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A Holy Wardrobe

By Sarah Leland

He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his f

lesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. (Leviticus 16:4)

This chapter comes shortly after the death of Nadab and Abihu and details the instructions for the priest on the Day of Atonement when the sins of the people were forgiven. The instructions include the specific garments that the priest was to wear when performing the special duties and then to take them off and leave them in the tabernacle (Leviticus 16:23).

We no longer have to go through these tedious processes. Today, it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. We are told to come before Jesus every Sunday to remember His death (Acts 20:7). This is so much better because we have true forgiveness of our sins and we do not have to offer animals in sacrifice. Like the priests, though, God not only expects us to "be there," but also make preparation.

So, how do we prepare to come before God to remember Christ's death?

In order to be prepared we must understand what God asks of us in our worship.

… the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner, also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death until he comes. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

1. Do in Remembrance of me (vs. 24-25)

Stopping long enough to think about one thing only is difficult to do in our fast-paced lives. Especially now as a mother of young children I find it more challenging. Saturday nights are packed with baths, picking out/ironing clothes for Sunday, cleaning the house if company is expected for Sunday lunch … then Sunday morning is always hectic as well … breakfast, dressed, lunch in the crock pot, bread in the bread machine, rush out the door, get the kids to their classes, teach eight crying one-year-olds, rush to get my kids in time for worship, take the kids out to the bathroom, oh yes … focus on the Lord's Supper … FOCUS … FOCUS!!!

I know myself to accomplish this command of taking the Lord's Supper in remembrance of my savior, I must think about what I will be doing before I get there … preferably before Sunday. Sometimes I must remember to take some time and Be still, and know that I am God: (Psalm 46:10).

2. By this we shew the Lord's death (vs. 26).

The word in this verse for "shew" indicates declare, preach, speak of, or teach. Our action of partaking of the memorial is one method by which we confess our belief and tell others about what Christ has done. Yet, if we are partaking of something that is supposed to be so symbolic and at the same time are laughing or talking to our neighbor, we are not teaching others about the gravity of what was done for us. We must prepare to think and act as if we are teaching someone about the wonderful salvation that has been offered to us through the blood of Christ.

Not to do "unworthily" (vs. 27-29).

This command is one that is a bit ambiguous at first glance. To partake of the Lord's Supper "unworthily" would be to treat it as a common meal, the bread and cup as common things, not apprehending their solemn symbolic import (Vine's Dictionary) or to partake irreverently (Strong's Concordance). This then really goes back to partaking in remembrance of Jesus. We must not allow the worship of the Lord's Supper to become commonplace and ordinary. Again, this requires spending some time outside of worship preparing our mind to focus on what Jesus has done.

4. Examine/Prove self (vs. 28).

I am to test, or approve myself (Strong's Concordance) to see if I am taking it unworthily without thinking about the significance. This is something that only I can do. My neighbor cannot know what I am thinking and cannot make sure I am doing it with the right frame of mind. It is up to me.

Discern the Lord's body (vs. 29).

We must not separate the eating of the food from what it represents.

When I understand the gravity of what I am doing … remembering Christ's special sacrifice for me and teaching others about his sacrifice then I can focus on preparing to participate properly.

***

1. Read Leviticus chapter 16 and make a list of the things that were to be done in preparation for the Day of Atonement.

2. List one Old Testament passage which tells of the sacrifice made by Christ for me.

3. List one New Testament passage which tells of the sacrifice made by Christ for me.

4. Although we live under a different law system, we are to remember the sacrifice of Christ each week. What are some things that we can do to prepare for worship … specifically the Lord's Supper?

5. What is your main distraction during worship, especially during the Lord's Supper?

6. List two or three things that you can do to minimize this distraction.

7. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says that by partaking of the Lord's Supper in the proper way, I teach or proclaim Christ's death. Who am I teaching by my actions?

8. What is something that I can do to accompany and strengthen this teaching by example?

9. In light of the serious nature of this worship and our command to partake with the right mindset, many people have decided to make the Lord's Supper something that is only done once a month or a couple of times each year. Rather than blatantly disobeying God's commands in such a way, how can I make my worship fresh and meaningful each time I participate?

10. What is something I can do on Saturday night and or Sunday morning to help me be prepared to focus during the Lord's?