THE CHILDREN'S GARMENTS

I have often wondered if the first children born into the world enquired, as they grew up, about the beautiful coats of their parents. You will remember reading that when God came down to commune with Adam and Eve they were found naked, in fear and trying to hide from their Creator. They had sinned and at once acquired a bad conscience which, mercifully, was tender. Then, so as to make them fit for His presence, God made them coats of skin and clothed them. The coats were costless to them but the price was the sacrifice of an animal, type of the offering up in death of our Lord Jesus so that the believer on Him should have His righteousness and be fit for the holy presence of God.

The prophet Zechariah had a vision of a very religious man, indeed a High Priest, standing before the Holy One, clad in filthy garments. To make matters worse for him Satan appeared so as to condemn him. As you should know, Satan is a real person, one to be dreaded as the fulness of evil and wickedness. His name is thus given with a capital letter in the Bible. But the infinite resources of God in mercy were shown in the majestic words "Take away the filthy garments off him" and "See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee". God never overlooks or forgets sins, which would be weakness, but He takes full account of them and, for the believer, will remember them no more, which is power. Words may be easily spoken but to take away sins and iniquities required that they be borne by someone else. By the gospel we can believe that Jesus has borne our sins and their penalty. More even than this, we are given a righteousness which is of God and which we could otherwise never have. The High Priest's filthy garments were not just laundered and put back on him, but he was clothed with something new and entirely different - festival robes!

The festival itself is beautifully portrayed in the parable of the so called prodigal son. I prefer to call it the parable of the wealthy father, which gives the prominence to the one who had such great resources of love, mercy, clothing and joy. The young man was clothed in the best robe - type of the Lord Jesus Christ - before he entered the house, and the calf that was offered up represents the sacrifice of Jesus which answered all questions of sins and sin that arose and was to the glory of God. The father in the parable said "But it was right to make merry and rejoice". Do you join in?

J.C.Evershed