Exodus 39 describes the beautiful garments worn by Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons as they minister before the Lord at the tabernacle. Woven of gold and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, they must have been so very beautiful. On a breastpiece, four rows of precious stones, twelve in all, with a name of one of the Tribes of Israel on each one; the plate, the sacred emblem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. v. 30, on the turban Aaron wore.

I kept thinking about that…Holy to the Lord…as I read the chapter and in prayer. I keep asking myself what was it like for the Children of Israel to see these things? The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them. v. 42-43.

Holy to the Lord. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1. The twelve stones on the breastpiece Aaron wore were of amazing colors of precious stones and were created by God. Any artist will tell you how challenging it is to paint color that is pure…God created all colors and their beauty is in their purity. God created all that we see and if we open our eyes and hearts we will see His hand and begin to know Him.

Have you ever marveled at the lips of a newborn? The beautiful rosy cheeks of a toddler? The color within a glacier? The majesty of a volcano covered in snow? The beauty of towering trees reaching upward for the sunshine? The delicate wings of a dragonfly in sunshine glimmering like spun gold? HOLY TO THE LORD.

As I sat quietly with God this morning, I thought about Aaron’s beautiful clothes, about the tabernacle crafted by master craftsmen, about grand and majestic cathedrals so beautiful and intricately designed, and of simple humble churches. I thought about the stillness of a forest with sunshine streaming through the leaves, of the roar of the Pacific as it rolls toward the beach in unending waves…all created by God.

Thinking about the stones in a cathedral, I thought about our Chief Cornerstone. As you come to him, the living stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:4-6.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10.

When we walk with God, we enter into His wonderful light. We see things anew. We see all that He creates and know it is HOLY TO THE LORD. Aaron wore a beautiful garment and I wonder what he felt when he put on those garments that the Lord Himself directed be made. He was the first High Priest…a type of the One to come. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” (Psalm 2:9) He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16.

Aaron, as High Priest, would administer the sacrificial offerings for the people. He would sprinkle blood on the altar for forgiveness of their sins. Jesus was our sacrifice and He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. HOLY TO THE LORD.

God’s wrath is for sin. His love is for us, His creation. Can we open our eyes and hearts to appreciate the beauty God has created…including us? Watching the news last night I saw a man who killed two health care workers who tried to intervene when he was pistol whipping the woman who had just given birth to his child. A violent, violent man. Sin. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. God creates and His creation is beautiful and good. Holy to the Lord. I trust Him to heal the awful sin that lives within each one of us. He is our Savior and He loves us. It’s difficult for me to look on people whose hearts are turned to violence and hate so I keep my eyes on God and on the beauty that He has made. I find Him in quiet moments of prayer and He opens my heart to what is Holy to Him. And I find comfort in His Word…His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4. Holy to the Lord.