But it was unquestionably done as an act of religious homage, his attitudes and dress being symbolic, as they have always been in Oriental countries, of penitence, joy, thankfulness, and devotion. On many levels, linen and cotton are similar fabricsone made from the fibers of the cotton plant, the other from fibers of the flax plant, which has many of the same qualities as cotton. This is a type of Christ's righteousness and perfect holiness during his entire human life. A passage in the Book of Exodus describes the Ephod as an elaborate garment worn by the high priest, and upon which the Hoshen, or breastplate containing Urim and Thummim, rested. God then gave Moses the Ten Commandments and other laws. 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. Urim and Thummim were used to ask questions about war, judgment, and guidance from God. Anyone who dared to wear it without being authorized by God Himself would be judged harshly. Other biblical books describe an ephod that may or may not be similar to the one legislated for the High Priest. The Hebrew word for "linen" used in describing the ephod worn by young Samuel and the 85 priests is badh, while shesh . APUD or APDO Gr. 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. God also told Moses to make sure the people stayed back and did not try to approach the Lord, for they were not holy or capable enough to be in His presence. We are also given the Holy Spirit, who helps us to grow in our relationship with God. 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. Jesus came from Heaven to become a red-blooded man. ";[8] according to the Bible this action eventually caused the whole of Israel to turn away from God yet again and the ruin of Gideon and his family. Pictured above: Blue, purple, and scarlet wool yarn along with white linen thread and pure gold thread. A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Despite their periods of faithlessness, God remained faithful. Therefore, some textual scholars regard its presence in the Masoretic text as a later editorial gloss.[2]. Verse 6. NIV But Samuel was ministering before the LORD--a boy wearing a linen ephod. The ephod symbolized the authority that God had given to the Aaronic priesthood. These are the same precious stones in the Garden of God called Eden (Ezekiel 28:13), symbolizing when mankind was free from sin. The ephod iss mentioned only in the Old Testament. When we do this, we make an idol out of something that is not God. Melchizedeks name comes from two Hebrew words: Melchi, meaning King, and Zedek,meaning Righteousness. 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.. (John 19:30) It is the verb form of the word, Complete. This is the root word for Tekhelet, pronounced te-KAY-let, which was theblue tunicworn by the high priest. Purple Gods Royal Blood in the Son of Man (Red) that came from Heaven (Blue). 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. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised forever and ever! Later, the same thing happened. (, The descendants of Aaron were responsible for offering sacrifices and keeping the tabernacleor, later, the templeclean and orderly. The crafting of these priestly garments, along with other preparations for the elaborate details of the Lords tabernacle, takes up several chapter in Exodusfirst the descriptions of how they are to be made, then the description of the crafting itself. Some believe David sinned by wearing the linen ephod in his worship. He made a covenant with Moses, promising He would still be with the people in spite of their misdeeds as long as they obeyed God (Exodus 34:10-11). Lets take a look: Judges 8:27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. The breastplate, called the Urim and Thummim would rest in a cloth receptacle upon the ephod. The ephod also had a waistband, which was made of gold and was also attached to the ephod at the two upper corners (Exodus 28:27-28). He consecrated it to God, but after his death homage was paid to it as an idol. He was not prepared, not clean and holy enough, to do the work of the Lord. (significance and symbolism), And thats it, folks, the ephod in the bible, Dream About the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem (Raw), 31+ Brilliant Bible Emergency Numbers (Verses). It is mentioned throughout the Bible and has been worn by some of the most well-known figures in Christianity. Most likely some sort of bag or pouch that carried the Urim and Thummim, some sort of objects used for divination. (q) Hackman. This does not mean we are to sit around and do nothing all day. It is also the color ofgrace. The first significant passage is in Exodus where God is providing Moses with the design of the ephod that Aaron, the high priest, would wear. They show us that we can consult God on all of our decisions. But Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people, and God relented. 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. We know the ephod was a tool of ceremonya special, ornate, handcrafted item with great significance. It was not, therefore, a peculiarly priestly dress, though naturally more worn by them than by any one else. Gideons ephod became a snare because it was an object of worship. The video helped a lot in the understanding of how it was made. The ephod also symbolized the importance of obedience to Gods laws. Also, the names were not simply written on the stones but rather engraved, meaning they can never be removed. 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! Remember, it was customary in Israel to tear their garments and put sackcloth and ashes on their heads upon the death of a relative (Genesis 37:33,34). 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. Gold (pure) (1) Almighty God who is Holy. It was made . This means that we are eternally secure in Jesus. Leviticus 10:1-7) Furthermore, he could not go near any dead person, including his father and mother (Leviticus 21:11). They are hidden in the place where he removes them. It was this very expensive garment that the Roman soldiers gambled for at the foot of His cross. (p) Lexic. David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. There are many opinions on what are the correct stones and order for the stones. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at jessicabrodie.com. The ephod is frequently mentioned in close connection with the sacred oracle. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. 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. Here, the ephod is included among a litany of sacred garments Aaron is to wear. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? That means today there is a real, live, beating human heart in Heaven representing you and meat the right hand of the Father. Genesis 35:16-19). Consequently, these clothes carried the richness and beauty that surpassed the royal robes of the mightiest kings of the surrounding empires. We know the ephod was a tool of ceremonya special, ornate, handcrafted item with great significance. The book of 1 Chronicles states that David was "clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the . This ephod might have been worn or set upon an altar. (1 Corinthians 15:45-47) The Gospel of Mark Jesus the suffering servant. The ephod supported the breastpiece of 12 precious stones. The High Priest and Priests wore no shoes or sandals, meaning they would walk barefoot, which is the prerequisite for walking on holy ground (Exodus 3:5). White is the symbolic color of purity, of cleanliness. (Matthew 6:25-34). But praise be to God, we have a Savior! He was the one who would offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. 1 Samuel 2:18. Each garment was individually made from the finest white flax linen in Israel. (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. The Ephod is a beautiful reminder of the history of the Jewish people and their faith. The Golden Garment of the High Priests uniform was a two-layered set of clothing which included the four garments of the regular priests plus four additional articles of clothing that were added to enhance the ritual beauty and honor of the sacredness of the duties of the High Priest in his daily work of atonement for the children of Israel. Hallelujah! Long sleeves were worn by privileged people, meaning they did not have to perform manual labor. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the Messiahs sufferings, were accomplished. The ephods front and back were made to be as one garment by a sash or girdle, which was tied about the priests waist. 28:6-8; 39:2-5). This sparked an interest in re-reading the story of David and his conquests. That day was the highest andmost holy day of the year, the Day of Atonement, a day also called the Day of Judgment. We dont need an ephod anymore, because Jesus fulfilled its purpose. Each thread is made from 6 threads, each of sky-blue, of purple, of crimson and of white twisted linen, and 4 threads of pure gold. On each of these stones was engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel. The High Priest is also a King of Israel! We are dependent on Him for everything. However, it is still a very important part of Jewish tradition and culture. When Jesus says It is finished (or completed),what He is actually saying is, It is finishedand will continue to be finished. The first element of the perfect tense: the Aorist, punctiliar, point in time statement It is finished is powerful. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance has now come, and all the shadows are done away. (Ephesians 2:4-6)Hallelujah! (Exodus 33:20-23. 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 same as the High Priests sash previously described. David needed guidance from God, so he asked Abiathar again to bring him the ephod (1 Samuel 30:7). From the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron was chosen to serve as priests. The tribe of Levi was set apart by God to be His holy ministers. (Colossians 3:9,10. 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). In order to understand the ephod, lets try to get a picture of what the priestly garments are comprised of since they were a unit (See Per Exodus 28:4): Lets touch on a few essential pieces of the priestly garments: It was made of linen, and it had two shoulder straps attached to it. 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. Stay tuned for an upcoming post where I break this down. This bespoke of custom-fitted, meticulously detailed, and immaculately clean garments. 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. The twelve stones on the breastplate represented the twelve tribes of Israel. Sweat was part of the curse and represents human works, effort, reasoning, striving, worrying, fear, etc. The robes hem was woven over double to prevent it from ripping due to the weight of the pomegranates and bells. Note It is always mentioned second. CSB Samuel served in the Lord's presence--this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod. We become like Jesus with the difference that we started out all red and He started out all blue (i.e., all God). When we are trying to make a decision, we can ask God for guidance, and He will show us what to do. The name Urim means lights, while Thummim means perfections.On the front of the breastplate were fastened twelve precious stones infourrows of three. 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. (Romans 5:1,2). 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.
what is a linen ephod look like