Priest are chosen to Serve the People. The ephod and the girdle

7/24/2008 10:53 AM

My Worship Time Focus:  Priest are chosen to serve the people. The ephod and         girdle

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Exodus 28:6-14; 39:2-7

Message of the verses:  “6 ¶  “They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman.

7    “It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined.

8    “The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

9    “You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10  six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.  11  “As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold.  12  “You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.  13  “You shall make filigree settings of gold, 14  and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.

“2  He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen.  3  Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman.  4  They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends.  5  The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.  6  They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.  7  And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

The above picture is a picture of the high priest and all of the articles of clothing that he wares, but for today’s lesson I want to focus in on the ephod and the girdle, which is hard to see. 

The ephod is a multicolored garment which is two pieces and is connected at the Shoulders, and also has two stones in the shoulders with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on them.  The priest would carry the names of all the tribes of Israel into where he was ministering and thus bring them before the Lord as he ministers for the people to the Lord. 

Jesus Christ is the High Priest now, not from the tribe of Levi but of the tribe of Judah and after the order of Melchizedek “Heb 5:6  just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."   Jesus Christ’s work is done as He is seated in heaven at the right hand of God.  There were no seats in the tabernacle for the work of the priest was never complete.  Jesus Christ ministers in heaven for His people and we can come directly to Him with our praises and our problems and He will intercede on our behalf. 

As a NT believer and priest it is one of my responsibilities to pray for those in the Church who are hurting and in need of prayer, to represent my brothers and sisters before the Lord as the high priest did in the OT times.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Just as the OT high priest carried the names of the children of Israel on his shoulders in order to represent them before the Lord in the tabernacle so it is my job to pray for those people who are hurting to our Great High Priest Jesus Christ who is in heaven waiting to hear those prayers from me. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.    I want to be a better prayer worrier to those who need my prayers.

2.    I want to server the Lord first and then serve those believers who are in need of my prayers and other services.

Memory verses for the week:                      Exodus 20:1-3

1.      Then the Lord spoke all these words, saying

2.      I am the Lord Your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3.      You shall have no other gods before me.

7/24/2008 12:30 PM