Being Clothed

Have you ever noticed how often clothing is mentioned in the Bible?  Disobedience and separation from God made Adam and Eve aware that they needed clothing which God provided for them with skins of an animal.  God went into great detail concerning the clothing for the High Priest and the priests who served before Him.  There was position and authority expressed in the royal garments of kings and a distinction that wealth gave evidenced in the clothing they wore.  The clothing of Jesus at His crucifixion was mentioned in the O. T. prophetically and in the Gospels.  It is interesting that God provided Adam and Eve with clothing in the beginning and, in Revelation, He provides the clothing for the Bride of Christ.

Jesus discusses our attitude to clothing as opposed to a reliance on God's provision in Matthew 6:28-30(NASB) ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

Paul addresses the necessity of our responsibility to appropriate God's provision.  Colossians 3:12-14  (NIV)  ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   This emphasis on  our responsibility to appropriate God's provision is repeated in Revelation 19:7-8 (NASB)  ⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” ⁸ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

We have the responsibility to respond to God as He works out His image in us.  We have to choose to please this realm or God.  We set our desires on Him, seek and obey, and God provides and perfects.