A Word from the Word

Clothed with Salvation

Psalm 132:9, 16

May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy. [And then God answers:] “I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.”     NIV

There are two classes of persons referred to there, the priests and the saints. The priests are those responsible for spiritual instruction, for spiritual leadership. The saints are God's people who look up to the priests and are led by the priests and instructed by the priests.

And the interesting thing there is that the clothing of the priests determines the condition of the people. The psalmist says, “May your priests be clothed with righteousness; then your saints will sing for joy.” And God gives back the promise, “I will clothe her priests with salvation and her saints will ever sing for joy.” So when the leaders of God’s people are clothed with salvation and with righteousness, then God’s people sing for joy.

You see, it’s a sad fact that the people of God hardly ever rise much above the spiritual level of their leaders. How accurate those words of the psalmist are: if the people of God are to have the joy and the liberty and the blessing that God desires for them, then their leaders, their priests, must put on the garments of salvation and the robes of righteousness. There’s a tremendous responsibility in being a leader of God’s people.