Many roles require uniforms, but none are quite like Israel’s priests. After all, God designed them!
In our last study, we noticed the list of ingredients for the priests’ consecration: “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, a bull as the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread” (8:2). There, at the door of the tabernacle, the congregation pressed in to watch. First, after Aaron and his sons were washed, the high priest was dressed in his official garments, “the tunic…with the sash,…the robe, and…the ephod…and…the intricately woven band of the ephod,…the breastplate…and…the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate. And…the turban on his head. Also on the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate” (vv 7-9) which read, “Holiness to the Lord.” Then Moses sprinkled the holy anointing oil on “the tabernacle and all that was in it” (v 10), plus “on the altar seven times, anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its base, to consecrate them” (v 11). After this, he anointed Aaron with the oil. Moses’ attention then turned to Aaron’s sons, and he dressed them in simpler garb. We’ll carry on with this in our next lesson, but notice the process thus far. It is important that we see this because the same steps are used to prepare us for our service to God: washed, clothed, anointed. “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). We are dressed in provided garments: “as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…But above all these things put on love,” like the ephod’s belt, “which is the bond of perfection” (Col 3:12-14). And the oil, too, for “you have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 Jn 2:20). But we’re not quite ready yet!