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CHURCH LETTER
`Set apart for service'
`Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites . . .'
The Scriptures, particularly in the Old Testament, are full of rich types or patterns from which to draw out profound and meaningful truths, both for our individual walk as believers and also for the whole Body of Christ in its prophetic walk as a people who are drawn out of the nations of the world, known simply as `the Church'. This must be so, for if the Word of God is indeed a living word it will contain deep mysteries which are hidden from the eyes of casual readers, but for those who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit search out these things it is an inexhaustible `Treasure Trove'. The Word of God itself confirms this understanding with such words as Romans 15:4:
" For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that
through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. "
With this understanding again confirmed in 1 Corinthians 10:11 we begin this Letter:
" These things happened to them (the Old Testament Israelites) as examples
and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the
ages has come. "
In previous studies we mentioned that these types or patterns should not form the basis of doctrine for our life in Christ, but they should be used to give us a deeper understanding of the ways of God and `the patience and comfort of the Scriptures' as we see God's purposes outworking amongst His people `on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come'.
Within these types or patterns there lies a rich diversity of understanding, and nowhere is this richness of diversity seen more than in the first five books of Scripture, the Torah - or, to use the Greek name, the Pentateuch - with its meaning of `five books'. It can easily be seen in the records of the building of the Tabernacle of Moses with all its diversity - and a type can be seen of an individual walk of sanctification into the Most Holy Place, into the Presence of God. It can also be taken as a type of the Church, made up of individual planks of wood, covered in the gold of Divinity, set in the silver sockets of redemption, held together by the five rods of the ascension gifts of Ephesians 4. A further type can be seen in the measurements of the Tabernacle, in that it is setting out a prophetic time-scale of the earth's lifespan. All these types - and no doubt there are others - can be seen in the Tabernacle of Moses. All these types are correct and can be used to build and encourage Christians into a deeper understanding and relationship with the Author of the true Tabernacle which is in heaven, where our High Priest has entered in and makes intercession for us, His precious people, the gathered-together people of God - gathered together as one people in Christ Jesus!
Rich typology can also be seen in the priests who were called to minister within this Tabernacle of Moses, and also in their garments. Many fine expositions are available to the Body of Christ for their enriching and nourishment and we have no wish to add to their number. Instead we would draw upon a part of the garments used by the High Priest, worn during his time of ministration in the Tabernacle of Moses. Exodus 28 sets out the description of these garments: (v4)
" And these are the garments which they shall make; a breast-plate, an ephod,
a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. So shall they make holy garments
for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest. "
The following verses then give further instructions for their making, according to the given pattern. A holy God gives exact and detailed instructions of His requirements - it is man who decides to alter them according to his wisdom - but throughout Scripture God has set His requirements, His patterns, and we are called to be obedient to His revealed will:
" Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the
sons of Israel; six of their names on one stone, and the remaining six names
on the other stone, according to their birth . . . And you shall put two stones
on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel.
And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a
memorial. " Exodus 28:9.10.12)
We see here God's Covenanted relationship to all the sons of Israel according to their birth. There is no favouritism here - all are included in these two stones on the shoulders of the ephod! Here shoulders speak of the governmental authority of God. All the tribes of Israel, according to their birth, are set upon the shoulders of God's authority, delegated here to His priest, Aaron. Whenever Aaron or his descendants ministered to the LORD in the Tabernacle there was a continual reminder to God of His Covenanted relationship with all the tribes of Israel, according to their birth: (Exodus 28:15-21)
" You shall make the breastplate of judgement . . . and you shall put the settings of stones in it, four rows of stones . . . sardius, a topaz and an emerald . . . a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond . . . a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst . . . a beryl, an onyx and a jaspar. They shall be set in gold settings. And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes. "
Something unusual has now occurred. On the two shoulder stones we have `the names of the twelve tribes according to their birth, but now on the breastplate of judgement we have twelve precious stones, each one with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on it according to their names. In Genesis 49 we find listed the twelve tribes of Israel, according to their birth - Reuben; Simeon; Levi; Judah; Zebulun; Issachar; Dan; Gad; Asher; Naptali; Joseph; Benjamin - these are the names inscribed on the two shoulder stones of the High Priestly garments. However if we turn to Numbers 10 we shall see the twelve tribes of Israel set out here according to their names and their allocated positions for their journeying as they left Sinai.
Verses 14-28 (in part) continue:
" . . . the standard of the camp of the children of Judah . . . the children of Issachar . . . of Zebulun . . . the camp of Reuben . . . Simeon . . . Gad . . . children of Ephraim . . . of Manasseh . . . Benjamin . . . the standard of the camp of the children of Dan . . . the children of Naphtali . . . of Asher . . . Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey. "
There are still twelve tribes here, but we must note that the names of Levi and Joseph (which were set in the shoulder stones) have been replaced with the names of Ephraim and
Manasseh (the two sons of Joseph) which are set in the precious stones of the breastplate of judgement. It must therefore follow that the Scriptures are revealing something of God's sovereign choice in the lives of His people, and it is perhaps something that the Church of the Lord Jesus needs to understand - that although all those who have received Him as Lord and Saviour are indeed carried on His shoulders as He ministers as High Priest in the heavenly Tabernacle (we are there by right through our new birth into His Name), but His sovereign choice in His call on some of those redeemed people may not fit too well with our `narrow' doctrinal views!
In taking a closer look at these verses we can see in the colour and splendour of those priestly garments all speak rich truths: The white tunic of fine linen thread speaks of Jesus. The turban speaks of His authority, now given to us as believers in Him. The crown of pure gold speaks for itself with its engraving of `Holiness to the LORD' - surely a message to all believers! The robe of the ephod was a robe of the office and authority of the High Priest, its hem of pomegranates signifying fruitfulness, interspaced with golden bells, each with their muted melodic sound as the High Priest ministers before the LORD - speaking of the fruit of the believers who live in harmony in the life of their High Priest Jesus. All these rich truths, and so many more, can be found in the type or pattern of the priestly garments, but we would focus our thoughts on the breastplate of judgement and the shoulder stones of the garments. A thoughtful reading of these Scriptures will reveal that, although these are separate items, all are joined and linked together with chains of gold and tied into the ephod with an intricately (or, as the King James Version says, `a curious') woven band `woven of gold and blue and purple and scarlet thread, and fine linen thread'.
These verses give us the understanding that the robe of the ephod, the shoulder stones and the breastplate of judgement, all strung together and held in place by the `curious girdle', were intended to be one, although each one served a distinctive part in the rich tapestry of the priestly garments. The breastplate of judgement appears as a kind of folded- over pouch, for we are told: (Exodus 28:30)
" And you shall put in the breastplate of judgement the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear judgement of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continuously. "
These brief listings of the holy garments of the High Priest finally take us to the Urim and Thummim. First we note that they were not told to make these two stones, for as all the high priestly garments were holy and for his glory and beauty, no human hands other than those of the anointed skilled workers touched them. So too these two stones within the Breastplate of Judgement were no ordinary stones picked up out of the dust of the earth. They were precious stones formed in the depths of the earth, that is, precious jewels. This is seen in the word-meanings of Urim and Thummim as `Light and Perfection' - that is, judgement is brought to the Perfect Light. There is nothing hidden in the judgement of the LORD for the children of Israel, and so the stone drawn out of the Breastplate of Judgement would reveal a holy, righteous and perfect judgement by the anointing upon it. As to whom among the children of Israel were being judged Scripture does not say. Could the answer be seen in the two perfect onyx stones set in the shoulder straps of the ephod upon which were engraved their names? Directly below them in the Breastplate of Judgement lay the Urim and Thummim awaiting the oil of anointing being poured down over Aaron's head, anointing the righteous stone whilst leaving the other stone in judgement.
It is well known that the casting of lots was common practice in ancient times, with the use of black and white stones for judgement or direction. However there is nothing in Scripture that implies that the Urim and Thummin were black and white, for those practices were pagan traditions and would have no place in the LORD's judgements for the children of Israel! The high priestly garments were of one piece and nothing unholy would be within those holy garments. Reading in Psalm 133 we see that the precious ointment (of anointing)
upon the head of Aaron flowed down `upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments'. This anointing of Aaron was no mere smearing of oil upon his forehead with a finger but a pouring of the precious oil upon his head. The anointing oil ran down over Aaron's head and beard and continued down into the ephod and into the pouch of the Breastplate of Judgement, anointing the Urim and Thummim which lay within it. When drawing out the stone of Judgement Aaron would have drawn out the one with the anointing oil upon it - a precious stone glistening with the oil of the LORD's judgement, leaving the unanointed stone in the darkness of the pouch.
With this understanding of the Breastplate of Judgement and the purpose of the Urim and Thummim, it can be seen that two names had been removed - that is, set aside from being part of the twelve tribes of Israel, assembled by name as a nation for whom the High Priest would be required from time to time to seek God's guidance and judgement. Levi and Joseph had been replaced by Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and yet we have seen that Levi and Joseph are still seated on the shoulders of God's appointed High Priest. However they are not counted here as being within the collection of tribes called by name as one people, a nation set aside for God's purpose. The birthright of Levi and Joseph is securely placed on the shoulders of God's appointed authority, but their names are not included in the work of God's dealings with the nation called together by their names - because of God's sovereign choice! Levi and Joseph had been set apart for service! They are still part of the nation of Israel by birthright, yet by God's choice they are separated for a work of His will and purpose. We shall take a look at these two men before drawing out the type or pattern that lies within Scripture. First we will look at Levi.
Recorded in Scripture is the well-known story of the bringing out of a people from slavery in Egypt to become the nation of Israel - the Exodus is well-documented and well-known! We know too the story of the first Passover - the death of the first-born of man and animals whose households were not covered by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. We see here the principle of God's choice - that every first-born belongs to Him. In the Book of Exodus we read that after this escape from Egypt: (Exodus 13:1; 14-15)
" The LORD said to Moses, `Consecrate to Me all the first-born, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and animal . . . . In the days to come, when your son asks you, `What does this mean?' you shall say to him, `By a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go the LORD killed every first-born in Egypt, whether man or animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first-born male offspring of every womb, but I redeem all of My first-born sons. "
And further on in the Book of Numbers we read that these first-born Israelites were later given back to Israel in place of the tribe of Levi: (Numbers 3:44-45)
" Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, `I have taken the Levites from
amongst the Israelites in place of the first male offerings of every
Israelite woman. The Levites are Mine, for all the first-born are Mine'. "
In reading these Scriptures we need to be mindful of the meticulous ways of God. Moses was instructed to count off the first-born Israelite males and compare them with the tribe of Levi. On finding that the first-born number was 22,273 against the Levite's 22,000, the 273 could only be redeemed by paying the LORD (through Aaron) 5 silver shekels for each of the 273 first-born - all powerful signs pointing forward to Jesus who gave His life as a ransome for many! `The Levites are Mine', says the LORD, `they are paid for by giving back to you your first-born in their place, they are Mine, set apart for My special work within the nation of Israel - still a part of My people, through their birthright, inscribed on the stones on My shoulders in an everlasting covenant relationship, yet separated by name for My work'. We read in Numbers 18:7 of how within the tribe of Levi (after the rebellion of Korah) the LORD confirmed Aaron and his descendants to be the priestly line to minister before Him:
" But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with every-
thing at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service
of priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must
be put to death. "
We see here that even within the separated tribe of Levi there was still a further separation into the priestly line of Aaron and his descendants - and we also know now that through the Final Sacrifice of Jesus, the work of this priestly line and the work of the tribe of Levi has been completed. The Mosaic Covennat with its 613 laws and decrees has been made obsolete through the finished work of Jesus, and there is no longer any requirement for a separated priesthood operating under the Mosaic Law in the new `nation' of redeemed people called out from every tribe and nation. There is now a new order of priests after the order of Melchizedek, and now all may enter directly into the Presence of God through the finished work of our High Priest, Jesus. But that, as they say, is another story.
We will now turn our thoughts to the other name which was inscribed on the shoulder stone of the ephod garment, but replaced by the names of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, on the breastplate of judgement - Joseph, who apart from David has had more written about him than any other Old Testament person. So many types or patterns can be drawn from his story which continually enrich the lives of countless Christians. All these various types are acceptable for mediatation and reflection and show the incredible and varied threads that go to make up the fabric of the Living Word of God. But this man Joseph, chosen by God for His purpose, was to face a different kind of life to that of Aaron. Aaron and his sons were in the centre of the dealings of God with His people after they had been brought out of the land of Egypt . . . the incredible Passover . . . the exodus from the land . . . the crossing of the Red Sea . . . the destruction of Pharaoh's armies! Aaron and others were allowed by God to see His Glory on Mount Sinai, and we may recall his rebellion in the making of the golden calf, but still there came the call of God confirming him in the priestly line.
What must Aaron have thought as he eventually gazed upon the magnificent splendour of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle, built by Moses according to the pattern God had given him? How would he have felt as he underwent the anointing which sealed his High Priesthood, standing there in his new garments? Would the full impact of his enormous responsibility to God for the nation of Israel have registered in his understanding? Consider the awesome responsibility of once a year taking the blood of the Atonement sacrifice into the Most Holy Place - of seeing the Glory of God manifested above the bloodstained Mercy Seat, overshadowed by the glorious golden cherubim! The long years in the desert . . the constant murmurings and rebellious behaviour of the tribes . . having to trust God for His provision of food, water, clothing and footwear . . the awesome knowledge that, against all understanding, God's provision did not fail! Testing - always testing - at times almost beyond endurance! In addition there was the sovereign choice of God, separating him and his sons to minister before the LORD in the Holy Place! Little wonder that he needed a special anointing! And yet - because of his association with Moses in his rebellion against the LORD at the waters of Meribah - he was not allowed to enter into the Land of Promise, for the LORD said: (Numbers 20:24)
" Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I
give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command
at the waters of Meribah. "
Not so for Joseph, whose time came many centuries before the birth and separation of Aaron for the work of High Priesthood. We may recall Sunday School stories of Joseph and his robe of many colours, and no doubt some will have taken part in Bible scenes at school or Church. Joseph, the favourite son of his father Jacob, was placed into a position of authority over his brothers - the robe was merely the sign of his authority, and the fact that it may have been coloured is unimportant. Whenever his brothers saw the robe of authority they were jealous and resentful, and when the family heard of the dream that Joseph had - of their sheaves in the field standing around and bowing down to Joseph's sheaf - it brought their swift response: (Genesis 37: 8-10 in part)
" ` . . shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion
over us? And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and what
he said. (But the dreams continued and this time Joseph said) `Listen, I
had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were
bowing down to me . . . His father rebuked him saying, `Will your mother
and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you.
"
The rest of the story is very familiar. One day the brothers even considered killing Joseph, but finally they sold him into slavery to some passing Midianites for twenty pieces of silver. The price had been paid. Joseph was no longer his own. He would now go wherever the hand of God directed his owners to take him. Joseph - and many centuries later the tribe of Levi too - was purchased and set aside for God's purposes! Their birthright was secure, for their names were engraved on the shoulder stones of the ephod garment, but no longer were they included in the names of the nation of Israel inscribed on the breastplate of judgement. Joseph, unlike the tribe of Levi, was removed from the centre of things and prepared for God's purpose through an `anointing' of suffering and humiliation. No longer was he a man with the robe of authority over others, for when he was finally sold to the Egyptian officer, Potiphar, he would have to work as a slave by serving in his household -only to be further humiliated by the scheming wife of Potiphar, which resulted in his imprisonment.
`Can anyone see the hand of God in this'?, he could well have asked. `He was separated unto God for special service . . . a man of great promise . . . a man of importance . . . once clothed with the robe of authority over the whole family of Jacob, confirmed with visions and dreams'! But what now of the dreams of the sun and moon and eleven stars bowing down to him? Who cared whether the robe was coloured or not? What an end to a promising career in the service of God! Only suffering and humiliation and years in prison lay before him because of the false accusations of a foreign woman. It was to be thirteen long years between receiving the vision through dreams and seeing the fulfillment come to pass. But as always with God, the fulfillment was so much more glorious than anyone could have imagined. The time had not been wasted whilst Joseph was tried and tested, prepared and matured. He could not be allowed the honour his dreams had promised him without first being tested for his faithfulness and purified as to his intentions concerning authority over others! Finally the time of testing was over: (Genesis 41:14)
" So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought up from the dungeon. "
Now, through Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams and because of his wisdom in showing Pharaoh how to outwork his dreams, Pharaoh said to him: (Genesis 41:41-42)
" `You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people shall submit to your orders. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you'. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, `I have set you over all the land of Egypt'. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. "
To use a modern expression: Joseph had made it! Surely now was the fulfillment of those dreams - but God had not finished His work in Joseph's heart just yet. Although the Scriptures do not expound on Joseph's thoughts, do you not think that even in the midst of Pharaoh's palace, with authority given to him over all of Pharaoh's palace, his mind would not have gone back to those early dreams - the sheaves, the sun and moon and eleven stars? They were not describing Pharaoh! They were not the Egyptians! Do you not think that, even amongst the rich and oppulent trappings which Pharaoh's signet ring would provide for Joseph, the pain of being separated from his family and those he longed to work with would be real and constantly with him? But still we see the hand of God keeping Joseph separate, and preparing him for His purpose through the suffering and anguish of not being with his people . . his own family.
God's timing is always perfect, and the fulness of time came when Joseph was finally brought into the forefront of God's purposes - and we can now have the joy of reading of the total reconcilliation of Joseph with his family and the total outworking of God's purpose in separating for His service a man called Joseph: (Genesis 45:7-8 and 14)
" But God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here but God . . . . Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them . . . . "
Finally, he had the joy of receiving his father Jacob: (Genesis 46:29
" Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet with his
father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and
wept on his neck a good while. "
Joseph had been set aside for service . . cut off from his people . . . prepared by suffering and humiliation. Even in his exalted position next to Pharaoh he was still suffering in his emotions through the separation from his own people, but at last he was able to experience the fulness of all that God had shown him so many years earlier - and it was so much more than he could ever have imagined! As Jacob faced the end of his life he blessed his sons, as was his right, confirming them all in their birthright, but earlier he had also blessed the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manassehm, confirming them to be in the names of the tribes of Israel that would later be formed into the nation of Israel. For Joseph, however, there was a prophetic word spoken by his father: (Genesis 48:21-22)
" Then Israel said to Joseph, `Behold I am dying, but God will be with you
and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given
to you one portion above your brothers. "
We read of the fulfillment of Jacob's words in the Book of Exodus when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt so many years later: (Exodus 13:19)
" And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the
children of Israel under a solemn oath, saying, `God will surely visit
you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you'. "
Josseph had learned something we all need to learn - God is faithful and His Word is certain! Our `bones' will indeed be carried into the land of promise for His word spoken to us, at times outworked through pain, suffering and humiliation, will come to pass in a way more glorious than we could ever imagine. In all those long years Joseph had learned one great lesson . . . `God will surely visit you'! No matter how long it takes, wait for the promise - He is faithful! But we need to draw this Letter to a close, and in doing so we need to remember that types and patterns should never be used to form doctrine for our life in the Church. However they can be carefully used to enrich and give understanding to God's principles drawn out from His Living Word.
Aaron and Joseph before him are recorded in Scripture, and are drawn out in this Letter, as examples of God's dealings with His people. (We are aware of course that there are further revelations to be seen in the persons of Aaron and Joseph, but they are outside the purpose of this Letter. Here they are examples of ordinary men, called out to reveal an extraordinary God.) They are there to give us understanding of God's ways, which we may not always fully understand as we attempt to apply our own narrow concept of doctrine. And so still today, from amongst God's redeemed `tribes' He has the sovereign right to separate for His purpose His `Aarons and Josephs'. They are inscribed on the shoulder stones of their High Priest as He ministers in the heavenly Sanctuary. They are set there as their birthright through their new birth in Jesus, but He still calls some apart from those who are inscribed on the breastplate of judgement. Some, like Aaron, will still serve within the Body of Christ. Others, like Joseph, will from time to time be `sold into slavery', and through much pain, suffering and humiliation be prepared for God's purposes in the `land of Egypt'. Our narrow doctrine can so easily pronounce out of context such verses of Scripture as `do not forsake the assembly' and so misunderstand what is happening in God's will and purpose for all His people.
Yes, the Word of God is true - but we can so easily overlook His timescale! In the end `the bones of Joseph' were carried into the land together with his people - God is faithful to His Word! Do you not think that for most of the time Joseph wished that he had not been given such a lively imaginative mind that was able to receive such visions as those which led to his imprisonment and suffering? Do you not think that he longed for the companionship of his own kind as he lived a splendid life of isolation in a foreign land of idolatry? Both men had been chosen . . . both had been called . . . both had been paid for! They had no choice but to allow themselves to be given over to God's purpose. When today you see those men (or women, for that matter) hush the voice of narrow doctrine . . . keep the finger of criticism firmly clasped within the fist . . . consider the awesome responsibility of Aaron and the painful humiliation of Joseph (both were named by birthright on the shoulder stones of God but separated by name from the fellowship of the `nation') . . . and give thanks for the mystery of God which is beyond our imagination.
Selah
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