Men in Aprons
Exodus 28: 6-14

Next comes discussion on constructing the ephod. Apparently an ephod is holy formal wear- in the design of an apron, made for securing the breastplates. After making the ephod and its waistband from gold- and from blue, purple and scarlet yarn- and finely twisted linen they were to take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the son's of Israel on these black rocks- six on one, six on the other. They were to then attach these stones to the ephod using specifications spelled out.

It's not the detail of instruction that intrests me here...honestly I find this detail the opposite of interesting, it's the purpose. I like that God here stresses the importance of owning your heritage- remembering where you came from. That's easy to do when you're proud of where you came from- but harder to do when you no longer consider yourself part of the club you once belonged to.

Israel's children weren't all honorable- at least not always. So why put their names on this holy garment? Why point back to the Joseph scandal? Not because these men were perfect, or righteous, or better. Perhaps, because they simply point back to where they came from.

Good or bad- our pasts are an indication of our own evolution. As they look back toward the beginning of the narrative of their families- these names may have served as a reminder of how far God had taken them. Hey guys- you aren't left for dead in a pit like Joseph was- there's no famine like your forefathers experienced- God has brought you this far.

And as I look at my ephod ( I have to do it metaphorically- we were running low on onyx) and see the names of people, or of groups I've been affiliated with- some for better, some for worse, and think about who I am and who I was- it's hard not to recognize how many seas God has parted for me to bring me to where I am- and how many more I need him to part to make me who He wants me to be.

So I look to the past- and remember- and trust- and thank.