Garments of the High Priest: Robe of blue and Ephod

Now this is our second night of ministry concerning the high priestly garments of the Lord Jesus in the book of Exodus. And if the Lord be not come before you know it, the week will be over. Time passes very, glides very quickly by.

The way time speeds by is rather frightening, humanly speaking, but the coming of the Lord draweth nigh to. Remember the meetings tomorrow night, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the final night when we'll turn the chart around to look at the high priest, the same high priest Aaron, on the day of atonement. Pray for these meetings that God may bless the teaching.

Now notice as we did last night, turn to the book of Exodus please, the book of Exodus and chapter 28. And we'll start to read in verse 31. Our subject tonight is the blue robe, the robe of blue, or otherwise called the robe of the ephod.

And if there's time we'll touch a little of the ephod itself. Exodus 28 verse 31. And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue, and there shall be a hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof.

It shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an abaddon. Let it be not rent, and beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round about, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe round about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister, and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out that he die not.

Now turn to an earlier part of Exodus 28. Let us turn to verse number six please. Verse number six.

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and of purple, of scarlet and fine twine linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof, and so it shall be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod which is upon it shall be of the same according to the work thereof, even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twine linen.

Now we'll just leave the reading of the word of God at this stage, and we do trust that God indeed will bless the very reading of scripture. Now I do trust that last night you were quite impressed, if that's the right word, and helped by the introduction to and the consideration of these garments of Israel's first high priest, namely Aaron. We tried to make it clear last night that these garments point on or foreshadow the greater glories of our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven as our great high priest.

He's not only our savior, but he's our great high priest representing us in heaven. What a wonderful, uplifting, comforting thought that is, just to know that there's one for us, functioning on our behalf before the Father in heaven. So we look primarily at the coat worn next to the skin, the very body of Aaron, which speaks of the inward purity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we're going to think very especially this evening on this robe of blue, but before we do so, let's make some more introductory remarks about this fascinating subject, clothed from head to foot with these garments for glory and beauty. It is interesting in Hebrews 2, we read that the Lord Jesus is crowned with glory and honor. Now why do we think of that in relation to his life, and more especially in relation to his exalted position in heaven, crowned with glory and honor? Why do I refer to that in Hebrews 2? Well beloved, actually it's the very same words that I found in the Septuagint version, the Greek version of the Old Testament, the very same words for glory and beauty that these garments were to be for Aaron, for glory and beauty.

And so in Hebrews 2, crowned with glory and honor, we have an immediate link with the garments of the book of Exodus of the high priest. Now I wouldn't have noticed very especially, I really have enjoyed this, and that is there were three items in his clothing or garments that were made of linen. First of all the coat which we looked at, and then underneath the robe of blue, an unseen girdle, that was made of linen.

And then we have the pure linen mitre of the high priest. Now linen generally in the Bible speaks of righteousness or purity or holiness. What do I see in these three things? In the headdress, the mitre made of pure linen, we have in type that in the Lord Jesus Christ there was no sin, but he thought no sin.

That is the Bible tells us he knew no sin. So the white mitre would speak to me of the pure mind of the Lord Jesus. His mental purity.

Come down to the coat itself. In the coat itself this speaks of the moral purity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The unseen girdle underneath the robe of blue would speak of the ministerial purity of the Lord Jesus.

Do you follow that? His mental purity in the mitre on the head, his moral purity inwardly pure, the girdle underneath the robe of blue his ministerial purity. How wonderful to see that threefold testimony in the New Testament illustrated in the garments of Aaron. He knew no sin.

The mitre, the linen mitre. In him is no sin. The white coat worn next to the body of Aaron.

He did no sin. His work, his ministerial purity, the unseen girdle. As if that wasn't enough and fascinating and lovely and very suggestive and significant.

Do you know I can see in his garments set forth in type and picture the fact that Christ is king and priest and prophet. You see this golden crown fastened securely by a blue ribbon to the mitre of Aaron. The word is usually used in the Old Testament for a regal crown, a kingly crown.

So I suggest in the crown of gold, the regal crown, we have a type of the kingship of the Lord Jesus. When we come down to the breastplate with all the twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and in it there is kind of a pouch or a pocket and in it the olive stones. In it at least two stones I believe.

I'll not anticipate too much the ministry on another night tomorrow. But I believe there were two stones and the mind of God through the high priest Aaron was consulted, questioned the difficulties that the people had when they came to the high priest. And the high priest Aaron was expected to shed light on the matter, give guidance, enlightenment and an answer to the question.

And that sets forth the Lord Jesus as the prophet, as the one who speaks to us. So he's king, he's prophet and then thirdly this ephod. This is essentially the priestly part of his garments.

In other words, apart from this ephod he couldn't function as a priest. He had to wear it. He needed it.

It was very, very important. So let me say this again, apart from the ephod he could not function as the high priest of Israel. It was essentially, officially the insignia of his office, the essential priestly garment.

So I can see in these lovely garments, foreshadowing the glories of our great high priest in heaven, why I can see lovely truths concerning the Lord Jesus. He's the king, he's a prophet and he's a priest. All these functions and offices could only combine in one blessed person, no other than our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

When we think of these garments, beloved, it's interesting, isn't it? The head, the intelligence of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, the shoulders, the power and strength of Christ, the breastplate upon the heart of Aaron, the affection and love of Christ. Isn't it wonderful to think how tremendously uplifting it is, dear child of God tonight, that his intelligence, his wisdom, his power and strength and affection function for us, for our good. For our blessing.

What would we do without our great high priest in heaven? Now touching this robe, we do not know what kind of material it was. We'd love to know, get our curiosity somewhat satisfied. But the Spirit of God has not revealed to us the actual material of which this robe was made.

What we do know is this, it's colour. So we're going to think of the blue, then we're going to think of the binding, then we're going to think of the border and finally we're going to think of these bells, the golden bell with the hem of his garment, all of blue. Let's think of the blue robe.

It's the first time it's mentioned in the Bible, a robe, a blue robe. In other parts of the Old Testament, it's a robe of regality or a robe that a king would wear. So immediately again we have the thought of the kingship of our Lord Jesus.

Wonderful to think that in a future day when the Lord Jesus comes back, he's going to be vindicated in the very scene of his rejection. We sang just now, our Lord is now rejected and by the world as well. But he's coming back and God is going to see to it in his program that the Lord Jesus will be the king of the kings and the Lord of lords and he will have universal sway and dominion and kings will lick the dust before him.

Let's think then child of God of the blue, the symbol of the blue. If we thought of the sinlessness of our Lord's priesthood and then in the garden underneath, the unseen garden underneath the robe of blue, the service of our Lord's priesthood, may I suggest to you the robe of blue speaks of the sphere, the sphere of our Lord's priesthood. We have no priest on earth.

We need no priest on earth. Hebrews chapter 8 reminds us, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest. Where does our Lord Jesus Christ function in his high priestly ministry for us? In heaven, not on earth.

He's there exalted in the right hand of God. He's there interceding for us, to succour us. How wonderful is the ministry of our Lord Jesus, his ongoing ministry in God's right hand in heaven.

So when I think of the colour blue, blue is the predominant colour of the tabernacle, I think of the heavenly ministry of the Lord Jesus. What a wonderful thought this is. We are as Christians a heavenly people, heaven born and heaven bound.

Paul reminds us in Philippians, our citizenship is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour. We are a heavenly people. We can well afford to tread the world under our feet, because we have a better world above our heads.

Is that not true? I remember reading about a brother in Christ passing a building and outside on the sidewalk, or at least on the side of the building was this. Dwelling place above, workplace beneath. Dwelling place above, workshop beneath.

I thought, you know, that's true. Christ dwells in places in heaven. We belong to him and we're linked with him.

Wonderful thought. Soon where he is, we will be. For this I shall find, for such is his mind, he'll not be in glory, leave me behind.

Our destiny is heaven. We belong to the Lord Jesus. We're heaven bound indeed.

Thank God for the title, the symbol of the blue. Bring before us, child of God, the sphere of our Lord's high priestly ministry. Not only the symbol of the blue, but what about the strength of the binding? We read it was to be made, this robe of blue, in such a way that it be not rent.

On no account was this priestly robe of blue to be rent. God was very particular about this. So much so, Leviticus 21 verse 10, God prohibits the priests, the high priests, from ever renting their garments.

It would be offensive to him and disobedient to him. These garments in those Old Testament times for Israel and in the tabernacle were very important. They signified a great and important office for Israel.

Beloved, we should remember these things. Not only the symbol of the colour blue, but the very strength of the binding. Put together without a seam, one whole garment, lovely.

It reminds me of what John's Gospel tells us in his narrative of the crucifixion in John 19. What does he say about the coat of the Lord wore? It was without seam, woven from the top throughout. I'd love to know who made that.

Who was the maker of that coat? The weaver of that coat? Thank God I know the wearer of the coat. That seamless coat that John mentions in John 19 tells us of the perfection of the person of Christ. He is not only a man, he is divine, he is equal with God.

Thank God for the essential, eternal deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. That it be not rent. It had to be bound in such a way that it be not rent.

Let me take you to Matthew chapter 26. We read a very significant event there. We read of the high priest Caiaphas.

When he thought the Lord Jesus had spoken blasphemy, what did he do? He ought to have known better. He shouldn't have done it. What did he do? He rent his garments.

Two things I want you to observe about Caiaphas the high priest at that time. In John 11 we have what he said. What did he say? Significant.

It is expedient that one should die for the nation. He didn't realise that really he was pronouncing a prophecy of rule by God. It's expedient that one should die for the nation.

What he said was significant. But I want to highlight what he did. He rent his garments.

If what he said in John 11 was significant, I say to you tonight, beloved, what he did in renting his garments was significant. What does this signify? The end of Jewish system. The end of religion.

The only religion that God gave to the world was the Jewish religion and then he took it away at Calvary. Put an end to it. We don't need Jewish altars now or incense or anything else pertaining to Judaism.

Christendom out there is just a patchwork of Judaism. Let us remember that. Christendom still had its vestments and incense and altars and all the other things that are foreign to the New Testament scriptures.

Wherever we look in the New Testament, we have utter complete simplicity with the Christians gathered to the Lord's name in assembly fellows. The churches of God were simple, not stereotyped, not legal, not formal, but gathered very, very simply with none of the trappings of the religious world and that's how it should be today. How sad that he ran his garments.

Do you know that Israel today and Jerusalem, the Orthodox Jews, have what they call a temple treasury. They're waiting for the Messiah to come back. They believe he'll come back very soon.

They're hoping this. They're praying for this. They're blind to the fact, of course, that Jesus as a ring was the true Messiah and they put him on a cross.

As Isaiah 53 says, they saw no beauty in him that they should desire him. How tragic is the rejected Christ by his very nation Israel. I've been twice at least, maybe three times to that temple treasury in Jerusalem.

They've got the vestments of the high priest. They've got the silver trumpets. They've got the incense, the altar of incense.

They've even managed to produce a red heifer. They're getting ready for the Messiah to come back. But there's one thing lacking.

When I talked to a Jewish rabbi, I said, there's one thing that I can hear. I know he says the Ark of the Covenant. I said, will you find it to complete your temple treasury and all the things you need to prepare for the coming of the Messiah? Oh, we don't know where it is, where it is hidden, but we'll find it.

We'll come across it. God will help us to find the Ark and then things will be complete, ready for the Messiah. I said, look, have you read the last reference to the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament? The Jewish rabbi thought a little, no, no, what is it? He must have thought I was pretty acquainted with the Old Testament as a Gentile.

I said, the last reference to the Ark of the Covenant in Jeremiah 3 is, it shall no more come to mind. I can't remember that scripture. Well, I said, look at Jeremiah 3 in verse 16 to 17.

It shall never come to mind. Why is that scripture there, I said? The reason is, the Ark of the Covenant, even if it's found, will not be needed. The Ark typified Christ.

And when he comes back to the earth and restores the nation of Israel, he will not need any of these Jewish things. He will not need the Ark of the Covenant. The one whom the Ark typifies will be here, himself, the Messiah.

I'll have to think about that, he said. I'll have to look at that scripture again. Sad, isn't it? Making all his preparations, waiting for the Messiah so that he will have everything he needs when he comes.

How blind they are. Thank God the scales have been removed from our eyes to behold the beauties of the Lord Jesus. One day, Sanctuary 3, the veil that is upon the hearts of Israel, God will take away.

And according to Zechariah 12, they'll recognise the one whom they crucified was none other than their Messiah. So the symbol of a colour, blue, points to the heavenly ministry of our great High Priest. The field of his ministry, not another.

The strength of the binding would tell us of our Lord Jesus Christ. His ongoing, unchanging ministry for us, he will never be replaced. Old Testament, Israelitist, Levitical priest, Hebrews 7 tells us, could not continue by reason of death.

Those who study these things, the Jews, reckon there was about a hundred priests from Aaron downwards to Caiaphas. I don't know how true that is. Still a lot of priests.

They could not continue by reason of death, but this one is death as our Lord Jesus. He'll never be dethroned, he'll never give place to another, he never will have a successor. He continues ever after the power, says Hebrews, of an indissoluble life.

That's the saviour you have. And not only a saviour, not only your Lord, not only your Advocate in heaven, but your great High Priest representing you in heaven and interceding for you. That would be not right? Brethren and sisters, listen, no one, I repeat, no one can strip the Lord Jesus of the glory that is his.

Neither the devil nor any man, however powerful he may be. The symbol of the blue, the robe. The strength of the binding.

What about the shape of the border? Bells in the pomegranate, bells in the pomegranate, all the way around, quite consistent. What does the bell speak of? Testimony. The golden bells, testimony.

What does the imitation of the fruit of the land of Canaan speak of, represent? Fruitfulness, fruitfulness. Not only do we have the sound of the bells, we'll remark on that a little later, but we have the pomegranates. Can I put it this way? With some, it's all boom and no bloom.

With some, it's more noise than real activity for God and fruitfulness. Are you fruitful in your life? To use the language of the Lord Jesus, the true vine in John 15, are we bringing forth fruit and more fruit in our lives for God? God is looking for fruit spiritually in our lives. What about us individually in our testimony? What kind of witness do we have? What about fruitfulness in our lives? Can I take you to Acts? Acts, chapter 2, verse 1, the day of Pentecost.

Suddenly there was a rushing mighty wind, the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and the bells. The descent of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the promise of our Lord Jesus, he's in heaven. How do we know he's in heaven? The Spirit of God descended, and the church age began on the day of Pentecost.

The noise of a sudden rushing wind, telling us the great high priest is in heaven. But you see, not only do we have the sound, but we have the bells and the pomegranates. Pomegranates speaking of fruitfulness.

Was there fruitfulness on the day of Pentecost? Was there fruit seen? Was there results from the preaching of the gospel by Peter in Jerusalem? Yes. Three thousand souls were saved, the very opposite to three thousand perishing, being put to death at the foot of Mount Sinai, Exodus 19. What a contrast with the day of grace.

So I say and suggest to you what answers to the bells testimony, and also the pomegranates, fruitfulness, I see it in Acts 2. The sound of a mighty wind, the rushing wind, the Spirit of God descended, as promised by the Lord Jesus, and in heaven he's fulfilling that promise to his disciples who are assembled in that house on the day of Pentecost, and fruitfulness, three thousand souls were saved. Some may have a kind of testimony, but no fruit. It's good to have both, isn't it? There was a lovely consistency all around the hem of the garment of Aaron, a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate.

Years ago I came across this, with holy awe and reverent pace, the priest approached the holy place, attired in garments that became the place where God had set his name. His effort shone with golden gems, while softly from the wreath and hems the mellow music rose and fell from a pomegranate and a bell, a pomegranate and a bell. Is there a balance between our profession and our practice? Perfectly seen in our Lord Jesus Christ, what he taught is how he lived, he's our example.

He maintained and fulfilled his claims in the life he lived of sinless perfection and devoted service, obedient service to God, even to the death of the cross. Tell me, is there a consistency between what we profess, what we believe and how we live and what we practice? Some time ago there was a young lady that was greatly blessed and challenged by the preaching of a certain doctor of theology. Evangelical, saved man, she was so filled with it and her life was changed, she thought she would track this man down.

But she knew he had a brother who was a medical doctor. Somehow or other eventually she tracked a doctor down with this particular name she had. Knocked at the door and when he opened it, this is what she said, are you the doctor that preaches or are you the doctor that practices? Changed his life you know, changed his life.

Do we practice what we believe? Are we consistent in what we believe and how we live? Does our life bear out and confirm, give evidence of the reality of what we believe and preach? Everything was perfect in our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you following? It's a very full subject, very beautiful subject, very fascinating subject, very splendid, mystic, representative, costly garments of this high priest of Israel. I suppose there would come the time when they would get a little bit grubby and you know, a little dull.

I'm sure though the Bible doesn't tell us, Aaron would have had somebody after many years to do a number of washings, to wash these garments. Nothing needs to be cleansed as far as our Lord Jesus is concerned. But let's come now not only to the symbol of the blue and the strength of the binding and the shape of the border, the hem of his garment, blue robe, but let us think, let us think of the sound, the sound, the sound, the sound of the bells.

Did you notice what we read in the book of Exodus chapter 28? This is interesting. Verse 35, And it shall be upon Aaron to minister, and his sound, what is his sound? Shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out that he die not. His sound was heard when he went in.

That's Acts 2. And his sound is heard when he comes out. What's that? 1st Thessalonians 4. In 1st Thessalonians 4 from verse 13 to verse 18, we have the doctrine of the rapture. The early moment coming of our Lord Jesus, he descended from heaven to the earth for his bride, the church, for every born again believer, to take them, to catch them up by supernatural power, to the air, to meet him in the air, and thence to be taken to heaven.

Are we listening for the voice? He descended from heaven with a shout. Doesn't that link with verse 35? When he cometh out that he die not. His sound will be heard when he cometh out.

We're going to hear the sound of his voice. It will echo and reverberate all around the world. And only believers who are attuned to that heavenly frequency, if I can put it that way, will respond.

It's wonderful to think. Even death believers, death believers, even believers of stone death, will hear his voice when he comes out and descends to heaven to take us to be forever with him. What a prospect child of God.

One wife of a husband who believed in the rapture said to him, prove from the Bible there's going to be such a thing as a prior coming of Christ, a first phase of his second coming, that there's going to be a rapture. What did he say at first? He said, that's about the noisiest chapter in the Bible, dear me. Only believers will respond to that sound.

Only believers. These are lovely things, the garments of Israel's high priest. There is time for the next few minutes just to briefly consider this beautiful, resplendent ephod.

This blue robe is called the robe of the ephod because it was underneath the ephod. The ephod was placed upon the robe of blue. So the first thing Aaron in his daily service would put on would be the coat, then the blue robe, not forgetting the garment, and then the ephod.

This is the essential, I've already said this, the essential priestly garment. And this points typically to the suitability of our Lord's ministries, our great high priest. The sinlessness of his priesthood, the coat.

The service of his priesthood, the unseen girdle underneath the robe of blue. The sphere of his priesthood, the robe of blue. But the suitability of his priesthood is seen in the ephod, like a glorious waistcoat, isn't it? In what way do you say, how would you think of the suitability of our Lord's priesthood in the ephod? I believe that the ephod, in type, speaks to us of the true, real manhood of our Lord Jesus.

Can I say this? Just as the high priest Aaron couldn't do without this, the stinginess of his office, this priestly part of the garment, the ephod, he couldn't function as a preacher without it. Beloved, does that not let us see this? Our Lord could never represent us in heaven were he not a man. Had he not been here, he understands our trials, our difficulties, our temptations, our testing, the pressures of life.

He's real, he's caring, he loves us, he serves us as we shall see tomorrow night in heaven as our great high priest. He serves us in wonderful, undying, unchanging love. Do remember that.

Our Lord Jesus could never be in heaven representing us in his priestly ministry. If he were not a man, true man, he has every sympathy towards us, he suffers us, he knows our trials, he cares, he's been here, he has trod the path down on earth here before, he's lived that lovely life of his. Thank God for his Godhead or Godhood, thank God for his deity, but let us not forget he's a true man.

This was most beautiful, this effort, most beautiful and most costly. The dear Christian lady that did this job for me, as I said last night, worked on this effort with a small loom. Nice work.

I'm indebted to her. Many Christians in different parts of the world, it's a long time since I used this chart, have been blessed and benefited by the illustration of the garments of the high priest, pointing to many truths concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. It's helped them.

That dear sister in Christ, who did it two other charts for me, will have her reward in heaven. I'm quite sure it was costly and beautiful. Can I tell you tonight, reverendly speaking, the Lord Jesus was the most beautiful man ever seen.

Think of the attractiveness of his life and character. Think of his absolute sinless perfection, his supreme loveliness. Do we not read in the song of songs, he's altogether lovely and so he is? We find that to be true every day, don't we? What a saviour, what a personal saviour.

How our heart should go out to him more and he should endear himself more to us. How we should love him more for who he is and alone for what he has done. It says about the Lord Jesus in Isaiah 4, a wonderful prophecy when the Lord comes back as the Messiah and the millennium commences, he's 1,000 years old.

It says this, in that day, I love these words, in that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful, be beautiful. How beautiful is our saviour. How truly man he is.

He's the only man in the glory of heaven with a body. Do you ever realise that? Our bodies are going to be glorified, are going to be conformed to his image in the future when the Lord comes. But every one of the dear ones, your fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters, have gone through the article of death, they've died in Christ.

There was Christ which is far better but not in body. Their souls thank God are saved but then our bodies will be renewed. Not a new body, not a body different to this.

Remember that. This body, this body of humiliation, says Paul in Philippians 3, it's going to have a different character. This same body even may have been composed for years, sent it in the grave, are going to be physically brought forth from the grave.

Not a new body. Understand the doctrine clearly tonight please, it's very important. Same body, it's sown in weakness, it's raised.

Same body, it's sown in dishonour, it, same body, is raised in glory. Oh yes. Sown in a natural body, it is sown in a natural body, it, same body, will be a spiritual body.

Think of the Lord Jesus in true manhood. God has taken through the Lord Jesus, or where better we should say, the Lord Jesus has taken sinless manhood to the right hand of God. What a tremendous truth this is.

How we should rejoice tonight. Most beautiful. But do you know about this wasteful effort? It's that golden wire, all the way through it.

That gold wire skillfully woven into somehow the texture of the effort by the skillful workers God appointed and God gave them wisdom to do it. It was worked into the garment of the effort. That gold speaks of the eternal deity of our Lord Jesus.

Listen. If you try to take the gold from the effort, you will destroy the whole fabric of the material. Men try to take the gold from the Saviour, rob him of his deity, impossible, cannot be done.

You deny his deity. Take away from the Lord of glory his essential eternal deity. He's the Son of God, equal with God.

Then you destroy the whole doctrine, the fabric of doctrine, touching the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. But thank God for the true manhood of our Lord Jesus too. Can I say this to you? Our Lord Jesus, when he was here in true manhood, was not, not a dying man.

If he was, the seeds of death were in him. He was never a dying man, beloved. At the cross of Calvary, he laid down his life freely in love to us.

He gave up his life. No man, he said, could take his life from him. He will lay it down to himself, according to the works of the Saviour in John's Gospel, and he will take it again.

Wonderful to think, beloved, the seeds of death were not at work in the Lord Jesus in his manhood. What a Saviour. I repeat, what a Saviour.

Touching the effort to be practical. Do you remember Gideon? And do you remember he made an effort, as in Judges 8? And the whole of Israel went to whoring after it. Was that right? Did God take pleasure in Gideon doing that? Very sad, isn't it? Gideon was a good, godly judge.

Delivered the people from bondage, the bondage of the Midianites. He went on well, but sadly and tragically, as an older man, be careful. Especially you older ones, don't give up.

Don't let your Lord down. Don't do something that will wreck and spoil your whole life. How is it that Gideon could do that? Make an effort.

It was to his undoing. He shouldn't have done it. I don't know whether any of you have read the life of Robert Cleaver Chapman, one of the so-called earlier brethren.

He lived in Barnstable. He lived till he was just about a hundred years of age, preached nearly to that hundredth birthday. He had a very, very close friend.

They lived together in Barnstable in the southwest of England, called William Haig. Certain knights would go out arm in arm visiting the saints in the assembly, older ones especially, those who were not well, to minister to them, to pray with them, to read the word of God, to seek to cheer and encourage. One day they went out of the house and it was very, very frosty.

It had been snowing and there was ice on the sidewalk. And Mr. Waker was a little bit younger than Mr. Chapman said to him, Mr. Chapman, be careful brother, take my arm, let's go slowly. Remember Gideon! I tell you, Robert Cleaver Chapman knew his Bible.

Why is he asking me to remember Gideon? And how far the walk was and where they were going, I can't remember. But suddenly at last it dawned upon Mr. Chapman, ah, Gideon slipped up in the end. Brother Waker doesn't want me to slip up and it's sad when a believer slips up, isn't it? Especially after a life given to God and devoted to God, a life of zeal perhaps and a good activity and service for the Lord, isn't it sad if you slip up and the devil takes advantage of you? Ah, but the one of whom the garments of Aaron, for glory and beauty speak of and foreshadow, never, never slipped up.

He was obedient right to the end. We thank God tonight for our Lord Jesus Christ. We bless God for all his precious truths in Aaron's high priestly garments.

Pointing on to our Lord Jesus Christ, I do trust that you and me as a result of these meetings, not only the meeting tonight, but meetings too that follow, will appreciate more and value more what the Lord is doing for us in his ongoing service and ministry for us in heaven. He's not only our great high priest, he's our advocate. Says John, we have an advocate with the Father, not with God.

If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins. The word advocate means one who draws alongside to help.

That's our Lord Jesus. We not only need him in heaven as our high priest, but we need him in heaven as our advocate. His advocacy on behalf of the believers, you and me, is all the success of the Lord.

And it's grounded on three things. His communion. He's an advocate with, face-to-face, the Father.

The success of his advocacy is not only based upon his communion, but his character. Jesus Christ the righteous. And not only is the success of his advocacy rest and be based upon, yes, his character and his communion, but his cross work.

That's why that verse comes in. And he, even he, our Lord Jesus, is the propitiation for our sins. Does every believer need an advocate? Oh yes, oh yes.

That destroys the sinless perfection idea. Do you know there are still people who insist and teach that they've never sinned for a certain time? They claim that they've never sinned for a long time, maybe a few years. A certain doctor at a big conference many, many years ago in the latter part of 1800, when Mr. Spurgeon was alive, said that publicly in a lecture.

He'd never sinned for so long. Mr. Spurgeon didn't like that. He was horrified.

Such a man would claim that. And I wouldn't recommend what measure he's used to prove the wrong of that. But the good doctor sat next to him at the table for supper after that lecture.

And he took up the big pitcher of milk, poured it on the contents of the doctor next to him. Oh, there was a terrible outburst of anger and temper. He proved in a second the ridiculous theory of sinless perfection.

No. Do we have a type of the Advocates of Christ in the Old Testament? No. We do have a type and picture of the glories of our great high priest in these garments of Aaron, yes.

Lovely. But if you can think of a type of the Advocates of Christ in the Old Testament, tell me. I'll be waiting.

I don't think it's there. Why? Because the Advocacy of Christ is an additional aspect of his work as our great high priest. It's a new office altogether.

And it's the Apostle John that brings it in, in the first epistle, chapter two, as I've already quoted. John is a family epistle. Our Lord is not only our great high priest in heaven.

He is our Advocate with the Father. May God enrich us by these thoughts, uplift us, feed us, encourage us and edify us. May we be a little more wiser, a little more appreciative of the present high priestly ministry of the Lord Jesus, especially of the person, as well as the work of our great high priest.

Tomorrow we're going to look at a lovely subject, namely the four square breastplate. And then the unum and the thumbing. I want you to come back tomorrow.

I'm not going to tell you now or even give you a clue what I think about the unum and the thumb. If you want to know, come back. Come back.

And I'll be very pleased to see you. That will be our subject tomorrow.