“I clothed thee with…silk.”—Ezekiel 61:10
(The Hebrew word for silk here is meshiy meaning as drawn from the cocoon.)
The Creator desires the best for each of His children. For centuries, royal families had silk as a luxurious commodity in their wardrobes. The virtuous woman of Proverbs understood its worth by adorning herself in silk and purple. The process of manufacturing one pound of silk begins with the death of approximately 2,495 silkworms, or silk moth larvae. Each worm spins about a mile of silk preparing a cocoon in which to await metamorphosis into a silk moth. Legend has it that the wife of a Chinese emperor, around 3000 BC, was drinking a hot cup of tea when a silkworm cocoon fell into the steaming liquid. She noticed something unraveling from the floating, white object. The Silk Road from China was born. Silk’s value was equivalent with gold and often used as a monetary source.
To extract silk, the cocoons are placed in boiling water to kill the silkworm and loosen the lustrous fibers from the cocoon. If left untouched, the encased worm will eventually exit the cocoon thus breaking the precious strands of silk. The riches bestowed on mankind through the silk industry all began with the sacrifice of the silkworm.
The eternal riches bestowed on mankind through the gospel all began with the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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…—Isaiah 61:10
Our Saviour gladly entered the heated agony of death on the cross and the darkened tomb to await His resurrection.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.—Revelation 19:13
We can greatly rejoice in His sacrifice because it provided the garments of salvation for us. He humbled Himself for us.
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men…—Psalm 22:6
In our heated trials, we must follow Christ’s example and die to self; allowing God to unravel us, if He must, so that others may see Christ in us. The next time you wear 100% silk clothing or accessories, remember the sacrifice of all those hundreds of silk worms providing you the enjoyment of royal luxury!
