Holy to the Lord

Having now completed my Worthy: A Celebration of Jesus sermon series, I've been reflecting on the gift that Jesus is to me and to all of those who know and follow Jesus. My devotional reading is in Exodus right now, and this morning I read a passage in Exodus 28 that stood out to me more profoundly than ever.

"You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Exodus 28:36-38

Aaron wore a sign that declared he was holy to the Lord, and represented all of the people by bearing the guilt from the holy things that the people brought as gifts (read: sacrifices).

Aaron bears the guilt, so that the people are declared holy and able to stand in right relationship with God. We, too, have a great high priest who bears the guilt of the people he represents that we might be accepted before the Lord. Merry Christmas.