Message 122
(7)
Scripture Reading: Exo. 28:6-14; 39:2-9
Exodus 28:9 and 10 say, “And you shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.” In verse 12 the record goes on to say, “And you shall put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” The two onyx stones must have been very close in size to the size of a man’s shoulder. This would be quite likely, since they were put on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. I believe that these two onyx stones were flat and either oblong or rectangular in shape. Each of them had to be large enough for six of the names of the children of Israel to be engraved on it.
The shoulder-pieces were located at the place where the front and the back parts of the ephod came together, where they were joined at the shoulder. This part of the ephod must have been thicker and stronger than any other part. Furthermore, because the shoulder-pieces were of one piece with the ephod, they should not be regarded as separate from the ephod itself. These pieces were one with the ephod as a whole and, joining the two parts together, they were strong enough to bear the onyx stones. In order for the ephod to bear such heavy stones, it was necessary for the shoulder-pieces to be thick and strong.
We have seen that the ephod typifies Christ with His two natures, divinity and humanity. The two natures of Christ are mingled to bear the expression of God, signified by the gold, and the expression of man, signified by the linen. Christ also bears the expression of His heavenliness, kingship, and redemption typified respectively by the blue, the purple, and the scarlet. It is such an expression that becomes the material that bears the onyx stone.
What is signified by the two onyx stones borne upon the shoulders of the high priest? These onyx stones signify the believers, including us. When some hear this, they may say, “Perhaps you as an older brother in the Lord are signified by the onyx stone. But I certainly am not. I have been saved for only a short time. I do not have the appearance of an onyx stone. On the contrary, I have the appearance of clay or dust.” Perhaps this is your situation. Nevertheless, as long as you have been regenerated, there is at least a small amount of onyx stone within you. If you did not have the element of onyx stone in your being, you would have no interest in hearing this kind of message. The very fact that you love the Lord and are seeking Him and that you want to hear this kind of word is a strong indication that there is at least some onyx stone in you. Eventually, all the clay will be transformed into onyx stone.
With our natural being there are two aspects: the aspect of God’s creation and the aspect of the fall. Part of our natural being is the creation of God. Another part is of man’s fall. That which has its source in the fall of man will be shaken away, and that which comes from God’s creation will remain with us and be transformed. Therefore, God’s work on us accomplishes two things. On the one hand, it is shaking away, removing, the fallen aspect; on the other hand, it is uplifting and transforming the aspect of our being that is related to God’s creation to become precious stone. Of course, it takes time for the fallen element to be removed and the created element to be transformed and uplifted. Nevertheless, many of those who have been in the church life for a number of years have experienced the shaking off of the fallen element and the transformation of the created element. The result is that these saints are much weightier in Christ today than they were several years ago. Some of the fallen element has been removed, and quite an amount of God’s created element has been uplifted and transformed into precious stones.
We should not doubt the fact that we are signified by the onyx stones on the shoulders of the ephod. One day, we shall be fully transformed into onyx stone. I have the full expectation both for myself and for all the saints that eventually we shall be onyx stones in a pure and complete way. In the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth, all the believers in Christ will be precious stones.
The main point in this message, however, is not related to transformation. It is related to how the onyx stones were placed on the shoulder-pieces. How were the onyx stones attached to the shoulder-pieces? Exodus 28:11 says, “With the work of a stone engraver, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall make them enclosed in settings of gold.” We have seen that the Hebrew words rendered “settings of gold” also mean plaited work of gold, plaited settings of gold, filigree settings of gold. The gold into which the onyx stones were put was not simple in shape. Rather, it was plaited into a very beautiful design. We should not think of these settings merely as sockets of gold formed to hold the precious stones. No, the gold was plaited into a filigree setting.
These filigree settings of gold signify how we are attached, fastened, held, to the Lord Jesus. These settings portray the Lord’s divinity after it has been processed and has passed through many sufferings. The sufferings experienced by the Lord Jesus caused Him to be formed into a beautiful setting to hold us as the precious stones.
If we did not have the picture afforded by the type of the ephod with the filigree settings, we would not know simply by the plain words in the New Testament how we are held to the Lord Jesus. The New Testament indicates that we are held by the power of the Lord. The Bible says this, and we believe it. But have you ever imagined that the Lord Jesus is holding us in beautiful settings of gold filigree? We are being held to Him in a very beautiful way.
We need to take time to pray-read these verses in Exodus 28 and fellowship with others concerning them. This will help us to appreciate the Lord more. The more we behold the Lord’s beauty and appreciate it, the more steadily shall we be fastened to Him and by Him.
We have seen that the onyx stones were placed into beautiful settings of gold filigree. Now we must go on to see how these lovely settings were connected to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. Exodus 28:13 and 14 say, “And you shall make settings of gold, and two chains of pure gold, twined you shall make them, a work of cords; and you shall put the chains of cords upon the settings.” These verses indicate that the settings are joined to the shoulder-pieces by chains of gold. The chains of golden cords were formed of golden threads twined together. These cords of gold fastened the onyx stones in the golden settings to the shoulder-pieces. Here we have three items: the shoulder-pieces, the onyx stones in the golden setting, and the golden cords used to fasten together the settings and the shoulder-pieces. This portrays the Lord’s divinity becoming a golden fastening cord. Once again, it was necessary for Christ in His divinity to pass through a process in order to become such a golden cord.
From reading the New Testament we cannot see the beauty, the filigree, of the Lord’s fastening strength and power. But we can see it by considering the picture of the ephod with the shoulder-pieces, settings, and golden cords in Exodus 28. When the onyx stones were fastened to the shoulder-pieces, they formed what we may call the shoulder plates. We have pointed out that the shoulder-pieces were part of the ephod and therefore were made of the same materials.
The Lord Jesus has the strength to bear us as the onyx stones. This strength comes from His divinity mingled with His humanity and having the expression of God, of man, and of the Lord’s heavenliness, kingship, and redemption. We are held to the Lord Jesus by such a marvelous expression. If there were not such an expression in this universe, there would be nothing that could either bear us or fasten us to Christ. The only thing in the universe that can hold us and also fasten us to Christ is the very expression of Christ portrayed by the ephod made of gold, linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. I want to emphasize the fact that this is the expression of Christ as both God and man with His heavenliness, kingship, and redemption.
Day by day we eat food and are nourished by it. However, most of us do not know what are the riches in the food that nourish us, strengthen us, supply us with what we need, and even kill the germs within us. We only know that food is necessary to maintain life. Therefore, we eat it and enjoy it. However, dietitians have made a scientific study of food and know much about its ingredients. They not only eat food and enjoy it; they also understand something of its constituents. We may use this as a simple illustration of the fact that we may have the experience of being fastened to Christ and held by Him without realizing what is contained within His fastening strength and power.
What constitutes Christ’s strength to fasten us to Himself, to bear us, and to uphold us? We find the answer to this question by considering the picture in Exodus 28. According to the typology of the ephod, Christ’s fastening strength, bearing power, and linking ability are all derived from His expression as God and man with His heavenliness, kingship, and redemption. Just as the materials and colors used to make the ephod were woven together, all these aspects of Christ’s expression are mingled together. They are woven into one strong garment that can bear the two onyx stones and fasten them to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod worn by the high priest.
Deep within I have a heavy burden concerning the significance of the ephod with the shoulder-pieces, onyx stones, settings, and golden cords. However, I simply do not have the words to utter what is in me. There are no human words adequate to describe the picture of the ephod in Exodus 28. However, I believe that if we consider this picture, especially if we pray-read these verses and have fellowship over them, we shall be able to realize something that is beyond our ability to describe in words. We shall see a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. Then we shall say, “O Lord Jesus, You are so beautiful and precious. Lord, what a treasure You are! You are the very God and a real man woven together. Lord Jesus, You are heavenly, You are kingly, and You are the redeeming One. Lord, I am fastened to You and borne by You. How I praise You, Lord!”
When we are attached to the Lord like stones attached to the ephod, we become an added beauty to His expression, and His expression becomes our beauty in which we are held. Consider the garments worn by the high priest. If the onyx stones were removed, the beauty of the ephod would be diminished. Here there is a mutual beautification: the Lord is our beauty, and we are a beauty added to His expression. If we realize this, we shall thank the Lord that we can be part of the beauty of His expression.
Furthermore, if the onyx stones were simply fastened to the ephod without being placed in beautiful golden settings, they would be short of beauty. This indicates that the golden filigree settings become the beauty of the onyx stones. Therefore, here we have a mutual beauty. The onyx stones become the beauty of the ephod, and the ephod with the golden settings becomes the beauty of the onyx stones. This means that the stones and the ephod beautify each other.
Speaking of the onyx stones on which were inscribed the names of the sons of Israel, 28:12 says, “Aaron shall bear their names before Jehovah upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” This indicates that the onyx stones became a memorial in the sight of God. Of what were these stones a memorial? They were a memorial of the church set in Christ, a memorial of Christ holding the church, God’s redeemed people. This memorial will last for eternity. We shall be fastened to Christ, and Christ will hold us in the presence of God as an eternal memorial. Today we can experience this and enjoy it.
Concerning these matters, I do not have the utterance to say more. I trust that the Holy Spirit will speak to you concerning this. May we all be encouraged to ponder this portion of the Word by pray-reading and by fellowship.
