The King's daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
She will be led to the King in embroidered work . . . .
Psalm 45:13, 14a 

The Bride must wear Wedding Clothes that
please the King.
Without those specific garments,
he/she - though present -
is cast out of the celebration! 

Clothes are a Biblical symbol, picture of life's reality.

Joseph was clothed with Divine favor,
by a brilliant coat, colored and outstanding.
It was the symbol of
God's choice and purpose resting on Joseph.

The favor of God is worn as a visible splendor
and invokes the rage of those in common brown garb.
Yet God has sewn another attire
beyond His foundational anointing.

And He moves to dress us in resplendent glory,
kingly splendor . . . but that requires undressing.

Joseph's lovely coat, symbol of his anointing,
was torn from him, shredded and smeared with
animal blood.
A vivid death while he yet lived.

Next he wore the Egyptian garment of
a slave. By faithful serving,
he changed to the clothes of
the household master, trusted and ruling.

But these clothes of dignity, also
stripped from him by violent jealousy.
Naked he fled in innocence from Potiphar's wife.
For the third time he was stripped of position . . .
and clothes.

Now he wore prison rags.

Joseph went from prince to slave to master to prison.
And his garments pictured
the ever-changing positions of his journey.

In his final permanent position, he wore
the splendor of Egyptian monarchy,
and lived as ruling chief on earth.

These changes of clothes are a story.
Yours and mine.
From new birth to servant hood,
even to prison
and there to the throne.
A progression of tested surrender
unto a Sovereign God,
all the thorny way.
And in the end to reign in this life,
by Christ's life.

She will be led to the King in embroidered work.
God embroiders a beautiful Bridal Robe,
if we will accept the needle of His piercing,
and allow Him to thread His own design. 

Adam and Eve forfeited their covering of Light
and their unbearable nakedness was
covered with whatever they could
form of natural means.
Itchy fig leaves, ridiculous clothes,
ever wilting and barely adequate.

God covered their shame with blood-bought
skins of living sacrifices,
the earnest and promise of His Son's
sufficient covering by His own Holy Blood.

Blood is our first clothing, covering the endless shame,
the miserable guilt of normal wretchedness.
Wash your "robes' in blood that they may be white.

Repentance for sin,
God's satisfaction and my acceptance of His solution,
sole answer to my dilemma, is cleansing in
the blood of a Lamb.
This is the white robe of my own washing.
I do this washing of my desolate self
by settling on the Blood.

God offers, I merely take.

And he said to me, "These are the ones who come
out of the great tribulation, and they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev. 7:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes,
that they may have the right to the tree of life,
and may enter by the gates into the city.
Rev. 22:14 

The robes of my soul, constantly washed by
confession and acceptance.
Clothed in blood . . . .

This is the first garment I must wear
before my Glorious Bridegroom.

Copyright © 2001 Martha Kilpatrick