What is the meaning of Exodus 28:9? Take two onyx stones • The High Priest was to select exactly two stones, no more, no less (Exodus 28:9–10). That precise number echoes the paired settings on the priestly shoulders where the gems would rest (Exodus 28:12). • Onyx appears in Scripture as a precious stone associated with God-given resources (Genesis 2:12) and with the eternal foundations of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:20). Its enduring quality fits a ministry meant to last for generations. • Placing costly stones on the priest’s shoulders shows how God values His people; He literally “carries” them. Compare Isaiah 46:3–4, where the Lord promises to bear and carry Israel. • Shoulders are the place of strength. Just as the shepherd carries the sheep he has found (Luke 15:5), the High Priest carries the tribes into God’s presence. and engrave on them • “Engrave” speaks of permanence. The names would not be painted on temporarily but cut in for good (Exodus 28:11). Likewise, God’s covenant promises are not erasable (Malachi 3:6). • The Lord Himself provides the pattern—His own writing on the stone tablets of the Law (Exodus 32:16). What He writes, He means to stand forever. • Engraving requires deliberate care and skill, mirroring the detailed craftsmanship God expects in worship (Exodus 31:3–5). • This permanence foreshadows the believer’s name written in the book of life (Revelation 3:5), an inscription that cannot be blotted out. the names of the sons of Israel • Every tribe is represented—six names on one stone, six on the other (Exodus 28:10). No tribe is left out; God’s people are remembered individually and collectively (Exodus 1:1–5; Revelation 7:4–8). • The stones rested on the ephod’s shoulder pieces “as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, so that Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a sign of remembrance” (Exodus 28:12). • This intercessory picture anticipates Christ, our ultimate High Priest, who “always lives to intercede” for us (Hebrews 7:25). • Names signify identity. By carrying them, the priest signifies that Israel’s identity is bound up with God’s presence and favor (Numbers 6:27). • God’s design highlights unity: though twelve tribes camped separately (Numbers 2), they are one people borne together before the Lord. summary Exodus 28:9 portrays more than jewelry; it reveals a God who carries His people close, remembers them permanently, and calls them by name. The onyx stones on the High Priest’s shoulders symbolize strength carrying precious cargo, engraving that speaks of unbreakable covenant, and names that declare each tribe’s valued place. In Christ, the ultimate fulfillment, believers today share the same assurance of being borne, remembered, and honored before the Father. |
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