Keep sharing good news without ads.
Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/jim-smith/our-great-high-priest/
Let us turn together, please, to the book of Exodus and chapter 28. It is very precious when the Spirit of God comes into an area, and there are those who have been saved by the grace of God, and I understand that has been the experience here in Cedar Falls of recent time, and recently I have been considering in La Crosse, where I have been for gospel meetings, on the Lord's Days, some of the characteristics of the ministry of the High Priest, and I would like to notice with you, for the sake of younger believers here today, concerning the two pieces of the garments of the High Priest in Israel.
The High Priest, Aaron, is really of a type of the person of the Lord Jesus. It's a very interesting study when you ponder it and ask yourself the question, why did God just have one High Priest? Why just one?
And there's a very definite reason for it, two very good reasons, which I want to leave with you, because they relate to our experience in salvation. Number one, Aaron was a brother to Moses. That's a very interesting and a very important thing to notice, because Moses is called the Apostle to Israel.
He came from the presence of the Lord with the word for Israel, and it required a High Priest to represent the people to whom the word is given, and likewise, he complements the word of the Apostle, and that is what our Lord Jesus, when we turn to Hebrews chapter 3, we read that the Lord Jesus is both the Apostle and the High Priest of our confession and our life as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have him, that glorious person at the right hand of the Father. He is God's word to us, and he is our representative. The other reason, of course, is because Aaron realized the experience of the people of Israel in Egypt.
He had welts on his back, the same as they did. He knew what it was to be chased, even as they were. He knew what it was to be laboring under circumstances, which were very difficult, if you wish the idea of even being fearful, for they were.
They were chased by men with whips, and Aaron was able to sympathize with them in their need. But what I wish to notice with you today, beloved, for a little here, is to notice how the High Priest is going to bear upon his person, in his shoulders and on his heart, the names of all those responsible persons to whom he is their High Priest, and to whom they serve.
He represents them, and they're going to complement him. That is a very interesting thing in your experience, and in mine as believers. The Lord Jesus represents us, giving to us what we have, and trusting us with truth concerning his person, and we complement him.
We're going to make him look great in our obedience, in our understanding, our going in for, to fulfill that which he is trusting us with. And that's the picture that I want to notice with you a little today.
So if you will, please, we'll read in chapter 28 of the book of Exodus, and verse 6. Or verse 9. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel, six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones. With the names of the children of Israel, thou shalt make them to be set in ouches, or fingers of gold.
And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
Verse 15. And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work. After the work of the ephod, thou shalt make it of gold, of blue, and of purple, and scarlet, and fine twine linen shalt thou make it.
Four square it shall be, being doubled. A span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones. The first row shall be a sargis, a topaz, and a carbuncle.
This shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row, a ligure, and an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row, a burl, and an onyx, and a jasper.
They shall be set in gold in their enclosings. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet. Every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathing work of pure gold. I just wanted to notice down the verse 28. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof onto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually. Lord very graciously bless his word and help us in our consideration of this really not only very beautiful, but it is very helpful and very practical, for each of us who have been, by wondrous grace, been reached and brought to the person of our Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
In the first little section that I want to notice with you of the two onyx stones, I want you to notice that these two stones are the same, both same stones. They're called an onyx stone. And actually, an onyx stone, very interestingly, a name for it commonly is a blood stone.
That's the name of it. And I used to have a little piece of blood stone, an onyx stone, many years ago, but I have lost it somewhere, for which I am very regretful. But it is a very, very interesting stone.
It has a great depth to it. You're looking at that stone, that blood stone, and it's deep. It doesn't shine with a luster like a diamond, but there's a depth to it. It's as if it is foundational. It's solid.
That's the two onyx stones that we have before us here. When we come to the breastplate, we're going to be noticing a variegated number of stones, different stones, different thick, different characteristics of stones.
Some are called soft stones. Some are called hard. Some are called the writing stones. That is, they're used for engravings of others. So God is giving to us a pattern here that he wants us to see, that he sees a beauty in, that he wants us to get a grasp of, that it will affect our life and our behavior as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
First of all, let me notice with you the two onyx stones upon the shoulders of the high priest. The first thing that is said about them is, concerning the onyx stone, is it's a precious stone. It's a precious stone.
I would like to remind you, dear younger believer here today, and dear older saint as well, when Peter uses that word precious three times in his writings, in each occasion, it's not just the idea of being, well, you know, it's costly.
That's not the idea. It's the virtue that it speaks of, the precious blood of Christ. Precious promises. It's virtue that's in it, and that's what we have in this precious stone. Upon the shoulders of the high priest are two blood stones.
God says there's virtue in that. And dear younger Christian here today, and dear older saint, we are found in the presence of the God of heaven today because our names are inscribed in that precious stone.
That's our standing. We are found before God, not because of some type of an experience that I may have. And it isn't a question of how deep I feel about it. The great question is, is your name in the blood stone?
That is the great foundation for each of us who are here today. But I want to notice with you the placement of these stones. They're upon the shoulders of the high priest, and I'm thankful that they're there.
Why are they not upon his wrist? Why are they not upon the girdle that's around his waist? No, he bears these two stones upon his shoulders. And dear believer here today, younger Christian new in the faith, let me say to you, the shoulders of your Savior, your Lord, your high priest, are very important in your life.
The first thing that we notice about them is the strength and security that he gives to us. And I think one of the very beautiful pictures of that is when the Lord Jesus in Luke 15 is speaking about the shepherd that went out to find the lost sheep.
And he says, he putteth it on his shoulders, and he bringeth it home. That's why these onyx stones are on his shoulders, beloved. That's eternal security. That's what he's giving you to realize. And whatever you do, when you're speaking and testifying for the Lord Jesus, you're gonna run into people that are gonna say, nobody can know that for sure.
What happens when you sin? You're gonna lose it. Well, just look at the sheep. Look at the two onyx stones. It says, he bringeth it home. That's how I know I'm gonna be in heaven. He's taking me home.
And it adds a very beautiful piece. It says, rejoicing. I'm humbled when I think of that. My shepherd is happy that I'm on his shoulders. He's taking me home. I'm there not because I did the right thing.
I'm not on his shoulders because of the way I feel and what a good little boy I was. I'm on his shoulders because he saved me as a lost sheep. Put me on his shoulders and I'm going home. And that's what it is with these two onyx stones.
It's eternal security that he is giving to you. And you can stand upon that and pronounce and claim and preach the blessed message of his grace wherever you go without fear of contradiction because of the two onyx stones on his shoulders.
But there is another verse in the Bible that helps us to understand the thought of the shoulders of our blessed Lord. It's found in Isaiah chapter 9 and in verse 6. I love that verse. Very, very beautiful verse about my blessed Redeemer.
This is what it says. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the robe of government shall be upon his shoulder. And dear brethren and sisters, that's what he's teaching us.
Not only is he have us in security upon his shoulders in these two onyx stones, but we're in the realm of his government. He is Lord. That's what lordship means. He is the governor. Oh, thank God. He's the governor of my life.
Mine is to appreciate it. Mine is to bow to that, an understanding of his greatness, his wisdom, and his purpose. But he is the governor. And therefore, your little life as a believer and mine is going to be guided according to the wisdom of his government.
And it's going to be preserved according to the power of his government. He will give us education in our experience. He will bring us through experiences that are going to fit us into greater likeness to himself, in graces that will manifest the manner that he ministered, and he manifested the heart of God.
That's his government. Thank God, brethren, that we are in the government of the Lord of Glory, our great high priest. But I would like to notice with you the person's names that are found in these stones.
I delight in looking at this because, you know, it's so beautiful when you look at the characters of the different individuals. The eldest one in Jacob's family's name is Reuben, and the youngest one is Benjamin.
But whether you're old or young, you're both on the stones. That's for sure. There's no distinguishing. There's no segregation here. Each of the believers, irrespective of their age, irrespective of their experience, and they all had very different experiences.
Reuben had some blots in his life, but when he's on the shoulders, he's as safe as Benjamin. And Benjamin, you never read of a contrary thing concerning that boy. There's Joseph upon his shoulders, and there's Dan, and there's Naphtali.
All of these boys, twelve boys of Jacob, their names are engraven in the bloodstone. Listen, dear younger believer, that's the way God sees you, and that's the way he wants you to see each other. It isn't a question of acceptance according to works.
That's religion. It's acceptance in Christ because of the bloodstone. That's where we are found. That's what he, that's how the Lord God of heaven sees you today. And he wants you to realize that you have acceptance in him because of the bloodstone.
That is the foundation of your acceptance before God, because we did read the Lord Jesus bears those stones as a memorial before the Lord. Oh, I find that so humbling and so beautiful. I cannot, I cannot grasp the greatness of my blessed Lord as he bears my name before the Father continually.
So unworthy I am. I realize that I have weakness and I have sin, but my name is there. That's my security and that is my representation in the person of my high priest. He bears our names as a memorial before God.
Dear brethren and dear sisters, when the old devil shoots the doubt at you and he tries to get you to question what that says or you're trying to figure out what it means, just remember this. The name is there not because of intellect or experience.
It's because of the blood, the precious, precious blood of Jesus shed on Calvary. That is our standing, that is our security, and that is our acceptance. But let me notice with you another very touching thing that I hope will be an encouragement to you in times of testing.
God said I want you to engrave those names with the engravings of a signet. He made their names look beautiful in those stones, permanent. The only way you could remove any one of those names is to mar the stone.
You'd have to mar the stone to remove the name because they're engraved in there permanently. Not only is that eternal security, dear younger believer, but it tells me that God finds pleasure in seeing your name and seeing my name, born by our blessed Lord in the holy courts of the presence of the Eternal Father, graven with the engravings of a signet.
Thank God for the wondrous beauty that grace has given to the person who rests in Christ alone and as their Savior. But let me just notice not only the person's names and the permanence of them, but as well the purpose.
What is the purpose of having these names here? Why is it necessary that the high priest should carry those names? Well, one of the great reasons is, dear brethren and sisters, that those boys, they didn't all behave like they should, even after their names were on there.
When I turn to the first epistle of John, I find that if we sin, we are to confess our sin. And let me tell you what the Spirit of God has in mind in those words, dear young Christian. Sometimes, you know, we're kind of cowards in ourselves, and we'd like just to be able to say, you know, sometimes as we did before we were saved, oh, I know I've sinned.
Yeah, I know I've sinned. In other words, bundle them all up in a sack and hope nobody sees them. Do you know what that word means? Reuben, you must confess to your father. You must tell him what it is.
God wants us to name the sin. So not only are we confessing it, but we are ashamed of it, and we're looking for that cleansing. And that's not a fresh cleansing by the blood. Dear brethren, never, never, never.
There's only one cleansing by the blood of Christ that gives us a standing in the presence of God, but it is a putting away from the life, a cleansing from the life of that very action of which we are ashamed because we have sinned.
That's its purpose. Therefore, Reuben always has his place in the stone, the bloodstone, just as dear Benjamin, who was so faithful to Joseph, and he is found in the same stone. But let me notice with you concerning the breastplate, because it is very different.
Now, the name of the breastplate is called a breastplate of judgment. The reason for that is it was made like a muff that you put your hands inside, and inside of that muff were two stones. They're called the Urim and Thummim.
God, in his own sovereign way, he used to give the high priest through the use of those stones inside that muff, and don't ask me how he did it. I do not know. But that's what determined a yes or no for the will of God for his people.
And that's the concern of God. The names on that breastplate and the will of God for them is his concern. What is the mind of God? For these stones and the names that are on these stones, on the heart of our great high priest.
On the shoulders, it's your standing. On the breastplate, it's your trust. God is trusting the names on this breastplate, and they're different. There's two names on the shoulders that are not on the breastplate, and there's two names on the breastplate that are not on the shoulders.
So on the shoulders is by birth. That's the new birth. They are there in the precious blood of Christ alone on the shoulders of the high priest. But on the breastplate, it has to do with the will of God for them in their responsibilities and in their trust.
God is going to trust them with a very beautiful position of responsibility and privilege. He has given to them the tabernacle, and he's going to give to the people of Israel a position around that tabernacle, and it's going to do two things.
He's trusting them to be in a position of responsibility, which is going to complement the priests and the Levites. That's one of their trusts. They're going to complement the priests and the Levites.
Who are the priests? They're the men that are getting up praying. Who are the Levites? They're the ones that are ministering the Word. And here we find these twelve tribes. They're going to complement them.
You see, the priests and the Levites were never a tribe. They're always a family. That's interesting. And the other beautiful thing is, when the moment that you were saved, you were born into the priestly family.
So you have a dual responsibility. But what we're looking at in these precious stones upon the breastplate of the high priest is that they're being trusted to complement the work of the priests and of the Levites.
The activities of God's assembly. Priests that rise to minister unto God. Levites that rise to minister to the people. That is what God has in mind. And he wants these people, these twelve tribes, to complement them.
That's a divine appointment that they have. And ours is to stand behind them. Keep in our place so that it makes them look beautiful. That's what God has in mind. So let's notice a little concerning the breastplate.
First of all, it's place. It is upon the heart of the Lord Jesus. You know, it is very touching to realize that the Lord of glory today, he has something upon his heart. And the word that used here for he beareth on his heart is, it's a burden to him.
I don't want to be a burden to him. But this is a different kind of burden. It's a burden that's on his heart that he wants so badly to see fulfilled. So he bears them near to his heart, and it's a burden to him.
And younger believer, when your blessed Lord teaches you from the scriptures about water baptism, the Lord Jesus is waiting for you to fulfill that. That's a burden to him. Because it means something to him.
These beautiful stones are complimenting him. They're making him look beautiful. And he's giving them reason for being useful. It's beautiful for you and for him. Therefore, when he gives you a trust of truth, he's looking for you to stand behind it.
Obey it. To be separated unto the Lord Jesus. To step out with confidence and with absolute separation from whatever else it was. Unto him. Compliment him. Make him look great. That's what these stones are for.
And upon his heart, the Lord Jesus bears them. I'd like to give him joy in his heart, beloved. And I know you would also. That's why he has made those stones so beautiful, so variegated in their beauty.
Each one of us who are here today, who have been trusted with his word, let us make him look beautiful, beloved. He is so worthy. These lovely stones are going to compliment the glorious person of our Redeemer, who bowed his sacred head in death on Calvary.
That he bore our condemnation, that we might live forever. Marvelous Savior upon his heart. But I want you to notice there's a pattern of them. We read about a pattern, very specifically, four rows of three each.
Now that that's interesting, because it's the same pattern that he has around the temple where the ark is in the midst. And the ark is a type of the person of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his separated people.
God chose Israel out of all the nations in the world and separated them to himself. And then he said, I want to dwell amongst you. And he gave them that tabernacle pattern, a tent, and in the midst of it is this golden ark.
And that golden ark is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of his people. So he says, I want three of you tribes to be up here at the front. And three, three, and three. Twelve. Same order as the stones.
When you turn to the New Testament, you turn to the book of the Acts, for example, and there's a very simple view of a pattern in chapter 2. And in that pattern, you're going to see how the early believers gathered, as the Apostles taught them right from the beginning.
And that is the pattern that God is giving to us for our day of testimony. Now he says, take your place there and keep in your place. As a young believer, as male and female, you can see distinctions between male and female here today in their approach and appearance before God.
That's part of the pattern. Because it's complimenting the Lord Jesus. The sisters are complimenting him by their silence, by their head covering today. They're complimenting the Lord Jesus because that's a pattern that speaks of his lordship being acknowledged amongst us who are saved.
Same with beloved brethren in their exercise. Week by week in their meetings, the beloved brethren are exercised to rise and worship and teach and study. What are they doing? They're complimenting him.
He's the reason for it. We want to make him great by being obedient to the trust that he has given to us upon his heart. So the pattern is given to us by the stones. But let me notice with you its purpose.
And that has to do with the variegated colors of these stones. As I mentioned previously, there are three kinds of precious stones. A jeweler would be able to confirm this to you. I do not know all the detail of it, although I have inquired a little.
Because I find it very interesting that these three kinds of stones are on the breastplate. Some are called soft stones. Now, they're not soft, not malleable with your fingers, and you can't squeeze them, can't dent them.
But you know what it means? It means they're easily impressed. And beloved, a tender-hearted believer is an asset to the testimony of the Lord Jesus. Tender-hearted believers. We need to be sensitive.
Now, I don't mean so sensitive that you've got a chip on your shoulder. No, away with all chips. Humbug. We're on his shoulders in the onyx stone. We're on his breasts. Tender-hearted, sensitive believers.
They don't question. They don't argue. They're not questioning the Bible reading. They're listening. They're absorbing. Because it's going to—you know what's going to happen? There's a name going to be engraven in that soft stone.
I'd like to have my name on a soft stone, because the Lord Jesus was a soft stone. He was very sensitive. He was very tender. Oh, to be like him, beloved. That's what's going to make him look great, to have likeness to himself.
Then there's what is called the hard stone. Now, the hard stone is not the idea, again, of being like a piece of iron. The hard stone is the fact that it holds its color so brilliantly. That's it. That's why it's a hard stone.
You may look into its depths, and it's the same inside as it is on the surface. Beautiful. Look at that yellow stone. Look at that green emerald. Look at that diamond. In fact, the diamond is really the cut stone.
It's the hardest of all. Its purpose is to be used to help mark others. Not to wound them, but to mark them, to leave marks in their life for God. That's—we need men like that. We need sisters like that.
We need those who are hard stones, who are stable. You can see right through them. That's sincerity. That's reality. And brethren, that's what gives quality to this beautiful breastplate that magnifies and complements the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, I cannot take time to notice the colors with you. I would like you to take time to look them up, and just to take a little meditation upon each one of them. Because to me, it is marvelous, the names that are written on some of those stones.
The character of the stone is so in keeping with the person. Let me just show you the one, just to provoke you to study it. The last stone that is mentioned here in the Amethyst, in verse 19. Do you know what it means?
The meaning of the name is a wrestling stone. It's not a soft stone. It's a hard stone. You know whose name is on that one? Naphtali. And his name means a wrestler. You see, that's character. He's wrestling with God.
He's one who knows what it is to get alone into the prayer room, alone, and stay there, and wrestle with God. We need that kind of people. The Lord Jesus says, that's beautiful. That's what I want to see there.
I want to see men that can pray. I want to see women that can pray. That's the reason, that's the meaning of each of these stones. They shine out. They make the priest look beautiful. Compliments them, and he gives them reason for being, and upon his heart, he appreciates them.
But let me notice, as well here in closing now, the person's names in relation to their their position around the tabernacle. I'm not going to take time to notice with you, and I'm going to give it to you for a little homework, those of you who are younger here today.
And that is, if you read the second chapter of the book of Numbers, you're going to find the placement of these tribes. And there's four flags flying. And those four flags, every one of them, upon that flag is a name and a symbol.
The tribe of Judah, that's his name, and the symbol's a lion head. That's the doctrines of the person of the Lord Jesus in his eternal sonship. He is king, and he is Lord. And when we come to Reuben, we find that Reuben has an ox head upon it, upon his flag.
And his name means a son is given. That's the Lord Jesus. That is the son, and he's the servant. And it's the same with Ephraim. And Ephraim's flag has the head of a man on it. And it links itself with the Son of Man from the Gospel of Lucas, the Lord Jesus, in his ruling even amongst the kingdoms of men.
That's who he is. And when we come to Dan, he's behind it, and he has an eagle on it. And Dan's name means he's the judge. The judge from heaven. That is the person of the Lord Jesus. And you are supposed to learn those doctrines, dear younger believer.
That's what these stones are indicating. That's why your names are upon these stones in a certain order, because God's trusting you with truth. Truth in the gospel. Truth regarding believers' lives separated to the person of the Lord Jesus.
Truth regarding prophecy. We need to learn. We've got to get a hold of the doctrines of our Bible so we will be an intelligent testimony to the Lord Jesus. And he's trusting you with that. So as I close, let me notice with you.
The high priest wore these garments every day. Every day. Marvelous. Wherever they were, some of them would be doing business, selling cows and whatever. Sheep, I suppose, and goats. And others, the women, would be home baking bread.
The children would be going to their schooling, however they did it. Whatever was their occupation, there was a man representing him because they're his people. By birth on his shoulders. And they're his servants by appointment upon his heart.
God help us, beloved. We are his by grace, and we are his with a trust. May we compliment him. Make him look great. Be faithful to his will. That's why he had those two little stones in there. The high priest was the one who determined the will of God for those stones.
And when you come to the book of Numbers, you find ten different times that God stopped them. Told them to pitch the tabernacle. And every time they did, they always pitched it the same way. Because that's what the stones represented.
Be consistent, brother. Be there. Fulfill your part. Stand behind your brethren that are ministering. Say amen to those beloved brethren who are standing praying. When a dear brother, whether he is young or whether he is older, we're able to say, for the Lord's sake, amen.
You don't have to shout it, not being a fool, but say it. Don't be afraid to say it for them. Don't play politics in God's assembly. God forbid, brethren. We're all the same on his shoulders, and each of these stones are beautiful.
And ours is to stand behind the priests and Levites, that they will administer the work of God towards us, as we are entrusted to bear the pattern for the name and the honor of his presence in the midst of his people.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. God help me to honor that name, compliment his person, be faithful to his trust, and rejoice that my name is graven in the bloodstone on his shoulder, and he is going to bring me home.