Three Divisions of EXODUS: Historical/Legislative/Ecclesiastical.
1.1-18, HISTORICAL: The Exodus -- Divine Power.
2.19-24, LEGISLATIVE: The Law -- Divine Holiness.
3.25-40, ECCLESIASTICAL: The Tabernacle -- Divine Wisdom.
3.ECCLESIASTICAL: THE TABERNACLE (DIVINE WISDOM) - 25:1-40:38.
A.May be more significant than we sometimes seem to think:
B.25:1-31:11, The exact pattern for the Tabernacle to be built in the wilderness (Freewill offerings; The furnishings; The great Tent itself; The altar; The courtyard; Garments of the priests; Elements of the Tabernacle ministry are described).
25:1-9, THE TABERNACLE (TENT) AND THE GIFTS FOR IT.
A.Principles of the moral law had been given to Moses in the Ten Commandments.
B.A short summary of the civil, political, and social laws had been given to Moses and he had written them in "The Book Of The Covenant."
C.A covenant had been entered into between God and his peo-ple, the people promising to keep the Words of the Lord.
D.But no form of worship had been given, other than a few references to an altar.
E.Now they were going to be given specific forms for wor-ship, and plans for a local place for that worship.
F.God would give explicit details for the materials to be used in building this place of worship, the measurements regarding its size, and the manner of building it.
G.In order for all this to be accomplished, the people would be required to bring the best of their possessions and offer them willingly for the work that was to be done.
25:1 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,
25:2 SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THAT THEY BRING ME AN OFFERING: OF EVERY MAN THAT GIVETH IT WILLINGLY WITH HIS HEART YE SHALL TAKE MY OFFERING.
25:3 AND THIS [IS] THE OFFERING WHICH YE SHALL TAKE OF THEM; GOLD, AND SILVER, AND BRASS (bronze),
A.GIVETH IT WILLINGLY: God does not seek gifts (see Psa 24:1, "The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein"), but He seeks the heart of the giver - cf 2Co 9:7 ("Every man according as he pur-poseth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or
of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver").
B.Perhaps GOLD AND SILVER would be symbols of what was most precious in the hearts of the people. God does not ask us for just whatever it is that we do not treasure for ourselves.
C.The Israelites might be thought of as being poor people who had just come out of slavery, with very little to give; But:
25:4 AND BLUE, AND PURPLE, AND SCARLET, AND FINE LINEN, AND GOATS' [HAIR],
25:5 AND RAMS' SKINS DYED RED, AND BADGERS' SKINS, AND ACACIA WOOD,
25:6 OIL FOR THE LIGHT, SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL, AND FOR SWEET INCENSE,
A.BLUE/PURPLE/SCARLET: We assume this means cloth of these colors. The materials for making the Tabernacle will be described in Chapter 26.
B.OIL FOR THE LIGHT: The sanctuary to be erected would be enclosed, so it would need to be lighted.
C.SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL: The oil would be used to sanctify and consecrate the Tabernacle and all that pertained to it, and also Aaron and his sons when they were appointed to be priests. The SPICES to be used are named in Ex 30:23-24.
25:7 ONYX STONES, AND STONES TO BE SET IN THE EPHOD, AND IN THE BREASTPLATE.
**THE BREASTPLATE: The sacred vest to be worn by the priests.
25:8-9, GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR BUILDING THE TABERNACLE.
25:8 AND LET THEM MAKE ME A SANCTUARY; THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM.
A.SANCTUARY: A special sacred place set apart (sanctified) for Him Who is Holy. Since the Nation was now in the position of being a nomadic nation, constantly on the move, a permanent building would be unsuitable; So there was the designing and building of a temporary and movable Tent.
B.This SANCTUARY will be described as having two rooms, the first a Holy Place set apart for service by chosen priests, and the second a Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) which was just for Jehovah except for once a year, when the high priest was allowed to enter with atoning blood.
C.THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM: The covenant had been ratified, and now preparations were completed for Jehovah to come and live with His people. They were sinful, but the Father loved them and did not want to destroy them. He is merciful and gracious, and He was providing a way for them to approach Him without being destroyed. This SANCTUARY was where God would live in the center of the Israelites' camp.
D.Now, in our time, there is no material building which is a sanctuary for God, but we dwell with the Father in Christ -
cf Mt 1:23 ("Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us"); Col 1:15,19; 2:
9-10 ("Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature......19 For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell......2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power"). To be in Christ is to be in His body (Eph 2:16, "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby;" cf 1:22-23), which is referred to as the temple - 1Co 3:16-17 ("Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are").
E.The people could come no nearer than the outer court of the Tabernacle (which will be described later). Only their representatives, the priests, could go into the Holy Place.
F.The Holy Place was separated from the Most Holy Place by a veil; Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and that only once a year, with blood of atonement. All of this arrangement impressed the idea of the distance between human beings and Almighty Jehovah, the Creator.
25:9 ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I SHOW THEE, [AFTER] THE PATTERN OF THE TABERNACLE, AND THE PATTERN OF ALL THE INSTRUMENTS THEREOF, EVEN SO SHALL YE MAKE [IT].
A.ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I SHOW THEE, AFTER THE PATTERN...: This was to be God's building and furniture, so every particular was to be according to His plan/pattern. For human beings to bring into God's worship or service their own projects and schemes is to rebel against His authority.
B.INSTRUMENTS: The furnishings of the Tent.
C.For now only two directions are given as to the Tabernacle:
25:10-22, THE ARK (Chest, Box); More information - Ex 37:1-9.
25:10 AND THEY SHALL MAKE AN ARK [OF] ACACIA WOOD: TWO CUBITS AND A HALF [SHALL BE] THE LENGTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE BREADTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE HEIGHT THEREOF.
A.This chest was to be placed inside the Most Holy Place where God was to live; It was to be made with a special hard wood and was to be covered with gold.
B.Accepting the CUBIT to be eighteen inches (the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger of an average sized man), the ARK was 45" long, 27" wide, 27" high.
25:11 AND THOU SHALT OVERLAY IT WITH PURE GOLD, WITHIN AND WITHOUT SHALT THOU OVERLAY IT, AND SHALT MAKE UPON IT A CROWN OF GOLD ROUND ABOUT.
**CROWN OF GOLD ROUND ABOUT: Seemingly an ornamental gold edging or molding around the top of the chest.
25:12 AND THOU SHALT CAST FOUR RINGS OF GOLD FOR IT, AND PUT [THEM] IN THE FOUR CORNERS THEREOF; AND TWO RINGS [SHALL BE] IN THE ONE SIDE OF IT, AND TWO RINGS IN THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
25:13 AND THOU SHALT MAKE STAVES (poles) [OF] ACACIA WOOD, AND OVERLAY THEM WITH GOLD.
25:14 AND THOU SHALT PUT THE STAVES (poles) INTO THE RINGS BY THE SIDES OF THE ARK, THAT THE ARK MAY BE BORNE WITH THEM.
A.BORNE WITH: Carried by.
B.In the desert the ARK had to be moved each time the people changed their camp site.
25:15 THE STAVES (poles) SHALL BE IN THE RINGS OF THE ARK: THEY SHALL NOT BE TAKEN FROM IT.
A.When the STAVES were once placed in the RINGS OF THE ARK, they were never to be removed.
B.This would prevent any human touching, even of the RINGS, when the ARK was moved. The POLES were not part of the ARK, so they could be handled by those who bore the ARK.
C.The ARK could not be touched without the penalty of death - 2Sa 6:6-7, ("And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook [it]. 7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for [his] error; and there he died by the ark of God").
25:16 AND THOU SHALT PUT INTO THE ARK THE TESTIMONY WHICH I SHALL GIVE THEE.
A.THE TESTIMONY: The two tables of stone, the Ten Commandments.
B.This would represent the purity of God in His total rejection of sin, and in His wrath upon any variance from it.
25:17 AND THOU SHALT MAKE A MERCY SEAT [OF] PURE GOLD: TWO CUBITS AND A HALF [SHALL BE] THE LENGTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE BREADTH THEREOF.
A.A MERCY SEAT: Here was the most important part of the whole Tabernacle, as it was the place where God promised to live and show His mercy to the people. This covered the ARK, as the MERCY of God covered the sins of His people; Thus it repre-sented God's MERCY (His provision for sinners to escape the punishment they deserve for their sins). So here is the uniting of mercy with justice, made possible by vicarious sacrifice.
B.It was a SEAT of propitiation (satisfaction) - See Lev 16:2,
12-15 ("And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy [place] within the veil before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat......12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the veil: 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover
the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he die not: 14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin of-fering, that [is] for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat"). It was the place where the blood was brought which typified the sacrifice of the Lamb of God Who was yet to come - Rom 3:24-25 ("Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God").
C.OF PURE GOLD: Not wood plated with gold, but solid GOLD.
D.This slab of solid gold was to be 45" long and 27" wide. The length and width were the same as the measurements of the ARK (Verse 10), so it exactly covered the ARK. The thickness is not given; Perhaps it was an inch or more.
25:18 AND THOU SHALT MAKE TWO CHERUBIMS [OF] GOLD, [OF] BEATEN WORK SHALT THOU MAKE THEM, IN THE TWO ENDS OF THE MERCY SEAT.
25:19 AND MAKE ONE CHERUB ON THE ONE END, AND THE OTHER CHERUB ON THE OTHER END: [EVEN] OF THE MERCY SEAT SHALL YE MAKE THE CHERUBIMS ON THE TWO ENDS THEREOF.
25:20 AND THE CHERUBIMS SHALL STRETCH FORTH [THEIR] WINGS ON HIGH, COVERING THE MERCY SEAT WITH THEIR WINGS, AND THEIR FACES [SHALL LOOK] ONE TO ANOTHER; TOWARD THE MERCY SEAT SHALL THE FACES OF THE CHERUBIMS BE.
A.CHERUBIMS...CHERUB: Winged creatures, possibly representing the gaze of angels who stand in astonishment and admiration at God's wisdom and power in uniting mercy and justice.
B.OF BEATEN WORK SHALT THOU MAKE THEM: They were not to be cast in molds, but were to be hammered into shape.
C.ON THE TWO ENDS THEREOF: That is, standing on the ENDS of the MERCY SEAT, rising up from the ENDS.
D.COVERING THE MERCY SEAT WITH THEIR WINGS: The words indicate the CHERUBS were to hold their wings in front of them, toward each other, and thus overshadow the MERCY SEAT.
E.THEIR FACES: They were to look in the direction of each other, and down toward the MERCY SEAT.
F.When everything was finished just as God commanded, He would come into this inner room and His Presence would be evidenced by a very bright light between the cherubs -- This bright light is referred to as the Shekinah Glory (the RADIANCE, the Glory, the Presence of God, living with His people).
25:21 AND THOU SHALT PUT THE MERCY SEAT ABOVE UPON THE ARK; AND IN THE ARK THOU SHALT PUT THE TESTIMONY THAT I SHALL GIVE THEE.
25:22 AND THERE I WILL MEET WITH THEE, AND I WILL COMMUNE WITH THEE FROM ABOVE THE MERCY SEAT, FROM BETWEEN THE TWO CHERUBIMS WHICH [ARE] UPON THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, OF ALL [THINGS] WHICH I WILL GIVE THEE IN COMMANDMENT UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.
**Here is the primary purpose of the Tabernacle -- To provide a suitable place for Jehovah to meet His people.
25:23-30, THE TABLE (More information - Ex 37:10-16).
25:23 THOU SHALT ALSO MAKE A TABLE [OF] ACACIA WOOD: TWO CUBITS [SHALL BE] THE LENGTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT THE BREADTH THEREOF, AND A CUBIT AND A HALF THE HEIGHT THEREOF.
A.The only furniture in the Most Holy Place was the ARK; Now the thought turns to the Holy Place with its three pieces of fur-niture -- The Candlestick, the Altar of Incense, and the TABLE, here described.
B.The TABLE would measure 36" long, 18" wide, 27" high.
C.It was to hold the twelve cakes of bread which would rep-
resent the twelve tribes of God's people, always at His disposal and ready to serve - cf Ac 26:7 ("Unto which [prom-ise] our twelve tribes, instantly serving [God] day and night, hope to come").
25:24 AND THOU SHALT OVERLAY IT WITH PURE GOLD, AND MAKE THERETO A CROWN OF GOLD ROUND ABOUT.
**CROWN OF GOLD ROUND ABOUT: A gold edging, which would be both beautiful and practical (to keep anything on the table from falling off).
25:25 AND THOU SHALT MAKE UNTO IT A BORDER OF AN HAND BREADTH ROUND ABOUT, AND THOU SHALT MAKE A GOLDEN CROWN TO THE BORDER THEREOF ROUND ABOUT.
A.A BORDER: A band or a frame.
B.This may have been a flat bar which held the legs together.
C.A GOLDEN CROWN TO THE BORDER: Apparently for ornament.
25:26 AND THOU SHALT MAKE FOR IT FOUR RINGS OF GOLD, AND PUT THE RINGS IN THE FOUR CORNERS THAT [ARE] ON THE FOUR FEET THEREOF.
25:27 OVER AGAINST THE BORDER SHALL THE RINGS BE FOR PLACES OF THE STAVES (poles) TO BEAR THE TABLE.
A.OVER AGAINST THE BORDER: Near the edging.
B.OVER AGAINST suggests the RINGS were opposite the points at which the BAND (or framing) was attached to the legs.
25:28 AND THOU SHALT MAKE THE STAVES (poles) [OF] ACACIA WOOD, AND OVERLAY THEM WITH GOLD, THAT THE TABLE MAY BE BORNE WITH THEM.
25:29 AND THOU SHALT MAKE THE DISHES THEREOF, AND SPOONS THEREOF, AND COVERS THEREOF, AND BOWLS THEREOF, TO COVER WITHAL: [OF] PURE GOLD SHALT THOU MAKE THEM.
A.DISHES...SPOONS...COVERS...BOWLS: One translation says, "bowls ...plates...jars...cups." The NKJV says, "dishes...pans... pitchers...bowls."
B.The DISHES may have been the vessels in which the loaves were brought to the TABLE.
C.SPOONS may have been containers for incense.
D.Other pieces mentioned may have had to do with the "drink-offerings" which accompanied every meat-offering.
25:30 AND THOU SHALT SET UPON THE TABLE SHOWBREAD BEFORE ME ALWAY.
A.BEFORE ME ALWAY: The table was to be kept in the Holy Place.
B.Its purpose was to hold the SHOWBREAD (literally, "bread of the Face," or "bread of the Presence").
C.The BREAD would be a continual thank-offering to God from the twelve tribes for the blessings of life and for His giving them daily bread to sustain their lives. It was in the Presence or Face of God (Who would be at the Mercy Seat).
D.The BREAD was to be eaten each week by the priests, and there-fore it may have symbolized God's giving of daily bread.
25:31-39, THE CANDLESTICK, or THE LAMPSTAND (For more informa-tion, see Ex 37:17-24).
25:31 AND THOU SHALT MAKE A CANDLESTICK [OF] PURE GOLD: [OF] BEATEN WORK SHALL THE CANDLESTICK BE MADE: HIS SHAFT, AND HIS BRANCHES, HIS BOWLS, HIS KNOPS (ornamental knobs), AND HIS FLOWERS, SHALL BE OF THE SAME.
A.Artists have drawn this as an upright SHAFT, out of which came three curved branches on either side, all in the same plane.
B.The CANDLESTICK might represent the Lord's people and their responsibility to the world - cf Mt 5:14-16 ("Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven"); Phi 2:15 ("That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world"). Or it might represent the complete Word of the Holy Spirit - cf Psa 119:105 ("Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"); And compare "seven" - Rev 4:5 ("And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God"). It was the only light in the Holy Place, as the Word is the only light which reveals the things of God and the way to His Presence.
C.BOWLS...KNOPS...FLOWERS: This might be translated "cups, pomegranates, lilies."
D.The BOWLS (or cups) are said to be like almond flowers (Verse 33); Three of these were the first ornament on each branch, then above them was what looked like the pomegranate fruit, and above that was a lily blossom which held the lamp.
25:32 AND SIX BRANCHES SHALL COME OUT OF THE SIDES OF IT; THREE BRANCHES OF THE CANDLESTICK OUT OF THE ONE SIDE, AND THREE BRANCHES OF THE CANDLESTICK OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE:
25:33 THREE BOWLS MADE LIKE UNTO ALMONDS, [WITH] A KNOP (ornamental knob) AND A FLOWER IN ONE BRANCH; AND THREE BOWLS MADE LIKE ALMONDS IN THE OTHER BRANCH, [WITH] A KNOP (ornamental knob) AND A FLOWER: SO IN THE SIX BRANCHES THAT COME OUT OF THE CANDLESTICK.
**IN THE OTHER BRANCH: That is, "on another branch." There were SIX BRANCHES coming out of the main shaft, not just two, and they all looked alike.
25:34 AND IN THE CANDLESTICK [SHALL BE] FOUR BOWLS MADE LIKE UNTO ALMONDS, [WITH] THEIR KNOPS (ornamental knobs) AND THEIR FLOWERS.
**IN THE CANDLESTICK: In the main central shaft there were to be a series of ornaments like those in the six branches, thus making it a branch, and making seven branches in all.
25:35 AND [THERE SHALL BE] A KNOP (ornamental knob) UNDER TWO BRANCHES OF THE SAME, AND A KNOP UNDER TWO BRANCHES OF THE SAME, AND A KNOP UNDER TWO BRANCHES OF THE SAME, ACCORDING TO THE SIX BRANCHES THAT PROCEED OUT OF THE CANDLESTICK.
25:36 THEIR KNOPS (ornamental knobs) AND THEIR BRANCHES SHALL BE OF THE SAME: ALL IT [SHALL BE] ONE BEATEN WORK [OF] PURE GOLD.
25:37 AND THOU SHALT MAKE THE SEVEN LAMPS THEREOF: AND THEY SHALL LIGHT THE LAMPS THEREOF, THAT THEY MAY GIVE LIGHT OVER AGAINST IT.
A.SEVEN LAMPS: They were to be of gold, but they are not otherwise described. Apparently each one was placed in
the lily-blossom at the top of each branch.
B.THEY SHALL LIGHT THE LAMPS: "They" would be the priests who had this responsibility to light the lamps at sunset.
C.GIVE LIGHT OVER AGAINST IT: This may be saying the LIGHT was directed to the other side, where the TABLE OF SHOWBREAD stood; Or it may be saying the light was shining AGAINST (or "by") the Lampstand.
25:38 AND THE TONGS THEREOF, AND THE SNUFFDISHES THEREOF, [SHALL BE OF] PURE GOLD.
A.TONGS: Could be translated "wick-trimmers."
B.SNUFFDISHES: Could be translated "trays." They were used to catch the fragments which were trimmed from the wicks.
25:39 [OF] A TALENT OF PURE GOLD SHALL HE MAKE IT, WITH ALL THESE VESSELS.
**A TALENT: Perhaps seventy-five pounds.
25:40 AND LOOK THAT THOU MAKE [THEM] AFTER THEIR PATTERN, WHICH WAS SHOWED THEE IN THE MOUNT.
A.Again Moses is cautioned that he must give diligence to follow the Divine pattern to the exact detail.
B.Compare Heb 8:4-5 ("For if he were on earth, he should not
be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount").
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