Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Sunday May 13, 2012Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 28:15-30-The Lord Gives Moses Instructions Regarding the BreastpieceLesson # 35

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 28:15.

4. This morning we will study Exodus 28:15-30, which records the Lord giving Moses instructions with regards to the breastpiece that the high priest in Israel was to wear when serving in the tabernacle.

5. Exodus 28:15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen you shall make it. 16 It shall be square and folded double, a span (nine inches) in length and a span (9 inches) in width.

6. 17 You shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz and emerald; 18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

7. 21 The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold. 23 You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

8. 24 You shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 25 You shall put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it. 26 You shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod.

9. 27 You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod.

10. 29 Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.” (NASB95)

11. The breastpiece was a square pouch, which was used for divination.

12. It was eighteen inches square and was basically a fancy pocket worn over the high priest’s chest as part of the ephod that held the stones used for discerning the will of God.

13. “Breastpiece of judgment” is composed of the masculine singular construct form of the noun ḥō∙šěn (חֹשֶׁן) (kho´-shen), “judgment” and the masculine singular noun miš∙pāṭ (מִשְׁפָּט) (mish-pawt´), “judgment.”

14. The noun ḥō∙šěn means “breast-plate” which is an ornamental chest covering worn by the high priest in Israel, which held the Urim and Thummim.

15. Thenoun miš∙pāṭ means “judgment” or “decision” in the sense of an official proclamation concerning the will of God.

16. Exodus 28:18 teaches that this “breastpiece of judgment” literally means “a breastpiece for use in making decisions.” (see NET)

17. Thus this breastpiece was used for making decisions or for determining the will of God in a particular matter or circumstance.

18. The breastpiece was made of the same material and colors as the ephod according to Exodus 28:15.

19. The colors of the breastpiece were blue, purple, scarlet and was made of gold according to this verse, which corresponds to the gold and the colors that composed the inner part of the tabernacle.

20. Also, this verse reveals that the breastpiece had to be made by an artistic designer or skilled craftsman.

21. This all emphasizes the fact that the tabernacle and the priesthood, which officiated in the tabernacle worship were integrated so as to represent the Lord to the Israelites and vice versa.

22. The breastpiece was to be square and when doubled it was nine inches long and nine inches wide according to Exodus 28:16.

23. Exodus 28:17-21 teaches that the twelve stones were arranged three to a row in a total of four rows.

24. This is comparable to the ephod shoulder stones.

25. “Ruby” is the noun ʾō∙ḏěm (o´-dem), which refers to some type of reddish stone since the root of this word is associated with “redness.”

26. Thus, the NET, NIV and NASB render the word “ruby,” which is a precious stone that is a red corundum.

27. “Topaz” is the noun piṭ∙ḏā(h) (pit-daw´), which the Septuagint and Vulgate identify as topaz, which was a yellow to brownish-yellow transparent mineral used as a gem.

28. “Emerald” is the noun bā∙rě∙qěṯ (baw-reh´-keth), which literally means “flashing” or “sparkling.”

29. The KJV and ESV render the word “carbuncle” whereas the NET and NIV render it “beryl.”

30. The Septuagint translates it with the noun σμάραγδος, which means “emerald,” which was a rich green variety of beryl.

31. Thus, either “emerald” or “beryl” is a good translation for the word since emerald was a form of beryl.

32. “Turquoise” is the noun np̄ěḵˊ (no´-fek), which the NIV and NET render “turquoise” which is a light greenish blue whereas the ESV translates it “emerald.”

33. The former is more likely the color of this gemstone since the noun bā∙rě∙qěṯ (baw-reh´-keth) speaks of a beryl or emerald stone.

34. “Sapphire” is the noun sǎp∙pîr (sap-peer´), which denotes a clear blue lapis lazuli rather than a very hard modern sapphire (see TNIV).

35. “Diamond” is the noun yā∙hǎlōm (yah-hal-ome´), which refers to either a very hard stone or one that was mined and could be either a diamond or a jasper.

36. “Jacinth” is the noun lě∙šěm (leh´-shem), which the NET, NIV, NASB and ESV all translate as “jacinth.”

37. Various studies concerning this word which only occurs here in Exodus 28:19, do not agree as to the color of this stone, thus making a certain identification impossible.

38. “Agate” is the noun šeḇô (sheb-oo´), which the NET, NIV, and ESV render as “agate,” which was a variety of chalcedony with colored bands.

39. “Amethyst” is the noun ʾǎḥ∙lā∙mā(h) (akh-law´-maw), which the NET, NIV, and ESV translate as “amethyst,” which was a clear purple or bluish-violet variety of crystallized quartz.

40. “Beryl” is the noun tǎr∙šîš (tar-sheesh´), which the NET and NIV translate as “chrysolite.”

41. This noun is identified with the Spanish topaz.

42. Spanish gold topaz was chrysolite to the ancients.

43. The Septuagint employs the Greek noun χρυσόλιθος to translate it, which means “chrysolite,” which was golden yellow in color.

44. “Onyx” is the noun šō∙hǎm (sho´-ham), which is also translated “onyx” by the ESV, NIV and NET.

45. The word’s significance is clear through Akkadian cognates with the meaning “red,” thus some render the word “carnelian,” which was a hard red chalcedony.

46. “Jasper” is the noun yā∙šep̄ē(h) (yaw-shef-ay´), which is correctly translated referring to an opaque cryptocrystalline quartz of any of several colors especially green chalcedony.

47. Exodus 28:21 teaches that the various stones mentioned in verses 17-20 were to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

48. This breastpiece was yet another place where another representation of the twelve tribes of Israel could be worn by the high priest while he served in the presence of the Lord.

49. If you recall, two onyx shoulder stones of the ephod held the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it with the name of a single tribe engraved on a single stone.

50. Therefore, the twelve tribes of Israel were represented both as groups and individually on both the shoulder stones of the ephod and the breastpiece.