Good News...God Exchanges Filthy Clothes for His Own Garment

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

“Naked, I come to Thee for dress; helpless, I look to Thee for grace”

We sang this line on Sunday--tucked somewhere within the middle stanza--of the hymn, Rock of Ages, and my mind flooded with Scripture. I saw a naked Adam and Eve--lips moist with the juice of a forbidden fruit, scurrying about, picking up fig leaves and pinning them together. They covered up their nakedness and shame with insufficient coverings that dry up and are blown away by the wind (Genesis 3:6-7).

We sang and I remembered Joshua the high priest from Zechariah’s vision (Zechariah 3:1-7). Like Adam and Eve, he too stood before God unseemly dressed . Joshua’s priestly garments were filthy, the penalty for which was death. The sons of Aaron were to wear their priestly robes, turbans and garments with care, lest they “incur guilt and die” (Exodus 28:1-43). The serpent knew this and so he too stood before the LORD to accuse the priest.

We sang the hymn and I remembered Revelation 7:9-17. The God who clothed a despairing Adam and Eve doesn’t change (Genesis 3:21)! That same God justified a filthy high priest named Joshua and He continues to exchange insufficient coverings for a garment of His own making (Zechariah 3:4-5). Those who trust in Him alone for salvation receive a robe made white by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). “Naked, I come to Thee for dress; helpless, I look to Thee for grace." I’m so thankful that Jesus, the Rock of Ages, is my all-sufficient covering!

*Thanks for reading! Good News Friday is a weekly blog series that reminds us of the sufficiency of Scripture for our instruction and encouragement. Click HERE for more good news and HERE for the Greatest News ever!