It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
The verse is part of God's detailed directions through Moses for the garments Aaron and the priests were to wear when ministering before Him in service in the holy place. That instruction was given by Christ when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud to educate His church in the wilderness. It describes the ephod's two shoulderpieces joined at their two edges so that the garment was held together.
The ephod was a shorter, sleeveless outer garment worn over the blue robe, made of costly material and beautiful workmanship befitting its exalted station. It was woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white and confined by a beautifully wrought girdle of the same colors. Its gold-embroidered shoulderpieces held two onyx stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The description belongs to the sacred garments reflected in Jesus' priestly clothing, with a breastplate suspended from His shoulders, a robe with bells and pomegranates, and a crownlike headpiece.
The priestly garments were to be made in a particular, orderly, prescribed style suited to their sacred work. Those garments were symbolic, showing that the clothing of people who serve God should represent Him. The God who moves the world and sustains life and health may be honored or dishonored by the apparel of those who officiate before Him, and those ministers were to maintain order in everything and especially to preserve cleanliness. Such care in the priests' dress and service taught the people reverence for God and showed that His work was holy and must be free from impurity and uncleanness.
The verse is part of the outline of God's expressed will for present and eternal good, showing His covenant with the people He is seeking to save and the terms of salvation. It holds the education of most value today, the highest knowledge after the divine similitude, teaching the laws of God's kingdom and how to conduct life as a citizen of heaven. That education is for the mental, physical, and moral improvement of the whole being, for the formation of right sentiments, and for the development of practical usefulness.
The verse is part of God's detailed directions through Moses for the garments Aaron and the priests were to wear when ministering before Him in service in the holy place. That instruction was given by Christ when enshrouded in the pillar of cloud to educate His church in the wilderness. It describes the ephod's two shoulderpieces joined at their two edges so that the garment was held together.
The ephod was a shorter, sleeveless outer garment worn over the blue robe, made of costly material and beautiful workmanship befitting its exalted station. It was woven of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white and confined by a beautifully wrought girdle of the same colors. Its gold-embroidered shoulderpieces held two onyx stones bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The description belongs to the sacred garments reflected in Jesus' priestly clothing, with a breastplate suspended from His shoulders, a robe with bells and pomegranates, and a crownlike headpiece.
The priestly garments were to be made in a particular, orderly, prescribed style suited to their sacred work. Those garments were symbolic, showing that the clothing of people who serve God should represent Him. The God who moves the world and sustains life and health may be honored or dishonored by the apparel of those who officiate before Him, and those ministers were to maintain order in everything and especially to preserve cleanliness. Such care in the priests' dress and service taught the people reverence for God and showed that His work was holy and must be free from impurity and uncleanness.
The verse is part of the outline of God's expressed will for present and eternal good, showing His covenant with the people He is seeking to save and the terms of salvation. It holds the education of most value today, the highest knowledge after the divine similitude, teaching the laws of God's kingdom and how to conduct life as a citizen of heaven. That education is for the mental, physical, and moral improvement of the whole being, for the formation of right sentiments, and for the development of practical usefulness.