What connections exist between Exodus 28:22 and the New Testament understanding of priesthood? The Golden Chains of Exodus 28:22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains like cords of pure gold.” (Exodus 28:22) Literal Features, Lasting Teachings • Real artisans shaped pure gold into braided cords, attaching the breastpiece to the ephod of Israel’s high priest • Gold speaks of incorruptible purity (Exodus 25:11; Revelation 21:18) • Braiding forms several strands into one strong line, a picture of secure attachment that cannot unravel Foreshadows of the Greater High Priest • Jesus is the true and final High Priest (Hebrews 4:14; 7:24-25) • Like the golden cords, His deity—“the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3)—is pure and unbreakable • The breastpiece carried Israel’s tribes over the priest’s heart (Exodus 28:29) – Christ carries His people continually in intercession (Romans 8:34) • The chains prevented the breastpiece from shifting – Christ’s priestly work holds believers “firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19) From One High Priest to a Royal Priesthood • Through Christ, every believer becomes a priest (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6) • The same God who ordered gold chains for Aaron clothes the church with spiritual splendor (Revelation 19:8) • Union with Christ mirrors the chains’ function – “By Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows” (Ephesians 4:16) – “Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14) Practical Takeaways for Today’s Priests • Confidence: Christ’s golden bond keeps His people near the Father’s heart • Purity: Priestly service must reflect the holiness symbolized by pure gold (1 Peter 1:15-16) • Intercession: As Aaron bore the tribes, believers carry one another before God (James 5:16) • Unity: Braided strands illustrate the shared life of the body of Christ (Philippians 2:2) |
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