Sunday School "Clothing" July 1, 2018 Part 5

Clothing as Provision, Compassion, and Identity

Label as Lost causes and we pray that you would please supply their every need and that the equipment would come through it would be used for They're good and for your glory. We pray for the Wilma says they Travel as they deal with.

The.

Certifications and the Organization there in France and as they get ready to also move to Ivory Coast to help. In the hospital there Capital we pray that you keep them safe and supply their every need.

We also pray for Bobby who's? Trying to finish up his schooling or what has been invested in this and I pray that you would give him favor give him wisdom. Give him skill and help him to have great success.

As he does this and may he always look to you and trust in you in these challenging times. What we think of those who are traveling. Brian, Lisa, Ken, Cheryl and others. We ask safety. Asked that you would give them encouragement today and help them to rejoice in the hope that we have Jesus Christ our risen Savior for his sake that we pray.

We're going to continue our story salvation story about clothes our key word is covered and we're just looking at what the Bible has to say about the theme of clothes and how Their significance is ultimately resolved in who Jesus is and what he does and so we've talked about clothing as a story of provision.

God provided clothes to Adam and Eve when they needed them and Thus also is the story of compassion that God had compassion on Adam and Eve and he has compassion on us as well. And we also see even in our world today as it was in Christ's time as it was in Abraham's time given clothes is an expression of compassion to those who are in need.

Clothing is also a story of identity and thus deception. Very often we identify ourselves by what we wear, maybe a uniform. Maybe a certain class, maybe a certain culture, but we can identify ourselves in certain ways by what we wear.

Consequently then we discover. We see stories in the Bible where clothing is used for false identification, for deception, pretending to be something that you're not and so that too is a theme that we find throughout scripture.

One of the most famous stories about deception and clothing, of course, is the story of Jacob and Esau wherein Jacob wanted the blessing of the firstborn that Esau was supposed to get and so His mother His mother Rebecca helped Jacob disguise himself in Esau's clothes and with the skin or the wool of the goat on his arms and so forth and around his neck so he would pretend to be a hairy man and he would smell like and feel like his brother Esau and deceive his blind father Isaac.

And so that famous story. Is what we talked about last week in terms of deception. But we also noted that.

That story.

As awful as it was what Rebecca did and Even in losing her son and after she after she did that She really lost her son Jacob who had to flee because of Esau's murderous rage. And so she never got to see her son again after she did that.

It's very sad. Thus is the end of all deception is a sad brokenness and yet we find that yeah throughout the rest of scripture there is a Wonderfully ironic reversal of what happens in that. We know we see that Jacob could not have his father's favor and father's blessing unless he took on the identity of Esau.

This reminds us of the gospel story That the only way we have our Heavenly Father's favor and blessing is by taking on the identity of the beloved Son. Who is Jesus Christ? But there's no deception involved here.

Jesus Christ offers that freely and He is the only one with whom God is well pleased and Jesus Christ when he says To believe in him and to trust in him. That's what he's offering that we would Be identified by him.

The way that God looks at Jesus would be the way that God looks at us if we just have faith in Christ. Well, we move on to our next section of our story. The next section of our study on the biblical theology of clothes and that's a story of mediation and thus incarnation and so what is mediation to mediate means To be in the middle.

And that something must move from point A to point B, but you're in the middle and you've got to move it along. That's what it means to mediate. And the incarnation refers to the fact that God the Son Took upon human flesh born of a virgin and that he is fully man and fully God.

The connection of these two I hope will become very clear as we look at this, but the backdrop to the idea of Mediation the backdrop to the idea of the need for a Mediator there is only one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus.

This is what told in the New Testament. But throughout the Old Testament we see that there are many mediators of us of a sort of different kinds of roles and we're going to try to Look at that this morning before we get going.

We need to understand the background to who we are. How God made us how God saves us. So when we think about the background you have to go back to Genesis and so we can just go ahead and flip our Bibles open to Genesis 1 and 2 and Of course chapter 3 also will be helpful.

And as we think about what it means of who we are We are reminded that we are made in the image of God. So we look at verses 26 of chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 and 28. Then God said this is during the sixth day of creation.

Then God said let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Not said this of any other creature utterly unique. Then God said let us the triune God says let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and Over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

God created man in his own image in the image of God. He created him male and female. He created them. God blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and Subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing That moves on the earth.

When we read that description we see that humanity stands as section in all of creation. There's only one city in the in the world Where I 40 I 44 and I 35 all intersect as Oklahoma City. There's only one creature in all of God's creation.

That is an intersection of the relationship between God and humanity and the created order and that's humans made in the image of God. We are made to love God supremely to love others rightly and steward creation responsibly.

We see that even in Genesis 1 26 through 28 in that God blesses them In order that they would live in his image and live to his glory. His is the primary relationship everything that they do should be done in love for God.

To love God supremely loving others rightly comes about because God created them in his own image Adam and Eve male and female and so They being specially unique and all of God's creation are designed to live in special relationship with one another.

Humans are to love each other rightly. Jesus would expand on this When he talks about the law to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and to love your neighbor As yourself.

And there's also this third component of what it means to be made the image of God what it means to be human to steward creation. Responsibly they are to rule to Not only be fruitful multiply But to subdue the earth and rule over live it every living thing that moves on the earth.

There is to be this stewardship over creation and then God goes on to say from the created order you will receive your food your sustenance and Towards the created order you have responsibility. So this is the basic framework for what it means to be humans in the threefold relationship of the image of God.

This is what we are made to do this is this is who we are to be and.

I.

Have made this arrow very bold and we're going to talk more about it. But this is the primary relationship if we are not in relationship with God everything falls apart. If we're not living in the life of God and loving God then all of these arrows are Just circles pointed right back at the self.

And we all become little black holes. And everything gets sucked in and destroyed. But we are not made to be that we're made to be mediators. Because God blesses us not for our own sake. It does bring us blessing.

It does do us good that God Shows us his love and gives us his life but we are to be mediating his goodness and this. What does it mean to live in the image of God as the goodness of God is mediated? So the glory of God is manifested.

Meaning if we're not mediating the goodness of God through our lives. We're not manifesting his glory. Therefore, we're not being we're not living in his image. We're not showing him off. We're not we're not declaring who he is.

Now what is this goodness that mediates through us? Well, you can break it down in terms of Authority holiness truth and wisdom and we see this in God's own Way of creation. You can see his authority and that he commands and it is done.

Let there be light. Let there be earth over here see over there. You can come to this point and no further. He commands an order is created. You see his authority. You also see his holiness in that he sets spaces apart.

Day and night are made separate land and sea and air are made separate. He makes separate a place called evening within that he makes even another separate place called the garden. The garden of Eden and you see he sets apart at space not only space.

But also time the seventh day God rested and so we see him in his holiness. Setting things apart and sanctifying things. We also see his truth. Let there be light and there was light everything. He says is true.

It comes about Everything and then even in the way that he sits stands back and looks at everything he made and says it is very good. He is the standard for what is good. He's the standard for what is right and correct.

So we see his truth. We also see his wisdom in that in six days He made all things by the power of his word and it was very good according to his own standard. Look at his wisdom and in these these are the attributes of God in his authority and in his holiness and his truth and his Wisdom and when he makes man in his own image, he makes them to take upon these roles of the image of God.

That they would mediate this goodness that we would mediate his authority by exercising dominion over the created order. We would mediate his holiness by and we instructed Adam and Eve to keep the garden.

Which is the same language that the Levites were told to keep the tabernacle. To keep things the way that they are supposed to be. Also in terms of truth Adam Instructs Eve he receives the prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

He also receives the instructions to eat freely from all the other trees. He communicates this to Eve. He speaks the truth of God to Eve and also we see the wisdom of humanity in that Adam and Eve together are to be fruitful and to multiply and exercise dominion over the whole earth.

Even and we see the wisdom in Adam himself as he names all the animals and all these things we see that the The authority the holiness the truth and the wisdom of God were mediated through Adam and Eve as they took upon these roles of King priest prophet and wise man.

That were called to live in this way. Everybody whoever lives all humanity no matter who they are where they live on the face of this planet or in the scope of history. Fallen in sin because we are sinful in the way that Adam sin.

So we also sin all of us have authority issues all of us. We don't like necessarily other people being in charge over us and. Yet when we get into charge of something. We recognize we don't do so well ourselves.

We've all got authority issues and we all have holiness issues keeping the holy and the profane where they ought to be and in pursuing things in a in a. In a pure way, we all have holiness issues. We all have truth issues.

We all deal with telling that telling the truth. Being fully honest is really difficult for all of us. But we know we should be and we really know that others should be honest with us, right? And then.

All of us are always trying to figure out folly and wisdom. What's the wisest thing to do here? And then really regretting when we engage in foolishness. That's why God made us we're made in his image and therefore we are designed to so mediate his goodness that we manifest his glory and His goodness can be broken down in terms of his authority and holiness and truth and wisdom.

And it's important that we notice these things because as we talk about the These roles in the history of the Old Testament when we think about kings priests prophets and wise men throughout the scope of the Old Testament.

These are the four roles. These are the four kinds of people in the Old Testament. Who got anointed had oil poured over their heads or and additionally The Holy Spirit came upon them in a special way.

Those are the four kinds of people throughout the history of the Old Testament that we find that that being the case.

And.

So as we pay attention to that It's going to be helpful for us to to remember. Also, we're and that's what we're gonna look at here in a moment. They're all four of these special folks all had special identifying clothing distinctive clothing and in a sense Before Adam and Eve sinned because they are both naked and unashamed in a sense before they sinned They were clothed With God's authority with his holiness with his truth and with his wisdom and that's why they didn't need.

Clothing.

All right, they were clothed with his original righteousness with his original glory. So they didn't need that. But when we go through the rest of the Old Testament We see kings priests prophets and wise men all have special clothing and they are seen to be anointed by the Holy Spirit and this is important.

Why. Because.

The.

Greek word for anointed one is Christos Christ. Translated in the Hebrews Messiah. He's the anointed one and it becomes even more important when we think about the fact that we are called Christians. Little anointed ones little Messiah's little Christ's.

So keeping that in mind, let's talk about Kings. Kings and what they wore. What do Kings wear? We don't really have you know. There hasn't been a king of England for quite some time. And so we're not talking about the Queen of England.

She always has hats. A very nice hat and very expensive purse and flawless pearls and The dress always Matches the hat, but that's the kind of modern-day version of what? More ancient Kings wore. And what did they wear?

Yeah, they wear a crown.

What else?

Robes. Why robes. Mm-hmm. You kind of hard to get work done when you're wearing robe but in this sense the king is wearing the robe because this is the garment of royalty, this is an expression of authority and so he wears the robe in order to reign in order to Exercise his reign or his dominion.

All right, so he wears robes.

This.

Is that back said about the first time we come across the idea of a king in the Bible. Other than Talking about, you know Abraham's interactions with Pharaoh or Isaac's interactions with The Philistine leaders.

We.

Come across the idea of a true king in Genesis 48 49 chapter 49 verses 8 through 12 as Israel is blessing his sons and really prophesying over them we come to his description of Judah. Anyway as he speaks about Judah He prophesies about one to come from Judah and Judah's ruling.

Future. It is from this text verses 8 through 12 that we first hear about the Lion of Judah. We know who the Lion of Judah is. It is Christ. We also hear about Shiloh. Shiloh means the one to whom it all belongs.

Shiloh is a king. In verse 10 says the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be all the obedience of the peoples. He ties his fold to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine.

He washes his garments and wine and his robes in the blood of grapes. Prophesying about the abundance of the new creation over which Christ will reign. So he wears robes. Okay, so if the King's not wearing his robes, what else is he wearing?

Some days he's on his throne with the crown and the robes and he's raining. But other days He's out of the office. And what is he doing then? Yeah, he's uh, he's waging war. Okay, and in when he wages war, he doesn't wear robes and his crown.

What does he wear? Where's his armor? That's right. And even when times were really really bad in Israel and None of the army seemed to have any armament at all at least the king would have a suit of armor.

In fact Saul did and his son Jonathan did and When we read about Jonathan's relationship to David because David was going to succeed Saul Meaning that Jonathan the prince would not become king. Jonathan selflessly like John the Baptist to Christ.

Jonathan selflessly honored David and Encouraged David on in his task by doing what well in first Samuel 18 verses 3 through 4 Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself and Jonathan stripped Himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor Including a sword and his bow and his belt.

What is he saying? Jonathan is saying to David I'm the prince. I'm the next one who's supposed to be king, but I'm gonna give you my armor and my robes. Because you're gonna be king so you need these.

It was a special it was through this that these garments that the king would Mediate the authority of God now the king the king in the style what was Intended for Israel. The king was supposed to write himself a personal copy of God's law So that he would know God's Constructions and commands and then lead all the people in that.

So what is he doing? Is he exercising his own personal authority? He's mediating the authority of God himself and he did that by wearing the robes and wearing the armor. And he didn't do it on his own.

Clearly was we read about those in authority such as the judges and the judges and then later on the Kings. There's a whole list of scriptures there where we Read about the Spirit of the Lord coming upon them to do the job that they were called to do.

Also the priest let's look over in Leviticus 8 verses 6 through 13 to be helpful to just read this description of the special type of clothing that the high priest and the priests sons would wear. Leviticus chapter 8 verses 6 through 13.

Then Moses said Aaron and his sons come near and wash them with water. He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and he girded him with the Artistic band of the ephod with which he tied it to him.

He then placed the breast piece on him and in the breast piece. He put the ermine the thumam. He also placed the turban on his head and on the turban at its front. He placed the golden plate the Holy Crown Just as the Lord commanded Moses and on that plate.

It says Holy to the Lord.

Moses then took the anointing oil and Anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it and consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand to consecrate them.

Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. Next Moses had come near and clothed them with tunics and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them Just as the Lord command had commanded Moses.

The priests are to mediate between God and man between and they are to mediate the holiness of God to the people. To demonstrate who God is in his holiness. They are to. Through the priests the people are to know What is hope what is profane what is righteous and what is sinful they are to.

Through the priests they are to Engage with the sacrificial system and see this See this process through by which they offer up sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins and in honoring who God is.

The priests are the ones in charge make sure that the people are Themselves making themselves holy and setting apart their lives and their conduct and their resources unto God in an appropriate way and everything that they are wearing Has to do with that so They are dressed in special clothes that nobody else wore.

Designed to say that they are set apart unto God. And that means to be holy unto God.

They.

The high priest wore the the ephod and the breast piece where the Urim and the Thummim was and these were the stones by which very often The children of Israel had to make decisions about things. And God used these stones for the people's benefit if they got clarity.

Through the casting of these lots so to speak it's casting these stones. Then they would know what what was what they were supposed to do in different cases. Also, everything the anointed oil that made the entire tabernacle.

Holy was also sprinkled on top of Aaron. Okay, and so this idea is that everything that he wore Was very very special and he was seen to be set apart unto God as holy not meant for common use. The best example of this is that in let's say in a tent of A family belonging to the tribe of Issachar they have a spoon.

But they had an extra spoon. So when the donation call came out to help furnish the tabernacle they donated their extra spoon to God. The two spoons are just alike made by the same person. But this spoon gets taken into the tabernacle is anointed with holy oil and is no longer meant for common use.

This spoon may do all sorts of awful jobs, but this spoon will never do those things. This spoon is special will only do special things unto the Lord. That's and all it was is being set apart. And so Aaron and the priest were being set apart by what they wore as a clear symbol not for common use only for the Lord.

So the clothes themselves are instruments to convey to mediate the holiness of God to the people. Well, let's think about a prophet. Let's look up 2nd Kings 1 7 through 8 somebody can read that. Who would like to read that passage.

2nd Kings 1 7 through 8. Any volunteers. Okay, Cindy will read that and then somebody else Can read Mark chapter 1 verse 6. Mark chapter 1.

Do Cindy and then we'll listen to Haley. So pretty easy to identify him just by what he wore. The prophet was very.

Identifiable so let's listen to Haley's reading from Mark 1 6 John the Baptist was just as easily identifiable. In fact, he took on the ministry the role of Elijah in the time of Christ and Christ himself said he was the fulfillment of Elijah and Luke 7 24 to 26 Jesus spoke to the crowds about John the Baptist.

What did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces.

What did you go out to see then a? Prophet yes, I say to you one who is more than a prophet. So when you go out to the wilderness and you see this hairy man Clothed in camel's hair in a leather belt. You know, he doesn't belong in the palaces.

He's not in the seat of power. John the Baptist as Elijah was ever the outsider speaking the truth to those who were in power who needed to repent. So these clothes of the Prophet signify the role of the Prophet calling for the people's attention to the truth of God.

And Throughout the Old Testament we hear time and again about the Spirit of the Lord coming upon Certain people to prophesy and tell the truth. So they were anointed Kings priests prophets and wise men all were anointed in some way.

Either by oil and or by the Holy Spirit and they all had special kinds of clothes. So also the wise men the wise men. Again, we come back to the story of Joseph. As we talked about the beginning the story of Joseph is like a thread that runs through the entire story about clothes throughout the Bible now Joseph Was seen as a wise man was he not.

Who noticed that he was a wise person? His father is that's why he put him in charge of his brothers to make sure that they were doing a good job. Okay, who else? Pharaoh noticed he was a wise man, especially in the way that Joseph assessed the not just the meaning of the dream But its significance for the future of Egypt and what needed to be done.

You know and also Potiphar and the jailer also noticed how wise Joseph was now in Genesis 41 verses 37 to 39. After Joseph gives his proposal of how things should happen for the good of Egypt and really the whole known world.

The proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants and then Pharaoh said to his servants. Can we find a man like this in whom is a divine spirit?

All right.

They were noticed that God's Spirit was upon Joseph. So Pharaoh said Joseph since God has informed you of all this There is no one so discerning and wise as you are in verse 42. Then we hear about the clothing change that happens for Joseph.

Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen. And put the gold necklace around his neck. So I got the necklace up there on the illustration because it happened to Daniel as well.

Happened to Daniel as well who also was said to have the spirit of the gods in him as the pagan Belshazzar said. Because Daniel was so wise then Daniel got a change of wardrobe as well. And also Mordecai.

In the story of Esther we have we have Esther wise Esther over and against foolish Ahasuerus or Xerxes and we also have wise Mordecai over and against the foolish Haman. And In the end, it was Mordecai who was dressed in The robes and it was Mordecai who had a crown on his head not because he was king.

But because he was the wisest in all the land. See, so we we have again and again in the in the Old Testament this is just a sampling of These roles king priest Prophet and wise man. These different roles that we see throughout the Old Testament are Significant precisely because of the way that God made us to so mediate his goodness that we manifest his glory.

And when we mediate God's authority and God's holiness and God's truth and God's wisdom. We glorify God and show him who he and show everybody who God really is. That's what means living in the image of God the Only way to do this if we are fallen in sin and exiled from God because of of sin.

Is.

To be renewed in Christ to be saved by Christ himself. To be given the life of God because of God's favor upon his son. Who is the image of the invisible God as we see in Colossians 3? I think it's important for us to see that everyone that when Adam and Eve fell in sin They try to clothe themselves with fig leaves and failed miserably.

It was only by the compassionate provision of the animal skins from God that gave him hope of some kind of Propitiation of their sins. And there's only when we're covered in the righteousness of Christ That we in his anointed life take on these same roles Which are inherent to what it means to be human.

All of us are called in some way to exercise authority. Even even if it's only just over our own selves. But we are called to exercise some kind of authority and even not just over our own selves. But also not just our own body our own cravings our own direction in life, but also of whatever Spec of the created order has been entrusted to us.

We need to exercise dominion over it and we use it correctly. I mean if If the widow has two mites she's in charge of how she handles her two mites and if it's Solomon He's got a whole lot more problems than the widow does and he's responsible for all of it.

So and all of us are called to mediate God's holiness.

To.

To be set apart unto God for his service and to be setting apart things in our lives with our time or space resources unto God. All of us are called to mediate God's truth. We're responsible to know what is true And to speak what is true and all of us are called to live in God's wisdom and to reject folly.

And the only way to do that is if we're alive in Christ we have no hope of doing it on our own. Because in the fall which is also can be described as the rupture if we have no life of God Flowing into us if we have no blessing of God coming into us.

How can we mediate anything? So it all depends it all depends on being alive in Christ having this relationship Between God in us, which is only possible in Christ.

Christ as the True Mediator and the Call to Put On the New Self

And.

What a gift we have in the Holy Spirit Jesus said to his disciples. He commissioned them to go to all the world and preach the gospel to all the nations, but then he said this. He said go and then in Luke 24 verse 49.

He says wait, he said go and then he said wait. And verse 49 says and behold I am sending forth the promise of my father upon you who is the Holy Spirit. But you are to stay you are to wait in the city until you are.

Clothed.

With power from on high. Until you are clothed with power from on high. This is the way that Christ did his work. Because the Holy Spirit descended upon him. This is how Christ did his work on earth is how we are to do his work on earth and Our work has to do with so mediating God's goodness that God's glory is manifested in our lives.

That's what we're supposed to do. Colossians 3 Verses 1 through 14 is I think the definitive passage about what it means.

To.

Where we're headed as Christians believers. It says therefore if you've been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above not on the things that are on earth.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. So pay attention to Jesus Christ. It is only if we are so heavenly minded that we are going to be of any earthly good.

Verse 5 says therefore consider the members of your earthly body is dead to immorality. Impurity passion evil desire and greed which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things with the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.

And in them you also once walked when you were living in them, but now you also. Put them all aside. Put them all aside.