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Day 35, or February the 4th. Be as good inside as you look outside.

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Our thoughts today are rooted in Leviticus chapter 8, verses 6 to 7.

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Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic

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on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him.

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He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.

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First the big picture surrounding these verses. There are several chapters that describe in

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some detail how Aaron and the priests were prepared for ministry. The priestly clothing

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was first made at the same time as the tabernacle was erected. In addition, many items of furniture

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were made, all to a very high standard by the craftsman God had particularly gifted

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to do such intricate work. When the priests were consecrated, there was much symbolism

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in the use of blood and oil, and the procedure is found in several passages in the Bible.

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Interestingly, Hebrew for priest is Kohan, which may explain why lots of Jews bear this

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name today.

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And now our action step for today. Some of today's denominations still have leaders

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who dress in specific clothing, which has particular meaning and significance to their

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congregations and traditions. Two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, proved that outward

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conformity alone is not enough. Their hearts were not faithful to God or their calling

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to the priesthood, and they paid the ultimate price by losing their lives. They probably

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looked exactly the same as their faithful brothers, Eliezer and Ithamar, who lived many

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years and dutifully ministered to the people. Today we are reminded of the truth that God

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looks on the inside, not the outside. We know this to be true today, but we still occasionally

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tend to live as though we could fool God by saying the right things and looking the part.

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This doesn't mean that outward appearance is of no importance, but it does mean that

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we can't fool God as easily as we fool others. Do you have an act of pretense to declare

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to God today?