A Detail Oriented God

Ex 28:41b "You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests."

God is a detail oriented planner. If He wasn't, this world and its intricacies would be a mass of confusion. From DNA and its structure to the massive universe that He has created, it is clear that He cares about details.

Exodus 25 through 31 shows just how detail oriented God is. As I read about how the tabernacle was to be made, and measured, and appointed, as I see how the garments of the priests were to be created, God reveals that planning and order and structure are important to Him.

Why? Because He is holy. He is set apart. He is perfect. And what He wants is holiness. Just look at the verses in Ex 28: "You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and beauty." V2 "So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons that he may minister to Me as priest." V4 "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD'." V36 And now this verse: Anoint, consecrate, sanctify them that they may minister to Me as priests. Aaron and his sons, the guys who were chosen to be priests were to be holy. They were to be smeared (anoint), filled (consecrate) and separated (sanctify). These guys were supposed to be unlike anything or anyone else around them because they were the ones who were ministering to God.

This takes me back to I Pet 2:9 "You are a…royal priesthood…". Or four verses before that: "you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." This whole thing is switched around. No longer is it Aaron and his sons, it is all of us. It is me. I am a priest that ministers to God that offers up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Since I am a priest, I should be anointed. I should be consecrated. I should be sanctified. I should be smeared with oil. I should be filled and prepared. I should be separated and set apart. I should be holy…unlike anything or anyone else around me. Am I? Do I live in such a way that my life is clearly ministering to God? Or do I blend in?

I am not talking about being weird or strange. I am talking about living a life that is different. My speech should be different. My habits should be different. My interests should be different. The use of my time should be different. My attitudes should be different. What I care about should be different. My marriage should be different. How I raise my kids should be different. The way I use my money should be different. My work habits should be different. Am I? Am I an anointed, consecrated, sanctified priest that ministers to God.

God cares about details and He cares about the details of how I live my life as His priest. Pretty convicting.