Change Your Underwear

The Bible really gets down to the nitty-gritty of life in some passages. For instance, did you know that in the Old Testament, God told the priests what kind of underwear they were to wear? No, not boxers or briefs. Here's what He told them:

You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him. Exodus 28:42-43

Aaron and his sons were required to wear linen breeches as they ministered in the holy place or else they would die. Why is God so strict about what these priests wore as they ministered? It's because of the typology depicted in these matters.

In the OT, there were often literal events which portray NT truths. For instance, we know Jesus said that Jonah being in the whale for three days pointed toward His own resurrection which would also come after three days. We know that the serpent lifted up in the wilderness was a picture of salvation through the cross.

The detailed description of the garments of the priests in the Old Testament give us a picture of what it means to be in Christ. Apart from Him we would be spiritually naked, with no hope of clothing ourselves. The Bible teaches, though, that we are clothed with Christ. (See Galatians 3:27)

What does the Bible tell us about this underwear? It is deeply personal. Nobody sees your underwear but you. The very mention of your underwear is a private, intimate matter. The "breeches" refer to what you are in the secret place of your own life. Your true identity is determined by what you are at the deepest place of your life. You may have on dirty pants and shirt, but because of Him your underwear is clean!

The key to living the life we've been created to live is to act outwardly like who He has made us to be inwardly. At the core of your being you are righteous because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. Even when we don't act or look like, that doesn't change the reality of who we are.

Then there's the fabric the underwear is made from. The Bible is specific about that too. It is linen. Why did God care what kind of material was used in making these underwear? Leviticus 16:4 says,

He shall put on the holy linen tunic and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body and he shall be girded with the linen sash, and attired with the linen turban (these are the holy garments). Then he shall bath his body and put them on.

Why linen? Ezekiel answers: Linen turbans shall be on their heads and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat. (Ezek 44:18)

God's plan is that His children/priests never sweat. Does the priest serve? Does he work? Yes! The grace walk isn't a passive lifestyle, but it is one in which we don't break a sweat. Why? Because we don't depend on our own strength to do the work we're called to do. We depend on the power of the indwelling Christ.

The priests wore white underwear to show that we are clean to the core. His underwear was linen to show that we don't serve in the energy of our own strength. So if religion has you worn you down and caused you to feel like you're a hypocrite, stop trusting yourself and depend on Christ and Him alone. In other words, change your underwear and everything will be alright.

(Taken from Steve McVey's series entitled Garments of Grace. Available at www.gracewalkresources.com)