Friday, September 23rd: Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23, Zechariah 1:7-6:15 ~ Conrad

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23, Zechariah 1:7-6:15

"The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'Take off his filthy clothes.'  Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I put fine garments on you.'"  Zechariah 3:4

How often do we judge someone by the way they are dressed and the clothes they are wearing?  I remember when I first started to work in retail sales, I was encouraged to try to see what kind of vehicle the customer drives and to take note of the clothes and jewellery they wear, and to just overall take note of how well they took care of themselves.

I can also recall a time when I was in junior high and someone in my class would tuck in their shirt only in the place that exposed the expensive brand name of the jeans they were wearing.

Quite often the clothes we wear can change how we psychologically feel about ourselves.  For us, clothing is something we wear and typically provides a perception for which social status group we belong to.

Clothing in the Bible is often more than something to wear.  For example, Joseph's coat of many colours was pictured as a "favoured" place in the family.  Even priests would wear special garments to perform their duties.  Kings would wear purple robes to display their wealth and power.  People even tore their robes and sometimes put on sackcloth to express grief.

Clothing in the bible is symbolic.  One of the most important pictures for God's forgiveness and salvation is that of putting on new, clean clothes.  To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving Him, is like putting Him on as a garment.

We like to dress to impress, but who are we impressing?  Are we dressing with brand names so we can impress friends, family or strangers?  Or are we dressed with the Holy Spirit so we can impress our God and Saviour?


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Ezra 5:3-17, Ezra 6:1-14, Zechariah 7-11