Clothes That Mean Something

Exodus 28:2-3

Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

Moses was humble enough to listen to God. This is something we should take into consideration when we wonder why we’re not successful in something. Maybe we should listen to God. Moses listened carefully and took notes on specific instructions God gave him about how to worship, where to worship, how to dress, etc.

God told him how to make Aaron’s priestly garments and which ones to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. Where did they get the supplies to make everything? Exodus 28:1 tells us that Moses received an offering from those whose heart prompted them to give. It wasn’t a tax or a fee. It was freely given.

Exodus 28:29-30

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.”

Today we don’t get very specific about what we wear when we enter the presence of God. We want to focus on God and not the clothes. Understandable. But what if we wore something that makes us focus on one of the facets of God’s love.

What if we recited the scriptures related to the armor of God when we got dressed every morning? What if we printed out Ephesians 4:20-25 and taped it to the bathroom mirror so we could read it every time we brushed our teeth?

The garments God gives us to wear today have meaning. We are to put on righteousness and holiness. We are to wear God’s armor and not depend on our own human-designed protective clothing.

What if we listened to God and obeyed him down to our shoe selection? How would that change us?