God makes beautiful things...

Exodus 28:2 says "make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful" (NLT, italics are mine.)

As I read chapter 28 I was continually struck by how God loves beautiful things, and Aaron's clothing to be worn during his priestly service, is a great example of this. Throughout the chapter we see that "skilled craftsmen" (vs. 3) are to make these clothes and that they are to use materials that are only fitting for royalty, for service, for God: fine linen cloth, purple, blue and scarlet thread, onyx and a myriad of other precious stones, gold filigree, pure gold thread and gold bells. These items are to be "skillfully embroidered" (vs. 6) and they are to be used "with great skill and care" (vs. 15) so that all these items, whether for Aaron or for his son, are to be "glorious and beautiful" (vs. 40). God loves beautiful, set apart things; and he especially loves these things when they are used while representing His people before His presence!

Throughout chapter 28 Aaron was continually reminded that he was to be dressed this certain way so that, ultimately, he might "represent the people of Israel" (vs. 12, 21, 29) before the Most Holy God. The two onyx stones on his ephod had engraved on them "the names of the tribes of Israel" (vs. 9) so that as Aaron carried these names on his shoulders they served "as a constant reminder" of who he represents when he goes before the Lord. Thus, whether it was the onyx stones, or the four rows of gemstones or the gold medallion worn on his forehead he was representing the sinful people of Israel before the Holy God so that "the Lord will accept his people" (vs. 38).

As I reflected on these two truths, that God loves beautiful things and that Aaron represented the sinful nation of Israel to a Holy God, I thought how true this is still for us today!

First, God loves beautiful things, especially his people who are made in His image (Gen. 1:27)! He loved us enough to come into this broken world and to search for the lost sheep of Israel (Mt. 15:24 and Luke 15:1-7) and to be the light to all Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6, Luke 2:32 and Acts 26:23)...you and me!

And when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior then we are the image-bearers of Christ who are called to the ministry of being his ambassadors to those in this broken and sinful world which needs to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:11-21)!

May we remember that God makes "beautiful things out of the dust, out of us"; and may our lives, and our words, "be life/Let my words be truth/I don't wanna say a word/Unless it points the world back to You" (Gungor's song "Beautiful Things" can be seen here and Hawk Nelson's song "Words" can be seen by clicking here).