Good Morning.
You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (Exodus 28:36)
There is a tradition that says when the High Priest was to enter the Sanctuary, he would place his hand upon the golden plate worn upon his crown so that he would know it was there. That is to say, he would remind himself of who and what he was and the duties that fell to him. In part this was to provoke him to carry out his duties effectively. Once he left the Sanctuary, he would continue to wear the “crown” in public — not the physical mitre — but the anointing and calling. He was to always remember who and what he was and act accordingly.
That he word the crown upon his forehead alludes to the notion that this calling — Holy unto the LORD — was not only in his heart but was to be upon his mind. Sometimes, matters of the heart are more easily concealed but what exists in our consciousness is easily discerned by others. That is due to the fact that Those things we meditate upon are eventually manifest in physical ways. Thus, we are always to be conscious of the fact that we are called to be “holy unto the LORD.” As a reminder, the first and greatest of all commands is the “Love the LORD your God with all of your heart (breastplate), soul (mind) and your strength.”
In the New Testament, James alludes to the importance of making sure these things are always on our mind. He argued that, not only are we to be a hearer of the word, but a doer. To not exhibit a righteous lifestyle in our deeds (works) betrays the fact that righteousness has not been on our mind. In that scenario, we are likened to one who has observed himself in a mirror and then walked away, forgetting what we look like — or who and what we are. We are encouraged to remember who and what we are and to do what God has called us to do. If we do that, we will be blessed in all that we do (James 1:23-25). And so it seems fitting to conclude with words from the Psalmist who said:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments