Good Morning.
And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. (Exodus 28:2)
That the garments prepared for Aaron and his sons are described as being for “glory and beauty” is interesting considering their duties. No doubt, the craftsmanship was remarkable and the colorful aspects of the High Priest’s garments were, I’m sure, eye catching. But considering they were to minister to the Almighty, and with great humility and purity of heart no less, it is interesting that the Bible describes the garments the way that it does. It is almost as if the Bible hints that these garments were meant to draw attention to the wearer.
The Hebrew word translated as “garment” simply means to “cover” or “present an outer appearance.” That in itself conveys a spiritual concept because we know that God’s calls us upon us to make certain our heart is right with Him as well as making sure our outward appearance is what it is supposed to be. In other words, we are not to “cover” our true self with robes of false piety and self-righteousness but to live in a way that allows people see a true reflection of our heart when they observe what we are on the outside — ideally, a faithful representation of our Master. With this in mind, you might find it interesting that the Hebrew root word from which the word for garment is derived means, “to act covertly or deceitfully,” or “to be faithless.”
Might it be that the raw meaning of “garment” is actually linked to the fact that Adam tried to cover his nakedness — and in reality his sin — with fig leaves? As an act of mercy, God “clothed” his nakedness with coats of skins, obviously taken from animals that had to shed their blood in order that Adam’s shame might be concealed. In other words, in the beginning garments became a necessity in order to respond to mankind being faithless to the Creator’s command? Thus the priestly garments, created for “splendor and glory,” remind us of why the priests had to minister in the first place. In so doing, these beautiful garments causes us to wonder how Adam was “clothed” before He sinned.
As for us, the point is hopefully clear — we are all part of a fallen world, born in iniquity thanks to the decision of our ancestor, Adam — the first priest. Nevertheless, through the blood of the Lamb we have been cleansed from all unrighteousness and have been called into the priesthood to minister unto God and to all of mankind. Therefore, our “garments” — though reminders of the past — are to speak of His glory and the beauty of His holiness, not the ugliness and corruption of our carnal nature. So then, let us live in a way that our outward appearance truly reflects our heart; and may our hearts be pure before Him, not inclined to deceitfulness or faithlessness. If we do this, we know that we will be able to stand before Him blameless and with no shame.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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