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Mark 8 English Standard Version (ESV)

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

²⁷ And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸ And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” ³⁰ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

 

REFLECTION

1. When Peter made this confession of faith “You are the Christ”, he has only taken the first step. The next step is a lifelong journey to live out this confession fully and authentically.
2. That’s the same with us. After our confession of faith, Jesus calls us to live a life to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow” Jesus.
3. In your journey of faith, which step have you taken? Are you still lingering at the first step?  Or are you walking toward the goal of being sanctified and made holy?  What is it that has kept you from moving ahead?  What are you afraid of?
4. Pray for courage and faith to walk on this journey. Ask for God’s guidance that you may willingly follow.

 

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Mark+007

Mark 7 English Standard Version (ESV)

Traditions and Commandments

7 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
⁷ in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person

¹⁴ And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” ¹⁷ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

 

REFLECTION

1. All of us are influenced by traditions of one sort or another—even those of us whoby tradition don’t put much stock in them! But at what point do traditions lose their value or even become counterproductive? When do religious practices become a substitute for really obeying God? In this study Jesus has some rather harsh words for the Pharisees and the traditions they choose to observe.
2. What religious traditions influence your life? Is that influence good or bad? What sorts of traditions do we observe today that get in the way of really honoring God?
3. In what ways do you, like the Pharisees, sometimes emphasize appearance over internal reality?

 

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Mark+006

Mark 6 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³² And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. ³³ Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. ³⁶ Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” ³⁷ But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸ And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴ And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

 

REFLECTION

1. Even though Jesus gave ample evidence that He was more than a mere man (calming the storm, casting out demon, healing the sick, raising the dead, 4:35—5:43), those who knew Him best on the physical plane still refused to believe in Him. This led Jesus to concentrate increasingly on training His disciples, especially on His own identity and to bring them to a deeper understanding of who He was, and a deeper commitment to Himself.
2. In this familiar story, the disciples wanted Jesus to dismiss the big crowd to find food for themselves. Jesus had something else in mind. He wanted to teach the disciples and the multitudes to look to Him for their needs. He was the ultimate source of all they needed.
3. Jesus suggested that the disciples feed the people, and He asked them “how many loaves” of bread they had. The disciples realized their inability to feed this great multitude and the inadequacy of their resources (5 loaves and 2 fish).  They also need to understand that it was those resources, as inadequate as they were, that Jesus used to feed the five thousand.

4. We may be like the disciples and think that we don’t have much (lack of resources), can’t do much (lack of ability), and therefore can’t give much to the Lord. However, if we are willing to lay ourselves to His hand, God can use and multiply it to bless many people. Are you willing?
5. Sing or read this old hymn. May it be a prayer from your heart to the Lord.

What Shall I give Thee, Mater? (Rev. Homer W. Grimes)

What shall I give Thee, Master?
Thou who didst die for me.
Shall I give less of what I possess,
Or shall I give all to Thee?

Jesus, my Lord and Savior;
Thou hast giv’n all for me;
Thou didst leave Thy home above
To die on Calvary.
What shall I give Thee, Master?
Thou hast giv’n all for me;
Not just a part or half of my heart,
I will give all to Thee.

What shall I give Thee, Master?
Thou hast redeemed my soul;
My gift is small but it is my all—
Surrendered to Thy control.

What shall I give Thee, Master?
Giver of gifts divine!
I will not hold time, talents or gold—
For everything shall be Thine.

 

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Mark+005

Mark 5 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Heals a Woman

²¹ And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. ²² Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ²³ and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴ And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 

REFLECTION

1. Jesus, on his way to the home of a dying girl, was touched by a woman with chronic bleeding.  She spent all she had to search for a cure but to no avail.  Then she heard about Jesus, she became convinced that if she could only touch his clothing, she would be healed.  And she was healed indeed. She tried to remain unobtrusive, since her condition rendered her and all who contacted her ritually unclean.
2. The disciples probably were eager to get Jesus to Jairus’ house before it was too late. Yet Jesus wanted to speak to the woman, and to assure her that it was her faith in Him that had resulted in her healing, not merely her touch. Jesus didn’t rebuke her, but wanted to speak to her, lest she conclude that touching Him was what cured her.  The woman’s faith in Jesus had not only resulted in her physical healing but also brought her into His spiritual family.
3. Jesus assured her that her healing was complete and permanent with these words: “your faith has made you well.” She could now enjoy social interaction and participation in public worship, as well as physical health, since she was clean.
4. Mark is demonstrating to us that Jesus Christ, ruler of God’s kingdom, has power over nature (4:35-41), over demonic power (5:1-20), and over every illness and even death (5:21-43).  Knowing Jesus has such power gives us confidence to live by his word, even if he should choose not to heal every believer’s disease now.
5. Tell Jesus all of your urgent needs and ask for His healing and help.

 

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Mark+004

Mark 4 English Standard Version (ESV)

A Lamp Under a Basket

²¹ And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? ²² For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. ²⁵ For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

 

REFLECTION

1. In Matthew 6:3-4, Jesus taught us: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
2. However, in this paragraph, it is talking about all of our secrets – good and bad – being revealed.  What is the connection between keeping good deeds and qualities, and having all of our secrets revealed?  Does this motivate us to be quiet about the good works that we do?
3. Continue the meditation from yesterday to be willing to be a quiet and hidden disciple of Jesus.  Lord, help me so that I will “not let (my) left hand know what (my) right hand is doing” (Matt 6:3).

 

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Mark+003

Mark 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Twelve Apostles

¹³ And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. ¹⁴ And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and have authority to cast out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); ¹⁷ James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); ¹⁸ Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

²⁰ Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹ And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

 

REFLECTION

1. We know a few of the more famous (and infamous) disciples of Jesus, but there are many in this list we know nothing about at all.  Though they were also with Jesus for more than three years, received teachings and care from Jesus, were commanded to preach, heal, and cast out demons. However, they remained to be the unnoticed in the Bible and in the church history.
2. In our own discipleship, we may be asked to do some work or to take a stand that gets noticed by others.  But often discipleship consists of faithfulness in the small, even mundane acts of Christian service perhaps unnoticed by all except God.
3. Are you aware of any unnoticed servers at church, home, the office or any other places? Look for an opportunity to show appreciation, a smile, or a thank you to these people.
4. Are you willing to be an unnoticed disciple of Christ?  Is there any behind-the-scene work that needs to be done? Ask the Lord to give you the willingness to do the not-easily-noticed services faithfully even without people’s recognition or appreciation.
5. “Make Me A Servant” – www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rznoe3zKxM

 

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Mark 2 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

REFLECTION

1. The four men were deeply concerned about their friend and wanted to see him helped. They had the faith to believe that Jesus could and would meet his need. They did not simply “pray about it,” but they put action to their prayers; and were not discouraged by the difficult circumstances. They worked together, and Jesus rewarded their efforts by healing their friend.
2. Jesus chose to do what they considered harder to show that He could also do what they considered easier. He did the miracle which they could see that they might know that he had done the other one (forgiving sins) that they could not see.
3. God has called us not only to single disciples, but to be formed into communities of faith too.  We pray for one another and work for the healing and wholeness of others, just as this paralytic’s four friends help him receive the healing he needs.
4. Prayer:  Dear Lord, how I desire the mutual love, care and sacrificial support between this paralytic and his friends.  I hope that there will be similar relationships between me and my cell members so that we may all receive healings in our body, emotion, spiritual life, daily life……

 

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Introduction of Mark

 

Mark appears to be written for an audience in Rome. A Roman centurion’s declaration near the end of the book — Surely this man was the Son of God!—models the witness to Jesus this gospel calls for.

The opening half of this fast-moving drama keys on the question: Who do you say I am? An episode at the end of the first half shows Jesus healing a blind man in two stages, so that he slowly comes to see. In the same way the disciples have only gradually come to recognize who Jesus is. Then in a key moment in the story, between its two halves, Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah.

Now the conflict moves out into the open. Jesus has come to introduce a radical new way of life that will undercut existing power relationships. The second half of the drama depicts this in three acts:

1. First, Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem.
2. Next, Jesus teaches in the temple and clashes with the established leadership.
3. In the final act, that leadership executes its plan and has Jesus arrested and crucified, seemingly overturning all he has done. But then God overturns their deed and raises Jesus to life. So Mark’s readers are called to be faithful to Jesus, even in suffering, because this is how God continues to overturn the existing order and establish the way of life that Jesus taught.

 

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/MRK.INTRO1.NIV

 

Mark 1 English Standard Version (ESV)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

¹² The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

 

REFLECTION

1. This opening section of Mark sets the stage for the presentation of Jesus Christ as the unique Servant of the Lord, Mark identified as the Son of God.
2. Mark recorded two events that preceded Jesus’ public ministry, His baptism and His temptation. Jesus underwent John’s baptism to identify with man and man’s sin, not because He needed to repent of person sins, for He had none. His baptism showed that He is the Son of God, the One approved by the Father and empowered by the Spirit, He is the Messiah.
3. God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus for two reasons: to show that He would not draw away from the Father’s will, and to demonstrate His qualification for His mission. During the time of testing by Satan, “angels were ministering to him”. God did not leave His Son alone, but provided grace to help in this time of need.
4. What temptations are you currently struggling with? What encouragement do you find here for facing your own temptations?
5. Ask God to help you find the encouragement and strength you need to face temptation.

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Exodus+40

 

Exodus 40 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.¹⁸ Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. ¹⁹ And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁰ He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. ²¹ And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²² He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, ²³ and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁴ He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, ²⁵ and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁶ He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, ²⁷ and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. ²⁹ And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁰ He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, ³¹ with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. ³² When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. ³³ And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the Lord

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. ³⁷ But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

 

REFLECTION

• Read this passage, or read the whole chapter if time allows.
• The Israelites erected the tabernacle on the first day of the first month, almost exactly one year after the Israelites left Egypt (vv. 2, 17). This was about nine months after Israel had arrived at Mt. Sinai (cf. 19:1).
• God’s glory fills the tabernacle. Obviously, God was pleased with the obedience of Israel because it proved they really did believe Him and love Him. When the tabernacle stood complete, God descended in the cloud that so filled the tabernacle that neither Moses nor anyone else could enter it (vv. 34-38).
• Finally God was dwelling among His people. His redemption of them was now complete. He had liberated them from bondage in Egypt (chs. 1—15) and adopted them as His special treasure (chs. 15—40). He had made a covenant with them and now blessed them with His presence in taking up residence in the midst of His people. He would guide them from then on “throughout all their journeys” (vv. 36, 38).
• How does God reveal His glory and presence in our midst today? How has God reveal His glory and presence in your life?

Thank God for the ways He has used the stories of Exodus to strengthen you and draw you closer to Himself.

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Exodus+39

 

Exodus 39 English Standard Version (ESV)

Making the Priestly Garments

¹ From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

² He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. ³ And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. ⁴ They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. ⁵ And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.

⁸ He made the breast piece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. ⁹ It was square. They made the breast piece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. ¹⁰ And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; ¹¹ and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; ¹² and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ¹³ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. ¹⁴ There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. ¹⁵ And they made on the breast piece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. ¹⁶ And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. ¹⁷ And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breast piece. ¹⁸ They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. ¹⁹ Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breast piece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. ²⁰ And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. ²¹ And they bound the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breast piece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  ……

 

³⁰ They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” ³¹ And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

 

REFLECTION

• Read this passage, or read the whole chapter if time allows.
• The clothing of the high priest also had symbolic significance. As believer-priests the lifestyle we adopt is to clothe us in beauty and reflect the motto engraved on a golden plate that was attached to the turban of Israel’s high priest: “HOLY TO THE LORD”.

 

PRAYER

Meditate on this description: HOLY TO THE LORD.  Is your redeemed life reflecting this reality?  Spend some time conversing with God and listen to what He is saying to you.