LEAVE IT TO CLEAVER: What Should the Preacher Wear?

“May your priests be clothed with righteousness, and may your faithful people shout for joy… I will clothe its priests with salvation, and its faithful people will shout for joy” (Psalm 132:9, 16 CSB).

This is the 13^th of the Psalms of Ascent sung or recited as the Hebrew people, with boundless joy, went “up to Jerusalem” for a feast day. I understand repetition. I use it many times in speaking. My wife speaks with repetition when I seem not to be listening to her instruction, or at least not responding in a way appropriate to what she has told me.

The people were expecting the priests to “be clothed with righteousness” as they came to the Temple Mount to worship. The Lord Himself said of that clothing, “I will clothe its priests with salvation.” As it was in those days, so it is today, people expect you to be shrouded with righteousness as men, women, boys and girls come to the church house to worship. Clean hands and a pure heart clothe the pastor. There can be no smudge of misconduct, no hint of impropriety and no wickedness of behavior in his life.

When the people have as a model the pastor with a genuine heart of godliness, the people can respond, as stated twice in this Psalm, “…your faithful people shout for joy… its faithful people will shout for joy.” Of course, the pastor is held to a higher standard. That is simply the way it is as a requirement. The priests of the Old Testament had a standard to measure up to be ready to lead worship for the pilgrims. It is proper for us, as congregants, to pray that our pastor’s moral compass be always turned toward Jesus as we come to His house to worship. Let us shout for joy as we come into His presence!