It doesn’t take me very long to get ready in the morning. I won’t tell you the exact time because I’m sure it’ll make everyone jealous, but take whatever time you think it should take the average male to get ready, then cut it in half. That’s how quickly I can be out the door.
Aaron wasn’t so lucky. Over the course of forty-three verses, Aaron is told what he’s going to wear as he ministers at the Tabernacle. Layer after layer is outlined, including a robe, tunic, sash, breastplate and an ephod. All those clothes would’ve undoubtedly been heavy.
They would’ve also been symbolic. From head to toe, Aaron’s robe is littered with meaning, from the tribes of Israel on the shoulders to the “breastplate of judgment” that contains the Urim and the Thummim.
When you get to the hem of the garment, your eyes catch an interesting sight: golden bells and pomegranates stitched into the hem. The golden bells serve one purpose (which we’ll talk about later), but why are pomegranates built into the outfit?
I honestly don’t know. I can’t remember the last time I even ate a pomegranate. Come to think of it, I can’t even think of when I saw a pomegranate. This is also the first time pomegranates are mentioned in Scripture, but when it’s used later in the Old Testament, it’s almost always linked to some kind of blessing.
Is that why God wants pomegranates on Aaron’s robes? Some have speculated that they’re representative of the need for priests to “bear fruit”—a point I’m not necessarily against, but does seem like a bit of a reach.
In ancient Egypt, pomegranates were a symbol of life, fertility, and renewal. For that reason, it’s no wonder why they were plastered all over the tombs of the wealthy. Many of them wanted to believe desperately in some kind of existence after death. Pomegranates became a symbol of that belief.
But God doesn’t need pomegranates—He is life. He is renewal. While it’s possible that He uses Egyptian symbols to illustrate a divine purpose, it seems like an insult to assume that God appropriated other religions in His own worship.
Another aspect of pomegranates that is not brought up often is the fact that they’re not native to Egypt. Most likely, they were brought over around the time of Moses. Their point of origination? Canaan.
Although I’m sure it’s not the only explanation for why pomegranates are attached to Aaron’s ephod, the idea of looking forward to Canaan—and the blessings God brings to His people—is certainly as logical as anything else. As Aaron went about his work, the sounds of the golden bells and the look of one of the most cherished fruits in antiquity went with him.
