Exodus 39:1 – 7 “From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. He made the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made shoulder pieces for the ephod, which were attached at two of its corners, so it could be fastened. And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, of the same workmanship—with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings, engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel. Then they fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
God has already given Moses the instructions, but now Bezalel and Oholiab are creating one of the most important parts of the high priest’s garments, the breast plate. Although we might think that these stones were set in a flat inflexible plate of gold with settings for the stones, this garment was more cleverly designed than that.
The first part of the ephod or breast plate was created using finely spun linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. The color blue represented heaven, while purple was the color of royalty, and red was the color of the blood of the sacrifices, particularly the lambs sacrificed at Passover. Gold also represented the royalty of God and His eternal nature. The gold threads were cut from thinly hammered sheets of gold. To hold the ephod in place, there were shoulder pieces as well as a waist band. These attachments allowed the ephod to move as the priest moved. The priest would pull this garment over his head and then tie the waist band.
Once this heavily embroidered linen material was created, gold filigree settings were created and attached to the material. Then twelve onyx stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel were mounted in these settings. When completed, the ephod proved to be a highly durable and flexible garment that would last for centuries.
APPLICATION: When we first came to Ghana, one set of friends were a wonderful Christian Lebanese couple who ran a fantastic goldsmith’s business. A visit to this place of delights immediately demonstrated why craftsmen from the Middle East have been renowned for their ability to handle delicate filaments of gold and silver for thousands of years. Reading the description of the ephod reminds me of those visits.
When reading the account of the high priest’s garments, there are two different places where engraved stones representing the tribes of Israel are located. The first part of the garment was an ephod, a garment that was pulled over the priest’s head and tied with a waist band. Engraved stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel were mounted on each of the shoulder pieces. We will consider the actual breast plate tomorrow.
What is the significance of the stones mounted on the shoulder pieces? Throughout the Bible, there are references to God bearing Israel on His shoulders. In Isaiah 9:6, we read of the Messiah that “the government will be upon his shoulders.” For the high priest, the weight of those shoulder pieces would serve as a reminder of his responsibility for those whom he was representing.
Do you feel as if God has abandoned you? Do you feel your situation is hopeless? Take heart! Just as the high priest would bear the names of the tribes of Israel before the Lord, so God is carrying you on His shoulders. Turn to God and allow Him to speak to your heart. Take courage! You are very precious to God!
PRAYER: Father God, there are many of us who have been betrayed by their earthly fathers and who feel there is nobody to support them. Please help all who read this devotional to know that You love them, that You care for them, and that You will never leave them or forsake them. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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