God had said to Pharaoh, “Let My son go, that he may serve Me” (Ex. 4:23). After the ten plagues, Israel had been delivered from Egyptian bondage so that they might serve the Lord. However, once they had been delivered from bondage and were going through the wilderness, it became clear that they were not able to serve Him. Even though they had said three times, “All that Jehovah has spoken will we do,” they utterly failed. The history of the Church shows even greater failure. We believers received the Spirit of God, enabling us to serve God. Yet the message to Laodicea shows the Lord outside and rejected in the day in which we live (Rev. 3:14–21).

But when we consider today’s verse, we learn a wonderful truth. Whatever the condition of God’s people, whatever their failures, their names were continually before God, engraved on the two stones of memorial on the shoulders of the high priest (Ex. 28:12). Their names were also written on twelve precious stones in the breastplate over his heart. Can there be a safer and more intimate place? Despite the people’s failures, God wanted to be reminded of those names, although never at the expense of His rights: they were kept on the breastplate of judgment. Yes, the people often failed; even Moses, the meekest man on earth, transgressed God’s commandment. But when the high priest entered the sanctuary, these names were carried into God’s presence as a continual memorial.

Thus the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, is seated at God’s right hand and represents us there. From there, He strengthens us and provides us with the needed resources so that we may go on in our wilderness journey.