Exodus 28

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Exodus 28:2-5, Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled workers 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. These 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. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

This chapter details the garments for the priests.  A quick word on the priesthood:  it was an inherited trade, passed down from generation to generation, in one particular tribe of Israel.  The idea was that the priesthood could not be bought, earned, or won in an election. Those who became priests were priests because God made them so.  The garments or vestments worn by these men would have made them easily identifiable.  In the nation of Israel (at this point), there were no kings so the beautiful attire worn by kings in other cultures were worn by priests in this one.  This identified them as representatives of the one true God, Yahweh. 

Under the new covenant, Paul writes that we are all representatives of God.  In 2 Corinthians 5:20, he contends, We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. We obviously don't wear elaborate vestments to identify us as God's ambassadors.  But there should be elements in our lives - our speech, our behavior, our actions, the fruit of the Spirit - that clearly identify us as belonging to Jesus Christ.  While we will all mess up at times, what aspects of your life make it obvious that you are a representative of God?

Let's pray...Lord Jesus, help us remember who we are and who we represent.  We belong to you.  In your name, Amen.