THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM
February 7, 2016
By Rev. James May
I’m going to speak to you this morning, as the Lord will lead me, concerning something that many of you may never have heard of, or even if you have heard of it, you may have never understood what it was all about. I believe that you will be blessed this morning by this message, and I pray that it stirs your soul to go before God like never before!
I want to talk about God’s Method of Speaking to His People both under the Covenant of Abraham and the Covenant of Grace
The Book of Hebrews has this to say about how God speaks to his people beginning at Hebrews 1:1.
Slide 2
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Slide 3
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Keep in mind that God is not limited in his means of communicating with mankind and he can choose any method he wants at whatever time he wants. Sometimes his method of speaking is through dreams and visions; sometimes through audible voices; sometimes through signs and wonders, and even miracles; and sometimes he uses ways that are only meant for a time and a season, and then those methods may never be seen again.
For us, in this modern church, the most reliable and easily understood method of communication that God has with his people is through the written word of God, and through the gifts of the Spirit, which we call, “The Speaking Gifts”.
God chooses to speak through a man or woman of God who has, for a certain time, place and reason of God’s choosing, been given a spiritual gift by the Holy Ghost which is manifest to edify (build up and encourage) the Body of Christ through various means. These gifts are in operation when we are used to bring forth a message, or a word, or a teaching that comes from the very heart and mind of God.
Slide 4
Some of the ways that these Gifts of the Spirit are seen in operation include:
• A Word of Prophecy, or foretelling of future events so that the church many not be caught unaware;
• A Word of Exhortation(encouraging and faith-building messages)
• A Word of knowledge (mostly used in revealing something in your personal life that will help you to have greater faith and to walk in greater understanding of where God is leading you)
• A Teaching Word (something that is revealed to your heart and spirit that you may be struggling to understand. To you it becomes a new revelation, even though it may have been revealed to others many times. Each of us grows at a different pace and we all need teaching at different levels.)
• A Word of Wisdom (this is a message from the Mind of Christ to help us to understand more fully and act more wisely on the teaching, or the Word of Knowledge that we have already received. It could also be a new revelation, or understanding of something that is confusing to us that will help us to be better and more productive in the kingdom of God.
Now these gifts of the Spirit, which should be seen in every church where the Holy Spirit is allowed to move freely in the congregation, may, or may not, manifest, or be seen in every service. They are given only by the unction of the Holy Spirit.
There are times when overzealous Christians will try to appear to be used in these gifts, but if you’ve been in the presence of God where the Holy Spirit is moving, it isn’t hard to know when it’s real, or when it’s a work of the flesh. Sadly, we don’t see the Gifts of the Spirit in operation nearly as often as I believe the Holy Spirit would want them to be, simply because many Christians either don’t understand how they work, or are afraid to yield to the unction of the Holy Ghost because they might somehow miss God by speaking out of turn.
Let me just say this: Moving in the Gifts of the Spirit is something that is truly a blessing to the church in more ways that I can say. Being used by God in the Gifts of the Spirit requires the yielding of ourselves to God because the Gifts are given, but never forced upon you. And lastly, you will never be used in the Gifts of the Spirit if you allow the fear of failure, or fear of missing God, or fear of speaking out of turn, or fear of what others may think, or any other kind of fear, keep you from yielding and speaking forth that which God will give to you.
And one more thing – quite often you will not have the entire message in your mind that God wants to give. He may only give you a single word, or the very beginning of the message. But when you begin to yield and to speak it forth, quite often, the Lord will expand the message and more will come.
I’m not going to get into Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation right now. Neither will I get into the manner, timing and sequence that should be a part of the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit in the service. All of that has a very specific methodology attached to it, and those methods are often misused and abused; most of the time because people just don’t understand how God moves.
And once again, let me make a statement – You cannot put God in a box! At the moment we think we have figured out how God moves, he does things that are totally outside the box and that’s when we gain a little more wisdom.
It’s all a lifelong learning process, but we should all desire to be used in the Gifts of the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth.
Slide 5
1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1 Corinthians 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
I believe that the reason we don’t see the Spiritual gifts in operation in the church as we should is that not many Christians are seeking to be used in them. How many blessings have we missed simply because we didn’t ask for them, or give God the freedom to use us in the gifts?
Now, going back into the history of Israel, and the Old Testament means by which God spoke to his people, we find that God used various means of communicating with them at different times.
One of the most amazing means of answering prayer for the sake of Israel was seen mostly during the time when the Tabernacle of Moses was established prior to the building of the first Temple during the reign of King Solomon, the Son of King David. Some traditions of the Jews say that it continued until the coming of Christ.
Looking back into the very detailed and specific instructions that God gave to Moses concerning how the tabernacle was to be built, along with all of the furnishings that were to be inside, and the manner in which all sacrifices and worship was to be done; there was one thing that really was amazing to me, and that was the very detailed instructions on how the garments of the High Priest were to be made.
Every part of the garment of the high priest carried a type and shadow of Christ within it, and every part of it still has an impact upon worship today, even in the modern church.
Let’s examine this garment for a while. I think you’ll find it most fascinating.
Slide 6
The vision of the High Priest, dressed in his priestly robes, was something to behold. Every part of his garment was a shadow of the nature and heart of our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The outer garment, called “The ephod”, was constructed very specifically as God had commanded. There were the stones on the shoulders, the breastplate, and the two stones inside that pocket behind the breastplate that was covered with 12 precious stones; each with the name of one of the tribes of Israel etched in its matching stone.
Slide 7
By means of these items of clothing, the High Priest could learn the counsel and judgment of God on various problems the nation would face. He could then declare the course of action that the people should take. He could sometimes then tell what events were about to happen. This was how God often spoke to Israel in those days, instead of the spiritual gifts that he uses for us today. The Holy Ghost had not yet been given. The Gifts of the Spirit were not in Israel, at least not in the same fashion. So God chose to speak to them in a different manner.
The last time that God spoke to Israel, using the garments of the High Priest, that I know of, was during the time of King David
Abiathar (the only surviving priest of the line of Eli) had went to David bringing with him the ephod of the High Priest. During this time, all of the families of David’s army had been captured by the enemy, and the army had begun to turn against him.
Slide 8
1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Slide 9
1 Samuel 30:7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
1 Samuel 30:8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
On three separate occasions, David used the ephod to inquire of the Lord what he should do in the face of the enemies of Israel. At none of these three occasions was the Ark of the Covenant with David, so there was no Mercy Seat, nor the presence of the Shekinah, only the priest and the breastplate on the ephod. But within the pocket of the breastplate there was the urim and thummim and these would be the means by which God’s glory would shine to give an answer to Israel’s prayer.
Today, we no longer look upon the breastplate of a high priest in the church. Neither do we regard his earthly robes, and we do not depend upon the urim and the thummim for answers.
But these are representative to us of the gifts of the Spirit in operation within the church to enlighten us to God’s will; to show the path to victory; and to receive the answers to our prayers.
Just as it was in the days when God would speak through the urim and the thummin, we must rely only upon the presence, the power, the glory of the Lord, and the moving of the Holy Spirit within, to lead us to where we need to be in God. Without direction from God, we can easily fall into the trap of our enemy who seeks to kill, steal and destroy. As long as we follow God and seek his will, we will escape the traps of the devil.
Slide 10
Just what were the URIM and the THUMMIN?
One of the first mentions is found in God’s instructions to Moses in Exodus chapter 28.
Exodus 28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Exodus 28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
The breastplate and its contents, the urim and thummim, were over the ‘heart’ of Aaron.
In the church, those to whom we are called to minister must be upon our hearts and must be carried as a burden of love before God. The mark of a Christian is that we have love for one another, and that love must show forth in compassion, mercy, grace and a desire to be of service. That burden must be upon you, just as much as it is upon me or anyone else. God is Love and therefore, we must love one another.
The breastplate of the High Priest was folded so there was a pocket on the back, behind the 12 stones on the front. The the urim and thummim were placed within that bag, exposed to the backside of the stones.
Slide 11
In the Hebrew language, the word "Urim" means ‘lights, enlightenment", and can also mean, “to set on fire.’
"Thummim" means ‘perfection or integrity" and also speaks of ‘completeness and innocence”
In the Greek language, they are translated to mean, ‘manifestation and truth".
Slide 12
Just exactly what the Urim and the Thummin were is not said specifically. Some seem to think that they were a black and white stick, but most think of them as a white stone and black stone with carvings upon them.
The origin of the stones of the Urim and Thummim is not known. I think we can assume that God created them for a very specific time and purpose because no man would have the power to cause these stones to do what they did. We do know that they stones already existed before God told Moses to put them to use.
When they were in place, within the ephod of the High Priest, the urim and thummim, became the channel by which God would speak and manifest His opinions and decisions.
We can only imagine how much both the Children of Israel, and even the Christians of the church of today, would judge those in the position of leaders for making decisions that have to be made if there was no visible and sure means of knowing that God had led them.
The High Priest could have been charged with favoritism, harshness, leniency, etc. But God made the urim and thummim, which in some way revealed God’s judgment. The High Priest became only the conveyor of the Lord’s message. The High Priest was given enlightenment and integrity, and if there was an argument, it would be with God alone.
We need to remember the words of the Apostle James when we think about going up against the decisions of the church leadership. If that leadership is led by the Holy Spirit and enlightened by the Holy Ghost and God’s own word, we might find ourselves in the dangerous place of arguing against God himself. That’s a place where we don’t want to go!
Slide 13
James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Just as the urim and the thummin would show forth the glory and presence of God, revealing his will, we must remember that the presence of the Holy Ghost and fire, and the glory of God’s anointing rests upon those that he has chosen, and by his grace we obtain wisdom and counsel to keep the church free from sin.
Slide 14
How did the urim and thummim work in revealing the Word of God?
In the Old Testament, there were basically three ways that God spoke to men, but remember, God was not always confined to just three ways.
When King Saul got into trouble and wanted an answer from God, he searched desperately for a way to hear from the Lord, but 1 Samuel 28:6 says, And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
David used the stones to receive his answer, but it wouldn’t work for Saul. David heard from the prophets, had his dreams, saw the urim and thummim work, but none of it was happening for Saul. Why? It was because Saul’s heart wasn’t right with God and he had been rebellious and God was no longer with him. That’s why Saul decided to seek his answers from the Witch of Endor and familiar spirits.
Let me tell you that if you don’t get your answer from the Lord, you’re better off never knowing the answer you seek than to go try to find it from the devil! If your answer hasn’t come, it’s for a reason. Maybe you’re in rebellion against God. Maybe your angels are fighting against the powers of darkness to bring it, but the battle still rages like it did for Daniel. Maybe God is just waiting for you to be ready to receive it. Whatever the reason; wait upon the Lord and you’ll renew your strength. If you go running to the occult, the psychics, the false prophets, the palm readers, or fortunetellers, then you’re surely headed for the depths of defeat.
Just to make a point – There are many in ministry today, both in the pulpit and in the congregation who seek to know their answers from books of other ministers, from the programs that others have used, from psychology, from self-help books and all sorts of ways. While not all of this is bad, let me just say that all of these are secondary at best. The best way to find the answer to our questions in by searching the Word of God, while on our knees crying out to God to speak to us personally. I understand the power of having the wisdom of many counselors and advisers, but none can take the place of the One Counselor, the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Counselor, so hear him, and his word never fails!
In the days of the ephod, the Rabbi of Israel tell us of the tradition of how the urim and the thummim would reveal the word of the Lord.
The High Priest put on his robes and went in to the inner veil of the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. As he stood facing the veil, all alone, with the person wanting to know the answer standing outside the Holy Place, the High Priest would inquire of God, speaking audibly. Then he would take out the urim and thummim, and somehow receive the answer. Some of the Rabbi say that one, or the other of the two stones would begin to glow with God’s light, giving them an answer of either Yes or No and that would be sufficient.
There are other Rabbi who claimed that the urim and thummim were more like sacred dice that would be cast upon the ground, allowing God to use them to form an answer. I think this is wrong because it would seem more of a thing of chance than a personal, direct message from God Almighty.
Slide 15
In another tradition of the Rabbi it seems that these stones would not be removed from the pocket of the ephod but when the question was brought to the Lord, the Shekinah (glowing power and glory of God that sat above the Mercy Seat) would come forward and “ignite” the urim and the thummim with God’s own light and glory and cause them to appear as gems of fire and light!
This light would then be channeled, or reflected upon the 12 stones of the breastplate, shining through those stones and causing certain of these 12 stones, or even some of the letters that were etched into these stones, to appear before the eyes of the high priest, spelling out God’s answer so that only the high priest could see them. If this were true, and it could be, then how glorious would it have been to stand and see God reveal his word through such a bright and powerful manner!
The urim and the thummim were one of God’s chosen methods of communicating his will to his people for a long time. According to the Jewish Historian, Josephus, the Urim and Thummim had ceased to operate 200 years before Josephus was born. This means that God may have used this method for nearly the entire Old Testament period. Josephus lived during the 1st century of the church at the time when the New Covenant had come into existence after the resurrection of Christ.
So now, we no longer need a Urim and Thummim. Neither do we need an earthly high priest to go before the presence of the Lord behind the veil that separated us from the very Shekinah of God above the Mercy Seat.
The veil has been torn away! Access to the very presence of the glory of God has been granted to every Born Again child of God. We have only one Mediator between God and man now, and he is our Great High Priest in the Heavens, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Slide 16
In Jesus, we find all the lights and perfections, all the grace and truth, all the mercies and righteousness. Jesus is the LIGHT, and Jesus manifests forth that light. He is urim. Also, in Jesus, we find ‘PERFECTIONS’. He is the thummim. Jesus is the unblemished Lamb of God.
• He lived a sinless life, tempted of the devil himself, but unblemished, unstained by sin.
• Jesus, as the great High Priest, made manifest the counsels and purposes of God. He is the light to our lives, He has no darkness at all.
• He is the brightness or shining forth of God’s glory.
• He dwells within His people, as the urim and thummim were within the breastplate of the twelve stones.
• And looking to Him, we find all the answers to our problems.
Slide 17
The word ‘urim’ in Hebrew, begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is the ‘aleph’.
The word ‘thummim’, in Hebrew, begins with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the ‘tau’.
Jesus spoke in Revelation 22:13 saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” In other words, “I am the “urim and the thummim”! I am your first answer and your last! I am your “yes” and your “No”! I am your “go forth” and I am your “be still and know that I am God”! It’s all in Jesus, and he dwells in your heart!
Jesus is seen by John in the Revelation as the Great High Priest walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He is seen as having “eyes as a flame of fire”! The fire of the glory and holiness of God was shining through as Jesus walked among the churches and he is walking in our midst right now!
Jesus is walking in our midst, looking with an all-seeing eye and watching all that we say and do, and the reason we do; he is enlightening our hearts and minds through the Word of God; and he is working with the Holy Spirit and the Word to bring his church to a place of perfection through both his judgment and his grace as we exercise our faith in him and yield ourselves to his will.
His Living Word is a light to our path, again as we walk in his, then we are in the Light and allowing his word to reflect through us and we become living epistles, or living letters of God’s word to a lost and dying world and to a church that needs to hear the truth.
It’s glorious to think of God communicating with his people through glowing stones radiating through precious stones, illuminating those stones and their lettering to spell out his will to the people before the high priest.
But how much greater is it to know that the Living Word, the very presence of Christ in you, has baptized with you with the Holy Ghost and fire and enlightened your heart and soul to see and know the very will of God and voice of the Lord!
I don’t need to wait for the glory to shine through the stones on the breastplate. The glory of God shines upon my heart through the Everlasting Rock all of the time.
Slide 18
Jesus is my urim and thummim
• He is a very present help in time of need!
• I can call on him and he is near!
• I can seek him and find him!
• He brings me light and leads me to perfection through the power of the blood!
In these last days we need to know the Word of God and the Will of God like never before.
We are going into the darkest hours of world history that will ever be, and yet we are also going into the most glorious and victorious hour that the church will ever experience on this earth!
We must inquire of the Lord! We must seek his face and know where he is leading us to go!
If the High priest could go before the veil and obtain an answer through the urim and the thummim, then how much greater is it that we can go before the Lord and obtain a living word that cannot fail!
We should never cease to pray and ever seek to know his word!
That’s why we should pray without ceasing and seek to know the Word of Truth. Jesus must be the first thing you seek in the morning and the last thing you seek at night. He must be first word you speak, and the last!
He is your urim and thummim that shines forth in you the Living Word that will always lead to victory! He speaks, not by the light of earthy stone, but upon a living heart, and we can not only see his written word, but we can hear his very voice.
But only those who are born again, made into a new creature in Christ have that privilege. The rest of the world is still in darkness, living beyond the veil, unable to see and know the truth or hear the voice of Jesus. Unless we are Born Again of the Spirit, we cannot see God, nor understand his word. You must be Born Again!
