And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. Exodus 39:10-14). While cotton fabric is derived from the fibers in the bolls that grow around the plant's seed heads, linen is made from fibers in the stems of the flax plant. Verse 6. The combination of these two tenses in the perfect tense is used inJohn 19:30is of overwhelming significance to the Christian. Description. [See on [265]1Ch 15:27.]. As He specifies, the ephod should be made of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linenthe work of skilled hands. Scarlet,or red, is the last color mentioned. This diadem, crown, or headband was constructed with one piece of pure gold engraved with the simple message, Holy to the Lord. Unlike the crown worn by royalty on top of the head, this is worn across the forehead and extends from ear to ear. The Ephod is a beautiful reminder of the history of the Jewish people and their faith. Is it an article of clothing, or a piece of jewelry? 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.. These were then rolled and hammered some more until each piece was the tiniest, finest pure gold thread. The stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel, and they were arranged in four rows of three stones each. 2 Timothy 1:9. To most commentators, a belt and shoulder straps suggested an apron-like garment. Here goes: Modern-day society can replace Jesus Christ with various things. 1 John 3:2). 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. (g) With a garment like the priest's garment. The ephod reminds us that we need to seek His face and ask for His help in everything we do. Thanks Lallie, thanks for stopping by! It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance has now come, and all the shadows are done away. This blog post will discuss 12 fascinating facts about the ephod. They would be alone, isolated, without helpwithout God or a way to communicate with Him. Presently, He desires to honor Jesus Christ through this Internet teaching ministry, thereby glorifying the Heavenly Father in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Yarn and Thread Colors Five Colors which is the Biblical Number for Grace. He is the only one who can give us true peace and satisfaction. This connection between the ephod and the oracle may also be seen very clearly in the combination of . Realize, precious stones are typically located deep within the earth. 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. Heather, such a well detailed out explanation about the Ephod. Over the ephod, the High Priest wore abreastplatewhich was a pouch about 22-cm (about 9 inches) square made of beautifully woven material. (1 Peter 2:9). The ephod was a symbol of the authority of the high priest. The first of the third row was aligure, then an amethyst, and the third an agatebeing the ninth of the whole number. The underpriest's ephod was probably like the high priest's in shape but was made of plain white cloth, not embroidered, and the linen of which it was made may not have been of the quality of the high priest's ephod. Much, much later, the Bible tells us God allowed the destruction of Israel because of their great and continued long streak of disobedience, and that part of their destruction included no guidance from God. l. 3. c. 7. sect. This bespoke of custom-fitted, meticulously detailed, and immaculately clean garments. On each of these stones was engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Epomis, ephod, ephoud, Lat. We are also given the Holy Spirit, who helps us to grow in our relationship with God. But the people had gone astray, as the Bible tells us. (p) Lexic. 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. White Righteousness and purity. The onyx stones were meant to be memorial stones, we are told in Exodus 28:12, representing the sons of Israelliterally, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, through his 12 sons birthed through his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. Now the first three stones were asardonyx, a topaz, and an emerald. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. The ephod symbolized the authority that God had given to the Aaronic priesthood. thanks for this info concerning the ephod it helped me with my assignment. He has gone into the presence of God on our behalf and has made intercession for us. Lets take a look: Judges 8:27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. Jesus tunic was made out of the finest linen and was completely seamless. We dont need an ephod anymore, because Jesus fulfilled its purpose. Its threads were 12 plies. (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! 2:18), and once even David (ii Sam. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at jessicabrodie.com. The Ephod was an apron-like garment worn in priestly activities at the temple. The same as the High Priests sash previously described. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! (Colossians 3:9,10. We can now approach God and see His face without dying (Exodus 28:35) and not just His backside like Moses under the law. Jesus says Tetelestai here in the perfect tense, which is very rare in the New Testament and has no English equivalent. Gideon is additionally described as creating an ephod made up of 1,700 shekels of gold (Judges 8:2527). Thus, Aaron and his sons were ordained as Gods priests in accordance with all Gods commands. It carried much symbolic weight. Well. Note the neck of this garment was specifically fortified to prevent it from accidentally tearing. 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). His name is Jesus Christ, and He is our great High Priest. David needed guidance from God, so he asked Abiathar again to bring him the ephod (1 Samuel 30:7). Before He was born of Mary, Jesus was All God or rather All Blue. I believe God made the sky blue to reflect the glory of His Son! 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. When a priest would inquire of the Lord about a specific matter, he would put his hand on the appropriate stone. (Leviticus 21:10. He wanted to wear it to signify that God was with him and would help him defeat his enemies. Listed below are a few of them. An ephod (Hebrew: f; /fd/ or /ifd/) was a type of apron, which according to the Hebrew Bible, was worn by the Jewish high priest the kohen gadol, an artifact and an object to be revered in ancient Israelite culture, and was closely connected with oracular practices and priestly ritual. 1 Peter 2:4,5. The wearer of such linen made from breathable flax fibers would not sweat. We set ourselves up for disappointment and disillusionment. (John 14:27) We are to rest in Jesus completed work seated with Him (i.e., resting) in the Heavenly realms. He was also the King of Salem, which means peace. The Bible tells us that we are not to worship anything but God. These names were to be a reminder to the nation and The LORD of the history of Israel, and so were called the stones of remembrance. 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. (Genesis 3:21) However, here the tunic was made out of very fine linen. suggest that the ephod originally refers to a container for the stones used to cast lots and later became associated with many objects that also could contain the stones or were used in divination. . As Moses explained to Aaron, they needed to follow these directions perfectly or face consequences, including death. There were instances in scripture when the people took their eyes off God and chose to worship an ephod in His place, forgetting that the power belonged to God, not the ephod. Just like how the ephod easily became a snare based on the three points provided, we can draw some lessons that we can apply today. In the former the ephod is referred to in the priestly ordinances as a part of the official dress of the high priest, and was to be made of threads . All rights reserved. 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. Anyone who dared to wear it without being authorized by God Himself would be judged harshly. Leviticus 10:1-7) Furthermore, he could not go near any dead person, including his father and mother (Leviticus 21:11). When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had raided the city and burned it down. Mandrakes in the Bible | Thought-Provoking! Jesus is our high priest, our Redeemer, and He is all we need. In conclusion,in Jesus statement It is finished, we have a declaration of salvation that is both in a particular moment in time and eternal, Aorist and Present, linear and punctiliar. 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). God invents boxer shorts! I will also explore some of the most famous stories involving the ephod, such as Gideon and David. It was long it extended from just below his elbows, all the way to his heels. 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. God was furious over their disobedience and faithlessness and planned to destroy the Israelites. That is, right standing or rather the right to stand before our Holy God. From my earlier description, it appears that the ephod was a very beautiful and intricate garment. In the Bible, in the contexts where it is worn, the ephod is usually described as being linen, but did not constitute complete clothing of any kind, as the Books of Samuel describe. Genesis 30:1-24. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior and the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aarons garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. (Isaiah 53:5. While the priestly garments were allowed to have a combination of wool and linen, those of the laity were not. [5] Since the oracular process is considered by scholars to have been one of cleromancy, with the Urim and Thummim being the objects which were drawn as lots, the Ephod is considered by scholars to have been some form of container for the Urim and Thummim;[2][5] to harmonise this with the descriptions of the Ephod as a garment, it is necessary to conclude that the Ephod must have originally been some sort of pocket, which the priests girded to themselves. A. Hebrews 7:1-17) Therefore, He is the King of Righteousness and Peace and a giver of righteousness that leads to peace with God the Father. He consecrated it to God, but after his death homage was paid to it as an idol. Here is a super detailed video that explains the priestly garments with a very good visual: Exodus 28:30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aarons heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised forever and ever! The book of 1 Chronicles states that David was "clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the . The tunicwas first invented by God for Adam and Eve after they had sinned, and He made them from the skin of an animal which I believe was a ram. You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded (Leviticus 8:34-35). Very informative, people need to study the Old Testament more for a solid foundation of understanding of the New Testament. The Hebrew word tekheletliterally means blue, with its root word meaning complete. When Jesus from the cross cried out finished, He said one Aramaic word: kulah, translated as Teleostei in Greek, with both words meaning finished (6). 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. There were also had two shoulder straps that were sewn onto the belt. (Matthew 26:62-65). Thats the number of GRACE! Again, linen isa unique fabric that keeps the wearer cool in hot weather and warm when it is cold which were very practical qualities for living in an arid climate with hot days and cold nights. 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. Again, no sewing was used, simply weaving. What Do We Learn about Babylon in the Bible? The Hebrew word for "linen" used in describing the ephod worn by young Samuel and the 85 priests is badh, while shesh . What does it look like? That is, you cannot lose your salvation because the work of the Last Adam was greater than the work of the First Adam! Great detail goes into the Lords description of the ephod. Learn how your comment data is processed. This blog post will discuss 12 fascinating facts about the ephod. The robes hem was woven over double to prevent it from ripping due to the weight of the pomegranates and bells. The wearing of the ephod, however, is spoken of in 1Samuel 22:18 as characteristic of the priests, and in Judges 8:27; Judges 17:5; Judges 18:14-20, it is connected with idolatrous worship. One he wore in the morning and the other in the evening. Hebrews 4:14-15 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. In this manner, the crown, itself a thin plate, was kept tied and in place on the High Priests forehead. The blue cord represents that Jesus mind is our mind (i.e., the mind of Christ). This uniform consisted of four White Garments: The White Garments revealed Jesus as the Son of Man, the Last Adam, who stepped down from Heaven to become a servant and shed His blood for the original sin of the First Adam and everyones subsequent sins. Wearing the Ephod demonstrated his humility and faith. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Pictured above: Blue, purple, and scarlet wool yarn along with white linen thread and pure gold thread. Linen Leggings (Short Pants Undergarments), Undergarments (Short Pants Linen Leggings). 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. No demand made upon that grace can delete it. God made a way. The high priest wore it when he went into the Holy of Holies to intercede with God on behalf of the people. The high priest used the ephod along with the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim as a means of divination. As God said through His prophet Hosea, The Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods (Hosea 3:4). That is, God the Father looks at Jesus to judge Christians. The Stones of the Ephod. (Exodus 39:1 NET). Long sleeves were worn by privileged people, meaning they did not have to perform manual labor. The actual blessing is done with both arms held horizontally in front, at shoulder level, with hands touching, to form the Hebrew letter shin. This stands for the Hebrew word for Shaddai, meaning Almighty [God]., (5)Wuests Word Studies From the Greek New Testament for the English Reader, Volume Three, Golden Nuggets, Kenneth S. Wuest, Reprinted 1999,ISBN-13:978-0802822802, (6) It is finished or completed is the translation of the Greek word Tetelestaiwhich only appears twice in the Bible (John 19:28,30). The perfect tense is a combination of two Greek tenses: the Present tense and the Aorist tense. An ephod ( Hebrew: f; / fd / or / ifd /) was a type of apron, which according to the Hebrew Bible, was worn by the Jewish high priest the kohen gadol, an artifact and an object to be revered in ancient Israelite culture, and was closely connected with oracular practices and priestly ritual. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul writes about the importance of clothing ourselves with Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:27). This ephod might have been worn or set upon an altar. 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 is mentioned throughout the Bible and has been worn by some of the most well-known figures in Christianity. Breastpiece or breastplate of judgment.. 4 Reasons Why We Have a Hard Time Talking about Loneliness. Divinely Righteous. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx . It was a day of rejoicing as David "and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets . Only he is worthy of our worship and devotion. [2] The conclusion thus is that Ephod, in these cases, referred to a portable idol, which the lots were cast in front of;[1][2] some scholars have suggested that the connection between the idol and the garment is that the idol was originally clothed in a linen garment, and the term Ephod gradually came to describe the idol as a whole.[2]. 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. Lesson 4: A LINEN EPHOD "And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod" (2 Sam.
