Christ in the OT Law - Part II

Exodus 28:9-12

You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance.

The Lord told Moses that, as long as the temple stood, as long as the high priest went in to the presence of God on behalf of the people, he should bear the names of the people of God (by tribe) on his chest. Aaron would do this literally as two stones were attached to his garments, each with six of the twelve tribes etched onto the stone.

What's the point? Well it's quite simple: the people were not (and could not) come before their holy God because of their sin and rebellion. God could not (and would not) come before the people because of their sin and rebellion. Therefore, God appointed an intermediary, a go-between. This man, the high priest, would stand as a representative of each party to the other. In other words, to God, the high priest would represent the people. To the people, he would represent God.

Here, he is literally bearing their names in God's presence because it's only in and through the high priest that the Israelites approached the presence of God. They drew near to God through him, the appointed mediator.

Amazingly, though, even the high priests themselves needed a mediator. They were not qualified to truly enter the presence of God, much less to intercede on behalf of the people. For this, someone "greater than Moses" would be required, a high priest who has no need to offer sacrifice on his own behalf, but one who can sacrifice simply on behalf of the people.

Hebrews 5:5 God appointed Jesus as the final, eternal High Priest.

Hebrews 7:27 He has no need to offer sacrifices for himself. He is without sin.

Hebrews 5:7-10 He was the perfect Son of God. He learned perfect obedience. He fully satisfied and pleased God. He is qualified to be an eternal, sinless, in-fellowship-with-God representative of the people.

Hebrews 9:11-12 As our high priest, Jesus entered in, not to a building (like the temple) but into the actual, heavenly presence of God and made atonement for our sins once and for eternity with his own blood.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore, Jesus "is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

There it is! As the people approached God symbolically through the names of Aaron's chest, so we today are able to draw near to God through our high priest! But oh how our high priest's ministry infinitely surpasses that of Aaron, in that, far from drawing near to a symbolic box in a tent (the ark of the covenant), we enter into the heavenly tabernacle of God through our eternal Mediator, Jesus. Next time you pray or worship in Jesus' name, picture Jesus as your Aaron, standing before God's presence bearing your name in his nail-pierced hands.

P.S. Calvin makes this point in his Institutes