STUDIES IN THE HIGH PRIEST
MARCH 3, 1965
Henry F. Kulp
Exodus 28: 5 - 8 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
We have been telling you the Tabernacle would have been valueless without Aaron, the High Priest. You remember that God put the nation Israel under law, and because of this, God could not deal directly with the folks who were under the law. So God gave them a High Priest, and he represented the entire nation, and that’s what made them safe. God gave them a High Priest for their safety, and God robed the High Priest and designed his garments. He was the only man in the history of the world for whom God designed garments. There were six garments in all, and so far we have studied them as the High Priest put them on.
First of all, the coat—the white coat—then the robe, which was blue, and now we come to the ephod. The white linen coat speaks of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as a man. He was righteous, He was the sinless man, and attached to this embroidered coat was a girdle that speaks of service. Then we have the robe of the ephod, and we said that this robe speaks of office, dignity, and authority. And this is what Jesus Christ set aside when He became a man, and it was blue, which was the heavenly color. The Man of Heaven has authority. Around the hem of this garment were pomegranates which speak of fruit—you will remember the apple is the fruit of love, and the grape is the emblem of joy, so Jesus Christ as a man had fruit for us.
1/ Then he had golden bells and these all speak of the fact that the High Priest was ministering on the behalf of the people—they could always hear Him in there working on their behalf, and this speaks of His testimony before the Father for us. Right now, He is testifying of us.
2/ Now let us turn to the ephod. The ephod was the beautiful garment that reached from the shoulders to just above the knee, and then the robe of blue could be seen for about 8 or 10 inches below the ephod, then below that was the white linen coat. Now we said the ephod was a beautiful garment. As a matter of fact, it was the most beautiful of all the garments.
Notice, Verse 6 They shall make the ephod of gold and blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen with cunning work.
So the ephod was a short garment from the neck down to the knee. It was sleeveless, very beautifully made. Made something like the veil. All these colors with threads of pure gold were wrought into the garment. Notice what it says about the gold.
Exodus 39: 3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
Here it tells us how it was put in. They did beat the gold into thin plates, cut it into wires to work it into the blue, in the purple and in the scarlet and in the fine linen with cunning work. The gold being the metal must have stiffened the ephod, as well as giving it a glory and a brilliance which was unsurpassed. One can easily appreciate the words, garments for glory and for beauty. God speaks of the glory of God. Remember, the priest speaks of Jesus Christ in His resurrection, ascended glory.
Notice, Isaiah 40: 25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Why, of course, to no one. He is the Man that is higher than the heavens. Remember, gold is non perishing.
Hebrews 1: 11, 12 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
3/ Blue, of course, is the heavenly color. He is the glorified deity from Heaven—and of course, scarlet, again, speaks of His blood, and then purple speaks of His office as the King of the earth, and also as the rich One.
Luke 16: 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
So Jesus Christ in II Corinthians 8: 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
He became poverty stricken for us that we might be made rich, but after His death, burial and resurrection, He is again the wealthy One of the universe. This is why it is so wonderful for us to know in Romans 8 that we are joint heirs with Him. He is again the wealthy Man of the universe. Purple speaks of this fact, and that one day He’ll be the King of this world.
4/ These colors all show the blessedness of His being.
Exodus 28: 9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
This ephod was joined at the shoulders, and it had two pieces on the shoulders to which was to be attached a stone on either shoulder. What this stone was we are not told, but it was a very precious stone upon each shoulder, and it must have been quite large, because six of the names of the tribes were on one shoulder, and six names of the tribes were on the other shoulder.
Exodus 28: 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
This speaks of Aaron as High Priest, carrying the entire nation on his shoulders, and that is exactly where God carries the Nation Israel, on His shoulders. In other words, it wasn’t their own motivation—it is never the motivation of the child of God, it is always God who carries us. If we are to get to Heaven we must be carried by God, Again this goes in conjunction with Romans 8: 14 where we are led by the Holy Spirit. We do not know the way to go, we would not get there—the Holy Spirit leads us as we are upon the shoulders of the Lord Jesus Christ.
5/ Exodus 28: 15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
On this ephod were the two shoulder pieces showing that he carried the Twelve Tribes on His shoulders everywhere he went, always on his shoulders. Then he said, make a breast plate, and this also was attached to the ephod, and in the breastplate were twelve stones—each of the twelve stones had a name written—one of the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Exodus 28: 21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
Exodus 28: 29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
Notice, this, upon his heart, when he goeth in to the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. He bore Israel on his shoulders and he bore them on his heart—on his shoulders to be carried and on his heart to be loved. Do you know that the Lord Jesus Christ carries you and loves you? Yes, the Lord does love you. He will not let anything in the world touch you without His permission. Let me show you a very beautiful thing for the nation Israel.
Deuteronomy 33: 3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
On His heart to be loved, in His hands to be used, they sat at His feet to be taught.
Then notice, Deuteronomy 33: 12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
I like that—On His heart to be loved, in His hands to be used, at His feet to be taught, on His shoulders to be carried.
6/ Let me show you a principle of God with His saints in every age.
John 17: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
God loves you and He loved His Son. How could He ever let you be lost?
7/ The curious girdle. This girdle was neither loose nor attached, but on with the ephod. The word, girdle in its original form means, device. The word, curious. I wondered what that word, curious, meant. That is the word we get curiosity from—if a thing is a curiosity there is none other like it. It wouldn’t be a curiosity if there were another like it. This was a curious girdle, there was something marvelous about it—there was never another one like it. We said, the girdle always stands in the Bible for service. You remember there was a girdle on the white linen coat, and this was all that Aaron wore when he went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, so he was serving the people there. This girdle here—the curious girdle, was to mean that when he wore all the clothes and ministered for the people day by day, he was in service for them. All this was held together by the fact that he served mankind.
8/ He, Jesus, is doing that right now.
Romans 8: 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
9/ Let me show you that curious girdle in the New Testament.
John 13: 1 - 5 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Now notice the 2nd Verse And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son to betray Him. Jesus knowing the Father had given all things into His hand, and He was come from God and went to God.
It says that Jesus was conscious of His deity. He knew He came from God.
Verse 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
He arrived at the supper and laid aside His garments and took a towel and, notice, girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciple’s feet, and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith He was girded.
I think that is a beautiful picture of that curious girdle. The Son of God, the Infinite Son of God, girded with a towel—He laid aside His garments. Was there anything like that in history. Is there anything like that in religion? No, here Jesus Christ has full consciousness that God has given everything to Him—committed all things unto His hand. He came from God and would go back to God. Took a towel and removed His garments, and washed the Twelve Disciple’s feet. There isn’t any service like that in religion.
Notice, He washed the feet of Judas. Verse 12 So after He has washed their feet and had taken off His garments and was sitting down again, He said unto them—Know ye not what I have done to You? Then Verse 26 Jesus answered and said, he it is to whom I shall give the sop when I have dipped it, and when He had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas.
Judas was at the table, Judas had his feet washed. Did you ever hear of a humble servant like that? I think that is the picture of the curious girdle. If you knew someone was planning your death, you wouldn’t treat them like that. He washed the feet of Judas, knowing that Judas was going out from the supper to betray Him.
10/ Exodus 28: 29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
Notice the breastplate was a breastplate of judgment—a breastplate of safety—for He not only bore Israel upon His heart, but He bore their judgment. Aaron was the bearer of the judgement for the Twelve Tribes, he was to be responsible for them. I like that.
This is exactly what Romans 8: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
It teaches us—there is no judgment for us.
11/ Exodus 28: 30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.
Here we have the Urim and Thummim spoken of. These were two precious stones and they were used by the High Priest.
Numbers 27: 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
This is where Joshua is being appointed to take Moses’ place before Moses dies, and they do not want to make a mistake—they want to know the will of the Lord, and in the 21st verse it says, And he shall stand before Eliezer the priest, Aaron was dead at this time, and Eliezer was the High Priest, who shall ask council for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.
They wanted to know if Joshua was the man to follow Moses, so they consulted the Urim and the Thummim, by which God gave them to know His will, and it seems like they could not get anything from Urim and Thumim except yes, and no. and it was used at times of great stress when they must know what the Lord would have them to do.
12/ I Samual 30: 7, 8 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
David asked for the ephod to have the Urim and the Thummim because the Amalekites had come up and destroyed Ziklag, and taken David’s two wives. He desired therefore, to seek the mind of God as to what he should do in the battle.
13/ I Samuel 28: 6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
God refused to give him His will. But notice, they went to this breastplate, to these two stones to find the will of God—yes or no.
AMEN
3/3/1965 / 4 - STUDIES IN THE HIGH PRIEST / 8/3/2025
