Contemplative Bible Reading

Numbers 27:21 (New International Version 2011)

He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

• What is in the world is the Urim?
• Why would anyone inquire of it before the LORD to obtain a decision?
• Why in the world would I wait until my age to ask these questions and find the answers?

So I go to Wikipedia for the answers (I went to several other sources to confirm the answers).

The Urim, and the Thummim were stones or jewels. These stones were placed in the vest of the priests like Eleazer in the above verse. The priest was to inquire of the stone before the LORD. It appears that these stones would turn colors or change brightness (on and off like a light bulb). The change in color would provide the LORD’s answer to the priest.

Now this is a bit weird. Praying to God and then looking a the color of the stones on my shirt.

Weird or not, this is what God instructed the priests to do. I have to believe that, for a while at least, the priests obeyed.