God is holy and sin separated God from His people but they could still come before Him through a priest following sacrifices and cleansing. This doesnt always mean that he will give us an immediate answer, but if we trust him and follow his leading, he will never lead us astray. The ephods front and back were made to be as one garment by a sash or girdle, which was tied about the priests waist. This does not mean we are to sit around and do nothing all day. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6a). It was intended for both the front and back of the body and made in two parts, which were clasped together at the shoulder by two onyx stones set in gold. Verse 6. She has a weekly YouTube devotional, too. There was onlyone time of the yearthat the High Priest wore the white garments. We can also replace Jesus Christ with our own self-righteousness. It is clear that the ephod (and the associated breastpiece with the Urim and Thummim stones) was a way that God was able to direct His people (this is some time after he fights Goliath as a boy). This ephod might have been worn or set upon an altar. It was worn over the tunic; the tunic was longer than the robe by one handbreadth, so it was visible underneath the robe at the bottom. We are also given the Holy Spirit, who helps us to grow in our relationship with God. Again, linen isa unique fabric that keeps the wearer cool in hot weather and warm when cold, which were efficient qualities for living in an arid climate with hot days and cold nights. From the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron was chosen to serve as priests. The ephod iss mentioned only in the Old Testament. The ephod reminds us that we are set apart. (Deuteronomy 7:6. This arrangement of the tribes forms a cross with its base to the East. He was also the King of Salem, which means peace. 1 Corinthians 12:20-24). ), (4) Depicted is a Temple service with the kohane blessing ritual (duchenen in Yiddish) that is performed on certain holy days. And he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them (Exodus 19:21-22). The Bible instructs that each thread used in the High Priests breastplate and ephod must be 28 plies. Today, we dont have Urim and Thummim, but here is what we can learn from their use in the Old Testament: The ephod played an important role in the lives of both Gideon and David. Those who spoke to God would use holy items, such as the ephod, to help them communicate with the Lord. Again, what Jesus is is what we are in the sight of God! Pictured above: Blue, purple, and scarlet wool yarn along with white linen thread and pure gold thread. For instance, in Judges 8:25-27, the Israelites threw gold rings into a pile, which were then melted down and turned into an ephod that Gideon placed in his town, where it was worshipped by the people. (1 Peter 2:9). Some believe the ephod looked like an apron that covered the body from shoulder to hip, others that it was like a chestless jacket for the breastpiece to fit into. And why was it important? Hallelujah! (Luke 22:44) That is, He redeemed us from sweat produced from human works, effort, striving, worrying, fear, etc., and gave us His rest and peace! [1] The book of 1 Chronicles states that David was "clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark [and] David also wore an ephod of linen," [NAS Bible translation; 1 Chronicles, 15:27] "and David was wearing a linen ephod" [NAS Bible translation; 2 Samuel, 6:14]. [1], Besides its use as a garment, an Ephod was also used for oracular purposes, in conjunction with Urim and Thummim;[5] the books of Samuel imply that whenever Saul or David wished to question God via oracular methods, they asked a priest for the ephod. The high priest used the ephod along with the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim as a means of divination. 4 Reasons Why We Have a Hard Time Talking about Loneliness. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx . Sacr. This belt was woven into the entire length of the ephods upper hem. [1][2] The object made by Gideon is plainly described as having been worshipped, and therefore the idol of some deity, while the object made by Micah is closely associated with a Teraphim, and the Ephod and Teraphim are described interchangeably with the Hebrew terms pesel and massekah, meaning graven image, and molten image, respectively. If you are unsure of what to do, dont be afraid to ask God for guidance. June 13, 2014 by Peter Leithart. The high priests ephod of the Old Testament is not a part of the modern church or Christian worship experience but it is a part of scripture and so it is still relevant today. It was a strip twice as long as it was wide but folded back on itself to form a square bag into which theUrimandThummimwere placed. (1 Peter 2:9. The high priest was the one who represented the people before God. When we do this, we make an idol out of something that is not God. Is it an article of clothing, or a piece of jewelry? The other Levites were tasked with helping the priests in these duties (. The garment hung down in front and in the back, and its length extended all the way down to the priests feet. These pomegranates were actually hollow spheres of fabric in the shape of pomegranates. There were also had two shoulder straps that were sewn onto the belt. For Glory and Beauty, the garments bring praise to God and admiration from all that gaze upon them. There appears to have been a strong religious and ceremonial implication to wearing an ephod, since the 85 priests at Nob are specifically identified as being the type of people who wore an ephod;[2] though the Masoretic text here describes them as being linen ephods (1 Samuel 22:18) the word linen is not present in the Septuagint version of the passage, nor is it present when the Septuagint describes David and Samuel as girding themselves with an ephod. The only eye-witness account of the breastplate, outside of the OldTestament,is the written description of Josephus, who himself was a priest and served in his priestly duties in Herods Temple in Jerusalem. (3) The ephod covered the back of his body. NIV But Samuel was ministering before the LORD--a boy wearing a linen ephod. I will also explore some of the most famous stories involving the ephod, such as Gideon and David. Gideon had 70 sons from the many women he took as wives. Mandrakes in the Bible | Thought-Provoking! The necks opening was round, with a hem that was doubled over and closed by weaving-not by a needle. A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Shes also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed. (1 Corinthians 1:30) The Father sees us in His Son, not apart from Him with the glorious radiance of the One that is Altogether Lovely (i.e., Totally Desirable) shines upon us. We are now at peace with God because Jesus has born the full judgment of Gods wrath for us! And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. God invents boxer shorts! The precious stones with the names represented that all of Gods Special Treasures (i.e., His people) are on His heart. Purple is the color of Royalty. The Stones of the Ephod. Linen Leggings (Short Pants Undergarments), Undergarments (Short Pants Linen Leggings). David's Ephod. In the Books of Samuel and Books of Chronicles, David is described as wearing an ephod when dancing in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15:27) and one is described as standing in the sanctuary at Nob, with a sword behind it (1 Samuel 21:9). Hallelujah! On each of these stones was engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel. The preciousness of Jesus in the eyes of God the Father has been imputed to us even as His righteousness has been imputed to us. Jesus is the one who can help us find forgiveness and eternal life. The second row contained acarbuncle,jasper, and a sapphire. Only Jesus Christ is worthy of our worship and devotion. Sweat was part of the curse and represents human works, effort, reasoning, striving, worrying, fear, etc. [See on [265]1Ch 15:27.]. The breastplate was, in reality, a piece of elaborately finished cloth of the same material as the ephod. The twelve stones on the breastplate represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The most important garment worn by the High Priest is the ephod. 1 John 3:2). Ephodits a word you dont typically see today, and yet it carries great weight in the Bible when it comes to ceremony and honor. The ephod is a garment of great significance. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. The other meaning of ephod is somewhat similardescribed less as a garment but rather more as an item of ceremonial, sacred significance, much like an idol or other special item to be worn but not necessarily an item of clothing. The ephod had twelve different stones set in it. God bless you so much. What Do We Learn about Babylon in the Bible? As previously stated,Urim and Thummim were an important part of the ephod and were used to inquire of the Lord about specific matters. And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. That is, his personal emotions cannot overrule his ministry to represent people to God. It reminds us that we are His chosen people and have been given authority over the enemy. The blue cord represents that Jesus mind is our mind (i.e., the mind of Christ). He wanted to wear it to signify that God was with him and would help him defeat his enemies. Learn how your comment data is processed. We set ourselves up for disappointment and disillusionment. Goldwas beaten, pressed, and hammered into paper-thin sheets, then cut into tiny strips. Also, the names were not simply written on the stones but rather engraved, meaning they can never be removed. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. It was as if The Word (i.e., Jesus) offered the animal sacrifices to God the Father. [6], The object at Nob, which must have been somewhat freestanding since another object is kept behind it, and the objects made by Gideon and by Micah, from molten gold, logically cannot have just been garments. Well. As a Garment. Genesis 30:1-24. Very informative, people need to study the Old Testament more for a solid foundation of understanding of the New Testament. The stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel, and they were arranged in four rows of three stones each. However, at Jesus Sanhedrin trial, the High Priest Caiaphas (the name means rock) tore his clothes even though this was forbidden. I will start by explaining what an ephod is, who was allowed to wear it, and what it looked like. Exodus 39:6,7). Rather it was made into a weaving pattern of small boxes or cells, or diamond-shaped, giving it an appearance of a white on white honeycomb. When Gideon made the ephod, he made it an object of worship for the Israelites. Furthermore, the Lord clothes us with His own beauty, having imputed to us His sanctification. Pomegranates, by contrast, are somewhat easier to identify. I hope this post shows you the depth of the word of God and how the Lord Jesus came to fulfill the law. The second element of Jesus statement is equally important: the Present, ongoing, linearand will continue to be finishedcomponent of the perfect tense. [2] The verb --, "to gird," is used for an ephod, [3] implying that an ephod contains (or perhaps is) a belt or sash. What Was the Spiritual Purpose of the Ephod in the Bible? You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. We will ultimately be let down when we put our trust in anything other than Jesus Christ. The stones upon the breastplate represented the twelve tribes of Israel, and they were borne before the Lord continually as a memorial. Why Is it Important for Us to Be Restored? It was worn outside the robe and probably kept in place by a girdle and by shoulder pieces, from which hung the breast piece (or pouch) containing the sacred lots (divinatory objects), Urim and Thummim, whose precise function is now unknown. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Heather, such a well detailed out explanation about the Ephod. Gideons ephod became a snare because it was an object of worship. However . Verse 14 says he was wearing a linen ephod as he danced before the LORD. It is finished; an end is made of transgression by bringing in everlasting righteousness. That means today there is a real, live, beating human heart in Heaven representing you and meat the right hand of the Father. O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.. People started arguing over who should wear the ephod and who shouldnt. Lets find out more about the significance of the ephod. He believes, second to cultivating his relationship with God that raising his family unto the Lord is the most significant task for him while on Earth. (http://www.ciu.edu/content/it-finished-look-greek), Hal has been teaching the Bible for over three decades. They were all united under one High Priest. The High Priests Day of Atonement garment. This means that we are eternally secure in Jesus. But Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people, and God relented. But praise be to God, we have a Savior! These stones, however, stood in three rows, by four in a row, and were inserted into the breastplate itself, and they were set in (p)ouches of gold, that were themselves inserted in the breastplate and were so made that they might not fall out. The High Priest is also a King of Israel! Again, He assesses us in the light of His unique Son, Jesus. God is not looking at my thoughts to judge me but rather the thoughts of the high priest. Chitn is the word in the Greek Old Testament for the tunic/undergarment worn by all priests, while a different word, hypodyts ( ), is usually the word for the priestly robe. The Gospel of Luke Jesus the Son of Man. Pictured above: Memorial Stones with the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which had the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob) according to their birth order and were placed on the shoulders of the ephod (Exodus 28:9-12. Ephesians 2:8,9. The ephod is frequently mentioned in close connection with the sacred oracle. When the High Priest put on these garments, he was putting on Christ! Jesus, the one full of Grace and Truth! (Matthew 6:25-34). Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised forever and ever! (1 John 1:5. Now the first three stones were asardonyx, a topaz, and an emerald. The ephod is a garment of great significance. We have His revealed and complete Word The Bible. Although David was not a priest, he was a man of God who sought to follow His will in all things. In modern Christianity, it is easy to gloss over the parts of scripture that are no longer seen or practiced like the garments and items the Jewish priests wore in the Old Testament. 5. Only he can save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Because of His sacrifice, we can have eternal life. Each garment was individually made from the finest white flax linen in Israel. In Judges, we see that there was already a lot of division among the Israelites. Thats the number of GRACE! Likely this had to do with the sacredness of the priesthoods garments and what these materials and colors represented typologically. In Exodus 39, we read how the Israelites were obedient in this and crafted the ephod exactly as God commanded. All the best with your assignment, I hope you get a good grade. It was worn at all times while the High Priest was within the Temple. Pomegranates a reminder that mans (i.e., the First Adams) disobedience by partaking of the forbidden fruit (i.e., a pomegranate) from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil resulted in spiritual death (i.e., separation from God), thus requiring God to come from Heaven as a man born of a virgin (i.e., Jesus the Last Adam) to shed His Royal blood to pay the price for our redemption. He was the one who would offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. This means that we are eternally secure in Jesus. The ephod was a sacred garment in the Old Testament. Mosess brother, Aaron, donned the ephod and other priestly garments as his formal clothing at the holy tabernacle, which was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites to worship the Lord during their years in the wilderness. (ee' fahd) A priestly garment connected with seeking a word from God and used in a wrong way as an idol. Note the story told by the colors and their order: Blue Jesus who is God came from heaven, Red Jesus was born of a red-blooded human virgin to become the Son of Man. The high priest wore a skillfully crafted ephod consisting of gold shoulder pieces bearing carved onyx stones showing the names of the 12 tribes, and a woven band of colorful threads. Epomis, ephod, ephoud, Lat. (Isaiah 9:6) They demonstrate that all believers, from the latest convert to the mature believer, are equally precious and complete in His sight. l. 3. c. 7. sect. This plate was inscribed with the words HOLY TO THE LORD. The high priest was to wear this plate whenever he went into the Holy of Holies, the most sacred room in the tabernacle or temple (Exodus 28:36-38). The occasion was the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The same as the High Priests sash previously described. Jesus removed the barrier between us and God. The Gospel of Matthew Jesus of royal lineage. It is also to be noted that the high priests ephod (Exodus 28:6; Exodus 28:8, &c.) was made of shesh, while the garments of the ordinary priests, as well as the ephods of Samuel and David, were of bad. The High Priest was revered as much or more than any king or royalty of the nations around Israel. In Hebrew, the word for red is Adam or Edom. Adam, one of the words for man and literally means red-blooded man. It is derived from the root word in Hebrew for blood: Dam. Redspeaks of Jesus shed blood, The One Who became the second and last Adam, or red or red-blooded man.. That is, we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us based on His finished work and are now free from the impossible task of attempting to earn righteousness through our dead works (1). The ephod was a garment that was to be worn by the High Priest. [2] The biblical description also adds that there were two engraved gems over the shoulder straps (like epaulettes), made from shoham (thought by scholars to mean malachite,[2][3] by Jewish tradition to mean heliodor,[2] and in the King James Version translated as "onyx", and with the names of the 12 tribes written upon them; the classical rabbinical sources differ as to the order in which the tribes were named on the jewels (Sotah 36a). Urim and Thummim were used to ask questions about war, judgment, and guidance from God. Only the special priest could wear the ephod. It was listed first of these priestly garments, and the breastpiece was to be fashioned after the ephod, as well as tied to it with blue cord. . As an Image. This connection between the ephod and the oracle may also be seen very clearly in the combination of . We know the ephod was a tool of ceremonya special, ornate, handcrafted item with great significance. Some believe that the bells and pomegranates were interspersed alternatively, in between each other; however, others hold that the bells were placed inside the pomegranates (the author of this article believes the latter). But the people had gone astray, as the Bible tells us. The color of Grace. The ephod is depicted here in yellow. ESV Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. According to this description, the Ephod was woven out of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet threads, was made of fine linen, and was embroidered with skillful work in gold thread (Exodus 28:614). Note It is always mentioned second. We are sinners in need of a Savior. Let us take a closer look at the way in which the Torah describes how Aaron must function vis--vis the "clothing items.". And David danced before the LORD with all, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. The high priest wore it when he went into the Holy of Holies to intercede with God on behalf of the people. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the Messiahs sufferings, were accomplished. It carried much symbolic weight. Despite their periods of faithlessness, God remained faithful. (Matthew 13:44) When God, who is light, looks upon us living stones in Christ, He sees reflected back His perfect light from the stones. These straps were attached to the ephod at the two upper corners. Titus 2:14) The names were not simply written on the stones but rather engraved, meaning they can never be removed. There is some deviation from the Breastplate order as the tribe of Levi is in the middle of the camp around the tabernacle, and the tribe of Joseph is replaced with his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, effectively giving the tribe of Joseph a double portion in the promised land. On Mount Sinai, God commanded Moses to tell the people, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. It was this very expensive garment that the Roman soldiers gambled for at the foot of His cross. We cant be sure, but we do know that it was a significant part of the priests garments and it was worn out of obedience to God while they made intercession and heard from God. Since the twelve stones were in one breastplate, they speak of the oneness of the people of God, while their position upon Aarons breast speaks of Gods affection for His people. The Bible tells us that we are not to worship anything but God. The ephod reminds us that we need to seek His face and ask for His help in everything we do. (Leviticus 21:10. Girded with a linen ephod.This is usually spoken of as if David were arrayed in a distinctively priestly dress; but it is remarkable that the ephod was not prescribed as a part of the priestly dressthe ephod of the high-priest (Exodus 25:7, &c.) being quite a different thingand was worn by others, as Samuel (1Samuel 2:18). It was also a symbol of his office. Jesus is our high priest, our Redeemer, and He is all we need. God tells Moses the two stones upon the ephod are, in fact, memorial stones for the sons of Israel and that Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord (Exodus 28:12). It is made of linen and measures about ten centimeters wide and eight meters long (2.5 inches x 26 feet). However, it is still a very important part of Jewish tradition and culture. The tearing by Caiaphas of the priestly garments represented the abolishment of the Levitical Priesthood and its replacement after the Melchizedek Priesthood order. Josephus, Antiquities 3:7:1 Twelve stones were also on the breastplate, extraordinary in largeness and beauty; and they were anornament not to be purchasedby men, because of theirimmense value. (John 14:27) We are to rest in Jesus completed work seated with Him (i.e., resting) in the Heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:4-6)Hallelujah! Hebrews 4:16 tells us we can approach Gods throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. And as were told in 1 John 5:14, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.. Much effort went into the making of the ephod, and it was crafted from finery. In this situation, it is clear that God alone was being worshiped following the victory. It was an integral part of being ceremonially ready to serve God. The Present tense is linear: meaning something that continues on into the future and has ongoing results/implications. In particular, I was interested in the conquest where David defeated the Amalekites. The Talmud argues that each of the textures was combined in six threads with a seventh of gold leaf, making 28 threads to the texture in total. It was not, therefore, a peculiarly priestly dress, though naturally more worn by them than by any one else. Further, two onyx stones are to be mounted in gold and fastened on the ephods shoulder pieces. Now thenames of all those sons of Jacob were engraved on these stones, whom we esteem the head of our tribes, each stone having the honor of a name, in theorder according to which they were born. We are saved at a specific point in time, it is finished, our debt is paid, we are ransomed from the kingdom of darkness, and then we confidently rest in the reality that it will continue to be finished because we are in a position of grace and stand justified for all time before God. The wearer of such linen would not sweat. God made a way. We also see King David wearing a linen ephod in 2 Samuel 6:14 and 1 Chronicles 15:27 as he and others carried the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. Well, I recently wrote a blog post on breakthrough and touched on David. Leviticus 10:1-7) Furthermore, he could not go near any dead person, including his father and mother (Leviticus 21:11). This led to even more division among the Israelites. The prophet Samuel, too, wore an ephod during his service to God. Gods divinity has come from Heaven. His sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul and those of his body. God desires His ministers to have cool passions.

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