People often ask me these questions:
How do I know what to do in each time and season?
How do I know when to hang on and when to move on?
How do I know what is of God and what is not of God?
In the Old Testament, the books of Samuel imply that whenever King Saul or King David needed to ask God for direction or guidance, they asked a priest for the ephod.
For example, 1 Samuel 30:6-8 says, 'Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And the Lord answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."'
As David sought and inquired of the Lord on what to do, the Lord answered. How did the Lord answer? The Lord answered through the using of Urim and Thummim!
What is Urim and Thummim? This is a set of two objects used by the high priest to answer a question, or to reveal the will (or direction) of God. Also known as 'lights and perfection', or 'revelation and truth', this is a priestly device for obtaining oracles (i.e. obtaining prophetic guidance on what to do or what not to do). Its purpose is to confirm or to refute about something, either 'Yes' or 'No', 'Innocent' or 'Guilty', 'Go ahead' or 'Not go ahead'.
By the way, the word 'oracles' is from the word 'orare' in Latin. It simply means 'to speak'. So, 'to obtain oracles from God' is 'to hear God speak' or 'to receive guidance and revelation from God regarding something'.
In 1 Samuel 30:6-8 just now, the Lord actually answered David through the operation of Urim and Thummim!
To enhance our understanding of Urim and Thummim, and in cross-reference, let's go to Exodus 28:30. Here, the Scripture says, 'And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.'
Aaron here speaks of 'priesthood'. Here, the high priest was to carry the Urim and Thummim, i.e. the two stones in a pouch (or pocket) on his breastplate. When he needed a decision, or needed to make a judgment on what to do (or what not to do), he would kind of cast lots to see the result from his casting of those stones. That's how the priest inquired of the Lord on behalf of the king (or the ruler) those days. Of course, this can only be used for the king, the court, or someone serving the need of the nation those days. In other words, it's not to be used randomly, or as and when anyone likes, like throwing dices. But it's done in the fear of the Lord. It's done in the presence of the Lord. It's about some major decision making. It's regarding the nation. It's regarding important decisions by the king.
In 1 Samuel chapter 30, you can see that David needed to make a crucial and major decision, whether to attack or not to attack the enemy at that time.
For the record, there are three main legitimate ways of obtaining oracles (hearing from God) in the Old Testament:
1. Through Urim and Thummim
2. Through dreams and visions
3. Through prophets
In addition to all these three legitimate ways, there can also be sovereign overruling by the Lord through angelic visitation. The angels would speak on behalf of the Lord to the person.
Let's enhance our understanding further by looking at 1 Samuel 28:6. When King Saul inquired of the Lord at that time, see what the Scripture says here: 'The Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.'
When Saul saw an army of the enemy (at that time, it was the Philistines coming against him), he was afraid, and he sought the Lord. But the Lord didn't answer him. Why? Because the Lord has moved on from him. Why? Saul was disobedient to the Lord, and he was more concerned with advancing his own kingdom rather than God's kingdom. So here, the Lord didn't answer him. In this verse also, notice the three legitimate ways of hearing from God: Through dreams (and that includes visions), through Urim and Thummim, and through the prophets.
But how about today? How about we as believers in the New Covenant? Because we don't use Urim and Thummim. In fact, many scholars believe Urim and Thummim have been lost since Babylonian captivity those days.
So, how about today as believers in the New Covenant? You don't need the physical Urim and Thummim like those days. Why? Because you have something better! Because the Holy Spirit lives in you. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. You already have it in your spirit, inside of you, i.e. your inner witness (or some people call it 'inward witness'). You will know whether there's 'Peace' or 'No peace' from the Lord regarding something, whether it's a 'Yes' or 'No', whether it's a 'Go ahead' or 'Not go ahead'.
But how do you train yourself? How do you train your spiritual senses to hear from God, or to hear God on what to do (or what not to do) in your life?
What I'm trying to say here is, today in your life as a believer in the New Covenant, your inner witness (or inward witness) is the Urim and Thummim! In other words, you can receive guidance or direction from the Lord through your inner witness, i.e. 'Peace' or 'No peace', 'Yes' or 'No', 'Go ahead' or 'Not go ahead'!
In Romans 8:14-17, Apostle Paul wrote: 'For as many as are led by the Spirit of God (i.e. guided or directed by the Spirit of God), these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ...'
Just as God the Father spoke to God the Son, God can speak to you too. It's a matter of you allowing your spiritual senses to be enlightened, or to be clear to receive from the Lord.
In John 16:12-14, Jesus said: "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth (i.e. the Holy Spirit) has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and declare it to you."
That's why it's so important for us believers in this end time to be spiritually sensitive, to walk in the reverence and fear of the Lord, and to cleanse our hands and our hearts. Because that's how we are going to hear and receive more clearly. Our 'spiritual antenna' will be sharp, and we are going to receive revelation and wisdom regarding our lives, regarding our future, and even regarding the nations and the world. Amen!
