“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.” Exodus 28:9-12
”They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet ,according to the names of the sons of Israel. And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Exodus 39:6-7
The ephod is one of the more mysterious aspects of the Old Testament priesthood. There’s the whole concept of Urim and Thummim, through which somehow the Lord communicated His will to His people, which frankly makes some of us uncomfortable. And the necessity, role, and function of a priest in general may feel foreign to those of us from a Protestant background, or false to those from a “high church” background. What I find most intriguing though are the stones of remembrance. I’m not sure based on the context for whose remembrance the stones are supposed to serve. Is the reminder for the priests? For the people? For the Lord? I’m not sure that it’s clear from these verses.
Perhaps the answer to that question is “yes”. The most immediate context and placement of the words, particularly in Exodus 28:12, would seem to indicate that these stones, bearing the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, serve to remind the Lord of His people. But the Lord, omniscient, all-knowing, is not forgetful like humans. He does not need a reminder. Even bearing in mind the passages that say something along the lines of “and the Lord remembered His people” and then acted to preserve or rescue or deliver them, or “the Lord remembered his covenant” with Abraham/Moses/David and acted in accordance, I’m not sure we are to interpret those as indicating that the Lord had forgotten.* Forgetfulness is not in keeping with the character of One who is eternally steadfast and faithful and good.
So what is the reminder for? I’m wondering if perhaps it is to remind the people and the priests that the Lord is remembering them. Most of us, I’m sure, have gone through a time when it seemed as though the Lord had forgotten us. Often in less-than-ideal circumstances it may feel as though the Lord does not see or does not remember that we frail humans wither like grass and our lives vanish like the mist. Could it be that these stones, fastened to the upper garments of the priest – the mediator, the one who represented the people to the Lord – were there to remind the people that the Lord had not forgotten them?
I don’t actually know this, nor were any of the resources I could find all that helpful or informative in this regard. I do know that we humans are quick to doubt, quick to forget, quick to wander, and very slow to learn and remember. If engraved stones on an article of clothing is one way to prod us to remember the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness, then I’m all for it. Maybe it’s not a breastplate per se that is most practical in this day and age when we’re navigating dress codes and the like. Maybe it’s more subtle: a notecard in a visible place, a necklace, an unobtrusive tattoo even. (Or a conspicuous tattoo; whatever works for you. No judgement here.) The point is that we need reminders, and we’d be wise to give some thought into how we can build that into our daily lives and environments.
*Particularly in regards to remembering His covenant, I think it may more often convey a surprise turn of events of sorts. Culturally regarding covenants, the lesser party to the covenant would need to be more mindful of the agreement and ensure their behavior was in accordance. What we see over and over again in Scripture is that the Lord, the more powerful party to the covenant, is ever mindful of it, far more so than the weaker party.