The Urim and Thummim
Exodus 28: Place the Urim and Thummim in the Breastpiece of Judgment.
One of the mysteries of the Bible surrounds the Urim (“light”) and the Thummim (“truth,” or “perfection”). When they’re mentioned by the writers of the Bible those writers assume everyone knows all about them, so there’s no description or explanation of how they were used. Some think they were a sort of dice used to ascertain the will of the Lord – kind of like casting lots. Others believe that the Lord used them by causing some combination of precious stones on them to glow, indicating “yes” or “no” – a sort of red light/green light approach. Apparently, the High Priest was not only the keeper of the Urim and the Thummim but also the only one who was authorized to use them in seeking the will of the Lord. I think I lean toward the red light/green light understanding of the Urim and the Thummim. After all, even as these are being used there’s a Pillar of Fire and Cloud overhead and manna appearing every morning. Having glowing stones of some sort to give direction is certainly in keeping with all the other miracles they’re experiencing daily. I can’t help but think that having a Urim and Thummim would sure be handy today. Once, when I was barely out of my teens I tried using my Bible that way. I had a decision to make and tried praying about it, and then flipping my Bible open to read the first verse I saw. I kind of got an answer, but looking back, I think I saw what I really wanted to see in the first place. These days I better understand that God calls me to a life of faith and trust. He’s a communicating God and when he has something to say to me I won’t need glowing stones or a random verse from the Bible to know what he’s saying. Still, I admit that if I had a Urim and Thummim in my pocket that I’d be tempted to use them once in a while!
Take Away: The Lord is well capable of communicating his will to me if I’ll patiently listen.