Lesson for April 2, 2025

The Mosaic Law

Lesson 6

The Ordinances

The ordinances were principles and doctrines for the nation of Israel. They were designed to present Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah, Savior. This was the spiritual code for Israel, which included the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of Christ as Messiah, and the doctrine of the essence of God. These doctrines were communicated through oral teachings, through rituals, through feasts, through Holy Days, and through typology. Oral communication primarily came from the Levitical priests. The spiritual code outlined in detail the spiritual life for believers under the Law of Moses.

Consecration of Priests

The first priests of Israel were Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, and his sons as found in Exodus 29:7–9, “Take the anointing oil and anoint [Aaron] by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.”

God set Aaron and his sons apart, anointing them for priestly service. He then confirmed that setting apart through supernatural events. Leviticus 9:22-24, ^“Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Then fire went out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell face downward.”

The Levites (tribe of Levi) were descendants of Aaron, and their first-born sons became priests. The other male descendants of Levi served in the Tabernacle performing other non-priestly duties. The High Priest or Chief Priest delivered edicts to guide the nation. (Numbers 27:21) He was the only one permitted to enter the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 24:9), divided by a curtain from the rest of the tabernacle and contained the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s very presence (Hebrews 9:3). The High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, to offer sacrifices for all the people, including himself. (Hebrews 9:7) There was only one high priest at a time.

The high priest was the supreme spiritual leader of the Israelites. The office of the high priest was originally hereditary and could be traced from Aaron, the brother of Moses, of the Levite tribe (Exodus 28:1; Numbers 18:7). The high priest had to be “whole” physically (without any physical defects) and righteous in his conduct (Leviticus 21:6-8). The high priesthood was intended to be a hereditary position, passed down through the descendants of Aaron. However, during the Second Temple period, the office became more politically influenced, with appointments often made by secular authorities.

Because the high priest held the leadership position, one of his roles was overseeing the responsibilities of all the subordinate priests. (II Chronicles 19:11) Though the high priest could participate in ordinary priestly ministries, certain functions were given to him exclusively.

Priestly Duties

(Exodus 29:10- 30:38)

The function of a priest taught the Person and work of Jehovah (Jesus Christ) and other important doctrines like salvation, Rebound, and the Faith-Rest Technique, through ritual and typology. When the Jews received the Law of Moses at Sinai, God gave commands regarding a formal priesthood for Israel. The priests would be first-born males from the tribe of Levi and must meet certain physical and age qualifications in order to serve. In addition, they had to remain “ceremonially clean” to perform their duties before a holy God. The priests served as mediators between the Israelites and God. They were the ones who performed animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. It was only the priests who were permitted to enter the Holy Place in the tabernacle and, later, the temple.

High Priest Garments

(Exodus 28)

The Levitical high priest was commanded by God to wear specific garments as outlined in Exodus 28. These garments set the priests apart as God’s servants and spokesmen. The garments of the High Priest were a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ as our High Priest. Everything under the spiritual code of the Law of Moses was used to teach the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

There were several items that made up the priestly garment which were symbolic of our High Priest Jesus Christ. There was a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a sash and a turban. In Exodus 28, the exact pattern of each of these items was given in great detail and the garment was to be worn by the High Priest while performing his spiritual duties.

The breastplate was called the breastplate of judgment and was to be made of gold, blue, purple, and red material. It also had four rows of precious stones – ruby, topaz, and emerald on the first row. Turquoise, sapphire, and diamond made up the second row. The third row had jacinth, agate, and amethyst. The fourth row was made up of beryl, onyx, and jasper. They were to be set in gold. The stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel.

All the brilliant stones and elaborate detail work that went into the making of the high priest’s garment was symbolic of the royalty of Jesus Christ as our high priest.

The ephod was an apron-like garment made of gold, blue, purple, red, and fine twisted linen. It also had two twisted shoulder bands made of the same material. It had two onyx stones set in gold on each shoulder band.

The robe was made of blue material with sewn pomegranates of blue, gold, and red around the hem of the robe. Gold bells were to be placed on the hem between each pomegranate. The sash for the robe was to be made of fine woven linen.

The turban was to have on it a plate of pure gold engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord.”

These embellishments were symbolic of the sinless perfection and holy nature of Jesus Christ as our Royal High priest. Only the High Priest, dressed in his priestly garment, was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year and sprinkle the blood of a lamb on the Mercy Seat. This was a symbolic ritual of the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, when He was judged for the sins of the world. The symbolic nature of the ritual involved in entering the Holy of Holies and sprinkling the blood of the lamb became a reality when Christ became our “sacrificial lamb” on the Cross. What believers under the Law of Moses looked forward to regarding Christ’s sacrifice for sin, we look back into history to see. (John 1:29)

Jesus Christ is our Royal High Priest. (Hebrews 5:6,10) In order to become our High Priest Christ had to become true humanity. Jesus Christ represented us before God first on the “altar” of the Cross, and now in Heaven before the throne of God. By becoming our High Priest, Jesus Christ became our mediator to God. (I Timothy 2:5-6) As believers in this age, we belong to His priesthood (the Royal Priesthood). This priesthood is far superior to any other that existed in the past. (Hebrews 7) As our High Priest, Christ won the strategic victory over Satan in the Angelic Conflict. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 6:17-20) The priesthood of Christ is the reality of those priesthoods that previously existed in the Old Testament. Just as the rituals and the sacrifices were illustrations of the real things, which were to come in the future, the order of the royal priesthood of Christ is the realization of those types. (Hebrews 8)