And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the border thereof, which faceth the ephod inwards.
This verse adds a second pair of gold rings to Aaron's breastplate, set at its lower corners on the inside edge that faced the ephod — the high priest's official garment. Why would God design a fastening that no one would ever see?
One commentator traces where these rings go, and what ties them to the ephod:
Two more gold rings went on the lower edge of the breastplate, but on the inside, to match two gold rings also attached to the ephod. A blue lace then bound these rings together, fastening the breastplate to the ephod on the lower side. The blue lace would remind us of the heavenly character of this testimony, and the text adds that the breastplate would then not come loose from the ephod.
One writer recalls a speaker who explained what the gold and the blue stand for:
He dwelt on this happy theme: that Aaron's breastplate spoke of Christ's unchanging love for His own, that the rings of gold stood for Divine righteousness, and that the ribbon, or lace, of blue stood for heavenly grace. As he did so, he stressed the absolute security of the believer.
The rings serve one stated purpose, spelled out in verse 28: the breastplate must not come loose. One commentator draws out what that means about Christ.
The breastplate was never to be separate from the ephod, v. 28. "That the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod." Whenever the high priest went into the presence of God, it was in his garments. He could not go without representing the people. It is impossible for Christ to stand there in the presence of God without us.
The breastplate was held at two levels — chains to the shoulder stones at the top, and these rings with their blue cord at the bottom. The same writer reads the two fastenings together:
This breastplate was fastened to the onyx stones of the shoulders above, and to the ephod above the sash below. The people held that place always, and it could never be separated from the high priest's work as he went in before the Lord. What was divine and heavenly secured it — the chains of gold above, and the rings of gold with lace of blue below. The priesthood is exercised in manhood, yet it, and the people's link with it, rests on a basis that cannot change: divine and heavenly.
One writer looks at what the rings and chains of gold join together:
So the breastplate was coupled to the shoulders by rings and chains of gold, and these two were never to be separated. The breastplate was made of twelve precious stones with the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them, one name on each stone, but all bound into one by being set in pure gold — the symbol of Divine faithfulness and glory. The meaning of the picture is clear: the great High Priest carries the saints of God on His heart, and He also holds them up by His power. His unchanging love stands behind His undiminished and patient strength. The ephod made the breastplate and the shoulder pieces one. His is not a powerless love, or a loveless power. His power is the servant of His love, and both have no measure or end.
One writer takes the firmness of these fastenings straight to the question of whether a believer can be lost.
So these precious stones were firmly attached to the person of the High Priest... With such wealth of detail the Spirit of God would stress this glorious truth: Divine love and Divine power join in the security of the believer, and keep the believer before God in Divine favour. Our Lord plainly said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish" (John 10:27-28). Eternal life could not be given, if it could be lost.
One writer points to the sash whose one job was to keep the breastplate in place, and to the link that nothing can break:
Aaron's girdle, or sash, was unique. The word used for it is completely different from the word used for the sashes of his sons. What was its unique job? To see that the breastplate was not loosed from the ephod... This is unique — a link found nowhere else... Our names, dear friends, are on that breastplate! He carries us on His affections, and a link binds that breastplate to our heavenly priest. Nothing can come in and break that link. He intercedes for us, and we are held secure in the heart of our Great High Priest.
- Hidden — the rings sit on the inside edge, facing the ephod, out of sight. Yet they help hold the breastplate in place.
- Gold — the rings are gold, the picture of divine righteousness. The fastening rests on what God is.
- Blue — the lace through the rings is blue, the heavenly colour. The tie that holds the people to the Priest is grace from above.
- Bound — the breastplate cannot come loose. So Christ cannot stand before God without His people, whose names He wears on His heart.
- Secure — love on the heart, power on the shoulders, one garment joining both. What such a Priest holds cannot be lost.
And two rings of gold shalt thou make, and shalt put them upon the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath, to the front thereof just by the coupling thereof, above the girdle of the ephod.
God tells Moses exactly where two small gold rings belong. They sit low on the front of the high priest's ephod, the shoulder garment, where its seam meets the woven band. Why does Scripture spend a whole verse on two rings, and what did they hold in place?
These rings are part of a fastening described over several verses. One writer sets out how it worked:
Two more gold rings sat on the lower edge of the breastplate, but on the inside. They matched two gold rings also fixed to the ephod. A blue cord then tied these rings together, fastening the breastplate to the ephod at the lower side. The blue cord reminds us of the heavenly character of this testimony, and the text adds that in this way the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod.
Gold and blue are not just materials. The chains, rings and cord each say something about the Priest Himself:
The chains and rings of gold speak of the Godhead glory of our Priest. The lace of blue speaks of the heavenly grace of His Manhood. The word that older versions translate "wreathen" means a strong band. These strong bands of His Godhead and His Manhood show us how well and how securely we are sustained according to God. However great our testing, we have in our High Priest One who is more than equal to every circumstance of the way, and He will bring us safely through.
This verse fixes the rings to the shoulder pieces. What they hold there is the breastplate, worn over the heart:
An early Greek translation of the Old Testament calls the ephod the "shoulder piece," because much of the priest's work was to carry the burden of the people of God before Him. But He was also to show compassion to those who are ignorant and going astray, and this called for patient love. So rings and chains of gold coupled the breastplate to the shoulders, and the two were never to be separated. Twelve precious stones made up the breastplate. Each stone had the name of one tribe of Israel engraved on it, yet pure gold set them all into one — a symbol of Divine faithfulness and glory. The meaning of the picture is clear. The saints of God are carried on the heart of the great High Priest, and also held up by His power. His unchanging love lies behind strength that never weakens and never runs out of patience. The ephod made the breast-plate and the shoulder pieces one. His is not an impotent love, or a loveless power; His power is the servant of His love, and both have no measure or end.
The rings sit just above the woven band of the ephod. Older translations call it "the curious girdle," and that band carries its own meaning:
After the ephod, we read of the curious girdle of the ephod. It was made of the same materials as the ephod itself (verse 8). The girdle is the sign of service; compare Luke 12:37; 17:8… He took the form of a servant when He became man, and He will never lay that form aside. In the days of His humbling He was the tireless servant of all. And more than that, like the Hebrew servant of Exodus 21, He had chosen to be a servant for ever. So He serves on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary while we journey here on earth.
The next verse gives the reason for the rings. One writer points to the band that held Aaron's breastplate in place:
Its unique work was to see that the breastplate was not loosed from the ephod… What does "bind the breastplate to the ephod" mean? How unique the priesthood of Christ is! "He always lives to make intercession for us." Our names, dear friends, are on that breastplate! They are carried on His affections, and there is a link that binds that breastplate to our heavenly Priest. Nothing can come in to break that link.
The fastening held for good. So the priest could never enter God's presence without the people on him:
The breastplate was never to be separate from the ephod (verse 28): "so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod." Whenever the high priest went into the presence of God, it was in his garments. He could not go without representing the people. It is impossible for Christ to stand there in the presence of God without us.
- Rings — Two gold rings sit low on the front of the shoulder pieces. Their one job is to hold the breastplate in place.
- Materials — Gold speaks of the Godhead glory of our Priest. The blue cord speaks of the heavenly grace of His Manhood. Both are strong bands, and both hold.
- Joined — The rings join shoulders to heart. Power and love are one garment, and His power serves His love.
- Girded — The rings sit above the woven band, the mark of service. Our High Priest took the servant's place, and He will never give it up.
- Secure — The result is a link nothing can break: He cannot stand before God without us.
And they shall bind the breastplate with its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
A cord of blue ties the high priest's breastplate to the ephod, his outer garment. God gives the reason Himself — the breastplate must never come loose — so why such care over one blue thread?
This verse adds a second fastening, low down and hidden from view.
Two more rings of gold were put on the lower edge of the breastplate, on the inside. They matched two rings of gold also attached to the ephod. Then a blue lace was tied through these rings, fastening the breastplate to the ephod on the lower side. The blue lace reminds us of the heavenly character of this testimony, and the verse adds that the breastplate would then not come loose from the ephod.
The breastplate carried the names of God's people. So this small tie settled who came with the priest whenever he entered God's presence.
The breastplate was never to be separate from the ephod, verse 28: "So that the breastplate shall not come loose from the ephod." Whenever the high priest went into the presence of God, it was in his garments. He could not go without representing the people. It is impossible for Christ to stand there in the presence of God without us.
The command is not only about where the breastplate sat. It is about how long it stayed there.
The breastplate was also joined to the ephod itself by blue lace ties. The reason given is "so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod" (verses 26-28). There must be no chance of the breastplate getting out of its place for a single moment. God's eye must never rest on the priest without being reminded of all His people.
The lace held the breastplate just above the ephod's woven band. Older translations call that band the "curious girdle."
In Exodus we get another unique word — the "curious girdle." Aaron's girdle was unique. The word used is entirely different from the word used for the girdles of the sons. What was its unique job? To make sure the breastplate did not come loose from the ephod… "Bind the breastplate to the ephod," what does it mean? O the uniqueness of the priesthood of Christ! "He ever lives to make intercession for us." Our names, beloved, are on that breastplate! They are carried on His affections, and there is a link that binds that breastplate to our heavenly priest. Nothing can come in to break that link. He intercedes for us who are held secure in the heart of our Great High Priest.
The cord is blue, and one writer sets it beside another blue thread in the law.
Why did the Lord give such detailed instructions about the materials and the security of the breastplate?… "And they shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the ephod with a lace of blue." Blessed security! fastened on the heart of the high priest with a heavenly tie — the heavenly colour, blue. The ribbon of blue reminded Israel of the heavenly, holy claims of God on them — claims they never met. But the lace of blue points to those whom the Father has given, and who are always accepted in the Son. And how secure the fastenings: "so that the breastplate shall not come loose from the ephod."
This verse also explains events far from Exodus. The breastplate held the Urim and Thummim, the means by which God gave answers.
Exodus 28:30 tells us that the Urim and Thummim were in the priest's breastplate, and verse 28 tells us that this breastplate could not be separated from the ephod… So when Abiathar brought the ephod, he also brought the breastplate of judgment, and with it the Urim and Thummim, through which the answer came.
- Bound — Gold rings under the breastplate matched rings on the ephod. A blue cord tied them, and the two garments became one.
- Blue — The colour speaks of what is heavenly. The tie that holds God's people to the priest is a heavenly one, and God Himself ordered it.
- Never loosed — The breastplate could not slip out of place for a moment. So whenever God looked at the priest, He saw all His people there.
- Never alone — The names stay on the garment, so Christ cannot stand before God without the people He represents.
- Never idle — Nothing can break that link, and the Priest who wears it never rests: He lives to intercede for us.