S(Exodus 28:41) And you shall put them [clothes for glory and beauty] on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
O
Serving God is not a self-appointment. It's a process of community interactions, observations, and recognitions. The symbols in this verse are profound. The clothes that made them look great represented lives that had become expert in "love and good works" (Revelation 5:10; 19:8; Colossians 3:12). Anointing was like a super-healing skin lotion: it represented the Holy Spirit's work that makes old, tired, inflexible lives youthful, energetic, and fun. Ordaining depicts laying on hands to transfer power and authority, both God's and people's. Consecration describes the purity of will, motive, and desire that focuses on only "doing love" to both God and people.
A
I believe this picture represents reality very well. We cannot have spiritual or social vitality without people, both serving and being served. Just as this was a mutually beneficial community activity, people who only serve or who seek only to be served are broken people. People who have been so hurt that they abandon serving or being served--people dedicated to isolation--are engaging in a long, slow, misery.
P
Lord, You're right--You created us to love You and to love people. Yet, we don't do either one very well. That's why I'm so thankful that You are teaching me how to love. I am so thankful that I'm starting to make some progress.
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