Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze;4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair;5 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
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1. Where are they going to get all this stuff?
Our first reaction is, “Where did they obtain these items?” Remember that Israel had just been delivered out of slavery and this was part of the four hundred years back wages that they collected on their way out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:36 reminds us that “… the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” When Israel left Egypt, they took out tremendous wealth. It has been estimated that at least five million dollars worth of material went into the construction of the tabernacle alone. The tabernacle was small in size because it had to be carried on the wilderness march, but it was very ornate, rich and beautiful. Voluntarily and freely the people were given opportunity to personally contribute to the nation’s worship center from the list of 14 components and materials needed to build the tabernacle. One wonders how much of their contribution came originally from Egyptian homes and had been thrust into the hands of the Israelites right before the Exodus (cf. 12:35, 36). The people so responded with joy and enthusiasm that they finally had to be restrained from bringing any more gifts (35:21–29; 36:3–7).
2. Why blue, purple and scarlet colors?
Blue, purple and scarlet. Royal colors. blue, purple. Dyes derived from various shellfish (primarily the murex) that swarm in the waters of the northeast Mediterranean. Scarlet. Derived from the eggs and carcasses of the worm Coccus ilicis, which attaches itself to the leaves of the holly plant. fine linen. A very high quality cloth (often used by Egyptian royalty) made from thread spun from the fibers of flax straw. The Hebrew for this term derives ultimately from Egyptian.
Excellent examples of unusually white, tightly woven linen have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Some are so finely woven that they cannot be distinguished from silk without the use of a magnifying glass. goat hair. From long haired goats. Coarse and black, it was often used to weave cloth for tents.
10 “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
3. What is an ark, acacia wood, and a cubit?
An ark was a chest or box. Such was its form and function.
The Hebrew for this word is translated by the more traditional term “ark” throughout the rest of Exodus ; it is different from that used to refer to Noah’s ark and to the reed basket in which the infant Moses was placed . Of all the tabernacle furnishings, the ark is mentioned first probably because it symbolized the throne of the Lord .
The Hebrew for this word is translated by the more traditional term “ark” throughout the rest of Exodus ; it is different from that used to refer to Noah’s ark and to the reed basket in which the infant Moses was placed . Of all the tabernacle furnishings, the ark is mentioned first probably because it symbolized the throne of the Lord .
There are about 1,300 different species of acacia trees and shrubs. A few acacia plants produce wood that can be used for furniture, ornaments, and flooring, as well as for firewood and pulpwood in the paper industry. Acacia wood is especially prized for furniture, because of its durability, lustrous finish, and varied shades.
Acacia wood has a long history of use. One variety, red acacia or Acacia seyal, is believed to have been used to build Egyptian coffins, the Ark of the Covenant, and Noah’s Ark. Red acacia is native to northern and western Africa, where its wood is also burned as incense to treat joint pain and prevent fever.The almost incorruptible (acacia) wood speaks of His humanity. This wood was a product of the earth but was not subject to the action of it in a chemical way.
The cubit was a unit of measure based on the length of the forearm from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow. If you measure yours, you will find it is about eighteen inches—if you are a small person it will be shorter than that; if you are tall, it will be longer. So the length of a cubit varied, the Hebrew cubit was 17.5 inches and the Egyptian royal cubit was 20.6 inches.
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.15 The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.16 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
4. What is significant about God’s use of both gold and wood in the construction of the Ark of the Covenant?
It was a perfect symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ in His deity and humanity. Jesus Christ was the God-man; His deity was represented by the gold and His humanity was represented by the wood. The ark could not be spoken of as merely a wooden chest because it also was a gold chest. It could not be called a golden chest because it was also a chest of wood. It required both gold and wood to maintain the symbolism pointing to Christ as the God-man. There is no mingling of the two. There is no doctrine in Scripture so filled with infinite mystery and so removed from the realm of explanation as the hypostatical union of Christ, the God-man. Yet there is no symbol so simple as the ark that describes this union of God and man in one body. A mere box made of wood and gold speaks of things unfathomable. Truly God chooses the simple things to confound the wise.
That simple box tells the whole story, as far as man can take it in, of the unsearchable mystery of the blessed person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gold and the wood in the ark were both required, yet neither was mingled with the other. Nor was the identity of one lost in the other. Christ was both God and man, but the two natures were never fused or merged. He never functioned at the same time as both God and man. What He did was either perfectly human or perfectly divine. McGee
Colossians 2:9 “For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.2 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
.5. What was inside the ark and why?
The pot of manna speaks of Christ as a prophet. He spoke for God as John 6:32 clearly shows: “… Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.” Remember a prophet represents God to man.
Aaron’s rod that budded speaks of the work of Christ as priest. The prophet spoke for God before man; the priest spoke for man before God. As priest Christ offered Himself. Jesus Christ the God-man was raised from the dead and He is the unique example of resurrection up to the present hour. Easter lilies and eggs do not speak of the resurrection, but Aaron’s rod that budded does. It was an old dead stick that came alive. The ark speaks of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. “
The Ten Commandments speak of the life He lived on earth fulfilling the Law in all points and fulfilling the prophecies spoken of Him. This qualifies Him as The King of Kings. It also reminds us of our inability to keep the commandments and our need to be protected by the blood.
6. What was the mercy seat and what did it represent?And what are Cherubim?
mercy seat. The lid or cover of the ark was the “mercy seat” or the place at which atonement took place. Between the Shekinah glory cloud above the ark and the tablets of law inside the ark was the blood-sprinkled cover. Blood from the sacrifices stood between God and the broken law of God! The mercy seat rested on top of the ark. It served as the top for the chest, the ark, but it was a separate piece of furniture. It was made of pure gold with cherubim on each end with their wings spread, overshadowing it, and looking down upon the top where the blood was placed. It was here the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice. It was the blood that made it the mercy seat. This too was symbolic of the work of Christ. Christ literally presented His blood in heaven after His death on the cross. We are bidden to come to God today on the basis of the fact that Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, has offered His own blood for our sins.
Hebrews 4:14–16 reminds us that,“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Forged as one with the golden cover of the ark were two angelic beings rising up on each end and facing one another, their wings stretching up and over forming an arch. Cherubim, associated with the majestic glory and presence of God, were appropriately woven into the tabernacle curtains and the veil for the Holy of Holies for this place was where God was present with His people. Scripture reveals them as the bearers of God’s throne (1Sa 4:4; Is 37:16) and the guardians of the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life (Ge 3:24). You can’t get to the tree of life unless the Cherubim looking down onto the mercy seat, see the blood which hides our sin, the broken commandments inside the ark.
. Ezek 1:4-14 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures.
This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings were stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches. Fire was going back and forth among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
23 “You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.25 You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.27 The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.29 You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
7. What did this table and the bread represent?
.There are three articles of furniture in the Holy Place: (1) the golden lampstand, (2) the table of showbread, and (3) the altar of incense. Inside the Holy Place is the place of worship. The golden lampstand is one of the most perfect figures of Christ that we have. The table of showbread speaks of Him as being the Bread of Life. The altar of incense speaks of prayer—that the Lord is our great intercessor today, and we pray to the Father through Him.
. The Bread of the Presence. Traditionally “showbread.” In this phrase,
“ Presence” refers to the presence of God himself
(as in 33:14–15; Isa 63:9). The bread (twelve loaves, one for each tribe) represented a perpetual bread offering to the Lord by which Israel declared that it consecrated to God the fruits of its labors, and by which the nation at
the same time acknowledged that all such fruit had been provided only by God’s blessing.The table of showbread has twelve loaves of bread on it. There are many explanations of how these loaves were arranged but the important thing to remember is that each loaf represents a tribe of Israel. In other words, God was providing equality for all.
(as in 33:14–15; Isa 63:9). The bread (twelve loaves, one for each tribe) represented a perpetual bread offering to the Lord by which Israel declared that it consecrated to God the fruits of its labors, and by which the nation at
the same time acknowledged that all such fruit had been provided only by God’s blessing.The table of showbread has twelve loaves of bread on it. There are many explanations of how these loaves were arranged but the important thing to remember is that each loaf represents a tribe of Israel. In other words, God was providing equality for all.
The “crown of gold” is a border around the table to keep the bread from falling off. Once again we are told as with the ark, that staves were to be put through these rings in order that the table might be carried through the wilderness as the children of Israel journeyed. It was carried on the shoulders of th priests. The bread is a type of Christ. Therefore the table is a type of Christ. It pictures Him. The table of showbread suggests many things: it speaks of sustenance, provision, and supply. It is the table of salvation.
It is also a table of provision. God, as Creator, provides all food for man and beast. Whether you like it or not, friend, you eat every day at God’s table in the physical realm. Yet how few recognize this truth and give thanks to Him for His bounty. God is the one who provides for us.
This table also speaks of the Lord’s Supper, as instituted by the Lord Himself just prior to His death upon the cross. It is a table for believers. The table of showbread is a prefiguration of Christ as the sustainer of spiritual life for the believer.
The bread was changed each Sabbath. The bread which was removed was eaten with wine by the priestly family in the Holy Place.
31 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.33 Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower — and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.34 On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower.35 And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.36 Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.38 And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold.39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
8. Is this lamp there to light the inside of the tabernacle?
The lamps were to burn all night in the tabernacle,
tended by the priests. Oil for the lamps was to be supplied by the people; the light from the lamps represented the glory of the Lord reflected in the consecrated lives of the Israelites—Israel’s glory (the people of God) answering to God’s glory in the tabernacle. flower like cups, buds and blossoms. The design is patterned after an almond tree (see v. 33), the first of the trees in the Near East to blossom in spring. The cups of the lampstand resemble either the outer covering of the almond flower or the almond nut.
Now in order to worship God, you must also walk in the light. Christ is the light, as symbolized by the lampstand in the Holy Place. If you wanted natural light, you had to go outside the tabernacle. If you wanted to walk in the light of the lampstand, you had to go inside the tabernacle. John 1:9 tells us that Jesus Christ is the “…true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
The lampstand is probably the most perfect picture of Christ found in the tabernacle furniture. It sets Him forth as pure gold and speaks of His deity. It sets Him forth as He is—God. Worship has to do with walking in the light. This is a very important fact to see.
The lampstand was actually made of one piece of gold. As verse 39 says
The almond blossoms looked like wood but they were gold. They remind us of Aaron’s rod that budded. When Aaron’s priestly prerogative was in question, the budding of his almond rod established his right to the priesthood. The almond rod, a dead branch, was made to live and bear fruit. Christ was established as the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The resurrection did not make Christ the Son of God because H was already that from the eternal counsels of God; the resurrection only confirmed it.
Aaron was the God-appointed high priest and this position was confirmed by the resurrection of the dead almond rod. The resurrection of Christ likewise established His priesthood. Christ is our great High Priest. He became a man and partook of our nature, “tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.” But the primary basis of His priesthood is His deity. The priest represented man before God. And Christ, as God who became man, is now the God-man who represents man. There is Someone in heaven who knows and understands me! He is able to help me. The resurrection which declared Him to be the Son of God likewise declared His right to the priesthood.
The lampstand gave light in the Holy Place. It was the place of worship. Notice that the lampstand held up the lighted lamps. In turn, the lamps revealed the beauty of the lampstand. The oil in the lamps represents the Holy Spirit. Christ said of the Holy Spirit in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
·
- ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes·
- MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes ·
- NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes. ·
- JVM ……………..J Vernon McGee,·
- ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary·
- BN ……………..Barnes Notes·
- WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary·
- CN …… …………..Constables Notes ·
- IC………………….Ironside Commentary·
- NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.·
- JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
- VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
- CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
- BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
- Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
- Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
- NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
- EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
- CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
- SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
- K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
- EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
- CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
- GC……………………Guzik Commentary
- RD…………………….Robert Deffinbaugh
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