I’ve been reading through the Old Testament, trying to keep myself on track for a yearly Bible reading. It’s not something I’ve really ever been able to easily keep up with. Many, many times I’ve gotten lost in the lists – maybe genealogies, maybe tabernacle measurements – and I’ve been discouraged. Obviously it’s been spiritual weakness and a lack of endurance, so I’ve tried to commit myself to a different kind of reading this time. This time, I’m focused on God in the stories. I’m looking for His glory and His story instead of just the text in the foreground.  Most recently, that way of looking at things is what got me through the latter chapters of Exodus. But because I kept with it, I was blessed with an amazing picture of my Savior that I’d been missing all these years.  In Exodus 28-29, there has been immense detail given to the priestly garments. I mean, super intricate detail. Details on the fabrics and designs and embellishments and the special ways each is attached to the other. It’s a lot of verses containing the same phrases. Sometimes I felt a little cross eyed, I’ll be honest. But then, a verse in chapter 29 struck me in a different way than before. You see, after going into all the detail of the garments for the high priest (Aaron) and his sons, the next portion of text goes into consecrating them as priests. That process is pretty brutal. Holding onto a bull and rams and having them slaughtered. Then some of the blood being placed on their ear and thumb and big toe.  Then Exodus 29:21 says, “And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.” Did you catch that?  Here are these amazingly intricate items of clothing, hand designed by God Himself. They have been meticulously crafted by people whom God gave special abilities. And then, Aaron and his sons are to put them on and, in the very first wearing, have them splattered with blood.  It is widely understood that blood stains clothes. It’s not one of those things that comes out easily. And I doubt the children of Israel are going to be able to bleach on top of all those special embellishments and fine threads. Instead, the high priestly garments are going to be covered with blood as Aaron goes before the LORD, so that God regards him as holy.  I think of a different time that a High Priest would be covered in blood. Brutally scourged and beaten; nails carved into His hands and feet. A crown of thorns beaten into His skull and blood undoubtedly dripping down into His love-filled eyes.  This High Priest was also covered in blood before our God, but not so that He could be made holy – He already was. No, He was bloodied for our sins. He was covered in blood for His people. And He covers us with that blood – that precious blood that He let be spilled from His own body – cover us as we stand before God. As priests in His service, we are regarded as holy to the Lord because we, too, have been covered with blood. Blood that was shed at a much greater price.  All praise and glory be to the One who has covered our sin. Praise and glory and honor to the Savior who was also the sacrifice; the Lord who became our Lamb.