Exodus 28:1-6
1“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 2Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. 3Tell all the skilled men 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. 4These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.
6“Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman.
40Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them dignity and honor. 41After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
42“Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die.
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.
Introduction
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." – Mark Twain
What you wear is important
It says a lot about you
A small group of “cultural experts” a few years back put it this way…
Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain’t missin’ a single thing.
And cufflinks, stick pin,
When I step out I’m gonna do you in.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
Coz every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.
“Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top
I. Separation
2“To give him dignity and honor” – NIV
“To show his separation to God” – NLT
See also verse 36, “HOLY TO THE LORD”
They were worn during the performance of his duties as priest.
Anyone who saw him would know who he was
He would be the only blood covered, jewel encrusted guy in the place
You couldn’t miss him
God’s intent – revere the man who wears my clothes
Going home in uniform
Those who put on the clothing of Christianity are, like Aaron, separate and dignified
That’s the way God intended it and modeled it
Matthew 3:16-17, “16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
There was no mistaking this guy was different
1 Peter 1:16, “for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
We are to be separated because that is what God is.
Romans 13: 14, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Not a suggestion any more than giving Aaron the option of wearing blue jeans
If we don’t he will,
Matthew 25:31-46, The Sheep and The Goats
II. Service
4“So they may serve me as priests”
Aaron and his sons were clothed like they were to serve
Service was part of the outfit
The priest, by definition was a servant
He killed and offered the sacrifices of the people
He received no monetary pay for his duties
He stood between God and the people on the Day of Atonement
He did a lot
More than just, “Have you seen my Thumim? It’s really nice.”
Guy wearing the Ranger Tab
At the core of being a priest are the duties he performed
Service
Jesus modeling again
Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Hebrews calls Jesus our High Priest
And he carried on with the sevice of the high priest
Asked us to do the same
1 Corinthians 10:24, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Service, in some form should be a part of our lives as we seed the good of others
1000’s ways to serve others
Philippians 2:3-8
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
III. Salvation
43“So that they will not incur guilt and die”
The special garments of Aaron and his descendants kept them alive
To approach God with the wrong clothes on would result in death
Luke 1:8ff – John’s dad entering the temple
Extreme respect, bordering on fear
Prescribed way to do things, not to be altered
Lev 10:1 - Nadab & Abihu
For us there is a prescribed way as well
Anything else means death.
Do it God’s way or “incur guilt and die”
John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
Conclusion
Separation – Service – Salvation
Are You?
Remember Mark Twain,
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."
