Who cares about the priest’s clothes? Why would a believer today be interested in the design of the clothes the priest wore in the Tabernacle? Allow me to explain how this is very relevant.
God had not allowed man access to God until the time of Moses. God and man had no basis for fellowship because God is holy and man is sinful. What does light have in common with darkness? But in His grace, He selected Abraham, and from Abraham He built a people to set His love upon. After He had delivered them from Egypt, He provided a way for people to access God through the Tabernacle and the priests. The priests were to make sacrifices and intercession for themselves and the Israelites.
Aaron was the first priest and his sons were to carry on the tradition of priests. The clothes designed for Aaron and his sons were absolutely beautiful; woven in gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread. The names of the twelve tribes were sewn into the shoulders and the breastplate, and set in precious jewels. The ephod was like a jacket and there were gold chains connecting things together; there was a robe, tunic, sash and turban, like no one had ever imagined. Holiness to the Lord was worn on the turban over the forehead. Gold bells were worn on the bottom fringes of the robe to let people know when the priest was coming or going.
Only the priest could meet with God, and only once a year, in the Holy of Holies, and with the blood of animals sprinkled on the mercy seat. God had designed a beautiful set of clothes for the priest for His meeting in the Holy of Holies. But what does this have to do with us? What do beautiful clothes have to do with us? When Christ died on the cross, He took our sins away, and gave us a beautiful outfit of clothes (a garment of righteousness) by which we could appear before the Lord God Almighty any time we wanted to. Today, we are a kingdom of priests, and we make intercession for people; we are the ones God listens to. He is still holy and we are still sinners, but, because of the blood of Christ, we are declared “not guilty,” and seen as righteous before the Lord.
The clothes of the priest are like our clothes of righteousness, and we are holy to the Lord. The blood of Christ has allowed us to be dressed in the most beautiful clothes ever. We wear our righteousness every day, unlike the priest who wore his clothes just once a year.
Jesus spoke a parable about a king who gave a banquet and invited everyone. Many rejected the offer but later some came. One person, however, came to the banquet not dressed in the proper attire. Everyone was given proper attire, but this person rejected the clothes offered to him, and wanted to come dressed in his own clothes (his own righteousness). When the king saw him, He threw him out of the banquet and into the utter darkness. Our clothes of righteousness, like the priest’s clothes, are very important and should not be taken lightly. Wear your clothes proudly, for they came at a very high cost. We have been provided an attire of righteousness, and on our foreheads it says, HOLINESS TO THE LORD
Friday, February 8, 2008
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