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Priesthood, book by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

95- The lord glorifies His creation

(Mat 6:28-29) "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

{29} "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

So God grants glory to the whole creation.

[24] Let Us Contemplate The Priestly Robes Ordered By God For Aaron The Chief Priest For “Glory & Beauty”

(Exo 28:2-3) "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. {3} "So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Here we see God Himself orders such garments for His own priest. He specified the fabric, the ornamentation and the fashion. God also ordered that the tailors be carefully selected and that they should be filled of the spirit of wisdom

(Exo 28:6) "and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked.

(Exo 28:15) "You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it.

(Exo 28:22) "You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold.

(Exo 28:37-38) "And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.

{38} "So it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

(Exo 28:40) "For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.

What a wonderful glory granted to Aaron by God, not only in the way of dress but also in the matter of intercession.

Let me hasten to add that it was not only Aaron, but also his children

(Exo 28:40-41) "For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty. {41} "So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

Did God restrict or compromise on His own glory by honouring His priests? Or was it a pleasure for God to see His servants glorified and beautified?

Here we see God’s own care and concern for the good of His priest.

Would any one dare describe Aaron as proud and egotistic, because he was clothed with such excellent colours? If you do, then you may carry on to hurl the same accusation at the lilies of the field, as God has clothed them in such splendour well beyond that of Solomon.

So what is Aaron’s crime, or the lilies, if God is so generous to clothe them as such.

So if God gives great glory to the lilies, would He refrain from glorifying His own servants and vicars? Certainly not.

[24] How About The Glory Granted By God To Moses And Elijah On The Mountain Of Transfiguration?

Here we see that in great awe of this glory, Saint Peter said:

(Mat 17:4) Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

This is obviously God’s way of glorifying two of His servants who offered Him sacrifices, as we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other sections. This is a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection, where we would be in glory equal to the angels of heaven.

(Mat 22:30) "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

[25] Another Glorified Creatures Are The Angels

(2 Cor 11:14) And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Here the angels are described as “angels of light”. Also Psalm 103 describes the angels as “mighty and powerful” [26] The Glory Of The Saints And The Repentant Look at the repentant described by the Book of Ezekiel (Ezek 16:9-14) "Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. {10} "I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. {11} "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. {12} "And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. {13} "Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. {14} "Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD.

How wonderful it is to know that God complements people’s beauty with His own!

[27] This Has Been God’s Way From The Beginning “ He Created Man On His Own Image”

(Gen 1:26-27) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." {27} So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

[28] God Also Grants His People The Power To Perform Miracles.

Here we see God gives glory to His own people by supporting their work with miracles:

(Josh 3:7) And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

Here we also see the perfect proof in God glorifying people through helping them with miracles:

(John 14:12) "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

We can read many of these miracles in the Scriptures, see a full manifesto of God given gifts to people in 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

[29] Non Of His Children Seek Any Glory, But Rather, It is God Who Gives.

Here we see Saint Paul emphasise such election by God:

(Rom 8:17) and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

(Rom 8:30) Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

[30] The Most Significant Glory Is That Of The Resurrection

(Rom 8:18) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

(Phil 3:21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

(1 Th 2:12) that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

(1 Pet 1:5) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Also Saint Paul describes the resurrected bodies:

(1 Cor 15:43-49) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. {44} It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. {45} And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. {46} However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. {47} The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. {48} As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. {49} And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Saint Peter describes himself as a partaker of the awaited glory. He also speaks about the “Crown of glory awaiting the faithful in the Second Coming of Christ”.