Veritas Magazine

"And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for beauty and for glory." Exodus 28:2

I was recently reading through Exodus after what some may consider the “fun” part with the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. For example, as God was describing his initial plan for the Israelite nation, he goes from Exodus 25 to 30 to explain in precise detail his sanctuary and the consecration of the priests. That sort of reading is a little more low-key than frogs and fireballs from heaven. But among the repetition and description, I was impressed by the words in Exodus 28:2: “For beauty and for glory.”

The High Priest was given garments that from head to toe were symbolic of God’s holiness and love for his people. His very clothes were a shadow of the things to come in Christ. Then Jesus, the true High Priest, wore nothing but a purple robe in mockery and then nakedness and shame on the cross. He now clothes me in his righteousness that he earned (Galatians 3:27) for his beauty and his glory—which is more resplendent than anything any Levite ever wore.

But instead of being vibrant with God’s grace shining out from within, I can cover over his beauty with a drab attitude. How often do I go about the Lord’s work as if it’s a chore, dismally, with little cheer at the things that take hard work with seemingly small payoff. I may as well go around wearing a dreary black smock all the time. Yet, as it says in 1 Peter 2:9, I’m part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, to proclaim his work out of darkness into light. Christ clothes me, like he did the Levites, with a purpose. Do I wear his beauty and his glory so that others may see?