Lookin' Good

Exodus 28: 1-5

So God has Moses collect Aaron and his sons to come and serve Him as priests. They are to make some sacred clothes for them- and the skilled men God granted wisdom to in these matters are to make them. They are to make: "a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash." Sounds more like a warrior than a priest to me. Is the breastpiece to ward off tomatoes being thrown by an unruly audience?

These clothes are to be gold, blue and purple and made from silk and fine linen.

Growing up, our worship services didn't have this kind of pomp- but we did have our own dress code- jacket and tie (if it was Sunday Morning) with a sliding scale of formality throughout the other services in the week. The church we attend now has an occasional "special service" where our preacher wears a robe, but it's a rare occurrence.

I don't think this passage has much to do with "dressing up" for God. I think it's yet another contrast between the old and the new. Before, the outward appearance was stressed...priests wear holy garments to come before the Lord- and for us, the "inward man" is dressed up. We don't have to wear fancy robes or even (gasp) neckties to come before our Father- but our spirit is shining brightly of gold, blue and purple and freshly cleaned with the blood of our savior.