A COAT OF TWO FABRICS, A COAT OF MANY COLORS

   Many of us have seen the movie, "A Coat of Many Colors," about the hard life of Dolly Parton, but that pales to Jesus's coat of His own Flesh! With that in mind, consider two coats.

  “Sackcloth” is worn for four purposes throughout the Bible (1) humility (as in 1 Chron 21:16 when David fell on his knees dressed in sackcloth in deference to the Angel of the Lord, Jesus)), (2) for mourning (as in Esther 4:1-3 wherein Mordecai put on sackcloth sprinkled with ashes to enter the king’s gate), for (3) repentance, and the (4) reward (as in Isa 22:13 to receive good tidings).

  Sackcloth is from the Hebrew word, “saq” which means mesh. (Strong’s Dictionary). It has one other use; it is used to hold things. Some of those things are herbs, fruits, and even dried meats. Sackcloth was probably used for straining such things as pulp from grapes that left a sediment in their nearly unpalatable wine. In theory, it could be used by their morticians to separate the dust from their dried skeletons from the bones for internment in an ossuary.

  Sackcloth was most often made of camel’s hair. (See figure #1).

                                                 Figure 1: Bactrian Camel; Creator: Picasa)

  Camels symbolize travel and endurance, not to speak of effective use of water for life! Why write about sackcloth? John put on a sackcloth of camel’s hair, to wit:

KEY VERSES: ⁴ John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁵ And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; ⁷ And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. ⁸ I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Mark 1:4-8)

  Why did it matter that John wore sackcloth of a camelhair? This time the mourning was each for themselves. This time, it was for repentance for their sins to be washed away. The lifeless camelhair would still use water efficiently; it would be used as a “rag” to wash away the sins of sinners and make them clean.

  It was a sort of mesh that would separate the sin from the sinner. Of course, the camelhair was not used directly, but covering John, it was symbolic of covering those baptized. Sinners would have their sins sifted away.

  Of course, it was not the body of John that saved, not the sackcloth, and certainly not the camel; nor even the water. John baptized in the Jordan because there was plenty of water there, it was flowing, and it represents entry into the promised land.

  Jesus was baptized, perhaps in the exact same place, where the priests of Joshua stood still for a time in the water before entering the “paradise” of Israel. When their feet touched the water with the Ark of God, the waters stood up for them to pass through. As with Moses long before, water saved the Hebrew people.

  The very name, Moses, means “water.” He went from royalty to servanthood. Sackcloth would also symbolize humbled Moses. Moses represents the Father in the Godhead. Joshua represents Jesus, even by his name. Note that Joshua did not get wet. However, he was baptized by standing on dry land. According to scripture, “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful” (Josh 4:19). Why did John baptize with water? So the people of the Earth might know that the Hand of the Lord (Jesus) is powerful.

  Why the baptism of John in running water? So the people might know the power of Jesus who would come soon after John, “There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.” There are two types of baptism: one with water and the other without, “⁸ I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” John baptized with water and Jesus with His own Hand; laying on by Hand the Holy Spirit. He does the same dry baptism that God did for the priests and Joshua, on whom “Jesus” laid on the holy spirit.

  The baptism of John laid on the holy spirit by the “living waters” to cleanse the people, but only on Jesus did it remain (John 1:33). Obviously, the baptism of John did not imbue anyone with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cleansed them, and then removed Himself. When Jesus died, he gave up the Holy Ghost, and it came onto all who believed.

Now for Adam and Eve’s “baptism.” “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). That was temporary until they could rightfully eat of the Tree of Life from whose roots flowed living water.

  There were two “coats” that God’s Hand made for them, but from one skin. Jesus was not only a carpenter, but a tanner, and a manufacturer. Where translated, “carpenter,” in the Greek, “Tradesman” is more general. God was not just a humble carpenter but Creative in all things. Jesus is Powerhouse, Physicist, Astrologer, Alchemist (something from nothing), Model Maker, Artist, Sculptor, Journeyman, Toolmaker, and even Carpenter; and on top of that, He is King and Savior! John was a mere Jewish “Dunkerd.”

  Jesus now wears purple, but John only wore camel’s hair. The “Chiton of the Lord” was the coat that Jesus wore when He was crucified (John 19:23-24). It was of one piece, according to scripture, but was torn apart and apparently sold by the soldiers. Its material has not been identified. My guess is that it could be woolen but could have been linen; that is a finely woven textile. It would be a finer mesh than camel’s hair. Did Jesus wear richer sackcloth than John whose sandals he was not worthy to loosen? Or did Jesus wear woolen material? In it is implied in the Bookk of Daniel that Jesus would wear line (Dan 12:6).

  What did Jesus wear when he was in the Garden of Eden? He must have appeared in bodily shape as a ghost, just as He did when the Holy Ghost came on Him at baptism. Whether sackcloth of linen or fine white wool is unknown, but the material for covering Adam and Eve was identified in the Books of Adam and Eve. Their “coats of skin” were from one lamb that God sacrificed for their safety in the world. It was unlike sackcloth, but more like the fine linen that Jesus may have worn. Jesus is the Lamb of God. It is His “Skin” that redeemed mankind, not hemp or cotton. His clothing was for modesty. It was His own skin that covered mankind.

  John the Baptist wore humble camelhair that had been made for carrying and sifting. Indeed, John sifted the sinners from the Jews and left the saints remaining.

  Jesus wore His own Skin. His Flesh redeemed mankind just as the lamb kept Adam and Eve safe from the barbs of Satan. Adam’s sackcloth was more protective than John’s. Water would not do the miracle of eternal life, only the Flesh of the Tree of Life would do that! Hence, only the Baptism of Jesus’s Holy Ghost is sufficient, and any other merely sifts.

  Now back to Joshua. The water stood up by the Hand of God when the feet of the Hebrews were in running water; from where? The City of Adam (Josh 3:16). The water of God in Paradise saved Joshua, and indeed the Naral Ha Yarden is the Jordan River, and is the “River of the Garden.” Lot looked upon the Jordan plain and said, “Even as the Garden of the Lord.” That implied two things: (1) That the Garden of Eden was destroyed and all that remained was a plain on the Jordan River, and (2) that the land of Canaan was the location of the Garden of Eden.

  As the waters of the Jordan were cut off, also the sins of Adam were as well. Israel is the “Promise Land” and the Jordan the promised “Living Waters” that would protect the Hebrews and keep those baptized by John until the “True Living Water” covered their sinful flesh. That day arrived on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) where the “sea of glass” (Rev 4:6) was parted so that Christians could see the Way across the great divide. The Cross is the signpost, and ironically, the outcome of that is “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the Earth” (Mat 5:5).

  Arrogant people did not cross the Jordan. They were left behind. The meek Christians that remained, inherited Israel, and the meekest of the meek (144,000) will inherit the Earth.

  When John baptized in sackcloth that showed the meek the Way. First, they step in the water as the priests of old did, then as with Joshua; the same ritual would occur when many were baptized by John before Jesus. Baptism represents the laying on of the Holy Ghost who would be laid on after Jesus was glorified, and when His Ghost was available (John 7:39).

  Sackcloth is the Way! “Born again” is not because of a pole with the limp body of the Serpent on it, but humility for mankind but exultation of God. True, Jesus wore finer sackcloth than John, but He deserved it. John died, but his cloth did not redeem. Jesus died but His “cloth” did! Of course, it was not His garment that redeemed, but His garment of flesh. That is the coat of the Lamb that Christians will  wear to the wedding feast; when Jesus returns for His Bride, the Church, wearing much finer than sackcloth.

  The skin of a lamb is more substantial than camelhair mesh. Of course, the “skin” of the Lamb named “Jesus” is the Power of His Holy Ghost. Just as the Holy Spirit penetrated the darkness to form man, the Holy Ghost that Jesus gave up still penetrates the darkness in men!