We Are All Priests - Exodus 28
In Exodus 28, God gives Moses detailed instructions for the garments Aaron and his sons were to wear as priests. There is a lot of detail in the chapter—breastpieces, ephods, robes, tunics, turbans, sashes, gold, blue yarn, purple yarn, red yarn, and fine linen.
At first glance, it might seem like a strange passage to spend much time on. But beneath all of the details is a beautiful picture of what it means to live in the presence of God.
The priesthood came with perks.
Growing up as a pastor's kid, I remember that my dad would occasionally wear his clergy collar in public. Whenever he wore it, I knew something important was happening. Maybe he was meeting with someone significant. Maybe he was officiating a wedding or funeral. Or maybe he was headed to the hospital to visit someone who was sick.
And when we went to the hospital, that collar came with some serious concessions. There was clergy parking. There was a clergy lounge with snacks and coffee. The collar gave my dad credentials and access that other people didn't have.
The collar had concessions. The priesthood had perks.
And in Exodus 28, we see that the priesthood had some serious perks too. But we also discover that the purpose of the priesthood wasn't ultimately about status. It was about service and presence.
Dressed Like a Prince, Called to Serve
God tells Moses to make holy garments for Aaron "for glory and for beauty." The priest was supposed to look different. He wore beautiful, elaborate garments that distinguished him from everyone else.
But there was an important tension in the priesthood.
The priest dressed like a prince, but he acted like a servant.
The high priest had authority, dignity, and responsibility. But his position wasn't given to him so that he could be served. He was called to serve God and serve God's people.
That sounds remarkably familiar.
Jesus would later say in Mark 10:45:
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve."
The kingdom of God turns our understanding of leadership upside down. We often pursue position because we want the privileges that come with it. We want influence, recognition, authority, and status.
But biblical leadership isn't ultimately about what we get from a position. It's about what we give through it.
The priest had beautiful garments, but underneath those garments was a calling to serve.
And that's true for us as well.
What's on the Inside Eventually Shows on the Outside
God cared about how the priest looked.
That might seem surprising. After all, Scripture tells us that people look at outward appearances while God looks at the heart.
But these things aren't actually contradictory.
God cares about what is happening on the inside because what happens on the inside eventually works its way to the outside.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before others." Peter similarly calls believers to live such good lives among others that people see their good deeds and ultimately glorify God.
God's glory and beauty are meant to move from the inside out.
The question isn't simply, "Do I look like a Christian?"
The deeper question is, "Is Christ actually changing what is happening inside of me?"
Because eventually, what's happening inside will show up in the way we speak, serve, respond, forgive, lead, love, and treat other people.
We Become Like the One Whose Presence We Spend Time In
There is another fascinating detail in Exodus 28.
The materials used to make the priestly garments—gold, blue yarn, purple yarn, red yarn, and fine linen—are the same kinds of materials God had instructed Israel to use in constructing the tabernacle.
The priest's clothing resembled the place where God's presence dwelled.
That's not an accident.
The priest was meant to resemble the presence of God.
And that gives us a picture of what sanctification is.
Sanctification is the process of becoming more like God by spending more time in God's presence.
We become like the one we're near.
You've probably seen this happen in ordinary relationships. Spend enough time with someone and you begin to pick up their expressions, their mannerisms, their sense of humor, even the way they talk.
The longer people are married, the more they can begin to resemble one another. Friends who spend years together often develop similar phrases, habits, and rhythms.
Why?
Because proximity produces resemblance.
The same thing happens spiritually.
The more time we spend in God's presence, the more God's character begins to shape ours.
That's what we see with Moses. When Moses comes down from the mountain after being in God's presence, his face is radiant. He looks different because he has been with God.
And Paul describes this same reality in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
"We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image."
We are changed as we behold him.
The goal of spending time with God isn't simply that we know more about God.
It's that we become more like God.
We Don't Have to Stay Outside Anymore
There is one more remarkable part of this story.
In the Old Testament, the high priest had a unique role. He served as an access point between God and the people. The people could not simply walk into God's presence whenever they wanted. There were boundaries, priests, sacrifices, curtains, and holy places.
But then Jesus came.
Jesus became the new and better priest.
And through his death and resurrection, the barrier between God and humanity was torn down.
Hebrews 10:19 says that we can now enter the Most Holy Place with confidence because of the blood of Jesus.
We don't have to remain at a distance.
We don't have to rely on someone else to give us access to God.
And perhaps most remarkably, we are now called a royal priesthood ourselves.
Peter writes:
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation."
The privilege of the priesthood is no longer reserved for a select few.
Through Jesus, we all have access to God's presence.
And that means we all have the responsibility to represent God's presence in the world.
Are You Becoming More Like Him?
So here's the question:
When you spend time in the presence of God, do you leave looking different?
Not necessarily physically.
But do you respond differently?
Do you love differently?
Do you forgive differently?
Do you serve differently?
Do you speak differently?
Do you treat people differently?
Does something about the way you live make people wonder if you've been with Jesus?
The goal isn't simply to come to church, sing some songs, hear a sermon, and leave.
The goal is transformation.
We enter God's presence so that God's presence can transform us.
And then we carry the evidence of that presence with us wherever we go.
So perhaps the prayer we need to pray isn't simply, "God, make me better."
Maybe it's this:
"God, how can I spend more time in your presence so that I can become more like you?"
Because one thing is certain: every one of us could use a little more of God's presence in our lives.
And the more time we spend with him, the more we become like him.
