5 - STUDIES IN THE HIGH PRIEST
March 10, 1965
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
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.
Notice, the breastplate as a breastplate of judgment. Its sole purpose was to be a repository for the Urim and Thummin by which God was to give His judgment or His decision in the event of doubt. On the outside were twelve precious stones, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel for whom judgment was given. The breastplate was doubled so as to form a pouch into which the Urim and the Thummin were deposited. Its shape was foursquare. It was around 9” square, which meant that it just covered the whole of the priest’s breast, and we know the breast is to be a symbol of affection and love. And, of course, we showed you last week that He loved Israel.
1/ Now as we finished last week, we told you that in this pouch were two stones, the Urim and Thummin. These two were in the form of a back and a white stone, deposited within the breastplate. The black stone being the negative and the white stone being the positive. The priest when he wanted to know the will of God or the mind of God in something that was in doubt, he would take his hand, reach into the pouch and pull out one of the stones, and the mind, or the will of God, would be known in that matter.
2/ This was not gambling. The gambling of our day. It has nothing to do with luck, it has nothing to do with superstition. We recognize there were evil men, like the hard and calloused soldiers who cast lots for the garment of the Lord Jesus Christ—then there were the superstitious sailors who cast lots to find the cause of the storm in the book of Jonah. But on the other hand there were the honest noble disciples who cast lots in the choosing of Matthias for apostleship, and notice, they bathed it in prayer to know God’s will—which one to choose.
3/ But do you realize that in our day, most of the vices are the abuse of something that was once given for man’s use.
4/ Revelations 2: 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Here is a Scriptural clue to the black and white stones. For what was this white stone inscribed with a name that was offered to the overcomer.
5/ Black and white stones were used in many ways in the East for the giving of a verdict, and in our own country in a criminal court, if a man is found guilty of murder, the judge will don a black cap to pronounce the sentence of death. In the same way in the East a judge would hand a guilty prisoner a black stone, meaning condemnation. Should the prisoner be handed a white stone, it would mean acquittal.
6/ You will notice that this church, Pergamum, dwells where even Satan’s seed is, and in the 14th verse, He says, I have a few things against thee. They had in their midst those who hold the doctrine of Baalim, and those are the doctrine of the Nicolatians, which thing, God says, He hates. In other words, this church leaned over backwards as tolerance is concerned. But God said, In this church I want you to be overcomers, and if you are an overcomer, I’ll give you a white stone, and that means that you are acquitted, that means you now have victory if you are acquitted of being with the church that is going to be condemned for being so tolerant.
7/ Our Urim and Thummin is the Word of God. We are to hide it, as we read in Psalm 119: 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Then in II Timothy 3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
8/ Exodus 28: 39, 40 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
Now we come to the headpiece. It is called a mitre for the High Priest, and a bonnet for the rest of the priests. And very little is said about the headpiece. The actual difference between the bonnet and the mitre was that the High Priest in his mitre was a gold plate. The head dress was made of fine linen, as was the coat, so the head was crowned with the symbol of holiness and righteousness.
9/ But again, the headpiece becomes the emblem of wisdom, and especially the hoary, white head speaks of wisdom because of wisdom obtained by experience.
Proverbs 16: 31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
The hoary (that means the white head) is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness.
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
The beauty of old men is the grey head. Old age and white hair tell of a life lived, experience gained, and wisdom obtained. My mind goes back to the Old Testament.
I Kings 12: 6, 8, 13 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
Here we have Rehoboam, the king of Israel, and he had a problem, so he consulted with the old men as to how he should govern the people. They advised him on the ground of their experience, but he forsook their wisdom and sought the guidance of the young men who had little knowledge of true facts and their advice proved to be folly. I believe this is why God speaks of the elders in the church, in the local assembly. It is wisdom gained.
10/ Remember the description of Jesus Christ in Revelations 1:14 4 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
The white beard being a symbol of wisdom and of understanding, and you will remember that Jesus Christ was made unto us wisdom. That is the mitre — righteousness, the coat.
I Corinthians 1: 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
He is made unto us wisdom, that is the mitre—righteousness, the coat.
11/ But then the mitre, the bonnet, was to cover the head. For the covering of the head always signified subjection. The Lord Jesus Christ was ever subjected to His Father and His Father’s will.
John 6: 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Luke 2: 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
Luke 22: 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
You know in the Old Testament, it was ever customary for the Jew to cover his head and uncover his feet when entering the synagogue, or when praying or when reading the law or the prophets, their sacred books. This was the recognition of the majesty of God, His greatness and their unworthiness. Moses on the backside of the desert was told to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground. And the priest always had his head covered when he ministered for the people in the tabernacle in the wilderness.
12/ However, in the church, all of this is changed. The man now uncovers his head and keeps his feet covered.
I Corinthians 11: 3, 4, 7 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Tonight, I am not interested in the women, but rather in the man. Just bear one thing in mind, that the covering of the head is subjection. But now that Jesus Christ has died, was buried, was resurrected, ascended into Heaven, the order has changed. For if a man should stand up in public to pray or to preach, that is what the word, prophecies really means, wearing a covering on his head, he would be dishonoring his head. Not that which is upon his neck, but dishonoring his Head which is Christ. Then it says, the woman’s head is to be covered. Who is her head? It is the man. It does not say that she dishonors the Lord Jesus Christ, but she dishonors her head. I am only bringing this out now because it speaks of subjection.
13/ Exodus 28: 36 - 38 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
This golden plate with “Holiness to the Lord” engraved upon it was fastened to the headpiece that Aaron wore. Above everything else when you saw the High Priest you saw this golden plate—"Holiness unto the Lord". The forehead is the seat of the will and of the intellect. It speaks of the mind.
Philippians 2: 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
His was a holy mind. Let me show you how the word forehead is used in the Bible.
Ezekiel 3: 7 - 9 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
The Lord here is telling Ezekiel that the stubbornness is a characteristic of the nation. There was no bending of their will. But God promised his prophet that he would be made as determined in ministering the Word as they were in refusing it. So you can see forehead speaks of the determination, the will of the mind.
14/ Then we have another example of this.Leviticus 13: 42 - 46 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
Verse 44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
The word says that the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He was the only man who had to put his hand over his mouth and cry, “Unclean, unclean”. He was the man who had to live in absolute isolation right outside the camp.
16/ II Chronicles 26: 16 - 21 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
Here we have an extraordinary illustration of what I mean. The story here is told of good king Uzziah. He reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem and did much that was highly commendable until in the hour of his strength and pride took hold of him and his mind was overtaken by pride. In his pride he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense. This was a privilege that never fell to kings to perform. It was a peculiar ministry of the priests and, of course, God had ordained it this way. Then the priest Azariah, went in with his colleagues to forbid the king his act of desecration of the temple and to warn him there would be a penalty—a punishment, but his pride, his mind was made up, and he would not change his mind, and he showed anger at being reproved, and we read he was wroth with the priest and leprosy even rose in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence. Yes, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him, and he was a leper unto the day of his death, and being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.
What kind of a mind should we have? We should have a mind that is filled with the holiness of the Lord.
Proverbs 23: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Psalm 119: 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
II Corinthians 10: 3 - 5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Jesus Christ had this mind of holiness, He only did the will of His Father. He never did anything He was sorry for. He never had to take a word back, and this mind should be in us.
AMEN
3/10/1965 / 5 - STUDIES IN THE HIGH PRIEST / 8/5/2025
