Exodus 28:36 – 43 “You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD. You are to weave the tunic with fine linen, make the turban of fine linen, and fashion an embroidered sash. Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.
After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests. Make linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh, extending from waist to thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.”
One of the functions of a priest is not only to represent God to the people but also to represent the people to God. As the high priest, Aaron is tasked with presenting the “holy gifts” that the Israelites have brought to the Lord. But how can gifts donated by sinful people become holy? The passage regarding the plate of pure gold fastened to the turban gives us a hint. Each time Aaron or his descendants acting as high priests enter the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, they must wear this gold plate with the inscription “Holy to the Lord” on it. Why? Surely God has a good memory; He doesn’t need any hints. But in this case, the high priest is wearing the turban and the gold plate as a sign that the Israelites have given the best that they can and that God should therefore forgive any sin arising from the things that have been donated. This plate is a graphic demonstration that God must be approached reverently and appropriately so that He will accept the Israelites and their offerings.
There is also another possibility. The golden plate is attached to the high priest’s turban so that it is as close as possible to his brain. Never underestimate the power of a holy dedicated object. As the high priest is ministering to the Lord inside the tabernacle, it is vitally important that he not become distracted or remiss in his duties. Eventually this turban with its plate is dedicated to the Lord and thereby imbibes some of His holiness. This plate may actually assist the high priest in focusing on God and concentrating intently on hearing from Him.
Once more God instructs Moses on the garments and under garments the priests are to wear. These instructions also come with a threat: ”Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.” The priests are to have only one purpose: to fulfill God’s will. If the priests try to water down or manipulate these instructions, when they enter God’s presence, they will die! No exceptions will be made!
APPLICATION: During the recent pandemic, many families forced to stay at home have found themselves watching all kinds of movies and television programs they would not normally watch. Sometimes, these restrictions have led to wonderful discoveries of new programs and new stories; on the other hand, sometimes people have found themselves mindlessly watching the same thing repeatedly.
It’s a funny thing about media; the things that we watch or listen stick in our minds. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.” There’s a phrase from the early days of computer programming “GIGO – garbage in, garbage out.” Whatever we focus on will shape our lives for better or for worse.
The high priest had a golden plate attached to his turban to help him remember who he was and what he was doing. For us, memorizing Scripture will help us focus and maintain our spiritual and mental balance. While God might not strike us dead, if we compromise and make wrong choices, we can gradually find ourselves on a path that eventually leads to spiritual death. May God help us as we choose our entertainment and those things on which we concentrate!
PRAYER: Father God, help us to make life – giving choices on entertainment and on those things that intrigue us. May we follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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