“And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD” (Ex. 28:30a).
God directed Moses to put “the Urim and the Thummim” in the breastplate of judgment, which would be over Aaron’s heart when he went before the Lord. Urim and Thummim are Hebrew words that begin with the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. We do not know exactly how these were displayed, whether they were stones of different colors, or other objects engraved with the letters of the alphabet. In whatever manner they were arranged, these symbols were used to receive oracles from the Lord and to know the will of the Lord in difficult circumstances.
Urim and Thummim might signify light and integrity, or lights and perfections. The symbols themselves were not endowed with any power, but they represented the role of Aaron as he was endued with a power of knowing and making known the mind of God in all difficult and doubtful cases, relating either to the civil or ecclesiastical state of the nation. The government of Israel was a theocracy. God was their King, the high priest was their ruler under God, and the Urim and Thummim were his cabinet council. It was likely that Moses wrote these words upon the breastplate or wove them into it, to signify that the high priest who wore the garment would be the one to ask the counsel of God in any emergency relating to the public. By wearing these words, the high priest had the authority to take such action.
The high priest would receive God’s instructions as he stood before the mercy seat of the ark, as Moses did (Ex. 25:22) and as Phinehas did (Judg. 20:27–28). If he was at a distance from the ark, as Abiathar was when he enquired of the Lord for David (1 Sam. 23:6), then the answer was given by a voice from heaven or by an impulse upon his mind as it was informed by God.
The oracle was of great use to Israel. Joshua consulted it (Num. 27:21), and it is likely that the judges after him consulted the oracle. During the captivity, it was lost and never regained. It was, however, a shadow of good things to come. Christ Himself is our oracle, and by Him God reveals Himself and His will. Revelation centers in Him and comes to us through Him. He is the light, the true light, the faithful witness, the truth itself, and from Him we receive the Spirit of God. It is through the Word of Christ that we receive truth. May we live by it.
Where do you go to know the mind of the Lord? Do you seek the advice of friends? Do you try to interpret the events of your life? Do you mix in worldly philosophies to try to discover spiritual truths? If you want to know God’s will, you must go through Jesus Christ. Read and study His Word every day if you want to know His will.
