Day 35, or February the 4th. Be as good inside
as you look outside. Our thoughts today are rooted
in Leviticus chapter 8, verses 6 to 7. Then Moses
brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed
them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied
the sash around him, clothed him with the robe,
and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the
ephod with a decorative waistband which he tied
around him. First, the big picture surrounding
these verses. There are several chapters that
describe in some detail how Aaron and the priests
were prepared for ministry. The priestly clothing
was first made at the same time as the tabernacle
was erected. In addition, many items of furniture
were made, all to a very high standard by the
craftsman God had particularly gifted to do such
intricate work. When the priests were consecrated,
there was much symbolism in the use of blood
and oil, and the procedure is found in several
passages in the Bible. Interestingly, Hebrew
for priest is koan, which may explain why lots
of Jews bear this name today. And now our action
step for today. Some of today's denominations
still have leaders who dress in specific clothing,
which has particular meaning and significance
to their congregations and traditions. Two of
Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, proved that outward
conformity alone is not enough. Their hearts
were not faithful to God or their calling to
the priesthood, and they paid the ultimate price
by losing their lives. They probably looked exactly
the same as their faithful brothers, Eliezer
and Ithamar, who lived many years and dutifully
ministered to the people. Today we are reminded
of the truth that God looks on the inside, not
the outside. We know this to be true today, but
we still occasionally tend to live as though
we could fool God by saying the right things
and looking the part. This doesn't mean that
outward appearance is of no importance, but it
does mean that we can't fool God as easily as
we fool others. Do you have an act of pretence
to declare to God today?