Exodus 39:1-43 The Making of Priestly Garments

[Study Aired February 27, 2023]

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. 
Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. 
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 
Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 
Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 
Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office. 
Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

This chapter captures the making of priestly garments. In the Bible, garments have both positive and negative connotations. On a positive note, priestly garments represent the righteousness of Christ. 

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The negative aspect of garments reflects the sinful deeds of the flesh during our walk in Babylon and the world.  That is why, in the scriptures, we are admonished to change our garments when we come to Christ as shown in the following:

Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

What we need to know is that without these priestly garments, which reflect our righteousness in Christ, we cannot enter into the presence of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, when he came to himself and asked for forgiveness from his father, he received a new garment or robe.

Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The color red or scarlet symbolizes the first Adam being of the earth, while the color blue symbolizes the last Adam – Jesus Christ coming to be in our heavens. The colors purple and scarlet remind us of our sojourn in Babylon where our adamic nature became obvious while living under the law as shown in the following verses:

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

What this means is that to change our old garments of flesh to put on Christ our righteousness, we must first recognize our spiritual poverty (purple and scarlet linen) while in Babylon before we are turned into blue linen, that is, Christ coming to us. All humanity must pass through the same process to put on the righteousness of Christ.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

The ephod was a garment of great importance and was a type of apron. It was an object to be revered in ancient Israelite culture. The ephod of the high priest was very special because it had a chest of twelve jewels on its front, which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The ephod is worn as a ceremonial dress by the High Priest. We know that the High Priest is our Lord Jesus Christ. From the scriptures, our Lord Jesus Christ’s garment that He wore represents Him. That is why when the woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus’ garment, Jesus said that someone has touched Him. 

Luk 8:43  And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 
Luk 8:44  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 
Luk 8:45  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 

This means the spiritual significance of putting on the ephod garment is to put on Christ.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The question is, “What does it mean to put on Christ?” The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. 

The ephod must be of fine linen and colored gold, blue, purple and scarlet. The color gold signifies the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. That is what will qualify us to put on Christ, the ephod. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

The fact that the ephod must have blue, purple and scarlet is to make us aware that putting on the righteousness of Christ is a process. We start our walk being earthy or scarlet or of the flesh. Then we proceed to the color purple which is a mixture of blue and red. As shown earlier, the color blue represents Christ coming to us in our earthly or fleshy state to produce the color purple. This represents our life in Babylon where our righteousness is of the letter of the word or the law of Moses. Finally, if we are called and chosen, then Christ will come to us with His judgment to conform us to the righteousness of Christ, represented by blue.

Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

In order for the ephod to become complete, two shoulder pieces must be joined to its two edges.  As indicated earlier, the ephod represents Christ our Lord. The two shoulder pieces are the elect and the rest of humanity who are to be joined to Christ at different times to complete the work of Christ. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 
1Co 15:24  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

The girdle of the ephod must also be gold, blue, purple and scarlet. It represents the truth of the word of the Lord. What this means is that to be given to know the mysteries of Christ, we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

Mal 3:1  Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 
Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 
Mal 3:3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Two onyx stones are to be mounted in gold and fastened on the ephod’s shoulder pieces. These stones are to be engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel with six names on one and six on the other. These stones represent the elect as we are fastened to the Lord’s shoulders. This means that when He comes to us, He carries us on His shoulders. Being carried on the shoulder means that it is the Lord who does the work – we are only resting on His shoulders as He does the walking (leads us).

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 
Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

The breastplate was one of the sacred priestly garments to be worn by the High Priest. As a breastplate, its primary spiritual significance is that it stands for the righteousness of Christ. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

In Exodus 28:15, however, it is called the breastplate of judgment in connection with the attachment of the Urim and Thummim. The judgment here relates to knowing the mind of Christ concerning issues brought before the Lord. We can therefore see that it is only when we put on the righteousness of Christ we can know the mind of Christ. That is to say that it is when we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, that we are able to know the will of God in our lives.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The breastplate was to be made of fine twined linen of gold, blue, purple and scarlet. As indicated earlier, this refers to the process we must go through to put on the righteousness of Christ. What this means is that we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

The fact that the breastplate must be four squared in shape is to let us know that all humanity must obtain the standard of the righteousness of Christ, though each in his own order. This is also another way of saying that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man can come to God without Christ. 

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

The precious stones represent the elect. The fact that the stones are of different types is to suggest that we all play different roles in the body of Christ. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 
Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Aaron was the first High Priest. Aaron represents Christ, who is our High Priest and bears the names of all the elect of every generation in His heart. This is another way of saying that as our High Priest, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as He intercedes on our behalf. 

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Rom 8:34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The priests wore a long robe covering their whole body, then on top of this robe, there was a tunic, a kind of coat (breastplate) to the knees. On top of the tunic there was the ephod. These verses are to show us how the ephod is fastened to the breastplate (coat) through chains and rings made of pure gold. The importance of the chains and the rings is to ensure that the breastplate does not swing out from the ephod. As we have indicated, the whole of the priestly garments represents Christ. Since we are the body of Christ, we also represent the priestly garments. Just as the breastplate and the ephod must be fitly joined together, so is the body of Christ which must be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Fitly joined together implies that there are no divisions in Christ. Any sign of division means that we have failed. We are all of the same mind pursuing one goal in Christ, which is to please God, and this is achieved through what everyone offers in the house of God. 

1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

As we have indicated, the color blue represents the Lord Jesus in our heavens. The robe of the ephod represents righteousness. These verses therefore imply that our righteousness is of Christ and not by ourselves. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The robe of the ephod must have an opening for the head in the middle of it. This opening should have a woven binding around it so that it does not tear. This woven binding is decorated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarns around the hem with bells of gold in-between them.

Spiritually, the opening for the head regarding the robe of the ephod is another way of saying that in order to put on the righteousness of Christ, we should make a way for the Lord. To make a way for the Lord is to repent from our sins. In other words, we must be aware of spiritual poverty if we are to repent from our sins. This is the message that John the Baptist preached throughout his ministry.

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

As stated in verse 23, the opening for the head and the binding of woven work are what prevent the robe of the ephod from tearing. As indicated, the woven work is the embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, inter-spaced with golden bells. Pomegranates symbolize the bearing of the fruit of the spirit when we start to possess our bodies or land.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

The embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet is to remind us that we start our walk in the Lord bearing fruits of the flesh (purple and scarlet) before we bear the fruit of the spirit or Christ.

The golden bells, which are part of the embroidery work, are inter-spaced between the pomegranates. As we indicated in the previous study, the robe is one of the sacred articles of clothing for the High Priest. It was worn under the ephod. The significance of the robe was the bells attached to it. Their sounding as a result of Aaron’s movement, is to alert those outside the Holy place that Aaron is alive and well. The symbol of the golden bells on the embroidery work is therefore to remind us of the holiness of the Lord. It is when we walk in holiness that we are alive in Christ. The bells therefore represent holiness. 

Zec 14:20  In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect are priests before the Lord and are therefore required to serve or minister in the presence of the Lord.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Though many priests served in the Tabernacle, there was only one acting High Priest at any given time. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. At his death, the office of High Priest was then transferred to his oldest son, down through the generations. As we are aware, we are the firstborn sons and therefore are entitled to wear these priestly garments as transferred to us by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Now we come to the mitre which is the turban that covers the head of Aaron, the high priest. The mitre or the turban represents the helmet of salvation. Remember that all parts of the priestly garments are to be made of fine linen as linen which does not cause sweat. This means that putting on the righteousness of Christ is not the work of man. Everything is of Christ.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Eze 44:17  And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

In verse 30, the mitre bears the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” and was to be put on the forehead of Aaron, the high priest. This is to remind us that we were marked by the Lord to walk in holiness before the world began.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The fact that the inscription was made of gold is to show us the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire to attain holiness. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

In verse 31, the inscription was to be put on a blue lace. The color blue signifies the Lord Jesus in our heavens. It is when the Lord comes to our heavens that we can attain holiness and be designated as “Holiness to the Lord”.

Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.

These verses are to demonstrate the work carried out in building a tabernacle for the Lord to dwell. This is New Jerusalem where the Lord dwells with His people. Our temple will be completed in the fullness of time when we see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. 

These verses remind us that we should build according to the pattern, which is Christ. 

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Moses here signifies the elect. As Moses was faithful in executing all that the Lord required, we are required to be faithful in building the temple of the Lord.

Heb 3:4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 
Heb 3:5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

May the Lord grant us the grace to be faithful to building according to the pattern of Christ. Amen!!