Labor of Love

Labor of Love

Have you ever wanted to know exactly what God will be for you? Or what he wanted you to do? Decision-making can be difficult, and when it’s time to make an important life choice, people often wish that God would come right out and tell them what he wants them to do. What college should I go to? Which job should I take? What church should I attend? Is God calling me to be a missionary? Is it time to relocate? Whom should I marry? Which medical treatment should I choose? Life is full of decisions, and when it comes to the tough ones, it would be nice to know exactly what God has in mind. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Ideal Toys and Tyco Toys marketed a plastic toy known as The Magic 8-Ball which kids used to try and figure out the future. The toy looked like a large, black billiard ball and was filled with liquid, with a flat window on one side. This is where the answers to life’s questions would appear, as if by magic. Someone would ask a question and shake the ball. Everyone else would crowd around to see what answer would show up in the window: “Yes.” “No.” “Maybe.” “Ask again.” There are times when we want to know God’s will for our future, when we wish he would give us something like the Magic 8-Ball. Am I supposed to go here or there? Is it this or is it that? Should I stay or should I go? Tell me, Lord: Is it yes, no or maybe?

In his infinite wisdom, God has not provided a guidance system to shake and then wait for his divine will to appear. However, God did give his people a way to make decisions in the Old Testament. Israel’s high priest carried the tools for knowing God’s will in his front pocket—the Urim and Thummim. By studying these strange devices in their total Biblical context, we can come to a better understanding of how God guides his people today. That brings us to our Big Idea that God desires His people be led by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we want to hear from you this morning. So, we pray that your Holy Spirit will fill us with your wonder and majesty and open our eyes and ears to your Word and the magnificent things in it. Give us wisdom and discernment and help us to apply what you teach each one of us to our lives this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are two points this morning, the first is Make, found in Exodus 28:15-28. This is what God’s Word says, “Fashion a breast piece for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It is to be square—a span long and a span wide—and folded double. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

“For the breast piece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breast piece. Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breast piece, and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breast piece on the inside edge next to the ephod. Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. The rings of the breast piece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breast piece will not swing out from the ephod.”

Last week, we were introduced to the clothes that the high priest of Israel would be required to wear as he ministered before God and to the people in the tabernacle. The high priest was responsible to keep the lampstand lit and to take care of exchanging the bread on the Table of the Presence each Sabbath. He was also to make sacrifices for his sins and the sins of the people and to offer fervent prayers on behalf of the Israelites to the Lord. While he performed these duties, he was to wear special clothes that were holy, glorious and beautiful, like the Lord was. These clothes were to be made by skilled workers to whom God had given wisdom to in such matters. These clothes showed what it took for sinful man to come into the presence of God – they needed to be holy, glorious and beautiful. The high priest was chosen by God to represent the people before the Lord and the Lord before the people. But he could only be the mediator between a sinful people and a holy God when he was dressed in the glorious and beautiful righteous robes made specially for him per God’s instructions.

Even though the breast piece was mentioned first back in verse four, when the Lord gave instructions on making the clothing He started with the ephod. Today we will study the Lord’s instructions on making the breast piece which is intimately linked to the ephod. The ephod was made for the breast piece not the other way around because the sole purpose of the ephod was to support the breast piece. We see the importance of the breast piece in that sixteen verses and 400 words are used to describe the making of it and only nine verses and 196 words are used to describe the making of the ephod.

The first thing we learn about the breast piece is that it was to be used for making decisions or judgments as some versions say. The second thing we learn is that it was to be made by skilled craftsmen just like the ephod was supposed to be made. The breast piece would also be made by the same skilled workers who would make the tabernacle. The third thing we learn is that it was to be made like the ephod with gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and of finely twisted white linen. The fourth thing we learn is that the breast piece was to be square and folded double. After being folded double, the size of the square was to be a span long and wide or nine inches square. The breast piece probably covered the entire chest and stomach of the high priest. It would have been a very prominent article of clothing which would be symbolic of the covenantal relationship between the Lord and His chosen people, the Israelites.

This covenantal relationship would be seen by what would sit on the breast piece. The breast piece would have four rows of precious stones, three stones to a row, twelve stones total. The stones were to be mounted in gold filigree settings that were probably woven into the breast piece so the stones would be permanently connected to it with no possibility of randomly falling out. The stones represented God’s chosen people and His chosen people could not be “plucked” out of his hand. The same is true for those who are counted as His sheep today. John 10:27-29 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

The stones are named here in our scripture but there is a lot of ambiguity as to what the actual Hebrew translations were. Only six of the stones seem to match up across different versions of the Bible. But scholars do believe that the stones were all different colors and had some kind of special meaning for the tribes whose names were engraved onto them to represent them. The stones were different in form, hue, character, beauty and value just as the patriarchs of the twelve tribes were. But each was set in gold and rested equally on Aaron’s heart as he served before the Lord in the tabernacle.

According to the NIV, the first row of stones consisted of carnelian which was probably a “red” stone, a chrysolite which may have been some shade of “green” and a beryl. Some versions say “emerald” of which beryl was part of that family. The second row was to consist of a turquoise, a lapis lazuli which was probably a “blue” stone, and an emerald which may have been a “white” color. The third row was to consist of a jacinth which was probably an “orange” color, an agate, and an amethyst which was probably a “purple” color. And the fourth row was to consist of a topaz maybe a “yellow” or “blue green” color, an onyx which may have been another shade of “red” and a jasper which may have been a “green” color.

It really doesn’t matter what the exact stones were but the stones were important for what they represented. We are told in our scripture that the twelve stones represented the twelve sons of Israel. There was to be one stone for each son and that son’s name was to be engraved like a seal on them. We discussed “engraved like a seal” last week with the two onyx stones engraved with the names of the sons of Israel and mounted on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. This would have been a delicate and precise work done by a gem cutter. The names on the breast piece may have been the same as the names on the ephod or they may have included Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph’s sons, and excluded Joseph and Levi.

Secondly, the stones are important because they were in the Garden of Eden and will also be in the New Jerusalem when Jesus returns. In Ezekiel 28, the prophet Ezekiel is commanded by the Lord to take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre. Scholars don’t know for sure who is alluded to here, but it may have been comparing the earthly King of Tyre to Adam in the Garden of Eden, who both fell because of their pride. Whoever it is talking about, in Ezekiel 28:13, we see that the following stones that were said to be in the Garden of Eden: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Then in Revelation 21:19-20, we see the following stones that make up the foundation of the New Jerusalem: jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, ruby, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, turquoise, jacinth, and amethyst.

John Mackay says, “The priest in his mediatorial role may have been thought of as representing mankind in their innocence in Eden before they fell into sin and became estranged from God. It was the priest’s role to affect a return to that early harmonious relationship.” The stones that the high priest took into the tabernacle before the Lord represented that all the people were going before the Lord. He was in effect making atonement and sacrifice for his sins and the sins of the people and the high priest would be reminded of the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world. When he went into the tabernacle to do this “work” he was restoring the people back into a right relationship with God as it was in the Garden. But he was also pointing to Christ, His work on the cross and his high priestly duties in Heaven. The work of Christ would enable us to live in the New Jerusalem, of which the foundation would be made of the precious stones found in the high priest’s breast piece.

The stones mounted on the breast piece was also representative that each person and tribe of Israel was precious to the Lord just as the twelve stones were precious. All people of the world are precious to God but especially those who believe in His son, Jesus. The placement of these precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel was also important. They were placed over the heart of the high priest. The heart was representative of love and affection. The high priest loved and was to have the best interest of the people he served at heart. I believe that it is hard to intercede for someone you don’t care for or get along with. One of the ways you can change your heart for those you don’t get along with is to pray and intercede for them. If you are genuinely praying for someone you don’t like, sooner or later God will begin to soften you towards them and God will start to soften them towards you. Remember Jesus said to pray for your enemies and those who persecute you and he modeled that for us during His life and on the cross.

Whenever the high priest went into the tabernacle, the names of the twelve sons of Israel were on his shoulders and over his heart. This was a labor of love for the high priest. He carried the weight of the people on his shoulders, the place of strength, which was symbolic of their guilt, before the Lord. He also carried the weight of the people on his heart, the place of love and affection, which was symbolic of his intercession for the people, before the Lord. As a “royal priesthood” we are also to love, care and be concerned for our fellow human beings even those we don’t necessarily like or get along with. If we are privy to their burdens and requests, we should be willing to carry them and intercede for them. But this should be especially true for our family, friends, and our church family. As God’s “royal priesthood” on the earth, we should be willing to carry other’s burdens heavy on our shoulders. And we should be willing to carry other’s prayers heavy on our heart, interceding for them before the Lord. ​​ 

So, whose needs, burdens and prayers are heavy on your shoulders and hearts this morning? Who are you personally praying for, helping, reaching out to, caring for and loving? If no names come to our minds, we aren’t living the Christian life properly. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we are praying for our own needs and concerns, then we should be praying for the burdens, needs and concerns of our neighbors. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” That brings us to our first next step which is to Carry the burdens and prayers of my family, friends and my church close to my heart and intercede for them before the Lord.

Now that the breast piece had been explained, Moses receives the instructions on how the breast piece was to be attached to the ephod. Notice that Moses is given detailed and meticulous instructions but at the same time, we don’t really have a complete picture of what the different pieces of clothing looked like. God is a God of detail and order, but He is also mysterious. In our humanness we want to know all the exact details, but God’s ways are not our ways. The ephod was to support the breast piece and so it needed to be attached to it. The braided chains of pure gold made like a rope in verse 22 are a repeat of the instructions in verse 14. The two gold chains had already been made and attached to the filigree settings on the shoulder pieces. Then two more gold rings were to be made and fastened to the top corners of the breast piece. The two gold chains attached to the shoulder pieces were then fastened to the rings at the corners of the breast piece connecting the top of the breast pieces to the shoulder pieces of the ephod (picture).

Then two more gold rings were to be made and attached to the bottom corners of the inside of the breast piece next to the ephod. And two more gold rings were to be made and attached to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod just above the waistband. The shoulder pieces must have extended down from the shoulders to the waist of the high priest. Then we are told that the rings at the bottom corners of the breast piece are to be tied to the rings at the waistband of the ephod by blue cord. (picture). The reason for this was to keep the breast piece from swinging out from the ephod. Everything was to stay tightly connected to the body of the high priest. The high priest would be working before the Lord in the tabernacle and so his clothes had to be functional as well as holy, glorious and beautiful.

That brings us to our second point, Means, found in Exodus 28:29-30. This is what God’s Word says, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus, Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.”

This section shows the two purposes of the breast piece. The first purpose was to represent Aaron and the high priest that would succeed him. When Aaron entered the Holy Place he bore the names of the sons of Israel, as a labor of love, over his heart as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Every time that Aaron went into the presence of God, God was reminded of his people, and that Aaron came on their behalf. Not that he had forgotten his people but that they were secure before the Lord. Pink says, “Their position or standing before God was neither affected nor altered by their changing circumstances, infirmities or sins.” Also, as the official representative of God’s chosen people, what Aaron did would have the same effect as if the entire nation had done the same thing. The high priest symbolized all the people of Israel. We see the same thing in Christ as well. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” If we believe that Jesus bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders, willingly went to the cross, died for us and rose again, his righteousness becomes our righteousness before God.

The second purpose of the breast piece was for divination. If you remember, the breast piece was folded double and so it became a pocket on the chest of the high priest. The high priest was to put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece so that they would also be over Aaron’s heart when he came into the presence of the Lord. With the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece, Aaron would always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. What were the Urim and the Thummim? The short answer is we do not know for sure. What we do know is that they were something tangible that was used to make decisions, but we are never given an exact description of them. Urim means “lights” or sometimes is translated “curses” and Thummim means “perfections.” There are lots of theories about what they were. They were probably two or more-colored stones, probably a combination of black and white or “light” and “dark” stones. One or more would be pulled out or a number of them would be “rolled” as dice to get a decision. It may have been like “casting lots” like we see in Acts 1 when Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve apostles.

This would not have been the normal means of hearing from God but kind of a last resort appeal to God for guidance. It was not used for individual guidance but when guidance was needed for the entire nation of Israel, and for something only God would know. For example, whether or not to go to war or when the Israelites were to stay in camp or pack up and move. The first way they were to receive guidance from the Lord would have been to look to the written law, the Book of the Covenant, including the Ten Commandments. The next way they were to receive guidance would have been a word from God through Moses or later through a prophet. The third way would have been through prayer. Then, as a last resort, they would have prayed using the Urim and Thummim. After praying to God, and as the high priest pulled out one or more stones, they would have taken it as God revealing his sovereign, divine will and direction to them.

Also, this could only be done by the high priest as he allowed and guided the process. Numbers 27:21 says, “He (meaning Joshua) is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” Lastly, they don’t seem to have been used after the reign of King David. We are told twice in verse 30, that Aaron bore the means of making decisions “over his heart” before the Lord. This shows the value of God’s people and His covenant with them and his desire to reveal himself to them. It also shows the value of the Urim and Thummim.

God has not chosen to give us all a Urim and Thummim to help us make decisions. First, he has already told us what our most important decision should be. The most important decision you can ever make is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He was still working out His plan of salvation through the Israelites, but now he speaks to us by His son. Hebrews 1:1-2a says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” So, you can make the most important decision of your life today by doing three things. One, you must admit that you are a sinner. Two, you must believe that Jesus came to earth to die on a cross for your sins and rose again by the power of God. And three, you must confess Jesus as Lord of your life and live the rest of your life in obedience to Him. Maybe you are ready to take that step this morning. If so, check the second next step on the back of your communication card. Admit I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and confess Him as Lord of my life. If you made that decision this morning, I will be in contact with you.

Another way that God leads us is by His word, the Bible. The Bible is God-breathed and our source of teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness. We see this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. God’s Word should guide our daily conduct on this earth. The third way God leads us is by His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our source of revelation, wisdom and power from God. Ephesians 1:17 says, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Sinclair Ferguson says that knowing God’s will “comes through a combination of the study of God’s word (where we learn the great principles of his will), a heart which is submitted to the Lord of the word, and the help of the Spirit who illuminates the word and leads us into a true application of its principles.

We don’t have the Urim and the Thummim, but we do have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to guide us in making the godly decisions the Lord wants us to make. (Big Idea) And that’s so much better. So if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then his guidance will never fail you. You are his treasured possession. He always carries you close to his heart. If you follow him, he will not let you wander off in the wrong direction. By the teaching of his perfect Word, by the leading of his Holy Spirit, and by the guidance of his daily providence, he will direct you in the way that you should go. So, do you want to know God better? Do you want to fall deeper in love with Jesus? Do you want to know God’s will for your life? If so, this third next step is for you which is to Be led by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word in making decisions in my life. An important part of having a full table (full table picture) in our relationship with Jesus is to daily read, study and obey God’s Word and be attentive to the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As Roxey comes to lead us in a final hymn and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offering, let’s pray: Thank you for this time that we could spend together in praise, worship, and thanks to you for who you are and the many blessings you give each one of us. Help us to allow your Word to be a light to our feet and a lamp to our paths as we go about our lives this week. Help us to apply what you’ve taught us today so we can grow in our faith and come to love you more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.