Exodus 28:36

All that attend in God's house must have holiness to the Lord engraven upon their foreheads, that is, they must be holy, devoted to the Lord, and designing his glory in all they do. This must appear in their forehead, in an open profession of their relation to God, as those that are not ashamed to own it, and in a conversation answerable to it.

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold,....

plate--literally, a petal of a flower, which seems to have been the figure of this golden plate, which was tied with a ribbon of blue on the front of the mitre, so that every one facing him could read the inscription.

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DEAR Friends, I must begin by reminding you that we are not in this place dealing with unconverted men in their sins but with God's people Israel in their holy things. I say this because we must never forget that "without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." And when we are dealing with certain types it must be understood that the blood has done its essential work. Even a high priest, with all his "glory and beauty," could not put away sin as before God without reference to the shedding of blood. The atonement is supposed to have been offered—these people have been purified and brought near by the appointed offerings. But now, here comes the point with which this type concerns itself. They are God's people and therefore they come to Him with their gifts and thank-offerings—these alone can draw near to Him or will even care to do so. But how shall they draw near, for even after being reconciled by the blood they continue to sin? There is iniquity even in their holy things! How shall they come to God without someone to stand between them who shall continually bear for them the iniquity of the "holy things which they shall hallow in all their holy gifts"? There is need of One who is "able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." That sacred Person is provided by God in Christ Jesus our Lord and thus the way to present acceptable sacrifice has been made clear for all the blood-washed people of God! Aaron in his glorious attire was the type of the living Christ who presented unto God the sacrifices of His people. Their faults in worship and fellowship he is made to bear and so their gifts and prayers are accepted before a holy God.

Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold - The word ציץ tsits, which we render plate, means a flower, or any appearance of this kind, The Septuagint translate it by πεταλον, a leaf; hence we might be led to infer that this plate resembled a wreath of flowers or leaves; and as it is called, Exo 29:6, נזר nezer, a crown, and the author of the book of The Wisdom of Solomon 18:24, who was a Jew, and may be supposed to know well what it was, calls it διαδημα, it was probably of the form, not of the ancient diadem, but rather of the radiated crown worn by the ancient Roman emperors, which was a gold band that went round the head from the vertex to the occiput; but the position of the Jewish sacerdotal crown was different, as that went round the forehead, under which there was a blue lace or fillet, Exo 28:37, which was probably attached to the mitre or turban, and formed its lowest part or border. Holiness to the Lord - This we may consider as the grand badge of the sacerdotal office. 1. The priest was to minister in holy things. 2. He was the representative of a holy God. 3. He was to offer sacrifices to make an atonement for and to put away Sin. 4. He was to teach the people the way of righteousness and true holiness. 5. As mediator, he was to obtain for them those Divine influences by which they should be made holy, and be prepared to dwell with holy spirits in the kingdom of glory. 6. In the sacerdotal office he was the type of that holy and just One who, in the fullness of time, was to come and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. It is allowed on all hands that this inscription was, in the primitive Hebrew character, such as appears upon ancient shekels, and such as was used before the Babylonish captivity, and probably from the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. […]