Exodus 28:15-30 NKJV
28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
5 “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.
9 “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.
Such an intricate design, at the instruction of God — the breastplate, with its 12 specific stones, was meant not for God to remember, but for His chosen nation to never forget their heritage. God could not forget His covenant with His people. In His “remembrance of them” (so to speak), He actively works to keep His promise to protect and save them. There is no stronger protection and salvation than that which comes through the Word of the Lord, which ever-points to Christ! The Israelites lineage would produce the world’s Messiah, Jesus. It’s all at God’s doing, for He formed the nation of Israel for Himself, so that they might proclaim His praise (Is. 43:21) and lead other people to the Lord.
Just as the yesterday’s devotion revealed a right understanding of vestments reflecting (or conveying) a purposeful meaning, that same understanding continues in today’s reading. The breastplate with its 12 precious stones is purposefully meant to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Yes, they were God’s chosen children. But, as said above, they were meant to produce the world’s Messiah — they were not meant to lose that focus and praise their own bloodline. In doing so, their trust would be false and wrong, making themselves an idol and breaking the very first Commandment. The breastplate was positioned over the heart for a reason.
Take note of the location of trust & belief as Luther states: “What does it mean to have a god? Or what is God? Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart. I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust is right, then your god is also true. If your trust is false and wrong, then you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God (Heb. 11:6). Whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in is truly your god.” (LC 11-3)
Let us pray: O Lord, set our hearts ever-on You. Amen.