Exodus 28:31 – 35 “You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening at its top in the center. Around the opening shall be a woven collar with an opening like that of a garment, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them, alternating the gold bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe. Aaron must wear the robe whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters or exits the sanctuary before the LORD, so that he will not die.
YIPES! What must the Israelites have thought? The instructions regarding the woven collar were quite reasonable and something that the skilled weavers were probably doing anyway. The blue color of the robe of the ephod signified the blue of heaven. Decorating the hem with woven pomegranates was likely another touch with which the tailors and weavers were familiar. But why the bells?
Professor Baruch J. Schwarz suggests that the bells were used to alert the divine presence as Aaron entered the sanctuary. (The Garments of the High Priest: Anthropomorphism in the Worship of God – TheTorah.com) This idea might come from the belief that God as the Supreme Being is not to be approached casually. Others have also suggested that the sound of the bells as the high priest moved through the sanctuary would tell those listening outside that the high priest was still alive. If the bells stopped ringing, there might be a problem. Later in the Middle Ages, a legend grew up that the priest had a rope tied around his ankle by which he could be dragged from the Holy of Holies if he died. Further investigation indicates that this idea had no basis in fact; the curtains between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place were three feet thick, so that even the high priest could not simply enter the Most Holy Place quickly or casually.
Why does God insist that Aaron MUST wear the robe whenever he ministers? Again, God is establishing a new monotheistic religion. Given any chance at all, the ancient Israelites are likely to veer off and copy the pagans around them. Only the threat of sudden death might be enough to deter them. God knows all the priests who will wear these garments and how obedient or rebellious they will be to His commands. Make no mistake! If any less of a restriction would serve, God would not use the threat of death as a deterrent.
APPLICATION: When Jesus was dying on the cross on Good Friday, the huge curtain in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from top to bottom. Only God could have torn that curtain because no other force on earth could have made even the lightest hole in it. God did this to signify that thanks to Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross, the Holy of Holies was now open to all men and women who would believe.
Generally, our problem is not one of fear and awe of God; most of us are far too casual. God IS our heavenly Father and He DOES want His children to pray to Him at all times. But we can lose sight of who God really is and treat Him as a deus ex machina, a “god from the machine,” in other words, a glorified spiritual vending machine. Put in your prayer and get out whatever it is that you are asking. Such an attitude indicates a lack of respect for God and a lack of knowledge of God. The more you learn of God, the more humble you become because the more you realize just how big God is.
Many years ago, J.B. Phillips wrote a book entitled Your God is Too Small. For most of us, our gods are demigods, little deities that we carry around and pull out when necessary, a glorified good luck charm.
Psalm 95:6 – 7 says,”O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” It is time that we as God’s sheep honor our Shepherd.
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for not valuing you as we should and for approaching you too casually. We have taken you for granted! Lord, forgive us! Open our eyes to see your glory and your majesty and let those things fill our hearts and minds. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment