Israel's Magic 8 Ball

By the time you reach Exodus 28, all of the epic stories of deliverance from slavery are over. The Red Sea has been crossed. Manna has been miraculously delivered. Water has poured from rocks. The only popular story still to come is the incident with the golden calf in chapter 32. Almost everything else here in the last part of the book is instructions for building the tabernacle (a tent where the Lord will dwell with the people) and its various accessories and descriptions of building the tabernacle and its various accessories. There's lots of detail and lots of repetition. 

Chapter 28 is focused on crafting the garments for the priests to wear when they're serving at the tabernacle. If you're into sashes, gold embroidery, and scarlet yarn, this is the chapter for you. To me, this stuff gets pretty mind-numbing after a while, but I did find myself chewing on one odd detail when I reread this chapter recently: the Urim and Thummim.

What's the Urim and Thummim, you ask?

While describing the priest's breastplate, it says,

put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD. (28:30)

They are the “means of making decisions for the Israelites.” Scripture is pretty spare on the details, but the priest somehow used the Urim and Thummim to inquire of the Lord, when the Israelites wanted to discern God’s will (see Numbers 27:21 and Ezra 2:63). They sound like some kind of Magic 8 Ball that speaks for the Lord. “Yes definitely.” “My sources say no.” “Ask again later.”

Now, why would the people need these mysterious objects to help them know God's will? They were just given laws detailing exactly what the Lord wanted from them. Not only do they get the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, but they then receive dozens of more detailed laws applying the Ten Commandments to different, everyday scenarios (in chapters 21-23). God already told them what to do, in black and white. So what are the Urim and Thummim for?

There's not one verse in the entire Bible, much less in Exodus, that discusses gambling. 

There's no verse that tells you exactly how much of their money Christians should give away, only that we should be generous and ready to share (1 Tim 6:18). On a related note, there's no precise definition of greed, nor is there ever a clear line drawn between innocent desire and covetousness. 

How do you balance being a "friend of sinners" (like Jesus) and "bad company corrupts good character"? (1 Cor 15:33)

Do "love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek" apply in times of war? Can Christians take up arms against the enemies of their nation?

I could go on. 

Some situations are too complicated for a simple "Thou shalt not." If you want to follow Jesus faithfully in all the moments of life, having laws isn't enough. You need the Urim and Thummim, too. You need discernment.

Today, we don't have an Urim and Thummim. Those are long gone, and it’s not even clear what they were or how they worked. There are no more Magic 8 Balls for discerning God's will for your life.

What we do have are: 1) the words of scripture, 2) the example of Jesus, and 3) the guidance of the Holy Spirit. These won't always yield as clear answers as we'd like, though. There may be times when there's more than one right option. There will be moments when you pray, study, and listen, and you're still not sure what God desires—but it’s time to make a choice. Sometimes you'll make the wrong choice (and then grace abounds).

Discernment isn’t always simple or easy. But it’s essential. The Bible, long, deep, and inspired as it is, will not resolve every predicament or question in black and white. Maybe that’s God’s way of teaching us to rely on Him, not just a book. To “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” to “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov 3:5-6)

So, how are you inquiring of the Lord and trying to discern God’s will in your life today?

Listen to this week's devotional right here: