Exodus 28:39 says, “And you shall weave the tunic of fine linen; and you shall make a turban of fine linen; and you shall make a girdle, the work of an embroiderer.” Here we have the tunic, the turban, and the girdle. The tunic of fine linen of woven work signifies the covering of perfect righteousness in a humanity that has been dealt with. The turban of fine linen signifies the glory of perfect righteousness. The girdle of the work of an embroiderer signifies the strengthening of the Spirit’s constituting work.
Verses 40 through 43 speak of the garments of the priests. Verses 40 and 41 say, “And for Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make girdles for them; and turbans you shall make for them, for glory and for beauty. And you shall clothe Aaron your brother with them, and his sons with him; and you shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, and they shall serve as priests to Me.” The tunics signify Christ experienced as beauty; the girdles, Christ experienced as strengthening; and the turbans, Christ expressed as glory.
Verse 42 says concerning Aaron’s sons, “And you shall make for them linen breeches to cover the naked flesh; from the loins even to the thighs they shall be.” This verse speaks of the naked flesh, in particular that part of the body from the loins to the thighs. This may be regarded as the most unclean part of the human body. The words “naked flesh” here denote fallen, sinful, unclean human beings. As sinners, we were naked flesh. The word naked should remind us of the experience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. After they sinned, they saw their naked flesh. Realizing they were naked, “they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen. 3:7). But God came in to make other coverings for them: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). According to the Bible, naked flesh denotes human beings who have become sinful in the sight of God.
The turban, the tunic, the girdle, and the breeches are all related to covering the fallen being of a priest. The turban covers his head, and the tunic covers his entire body. The girdle serves to strengthen this covering. Even though the tunic covered the loins and the thighs, the breeches served as a double covering for this part of the body. The shoulders and the chest do not need this double covering. But because the area from the loins to the thighs is so unclean, it needs to be covered in a double way. These linen coverings signify Christ as our righteousness to cover our entire fallen being so that we may be priests. A priest is a person entirely covered by Christ as his righteousness.
Paul’s aspiration was to be found always in Christ, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, based on faith (Phil. 3:9). Paul did not want to be found in anything other than Christ as his righteousness. Christ was Paul’s turban, tunic, girdle, and breeches. Christ covered the most unclean part of his fallen being.
Verse 43 says, “And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they may not bear iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever for him and for his seed after him.” If a priest was not properly clothed, he would bear iniquity and die. Not having the proper clothing brings in death. The priesthood, therefore, must always be maintained in the sphere of life. We must stay away from the realm of death and be preserved in an atmosphere of life. Whenever we are not fully covered with Christ, we bring in death.
As fallen human beings, we need to be covered. Naked flesh signifies that we need Christ as righteousness to cover us. I do not agree with the religious practice of ministers and pastors wearing long robes. But in a spiritual sense I agree with having our entire being covered with Christ. A priest is fully covered by Christ and with Christ. Christ is his turban, tunic, girdle, and breeches. Christ is everything we need to cover our whole being.
Furthermore, the Christ who covers us should also be our High Priest, our mark, our brand, and our declaration that we are holy unto the Lord. In our experience, He should also be the One bearing the responsibility to make us holy in a fourfold way and to preserve us in holiness, untouched by anything other than God. With such a holiness in divinity and righteousness in humanity, we have the proper expression of a person living before God and serving Him. We all should be such persons. We all should be priests clothed with holiness and righteousness.