When God Chooses the Clothes: Looking at Bible Passages You Might Have Missed

A few years back, I was doing a personal study about a biblical view of clothing. You already know the key passages about not putting on gold or pearls or costly array (from 1 Timothy 2:9) but rather putting on a sweet attitude: good works, and a meek and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4).

What you may not have noticed—or maybe you did—is when God puts clothing on a person, it is amazing! Let’s first just read the passages about how God dresses people. (Note: several of these are allegories that teach spiritual truths.)

• For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head (Psalm 21:3. God puts the crown on David’s head).
• All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee (Psalm 45:8-9, 13-14, upon the occasion of the marriage of Solomon to Pharaoh’s daughter, but also talking about the Lord. See Hebrews 1:8; Ephesians 5:23; and Revelation 19:7).
• Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver (Song of Solomon 1:10-11. About Solomon and his bride and an allegory of Christ and the church).
• I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10).
• I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 16:10-14. Allegory of what God did for Israel).
• Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created (Ezekiel 28:13. God even clothed Satan in a gorgeous way before he sinned.)
• Now Joshua (a high priest) was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by (Zechariah 3:3-5). 
• And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold (Revelation 4:4).
• After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands (Revelation 7:9. These are the Tribulation martyrs.)
• Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints (Revelation 19:7-8, the bride of Christ—the church).
• Speaking of Jesus: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:12-14).

So, what have we learned from how God chooses clothing?

1. God spares no expense when blessing His people. He chooses the best, the most elegant, and the finest materials.
2. God loves us and wants to provide the best. He expresses His love through His provision. (Now, this provision may not be fully appreciated until we're in heaven, but we can be sure He is preparing the best for us.)
3. Practically speaking, we might want to change our views about what a Christian woman might and might not wear. Notice in the Ezekiel passage that God provides gorgeous embroidered clothing, shoes, and fine jewelry. She has pierced ears. God says she (Israel) was beautiful, perfect, and comely.
4. We can appreciate salvation with the image of exchanging filthy rags for white, fine linen. What Jesus did for us is amazing! He clothed us in His pure righteousness! We should stand in awe and be filled with praise.
5. The only messy garment in heaven is Jesus’ blood-stained robe. He wears it as a perpetual reminder of the price of salvation.
6. Jesus wears many crowns. He is, after all, the King of kings!