Exodus 39

And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary. And they made the holy garments for Aaron, even as Jehovah commanded Moses.
(Exo 39:1)

This chapter closes out the making of the tabernacle and all that went with it. It focuses mainly upon the construction of the sweet outfits Aaron and his sons, the priesthood, were to wear in their service to the Lord. These fancy duds weren’t designed strictly for the style factor (though I am sure they looked more amazing than anything I own) there was symbolic purpose in every detail.

Look for instance with me at the 12 stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. These weren’t rhinestones positioned to make the priests look like Jewish cowboys; these stones had a serious purpose. They represented the most important role that the priests played! As priests, they were mediators between God and man, a mere foreshadowing of the great high priest Jesus Christ, who we know as the PERFECT MEDIATOR. Part of this role of mediator for the priests was representing the people to God. They were to go to the Lord on behalf of the people in sacrifice and in prayer! They were to be intercessors, lifting up the needs of the entire nation of Israel to the Lord, asking for His strength to sustain them. These stones, positioned on the shoulders of the priest symbolized the priests carrying the people’s needs before the Lord.

When I carry heavy things, I love to sling them over my shoulder, letting the weight rest on my shoulders and my back. To me it is so much easier than carrying things out in front of you. Saturday Hector, Kyle, Noel and I were doing some yard work for a family at the church, and I was carrying bags of heavy wet leaves to the curb. The women there were laughing at me, calling me Santa Claus.

Maybe I’m weird, but to me the shoulders are the place to bear heavy burdens! Think about the common phrase, “the weight of the world on his shoulders” a reference to the image of Atlas, bearing the globe over His head, resting on his shoulder blades. The picture is vivid in my mind, and anytime I see someone with something on their shoulders I assume it is heavy. And so, we have the stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. These stones were worn on the shoulders of the priest, on the place of burden… The priests symbolically and literally were bearing the burdens of the people to the Lord.

As believers in Christ, we are called a “kingdom of priests”. As followers of Jesus, the great high priest, we are all called to be intercessors. We are to bear the needs of our brothers and sisters to the Lord, to lift those burdens off of them and carry them to Him in prayer! Are you praying for your brothers and sisters? Are you bearing their burdens to the Lord, are you lifting up their needs and fulfilling your priestly duty? It is a great privilege that the Lord has given us, but with it comes great responsibility… There are no spectators in God’s kingdom… we are all called to serve! So, today do the best thing you could ever do for your brothers and sisters in the youth group at Harvest Christian Fellowship… set aside a few minutes to be like the priests of old, and bring there needs before our almighty God!