These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. "And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 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, in the order of their birth. As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. You shall make settings of gold filigree, and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.
Exodus 28:4-14
The garments and accoutrements - for glory and beauty - are now described in detail. The colours (5) are those of the curtains of the Tabernacle itself, and speak of Christ as they do. Both the divinity and the humanity of our great High Priest are foreshadowed in them, and the aptest commentary on the chapter as a whole must be the relevant passages in the Epistle to the Hebrews, especially 2:14 - 3:6; 4:14 - 5:10; 7:11 - 8:6; 9:11ff. The ephod is described as being a superb blending of the multi-coloured material. It was a tunic consisting of back and front pieces joined only at the shoulders, and bound round the waist by a curious (i.e. cunningly embroidered) girdle. Two onyx stones set in pouches, or clasps, of gold, had engraved upon them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (presumably six names on each stone), and these were fixed to the shoulders of the ephod. The symbolism here is passing beautiful and comforting, for the children of Israel are represented as borne into the presence of God on the shoulders of the High Priest. This speaks of the power of Christ to uphold His people, to carry them through every stress and strain, and over every difficult road. They are on His shoulders, and therefore underneath them are the everlasting arms. The New Testament parable of the lost sheep and the shepherd finding it and laying it on his shoulders, carrying it home rejoicing, comes forcibly to the mind. May this bring solid reassurance to some faltering and discouraged soul today.