October 28, 2013

In early March, I added something to one of the bookshelves in my new office. It was a picture of the sanctuary of the Kirk of the Hills. Under the picture was a note indicating the years I had served as a pastor. I placed it on a shelf where I would glance at it often (I have done something similar with a picture of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Montgomery). The picture serves to remind me of all that God did in and through me in the 11 years I served at the Kirk.

In Exodus 28:6-12, God through Moses instructs the builders of the Tabernacle to make an ephod for the High Priest. It was to be a richly woven and elegant garment. The ephod would be attached on the shoulders by two engraved onyx stones set in gold filigree. The names of six tribes were engraved on one stone and the name of the other six tribes on the other stone. These stones were to serve as “stones of remembrance” when Aaron went before the Lord. When the High Priest performed his service, he would bear the names of the people before the LORD.

This ephod provided a physical picture of the ministry of Christ. Daily, He bears the names of His people before the Father. It is not that God forgets us, but we need to keep in mind that He always remembers us. Isaiah speaks to this as well in Isaiah 49:14-16. God’s people are prone to believe that God has forgotten and forsaken them. Yet, God declares, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” In his mercy, God never forgets; Christ’s ministry makes it secure.