Front matter (continued, part 16)
Kidnapping is prohibited in Exodus 21:16 (Deut. 24:7). If it's wrong to steal property (Ex. 20:15), then it's an even greater crime to steal people made in God's image and to sell them as slaves.
When Jesus prohibited His disciples from retaliating against those who hurt them (Matt. 5:38–44; 1 Peter 2:19–21), He was dealing with personal revenge ("I'll get even with you!") and encouraging personal forgiveness. He wasn't criticizing Moses or interfering with the legal system, because He came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it (Matt. 5:17–20). As believers, we have the privilege of waiving our "legal rights" to the glory of God and not demanding compensation (1 Cor. 6:1–8). However, a judge has to see that justice is done and the law is respected.
Injuries (vv. 18–32). People aren't supposed to argue to the point of blows (Prov. 15:1; 25:15), but it happens, and when it does, sometimes people are hurt. If the victim died, the aggressor would pay with his life, but if the victim convalesces and eventually is able to walk about, the aggressor is cleared of further charges. However, he had to reimburse the victim for his time lost from work and for his medical expenses.
Injured by an animal (vv. 28–32). The law is clear that the owner was responsible to see that his animal didn't injure people. A dangerous bull with a record of attacking people had to be kept penned up. If he wasn't and he killed somebody, the owner was responsible, and both the owner and the animal were put to death. The animal was not eaten because it had been defiled by its awful act. However, the court could fine the owner and allow him to pay a ransom and go free (but see Num. 35:31). Note that the law made no difference between the death of a male or a female (Ex. 21:29, 31). There was a difference, however, when it came to
Slaves (vv. 20–21). This principle is now applied to a master and his slaves. The Lord didn't want slaves to be looked upon as pieces of property but as humans made in God's image and deserving of their human rights. If in disciplining a slave (Prov. 10:13; 13:24), the master went too far and killed the person, the master was to be punished. We aren't told what the punishment was; it was probably determined by the judges (see Ex. 21:22) and depended on whether there was really intent to kill. (It's hard to believe that a master would want to destroy his own property and lose
Exodus 21—22
22:6). It was only right that whoever caused the fire should compensate the people who were deprived of their grain. The words "restore" and "restitution," used six times in chapter 22 (vv. 1, 3–6, 12), are a translation of the Hebrew word "shalam" that means "to make whole, to make complete" and is related to the familiar Hebrew word "shalom" ("peace, health"). It takes more than confession of guilt for an offender to make things right; it also demands effort on his part to compensate the people who were hurt. Only then can the torn fabric of relationships be mended and society be made whole.
slaves, for the owner of the animal could pay his master thirty pieces of silver to compensate him for the loss (see Matt. 26:14–16).
Property damage (21:33—22:15). In the Promised Land, Israel would become an agricultural society, and a farmer's animals were important to him, because without them he couldn't work the land.
Animals injured or killed (21:33–34). If a man's carelessness and negligence caused an animal to be injured or killed, then he had to pay the owner for the animal, but the owner of the pit could claim the carcass as his own. If one animal killed another, the two owners divided both the carcass of the dead animal and the money received from the sale of the living animal. This law not only revealed God's concern for justice but also His desire that people be careful and not make it easy for animals to be injured and therefore have to be killed.
Other people's belongings (vv. 7–15). Honesty and integrity form the adhesive that holds a healthy and productive society together. If neighbors can't trust each other, then life becomes difficult. If you ask me to guard your money, material things, or animals, I should faithfully do my job. In spite of my diligence, a thief may break in and steal your possessions, but when he's caught, he has to restore double. If the thief isn't caught, then I must be able to prove to the court that I wasn't careless and that I'm not the culprit. That means one of three things: presenting witnesses who can vouch for my diligence; showing pieces of the animals to prove they were killed by beasts (Gen. 31:39; Amos 3:12); or, lacking these, taking an oath of innocence before the Lord, which is a serious thing. The judges, being God's representatives to the nation, would discern whether or not I was telling the truth. If it was proved that my neighbor's animals died, strayed, or were stolen because of my negligence, then I'd have to make proper restitution.
Stealing animals (22:1–4). The law made a difference between stolen animals that were killed or sold, and stolen animals still in the possession of the thief. When the thief was found guilty, in the first instance, he had to repay five to one for oxen and four to one for sheep. In the second instance, he had to restore two animals for one. It was bad enough to steal an animal, but to kill or sell that which wasn't your own was to assume rights that didn't belong to you. If he couldn't pay, he was sold as a slave and the money given to the man whose animals he stole.
This law also made a difference between the night thief and the daylight thief. In the daylight, the owner could identify the thief breaking into his pens and could even call for help from his neighbors. To kill the thief in daylight would be an unnecessary expression of revenge. But at night, the owner might not be able to identify the intruder, nor would he know if the man was armed and therefore his own life was in danger. At night it would also take longer to get help.
If I borrow one of your animals for doing my farm work, and the animal is injured or dies while in my care, then I must compensate you for your loss. If you're with me at the time, guiding your own animal, I'm not obligated to pay anything. If I hired the animal from you and paid you the fee, then the fee covers the loss.
The law of restitution for stolen animals reminds us of David's words in 2 Samuel 12:6 and Zaccheus' promise in Luke 19:8. The prophet Nathan saw King David as a sheep stealer and Bathsheba as the stolen lamb, for adultery is thievery (1 Thess. 4:1–7). David did repay fourfold: the baby died, Amnon and Absalom were both slain, and Tamar was raped (2 Sam. 12:15—13:33; 18:1–18). Crops (vv. 5–6). The boundaries of fields were marked by stones at the corners and not by fences around the tract (Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Prov. 22:28; 23:10). Grazing animals wouldn't know one field from another anyway and would wander wherever the grass was available. The owner was supposed to act like a good neighbor and keep watch. If he didn't and his animals ate in his neighbor's field, he had to make restitution in kind to his neighbor, being careful to give him the best, for restitution shouldn't be something we get away with cheaply.
Miscellaneous laws (22:16—23:19). Most of these laws need no special explanation, but we'll note some of the truths inherent in these laws.
Rape (22:16–17). Unmarried girls belonged to their father, and a girl who was not a virgin would not be sought as a wife, so her loss of virginity meant a loss in bridal price to her father. The offender was required to marry the girl, but if the father didn't want him as a son-in-law, the man could pay the dowry and be set free. If the girl were engaged, the rape was considered adultery, and a different law applied (Deut. 22:23–29).
Sorcery (v. 18). What today is looked upon as a harmless diversion was in Moses' day rightly identified as a dangerous demonic practice. The Jews were commanded to stay away from everything that was associated with the occult (Lev. 20:6; Deut. 18:10, 14; 1 Sam. 28; Isa. 47:12–14). Galatians 5:20 associates witchcraft with idolatry.
During the dry season, there was always the danger of fire in the fields that could destroy the grain (Ex.
Bestiality (v. 19) was also part of the religious practices of the heathen nations and was condemned by the
Exodus 22—23
Our goodness should be the result of obeying laws but practicing love.
Lord (Lev. 18:23; 20:15–16; Deut. 27:21). It was also a perversion of the wonderful gift of sex.
Observing the feasts (vv. 10–17). God was in charge of time and instructed the Jews to celebrate the weekly Sabbath by refraining from work. Every seven years they were to celebrate a Sabbatical Year during which the land would be allowed to rest and the poor people could avail themselves of the food that was growing without cultivation (Lev. 25:1–7). The Jews were given ecologically sound laws long ago. But this special year would be a test of their faith as well as of their obedience.
Idolatry (v. 20; 23:13). They were not to sacrifice to other gods under penalty of death, nor were they to mention the names of these gods. Idolatry was Israel's greatest temptation during their wilderness journey and after they entered the Promised Land, and the Lord warned them to destroy the pagan temples and altars (Deut. 4:14–24).
Selfishness (22:21–27; 23:9). These laws admonish the Jews to be kind to strangers and aliens, widows and orphans, and the poor. The Jews had been strangers in Egypt and for many years were treated kindly, and widows and orphans are the special concern of the Lord (Lev. 19:9–10; Deut. 14:28–29; 16:11, 14; 24:19–21; 26:12–13; Ps. 10:14, 17–18; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; Isa. 1:23; 10:2; Jer. 7:6; 22:3; Zech. 7:10; Mal. 3:5). The rich must not exploit the poor but give them the help they need (Lev. 25:35–38; Deut. 15:7–11; 23:19–20; 24:6, 10–13; Prov. 28:8). God hears the cries of the afflicted (Ex. 22:23, 27).
When the people were settled in their land, the men were to gather to worship three times a year, at Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. (See Lev. 23 for the Jewish religious calendar.) The men were usually accompanied by their families (see 1 Sam. 1 and Luke 2:40). "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk" (Ex. 23:19 niv; 34:26; Deut. 14:21). The young goat was a favorite food of the people, and cooking it in milk was supposed to improve the taste. To use the mother's milk to cook her own offspring would reveal an attitude of heart that could lead to all kinds of sin. Furthermore, cooking a kid this way was a part of a Canaanite pagan ceremony, and God didn't want His people emulating the idolaters. Since this law is connected with the Feast of Booths, the harvest festival, perhaps this pagan ritual had something to do with prosperity. The milk was then sprinkled on the trees and fields to help promote fertility, a magical practice that was forbidden to Israel.7
Reviling authority (22:28). They might blaspheme God with their lips but also by despising the laws He gave for their good, especially the ones relating to generosity to others (vv. 21–27). Blaspheming God was a capital offense (Lev. 24:10–16). It was against the law to speak evil of a ruler (Prov. 24:21–22; 1 Peter 2:17). Paul apologized when he inadvertently spoke evil of the high priest (Acts 23:4–5; 2 Sam. 19:19; 1 Kings 21:10). God has established human government (Rom. 13), and even if we don't respect the officer, we must respect the office.
Delay in obeying (vv. 29–30). The firstfruits belong to the Lord, whether it's a firstborn son, a firstborn male animal (Ex. 13), or the firstfruits of the field and orchard (Prov. 3:9–10). If it's wrong to withhold a man's garment (Ex. 22:26–27) or wages (James 5:4), how much worse is it to withhold from the Lord the gifts that He gives us to return to Him?
God is wise: follow His leading (23:20—24:8) The Israelites would remain at Sinai about eleven months, and then they would journey to KadeshBarnea where they were to enter the land (Num. 10:11—14:45). Failing to trust God and claim their inheritance, they were condemned to journey in the wilderness until the generation twenty years old and upward had all died, except for Caleb and Joshua. For thirty-eight years, God would guide His people and then bring them back to the borders of Canaan to enter and claim the land.
Defiled meat (v. 31). The reason behind this law is both religious and hygienic. The bodies of animals slaughtered incorrectly would still contain blood, and the eating of blood was forbidden (Lev. 22:8). Furthermore, a carcass lying in the field could quickly become spoiled and spread disease. "Free meat" could be very expensive. A holy people wouldn't want to touch it, let alone eat it.
The angel here is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Angel of the Covenant (Ex. 14:19). Only He can pardon transgressions and only in Him is the wonderful name of the Lord. God had prepared a place for His earthly people (23:20) just as Jesus is preparing a place for His heavenly people (John 14:1–6). If they followed the Lord, He would meet all their needs and defeat all their enemies.
Justice (vv. 1–8). This is an amplification of the ninth commandment (20:16), a warning not to endorse falsehood and promote injustice because of what the crowd is doing (Lev. 19:15–16; Deut. 22:13–19). Nor should God's people be influenced by the wealth or the poverty of the accused or by the bribes people offer them for their support (16:18–20; Isa. 1:23; Mic. 3:11). To condemn an innocent person for personal gain is to become guilty before God, and God doesn't acquit the guilty (Ex. 23:7 niv).6 But Moses also reminded them to be kind to their enemies and to the enemies' animals (vv. 4–5; Deut. 22:13–15).
Once again, the Lord warned them about the sin of idolatry, worshipping the false gods of the nations around them, the nations that they would defeat. If Israel devoted themselves wholly to the Lord, He would go before them, confound their enemies, and enable them to conquer the land. Indeed, the "terror of God" did go before Israel and weaken the people in the land
Exodus 23—24
(Josh. 2:11; Ex. 15:16). The "hornet" in 23:28 could well have been the insect that we know, because the people of the East respect the hornet (Deut. 7:20; Josh. 24:12). The Hebrew word is similar to the word for Egypt (zirah/mizraim), so some students believe that the reference is to the Egyptian armies that frequently invaded Canaan before the Jews arrived. In Isaiah 7:18, Egypt is compared to a fly and Assyria to a bee.
2 Jacques Ellul, The Humiliation of the Word (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1985), 86. The entire chapter ("Idols and the Word") is an insightful discussion of the dangers involved in replacing hearing the Word with trying to "see" something remarkable from God or about God. God is incomprehensible and "wholly other," and we can't begin to understand His nature or His will apart from what He chooses to say to us. An idol is not only a substitute for the person of God but also for the Word of God. 3 Abraham Joshua Heschel, I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology, Samuel H. Dresner, editor (New York: Crossroad, 1996), 73. It's unfortunate that, in Jesus' day, some of the scribes and Pharisees had made an idol of the Scriptures and failed to know the God of the Scriptures (John 5:37–47). 4 Well-to-do men sometimes had concubines who were looked upon as legal but "secondary" wives. The law protected them from being classified as ordinary slaves and saw to it they were given their rights (Deut. 21:10–14). 5 The Latin word talis means "such like" and gives us the English word "retaliate," which means "to pay back in kind." The lex talionis (law of retaliation) was a principle that kept people from taking revenge and requiring more punishment than the crime demanded, as it were, killing a mosquito with a cannon. 6 As far as the criminal courts are concerned, the goal is to free the innocent and condemn the guilty, but when it comes to our relationship to God, there are no innocent people. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). But in His grace, because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, God can declare righteous any guilty sinner who believes on Jesus Christ (4:5). God justifies the wicked and so changes them that they don't live wicked lives anymore! 7 Because of this law, orthodox Jews will not have milk and meat together at a meal.
It took Joshua and his army about seven years to conquer the land, and the victory was followed by a "mopping up" operation. God planned that they take the land gradually so they could control things, but some of the tribes never did fully conquer the territory that was assigned to them (Judg. 1—2). God set the boundaries of the land (Gen. 15:18–21), and they were reached during the time of David and Solomon (2 Sam. 8:1–14; 1 Kings 4:20–25), but when the nation divided, they began to lose territory to their enemies.
C.The covenant confirmed by blood—24
God is faithful: trust His covenant (24:1–8) The first two verses connect with 20:21, when God called Moses to ascend Sinai and bring with him the seventy elders, Aaron, and Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu. Moses shared the words of God with the people, and once again they promised to obey everything God told them to do (24:3; 19:8). He then wrote down all that God had said, which means the Ten Commandments and the book of the covenant.
But it would take more than promises to ratify the book of the covenant, and Moses took care of that the next morning. He built an altar to the Lord and then set up twelve pillar-like stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The young men set aside to serve as priests offered sacrifices to the Lord, because it was necessary to seal the covenant with blood. Some of the blood was sprinkled on the altar, signifying that God had forgiven His people of their sins.
INTERLUDE A
Moses then read the book of the covenant to the people and they affirmed their willingness to obey. Moses took the rest of the blood in the basins and sprinkled both the Book and the people (24:8; Heb. 9:19–20), thus ratifying the covenant. Israel had to realize their responsibility to obey the laws of the Lord. The covenant was now ratified by blood, and God would hold them to their promises. After all, they expected God to keep His promises!
s we begin our study of the tabernacle and the priesthood, we must pause to consider a few preliminary matters. First, because the book of Exodus isn't arranged topically, information about the tabernacle and the priesthood is distributed throughout Exodus 25—39 as well as Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Perhaps God guided Moses to write it that way so the priests (and believers today) would have to read all the material in order to learn what God had to say. All Scripture is inspired of God and all Scripture must be considered as you study any topic. To make it easier to study these chapters, I've collated the material in Exodus under several major headings, and I'll also refer to the other three books of Moses.
The promise of the Lord in Exodus 6:6–8 was now about to move into its third phase. God had redeemed His people (Ex. 1—18) and taken them to Himself as His people (Ex. 19—24); and now He was about to come and dwell among them and be their God (Ex. 25—40). The last section of Exodus will focus on the design, construction, and dedication of the tabernacle, and it's a section rich in spiritual truth and practical lessons.
Second, it would be easy to get detoured by examining every detail of every part of the tabernacle and the priestly garments, so I've focused on the major spiritual truths I believe God wants us to learn. Once you grasp these truths, you can study the other matters with more spiritual perception.
1 See John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16; Hebrews 11:27.
Finally, the tabernacle was a portable tent; it was
Exodus 24—40
love Him and have fellowship with Him, not because we have to but because we want to. God is seeking people who will worship Him "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23–24).
not a place of assembly like a church building. Each time Israel broke camp, the Levites dismantled the tent carefully, wrapped the furnishings in their coverings, and carried them until the Lord told the people to stop. (The curtains and framework were carried on wagons.) At the new location, the tabernacle was reassembled and the furniture put into place (Num. 3—4). Each piece of furniture had rings attached through which poles were fitted so they could be carried in the wilderness march. The poles on the ark were never to be removed (Ex. 25:15; 1 Kings 8:8).
Climbing higher. At the base of the mountain, taking care not to get too close, the people of Israel waited for the words of the Lord. Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders ascended higher and met with the Lord (Ex. 24:9–11), and then Moses and Joshua moved even higher (vv. 13–14). Finally, Moses alone went up higher and there saw the glory of the Lord (vv. 15–17).
All of this is an illustration of the important truth that we must grow in our worship experience with the Lord, and we are the ones who decide how "high" we will go. The people at the base of the mountain were afraid to hear God's voice and were satisfied to hear Moses speak to them (20:18–19), but Moses not only heard God's voice but saw God's glory! How tragic it is when God's people settle for the lowest level when there are new heights of blessing for those who seek God with their whole hearts.
CHAPTER TEN Exodus 24:9—25:40; 27:20–21; 30:11–16; 31:1–11; 35:4—36:38; 37:1–24; 38:21–31 THE PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS— PART I F
aithful to His promises in Exodus 6:6–8, the Lord delivered His people from Egypt (Ex. 1—18) and at Sinai "adopted" them to Himself as His special treasure (Ex. 19—24; Rom. 9:4). Now He was about to fulfill the rest of that promise by coming to the camp of Israel to dwell with His people (Ex. 25—40).
Israel had to worship at a distance, because that was God's command, but God summons believers today to enter into His presence through "the new and living way" (Heb. 10:19–25). "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). We don't come fearfully to a stormy mountain but confidently to a glorious heavenly city where our names are written down as citizens of heaven (Heb. 12:18–24).
In order to do this, the Lord needed two things: a place for His glory to dwell and servants to minister to Him in that place. Therefore, He commanded the Jews to build the tabernacle and to set apart the tribe of Levi to serve Him. The building of the tabernacle and the ordaining of the priesthood are the two major themes of Exodus 25—40.
Communing with God (vv. 9–11). When the Scripture says that the seventy-four men "saw God," this doesn't mean they beheld God in His essential being, for this isn't possible (John 1:18). They saw some of God's glory and they probably saw the throne of God on the sapphire pavement (see Ezek. 1:26), but the invisible God was hidden from them. After this vision of God, they shared a fellowship meal that climaxed the ratifying of the covenant. To eat together was a mark of friendship and agreement. God is glorious and high and lifted up, but He also condescends to fellowship with us!1
Throughout the book of Genesis, the Lord had walked with His people—Adam and Eve (3:8), Enoch (5:22–24), Noah (6:9), and the patriarchs (17:1; 24:40; 48:15), but now He would dwell with them (Ex. 25:8, 45–46; 29:44–46). Having the Lord dwelling in the camp was a great privilege for the nation of Israel (Rom. 9:4–5), for no other nation had the living God in their midst. But the privilege brought with it a great responsibility, for it meant that the camp of Israel had to be a holy place where a holy God could dwell.
Tarrying with God (vv. 12–18). God called Moses to go even higher so that He might give him the tables of stone on which He had written the Ten Commandments. This is the first mention of the tables of the law in Scripture. The glory cloud "abode" on Mount Sinai, and the Hebrew word translated "abode" is shekinah, a word that both Jewish and Christian theologians use to describe the presence of God. It's translated "dwell" in 25:8 and 29:45–46. The blazing fire on the mount reminds us that "our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). Moses remained on the mount with God for forty days and forty nights (see Matt. 4:1–2), and during that time, God gave him the plans for the tabernacle and the priesthood.
These sixteen chapters record much more than the historical events surrounding the construction of the tabernacle and the inauguration of the priesthood. What Moses wrote reveals some profound spiritual truths about a holy God and how we should approach Him in worship and serve Him "acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28).
God summons us to worship Him (24:9–18) Worshipping God is the highest privilege and the greatest responsibility of the Christian life, because God is the highest Being in the universe and the One to whom we must one day give account. Everything that we are and do flows out of our relationship with the Lord. God created us in His image so we might
God designs the plan (25:9, 40; 26:30)2 Whenever God does a work, He has a plan for that
Exodus 24—40
God appointed Bezalel and Oholiab to direct the work, for without leaders there would be chaos, but He called for craftsmen to volunteer to assist them (35:10). We are born with different abilities, and at conversion, we received different gifts from the Holy Spirit, to be used for the good of the church and the glory of God (1 Cor. 12:1–13; Eph. 4:1–16; Rom. 12). "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13 nkjv). The Jews built a tent that long ago turned to dust, but we're helping to build "a habitation of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22) that will glorify God eternally.
work, whether it's building the tabernacle or the temple (1 Chron. 28:11–12, 18–19), a local church (Phil. 2:12–13), or the individual Christian life and ministry (Eph. 2:10). God warned Moses to make everything according to the pattern revealed to him on the mount (Ex. 25:40; Heb. 8:5).
The earthly tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly tabernacle where our Lord now ministers to and for His people (Heb. 8:1–5; 9:1). The book of Revelation mentions a brazen altar (6:9–11), an altar of incense (8:3–5), a throne (4:2), elders/priests (vv. 4–5), lamps (v. 5), a "sea" (v. 6), and cherubim (vv. 6–7), all of which parallel the main furnishings of the earthly tabernacle. It's a basic principle of ministry that we follow the pattern given from heaven, not the pattern of this world (Rom. 12:2).
God must be put first in everything (25:10–22; 37:1–9) There were six special pieces of furniture associated with the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant is mentioned first.3 A wooden chest forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high, it stood in the Holy of Holies where God's "shekinah" presence rested. On it rested the golden mercy seat which was God's throne (Ps. 80:1; 99:1; 2 Kings 19:15, all niv). The ark had many names besides "the ark of the covenant" (Num. 10:33). It was called "the ark of God" (1 Sam. 3:3), "the ark of the Lord" (Josh. 3:15), "the ark of the Lord God" (1 Kings 2:26), "the ark of the testimony" (Ex. 25:22), because the tables of the law were in it, "the holy ark" (2 Chron. 35:3), and "the ark of [God's] strength" (Ps. 132:8). The ark represented the power and authority of God in the camp of Israel, and this is why it's named first. This is the Old Testament illustration of Matthew 6:33.
III. Worship: The Lord Dwells with His People (25—40) A.Instructions about the tabernacle—25—27; 30—31
God provides the materials (25:1–9; 30:11–16; 35:4–29) We can give to God only that which He has first given to us, for all things come from Him. "Everything comes from you," said David in his prayer, "and we have given you only what comes from your hand" (1 Chron. 29:14 niv).
Not only did God create the materials that the people brought to Him (Isa. 66:1–2), but He also worked in their hearts so that they were willing to give generously (see 2 Cor. 8:1–5, 12). In fact, the people brought so much that Moses had to tell them to stop (Ex. 36:6–7)!
Several different kinds of materials were needed: precious metals (gold, silver), bronze, fabrics (yarn, fine linen, and goat's hair), wood, skins, olive oil, spices, and precious stones. It's been estimated that a ton of gold was used in the tabernacle as well as over three tons of silver. Where did all this wealth come from? For one thing, the Jews had "spoiled" the Egyptians before leaving the land (12:35–36), and no doubt there were also spoils from the victory over Amalek (17:8–16). God saw to it that they had everything they needed to build the tabernacle just as He had designed it.
The ark also teaches us about Jesus Christ. It was made of wood, which speaks of His humanity, but was completely overlaid with gold, which speaks of His deity. According to Hebrews 9:4, within the ark were the tables of the law (Ex. 25:16), a pot of manna (16:32–34), and Aaron's rod that budded (Num. 16— 17). These objects tell us that the law of God was in Christ's heart and He perfectly obeyed and fulfilled it (Ps. 40:6–8; Heb. 10:5–9); He is the Bread of Life who gives eternal life to all who receive Him (John 6:32); and He lives by the power of an endless life so we can be fruitful for God (Heb. 7:16).
D.Construction of the tabernacle—35—39
According to 30:11–16, Moses collected a half a shekel from each man of military age, and according to 38:21–31, all this silver amounted to 100 talents plus 1,775 shekels, a total of 301,775 shekels. (There are 3,000 shekels in a talent.) This came from 603,550 men who were twenty years of age and older. This silver was used to make both the sockets on which the posts stood and the hooks for the curtains.
The golden mercy seat upon the ark had a cherub at each end and their wings overshadowed the ark. Once a year, on the day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices on the mercy seat (Lev. 16). This made atonement for Israel's sins for another year (vv. 29–34). The fulfillment of this type was when Jesus Christ died once for all for the sins of the world and took away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:11—10:14).
God equips the workers (31:1–11; 35:30—36:7) Whether it's for building the tabernacle in the Old Testament, building the church in the New Testament, or building our lives and ministries today, the Holy Spirit of God must equip us and enable us to do the job. God gave Bezalel and Oholiab the skill and wisdom they needed, but He also equipped the craftsmen who worked under them, and led by the Spirit, in obedience to the Word, they constructed the tabernacle and its furniture.
Frequently in Scripture you find the image of finding safety "under His wings." Sometimes this refers to the mother bird protecting her young (Ps. 57:1; 63:7; Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34), but it can also refer to being
Exodus 24—40
loaves, you learn that the Lord feeds His people, bears them on His shoulders, and carries them over His heart.
under the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies (Ruth 2:12; Ps. 17:8; 36:7–8; 61:4; 91:1, 4).
Moses was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies where God spoke to him from the mercy seat and revealed His will for the people of Israel (Ex. 25:21–22; 29:42; 30:6, 36; Num. 7:89; see Ps. 91:1). God's people today have access into God's presence through the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:19–25), for He is our "mercy seat" (propitiation, Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2). Because of His blood shed for us, the throne of God is for us a throne of grace.
But there's also a sense in which the loaves remind us that Israel was called to feed a hungry world the spiritual bread the Lord had given them. They gave the world the Word of God, which is bread (Matt. 4:4), and Jesus who is the Bread of Life (John 6). Unfortunately, they turned from the Lord and ate at heathen altars, and God had to discipline them.
Paul compared the church to a loaf of unleavened bread (1 Cor. 5:1–8; see 10:16–17), and our task is to preach the Word and tell sinners about Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Since the twelve loaves were considered a meal offering, there would have been no leaven in the dough (Lev. 2:1–11), and God's people must keep themselves from all impurity. We aren't here to feed ourselves; we're here to feed a hungry world.
The ark of the Lord and the pillar of cloud led the way as the Jews marched from place to place (Num. 10:33–36). In their pilgrim journey, the people of God get their directions from the throne of God and follow the glory of God.
God is present to nourish His people (25:23–29; 37:10–16) As the priest walked into the holy place from the outer court, on the right he would see the table of "presence bread," on the left the golden lampstand, and ahead of him the golden altar of incense standing before the beautiful veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies.
The loaves of bread were very special and were not to be eaten carelessly, even by the priests. Any priest who was defiled and ate the bread or any of the sacrificial meat that belonged to the priests, was in danger of death (Lev. 22:3–9).
God enlightens our worship and service (25:31–40; 27:20–21; 37:17–24; Lev. 24:1–3) The candlestick was hammered out of about seventyfive pounds of gold, but we aren't told its dimensions. It was undoubtedly a beautiful work of art with its six branches decorated with almond flowers, buds, and blossoms. The six branches and the central shaft provided seven lamps which were fed by oil and kept burning constantly (Ex. 27:20–21; Lev. 24:1–4).5
The table was three feet long, a foot and a half wide and twenty-seven inches high. Like the ark, it was made of acacia wood covered with gold, another reminder of our Savior's humanity and deity. Jesus is the Bread of Life who took upon Himself a human body that He might come to this earth and die for our sins (John 6:26).
Twelve loaves of bread were baked each week, following the recipe given in Leviticus 24:5–9. The text doesn't explain how big these loaves were, but from the amount of flour required, they must have been quite large.4 It's likely that the flour was provided by the people as a gift to the Lord. Each Sabbath, the old loaves were removed and eaten by the priests in the holy place, and the new loaves were put in their place.
Since there was no way to let in natural light from the outside, the golden lampstand was the only source of light available in the holy place. Without it, the priests couldn't have carried on their various ministries. God wants us to offer Him intelligent worship, not ignorant worship (John 4:19–24; Acts 17:22–31; Rom. 1:18–25), and to do that, we need the light of the Word of God to guide us (Ps. 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23). Aaron and his sons were to trim the lamps each time they offered the incense on the golden altar (Ex. 30:7–8). We shall see later that the fragrant burning incense represents prayer ascending to God, and the Word of God and prayer must go together (Acts 6:4): Prayer is enlightened by the Word (John 15:7), and the Word is opened up to us as we pray (Ps. 119:18; Eph. 1:15–23). Both the study of the Word and the exercise of prayer must be energized by the Holy Spirit, who is symbolized by oil (the lampstand, Zech. 4:1–7) and fire (the altar, Acts 2:3–4).
When the bread was placed on the table, it was always accompanied by incense, which was probably burned in one of the special utensils (Ex. 25:29). The use of incense suggests that the bread was actually a "meal offering" to the Lord (Lev. 2:1–11) in thanksgiving to Him for "daily bread." If the flour was a gift from the people, it was their sacrifice of thanksgiving to God for His provision for their needs.
The loaves are called "showbread" (Ex. 25:30) or "presence bread," literally "bread of faces." The presence of twelve loaves of bread in the holy place couldn't help but remind the priests that they were serving the twelve tribes of Israel, God's chosen people. Through these loaves, the twelve tribes were presented before God and God was present with them in their camp, beholding their worship and their daily walk. The tribes were also represented by the jewels on the breastplate and the shoulders of the high priest (28:6–21). When you combine the images of the jewels and the
But the candlestick also reminds us of the people of Israel, chosen by God to be "a light to the Gentiles" (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). However, the lampstand wasn't in the outer court of the tabernacle where everybody could see it, but in the holy place where only God and the priests could see it. How, then, does it symbolize Israel's witness to the Gentiles? Israel's relationship to
Exodus 24—40
house of Obed-Edom for three months (2 Sam. 6:1–11) and then was brought to Jerusalem (vv. 12–19). David's great desire was to build a beautiful house for the ark, but God chose his son Solomon instead (2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 17). The last time we meet the ark in Scripture is in the heavenly temple (Rev. 11:19). In that context, it is a symbol of the faithfulness of God to keep His covenant with His people, and an assurance that His law will be vindicated and His glory revealed. 4 The Hebrew text doesn't have the word "ephah" in verse 5, so we really don't know how much flour was used for each loaf. If the measure was indeed an ephah, then each loaf was made from about four quarts of flour—and that's a large loaf! Could two rows of six loaves that large fit on such a small table? Or were the six loaves stacked on top of each other? 5 The Hebrew text of Exodus 27:20 reads "that they may be kept burning continually."
God in sacrifice and worship determined the strength and extent of their witness. It was when they turned from the worship of the true and living God and began to worship idols that they lost their witness to the Gentile nations.
Jesus Christ also came to be a "light to the Gentiles" (Luke 1:79; John 8:12), and that light is spread through the witness of the church (Acts 13:47–48; Phil. 2:14–16; Matt. 5:14–16). In Revelation 1:9–20, our Lord stands in the midst of seven lampstands which represent the seven churches of Asia Minor in John's day. In the tabernacle, there was one lampstand, beaten out of one talent of gold, representing the one nation of Israel and its witness. Though the church is one people, it spreads the light through many individual assemblies in many places in the world.
The lights in the seven lamps on the lampstand were fed by oil that was especially prepared for that purpose (Ex. 27:20–21). Just as the people brought the fine flour for the baking of the loaves, so they brought clear oil for the maintaining of the lights on the lampstand (Ex. 25:27–28; 35:10, 14). Zechariah 4:1–4 informs us that this oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit of God, without whose power we can't glorify Christ (John 16:14) or effectively witness of Him (Acts 1:8). "Without Me," said Jesus, "you can do nothing" (John 15:5 nkjv). What was done by the priests in the sanctuary was done for the Lord (Ex. 28:1, 3–4, 41; 29:1) and before the Lord (27:21; 40:25; Lev. 24:4). It mattered not that the people in the camp were ignorant of what the priests were doing, because God saw it all, and their task was to please Him. The most important part of a Christian's life is the part that only God sees. If God is pleased by what He sees, and our conscience is clean before Him, then we don't have to worry about what people think or say about us (1 Cor. 4:1–5). He will accept our ministry and bless it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN Exodus 26:1–37; 27:1–19; 30:1–10, 17–21; 37:25–29; 38:1–20 THE PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS— PART II W
e have three more pieces of tabernacle furniture to study: the incense altar; the laver; and the brazen altar. Then we want to look at the tabernacle structure itself, the framework, the coverings, and the veils. As we study, our emphasis will continue to be on the God of the tabernacle and what He does for His people.
God hears the prayers of His people (30:1–10, 34–38; 37:25–29) The altar of incense was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and was a foot and a half square and three feet high. It was the tallest piece of furniture in the holy place. It had an ornamental gold rim ("crown") around the top and golden "horns" at each corner. It stood before the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the holy place, and the priest burned incense on it each morning and evening when he trimmed the lamps.
1 God is both transcendent and immanent, high above us and close to us, and we must maintain a balanced outlook in our theology and our worship. If we overemphasize the transcendent, we may try to worship a God so far away that He's beyond helping us, but if we stress only the immanent, we may try to be so unduly familiar with God that we fail to honor His greatness. The secret is balance. 2 The Old Testament tabernacle had many different names, including: the tent of meeting (27:21), the tabernacle of the Lord (Lev. 17:4), the tent/tabernacle of testimony (Num. 1:50; 9:15), the sanctuary of the Lord (19:20), the house of God (Judg. 18:31), the house of the Lord (1 Sam. 1:7), and the temple of the Lord (v. 9). 3 When the Jews entered the Promised Land, the ark was first located in Gilgal (Josh. 4:19; 9:6), but then Shiloh became its home (9:27; 18:1; 19:51; 22:12; Judg. 21:12; 1 Sam. 4–5). The Philistines returned the ark to Kiriath-Jearim where it stayed for twenty years (6:21—7:2). After David's aborted attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem, it was placed in the
In the Bible, burning incense is often a picture of prayer. "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense," David prayed (Ps. 141:2), and John saw the elders in heaven with "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5:8; see 8:3–4).1 Whenever the priest burned the incense, it was a call to the people for a time of prayer (Luke 1:8–10). The fire for burning the incense came from the brazen altar where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12–13; Num. 16:46). This suggests that true prayer must be based on the work of Christ on the cross and on our complete dedication to God. A true fervency in prayer isn't a religious emotion we work up ourselves; rather, it's a blessing that God sends down as we yield
Exodus 24—40
ourselves to Him. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress, said, "In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart." Coldhearted praying is not effective praying (James 5:16).
sacrifice, the first thing he met was a white linen fence, 150 feet long and seventy-five feet wide, that surrounded the tabernacle and created a courtyard area where the priests ministered. The tabernacle proper stood at the west end of this courtyard, and at the east end was a thirty-foot entrance to the enclosure. Here the priests met the people who came to offer sacrifices and examined each animal carefully to make sure it was acceptable. The worshipper would put his hand on the animal's head to identify with the offering (Lev. 1:1–9), and then the priest would slay the animal and offer it on the brazen altar according to the regulations given in Leviticus 1—7.4
In order to please God and not be in danger of death, the priest had to use not only the right fire on the altar but also the prescribed mixture of spices for the incense (Ex. 30:34–38). Nadab and Abihu tried to worship God with "false fire" and were killed (Lev. 10). Any Israelite who tried to duplicate this special incense for his own personal use would be cut off, which could mean death.
Prayer isn't simply a jumble of words we mix together with the hope they'll be heard by God and answered. The Bible names some of the "ingredients" of prayer—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, petition, submission (1 Tim. 2:1; Phil. 4:6)—and even gives us a pattern to follow (Matt. 6:5–15).2 You can be sure that the priest didn't rush into the tabernacle, quickly burn the incense, and then rush out. No, he prepared himself and reverently approached the altar, knowing that he was in the presence of the holy God.
There was only one entrance to the enclosure and therefore only one way to get to the altar of God. When God puts up a fence and assigns the way in, nobody has the authority to question it or change it. Jesus claimed to be the only door (John 10:9) and the only way to God (14:6), which explains why Peter said, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 nkjv). In today's pluralistic society, many people like to think that every way is acceptable to God, but that attitude leads to death (Prov. 14:12; 16:25; Matt. 7:13–27).
Because of the work of Christ on the cross, believers today can go through the veil into the very presence of God, and there present their worship and petitions in the name of Jesus (Heb. 10:19–25). Our living, reigning Priest-King, Jesus Christ, is interceding continually for us in heaven (Rom. 8:33–34; Heb. 4:14–16; 7:19–28), and the Holy Spirit also intercedes in our hearts (Rom. 8:26–27). While it's good to open and close the day with special prayer, as the priests did, it's also good to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17) and stay in communion with the Lord all during the day.
The brazen altar was a hollow "box," seven and a half feet wide and four and a half feet high, made of acacia wood covered with bronze. In Scripture, bronze is often identified with judgment (Num. 21:4–9; Deut. 28:23; Rev. 1:15). Two and a half feet from the top, inside the "box," was a bronze grating on which the priests kept a fire burning (Lev. 6:8–13) and through which the ashes of the wood and the sacrifices fell. Because they were part of offerings dedicated to God, these ashes were considered ceremonially clean and were collected on the east side of the altar. Regularly, the priests carried these ashes outside the camp to a clean place (1:16; 4:12; 6:10–11).
The priests were warned not to use this golden altar for anything other than burning incense (Ex. 30:9), for there are no substitutes for prayer. No amount of sacrificing can take the place of true praying. The golden altar wasn't a place for making bargains with God or trying to change His mind (James 4:1–4; 1 John 5:14–15). It was a place for adoring Him and praying, "Thy will be done."
Unlike the golden altar of incense in the holy place, the brazen altar was a place of bloodshed and death, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22 niv). If a sinner could manage to enter the tabernacle courtyard and wash in the laver, that wouldn't save him, nor would he be forgiven if he entered the holy place and ate the bread or burned the incense. The way into the presence of God began at the brazen altar where innocent victims died for guilty sinners. In short, the brazen altar takes us immediately to Calvary where the Son of God died for the sins of the world (Matt. 26:26–28; John 1:29; 3:14–16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24). Each morning, the priests were to offer a burnt offering on the brazen altar (Ex. 29:42–43), a picture of total dedication to the Lord (Lev. 1). That would be a good way for each of God's children to begin the day, presenting ourselves in total dedication to God as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1–2).
It's worth noting that the special incense had to be "salted" (Ex. 30:35 niv), for salt is a symbol of purity and of a covenant relationship (Lev. 2:13). "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18 nkjv). We're commanded to lift up "holy hands" as we pray, and to remove "anger or disputing" from our hearts (1 Tim. 2:8 niv). If God killed every believer today who didn't pray as He has ordered, how many of us would survive a prayer meeting?3
Once a year, on the day of Atonement, the priest had to apply blood to the incense altar in order to make it ceremonially clean before God (Ex. 30:10). Even in our praying we can sin!
God receives His people's sacrifices (27:1–8; 38:1–7) When a worshipper came to the tabernacle to offer a
Preachers and evangelists sometimes invite people in their congregations to "come to the altar," but there
Exodus 24—40
their feet (John 13:1–15).5 When we trust Christ to save us, we're "washed all over" (v. 10; 1 Cor. 6:9–11) and don't require another bath, but as we go through life, our feet get dirty and we need to be cleansed. If we aren't cleansed, we can't have fellowship with the Lord (John 13:8), and if we're out of fellowship with the Lord, we can't enjoy His love or do His will. When we confess our sins, He cleanses us, and when we meditate on the Word, the Spirit renews us and restores us.
are no altars on earth that are ordained of God or acceptable to God. Why? Because the death of Jesus Christ took care of the sin problem once and for all (Heb. 9:25–28). No more sacrifices can be or should be offered. The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist) is a reminder of His sacrifice, not a repeat of His sacrifice.
The only "altar" believers have today is Jesus Christ Himself who bears on His glorified body the wounds of the cross (Heb. 13:10; Luke 24:39; John 20:20). As a holy priesthood, believers "offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5 nkjv, italics mine). We present to Him our bodies (Rom. 12:1–2), our material wealth (Phil. 4:18), praise and good works (Heb. 13:15–16), and a broken heart (Ps. 51:17).
Twice David prayed, "Wash me" (Ps. 51:2, 7), and God answered that prayer (2 Sam. 12:13). But Isaiah told the sinners of his day, "Wash and make yourselves clean" (Isa. 1:16 niv), which suggests that we need to clean up our own lives and put away the things that defile us. Paul had this in mind when he wrote, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1). For the priests, washing in the laver wasn't a luxury; it was a necessity. Keeping themselves clean was a matter of life and death!
God wants His people to be clean ( 30:17–21; 38:8) In the tabernacle courtyard, the laver stood between the brazen altar and the tent, and the priests and Levites had to stop there regularly to wash their hands and feet. If they entered the tent or served at the brazen altar without first washing, they were in danger of death.
God wants His people to appreciate and enjoy His blessings (26:1–37; 27:9–19; 36:8–38; 38:9–20) "Honor and majesty are before Him," wrote the psalmist; "strength and beauty are in His sanctuary" (Ps. 96:6). The strength of His sanctuary is revealed in its construction, and the beauty is revealed in its adornment.
The Lord didn't specify either the size or shape of the laver, nor do the instructions say anything about how it was carried when the nation was moving to a new location. The size and shape of the laver wasn't the important thing; it was the contents of the laver that really mattered. It held clean water, and the supply was replenished all day long by the Levites.
Strength. The tabernacle proper was a solid structure over which the beautiful curtains were draped. Twenty boards of acacia wood, fifteen feet high and twenty-seven inches wide, overlaid with gold, formed the north and south walls, and eight similar boards formed the west wall. Each of these boards stood on two silver bases made from the shekels ("redemption money") collected from the Jewish men of military age. Since the structure stood on the uneven ground, these bases were necessary for stability and security. God's sanctuary didn't rest on the shifting sands of this world but on the solid foundation of redemption. The fortyeight boards were further strengthened by four long rods (cross-bars) that ran through golden rings on each board.
In Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37–39), while water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; Eph. 5:25–27). The laver, then, typifies the Word of God that cleanses the mind and heart of those who receive it and obey it (John 17:17). The fact that the laver was made out of the bronze mirrors of the Jewish women (Ex. 38:8) is evidence that it typifies God's Word, for the Word of God is compared to a mirror (James 1:22–26; 2 Cor. 3:18).
Under the Old Testament economy, there were three ways to achieve ceremonial cleansing: by water, by fire, or by blood. We are cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross, and when we confess our sins, that blood cleanses us (1 John 1:5—2:2). But when we disobey God, our hearts and minds are defiled by sin (see Ps. 51), and it's the "washing of the word" (Eph. 5:26) that restores us.
At the east end of the tabernacle stood five posts on which a linen curtain hung, beautifully embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. This was the door into the holy place. Some students believe that a rod ran straight through the boards of the north and south walls, connecting them to the end pillars and adding even more stability to the framework.
But the Old Testament priests became defiled, not by sinning against God but by serving God! Their feet became dirty as they walked in the courtyard and in the tabernacle (there was no floor in the tabernacle), and their hands were defiled as they handled the sacrifices and sprinkled the blood. Therefore, their hands and feet needed constant cleansing, and this was provided at the laver.
Beauty. Gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white are the major colors used in the hangings and coverings of the tabernacle.6 The linen fence around the sacred area was white, reminding us of the holiness of God. The thirty-foot gate at the east end of the tabernacle was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet against the white background. Blue is the color of the sky and reminds us of heaven and the God of heaven. Purple is
When He was with them in the Upper Room, our Lord taught His disciples this same lesson by washing
Exodus 24—40
are those who dwell in Your house; they will be still praising You (84:1–2, 4 nkjv).
the royal color that speaks of the King, and scarlet makes us think of blood and the sacrifice of the Savior.
The holy place and Holy of Holies were covered with four different coverings (curtains) that draped over the walls and hung down to the ground. People looking at the tabernacle would see the leatherlike outmost covering composed of badgers' skins ("sea cows," (niv), which protected the other coverings as well as the tabernacle proper and its furnishings. Beneath that protective covering was a curtain of rams' skins dyed red, then a fabric woven of goats' hair, which may well have been black, and last of all a beautiful covering of fine linen embroidered with cherubim in blue, purple, and scarlet.
What Old Testament believers had in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, God's people today have in Jesus Christ. The furnishings and the ceremonies point to Christ and reveal the many glorious aspects of His character and the salvation He gives to all who trust Him. Every spiritual need of the Jewish people was met in the provisions of the tabernacle, and in Jesus Christ we have everything that we need "for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).
Any approach to the Christian life that adds anything to the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture is not the right approach. All fullness dwells in Christ (Col. 1:19) as well as all the fullness of the Godhead (2:9). In Christ are "hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (v. 3), and we must "seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God" (3:1 nkjv). In Christ God's people have every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), and He is all they need.
Between the holy place and the Holy of Holies, the veil hung from golden clasps, supported by four pillars. It was embroidered with cherubim in white, scarlet, blue, and purple. Hebrews 10:20 says that this veil typifies the body of Christ, for when His body was offered on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). Some students see a parallel between the four gospels and the four pillars that supported the veil with the four colors. Purple speaks of royalty—the gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of the King. Scarlet reminds us of sacrifice—the Gospel of Mark, the gospel of the Suffering Servant. White speaks of the perfect Son of Man—the gospel of Luke, and blue points to heaven—the gospel of John, the gospel of the Son of God who came from heaven to die for our sins.
To the believers who loved God and wanted to please Him, the holy sanctuary was the source of food and drink for their souls. "Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings [the Holy of Holies]. They feast on the abundance of your house" (Ps. 36:7–8).
In like manner, believers today feast on Jesus Christ and find in Him all the satisfaction they need.
Appreciation. No matter how common the tabernacle may have appeared to outsiders, everything within the sanctuary was costly and beautiful, and it all spoke of the Savior who the people of Israel would give to the world.
1 These are not prayers offered by people in heaven who have been "made saints" and through whom people on earth can pray. All who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are saints (set-apart ones) and have the privilege of prayer. The two passages in the book of Revelation teach us that no true prayer of faith offered by God's children is ever lost but will be answered in God's way and God's time. 2 What is traditionally called the "Lord's Prayer" should be called the "Disciple's Prayer," because our Lord could never pray it. He never said "Our Father" in His prayers, and He certainly didn't need to ask for the forgiveness of sin! This prayer can be prayed meaningfully, from the heart, but it must not be recited carelessly like a religious charm. Basically, this prayer gives us a pattern to follow: God's concerns come first (vv. 9–10) before we bring our own requests (vv. 11–13). Our own personal requests must be tested by whether or not we're sincerely concerned about honoring God's name, hastening God's kingdom, and doing God's will. Prayer isn't getting our will done in heaven; it's getting God's will done on earth. 3 All of our speech is to be "seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6), which suggests that we ought to speak to people with the same holy reverence that we speak to God, for He hears what we say. The ability we have to speak to each other is as much a sacred gift of God as the privilege of prayer. Note how David connects the two in Psalm 141:1–3. 4 For an exposition of the meaning of the sacrifices listed in Leviticus 1—7, see my book Be Holy (Cook).
Godly believers in the Old Testament realized the treasures they possessed in God's house. Listen to David's testimony:
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple (Ps. 27:4).
Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells (26:8 nkjv).
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple (65:4 nkjv).
And the sons of Korah wrote:
How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. … Blessed
Exodus 24—40
they certainly didn't earn this position or deserve it. But, that God should save sinners like us, make us His children, and form us into a "holy priesthood" is also an act of His grace, and we should never lose the wonder of this spiritual privilege. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16 nkjv).
5 In washing their feet, our Lord also taught the disciples the importance of humble service to one another. They occasionally wanted to seek the highest places, but Jesus gave them an example of taking the lowest place. 6 Blue, purple, and scarlet are found together twenty-four times in the book of Exodus. The priestly garments include gold, blue, and purple (28:6, 15; 39:2, 5, 8).
It's unfortunate that Nadab and Abihu disobeyed the Lord and were killed (Lev. 10). When Aaron died, Eleazer became his successor (Num. 20:22–29); and Ithamar's descendants continued in priestly ministry even after the captivity (Ezra 8:1–2).
CHAPTER TWELVE Exodus 28—29; 30:22–33; 39 THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD I
B.Consecration of the priests—28—29
God's people today must remember that our first obligation is to please the Lord and serve Him. If we do this, then He will work in us and through us to accomplish His work in this world. When Jesus restored Peter to discipleship, He didn't ask "Do you love the ministry?" or even "Do you love people?" His repeated question was, "Do you love me?" (John 21:17) Just as a father's most important obligation is to love his children's mother, so the servant's most important obligation (and privilege) is to love the Lord. All ministry flows out of that relationship.
t was God's desire that the nation of Israel be "a kingdom of priests" (19:6) in the world, revealing His glory and sharing His blessings with the unbelieving nations around them. But in order to magnify a holy God, Israel had to be a holy people, and that's where the Aaronic priesthood came in. It was the task of the priests (Aaron's family) and the Levites (the families of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari; see Num. 3—4) to serve in the tabernacle and represent the people before God. The priests were also to represent God to the people by teaching them the law and helping them to obey it (Lev. 10:8–11; Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:7).
A part of pleasing the Lord was wearing the priestly garments. The high priest, the priests, and the Levites couldn't dress as they pleased when they ministered at the tabernacle; they had to wear the garments God designed for them. God provided these garments for at least three reasons: (1) they gave the priests "dignity and honor" (Ex. 28:2 niv) and set them apart, just as a uniform identifies a soldier or a nurse; (2) they revealed spiritual truths relating to their ministry and our ministry today; and (3) if the priests didn't wear the special garments, they might die (vv. 35, 43).
But Israel failed to live like a kingdom of priests. Instead, the spiritual leadership in the nation gradually deteriorated until the priests actually permitted the people to worship idols in the temple of God (Ezek. 8)! The Lord punished His people by allowing the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the temple and carry thousands of Jews into exile. Why did this happen? "But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous" (Lam. 4:13 niv).
Priests are chosen to serve the people (28:6–30; 39:2–21) In serving God and the people, the high priest wore seven pieces of clothing: undergarments (vv. 42–43); a white inner robe ("coat"; v. 39; 39:27; Lev. 8:6–7); a blue robe over that, with bells and pomegranates on the hem (Ex. 28:31–35; 39:22–26); the ephod, a sleeveless garment of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, held together by a jeweled clasp on each shoulder (28:6–8; 39:1–5; Lev. 8:7); a girdle at the waist (Ex. 28:8); a jeweled breastplate, held in place on the ephod by golden chains attached to the shoulder clasps (vv. 9–30; 39:8–21); and a white linen turban ("miter," 28:39) with a golden plate on it that said "Holy to the Lord" (v. 36 niv).
Today, God wants His church to minister in this world as a "holy priesthood" and a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5, 9).1 If God's people are faithful in their priestly ministry, they will "proclaim the praises of Him who called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9 nkjv). As we study the Old Testament priesthood, you will see significant parallels between the work of the Jewish priests in the past and the ministry of "the holy priesthood" in the church today.2
Priests are chosen to serve God (28:1, 3, 41; 29:1, 44) The Lord's words "to minister unto Me" are found five times in these two chapters, and also in 30:30; 40:13, 15; Leviticus 7:35. To be sure, the priests ministered to the people, but their first obligation was to minister to the Lord and please Him. If they forgot their obligation to the Lord, they would soon begin to minimize their responsibilities to the people, and the nation would decay spiritually. (See Mal. 1:6—2:9.)
The ephod and girdle (28:6–14; 39:2–7). "Ephod" is the transliteration of a Hebrew word for a simple sleeveless linen garment that reached to the ankles, usually associated with religious service (1 Sam. 2:18; 2 Sam. 6:14). The high priest's ephod and girdle were made of white linen beautifully embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet threads. The ephod was of two pieces, front and back, held together on each shoulder by a jeweled golden clasp and at the waist by the beautiful girdle.
That God chose Aaron and his sons to minister in the priesthood was an act of sovereign grace, because
Exodus 24—40
and Thummim" ("lights and perfections") which the high priest used to determine the will of God for the nation (Ex. 28:30; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 30:7–8). We don't know what the procedure was, but it was the priests' duty to perform it (Deut. 33:8; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65). Some think there were two stones in the pouch, one black and one white, and the stone the priest withdrew indicated the will of God. Or perhaps they were jewels that shone in a special way to indicate the leading of the Lord. It's useless to speculate because the details haven't been revealed to us.
The significant thing about this ephod was not the fabric or the colors. It was that the names of six tribes of Israel were engraved on each onyx stone on the shoulder clasps, according to their birth order. Whenever the high priest wore his special robes, he carried the people on his shoulders before the Lord. Furthermore, these two onyx stones reminded him of two important facts: (1) the tribes of Israel were precious in the sight of God; (2) he wasn't in the tabernacle to display his beautiful robes or to exalt his special position, but to represent the people before the Lord and carry them on his shoulders. He had been called, not to serve himself but to serve his people.3
Believers today don't have devices such as the Urim and Thummim for determining what God wants us to do, but we do have the Word of God to guide our steps (Ps. 119:105). The Word of God reveals the God of the Word, His character, His desires, and His purposes for His people, and the better we know God, the better we can discover His will. God's Word contains precepts for us to obey, warnings for us to heed, promises for us to claim, and principles for us to follow. If we're sincerely willing to obey, God is willing to direct us (John 7:17; Ps. 25:8–11).