Aaron and his sons were to have coats, girdles, and bonnets made of fine linen. They were also to wear linen breeches to cover their nakedness when they came into the tabernacle of the congregation. The fine linen speaks of practical righteousness, and so we can see that, typically, everything they wore was to be suited to the moral character of God. This moral glory shone out in perfection in Christ, the one who wore the “coat ... without seam, woven from the top throughout” (John 19:23).
Needless to say, the Lord Jesus, the blessed antitype, never needed anything to cover His nakedness, for He was ever and always perfect. Even His “inwards” were washed with water (Exodus 29:17). This shows us that His every motive, word, and deed were always pleasing to God His Father. Furthermore, His outward life which the eye of man could see was surely spotless “fine linen.” This would remind us also that we, like Aaron’s sons, being priests, should seek to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,” (Col. 1:10) for holiness always becomes God’s house. If we fail, we should judge it at once, and particularly before we come into His presence as worshippers (1 Corinthians 11:28).
The Consecration
We now come to the consecration of Aaron and his sons. They were to be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and there they were washed all over with water. This was done only once when they were consecrated to be priests. It was never repeated. The Lord Jesus referred to the typical meaning of this when He said to Peter, “He that is washed ... is clean every whit” (John 13:10). It is a moral cleansing founded upon the finished work of Christ. We read in John 19:34 that both blood and water flowed from the pierced side of our Saviour at Calvary. The precious blood of Christ tells us that all God’s holy claims against sin have been fully met, and the sinner who believes is thereby cleansed from all sin. What a glorious truth to lay hold of!
But “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:2). This is what is meant by the water. When one is born again by the Word and Spirit of God, he receives a new nature which hates sin and loves obedience and holiness. The Word of God is thus applied to all that he is and does. He is “washed all over” (John 13:10) and the old habits soon fall off, for he is now “a new creature [in Christ Jesus]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).
False Profession of Faith
It is necessary to mention these things because we are living in days of easy profession, and too often there is little evidence of this “washing all over.” People profess faith in Christ and then go on in very much the same way as they did before, so that we have reason to doubt if they are really saved at all. God Himself asks the question how they can continue to live habitually in their sins if they are really dead to them. Everyone who is truly saved has that new nature, and although the old one is still there, we are sure to see some evidence of divine life if the work is real. Let us not forget that God’s Word says, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).
If this should fall into the hands of anyone who has only a lifeless profession, may the Lord use it to awaken you to your need, and may you come to Christ now. He is able and willing to save you and to give you the strength to live for His glory.
Further Meditation
1. What does “washed all over” (John 13:10) mean?
2. Why is it a foolish thing to say that a person who is saved by the blood of Christ will want to sin because they know they can’t get sent to hell?
3. Shallow professions of faith are clearly exposed in the booklet A Look at Modern Evangelistic Methods by P. Wilson.