Tetsaveh 20-2

You shall command

Exodus 28:13-30

So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly.

Ex. 28:29-30 ESV

What is on the heart of the High Priest?

The narration about the breastplate of judgment reveals that the names of the sons of Israel are upon the heart of the high priest. Every time the Eternal sees the high priest He is seeing all the sons of Israel. The high priest represents the whole nation. He is like a door and a way between the Eternal and the people and vice versa. That's why it's written that he will have to bear the judgment of the sons of Israel on his heart. It's not only about transmitting messages from the Eternal to the people but also about the responsibility of the high priest before the Eternal. Whatever the people of Israel do will fall upon him. He is the people before the eyes of the Eternal. When he enters the sanctuary the people enter in him. He is the people's representative before HaShem.

The same happens in heavens with the heavenly High Priest. He takes on his heart not only the names of the sons of Israel but also the responsibility of their sins. The Messiah is the people of Israel in the Eternal's eyes. When the people sins he will have to bear the burden and guilt of that sin. The Eternal sees the people through him and the people can't come to the Eternal but through him. He is the way for the Eternal to come to the people of Israel and he is the way through which the people can come to the Eternal. His mission in heaven is extremely important. Through the Messiah, the prayers of the sons and daughters of Israel reach the Invisible One.

Now, what happens to all the other nations? Is the heavenly High Priest interceding only on behalf of the sons and daughters of Israel? No, Israel was created to be a priestly nation (Ex. 19:6). This means that Israel is the channel between the Eternal and the other nations. The task of the high priest in relation to the people is the same one the people have in relation to the gentile nations. In this way all nations are represented in Israel who, in turn, is represented by the heavenly High Priest. When Israel is blessed, the blessing reaches the other nations, and when Israel is cursed the other nations suffer too.

In Psalm 67 it is written: "To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” (ESV)

Now, Yeshua's heavenly ministry is also reaching each individual in the people of the covenant in particular, including the righteous ones grafted in from among the nations. The fact that there are twelve names on the twelve stones on the breastplate teaches us that the Eternal doesn't see the people only as a unity but also considers each one individually.

This also implies that your name is written upon the heavenly High Priest's heart. Yeshua is mentioning your name before the Eternal as it is written in Romans 8:34b: "...who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." (ESV)

Dear disciple of Yeshua: Rejoice because you have a representative in heaven that is mentioning your name before the Almighty. He doesn't forget about you because you are engraved in his heart as the engraving on a stone that can't come off. Your value is immense  - more than a precious gem on a gold filigree mounting. Thanks to his prayers for you, you can reach the Father. He is your way, your entry door, the one who made himself responsible for your sins. Through Yeshua you are accepted before the Father. Aside from him nobody will be accepted.

Blessed be the Eternal for accepting with please the service of our heavenly High Priest on behalf of the people of Israel and the nations!

Ketriel