Urim and Thummim
Behind the breastplate containing the twelve precious stones were the Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30). With the help of these two stones the high priest could find the will of God for any person in relation to any matter at any time (Num. 27:21). It has always been a mystery how these stones functioned. Apart from the high priest they could not be seen by anyone. They were the most important part of the garments of the high priest. During Old Testament times, they were the only means of finding God's will. That is why we find David constantly asking the high priest, Abiathar, to bring the Ephod to find out God's will through the Urim and Thummim (I Sam. 23:2,4,9,11).
When David went to the high priest at Nob, he received shewbread and the sword from him. King Saul came to know of this and killed 85 priests but Abiathar escaped. He took with him the Ephod and the Urim and Thummim and went to David, who was hiding in the cave of Adullam at that time (I Sam. 22:1, 20, 22). All who were in trouble and difficulties came to David, to stay with him in that cave and it was there David found God by experience. While he was there David wrote Psalms 34, 57, 107 and 108.There he learnt the secret of finding God's plan. Even in small things David began to know the mind of God through the high priest who had the Ephod with the two stones (I Sam. 23: 1-5, 13). That privilege was available to all but only a few used to go to the high priest to find God's will. Often that is our condition. It is only when we make many mistakes and fail many times that we say, "O Lord, help me today to find Thy will." We ought to learn this lesson at the beginning.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our living High Priest. Now all of us can find God's will through Him. We have just to kneel down and pray with faith asking God to show us His will. If we remain very close to God's heart, we can easily find God's will even in small things. For instance, when we go for shopping we need not waste our time, and in the end be cheated by the shop-keepers as usually happens. If we would only pray, "Lord, I want to buy such and such: please take me to the right shop and do not allow me to waste my time, money and energy", He will undertake everything for us. There will be no need for us to waste time in bargaining and then to feel sorry for the loss we have incurred.
Just as the high priest had two stones, Urim and Thummim, to find God's will, there are two stones possessed by the Lord Jesus Christ also (Psa. 43: 3-5). The Lord Jesus Christ is our life, our light and our truth (John 8:12; 14:6). When He comes into us as our Savior He becomes THE TRUTH and the living WORD. That is why, at our new birth we have unusual hunger for God's Word. Though we read it daily, we never get tired of it. Before our conversion we loved to read magazines, novels and worldly books. Now we want the Word of God in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
Unless we have the living Savior in us we cannot enjoy God's Word. Holiness becomes real to us after we experience the Lord Jesus Christ. God's plan and will are revealed to us day by day, by reading the Word of God slowly, systematically and prayerfully. The Lord Jesus Christ is our life. We say by faith, "Lord Jesus, open my eyes, give me Thy divine life and let me see things more clearly." With the help of His divine life and the Word of God we are able to find God's will even for small things. That is the greatest privilege of a believer; knowing and doing God's will.
The whole life of the Lord Jesus Christ was lived in doing God's will (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). If we want to enjoy His love and affection and come near His heart, then we must learn to know and do His will. It is only by doing God's will we can enjoy His presence. Just as the high priest carried these stones, Urim and Thummim, and could find God's will for individuals, for families and for the whole nation, now we believe that Lord Jesus Christ is our Urim and Thummim. The Lord Jesus Christ who has come into our heart is our heavenly High Priest, our life and our truth. So by receiving God's Word into our hearts and by receiving divine life by faith, He becomes all in all to us.
We need to say when we read the Word of God, as it is written in Psalm 119:18, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." That is how we receive divine light. Let us say, "O Lord, open my eyes and pour into me the divine life. Let me see from Thy Word the hidden mysteries, and show me Thy path for today and tomorrow." It is only by reading the Word of God that the divine light comes into our hearts and we can hear the voice of God clearly.
Elijah the man of God was God's prophet. When he prayed, fire came down (I Kings 18:38). When he prayed for three and half years the rain was withheld. Again he prayed and the rain came down. The very same prophet was found under the juniper tree and he was saying it is enough, "O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (I Kings 19:4). He was discouraged. What was the reason? He did not know the mind of God. God took him to a high mountain and showed him many things. God was not in the wind nor in the earthquake. He was not in the fire nor in the storm. Lastly there came a still small voice. Then he understood what God would do and how He would judge Jezebel and others. In this way he was delivered from fears and doubts and began to see God's will clearly.
It is by hearing the voice of God, we become God's co-workers and God's partners in building God's house. We have to make it a daily practice to call upon God and hear His voice. First of all, we have to make sure that we are born again.
Secondly, we have to be certain of His presence, remembering that any kind of sin will rob us of this privilege. As Elijah became discouraged in his old age, we may also become like him. We must keep our hearts clean and we must be free from greed, enmity and defilement. By daily practice we can hear God's voice and for every problem of any kind we can go to Him.
We must wait patiently in the presence of the Lord to hear His voice. King David knew how to hear the voice of God through Urim and Thummim. But later on, he became very impatient. Without consulting and hearing God's voice, he went and joined the Philistines against Saul (I Sam. 29), but they became suspicious and sent him back. When he and his followers came to Ziklag, they found that their houses were burnt and their women were taken captive. All their substance had been taken away. There was no hope of recovery, for they were very few in number and the Amalekites were very many. David repented and sought the Lord, who spoke to him and promised recovery. David obeyed and recovered all because he enquired from the Lord with the help of Urim and Thummim.
God will not force us to do His will. We have to go to Him concerning marriage, or business or job or any other activity to know His will. But sad to say, very few believers exercise their privilege of consulting God because they will not wait patiently. The result is unhappiness and failure. They become spiritually deaf and blind. It is by coming back to God we recover everything.
Therefore let us pray, "Lord, take me through these twelve experiences represented by the twelve precious stones. Be Thou my Urim and Thummim. Help me to hear Thy voice and know Thy will even in small matters and keep me near Thy heart." We will then find our lives becoming victorious. We will become partakers of his glory and beauty which will be revealed through us.
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