Exodus 28

Just came back from a long day in church but certainly enjoyed the Katong Home Fellowship just now as we journeyed through Exodus 1 – 27, picking out significant verses (for us) and choosing a related hymn to sing about it.

Indeed there are so many lessons we can learn from our reading of the family of the chosen race and even though some of the previous chapters and future chapters may seem bewildering, boring, or even confusing, perservere on and diligently read…. cause God will reward you with insights and understanding to Him.  And more importantly, keep us in His grace and love as we know Him more and more.

Bible Passage:  Exodus 28

We read about the very elaborate priestly garments that God commanded that Aaron and his sons serving as priests should wear.  Imagine our preachers or ministers wearing it today… it will be quite a sight (not to mention highly uncomfortable for them in hot weather like ours (: ).

I do not for a moment pretend that I understand completely the significance of every item of the priestly garments.  But there was one item that made me pause for a bit and think….

Am I Really A Priest?

When you read Exodus 28:9-12, you will find that on each shoulder piece, there is to be an onyx stone upon which the names of the tribes of Israel were engraved (six names on each stone).  These were to be a permanent memorial of the sons of Israel before the Lord.

Whenever Aaron, or his successors put on the ephod and went before the Lord, he brought Israel with him.

What does this mean?  To wear the ephod in the presence of God was to carry or “shoulder” the people and their needs before God.

The purpose of God meeting with the high priest in the tabernacle was Israel – and these shoulder pieces served as a reminder of the fact.  Aaron would be constantly reminded that he is meeting God not for his own self-interest but for the interest of the people.  And Israel would be brough before God’s mind every time Aaron went before Him.  Of course I do not mean that God will forget His people and needed to be reminded.  But rather, the memory language is metaphorical for salvation.  For God to remember His people, it means that God is responding with salvation to His people (cf.  case of Noah in Genesis 8:1, 9:15).

So we see Aaron going before God shouldering the people and their needs and seeking God’s saving response, mercy and forgiveness on their behalf.  This is what priests do.

Is this what we expect our ministers to do for us as well?  To pray for us and to seek God’s mercy on our behalf when we meet with sicknesses or problems?  I do not think we do that although I know some who think that the prayer of a minister is more powerful than their own prayers.

But the point I want to draw on is this… Israel is called to be a kingdom of priests.  And in 1 Peter 2:9, the church is identified to be a “royal priesthood”.  So effectively, this means you and I are called to shoulder the people and their needs before God – seeking His forgiveness and salvation.

We must not become merely self-interested prayers.  We must bring others before the Lord, seeking salvation and mercy on their behalf.  If we are going to be a priesthood, we must have the names of peoples – our fellow brethren, our family members, our relatives, our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, our classmates etc –  etched upon our shoulders as a memorial to the Lord.  Looking back, I’m afraid that too often I have come before the Lord with shoulders bearing only my own name.

Often when we talk about th fact that we are priests of God, we talk about our service to God and the need for us to be holy.  This is all true and just as important.

But the question I want to leave with you all today is this…. are we priests that pray for others?

Every week, we hear of lots of names in the prayer list.  Around us, we know of people in need of the Lord – some are sick, some are emotional wrecks,  some have relationship issues… The question is… do we bring their names before the Lord when we meet Him in prayer?

Last year during theological prayers, the Preacher encouraged the students to think of 5 names of their fellow brethren each time before they kneel down in prayer.  The idea being that they should learn to pray for their class/churchmates.  And if they do not know who or what to pray for, then they should find out …. or else how could they really call each other brother and sister if they do not know their needs.

This is and remains a very good lesson for me – a lesson that I have not really been putting into practice.  But the reminder in today’s chapter is very clear… I need to start shouldering the names of the people of God in my prayers.  Because it is not always about me…. it is about the family of the chosen ones.