Exodus 28, 29
28
The Priest’s Vestments
1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar may minister to Me. 2 Then you shall make a holy garment for Aaron your brother, for honor and glory. 3 So you shall speak to all who are wise in understanding, whom I filled with the spirit of wisdom and perception, so they may make Aaron’s holy vestments for the sanctuary, in which he shall minister to Me as priest. 4 These are the garments they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a full-length robe, a skillfully woven tunic with a fringe, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, so they may minister to Me as priests. 5 They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of fine spun linen, the woven work of a designer. 7 The two parts of the ephod shall be joined together, attached at their two hems. 8 The woven joining of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of pure gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine woven linen. 9 Then you shall take two stones, emeralds, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 With the work of the stone-engraver’s art, the engraving of a seal, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. 12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 You shall also make bosses of gold, 14 and you shall make two fringes of pure gold intermixed with flowers, a braided work, and fasten the braided fringes to the bosses on the shoulder bands in front.
The Breastplate
15 “You shall make the oracle of judgment. Artistically woven according to the style of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine spun linen you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span its width. 17 Interwoven into this texture shall be a setting for four rows of stones. There shall be a row for a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald. This shall be the first row. 18 The second row shall be a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper; 19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, a beryl, and an onyx. They shall be set in gold settings, bound together with gold, according to their row. 21 The stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, as the engravings of seals, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make chains for the oracle, a braided work of pure gold. 23 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel upon the oracle of judgment on his breast, as a memorial before God for him as he goes into the sanctuary. 24 You shall put fringes upon the oracle of judgment, and wreaths on both sides of the oracle. You shall put the two bosses on both shoulders of the ephod in the front. 25 You shall put the revelation and the truth on the oracle of judgment, which will be on the breast of Aaron when he enters the holy place in the Lord’s presence; and on his breast Aaron will discern the judgments for the children of Israel at all times.
Other Priestly Garments
26 “To go underneath the ephod, you shall make a full-length robe, entirely blue. 27 In the middle of it there shall be an opening for the head, the collar bordered in sheepskin, a woven piece. The hem shall be interwoven with the rest, to prevent ripping. 28 Beneath the border of the robe you shall make knobs as of a flowering pomegranate, constructed of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine spun linen, all around the hem of the garment. 29 Hanging from each golden knob will be a flower-shaped bell all around the hem of the garment. 30 Its sound will be heard when Aaron is serving as a priest, entering and leaving the holy place before the Lord, that he not die. 31 You shall also make a plate of pure gold and, as the inscription of a seal, engrave on it: Holiness to the Lord. 32 You shall put it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban. It shall be on the front of the turban. 33 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead. Aaron shall take away the defilements of the holy things which the children of Israel might dedicate, of their every gift of holy things. It shall always be on Aaron’s forehead to make them acceptable before the Lord.
34 “The appointments of the robes you shall make of linen. You shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash of woven work. 35 For Aaron’s sons you shall make robes and sashes for them, and turbans you shall make for them for honor and glory. 36 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate their hands, and sanctify them so they may minister to Me as priests. 37 You shall make for them trousers to cover their naked skin from loin to thigh. 38 Thus Aaron and his sons shall wear them when they come into the tabernacle of testimony or when they come near the altar of the holy place to minister as priests, so they not bring guilt upon themselves so as to die. It shall be an ordinance forever to him and his seed after him.
29
Aaron and His Sons Consecrated as Priests
1 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them for ministering to Me as priests, to serve Me in the priesthood: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened loaves kneaded with oil, and unleavened cakes anointed with oil. You shall make them of wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the young bull and the two rams.
4 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doors of the tabernacle of testimony, and wash them with water. 5 Then taking the garments, you shall dress Aaron your brother with the cloak, the ephod, the full-length robe, and the oracle, and you shall attach the oracle on the ephod for him. 6 You shall put the miter on his head, and the sanctified golden plate on the miter. 7 You shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put the robes on them. 9 You shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and crest them with turbans. Their priesthood to Me shall be for a continual ordinance. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10 “You shall also have the young bull brought before the tabernacle of testimony, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the young bull before the Lord at the doors of the tabernacle of testimony. 11 Then you shall kill the young bull before the Lord at the doors of the tabernacle of testimony. 12 You shall take some of the blood of the young bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. 13 You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat on them and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the young bull, with its skin and offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
15 “You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall kill the ram and take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and legs, and put them with its pieces and its head. 18 You shall offer the whole ram on the altar. It is a whole burnt offering to the Lord for a sweet aroma, an offering of incense to the Lord. 19 You shall also take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. 20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, on the big toe of his right foot, and on the earlobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. 21 You shall take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his robe, on his sons and on his sons’ robes with him; and he and his garments shall be sanctified, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. But the blood of the ram you shall pour all around on the altar.
22 “You shall also take the fat of the ram, and the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), 23 and one loaf of bread, one unleavened cake from the basket of unleavened bread set before the Lord; 24 and you shall put all these things in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall set them aside as a separate offering before the Lord. 25 You shall receive them from their hands and offer them on the altar as a whole burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the Lord. It is an offering to the Lord.
26 “Then you shall take the breast from the ram of Aaron’s consecration and set it aside before the Lord. It shall be your portion. 27 You shall sanctify the reserved breast and the shoulder that was lifted (both that which was reserved and that which was lifted) from the ram of consecration, both Aaron’s portion and that of his sons. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons an ordinance forever among the children of Israel. For it shall be a special offering from the children of Israel from their peace offerings, a special offering to the Lord.
29 “Moreover, Aaron’s holy garment of the sanctuary shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed and consecrated in them. 30 That son who succeeds him as priest shall put them on for seven days when he enters the tabernacle of testimony to minister in the holy place. 31 You shall then take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread in the basket by the doors of the tabernacle of testimony. 33 They shall eat those things by which they were sanctified to consecrate their hands. But an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. 34 If any of the flesh of the consecration offerings or of the loaves remains until the morning, you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten because it is holy.
35 “Thus you shall do for Aaron and his sons according to all I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate their hands. 36 You shall sacrifice a young calf for the sin offering on the day of purification. You shall purify the altar when you perform a consecration on it, and anoint it so as to sanctify it. 37 Seven days you shall purify the altar and sanctify it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar will be holy.
Daily Offerings
38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two unblemished lambs of the first year, day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening. 40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer in the evening, as at the morning offering, and according to the drink offering of the morning lamb. You shall offer it as a sacrifice of sweet aroma to the Lord.
42 “This shall be a continual sacrifice throughout your generations at the doors of the tabernacle of testimony before the Lord, where I will be known to you to speak to you. 43 There I shall give directions to the children of Israel, and I shall be sanctified in My glory. 44 So I will sanctify the tabernacle of testimony and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. 45 I will be called upon among the children of Israel and will be their God. 46 So they shall know I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt to be called upon among them and to be their God.
Psalms 29
1 For the End; the psalm of an ode at the consecration of the house; by David.
2 I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me up,
And did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
3 O Lord my God, I cry to You, and You will heal me.
4 O Lord, You brought my soul out of Hades;
You saved me from those who go down to the pit.
5 Sing praises to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness;
6 For there is wrath in His anger,
But life in His will;
Weeping will lodge at evening,
But great joy in the morning.
7 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall not be shaken forever.”
8 O Lord, in Your will, grant beauty and power;
You turned away Your face, and I was troubled.
9 I shall cry to You, O Lord,
And to God I shall make supplication.
10 What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down into decay?
Will the dust confess You?
Or will it declare Your truth?
11 The Lord heard, and had mercy on me;
The Lord became my helper.
12 You turned my lamentation into dancing for me;
You tore up my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
13 That my glory may sing praise to You,
And not be pierced with sadness;
O Lord my God, I shall give thanks to You forever.
Proverbs 6:1–6
1 My son, if you assume the debt of your friend,
You will deliver your hand to an enemy;
2 For a man’s own lips become a strong snare to him,
And he is conquered by the utterances of his own mouth.
3 My son, do what I command you, and you will save yourself;
For you came into the hands of evil things through your friend;
4 Do not be faint,
But provoke even your friend, for whom you assumed a debt;
5 Do not give sleep to your eyes
Nor slumber to your eyelids
6 That you may be saved, as a gazelle from the snares,
And as a bird from a trap.
Matthew 18:21–35
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 “And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 “But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
26 “The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
27 “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
30 “And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.
31 “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.
32 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
34 “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
Father, thank you of your timely message on forgiveness. After watching the Tyre Nichols videos, I struggle with whether I could forgive from my heart if Tyre were my child. Your teaching today gives me much to ponder.