Exodus 39:27 – 31 ”For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, as well as the turban of fine linen, the ornate headbands and undergarments of finely spun linen, and the sash of finely spun linen, embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. They also made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and they engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Then they fastened to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
Aaron and his sons were to wear turbans of gleaming white linen adorned with ornate headbands. Wikipedia gives the following information: The high priest was also to wear “the holy crown of pure gold” along with a small separate plate that bore the inscription ‘Holiness to the Lord.” This engraved plate was called the “Tziytz” in Hebrew. The Tziytz was a small rectangular plate of solid gold, engraved in Hebrew letters with “HOLINESS TO THE LORD,” and having holes drilled in each of the four corners through which blue cords were threaded which held the tiara onto the High Priest’s priestly turban. (https://www.mechon-amre.org/p/pt/pt0239.htm#31) Traditionally, it is understood that one set of cords went around the High Priest’s head at the base of the tiara, and the other went over the forehead, all meeting at the back of the head to hold the tiara in place.
According to the Talmud, the wearing of the golden frontlet atoned for the sin of arrogance on the part of the Children of Israel…The Talmud in Shabbat 63b describes the tziytz as encircling the High Priest’s forehead “from one ear to the other.” Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook suggested that this emphasis on the High Priest’s ears — organs for listening — indicates that he needed to be particularly “receptive to the inner voice of elevated thought.” (Priestly golden head plate – Wikipedia)
APPLICATION: There’s a children’s Sunday School song that goes, “Oh be careful, little eyes, what you see! Oh be careful, little eyes, what you see! For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful, little eyes, what you see!” The song goes through several different parts of the body, including ears, mouth, hands, and feet. Although the song never mentions “Oh be careful, little brain, what you think,” this would have been a great addition.
Until the rise of the internet with online pornography and violent videos and violent video games, the only violence to which many people were exposed was on the nightly news. Sadly, that situation has now changed. Now anybody with an internet connection can access incredible amounts of filth. Parental controls may work on a home computer, but what happens when the child visits a friend whose parents are not as careful? And adults are not immune either! We have a close pastor friend who has since gone to be with Jesus who became addicted to online pornography. This addiction nearly cost our friend his ministry and his marriage and may have weakened his body’s immune system, allowing cancer to attack him.
Yesterday we discussed the concept of lashon hara, evil speech/slander/gossip. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
When computer programming was in its infancy, there was a phrase “GIGO.” “GIGO” stands for “garbage in/garbage out. Computers have no moral sense whatsoever and can only receive whatever information one feeds to them. If wrong information is given during a computation, the computer will give a wrong answer. When it comes to the things that absorb our attention, GIGO still holds true. If we allow evil things to obsess us, we will concentrate on evil.
While there are various descriptions of the “golden tiara” or the “golden crown” or frontlet, it was obviously worn across the forehead, protecting the brain, the seat of thought. Talmudic tradition claims that the priest wore this frontlet to atone for the sins of arrogance committed by the Children of Israel. Certainly, the Israelites were arrogant, rebelling against God and Moses many times, complaining after God had miraculously delivered them, etc. If indeed this golden band stretched from ear to ear, it would remind worshipers that they along with the priests were to listen to the Voice of God.
What’s playing on the video screens of your mind? Centuries after Moses, Paul warned the Philippians, “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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8 – 9)
Do you want peace? Concentrate on those virtues that will bring peace. Memorize Paul’s check list; then if something comes up that doesn’t match that list, refuse to dwell on it! We should not be ostriches hiding our heads in the sand and waving our bottoms in the air; however, we can choose what to feed our brains. Remember, GIGO!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Help us to focus on Your holiness, Your righteousness, and Your purity. Help us to be careful about our thoughts as well as our words. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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