Exodus 28:1-5

Exodus 28:1-5

[1] And take  thou unto thee Aaron  thy brother,  and his sons  with him, from among  the children  of Israel,  that he may minister unto me in the priest's office,  even Aaron,  Nadab  and Abihu,  Eleazar  and Ithamar,  Aaron's  sons.  [2] And thou shalt make  holy  garments  for Aaron  thy brother  for glory  and for beauty.  [3] And thou shalt speak  unto all that are wise  hearted,  whom I have filled  with the spirit  of wisdom,  that they may make  Aaron's  garments  to consecrate  him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.  [4] And these are the garments  which they shall make;  a breastplate,  and an ephod,  and a robe,  and a broidered  coat,  a mitre,  and a girdle:  and they shall make  holy  garments  for Aaron  thy brother,  and his sons,  that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.  [5] And they shall take  gold,  and blue,  and purple,  and scarlet,  and fine linen. 

What does Exodus 28:1-5 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Aaron had been functioning as a priest (Heb. cohen; Exodus 4:16). Now Moses officially appointed him and his sons to this office. God apparently specified Aaron because he was the brother of Moses whom God had already designated as the covenant mediator. [1] Before the sinful priests could approach their holy God, they had to cover their uncleanness symbolically with holy clothes. The priests had to wear these garments when they served in the tabernacle ritual, but they could not wear them at other times ( Exodus 35:19; Leviticus 16:4; Leviticus 16:23-24). The fact that the workmen who made these garments needed to be wise and skillful ( Exodus 28:3) indicates the importance that God placed on their construction.
Aaron"s priesthood prefigured that of Jesus Christ ( Hebrews 5:5; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 9:11).