In My Weakness, I am Strong

I was reading Exodus 29 not too long ago in my quiet time.  In this passage, we see the details for the ceremony to dedicate Aaron and his sons as priests for the Israelites.  What, you may ask, is so significant about this passage of Scripture that made you want to write about it?  I’m glad you asked!  The symbolism in verse 4 is what struck a chord with me,

“Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water.” 

Allow me to paint this picture for you.  Aaron and his sons were chosen to be the intermediaries between God and His people.  The priests would offer sacrifices for atonement and forgiveness.  There was a specific procedure to everything they did.  The priest’s “ordination” process is what we read about in chapter 29.  There were some sacrifices that were made, some symbolic gestures that had deep meaning, even the clothes they wore had deep significance.  However, I want to focus on the part of the ceremony that would make me the most uncomfortable…the washing. 

Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tabernacle, meaning everyone could see them.  He stripped them down and washed them with water.  I don’t know about you, but I have never taken a public bath before (and don’t plan to).  The symbolism here is that Aaron and his sons have laid themselves bare (literally) to be cleansed of their unrighteousness.  They have offered their bodies as a living sacrifice in order to be used by God in whatever way He wanted.  Since they did it in front of the people, they are now held accountable by the people and by God.

So, considering my current circumstances, and all that I am going through, why is this significant to me?  There comes a point in life, and maybe it comes with age, that you grow tired of superficial conversations.  I want to have conversations that matter.  I want to surround myself with people who are not afraid to be honest and share their struggles and successes.  I don’t say that to sound pompous or arrogant.  I say that because life is short, and life is difficult.  We are all struggling to figure out where God is leading us and what He’s doing in our lives.  I need people who will journey with me. 

Aaron allowed himself to become vulnerable in order to be cleansed.  I think this is the perfect example for us.  The enemy is sneaky and conniving.  He tells us that we should suppress all our shortcomings and just share the good things.  Put on a happy face and act like you have it all together.  The reality is that healing only comes through vulnerability and sacrifice.  It’s about time we extinguished the enemy’s onslaught by being honest with one another.  I’m not saying that you air your laundry with everyone you meet.  Let’s face it, not everyone would receive it in a God honoring way.  However, we should all have a small group of fellow believers that we can be “naked” with.  When I am “naked” with that group of friends, I have found love, support, compassion, understanding, and prayer.  I have seen the power of prayer too many times to count in my lifetime.  When I know that I have people praying for me, I can feel it, and it gives me strength to continue the race.  It also helps me realize that I'm not alone.  

I think that it’s time to surround ourselves with people that we can be honest with and that propel us toward God.  I know that it’s made a world of difference in my life!