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I have a few articles of clothing hanging in my closet that I have never worn. It’s not that I don’t like them; in fact it’s entirely the opposite. I like them so much I only want to wear them for an extraordinary occasion. I wouldn’t want to snag, stain, or spoil them before that occasion. So these outfits dangle from their hangers, waiting for either the moths or me.
I am reading this week in Exodus about God’s ordering of His holy temple. It’s enthralling to study about Aaron and his four sons and their appointed role as priests. (Side note: I think the names of Aaron’s sons would make fantastic names for a litter of kittens. Look it up, Exodus 28:1).
Besides the names of Aaron’s kids, I was caught up in the concept of Aaron having holy garments. I was particularly captured by why there was so much fuss, extreme detail, and expense in designing his clothing. Exodus 28 verse 2 says that holy garments should be made for Aaron”, “for glory and for beauty.”
This outfit was no ordinary outfit, and it was not for an ordinary occasion. As the appointed priest, Aaron would wear these garments as he regularly bore the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord (Exodus 28:30). Talk about having the world’s weight on his shoulders! He even had holy underwear. I’m serious. Look at verse 42. But more importantly, God was serious. If Aaron and his sons weren’t wearing these undergarments when they went into the tent of meeting or near the alter, they would die.
Different commentaries I consulted concurred that these holy garments, “for glory and for beauty,” distinguished the priests from the people. God elevated the priest’s position above all others in the nation of Israel and their office was highly regarded. Theirs was a set-apart role to come before holy God, bearing God’s judgment, for all of Israel.
God was pleased to give directions for His worship upon earth to be beautiful. First, he had given specific direction for the elaborate adorning of the tabernacle. Then He gave detailed instructions for crafting a magnificently beautiful garment for the priest who would minister within God’s holy dwelling place.
Matthew Henry reveals this insight to us who live post-Jesus time on earth:
“Our adorning under the gospel is not to be of gold and costly array, but the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness.”
As believers we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus because of what He did for us:
He came to earth to live a perfect life.
He chose to die a horrid death to pay the penalty for our sins.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
Jesus went back to heaven where He is preparing a place in anticipation of our resurrection from this life.
Jesus, our high and holy Priest made this way for us. As His priestly people, we wear the robe of His righteousness, which is infinitely more glorious and beautiful than Aaron’s elaborate garments.
Consider and pause over the marvel of this with me:
By the gift and grace of God, we are outfitted daily with a robe of Jesus’ righteousness. For God’s glory and for our beauty.
I could stop here, but I can’t.
After being enthralled by Aaron’s garments and lingering long over their description, I was shocked to read about what happened to these holy and beautiful clothes in Exodus 29:21.
God instructed that for Aaron and his sons to serve God as priests, they had to be consecrated first. So Aaron was dressed in his splendiferous clothing, and eventually…part of the blood of a sacrificial ram, plus some anointing oil were sprinkled on Aaron and his garments! After this, God declared that Aaron and his garments were holy.
In all my laundering days, the worst stains to get out of clothing, the ones that would pretty much ruin an article of clothing, are blood or oil. Blood and oil were SPRINKLED over Aaron’s ornate, breathtakingly beautiful garments.
Because of the blood, those garments would never be the same. But not in a ruined kind of way. The sprinkled blood finalized the gloriousness of Aaron the Priest’s garments making them and him holy.
Aaron was a pointer to THE High Priest who was coming. Jesus’ blood would be spilled and sprinkled over us so we could enter into the presence of Holy God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Marvel again with me: By the gift and grace of God and through the blood of Jesus, our High Priest, we are outfitted daily with the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. For God’s glory and for our beauty.