Exodus 28:4
And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
God distinctly specified holy garments in a particular style for Aaron and his sons, requiring them in order to minister in the priest's office and do service in the holy place. Every article was consecrated to a most solemn purpose to be whole and without blemish, clothing him with glory and beauty and fitting him to stand as a representative character for the nation of Israel. The requirement taught that God and His work are holy, so that those who approach Him must be clean, orderly and reverent, putting away every defilement, since God is dishonored when His service is performed with neglectful appearance. The robes were symbolic of the character of Jesus Christ, showing that God has a preference concerning the dress of those who serve Him and that the dress of His followers should likewise witness in all things that they are His representatives. The verse gives no sanction to changing apparel merely for fashion in order to appear like the world or to decorating the person with costly array, but calls for neatness, modesty and purity with ministers circumspect in apparel so their appearance upholds the sacred dignity of the ministry.
Priestly Garments Commanded
The instruction is part of what Christ, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, gave in educating His church in the wilderness in the laws of God's kingdom and how to conduct life in this world as a citizen of heaven. It gives the outline of God's expressed will and His covenant with the people He is seeking to save, the terms of salvation, and the education of most value, bringing the highest knowledge after the divine similitude and working present and eternal good for those who take heed and habituate the mind to dwell upon and observe it.
God distinctly specified holy garments for Aaron and his sons in a particular style in accordance with their work, requiring them in order to do service in the holy place and minister in the priest's office. He prescribed the particular garments they were to wear when serving as priests, with very specific directions for every detail concerning the garments of those who ministered before Him. The special directions about dress given to Moses were part of detailed instructions about everything connected with His service, even the arrangement of houses.
Every article the high priest was to wear was specified to Moses in the mount and consecrated to a most solemn purpose. Everything worn was to be whole and without blemish, covering him with glory and beauty, striking the people with awe, and making the dignity of the office appear. When so clothed he was fitted for his holy official work and stood as a representative character for the nation of Israel, showing by his garments the glory that Israel as God's chosen people should reveal to the world.
The attire worn in the heavenly sanctuary corresponds to this priestly attire. There the robe has bells and pomegranates, and a glittering breastplate hangs from the shoulders and bears names.
Holiness and Reverent Order
The holy garments were joined to the washing of hands and feet at the laver set between the altar and the congregation in full sight of the people, and together they taught that every particle of dust must be put away before coming into the presence of God. God is so high and holy that failure to comply with this cleansing and clothing for service in the holy place and ministry in the priest's office would bring death. The garments were prescribed in a particular style suited to the work of Aaron and his sons as priests, requiring reverent cleanliness in those who came before Him.
These requirements taught the people that God and His work are holy and that those who approach Him must put away impurity. Those who minister before Him and the work they perform must be clean, orderly, reverent, and free from impurity and defilement. The holy garments belonged to the order and reverence required in sacred service.
God may be honored or dishonored by the apparel of those who officiate before Him. Sacred work therefore demands outward order, neatness, cleanliness, and fitness, with order in everything and especially cleanliness. This is because God is high and holy, and He is dishonored when His service is performed with neglectful appearance.
Every article the high priest wore was to be whole and without blemish, and a high priest who dared to appear and minister in holy office with a rent robe severed himself from God. By that act he cut himself off from being a representative character and was virtually no longer accepted as an officiating priest. He then showed only human passion and human imperfection.
Symbolic Witness in Dress
Aaron's robes were symbolic, for the specification of every detail of the garments of those who ministered before Him shows that He has a preference concerning the dress of those who serve Him and that dress matters in His service. As those robes were symbolic, so the dress of Christ's followers is to be symbolic, showing in all things that they are His representatives and witnesses. The beautiful official garments represented the character of the great antitype, Jesus Christ.
For Christ's sake there is to be no carelessness in dress but an effort to make the best of appearance, representing Him in neatness, modesty, and purity in every respect rather than seeking display. The specification of holy garments gives no sanction to changing apparel merely for the sake of fashion in order to appear like the world. Nor does it sanction decorating the person with costly array or expensive ornaments.
The requirement of holy garments in a particular style suited to the work means that sacred work demands outward order, neatness, cleanliness, and fitness. Applied to the present, Christian ministers who minister in sacred things must be circumspect in apparel, with person, hair, color, fit, and tastefulness in order. Their appearance is to agree with the truths they present and to uphold the sacred dignity and exalted character of the ministry, rather than bringing the sacred down to the level of common labor and wounding souls.