Bird's-eye view
In this portion of Exodus, we are in the middle of God's detailed instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and all its related furniture and, as we have here, the priestly regalia. This is not God being fussy; it is God teaching His people through types and shadows what true worship looks like. The central theme of the tabernacle is that a holy God has condescended to dwell in the midst of a sinful people, and this requires a mediator. These garments are the uniform for that mediator. They are designed for "glory and for beauty," which means they are intended to display something of the majesty of the God whom the priest serves. Every thread, every color, and every piece of this wardrobe is a sermon. This particular verse focuses on three foundational garments for the priest: the tunic, the turban, and the sash. Together, they speak of the righteousness, the authority, and the readiness for service that must characterize anyone who would stand before the Lord on behalf of the people. Ultimately, they are a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, who perfectly fulfills all that these garments signify.
The meticulous detail here ought to impress upon us the seriousness of approaching a holy God. You don't just saunter into His presence. You come on His terms, clothed in the garments He provides. The fine linen speaks of a pure and perfect righteousness, the turban of a mind submitted to God's authority, and the sash of a man girded and ready for his work. For the Old Covenant priest, this was an external covering. For the New Covenant believer, this clothing is Christ Himself, and our task is to "put on" what is already ours by faith.
Outline
- 1. The Prescribed Priestly Uniform (Ex 28:39)
- a. The Tunic of Righteousness (Ex 28:39a)
- b. The Turban of Authority (Ex 28:39b)
- c. The Sash of Service (Ex 28:39c)
Context In Exodus
This verse is situated within the second major section of Exodus. The first half of the book (chapters 1-18) details Israel's redemption from Egypt, the great act of deliverance. This second half (chapters 19-40) details the covenant relationship that is established on the basis of that redemption. Having been saved, Israel is now taught how to live as God's people and how to worship Him. At the heart of this section is the tabernacle, which is a portable Eden, the place where Heaven and Earth meet and where God dwells with man. Chapters 25-31 contain the divine blueprints for this project. Chapter 28 is dedicated entirely to the holy garments of the priests, Aaron and his sons. These are the men who will mediate between God and the people, and their clothing is part of their ordination. It sets them apart and teaches the people about the nature of their office. This verse, 28:39, specifies some of the foundational linen garments, which are to be distinguished from the more ornate and colorful outer garments of the high priest, like the ephod and breastpiece.
Key Issues
- The Symbolism of Fine Linen
- The Nature of Priestly Mediation
- Clothing as a Theological Statement
- The Christological Fulfillment of the Priesthood
- Righteousness, Authority, and Service
Clothed for Glory and Beauty
We live in an age that despises uniforms, formality, and prescribed roles. Our culture celebrates a kind of radical individualism that wants to dress however it pleases and define itself on its own terms. But the Bible teaches that clothing is rhetoric; it always says something. And when it comes to the worship of God, what our clothing says is of utmost importance. God here is not just giving fashion tips. He is designing a visual gospel.
The priestly garments were "for glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28:2). This does not mean they were for the priest's glory, to make him look impressive in himself. They were for the glory of the office he held and for the glory of the God he served. They were beautiful because they reflected the perfect beauty of God's holiness. The priest, standing before the people, was a living icon, a portrait of what it meant to be accepted in God's presence. He was clothed in a righteousness that was not his own. He was wearing a uniform that God Himself had designed and provided. This is a fundamental principle of the gospel. We cannot approach God in the filthy rags of our own self-righteousness. We must be clothed in the garments He provides, and that garment is the perfect righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Verse by Verse Commentary
39 “You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen,
The first garment mentioned is the foundational one, the tunic. It was a long, shirt-like garment that formed the base layer. The material is crucial: fine linen. Throughout Scripture, fine white linen is symbolic of righteousness. In Revelation, the bride of Christ is arrayed in "fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev. 19:8). This is not a righteousness they manufactured themselves, but one that was given to them. So, the very fabric of the priest's tunic declares that the prerequisite for standing before God is a perfect, pure righteousness. The priest is clothed in it. This points directly to the imputed righteousness of Christ. Just as Joshua the high priest in Zechariah's vision had his filthy garments removed and was clothed in clean vestments (Zech. 3:4-5), so too are we stripped of our sin and clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. The work is described as checkered work, suggesting a complex, skillful weave. This is not a plain, rough cloth. It is intricately made, speaking to the divine wisdom and artistry of God's plan of salvation. Our righteousness in Christ is not a simple, slapped-together affair; it is a perfect and gloriously complex work of God's grace.
and you shall make a turban of fine linen,
Next is the head covering, the turban. It too is made of fine linen, continuing the theme of righteousness. But a covering for the head has to do with authority and thought. The priest's mind was to be consecrated to God, submitted to His authority. On the high priest's turban, a golden plate was fastened, inscribed with "Holiness to the Lord" (Ex. 28:36). This explicitly dedicated his thoughts, his will, his entire intellectual faculty, to God. For the ordinary priest, the white linen turban itself signified a mind that was set apart, clean, and submitted to the covenant headship of God. In the New Covenant, we are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). The turban is a picture of a mind that is no longer running wild in rebellion but is brought under the gracious authority of God. It is a mind that thinks God's thoughts after Him. Christ, our great High Priest, had a mind perfectly submitted to the Father in all things. "Not my will, but yours, be done."
and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.
The final piece is the sash. A sash, or girdle, is what one uses to gather up loose garments in preparation for work or action. It speaks of readiness, diligence, and service. The priest was not to be idle; he had a job to do. He was to minister in the sanctuary, to offer sacrifices, to teach the people. The sash meant he was ready for business. Jesus tells His disciples to have their loins girded and their lamps burning (Luke 12:35). Paul tells the Ephesian saints to gird their loins with truth (Eph. 6:14). The sash represents a man who is prepared to do the will of God. It is specifically called the work of a weaver, again emphasizing the skill and intentionality behind its creation. This was not just a rope tied around the waist. It was a specially crafted piece of the uniform. Our readiness for service is not something we drum up ourselves; it is a gift of God, woven into the very fabric of our new identity in Christ. He equips us and makes us ready for every good work.
Application
This verse, though it deals with ancient priestly clothing, is intensely practical for the Christian. We are, after all, a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet. 2:9). These garments describe the spiritual clothing that is ours in the Lord Jesus. We are to live out what is true of us positionally.
First, we must be clothed in the tunic of fine linen. This means we must utterly renounce any attempt to establish our own righteousness before God. Our good deeds, our church attendance, our quiet times, these are all filthy rags if we are trying to weave them into a garment of self-justification. We must receive by faith the perfect, checkered-work righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to us. Our standing before God depends entirely on His tunic, not ours.
Second, we must wear the turban of fine linen. We must bring our minds, our thoughts, our worldview, under the authority of Christ and His Word. We cannot think like the world and expect to worship God rightly. We must have our minds renewed, washed clean by the water of the Word, so that our thoughts are holy to the Lord. This means a diligent study of Scripture and a conscious effort to think biblically about everything.
Finally, we must put on the sash of service. The Christian life is not a passive affair. We have been saved for a purpose, "created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Eph. 2:10). We are to be girded, ready for action, prepared to serve God and our neighbor. This means we are to be men and women of diligence, not spiritual loafers. Whether in our homes, our churches, or our vocations, we are to be about our Master's business. In Christ, we have been given the complete uniform. Our task is to wear it faithfully, for the glory and beauty of the God we serve.