Dressed for the Gospel: The Robe of the Ephod Text: Exodus 39:22-26
Introduction: The Fabric of Worship
We live in an age that is allergic to detail, particularly when it comes to worship. Modern evangelicals, in their desperate quest to be seen as relevant and casual, have stripped their services of all glory, all specificity, and all gravity. They want a worship that feels like their living room, comfortable and unchallenging. But when we come to the book of Exodus, we find that God is intensely interested in the particulars. He does not give Moses a vague suggestion to "make some nice robes for Aaron." He gives him a detailed schematic, a divine blueprint for the fabric of worship.
Why? Because these are not mere decorations. This is not religious costuming. These garments are theology woven into thread. Every color, every piece of fruit, every bell is a sermon. Every detail is a signpost pointing forward to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. To treat these chapters as a tedious exercise in ancient interior design is to miss the point entirely. This is a revelation of the gospel. God is showing us, in types and shadows, what our Great High Priest would be like, and what His ministry would accomplish.
The world thinks that freedom is found in having no rules, no dress code, no liturgy. God teaches the opposite. True freedom is found within the glorious structure that He provides. The fish is free in the water, not on the sand. And a priest is free to approach the living God only when he is clothed in the garments God has designed. To come before God on your own terms, dressed in your own righteousness, is not freedom; it is suicide. And so, as we examine this robe of the ephod, we are not just looking at an ancient artifact. We are looking at a picture of our salvation. We are learning what it means to be clothed in Christ.
The Text
Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work entirely of blue; and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. They also made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of therobe, alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the ministry, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
(Exodus 39:22-26 LSB)
Heavenly Blue and Enduring Righteousness (v. 22-23)
We begin with the robe itself, its color and its construction.
"Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work entirely of blue; and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn." (Exodus 39:22-23)
Underneath the intricate ephod with its stones of remembrance, the high priest wore a simple, yet profound, garment. It was entirely of blue. In the Scriptures, blue is the color of the heavens. It speaks of the sky, of the transcendent, of the divine origin. When the elders of Israel went up on Sinai with Moses, they saw God, and under His feet was a pavement of sapphire, like the very heaven for clearness (Ex. 24:10). This blue robe, therefore, clothed the high priest in the things of God. It declared that his ministry was not earthly in its origin or its power. He was a man, yes, but he was representing the people to a heavenly God, and his authority came from above.
This is a picture of our Lord Jesus. He is the one who descended from Heaven, and who has now ascended back into Heaven (John 3:13). His righteousness, with which we are clothed, is a heavenly righteousness. It is not a patched-together human effort. It is a perfect, seamless garment of divine blue. When the Father looks at us, He does not see our filthy rags; He sees the perfect, heavenly blue of His Son's obedience.
But notice the practical detail. The opening for the head was reinforced, like a coat of mail, so that it would not be torn. This speaks of endurance, of permanence. The ministry of the priest was a heavy burden. The cares of the people, the weight of the Law, the constant traffic of sin and sacrifice, it all passed through that opening. A lesser garment would fray and tear under the strain. But this heavenly garment was made to last. The Aaronic priesthood would fail, but the priesthood it pointed to would not. The righteousness of Christ is an indestructible righteousness. It cannot be torn. It will never wear out. When He puts His robe on you, it is for eternity. The pressures of this life, the accusations of Satan, your own remaining sin, none of it can tear the robe that clothes you.
Fruitfulness and Proclamation (v. 24-26)
Now we come to the hem of the garment, where we find a curious and wonderful pattern.
"They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. They also made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the ministry, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses." (Exodus 39:24-26 LSB)
Around the very bottom of this heavenly blue robe, there was an alternating pattern of pomegranates and golden bells. This wasn't for decoration; this was for ministry. This was the sound and substance of the gospel in motion.
First, the pomegranates. A pomegranate is a remarkable fruit. On the outside, it is plain, even leathery. But when you open it, you find it is bursting with hundreds of seeds, each encased in sweet, blood-red fruit. It is a picture of abundant life, of fruitfulness, of a people numerous and blessed. The spies brought back pomegranates from the Promised Land as evidence of its goodness (Num. 13:23). This fruit on the priest's robe symbolized the result of his ministry: a fruitful people, a blessed congregation, a multitude of spiritual seeds. It speaks of the inner sweetness and life that comes from a right relationship with God.
But this fruitfulness must not be silent. Between each pomegranate was a bell of pure gold. As the high priest moved, as he went about his duties, he would make a sound. His presence would be announced. His ministry was not a secret. The bells represent the outward proclamation of the gospel. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and so on. But this inner reality must be accompanied by the clear, golden sound of verbal witness. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Notice the pattern: a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Proclamation and fruitfulness. Sound and substance. Word and life. This is the rhythm of true ministry. A church that makes a lot of noise but bears no fruit is just a clanging cymbal. A church that claims to have inner life but has no clear, audible witness to the gospel is disobedient. The two must go together. As our High Priest, Jesus Christ, moved through this world, He brought forth the fruit of righteousness and He proclaimed the good news with a sound that echoes through eternity. His life was the pomegranate, His teaching was the bell. And as His body, the Church, we are to walk in the same way. Our lives must be fruitful, filled with the seeds of the gospel, and our mouths must be open, making a joyful noise to the Lord.
The text in Exodus 28 tells us the purpose of this sound: "and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not" (Ex. 28:35). The sound of the bells was a testimony that the priest was alive, moving, and ministering according to God's command. It was a sign of accepted worship. When the people outside the Holy of Holies heard the bells, they knew their representative had not been struck down, that the sacrifice was accepted, and that they were safe. When we hear the gospel proclaimed, when we hear the clear, golden bells of the good news of Jesus Christ, it is the sound of our High Priest, alive and ministering for us in the heavenly places. It is the sound that tells us we will not die, because He lives.
Clothed in Christ
These ancient details are not given to us to satisfy historical curiosity. They are given to us so that we might better understand our great salvation. Aaron was the shadow, but Christ is the substance. Aaron wore a blue robe, but Christ is the Lord from Heaven. Aaron's robe was tear-proof, but Christ's righteousness is perfect and eternal. Aaron had symbolic fruit and audible bells on his hem, but Christ Himself is the true fruit of salvation, and His gospel is the proclamation that gives life.
When the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he went alone. The people could only wait outside and listen for the bells. But because of what our High Priest has done, the veil has been torn from top to bottom. We are not left outside to wonder. We are invited in. And how are we to come? We are to come clothed in Him.
To be a Christian is to be robed in the heavenly blue of Christ's perfect obedience. It is to be part of His fruitful people, the pomegranate seeds of His kingdom. And it is to have a part in sounding the golden bells of His gospel to the world. We are not just saved from our sins; we are made part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We are clothed for ministry.
Therefore, do not come to God dressed in the shabby, torn garments of your own efforts. Cast them off. By faith, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let His heavenly righteousness cover you. And then, as you walk, let the world see the fruit of His life in you, and let them hear the clear sound of His gospel from you. Let there be a bell, and a pomegranate. This is what it means to be dressed for the gospel, "just as Yahweh had commanded Moses."