In the Old Testament, why did God order holy garments to be made for Aaron and his sons when they were given the office of priest?

Exodus 28:2-3 “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office.”

Why did God want them to have such extravagant garments?  Were they to be held in high regard and given honor by the Jewish people?

Sincerely,
Hemming And Hawing

Dear Hemming and Hawing,

The priesthood was to be held in high regard because, as Ex 28:3 says, they were ministering to God.  The priesthood had a holy job; they were the servants of Jehovah, and that set them apart (Ex 19:22).  Their clothing was to reflect that holiness (Ex 40:13).  The priests weren’t special because of their own worth, but because of their proximity to God.  Today, the church is called “the royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9).  The church is special because of its proximity to and blessing from God.  Christians are sinners, too (Rom 3:23), but we have been made holy by the cleansing blood of Christ (Rev 1:5).  We are special because our Savior is special.

I am not sure I have a full understanding of chapter 35 and 36 of Numbers: explain both those chapters to me.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Outnumbered

Dear Outnumbered,

Numbers 35 deals with the distribution of land to the Levites.  When Israel conquered the land of Canaan, the tribe of Levi (also known as the Levites) was not given large chunks of land like the other tribes.  Instead, they were given cities scattered throughout the other tribes.  Numbers 35 outlines exactly where those cities would be and how the land surrounding those cities was to be surveyed.  Numbers 35 also deals with the cities of refuge (Num 35:10-11).  Cities of refuge were places where someone could flee to for safety if they had accidently killed someone.

Numbers 36 addresses a separate issue concerning distribution of land – inheritance.  Typically, land was passed down through a family from father to son, but in some instances, if a man had only daughters, special exceptions needed to be made, so the land could remain in the family.  Numbers 36 outlines specifically how inheritances should be dealt with in such cases.

Is God real?

Sincerely,
Searching

Dear Searching,

Your question is one of the fundamental questions of life: “Does God Exist?”  It is important that everyone asks this question at some point in their life; it is a basic question that is worthy of an honest answer.

We will try to give you some key evidence that there is a Creator, but we will also point you in the direction of some resources that may help you in your quest for answers.  So here we go:

1. Look at a watch and ask yourself the question, “Is this designed?”  Of course, a watch is designed – just like a house, a car, a camera, and other modern technological marvels.  You know they are designed because they are complex, they have purpose, and they are organized in a meaningful way.  Now look at your eye, your hand, even a single follicle of hair.  Are they designed?  They are infinitely more complex than a watch.  They have very distinct purposes, and they are all organized in a meaningful way.  You were designed by God; you have a Designer.  If you believe in watchmakers, you can believe in God.
2. The most basic laws of science tell us that nothing ever comes from nothing (1^st Law of Thermodynamics).  Einstein made it clear that nothing can be destroyed; energy can turn into matter and matter into energy, but everything that is here has always been here.  That begs the question, “Where did it all come from?”  Scientists all agree that everything we see had to come from somewhere, but the only logical answer to that question is ‘God’.  God, a supernatural deity not bound by the laws of physics, created all that we see and enjoy in this universe.
3. God’s Word is also proof that God is.  The Bible is a book that only God could write.  It has prophecies that are fulfilled hundreds of years after they are spoken.  It has remained unchanged by tradition or persecution for thousands of years.  It makes statements about how our world works hundreds of years before scientists realized the concepts for themselves.  The Bible is a book composed by over forty different writers over thousands of years, and yet it has no contradictions within it.  The Bible could not have been written by anyone but Deity.

These are just three reasons to believe in God; there are many more that space prevents us from mentioning.  We also recommend you go back and read through the posts in our EVIDENCES category.  You will see that you aren’t the only one who has questions about God, and you will also see that there are answers to every question.  We also recommend reading Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel and Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel. Both books are well worth the read.

Why should I wait for sex?

Sincerely,
Just Askin’

Dear Just Askin’,

There are two ways to answer your question.  One way to answer your question would be to list the thousands of statistics that describe how much healthier of a lifestyle monogamy is.  We could explain the risks of promiscuity and the increased failure rate of relationships that pursue intimacy before marriage.  There are studies far and wide that prove the healthiest, happiest, and most well-adjusted relationships are monogamous relationships that wait until marriage… but that isn’t the way we are going to answer your question because as compelling as secular studies are, they aren’t nearly as compelling as the Bible.

The other way to answer your question is to tell you that God says sex outside of marriage is a sin and that we should flee all fornication (1 Cor 6:18).  God designed that level of intimacy for marriage only (Eph 5:31).  Our Creator knows what is best for us, and His Bible says sex outside of marriage is a sin.  That is why you should wait.

Could someone please explain to me their viewpoint on the progressive nature of the church?  Is it okay to diminish standards (i.e. dress codes, song selections, fellowship gatherings that have nothing to do with Jesus, etc.) in the church to bring people to the church?  Shouldn't Jesus be enough?

Sincerely,
Old-Fashioned

Dear Old-Fashioned,

The culture of the day has always affected the church, for good or ill.  The church can adapt to the culture as long as those adaptations don’t compromise the pattern of the Scriptures.  There are only certain things the church can do as worship (read “Order of Operations” for details), and there are only certain things the church can participate in (read “Down With Denominationalism” for details).  Within that general pattern laid out for the church, we have the freedom to decide the details.  For example, the church is commanded to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col 3:16), but we have the freedom to decide which specific songs are sung.  The church has general authority to sing, and the specifics are up to us.  Whenever God gives the church a general command, we have the freedom to use wisdom with the details.  However, when God gives a specific command, we don’t have the right to deviate from that pattern.  We aren’t allowed to add or subtract from God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).

All of this leads us to our final point; some cultural changes in the church are perfectly fine, but other cultural changes are a deviation from the Lord’s pattern.  There is nothing wrong with a church attempting to meet the needs of the society it is in (1 Cor 9:20-22), but it is wrong for a church to be swept away by the tides of society and go beyond what God has written (1 Cor 4:6).