Commentary - Exodus 28:1-5

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, God shifts His instructions from the construction of His house, the Tabernacle, to the consecration of His housekeepers, the priests. Having detailed the blueprints for the place of worship, He now details the appointment and attire of the men who will serve there. This is a foundational moment in the life of Israel. God is not establishing a democracy of worship where everyone does what is right in his own eyes; He is establishing a formal, hierarchical, and beautiful order. The central action is God's sovereign selection of Aaron and his sons. They do not volunteer or win an election; they are divinely appointed. Their office is then visually distinguished by a set of holy garments, made specifically "for glory and for beauty." This is not about mere function. It is about reflecting the majesty of the God they serve and providing a living, walking picture of the greater High Priest to come, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The passage underscores three critical truths. First, access to God is on His terms, through a mediator He appoints. Second, the worship of God is not meant to be a drab, utilitarian affair, but one filled with intentional beauty and splendor that reflects His own character. Third, the skills required to create this beauty are not incidental but are a direct gift of God's Spirit. This chapter lays the groundwork for understanding the entire sacrificial system and points inexorably forward to the one who would perfectly fulfill this priestly office.

Outline

Context In Exodus

Exodus 28 comes directly after God has given Moses the detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle and its furniture, from the Ark of the Covenant to the outer court (Exodus 25-27). The house has been designed; now the servants of the house must be designated and dressed. The logic is impeccable. A king's palace requires royal servants, and God's holy tent requires a holy priesthood. This chapter is therefore not an appendix but an integral part of the Tabernacle instructions. The priest and the sanctuary are inseparable. The instructions for the priesthood serve as a bridge between the construction of the Tabernacle and the consecration ceremonies that will follow. This entire section (chapters 25-31) represents the positive heart of the covenant made at Sinai: God is not just giving laws from a distance but is making a way to dwell in the midst of His people through a system of mediation and worship.

Key Issues

Dressed for Glory

When a soldier is commissioned, he receives a uniform. When a king is crowned, he is arrayed in royal robes. When a judge takes the bench, he wears the vestments of his office. Clothing signifies station, authority, and function. It is not a trivial thing. And so when God establishes the central mediatorial office of the Old Covenant, He begins with the man's clothes. This is not because God is a fussy decorator. It is because He is communicating profound theological realities through visible, tangible means. The world was created as a great temple, and Adam was its first priest, tasked with serving and keeping it. He failed, and was stripped of his glory. Now, in this new beginning for Israel, God is establishing a new priesthood, and He is clothing them in garments that speak of a restored glory, a mediated holiness, and a coming beauty that will one day cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

The instructions for these garments are not suggestions for the fashion-conscious. They are divine commands, as binding as the Ten Commandments. Every thread, every color, every stone is saturated with meaning. The high priest is to be a walking sermon, a living symbol of what it means to approach a holy God on behalf of a sinful people. His clothing is his commission, and it is designed for nothing less than the glory of God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 “Now as for you, bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priests to Me, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

The action begins with a direct command from God to Moses: "bring near." This is the language of sovereign election. Aaron and his sons do not apply for this position. There is no search committee. God, in His absolute freedom, chooses them. This is a foundational principle of vocation. God calls; man responds. Aaron is Moses' brother, which keeps the leadership within one family, but the authority comes from God, not from the family tie. The specific names are listed, emphasizing the personal nature of this calling. Their function is stated plainly: "to minister as priests to Me." The service is directed God-ward. They are to serve God on behalf of the people, not the other way around. This divine appointment is the bedrock of their authority. Without it, they are just men in fancy dress.

2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

Here is the purpose statement for the entire enterprise. The garments are to be holy, meaning they are set apart from common use for a sacred purpose. But then God gives two reasons that should arrest our modern, pragmatic sensibilities: for glory and for beauty. This is not about making Aaron feel good about himself. The glory is a reflection of the glory of the God he serves. The beauty is a reflection of the beauty of the holiness of that same God. This command is a direct assault on any form of religion that prizes ugliness, drabness, or studied casualness as a mark of spirituality. God is an artist. He loves beauty, order, and splendor. The worship He designs for His people is intended to be beautiful, to lift their eyes and hearts to the transcendent beauty of their Creator. These garments are to be a foretaste of the New Jerusalem, a city that is itself a perfect work of art.

3 You shall speak to all those wise at heart whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to set him apart as holy, in order for him to minister as priest to Me.

God not only commands the work but also provides the workmen. And notice their qualification. They are "wise at heart," but this is not a native intelligence. It is a wisdom that comes because God has "filled" them with the "spirit of wisdom." This is the same language used for Bezalel in chapter 31. The Holy Spirit is not just for preaching and prophesying; He is for weaving, engraving, and goldsmithing. This sanctifies craftsmanship and artistry. The ability to make something beautiful and skillful with your hands is a gift of God's Spirit, and it is to be used for His glory. The purpose of their Spirit-filled work is to make the garments that will "set him apart as holy," or consecrate him. The clothing is an instrument of sanctification, marking Aaron as belonging exclusively to the Lord for this priestly task.

4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, in order for him to minister as priest to Me.

Now we get the inventory. The text lists the six primary pieces of the high priest's attire, which will be described in detail in the rest of the chapter. This is a complete uniform, covering the priest from head to toe. It signifies a total consecration of the whole man to his office. The list is given, and then the purpose is repeated for emphasis, almost like a refrain: "in order for him to minister as priest to Me." God is very clear about the why behind all this. The garments are not an end in themselves; they are the necessary equipment for the priest to perform his mediatorial function in the presence of a holy God.

5 They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen.

The materials list is a direct echo of the materials used for the Tabernacle itself, particularly the inner curtains and the veil (Exodus 26). This is no accident. The high priest is to be a living, breathing extension of the sanctuary. He is clothed in the very fabric of God's house. This visually identifies him with the place of God's dwelling. The materials themselves are freighted with significance. Gold speaks of divinity and royalty. Blue points to the heavens. Purple was the color of kings. Scarlet signifies blood and sacrifice. And fine white linen represents purity and righteousness. In his very person, the high priest was to embody royalty, heavenliness, sacrifice, and righteousness.

Application

It is easy to read a passage like this and relegate it to the museum of ancient religious history. But the principles here are permanent. First, we must recognize that we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was not chosen by men but was appointed by God Himself. He is not clothed in linen and gold, but in perfect righteousness and divine glory. He is the substance of which Aaron's garments were merely a shadow. All the glory and beauty commanded here find their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of the Son of God.

Second, we who are in Christ are ourselves a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet. 2:9). We are called to minister to God. And we too have been given garments. We are told to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 13:14). We are clothed in His righteousness, which is our only basis for approaching God. Our lives, therefore, are to be lived "for glory and for beauty." Our worship, our work, our families, and our communities should be marked by a striving for an excellence and beauty that reflects the character of our God. We should reject the gnostic impulse to devalue the physical world and instead seek to bring all our creative and artistic endeavors under the lordship of Christ, recognizing that the spirit of wisdom is given for artists as much as for apostles.

Finally, this passage is a call to ordered worship. God is a God of order, not of chaos. He meticulously designed the worship of the Old Covenant, and while the ceremonial details have been fulfilled in Christ, the principle of reverent, beautiful, and thoughtful worship remains. We are not to come before God casually, but with the reverence and awe that befits His majesty, offering Him the very best of our hearts, our minds, and our creative gifts.