Our scripture reading for this morning, dear friends, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the second book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, the 28th chapter, Genesis, Exodus, chapter 28. Here in Exodus 28, we pick up a portion of scripture in which the Lord is speaking to Moses, commanding him concerning many things. regarding the establishment of the priesthood and the offering of sacrifices and the ceremonial law and the construction of the tabernacle and all the rest. We begin our scripture reading in Exodus chapter 28, verse 1. We read through verse 14. But I draw your special attention to verses 6 through 14, as verses 6 through 14 will constitute our text for today. Exodus 28, beginning in verse 1, hear then the word of the Lord. Have Aaron, your brother, brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron for his consecration so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make, a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it, of one piece with the ephod, and made with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth. Six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. And mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. Make gold filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold like a rope and attach the chains to the settings. Thus far, the reading of God's holy word, and as always, dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as you look to God's word together on this Lord's Day. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial, stands the three-part Vietnam Veterans Memorial, consisting of the three-soldier statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the most popular and recognized part of all, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. This wall, as it is simply called, The Wall, actually consists of two large reflective black granite walls, each approximately 246 feet long, designed, and I quote, to honor members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War and who died in service or are still unaccounted for." End of quote. And as of May 2007, there were no less than 58,256 names engraved in the granite of the wall. Think of it. But you know something, dear friends, as I was reflecting recently upon the profound symbolism and personal significance of those 58,000 plus names engraved on the wall, I recall to mind another set of names engraved in stone which are mentioned for us here in the sacred scriptures. the names of the sons of Israel, born as a memorial before the Lord on the ephod of the priest." On the ephod of the priest. Now, as we work our way through our text together as recorded for us in Exodus 28, verses 6-14, let us consider the threefold purpose for which the ephod of the priest was designed. First of all, our text teaches us this ephod of the priest served the purpose of recognition. It served the purpose of recognition. For example, look at verse 6 of Exodus 28 with me, if you would please. God said to Moses, make the ephod of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. It is to have two shoulder pieces, try to picture this, attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it, of one piece with the ephod, and made with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen." Now friends, think about this. This ephod, or this two-pieced waist-length vest, if you will, it had two pieces really, a front and a back, attached at the neck region, but not on the side. It hung over the priest. and it was fastened by a sash or a belt at the waistband, was one of some six particular vestments or sacred garments the Lord God commanded the priests to wear. For example, look at verse 4 of Exodus 28 with me. There we read, these are the garments they are to make. These wise, skilled craftsmen endowed with wisdom by the Lord. These are the garments they are to make. A breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. And as we read in verse 5, have them use gold and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. Now, why do you suppose God ordered Moses to have these priestly vestments, these priestly garments, especially the ephod, made in such elegant and elaborate fashion? Why do you suppose? Well, the answer is found in verse 2 of our Scripture reading. Here we read, make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Dignity and honor in the Hebrew text, that word dignity is the word Kabod, which also could be translated glory. And the word translated here in the NIV is honor, is the Hebrew word tiferoth, which I believe the King James translates as either beauty or splendor. In other words, they were to make these vestments and especially the ephod very elaborate and very elegant in order to designate that individual as priest, in order to highlight the fact that they were serving as priest before the Lord. Now, in order to illustrate this, let me share this with you, if I may. I have here the army jacket, Korean War vintage. It was called an Eisenhower jacket worn by my father during his service in the Korean War. Now, you may not be able to see this from where you are seated, but boys and girls on the left shoulder, there's a there's a star patch with the colors red, white and blue, the colors of our flag. Over here, you have a pin that simply says U.S. affirming the fact that this soldier is serving in the U.S. Army. And perhaps more difficult to see are the pins on the shoulders and this one here. And I called my father up last night and I said, this looks like a bomb. It looks like a bomb with a fuse. And he said, well, that's because when I served at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, that was a base specializing in the training and testing of military ordinance. A boy's a girl's ordinance is basically weapons. like bombs and machine guns and cannons and howitzers and the like. And over here on the sleeves are stripes. These are corporal stripes. My father served as a corporal before he was discharged and wore this jacket. I don't think he could fit in the jacket today. I don't think I could fit in the jacket today, but be that as it may, that was his Eisenhower jacket. Now, I show this to you because it reminds us, does it not, that all soldiers in the U.S. military are given a uniform. And that particular uniform will indicate which branch of the service they are serving in, and also it will indicate at which rank they are serving. Well, friends, in a very similar sense, that same thing was true for those who served as priests in the Old Testament times in Moses' day. The ephod especially represented par excellence, the honor and the dignity, the glory and the splendor of the priesthood. Ah, but notice this. It's very, very interesting. And indeed, it is highly ironic that the one of whom these Old Testament priests, and especially the high priests, were merely a figure or a foreshadowing or a type, Namely, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, would not have been found wearing a robe or these high priestly vestments or an ephod, elaborately and ornately designed. In fact, quite the contrary. In fact, turn with me, if you would please, to the prophecy of Isaiah, the 53rd chapter. After the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and the Old Testament, you'll soon come to the prophecy of Isaiah. In Isaiah 53, Verses 1-3, notice what we read concerning the Christ, concerning the Messiah, concerning our Lord Jesus the Great High Priest. Some 800 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah 53, verse 1, the prophet declares, Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him. Nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised and we esteemed Him not." Interestingly enough, in Matthew 8, verse 20, our Lord Jesus Himself declared, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. And so you see, in order to recognize Jesus, we must look for Isaiah's suffering servant. In order to recognize Jesus, we must look for the man of sorrows. In order to recognize Jesus, we must look to the Christ of Calvary. In order to recognize Jesus, we must look for the One whom we read in John 13, verses 4 and 5, that He took off His outer clothing and wrapped a towel around His waist and began to wash His disciples' feet. Think of it. A stark and direct contrast to the recognized honor and dignity of the ephod of the priest. A stark and direct contrast to the honor and dignity of the ephod of the priest. But let's go back to Exodus chapter 28 together, where our text teaches us there is a second purpose concerning this ephod of the priest, and that is that the ephod served the purpose of representation. It did not only serve the purpose of recognition, But secondly, it served the purpose of representation. How so? Well, drop down to verse nine of Exodus 28 with me, if you would please. Here we read, Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth. Six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Now, it's interesting, we read of the onyx stone, first of all, in the book of Genesis, very early on in the history of the world. In fact, if your Bibles are open, turn back with me, please, to the book of Genesis, the second chapter, Genesis chapter 2. The context is the Garden of Eden. And in Genesis chapter 2, verses 10 and 11, we read as follows. Genesis 2, verse 10, a river watering the garden flowed from Eden From there, it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon. It winds through the entire land of Havalah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good. Aromatic resin and onyx, notice, are also there. Also, in 1st Chronicles 29.2, we read that King David contributed onyx stones for the building of the temple. And many commentators believe that the onyx stone may also be very well included in the names of various other precious stones and gems which were incorporated into the foundation of the walls of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, of which we read in Revelation 21, verses 18 and following, where we read of gems such as sardonyx, beryl, chrysoprase, and the like. But friends, be that as it may, even more significant than the particular meaning of the onyx stones themselves, are the names which were engraved on those onyx stones. Let's go back to Exodus 28 together and drop down with me please to verse 11. Verse 11. Here our text continues. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Recall with me that verses 9 and 10 taught us that the names were engraved in order of birth. The six oldest sons of Jacob or Israel were engraved on one onyx stone, and the younger six were engraved on the other onyx stone, and then they were placed on the shoulders of the ephod which the priest was wearing. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, notice, as memorial stones for or unto, as the King James translates it, for or unto the sons of Israel." Now friends, why do I highlight for you the fact that these stones placed on the shoulders of the priest wearing his ephod were to serve as a memorial stone or memorial stones for or unto the sons of Israel? Well, the reason why this is so significant is because the effect of all this was that when Aaron, the high priest, entered into the holy place, or the holy of holies, with the names of the sons of Israel engraved on these onyx stones, which were placed on the shoulders of his ephod, he was in fact going in there with everybody. He was, in fact, carrying with Him all of the people of God, all of the children of God. They were, in effect, all entering with Him as He stood there before the Lord, ministering and interceding and pleading before the Lord on their behalf. Think of it. The engraved names went right into the presence of the Lord. Think about that. You know, as I was thinking about that, it occurred to me that that very same thing is true for each and every true believer here this morning, and all those who properly profess the name Christian through the person and work of our great High Priest, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For indeed, as we read in the book of Hebrews, turn there with me if you would, near the end of the Bible, before the book of James, we turn first of all to Hebrews 6. In Hebrews 6, verses 19 and 20, Hebrews 6, verses 19 and 20, God's Word declares, We have this hope as an anchor for the soul. Firm and secure. People are drifting today. People are storm-tossed today. People don't know who they are, where they're going, or why they're here. And the storms of life quickly overwhelm them and they drown in sorrow. But the Bible says to the true believer in Jesus Christ, we have this hope as an anchor for the soul. Firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf, you see. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Drop down to chapter 7, verse 23. We read 23-27 of Hebrews chapter 7, beginning in verse 23. Now there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need. One who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. And then finally on this score, you may need to flip a page or two to Hebrews 8, verses 1 and 2. Hebrews 8, 1 and 2. The point of what we are saying is this. We do have such a high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. You see, just as was true concerning the engraved onyx stones born on the shoulders of the ephod of the priest, So, too, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplishes this for us by His crucifixion, through His resurrection, by means of His glorious ascension, by means of His victorious session where He is seated at the right hand of the Father and even now is interceding for us. Just as was true for the onyx stones on the ephod of the priest. The person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplishes for all those who believe in His name the purpose of representation. Representation before the very face of our Heavenly Father. Glory be to God. There is the purpose of recognition. There is the purpose of representation. And now our text teaches us thirdly and finally that the ephod of the priest also served the purpose of remembrance. It also served the purpose of remembrance. Let's go back to Exodus 28 one last time, and we pick it up once again in verses 11 and 12. Look with me, please. Here we read, Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. Now, friends, did you notice the difference in rendering? Did you notice the difference in the wording of what we just read? You almost miss it if you read it through too quickly. First of all, it says that these engraved stones were to be on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for or unto the sons of Israel. In other words, first of all, they were representing the people to God. But in the second part of that portion of our text, it says Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. You see, not only did those engraved names represent the people coming into the presence of the Lord, it also represented to the Lord a memorial that they were His people. You see the difference? The priest comes into the holy place. The priest comes into the Holy of Holies and says, I am bringing intercession on behalf of these people, Lord, before You. The Lord sees those engraved names and He's reminded that they are His people. And friends, that also is precisely what our great High Priest, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, does for each and every one of His own. In fact, turn to His great High Priestly prayer in the Gospel according to John, the 17th chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. John 17. In John 17, shortly before He went to the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of His people, Jesus prays to the Father in John 17, verses 6-9, as follows, He prays saying, I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours, Jesus is praying. They were Yours. You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the word You gave Me, and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours." Jesus is reminding the Father, as it were, if you will, that He is praying for His people. He is interceding for His people. Turn to the book of Romans, Romans chapter 8. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans chapter 8. Just go to the right several pages. In Romans 8, we read in very similar fashion, verses 33 and 34. Romans 8, 33 and 34, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, declares, who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies or declares not guilty. Who is He that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died, more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. My believing friends, think of that. No matter what trial we are going through, no matter what temptation we are facing, no matter what sorrow may be seeking to overwhelm us, no matter what lies Satan may be telling us, if we are truly in Christ by God's grace alone, through faith in Him alone, Christ is interceding for us. He is praying for us right now. He's serving as our High Priest at the Father's right hand. Finally on this score, go over with me please to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12. We were there a moment ago in Hebrews before James. Hebrews 12. Picking it up in verse 18 and following. Look with me please. Hebrews 12.18 and following. The Scriptures declare, You have not come to a mountain that can be touched, and that is burning with fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm. To a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded? If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear. And by the way, don't lose your place. But you know how we read a few moments ago about Aaron's four sons that were commanded to be brought to Moses along with Aaron? Did you know that I think it's in Leviticus 10, we read that two of them were struck dead when they they offered unauthorized fire, strange fire before the Lord. Oh, how seriously God takes the worship of his name. He wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth, according to the principles of his word, the precepts of his word. But in verse 22 of Hebrews 12, it continues, but you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. Praise God He doesn't strike us dead when we don't worship Him in spirit and in truth. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly to the church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than that of Abel. Think of it. The names engraved in the onyx stones on the ephod of the priest signify the purpose of remembrance. The purpose of remembrance. A remembrance before the Lord, which is also accomplished for us through the person and work of our great High Priest, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The purpose of remembrance. All glory be to God. You know, just a few days ago, I read a very interesting article in the paper concerning what the paper called a robotic suit being developed by a high-tech American company. This robotic suit is being designed for our soldiers. And the idea is, even though they're still working out some of the bugs, that when a soldier puts on this approximately 150-pound suit, this robotic suit, it multiplies his strength and his speed 10 to 40 times. Robotic suit. Think about that. Now, as I read that article, and I'm pondering that design and manufacture, Something occurred to me, something occurred to me. I said to myself, you know, when Jesus Christ left heaven and came to earth. To serve as our great and eternal high priest. He didn't put something on, he didn't put on, for example, a robotic suit in order to fulfill and accomplish his mission. Quite the contrary, He took something off. He took off and laid aside, did He not, the full glory and majesty and power of His divinity. And He took on human flesh. All for the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls. Think of it. In fact, the book of Hebrews, the second chapter, states that so clearly and succinctly this way. Look with me, please. Hebrews 2, verses 14-18. Hebrews 2, beginning in verse 14, we read, Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Are you afraid to die? By His grace, our great High Priest takes that fear away. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason, He had to be made like His brothers in every way in order that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God And that He might make atonement. Boys and girls, look at that word atonement. You see, in atonement, at-one-ment with God. That's what it means. He made atonement or at-one-ment for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted. He is able to help those people like you and me who are being tempted, you see. Question. By God's grace, through eyes of faith, do you recognize Him today, my friend, in the words of Heidelberg Catechism question and answer 31, as our only High Priest who has set us free by the one sacrifice of His body and who continually pleads our cause with the Father? And by God's grace, through faith in His holy name, even right now, today, in this hour, is our great High Priest, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, representing you before the face of this holy God. And on that great and fearful day of final judgment, Will this sovereign, holy, just, and righteous God recognize and remember you, and you, and you, and you as one of His own? Because by grace alone, through faith in the name of Christ alone, your name is engraved in the Lamb's Book of Life. Oh, how I hope and pray that these things are true for each and every one of us today. But, my friend, if they are not true for you, then I urge and exhort you right now, today, even in this hour, pray and plead that in the Holy Spirit's power, the Lord our God would grant to you the grace to be able to rest and rejoice in the recognition and the representation and the remembrance so powerfully portrayed by the ephod of the priest. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts in prayer together. Therefore, states the sacred Scriptures, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. O Lord, our God, based upon these precious pronouncements and promises of Thy Word, in the words of the sacred songwriter, we say and we pray, Alleluia, heavenly High Priest, Thou on earth our help, our stay. Alleluia, hear the sinful cry to Thee from day to day. Intercessor, friend of sinners, earth's Redeemer, plead for me. Where the songs of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea. Hear us, Lord, we pray. In Jesus' name, Amen.