Ezekiel 16 Part Six: Fine Linen, Bright and Clean

Ezekiel 16: 10 is the beginning of the work that God does to beautify His bride: “I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.” Isn’t it fitting, that beauty plays such a prominent role in this love story? Notice that God provides clothing and adorns her with choice fabrics. Matt sometimes buys me clothing, or jewelry, and just as in the case of this passage, it is normal for his thoughtfulness to be more precious than the gift. “I got this for you because I noticed you didn’t have this color,” he’ll tell me, or “this dress was just the color of your eyes.” To adorn is to notice and enjoy unique beauty, and then desire to enhance, draw attention to, or increase it. That is just what God does here for Israel, and what He seeks to do within you.

Women seem to have a gift for infusing sentiment and memory into everyday things don’t they? Mothers are the ones who save baby curls and prom flowers. We love to create meaning and pour spirit into the mundane-‘ness’ of everyday life. Ticket stubs, photos, rose petals.

Did you know God does too? Scholars have an unbelievable gift of turning the ribbons of sentimental imagery across Scripture into boring cross references. But this precious tendency of God that resounds within us is too valuable not to be aware of. Come and see the particularity of the temple instructions a different way. Hear the heart of God when he gets excited about the first dwelling place where He will manifest His Shekinah glory on earth. He is specific because it means something to Him. “Remember that moment we had with the Noahic covenant?” he asks. “Think of me when you see rainbows.” “Jerusalem, that’s our home I’m re-making for us.” “Every Sabbath, look forward to believer’s rest I wrote to you about.” “See the stars? Remember what I promised to Abraham.” The Old Testament is full of celebrations, festivals, and commands to remember and delight in the history of God’s relationship with us. God certainly isn’t one to forget anniversaries! He makes all sorts of them up and insists on keeping them special. He is the ultimate Romancer.

Look here at the precious sentiment He shows when dressing His bride; He dresses her in fine linen. People who were of mixed heritage were not even allowed into the inner courts of the temple. Paul, for example was falsely charged with bringing a gentile into the temple complex and it led to his lengthy imprisonment. This was a little girl who stood outside and looked in on the beautiful buildings and the respected men that moved within dressed in the purest white linen. God ceremonially cleansed her, and then dressed her with the same linen that was used to distinguish and honor His favored priests. And Christ has done this for you, for He “has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). God had clothed priests in fine linen (for example in Leviticus 6:10) as a symbol of purity and consecration; just as it is here. The symbolism of fine linen is found throughout the Bible even into Revelation, when it says in 19:8 that “fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear (fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” Israel is given embroidered cloth and beautiful porpoise skin sandals, wrapped in fine linen and covered with costly silk. God knows how to adorn a beautiful woman.