Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. (The breast piece of the high priest, hung over the vestment of the ephod, was adorned with unique and precious stones. In four rows of three stones each, each different precious stone would be engraved with the name of each tribe of Israel and mounted on the breastplate. The apparel is a message that the Lord knows our name, that He values us even as we might value highly prized precious stones, that our names can never be erased from His presence, that He can never forget us or forget about us, and that He carries us over His heart into the very throne room of God Himself. Earlier, the Lord showed us through the engraved names on the two precious onyx stones placed on the high priest's shoulders that He carries the sins of the whole nation in His strength and power. Now, through the array of diverse stones, He shows us that He intercedes for us individually. He shows us that He keeps us close to His very heart, that He loves and sees us as His nearest and dearest, and that He embraces us with His everlasting love. He shows us that He has a heart for us, not only as a collective, but as unique and separate individuals. We see even through the priest's attire how much the Lord wants to convey His heart of love for us today.)
