Bonar on Holiness To the LORD

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. Exo 28:36-37 

 

Christ our High Priest, bearing the iniquity of our holy things

 The first thing that strikes us here is, that it is the head of the high priest that is thus adorned, the most honorable member of the body, the seat of the indwelling soul. Then, again, it is the forehead that is selected, which is the comeliness and glory of the head—the place on which the eye of the observer rests, and on which the eye of God would rest when meeting with the priest or the worshipper. On the forehead of the high priest, on "the forefront of his mitre," was the ornament to be fastened. It consisted of a plate of pure gold, the purest and costliest of metals, to signify the purity that God demanded. On it there was to be engraved, like the engravings of a signet, distinct and deep, "Holiness to the Lord,"—still farther foreshadowing the awful holiness of God, and the no loss awful holiness which He required in the sin-bearer. Forming thus the most prominent part of his dress, and placed upon his forehead, it would be that on which the eye of God might be said first to rest, whether at the-brazen altar, or the altar of incense, or the mercy-seat, in all parts of his holy service. When standing before God, it was this peculiar adorning that presented itself, with its inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." Thus, then, there was proclaimed to Israel a free forgiveness for the iniquities of their holy things. It was forgiveness through the holiness of another, as if God would teach them that while He required holiness in him who was to bear any sin, yet especial holiness was required when bearing the sins of our holy things. And then there was not merely the bare forgiveness, but there was the acceptance thus provided, both for themselves and their services, before the Lord. All this was to Israel the shadow of "good things to come." The law, indeed, made nothing perfect, but it was the bringing in of the better hope, by which we draw nigh to God (Heb 7:19). This better hope has now been brought in. What was thus foreshadowed afar off by Aaron, as Israel's high priest, has been fulfilled to us in Jesus of Nazareth, God's own anointed Priest.

I. We learn how complete is the provision made by God for a sinner's acceptance. This provision is entirely in Him who is our great High Priest. It is not in ourselves at all, but in Him alone. "It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell." He is the Father's infinite treasure-house of all blessing, secured for, and set open to sinners. Nothing that a guilty soul can require, is awanting in Him. Out of Him, there is nothing; in Him, there is everything. "He, of God, is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." In our text, however, the allusion is not to His fulness in general, but to His priesthood alone, as making provision for a sinner's pardon and acceptance: and this in reference to the sins of our holy things—the sins committed in our more direct transactions with God. For every sin, and for every kind of sin, there is provision in Him on whom our sins were laid. For all these there is a special way of pardon ordained by God, and certain sins are minutely specified, in order to show us that no case has been overlooked or left without a special remedy.

II. Let us learn how perpetual and unchangeable this provision is. It is written here, concerning the high priest on earth, "It shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord." In this we have a vivid type of Him, who is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever"; who hath "an unchangeable priesthood"; who "ever liveth to make intercession for us." He who bears the iniquity of our holy things, is one who changes not; who is ever the same holy High Priest, and ever glorious in the Father's eyes. We vary, but He varies not. Our feelings change, His alter not. Our soul fluctuates, ever rising and falling, ever ebbing and flowing, but He remaineth steadfast and true. We grow cold and faithless, He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself. His is a priesthood which endureth for ever, which never loses aught of its efficacy and value.

III. Learn how glorious and certain is this provision. It depends upon the holiness of the high priest. Not upon his grace, or mercy, or compassion, but upon his holiness. It is because there is such holiness in him to meet and satisfy the holiness of God that our forgiveness is so secure, and the way of our obtaining it so glorious. What an ample pardon, what a secure acceptance, must that be which is secured to us by the holiness of our great High Priest! for His holiness cannot change, neither can it pass away. His mercy might be worn out by our sins, and He might forget to be gracious, but He cannot cease to be holy.

IV. Learn how accessible and free is this provision. It is set open to all. Its benefits are wide and unrestricted "Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." (H. Bonar, D. D.)

 

 Holiness to the Lord

This plate of pure gold was fastened by blue lace to the mitre, or turban, or tiara, or linen, which was upon the head of the high priest. He put it on with the robe of the ephod, the robe under the breastplate and the ephod—the robe of the ephod, which had, round the bottom, a bell and a pomegranate alternately—fruitfulness and music—showing the fruitfulness of the priesthood and the music of the priesthood before God, without which emblems the high priest might never enter into the holy of holies, lest he die. To teach man that no creature can ever stand before God but through priesthood, lest he die. Were we to stand before God but in the fruitfulness and music of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we should die. The plate of pure gold upon his forehead, he went in before God to present the inscription graven there like the engraving of a signet, "Holiness to the Lord," to take away the iniquity of the holy things of Israel, and to make those holy things, purged from their iniquity, acceptable to God. Consider the subject of holiness.

 

I. The word is used in three senses in the Bible.

1. Sometimes the word "holy" means that which is set apart, consecrated. In that sense the vessels of the Temple were holy.

2. Sometimes the word signifies the indwelling of the Spirit, with His gradually sanctifying processes. In this sense the church is holy.

3. There is a still higher sense in which man is perfectly holy. Christ perfects them that are sanctified.

II. The true definition of holiness is the likeness of God. But we cannot conceive of the likeness of God but through a medium, and that medium must be the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever traits we find characterizing the life of Jesus, these make up holiness.

 1. The life of Christ was a separate life.

2. He always carried about an inner sanctuary in His own soul.

3. The life of Christ had a subdued tone.

4. It was a life consecrated to an object.

5. It was a life of praise.

 III. Look upon holiness as an end to be obtained. Do not seek holiness as a means to happiness, but happiness as a means to holiness. Be more careful about the holiness of little things than of great things.

(J. Vaughan, M. A.)