And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
God commanded a special holy dress for Aaron, his sons, and their successors, made of exact material and style to fit them for ministering before Him. Its glory and beauty were to impress all beholders with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence, representing the character of Jesus Christ and the dignity of the priestly office. To minister with that robe rent severed the high priest from God and left him no longer accepted as His representative. Those who serve in God's presence today are likewise to be clean, orderly, neat, modest, and pure in appearance, avoiding carelessness and untidiness as unfit for approaching Him. Their dress is to be symbolic of Christ whom they represent, giving an exalted sense of God and honoring Him, with no sanction for following fashion or adorning the person with costly array to appear like the world.
Garments God Commanded
The command to make holy garments was part of the instruction given in the wilderness to educate the church, giving the outline of the expressed will, the covenant, and the terms of salvation. It holds the most valuable higher education for the mental, physical, and moral improvement of the whole being.
God gave Moses special, specific directions fixing the exact material and style of a special dress for Aaron, his sons, and his successors, matched to their office and sacred work of ministering before Him. The dress was specified for service in the holy place and for acting in the priest's office, with a distinct and dignified appearance fitting that sacred work. The outer costume was a white linen robe woven in one piece extending nearly to the feet, confined about the waist by a white linen girdle embroidered in blue, purple, and red, completed by a linen turban or miter.
The holy garments had to be whole and without blemish, consecrated for a most solemn purpose, with every article made according to the pattern shown in the mount, fitting the high priest for his holy official work. The words for glory and for beauty mean that everything about the priests' apparel and deportment was to impress the beholder with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence. Their glory and beauty represented the character of Jesus Christ, covered the priest with glory and beauty, struck the people with awe, and displayed the dignity of the office. The high priest stood as a representative character for the nation of Israel, showing by his garments the glory Israel as God's chosen people should reveal to the world.
The verse shows the Lord conferring the priesthood upon Aaron's family and honoring Aaron with sacred consecration as high priest, sustaining him in that holy office. To appear and minister with a rent robe severed the high priest from God, cut him off from being a representative character, and left him no longer accepted as an officiating priest but exposed as acting from human passion and imperfection.
Dress Honoring God Today
The dress of those who minister before God was ordered down to its material and style, as part of complete instruction covering everything connected with tabernacle service, even the arrangement of houses, because their apparel and appearance can honor Him or dishonor Him. Their care in coming before Him was meant to give the people an exalted sense of God and His requirements, of His holiness and the sacredness of His worship and service. Appearance in that holy work can either recommend the truth or dishonor it, with reverence shown by cleanliness and order and irreverence shown by impurity and untidiness unfit for those who approach Him.
Aaron's garments were appointed for glory and for beauty and were symbolic, which shows that God has a preference about the dress of those who serve Him. The dress of Christ's followers should likewise be symbolic, representing Him as His representatives and witnesses before the world. Those who serve in His presence should therefore be clean, orderly, and properly presented in distinct and dignified apparel made for sacred service, reflecting the holiness and elevated nature of that service.
They are to make the best of their appearance in every respect with neatness, modesty, purity, and good taste, avoiding all carelessness, impurity, and untidiness. That symbolic purpose gives no sanction for changing apparel merely for the sake of fashion in order to appear like the world, for following fashion, or for display. Nor does it sanction decorating the person with costly array or expensive ornaments.
Priests were not to enter the sanctuary with shoes on their feet, but left them in the court, because dust brought in would desecrate the holy place. Before ministering in the tabernacle or at the altar, they washed hands and feet at the laver set between the altar and the congregation in sight of the people. This constantly taught that every particle of dust and all defilement must be put away by those who come into God's presence. God is so high and holy that failure to meet His conditions brings death.
God commanded a special holy dress for Aaron, his sons, and their successors, made of exact material and style to fit them for ministering before Him. Its glory and beauty were to impress all beholders with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence, representing the character of Jesus Christ and the dignity of the priestly office. To minister with that robe rent severed the high priest from God and left him no longer accepted as His representative. Those who serve in God's presence today are likewise to be clean, orderly, neat, modest, and pure in appearance, avoiding carelessness and untidiness as unfit for approaching Him. Their dress is to be symbolic of Christ whom they represent, giving an exalted sense of God and honoring Him, with no sanction for following fashion or adorning the person with costly array to appear like the world.
Garments God Commanded
The command to make holy garments was part of the instruction given in the wilderness to educate the church, giving the outline of the expressed will, the covenant, and the terms of salvation. It holds the most valuable higher education for the mental, physical, and moral improvement of the whole being.
God gave Moses special, specific directions fixing the exact material and style of a special dress for Aaron, his sons, and his successors, matched to their office and sacred work of ministering before Him. The dress was specified for service in the holy place and for acting in the priest's office, with a distinct and dignified appearance fitting that sacred work. The outer costume was a white linen robe woven in one piece extending nearly to the feet, confined about the waist by a white linen girdle embroidered in blue, purple, and red, completed by a linen turban or miter.
The holy garments had to be whole and without blemish, consecrated for a most solemn purpose, with every article made according to the pattern shown in the mount, fitting the high priest for his holy official work. The words for glory and for beauty mean that everything about the priests' apparel and deportment was to impress the beholder with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence. Their glory and beauty represented the character of Jesus Christ, covered the priest with glory and beauty, struck the people with awe, and displayed the dignity of the office. The high priest stood as a representative character for the nation of Israel, showing by his garments the glory Israel as God's chosen people should reveal to the world.
The verse shows the Lord conferring the priesthood upon Aaron's family and honoring Aaron with sacred consecration as high priest, sustaining him in that holy office. To appear and minister with a rent robe severed the high priest from God, cut him off from being a representative character, and left him no longer accepted as an officiating priest but exposed as acting from human passion and imperfection.
Dress Honoring God Today
The dress of those who minister before God was ordered down to its material and style, as part of complete instruction covering everything connected with tabernacle service, even the arrangement of houses, because their apparel and appearance can honor Him or dishonor Him. Their care in coming before Him was meant to give the people an exalted sense of God and His requirements, of His holiness and the sacredness of His worship and service. Appearance in that holy work can either recommend the truth or dishonor it, with reverence shown by cleanliness and order and irreverence shown by impurity and untidiness unfit for those who approach Him.
Aaron's garments were appointed for glory and for beauty and were symbolic, which shows that God has a preference about the dress of those who serve Him. The dress of Christ's followers should likewise be symbolic, representing Him as His representatives and witnesses before the world. Those who serve in His presence should therefore be clean, orderly, and properly presented in distinct and dignified apparel made for sacred service, reflecting the holiness and elevated nature of that service.
They are to make the best of their appearance in every respect with neatness, modesty, purity, and good taste, avoiding all carelessness, impurity, and untidiness. That symbolic purpose gives no sanction for changing apparel merely for the sake of fashion in order to appear like the world, for following fashion, or for display. Nor does it sanction decorating the person with costly array or expensive ornaments.
Priests were not to enter the sanctuary with shoes on their feet, but left them in the court, because dust brought in would desecrate the holy place. Before ministering in the tabernacle or at the altar, they washed hands and feet at the laver set between the altar and the congregation in sight of the people. This constantly taught that every particle of dust and all defilement must be put away by those who come into God's presence. God is so high and holy that failure to meet His conditions brings death.