Tommy Mann

Have you ever wondered why the Old Testament contains so many things that seem of little importance today? You know that "all Scripture is important," but why do we need to know the dimensions of the tabernacle and details of the priests' clothes? Here are a few quick takeaways from specifics of the priestly attire as recorded in the book of Exodus. Chapter 28 goes into precise detail in laying out the garments for the high priest. An easy takeaway from this is to see that God is a God of order, one who is involved in the details. But there is more to take away than just that. Verses 5-14 describe the ephod, which was similar to an apron, that contained gold and precious stones. On each shoulder strap of the ephod was to be a gemstone, engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel; therefore, the priest would have all twelve tribes “on his shoulders as a memorial.” Since the shoulders are associated with work, the priest would always remember that