The Embroidered Coat
(Garments of Priesthood continued)

  Exodus 28:39 and Exodus 39:27.   The portion of the High Priest's dress called the "coat" was more properly a tunic. It was derived from the verb meaning "to cover" or "to hide."   The outer garments were distinctly of representative character, that is, they bore the names of Israel before the Lord.   Also, the pomegranates around the hem of the robe had relation to that people as bearing fruit to God. But in this undertunic, there was apparently no connection with the people. It was rather a personal clothing of the High Priest. It was an atonement for himself. The fine linen coat was typical of that righteousness with which he was covered.

The Girdle

  Exodus 28:4 and Exodus 39:29.   The object of the girdle was to strengthen the loins for service. In His earthly ministry, Christ girded Himself with a zeal to do the Father's will that all the forces of men and hell could not shake.

Offerings

  There are two distinct types of offerings. One type includes the offering connected with the great day of atonement (Leviticus 16). The other type includes the five fellowship offerings given to us in Leviticus 1:7.   When we see that the reason for creation lies in the Father heart of almighty God, in the heart cry of almighty God for fellowship, we can understand that when spiritual death entered into the spirit of man, and man became separated from God and fellowship was displaced with alienation, that the Tabernacle provided a contact through a medium of sacrifice and priesthood for an approach of fallen man to God. The priesthood, and the offerings, were God's provision for fallen man to approach a Holy God.   Of the five fellowship offerings, the first three were worship offerings, and the last two offerings were broken fellowship offerings. We see that in either case, the object was fellowship.

The Whole Burnt Offering

  Read Leviticus chapter one, and the law of the burnt offering in Leviticus 6:8-13.   The whole burnt offering was purely a fellowship offering. It was a love offering. It was offered by the free will of the individual.   It was to be offered at the door of the tent of meeting. The man laid his hand upon the head of the offering. This identified him with the offering which would made an atonement for him (Leviticus 1:3-4). Thus we see that the spiritually dead Israelite could not fellowship with God without first a covering being provided for him.   Leviticus 1:5-9 explains that the man brings his offering and slays it and cuts it into pieces. The priests sprinkle blood around the brazen altar. He is able to do this upon the basis of the great day of atonement. (Read Leviticus chapter 1).   The High Priest has no part in this, only the priests. The inwards and feet are washed. The feet have touched the cursed ground, and the inwards have been filled with the cursed ground. (The feet in type may be seen as the walk of the Christian believer, and the inwards as the heart of man -- the inward affections which need cleansing.)   There was a threefold judgment passed upon the offering. The man who offered it examined it, to discover whether or not it was without blemish. The priest examined it, and God examined it. It is in this respect, a type of Christ.   He was examined by the law and found faultless. He was examined by the Priesthood that offered Him and found faultless. They could find no fault in Him. They had to make false charges. God found no fault in Him. He cried from heaven on several occasions, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus found no fault in Himself. He said, "The Prince of this world cometh and hath no part in me." He also said, "Which one of you convinceth me of sin?" These scriptures show the sinlessness of Jesus in His own eyes as well as in the eyes of God and the people.   Leviticus 1:9 The offering was burned upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the Lord. It was a sweet savour fellowship between God and man.   Ephesians 5:2 tells us that the sacrifice of Christ, was an odor of a sweet smell before God. This was because it restored righteousness to man and brought him back to God. It made possible fellowship between God and man.   Isaiah 53:10 "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him." So precious was man in the sight of God that it pleased Him to suffer, and His Son to suffer that man might be given again the right of sonship (John 1:12-13).

The Meal Offerings

  Leviticus 2.   This offering was also a free-will offering. An expression of love toward the covenant of God. The worshipper is to bring a basin of fine meal. Everything coarse and unseemly is taken out. The fine flour is a perfect type of the humanity of Christ and of His body, the Church.   Oil was poured over it, this was a type of the Holy Spirit's anointing Christ and the Church. It was soaked in oil. He does not give the spirit by measure.   Frankincense was put upon it. The worshipper then brought the meal offering to the priest (the High Priest is not seen here). The priest took out an handful of the meal with all the frankincense and burned it upon the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet savour unto Jehovah. He received all the worship, love, and adoration.   The meal offering is a type of Christ in the gospel of Luke. Here we see the beautiful humanity of Jesus. The incarnation is the fine meal mingled with oil. There was much salt in the life of Christ. This means His wonderful wisdom in all His conversation. There was no honey, typical of self-indulgence in man. There was no leaven, never a false note. He never accommodated Himself tot he ignorance of people. He always spoke out from God!   Christ gave all the frankincense (worship) to the Father. The Father received all the glory. It took the fire to bring out the fragrance of the frankincense. It took the cross and its attendant sufferings to bring out the beauty of Jesus.

Law of the Peace Offering

  Leviticus 3 and Leviticus 7:11-36.   In the meal offering, God had His portion and the Priest and his family have their portion. Jehovah has all the fat of the animal.   The Priest and his family, and the worshipper and his family both have their share.   We have here a type of worship, a type of fellowship. Inside the outer court sat the priest and his family, and the worshipper and his family eating, while Jehovah received His share. Eating is a type of higher order of fellowship.   One cannot eat and enjoy his food in the presence of enemies. Revelation 3:20 reads, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me." In this passage "eating" is used as a type to show forth the fellowship between the Father and Christ.   The worship of Israel had to be on the level of the physical senses; their fellowship also had to be on the same level. There could be no fellowship in the Spirit such as the Christians enjoy today, the fellowship the Israelites enjoyed was based upon the Abrahamic Covenant and in keeping with covenant promises. Those who were ungrateful and unthankful probably brought no Free-Will Offerings.   Thus we see that the Covenant-keeping God was no Despot. Before He had given to Israel the law of the Covenant, He reviewed before Moses His faithfulness to the Covenant in delivering them from Egypt, and caring for them in their three months journey. He then gave to them the permission of choosing whether or not they would walk with Him as His Covenant People (Exodus 19:3-9).   Exodus 24:1-8 reveals that before the law of the Covenant really went into effect, the people first ratified it. God gave the law orally to Moses, who gave it to the people, who said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and be obedient." It was so in the building of the Tabernacle. It was to be made of offerings from willing hearts. Likewise in the fellowship today. We have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).   We also have fellowship with one another.

The Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering

  Leviticus 5 and 6.   The object of the Sin Offering and the Trespass Offerings was to maintain fellowship. The sin offering was offered when an anointed priest, ruler, or anyone of the common people had sinned directly against the Lord. The trespass offering was to restore fellowship that had been broken by man's trespass in his relationship to man.   Leviticus 6:1-2 The trespass offering was offered when an Israelite violated the code of honesty in dealing with his neighbor as in cheating a neighbor over some deposit or pledge, or theft, or taking advantage over his neighbor in regard to lost property or false oath.   We should mention again, before it was possible for these five fellowship offerings to be accepted, a foundation was laid in the ATONEMENT once each year.   (Be sure to read Leviticus 5 and 6).

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

  Leviticus 10.   The fact that Israel was spiritually dead and alienated from God is revealed in Leviticus 10:1.   The Covenant God desired fellowship with His people, but because of their condition of spiritual death, they could approach Him only through a Divinely appointed way. Spiritually dead man needed a mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).   The blessing of God had mightily been upon the people. After the dedication of the Priesthood, the glory of the Lord appeared tot he people (Leviticus 8 and 9).   Now a tragedy befalls the family of Aaron. His two sons, who dare to approach Jehovah, uninvited and in their own way, are smitten by fire that devours them (Leviticus 10:1-2). Thus Israel learns that they cannot approach God in their own way.

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