LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Priestly Garments
Chapter 28 of Exodus is absolutely dedicated to describe the priests' garments. To understand it spiritually, we must see that God points out important aspects here, referring not only to the Levitical priesthood, but, fundamentally, to the priesthood of Christ -who is the High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek- and to the priesthood of all believers.
In general, all these garments were of "excellent workmanship" ("for honor and beauty"), and speak to us of Christ, for he is precious, and with him we are clothed (Gal. 3:27). The priestly offices were of high significance, and should have a correspondence in their attire. Therefore, as in other materials of the tabernacle, they were made of gold, blue, purple, crimson, and fine twined linen. All this, alluding to the divine, royal and human character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
First there was the ephod, with its shoulder pads, with its girdle (as in Revelation 1:13), and the two onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Israel, distributed by six. These same names were also engraved on twelve different stones on the breastplate. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ (our High Priest) bears our names engraved on his shoulders (ephod), and on his heart (breastplate, see Song of Solomon 8:6), and with them he appears permanently before the Father to intercede for believers (Heb. 7:22-25).
The fact of bearing on their shoulders the names of the twelve tribes -and their correspondence in the New Testament priesthood- signifies the responsibility that the fathers in Christ (1 Cor. 4:15) have for the lives of the little ones before God. It is so great that it made Paul exclaim: "Who is made sick, and I am not sick? Who is made to stumble, and I am not unworthy?" (2 Cor. 11:29). Wearing them on the heart, for its part, signifies love that is given unto death for others; it is life poured out in libation (Phil. 2:17).
But the breastplate is also called the "breastplate of judgment", signifying that God's grace and mercy are balanced by judgment, by which the Lord deals with sin. The Lord Jesus offered Himself on the cross to pay for our sins (2 Cor. 12:20-21). In the breastplate was the Urim and Thummim, which served to discern between what was of God and what was not, between the holy and the profane. In the New Testament there is the Spirit of God in the heart of every believer, to lead him and to give him testimony of the things, through peace (1 John 2:27; Col. 3:15).
All the vestments were covered with a robe of blue (the heavenly), adorned with pomegranates (fruitfulness) and bells (priestly activity) at its edges. The priest also wore a mitre on his head, and on it the phrase Holiness to Jehovah, signifying that the priest's thoughts were to be pure.
Finally, the breeches were to cover the nakedness, and were to be of linen so that they would not produce sweat, which represents that which proceeds from the flesh in the service of God. As we see, all this applies to the priests of all times.