Meditate

39. Priestly Garments

Making the Vestments for the Priesthood

39

Of the blue, purple, and crimson yarns they made finely worked vestments, for ministering in the holy place; they made the sacred vestments for Aaron; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

² He made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.³Gold leaf was hammered out and cut into threads to work into the blue, purple, and crimson yarns and into the fine twisted linen, in skilled design.⁴They made for the ephod shoulder-pieces, joined to it at its two edges.⁵The decorated band on it was of the same materials and workmanship, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ The onyx stones were prepared, enclosed in settings of gold filigree and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.⁷He set them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁸ He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, like the work of the ephod, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.⁹It was square; the breastpiece was made double, a span in length and a span in width when doubled.¹⁰They set in it four rows of stones. A row of carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald was the first row;¹¹and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a moonstone;¹²and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;¹³and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were enclosed in settings of gold filigree.¹⁴There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.¹⁵They made on the breastpiece chains of pure gold, twisted like cords;¹⁶and they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece;¹⁷and they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.¹⁸Two ends of the two cords they had attached to the two settings of filigree; in this way they attached it in front to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.¹⁹Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.²⁰They made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, at its joining above the decorated band of the ephod.²¹They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it should lie on the decorated band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue yarn;²³and the opening of the robe in the middle of it was like the opening in a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not be torn.²⁴On the lower hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.²⁵They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the lower hem of the robe all around, between the pomegranates;²⁶a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate all around on the lower hem of the robe for ministering; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ They also made the tunics, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons,²⁸and the turban of fine linen, and the headdresses of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen,²⁹and the sash of fine twisted linen, and of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, embroidered with needlework; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ They made the rosette of the holy diadem of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.”³¹They tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it on the turban above; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Work Completed

³² In this way all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished; the Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.³³Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases;³⁴the covering of tanned rams’ skins and the covering of fine leather, and the curtain for the screen;³⁵the ark of the covenant with its poles and the mercy seat;³⁶the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;³⁷the pure lampstand with its lamps set on it and all its utensils, and the oil for the light;³⁸the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent;³⁹the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand;⁴⁰the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;⁴¹the finely worked vestments for ministering in the holy place, the sacred vestments for the priest Aaron, and the vestments of his sons to serve as priests.⁴²The Israelites had done all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.⁴³When Moses saw that they had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded, he blessed them.

2. Wisdom From the Spirit

¹⁴ Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.¹⁵Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.

16

“For who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

94. Psalm 94

Psalm 94

God the Avenger of the Righteous

1

O Lord, you God of vengeance,

you God of vengeance, shine forth!

2

Rise up, O judge of the earth;

give to the proud what they deserve!

3

O Lord, how long shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked exult?

4

They pour out their arrogant words;

all the evildoers boast.

5

They crush your people, O Lord,

and afflict your heritage.

6

They kill the widow and the stranger,

they murder the orphan,

7

and they say, “The Lord does not see;

the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

8

Understand, O dullest of the people;

fools, when will you be wise?

9

He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see?

10

He who disciplines the nations,

he who teaches knowledge to humankind,

does he not chastise?

11

The Lord knows our thoughts,

that they are but an empty breath.

12

Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,

and whom you teach out of your law,

13

giving them respite from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14

For the Lord will not forsake his people;

he will not abandon his heritage;

15

for justice will return to the righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16

Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17

If the Lord had not been my help,

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

18

When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”

your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

19

When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

20

Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

those who contrive mischief by statute?

21

They band together against the life of the righteous,

and condemn the innocent to death.

22

But the Lord has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge.

23

He will repay them for their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness;

the Lord our God will wipe them out.