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Chapter 26
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chosen people of God. Nothing but perfection, in dress and attitude,
in spirit and word, would be acceptable to God. He is holy; and
His glory and perfection must be represented in the earthly service.
Nothing but perfection could properly represent the sacredness of the
heavenly service. Finite man might rend his own heart by showing a
contrite and humble spirit; but no rent must be made in the priestly
robes (
The Youth’s Instructor, June 7, 1900
).
An Outward Appearance.—So perverted had the priesthood be-
come that when Christ declared Himself the Son of God, Caiaphas,
in pretended horror, rent his robe, and accused the Holy One of
Israel of blasphemy.
Many today who claim to be Christians are in danger of rending
their garments, making an outward show of repentance, when their
[1105]
hearts are not softened nor subdued. This is why so many continue
to make failures in the Christian life. An outward appearance of
sorrow is shown for wrong, but their repentance is not that which
needs not to be repented of (
The Review and Herald, June 12, 1900
).
Christ’s Heart Rent
—How different was the true High Priest
from the false and corrupted Caiaphas. Christ stood before the false
high priest, pure and undefiled, without a taint of sin.
Christ mourned for the transgression of every human being. He
bore even the guiltiness of Caiaphas, knowing the hypocrisy that
dwelt in his soul, while for pretense he rent his robe. Christ did not
rend His robe, but His soul was rent. His garment of human flesh
was rent as He hung on the cross, the sin-bearer of the race. By His
suffering and death a new and living way was opened (
The Review
and Herald, June 12, 1900
).
(
Leviticus 10:6
.) A Positive Prohibition
—It was the general
custom for the garments to be rent at the death of friends. The only
exception to this was in the case of the high priest. Even Aaron,
when he lost his two sons because they did not glorify God as had
been specified, was forbidden to show sorrow and mourning by
rending his garments. The prohibition was positive [
Leviticus 10:6
quoted] (
Manuscript 102, 1897
).
The Condemned Pronounced Sentence on the Innocent
—
For thus rending his garment in pretended zeal, the high priest might
have been arraigned before the Sanhedrin. He had done the very
thing that the Lord had commanded should not be done. Standing