Exodus 26.15-29-The Design Of The Framing Uprights And Crossbars Supporting Curtains Of The Tabernacle
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 15, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 26:15-29-The Design Of The Framing Uprights And Crossbars Supporting Curtains Of The Tabernacle
Lesson # 31
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 26:1.
Last week we studied Exodus 26:1-14, which records the Lord giving Moses instructions regarding the design of the inner and protective curtains and weather coverings of the tabernacle.
This week we will note Exodus 26:15-29, which records the Lord giving Moses instructions regarding the design of the framing uprights and crossbars supporting the curtains of the tabernacle.
The prescribed order for the building of the tabernacle is given in Exodus 25:10-27:19, beginning with the Ark and proceeding outward, whereas in 36:8-38:31 there is a description of its construction, pursuing the reverse order.
Exodus 26:1 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits (forty-two feet), and the width of each curtain four cubits (six feet); all the curtains shall have the same measurements. 3 Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another. 4 You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make them on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. 5 You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other. 6 You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that the tabernacle will be a unit.” (NASB95)
The ten curtains speak of the sinless life of Jesus Christ (John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 3:5) and the fine linen portrayed His perfect righteousness (Romans 5:17; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 John 2:1).
The blue linen signified that Jesus Christ originated or came from heaven (John 1:1-2, 14; 8:58; 10:30; Romans 1:1-4; 8:3; 9:1-5; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3;16; Hebrews 1:3; 2:14; 1 John 1:1-4; Revelation 1:8) and the purple linen signifies the fact that He is a king (Matthew 27:11; John 18:37; Revelation 19:16).
The scarlet speaks of His substitutionary spiritual (Matthew 27:46) and physical deaths on the cross of Calvary (Matthew 27:47-50; John 19:30).
The cherubim represent the fact that the integrity and holiness of God as well as His presence are unapproachable for sinful mankind apart from Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
The joining of the curtains and the hanging of them represented the fact that Jesus Christ is the mediator between sinful mankind and a holy God since He reconciled the former to the latter by means of His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross (1 Timothy 2:5; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
These deaths satisfied the demands of a holy God that required that sin and sinners be judged and reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God (Romans 3:24-25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).
Exodus 26:7 “Then you shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits (forty-five feet), and the width of each curtain four cubits (six feet); the eleven curtains shall have the same measurements. 9 You shall join five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. 11 You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it will be a unit. 12 The overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle. 13 The cubit (foot and a half) on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it. 14 You shall make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red and a covering of porpoise skins above.” (NASB95)
The pure linen represented the righteousness of God, guarded by the embroidered cherubim; the curtain of goats’ hair was a reminder of sin through the daily sin offering of a goat.
The covering of rams’ skins dyed red was a reminder of the sacrifice and the priestly ministry set apart by blood, and the outer covering marked the separation between God and the world.
Exodus 26:15 “Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright. 16 Ten cubits (fifteen feet long) shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits (two feet three inches) the width of each board. 17 There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 You shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side. 19 You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards, 21 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board. 22 For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards. 23 You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. 24 They shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners. 25 There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.” (NASB95)
These verses describe the forming of rigid wall supports for the tabernacle.
They tell the reader that there were a total of forty-eight ladder-like frames, which sat on silver bases.
The front or east end of the tabernacle did not have any of these supports for the simple reason that it was designed to be open for entrance and for coming in and going out by the priests who served in the tabernacle.
“Boards” is the noun qě∙rěš (קֶרֶשׁ) (keh´-resh), which actually means “frame” or in other words it refers to boards or planks as part of a construction and often were used to hold something up.
There were forty-eight frames altogether.
Twenty of these frames supported the north wall of the tabernacle and twenty supported the south wall, six supported the back wall and two were used to double the strength of the back corners, which were separate at the bottom but joined at the top by a ring or rings.
This appears to be forming a sort of A-frame at the back corners, which would add stability to the structure.
The frames used as uprights were made of acacia wood, which was in abundant supply in the wilderness.
All the wooden objects of the tabernacle, the ark, the table and ark poles, were composed of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
These upright frames had two “tenons” parallel to one another.
“Tenons” is the noun yāḏ (יָד) (yawd), which means “projection” (NET) referring to a part of a construction which protrudes and appears twice in Exodus chapter 26 (verses 17 and 19).
These fames had these two projections, twenty-seven inches (a cubit and a half) apart and connected to one another by cross pieces resulting in them looking as ladders.
The twenty frames on each side would have been set every two feet three inches (every twenty-seven inches) on center because the floor space of the tabernacle was forty-five feet by fifteen feet.
Consequently, since they were` twenty-seven inches wide, we can infer that they butted against one another.
If they were fastened to one another, they would provide a continuous framework for the horizontal frames and the curtains.
This framework would be strong and rigid.
Exodus 26:22-24 describes the west wall or in other words, the back wall frames in the same way.
They were butted against and connected to one another.
There would be added support provided by the A-frame at each back corner and interlocking that frame with the one under it at the top.
So we can see that there were forty-eight ladder-like acacia wood gilded frames and ninety-six silver bases which formed the side supports for the tabernacle.
This all portrays the Lord Jesus Christ and those who are united with Him through redemption.
Exodus 26:26 “Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle for the rear side to the west. 28 The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold as holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold.” (NASB95)
“Bars” is the noun berîaḥ (בְּרִיחַ) (ber-ee´-akh), which refers to a crossbar, i.e. a finished piece of wood for joining a frame.
Verses 26-29 tell the reader that the frames were secured by a series of 15 crossbars.
Five were on each of the two sides and five were on the back.
These crossbars fit through gold rings horizontally and were overlaid with gold.
The center bar on each side was to extend the full length and the other bars appear to have been shorter.
The center bar extended from the frontmost of these crossbars at the east end to the rearmost of the crossbars, at the west end, which would stretch forty-five feet from front to back.
The center ridge pole united all the crossbars and kept them spaced properly as well and served to make things more rigid.
These roof supports were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold.
What the reader is not told however is how these fifteen bars were attached to the sides and back end.
The tabernacle, its furniture and its priesthood and sacrifices have typical significance and are illustrative of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as the salvation He provided through His death and resurrection.
The general authority for the typical significance of the Tabernacle is found in Hebrews 9:1-24.
The tabernacle as a whole illustrates four different things according to Scripture: (1) It represents the heavens where God dwells and from which He manifests Himself (Heb. 4:14; 9:23-24), (2) The work of Christ (John 2:19-21; Heb. 3:3-4; 8:2; 9:11-12), (3) The individual believer (1 Cor. 6:19), (4) The church (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; 10:21).
A type may be defined as an Old Testament person, event, or thing having historical reality and designed by God to prefigure (foreshadow) in a preparatory way a real person, event or thing so designated in the New Testament and that corresponds to an fulfills (heightens) the type.
An illustration, on the other hand, may be defined as a biblical person, event or thing having historical reality, that pictures or is analogous to some corresponding spiritual truth in a natural and unforced way and is not explicitly designated in the New Testament as a type.
A type must have at least five elements: (1) A notable resemblance or correspondence between the type and the antitype, (2) historical reality in both the type and the antitype, (3) a prefiguring or predictive foreshadowing of the antitype by the type, (4) a heightening in which the antitype is greater than the type, and divine design.
Therefore, the tabernacle itself, its furniture, priesthood and sacrifices were a historical reality and designed by God to prefigure or foreshadow in a preparatory way, the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross which provided salvation for sinful humanity.
They were destroying the temple when they put the Lord Jesus to death but at His resurrection He would in fact begin a new form of worship (John 4:23-24).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the tabernacle and He is the curtain and the atonement, which the tabernacle foreshadowed.
Believers have become the temple of the Lord as a result of being identified with Christ and united with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment of their conversion.