Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus 28:2-4
The Priestly Garments (Exodus 28:2)
“And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.”
The garments made for Aaron are now to be described. They are to be ‘for glory and for beauty'. They are unique and are to separate him off as holding a splendid office, a thing of beauty, distinguished from all others in his being ‘sanctified', set apart as holy, as belonging to God, as God's supreme representative to His people, as God's mediator between God and man. They were to reveal to the people a hint of Yahweh's own glory and beauty, and that this one acted before God on their behalf, and came to them from God. He was a shadow of the Greater Who was yet to come.
So God was concerned that men should honour ‘the priest' as His representative and mediator, and through his clothing God revealed some small hint of His own glory and beauty. Aaron was called on to reveal ‘the beauty of holiness' (Psalms 29:2; Psalms 96:9; 1 Chronicles 16:29), the beauty of total dedication and separation to God. His failure to fully do so led to his death (Numbers 20:24).
But it should be noted that only one had such garments as are described in what follows, because of his unique position, because uniquely he represented God, and he represented Israel (Exodus 28:38 see also Leviticus 16). On the other hand, his sons also wore special robes ‘for glory and for beauty' (Exodus 28:40). They too were mediators, for one man could not bear the responsibility alone. And they possibly even wore the full garments when acting as ‘the Priest', if such occasion ever arose before the death of Aaron. Eleazar would do so, and would inherit them from Aaron (Leviticus 16:32).
Today the One Who has a right to these garment ministers in Heaven. We have ‘the high priest' eternal in the heavens (Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:21). There is now only One Mediator between God and man. It is questionable therefore whether any should wear such garments on earth. To do so is to make a claim that is not justified. There is now only One Who represents God before His people. All others come as suppliants and humble servants to God, as the chief of sinners. There was never any suggestion that the Prophets or Apostles should have such clothing. Indeed they often wore camel's hair or rags. And if not they who else is justified in doing so? For to wear such clothing is to turn men's eyes from God and from the Saviour of the world, to exalt a man. Anything that thus exalts man is to be abhorred.
Men love such clothing for it exalts them. The motive for them may initially be pure, but man's heart is such that it soon turns what is good into what is supremely evil, and man becomes exalted, and enjoys his exaltation, rather than exalting God. They actually begin to mistakenly see themselves as especially holy.
“And you shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.”
To Israel the ‘heart' was seen as the seat of the intellect and of all wisdom. And those who made Aaron's garments were to be those whose hearts had been filled with the Spirit of wisdom, revealed by the expertise of their work. There seems little doubt here that they were to be seen as not just talented but as inspired by God in a special way. His own Spirit would inspire their spirits. For these garments were special, and they set apart Aaron in holiness before God so that he could fulfil the priestly office. They were to be seen therefore as, in a real but secondary sense, made by the Spirit of God. And yet even these had to be ‘sanctified' by the shedding of blood (Exodus 29:21), as had Aaron.
“And these are the garments that they shall make, a breastpouch, and an ephod, and a robe, and an under-robe of patterned work, a turban and a girdle. And they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.”
The garments are summarised and will be dealt with in more detail. They number six, the intensification of three, expressing full completeness. They are ‘holy' garments for they set apart firstly the leading priest (‘the priest') and then these other priests for a unique task, men who are set apart for mediation between God and man.