OT Study: Exodus Pt. 4

In the book of Exodus we have seen God reveal His name to His people and to the world. He demonstrated His supremacy, power, glory, wrath, provision, love, and care in leading His people out from the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt. After leaving Egypt God continued to provide for His people by giving them food and water as He lead them through the wilderness to Mount Sinai.

Remember that, in Chapter 15, God provided clean water for the Israelites at Mara by showing Moses a tree and instructing him to throw it into the bitter water, thus transforming it into drinkable water. This event was a demonstration of the nature and purpose of the Torah - the Law of God. The Torah is meant to point to that which gives life. In Chapter 16, God provides the people with bread from heaven and quail to eat in order to feed them in the wilderness. This was meant to test the faithfulness and obedience of the people as God had given them specific commands for how they were to eat this bread. The Israelites failed this test and chose to disobey God’s simple commands. This event demonstrated the other purpose of the Torah: to reveal the sinful hearts of men and women.

It is helpful to remember also what we learned in chapter 18 about the purpose of the Nation of Israel in God’s plan. God used them to judge the wicked Amalekites for their sin by causing the Israelites to have a great victory over the Amalekite army. This demonstrated that God will use Israel as an instrument of judgement against the wicked and rebellious nations around them. However, the chapter closed with examining the positive impact of Israel on the surrounding nations. There we saw the Midian priest, Jethro, who was Moses’ father-in-law, come and worship God after hearing of His mighty works for Israel. He came to hear about God’s glorious might and to learn about His law. This demonstrated that God will use Israel to be a blessing to all the nations by providing the gentiles a way to learn about and worship the One true God. This important lesson of the role of the Law and the role of the nation of Israel in God’s plan will be further detailed in our section today.

“1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

See how what is called the 10 commandments begins with the phrase God spoke all these words. This is done intentionally to point back to the 10 times God speaks in when He creates the universe. The 10 commandments must then be seen in light of the Creation story of . They are principles for how the creature must live in light of the Creator’s authority. They point back to the truths that God revealed about Himself in the act of Creation. That being said the 10 commandments have a specific structure. There are two separate sections in the law - the first and second tables. The First Table of the Law contains commands 1-4 and deals with how man is to relate to God - they are vertical in their orientation.

1. No Other gods before me - vs 3

God is the Creator and in creating the World He demonstrated that He is the Supreme Being in the universe. He is exclusive as God for He alone existed before all that He had made. If He did not create the universe and did not exist before it’s creation, He would not be God. Therefore, because of this fact, His creatures must worship Him alone for He is the only God. He is supreme and He is central.

2. Do not make images or likeness - vs 4-6

In we saw that God made man in His image. Man was created in God’s likeness. Therefore for man to in-turn make God into an image would be to reverse the Creator/creature paradigm. God demands that man not bring God down to the level of creature. God is YHWH and you must not make Him into something He is not. This command also demands that they do not make an image of another creature in order to worship it. This goes back to the theology of commandment 1: God alone is to be worshipped. As we see in verse 5, to worship an idol instead of YHWH is an act of hatred towards Him. Later in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the sin of idolatry is likened to committing the terrible act of adultery. This command is incredibly serious and the violation of this command will cause consequences so severe that they will impact multiple generations.

3. Don’t take His name in vain - vs 7

Remember that God’s act of creating the World was a revelation of who He is. As we have seen in Exodus, God’s Name is the essence of His Person. So then, to take God’s name in vain is to violate who He has revealed Himself to be as Creator God. He is sovereign over creation, He is holy, and He alone is judge. Commonly this commandment is related to making promises and oaths based on God’s name. However, as God’s Holy Nation, Israel was to represent God’s name to the surrounding nations. Not only were they to honor God’s name in the oaths they made but in the way that they lived.

4. Remember the Sabbath - vs 8-11

The connection between this command and is clear, God rested after creating the world in 6 days. This rest wasn’t just a break. It was a moment of perfect enjoyment between God and all His creation. It was a moment in which God’s creation was declared, “very good”, meaning that all that God had made was perfectly existing for the purpose that He made it. So then, by remembering the Sabbath, Israel was pointing back to this moment of rest that existed in Eden. Furthermore, such an act of resting from work was a demonstration of submission to God’s agenda for their daily life.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

The Second Table of the Law contains commands 5-10 and deals with how man is to relate to his neighbor, these commands are horizontal in nature. As we will see later, commands 5-10 expound are linked to commands 1-4. See that the vertical relationship with God must impact our horizontal relationships with each other

5. Honor Father and Mother - vs 12

This Commandment parallels commandments 1&2. Because God is supreme and He is the ultimate authority, you must honor the human authority that He has sovereignly placed over you. This is the exact logic of the BIble’s teaching on human authority and government (see ).

6. Do not Murder - Preserve human life - vs 13

The next four commandments parallel commandment 3. Remember that to take God’s name in vain was to live in such a way that directly contradicted who He revealed Himself to be at Creation. God is the author of all life. Therefore, to destroy life is to directly contradict who He is. Furthermore, As we saw in and 4, death and murder are a result of the fall. By upholding life, Israel is demonstrating to the world that they are an anti-fall nation.

7. Do not commit Adultery - Preserve human marriage - vs 14

In , we see that God blessed creation and made it Holy. He is Holy and pure and in the beginning He made marriage a holy union between Adam and his wife. Therefore, to commit adultery is to make unholy that which God made holy. It is not only a violation of one’s spouse but a violation of God’s name.

8. Do not Steal - Preserve human possessions - vs 15

Because God created all things, He then owns all things. In , God gave man access to all of creation except for the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve violated the command of God and stole a fruit from this tree and ate it. In stealing, one performs the same act that caused the fall but in honoring human possessions, Israel demonstrates that it is an anti-fall nation.

9. Do not bear false witness - Preserve human integrity - vs 16

In God declared what was good and not good. In doing so He demonstrated that He is the ultimate Judge over creation. Furthermore, in , He exacted just punishment on Adam, Eve and the Serpent for their actions in the Fall. To bear false witness is to pervert justice, which is a direct contradiction to the name of God.

10. Do not Covet - Be content - vs 17

If you look back at the language of commandment 4 you will see mention of male servant, female servent and livestock. In commandment 10, these things are repeated in order to indicate the connection to remembering the sabbath. Remember that honoring the sabbath carries with it a submission to God’s agenda for your daily life. By coveting what God has not given you, you are demonstrating that you do not wish to be submissive to God’s rule over your life. This commandment’s link back to Genesis is found in , where the word used to describe Eve’s desire for the forbidden fruit is the same word used here for covet.

What we see here then is that by obeying God’s Law, Israel would be living as an anti-fall nation who demonstrated to the world who God is and why He created the World.

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

As Moses was on the Mountain receiving this Law, the people of Israel were filled with fear of God’s power and presence. They called for Moses to be a mediator between them and God because they came to understand their lack of perfect holiness in light of the presence of a perfectly Holy God. Moses then reasures them to not be fearful for their lives but instead practice proper awe and reverence before a Holy God. John Piper likens this paradox to a little child running away from a massive dog (fearing for one’s life) versus a little child walking next to a massive dog, following where the dog leads and abiding in the protection that the dog provides.

The following laws further expound on the individual commandments of chapter 20. These laws will be further expanded in Numbers and again in Deuteronomy. The structure of these sections is determined by their content as well as the language used to introduce the commands of each section.

5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.

20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.

Chapter 21 deals with slave laws. The purpose of this chapter is to teach Israel a right theology of slavery. Israel was transferred from an unjust enslavement to Pharaoh into a wonderful Master-slave relationship with God. God’s people, then, were to mirror this wonderful slavery to God with how they treated slaves. Slavery in that culture was to be unlike the slavery that pervaded the Ancient Near East and existed in the past history of America.

These stipulations are related to Commandment 6 - do not murder. Notice that in verse 13-16, the punishment for killing a slave is the same for killing a free man. The life of the slave is just as valuable as the life of a free man. This radically demonstrates a theology to the world that the God of Israel is a God of life who brings people of a slavery unto death to a slavery of life with Him.

“1 If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

This section deals with stipulations from Commandment 8 - do not steal. Vs 1-6 provide punishment for one who actively breaks this commandment and takes the possessions of his neighbor. Vs 7-15 deal with unintentional violations of commandment 8. This demonstrates that you can violate God’s law by intentionally disobeying or by not actively obeying.

In verses 16-17 we have a transitional stipulation that expands upon both commandment 7&8. This deals with one who commits sexual immorality with a virgin. Sexual sin is not just a violation of the commandment against adultery, it is an act of theft. If you sin sexually with someone else, you are taking something from them that you can not return. In the case of seducing a virgin, you are robbing that person of their virginity. In any case, you are taking that person’s right to fully enjoy the sexual intimacy designed for marriage.

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. 19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. 20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction. 21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

The laws found in this section are an expansion on Commandment 7 which was to not commit adultery. Verse 18 is a law against mixing God’s worship with pagan worship which often included sexual immorality with sorceresses. Verse 19 is a law against mixing between a human and an animal which is a clear and disgusting violation of Commandment 7. But in verses 20-24 there is an interesting change in this pattern. Instead of prohibiting the mixing of Israelites and sojourners in the assembly of God, God commands Israel to not wrong them. Instead, they are to remember the mistreatment they received when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt. They were to demonstrate God’s love for His people to those who were immigrants in their midst, especially the widow and the orphan (vs 22).

28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

These stipulations deal with honoring the rulers that God placed over the people (commandment 5), and submitting to God’s ownership over their families and their possessions (commandments 1-2).

2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice ,3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. 4 “If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.

9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

These Stipulations expand on Commandment 9 - do not bear false witness against your neighbor. In verses 3-9 God makes it clear that one’s neighbor includes the poor (vs 3), one’s enemy (vs 4-5) and even the sojourner (vs 9).

10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. 12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

These stipulations expand on the 4th Commandment (and thereby the 10th Commandment also). They demonstrate that God has control over the seasons of your daily life, monthly life and yearly life. By observing these stipulations Israel radically demonstrated their submission to God’s rule over their life to the world.

20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. 22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.

This section concludes the expansion on the 10 commandments with a focus on Commandments 1&2. Notice that YHWH declares that He has sent an angel to guard and lead them. This is a reference to the Angel of the Lord who was in the Pillar of Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by Night. YHWH commands that Israel is to obey His voice, and that He will pardon their transgression (forgive their sins) because YHWH’s name is in Him. This is a clear reference to multiple Persons in the Godhead. The Angel of the Lord is YHWH and God who sent Him is YHWH. In verses 22-24, YHWH commands that Israel not worship the idols of the people that the Angel grants them victory over. In verses 25-33 God concludes His covenant by promising to give Israel the Land He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

After receiving the covenant from God, Moses then presents it before the people of Israel. They hear every stipulation of the Law and agree to do all the words that YHWH commands. Moses then performs a covenant ceremony with the people. He and the people perform burnt offerings and peace offerings which demonstrated total dedication to God (burnt) and celebrated the fellowship that now existed between God and man (peace).

The action of throwing the blood from the sacrifices on the people was done to demonstrate that if Israel broke this covenant their blood should be spilled just like in this ceremony. It was also an act of atonement. The blood came from a sacrifice of life and in covering the people, it covered over their sin. This is similar to what happened at Passover, the blood of the lamb covered over their doorposts and their firstborn were saved from being killed by the Angel of the Lord. It is through the spilling of blood that Israel is able to enter into this covenant with God. This will be further fleshed out in the next book of the Pentateuch, Leviticus. Ultimately this idea of atoning blood finds its fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. His blood covers us, making us holy and allowing us to enter into the New Covenant of God.

After all of this, Moses, the priests and the representative elders of the people are allowed to go up to Mount Sinai. It is here that they saw God very God and instead of perishing in His presence, He preserved their lives and ate and drank with Him. In essence this moment was a glimpse of what God had promised in chapter 19. God promised a relationship with His people where He would love them intimately, as His most prized possession. Hundreds of years later, God the Son would share a meal with His 12 disciples and at this meal He promised that He would drink with them at a future meal in His Father’s Kingdom. In that meal, man and God will have perfect communion together for there will be no sin in man that will separate man from God. This is the future privilege that awaits all who believe.

25:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.

8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

It is helpful to understand that this text has a specific structure. There are 7 seperate times where the phrase, “The Lord said to Moses”, occurs. This phrase then divides this text into 7 sections. This should be a clue to us that there will be some significant ties back to Creation theology in this section. Furthermore, it is important to note that as God instructs Moses in the construction of the Tabernacle He is moving from the inside of the Tabernacle out. Lastly, in this first section of 25:1-30:10 there are three repetitions of the phrase, “after the pattern...which is being shown you on the mountain.”. These mark three distinct sections in this text and there is a strong argument that they correlate with the first 3 days of creation where God made the first three environments of space, sky/sea and land.

This section is the introduction to the instructions for the Tabernacle. God begins by instructing Moses to speak to the people and request from them a contribution of materials for the tabernacle. Every person is to be asked and their giving is to be done as their heart moves them. Each person has the opportunity to participate in making the dwelling place of God in their midst. Lastly, notice that God is going to show Moses the pattern for the tabernacle. Some commentators believe the tabernacle is to be a replica, or a mirror, of the heavenly dwelling place of God.

10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.

17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.

21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. 23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.

30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly. 31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

God begins by instructing Moses on the construction of the Ark. The Ark is to be the very seat of God’s presence and glory. It is to be covered in gold for it is to reflect the light that emanates from God’s glory. Throughout these instructions it is important to establish the connection between the glory of God’s presence with gold.

On top of the ark was to be built what was called the Mercy Seat. The word used for mercy is the same word used for atonement. As we will see in Leviticus, the only time that the Mercy Seat is used in the sacrificial system is on the Day of Atonement. On each end there will be two cherubim of gold. As we will see in later OT visions of God’s heavenly throne room, the Cherubim are the angels who attend God by His throne and praise Him unceasingly. In verse 22 we see that it is above the Mercy Seat, between the Cherubim, that God will meet Moses and provide commandment and rule over the people of Israel. The theology of this is clear: God will dwell with man and rule over Israel from His tabernacle which is a replica of His throne room. However, there must be atonement for sins in order for this to work.

Inside the tabernacle there was also to be a Table for the Bread of the Presence. Remember that bread was to be kept continually in the Tabernacle as a memorial to God’s provision of manna in the wilderness. With God’s presence comes provision for His people. Also inside the tabernacle there was to be a lampstand that was meant to always shine. It was a demonstration that God’s presence will never fade. Notice how the lampstand is to have engravings of branches and flowers and fruit. This is done to remind the people of the garden of Eden. The tabernacle inherently points back to God’s dwelling with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

There is an argument to be made that this first section of instructions connects back to the first day of Creation where God made light and darkness. That is due to the immense light of the glory of God’s presence above the Mercy seat, and all of the gold that reflects this light, not to mention the lampstand that never stops giving light.

26:1 “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. . 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.

26 “You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 28 The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. 30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.

In the opening verses we see that the Tabernacle is to be a tent and that the sides of the tent, the curtains, are to be made of fine linen that is died with blue and purple hues. The blue is to remind the people of the sky and sea that God created on Day 2 of creation. Notice that there is to be gold interwoven with the blue curtains representing God’s glory filling the sky. This is further accentuated by the gold covered acacia wood beams that hold up the curtains. Remember that the Ark is made of acacia wood and then covered with gold. This looks forward to when the glory of God’s presence will fill the sky. This finds it’s ultimate fulfillment in the New Jerusalem that will come when God re-creates the world in the end, “23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelations 21:23)

31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.

As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. 9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

This final subsection deals with the Tabernacle’s function on earth. This correlates with the 3rd day of creation where God made the dry land. God instructs Moses to fashion a veil of separation. This veil created a division inside the Tabernacle between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies). This separation must exist because of the fact that mankind is not perfectly holy and therefore can not be fully in the presence of the most Holy God.

As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. 9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

This is further accentuated in 27:9-10, where God gives instructions for the court outside the tabernacle. This is the area where the Israelites were to gather before the Lord at the tabernacle. The fixtures in this area are not to be made of gold, but instead bronze and silver, signifying that there is a separation between the unholy people of Israel and the glory of the presence of the Holy God inside the Tabernacle. Surely, all Israel is invited to participate in worshipping God at the Tabernacle. However, there must be a mediator between the people in the outer court and God in the Holy Place. In verse 21 we see that Aaron and his sons are to be these mediators.

20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

This final subsection deals with the Tabernacle’s function on earth. This correlates with the 3rd day of creation where God made the dry land. God instructs Moses to fashion a veil of separation. This veil created a division inside the Tabernacle between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies). This separation must exist because of the fact that mankind is not perfectly holy and therefore can not be fully in the presence of the most Holy God.

This court also serves as a visible teaching lesson for Israel on how they are to be a kingdom of priests. Just as the priests stand before them, between the outer court and the holy place, so too does Israel act as the mediator between the nations and God.

This is further accentuated in 27:9-10, where God gives instructions for the court outside the tabernacle. This is the area where the Israelites were to gather before the Lord at the tabernacle. The fixtures in this area are not to be made of gold, but instead bronze and silver, signifying that there is a separation between the unholy people of Israel and the glory of the presence of the Holy God inside the Tabernacle. Surely, all Israel is invited to participate in worshipping God at the Tabernacle. However, there must be a mediator between the people in the outer court and God in the Holy Place. In verse 21 we see that Aaron and his sons are to be these mediators.

This court also serves as a visible teaching lesson for Israel on how they are to be a kingdom of priests. Just as the priests stand before them, between the outer court and the holy place, so too does Israel act as the mediator between the nations and God.

28:1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.

9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.

12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.

15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it.

21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.

29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’

40 “For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty.

This section deals with the clothing that the priests are to wear. It is important to realize that each article of clothing has a theological purpose. It is in this section that the function and role of the priest in the worship of God is established.

In verse 2 we see that the garments that the priests wear are to be for glory and beauty. When stated together, the two terms, glory and beauty, are the two major terms describing the Majesty of God in the OT. From this we learn that the priest is to magnify and point to the Majesty of God. Notice in verse 6 that the garments are to be made from the same colors as the linen on the inside of the Tabernacle. Ultimately, they are made to look like miniature versions of the Tabernacle in order to highlight the glorious truth that God dwells amongst His people. This establishes the basis for the theology found in the New Testament where each believer is said to be a Temple.

28:1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.

Verse 9-14 deal with the two shoulder pieces that the priest is to wear. Each shoulder piece is to have a stone on which is carved the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. This highlights the priest’s role as a representative of all of the people of Israel before God in the Holy Place. He is to figuratively bear them on his shoulders.

9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.

This role of mediation is further established with the Breastpiece of Judgement. This breastpiece holds the 12 names of Israel as well and it is to be worn over the heart. The judgement here relates to Divine decrees and decisions that are revealed to the priest. Just as the shoulder pieces represent the priest’s mediation between man and God, the breastpiece represents the priest’s mediation between God and man. This breastpiece is to be worn over the priests heart, signifying that God’s judgements and decrees should rule over the hearts of the people of Israel.

Lastly we see in vs 31-40 the robe of the priestly garment (ephod). This robe was to have designs of a pomegranate. Most scholars and commentators hold that this most likely represents the fruit of the Tree of Life found in Eden. The robe was also to have a bell attached to it. This bell would make noise with every movement that the priest performed in the Tabernacle. This would serve as an audible reminder to him of the caution, care and holiness that he must have in the presence of God.

12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.

15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it.

10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting,

21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.

it is a sin offering. 15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,

18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.

22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is a food offering to the Lord. 26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests' portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron's and his sons'. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord. 29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days

43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

In verses 10-30 we have the description of the ordination ceremony of the priests. This ceremony consisted of three separate sacrifices that were performed to consecrate the priest for his service in the tabernacle. The first offering involved killing one bull. This is called the sin offering and it is performed in order to cleanse the priest from sin. The next offering involved killing one ram and burning the entire ram on the altar. This is called the burnt offering which was a demonstration of total consecration and dedication to God. The last offering to take place requires the killing of one ram and then the taking of parts of the ram and placing it on the altar and then taking the breast of the ram and eating it as a meal between the priest and God. This is called the peace offering and it was done as a celebration of the fellowship that exists between YHWH and man.

29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’

40 “For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty.

This section ends with God declaring that He will meet with the people of Israel in His tabernacle through the mediation of the priests. He then repeats His promise to be Israel’s God and that He will cause them to know that He is the One who brought them out of Egypt. Furthermore, not only will He be their God, He will dwell among them.

This section deals with the clothing that the priests are to wear. It is important to realize that each article of clothing has a theological purpose. It is in this section that the function and role of the priest in the worship of God is established.

In verse 2 we see that the garments that the priests wear are to be for glory and beauty. When stated together, the two terms, glory and beauty, are the two major terms describing the Majesty of God in the OT. From this we learn that the priest is to magnify and point to the Majesty of God. Notice in verse 6 that the garments are to be made from the same colors as the linen on the inside of the Tabernacle. Ultimately, they are made to look like miniature versions of the Tabernacle in order to highlight the glorious truth that God dwells amongst His people. This establishes the basis for the theology found in the New Testament where each believer is said to be a Temple.

30:1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it”

Verse 9-14 deal with the two shoulder pieces that the priest is to wear. Each shoulder piece is to have a stone on which is carved the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. This highlights the priest’s role as a representative of all of the people of Israel before God in the Holy Place. He is to figuratively bear them on his shoulders.

The final passage in this subsection describes the altar for incense inside the tabernacle. It was to be made with the same materials as the Ark and it was to be placed in front of the veil that was between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. It created another physical barrier of smoke between the High Priest and God which further represented that even the priest can’t perfectly mediate this relationship between God and man because he too is a sinful man. This ends the first section where the Lord speaks to Moses.

This role of mediation is further established with the Breastpiece of Judgement. This breastpiece holds the 12 names of Israel as well and it is to be worn over the heart. The judgement here relates to Divine decrees and decisions that are revealed to the priest. Just as the shoulder pieces represent the priest’s mediation between man and God, the breastpiece represents the priest’s mediation between God and man. This breastpiece is to be worn over the priests heart, signifying that God’s judgements and decrees should rule over the hearts of the people of Israel.

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.

Lastly we see in vs 31-40 the robe of the priestly garment (ephod). This robe was to have designs of a pomegranate. Most scholars and commentators hold that this most likely represents the fruit of the Tree of Life found in Eden. The robe was also to have a bell attached to it. This bell would make noise with every movement that the priest performed in the Tabernacle. This would serve as an audible reminder to him of the caution, care and holiness that he must have in the presence of God.

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.

32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”

God addresses Moses a second time in vs 11-16 to provide instructions regarding the taking of a census. This was to be done so that every person in Israel was to have contribution to the maintenance of the tabernacle. This was different from the free-will offerings that were requested in 25:1-2. Every Israelite was to be involved with the Tabernacle.

God speaks to Moses a third time in vs 17-21 regarding basins of bronze that the priests were to use to wash themselves before they entered the Tabernacle. This was to highlight the holiness and consecration that was required to be in the presence of God.

10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting,

God speaks to Moses a fourth time in verse 22-33 in order provide the recipe for the anointing oil to be used in sanctifying everything in the Tabernacle as well as the priests. This oil was not allowed to be used on any ordinary person. This highlighted the need for a mediator between the people and God.

it is a sin offering. 15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,

18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.

God speaks to Moses a fifth time in verses 34-38 to provide a recipe for the incense that is to be burned in the Tabernacle. No one was allowed to burn incense made with this recipe which highlighted the fact that there was to be one place where man and God would commune together - at the Tabernacle.

22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is a food offering to the Lord. 26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests' portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron's and his sons'. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord. 29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days

43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

31:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”

God speaks to Moses a sixth time in 31:1-11 in order to tell him that God has filled certain individuals with the Spirit of God. This filling of the Spirit of God is a divine enablement and empowerment to perform a specific task. God chose two men and gifted them with the Holy Spirit and the creative ability to construct the Tabernacle just as God designed. Notice here how God sovereignly worked in the lives of two men so that they would perform incredibly important tasks of worship.

In verses 10-30 we have the description of the ordination ceremony of the priests. This ceremony consisted of three separate sacrifices that were performed to consecrate the priest for his service in the tabernacle. The first offering involved killing one bull. This is called the sin offering and it is performed in order to cleanse the priest from sin. The next offering involved killing one ram and burning the entire ram on the altar. This is called the burnt offering which was a demonstration of total consecration and dedication to God. The last offering to take place requires the killing of one ram and then the taking of parts of the ram and placing it on the altar and then taking the breast of the ram and eating it as a meal between the priest and God. This is called the peace offering and it was done as a celebration of the fellowship that exists between YHWH and man.

God concludes by speaking to Moses a 7th time in verses 12-17. The tie to creation here is incredibly clear. The 7th word from God correlates with the 7th day of creation for this 7th word is a command from God to honor the Sabbath Day. The climax of creation theology is sabbath rest. Remember that this was a day in which God rested from His labor to enjoy perfectly all that He had created. It was on this day that all that God had made existed in a state of perfection. This sabbath rest that God enjoyed with His creation before the Fall is what the Tabernacle is pointing back to. This is the purpose for this entire system of worship so then it is highly important that Israel keep the Sabbath holy.