Urim and Thummim

2024-02-18

What are the Urim and the Thummim? We do not know much. Here is what we do know.

These were to be with the high priest when he went in before the Lord, being stowed in the breastplate. “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” (Exodus 28:30). When he would go in on behalf of the people, these things were there, close to his heart, just as the names of the tribes of Israel were.

When Joshua would succeed Moses, Joshua could come to the high priest to hear counsel from the Lord. “And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation” (Numbers 27:21). There appears to be a binary decision when using these: “at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in.” It may have been like casting lots.

Again, we see these could be used to discern whether they should allow people of uncertain genealogy to eat of the priestly things. “And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim” (Ezra 2:63; cf. Nehemiah 7:65). This was considered a perfectly valid method to make this important decision.

King Saul attempted to hear from the Lord using these, but he did not get any answer. “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets” (1 Samuel 28:6). It seems possible that even though the Urim and Thummim may normally answer between two decisions, they also can yield a non-answer.

After their mention in Nehemiah, we do not see them mentioned anymore throughout the Bible. If they were like casting lots, this method was used in the New Testament in determining the twelfth apostle: “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:24-26). This was a huge decision that they made, and they thought it a perfectly valid way to make this decision after praying about it.

Sometimes it sounds nice to have something like the Urim and Thummim to know God’s subjective and specific will for you. However, we do not know what happened to these things, and the New Testament does not prescribe these to know the will of God. Rather, we read this: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). When we continue in our identity with Christ by faith, we will often know the way to go.