Now in our daily reading (Exodus25-27) we see Moses getting offerings for the Tabernacle, & some elements of the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was important to the children of Israel. It symbolized God’s dwelling among them (Exodus25.08; Exodus29.45).
Blue, purple, scarlet/red, gold, bronze, red, silver & white are the major colors of the Tabernacle.
Silver speaks of redemption.
White reminds us of the Holiness of God. The linen fence around the Tabernacle was white (Exodus27.09-21)
Exodus25.10-16 The Ark of the Covenant-This was the most important item to be placed in the Tabernacle, & it was the only piece within the second compartment of the Tabernacle, known as the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place.
The ark was a rectangle shaped chest, 2’3” wide, 3’9” long & 2’3” high & made of acacia wood with 04 legs & than overlaid on both the inside & outside with gold.
It also had 04 rings that were to be used by 02 gold covered poles, which is how the ark was to be carried.
Inside of it, Moses was to put the 02 stone tablets that were the 10 Commandments. According to Hebrews09.04-05 the ark also contained a jar of manna & Aaron’s rod that budded.
Exodus25.10-16 The Mercy Seat-This was the cover of the ark. This mercy seat was 2’3” wide, 3’9” long with 02 cherubim facing each other on the lid, which was to be made from a solid piece of gold.
These cherubim were to represent the angels in the presence of God (Psalms80.01; Psalms99.01; Isaiah37.16)
You cannot enter into the presence of God without obtaining mercy from Him!
Exodus25.23-30 The Table of Showbread-This was a table 1’6” wide, 3’ long, & 2’3” high, & was to be made of acacia wood & covered with gold.
Like the ark it was to be carried with gold covered poles.
A frame around the edge of the table (about 3” wide) would keep objects from falling off.
On this table, 12 loaves of bread were to be placed in 02 piles of 06 each & replaced on each Sabbath (Leviticus24.05-09). Also on the table were to be placed golden plates & ladles, pitchers & bowls.
Exodus25.31-40 The Golden Lampstand-Or also known by the Hebrew word, Menorah. The Menorah was a very decorative piece with flowerlike cups, buds & blossoms, which were all formed from one solid piece of gold.
On each side on the center shaft, there were 03 branches, which extended upward & each branch had almond flower shaped cups.
The Menorah was used to light up the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was a solid structure over which the beautiful curtains were draped.
Basically what you had here was a large curtain that was folded in half, & then was hung up. Each curtain formed the walls of the Tabernacle & was then held up by clasps & rods, much like a curtain is hung up in a house today.
The inner curtain was more for design & decoration.
The curtain of goat’s hair (Exodus26.07) was for protection & was a little bigger than the decoration curtain on the inside.
The curtain of porpoise skins (Exodus26.14) was to make the Tabernacle waterproof, & this layer was the top layer.
Exodus26.15-30 The Structure of the Tabernacle-What we see here is that there are 20 boards of acacia wood, 15 feet high & 27 inches wide, overlaid w/gold, formed the North & the South walls.
08 similar boards formed the West wall.
Each of theses boards stood on 02 silver bases made from the shekels (“redemption money” Exodus30.13-15) collected from the Jewish men of military age.
Since the structure physically stood on uneven ground, these bases were necessary for stability & security. God’s sanctuary didn’t rest on the shifting sands of this world, but on the solid foundation of redemption.
The 48 boards were than further strengthened by 04 long rods (crossbars) that ran through golden rings on each board.
At the East end of the Tabernacle stood 05 posts on which a linen curtain hung which was beautifully embroidered w/blue, purple & scarlet yarn. This was the door into the Holy place.
Exodus26.31-37 The Holy Place & The Holy of Holies-The Holy place & Holy of Holies was covered w/04 different coverings (curtains) that draped over the walls & hung down to the ground. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.
1st Covering- Fine-twined Egyptian linen w/cherubim woven in the material.
Cherubim are angels used by God to guard the Garden of Eden after Adam & Eve were banished.
Genesis03.24 “So He drove the man out; & at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim & the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”
The 1st curtain did not touch the ground, & its beauty could only be seen on the inside. This covering could not be seen at all from the outside, just as the beauty of the LORD Jesus Christ cannot be seen by the world. He can only satisfy His own people.
Psalms17.08 “Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings”
The wings of the cherubim were woven in the cloth over the Tabernacle. Under His wings is a good place for us to be hidden, & we should worship Him who is worthy of worship.
2nd Covering- Made of goats’ hair & it touched the ground.
Speaks of Christ’s worth for sinners. It is symbolic of the death of Christ. Many think that this was black. And this is the message that is to be given to the world.
Hebrews09.26 “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
3rd Covering- Made of rams’ skin dyed red. This speaks of the strength of Christ & His offering on the cross. This curtain shows us the outward aspect of His offering as our substitute.
2Corinthians05.21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
4th Covering- Made of badger skins. After 40 years in the wilderness this curtain was marred by time & weather, but it always protected that which was w/in.
This covering speaks of Christ’s walk before men. Just as the lined covering was inside to show His beauty to the believer, so the badger skin covering had not beauty to reveal.
Isaiah53.02 “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”
There is no beauty on the outside that would cause us to desire Him, we have to go inside to behold His beauty. The world does not see in Him what we see in Him.
The Veil
Between the Holy place & the Holy of Holies, the veil hung from golden clasps, supported by 04 pillars.
Gold speaks of the deity of Christ.
It was embroidered w/cherubim in white, scarlet, blue & purple.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that the veil is representing the Body of Christ, for when His body was offered on the cross…
Hebrews10.19-20 “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new & living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,”
…& we are told that the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom.
Mark15.38 “And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
The veil was 13-17 feet high, 06-08 inches thick & it took 100 priests to move it!
Exodus27.01-08 The Bronze Altar-It was made of acacia wood, 7’6” long & 7’6” wide & 4’6” high.
The sacrifice of animals was God-ordained, for He showed that to Adam & Eve when He made them tunics of skin to cover their nakedness after they sinned (Genesis03.21). An animal had to be killed for that to happen.
The building of an altar & offering a sacrifice is in connection w/worship.
It is interesting to note that after the flood, Noah built an altar before he built a house (Genesis08.18«20). Abram built an altar wherever he pitched his tent (Ge12.07«08).
Hebrews09.22 “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed w/blood, & w/o shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
The altar was used to lift up the sacrifice in smoke; & at the same time, it would lift the one making the offering up into fellowship w/God.
Later, when the cross became the altar for the world’s greatest sacrifice, it lifted up Christ.
John12.32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.””
Sin must be punished, either in person or through a substitute. The lamb, goat, bull or whatever was the substitute for Israel, & God accepted them by the altar.
Now, the location of the Bronze Altar for the Burnt Offerings was inside of the Court of the Tabernacle. It was the 1st thing that a Jew would encounter as he enters the Court after passing through the Gate of the Tabernacle.
It was easily accessible, unavoidable, & unmistakable to the true repentant inquirer.
It stood at the gate of repentance. Repentance is not salvation; it is only sorrow for sin. When the sinner comes to the place where he realizes that he is a sinner, he must not only be sorry for the sin but also willing to turn his back on it.
At the altar is where the sins are forgiven. It is the end of the old life, & the beginning of a holy walk. The altar then is the first step in a new walk.
The Size of the Altar (Exodus27.01)
05 x 05 x 03 cubits.
05 Cubits= 07 ½ feet
03 Cubits= 04 ½ feet
It was 05 cubits square. 05 is the number of grace. It is the unmerited favor of God toward a sinful world.
It is square, a picture of being solid & equal. Just like grace, which shows no favorites, & it is available for all.
It was 03 cubits high, perhaps suggesting to us that it was going to be the 3rd day when our great Sacrifice was accepted by God who demonstrated His approval by raising Christ from the dead.
Ephesians02.08-09 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; & that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
The Materials of the Altar (Exodus27.01)
Made of acacia wood, which is a hard, incorruptible, indestructible wood that grows in the Sinai Desert.
This spoke of the humanity of Christ.
Hebrews02.14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh & blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”
It was to be overlaid w/bronze, which made the wood stronger & fireproof! Jesus Christ needed the strength of His Father to be able to endure the cross.
Bronze is a symbol of judgment.
The Horns of the Altar (Exodus27.02)
This was a unique feature to the altar. There was one on each corner. As symbols of power & authority they pointed to the 04 corners of the earth. The horn of salvation, provided through the sacrifice of Calvary, points to every corner of the earth, showing that all can be saved.
The horns were used to bind the sacrifice onto the altar because of their unwillingness.
Psalms118.27 “The LORD is God, & He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice w/cords to the horns of the altar.”
Our Sacrifice was bound to the altar of the cross by love.
1John03.16 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; & we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
We in turn then must…
Romans12.01 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living & holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
The Utensils of the Altar (Exodus27.03-05)
Again the number 05 repeats itself, a total of 05 different utensils, covered in bronze were to be used.
The Pails-Used for the ashes
The Shovels-Used for picking up the ashes & for tending to the fire
The Basins-Held the blood of the sacrifice
The Forks-Used for arranging the sacrifice on the altar
The Firepans/Censers-Used for carrying the fire of the altar continuously.
Exodus27.09-19 The Court of the Tabernacle-
Description of the Court
They were told to make a courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed w/curtains made from fine linen.
On the South side, the curtains will stretch for 150 feet. 20 bronze posts that fit into 20 bronze bases will hold them up. The curtains will be held up w/silver hooks attached to the silver rods that are attached to the posts. On the North side it’s the same as the South side of the courtyard.
On the West end of the courtyard, the curtains will be 75 feet long, supported by 10 posts set into 10 bases. The East end will also be 75 feet long.
The courtyard entrance will be on the East end, flanked by 02 curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22½ feet long, supported by 03 posts set into 03 bases. The curtain on the left side will also be 22½ feet long, supported by 03 posts set into 03 bases.
Entrance to the courtyard is a 30-foot long curtain, made from fine linen. They were to decorate it w/beautiful embroidery in Blue, Purple & Scarlet yarn. The curtains were to be attached to 04 posts that fit into 04 bases.
All the posts around the courtyard must be connected by silver rods, using silver hooks. The posts are to be set in solid bronze bases. So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long & 75 feet wide, w/curtain walls 7 1/2 feet high, made from fine linen. All the articles used in the work of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle & the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze.
“09 “court”«comes from the Hebrew word that means, “to be separate from the open country”.
We have been told ourselves to be separate from the rest of the world.
Ezra10.11 “Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers & do His will; & separate yourselves from the peoples of the land & from the foreign wives.””
2Corinthians06.17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.”
Entrance into the court was only made possible by lifting the curtain at the bottom.
01. Only One Way In
Exodus27.16a “For the gate of the court…”
Notice that this is the only time a gate is mentioned, & that there is only 01 gate.
02. Narrow
Exodus27.16 “For the gate of the court there shall be a screen of twenty cubits (30 feet), of blue & purple & scarlet material & fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver, w/their four pillars & their four sockets.”
Now that might sound like it is wide, & it is, considering that the whole side is only 30 feet wide. In Numbers01.46 there were 603,550 men 20 years or older who were able to go to war. That was not including the Levites, who we are told in Numbers04.48 that there are a total of 8,580 men ages 30-50 serving in the Tabernacle. Total of 612,130 men, not including those who could not fight, were lame, or women & children. There easily could have been 2 million people now!
03. Available For All
The people could come in to offer their sacrifices.
This Courtyard was a picture of Jesus
01. Only One Way For Salvation
John14.06 “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, & the truth, & the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Notice that He says “the way” & not “a way”. There is only 01 way to Heaven, & that is through Jesus Christ.
02. Narrow
Matthew07.13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide & the way is broad that leads to destruction, & there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small & the way is narrow that leads to life, & there are few who find it.”
Remember, as we saw before, there is only 01 way, & it is not the widest, easiest path.
But we have been told to…
1Peter05.07 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Matthew11.30 “For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.”
“burden” =a task or service
We can do it because…
Philippians04.13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
03. Available For All
2Corinthians05.14-15 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; & He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died & rose again on their behalf.”
Romans01.16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first & also to the Greek.”
John03.16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
He died for all so that all could come.
He died for you, what are you going to do for Him?
Exodus 27:20-21 The Oil-So they were to use olive oil in the cups of the Golden Lampstands to light up the sanctuary.
It was the responsibility of Aaron & his sons to keep the oil in the lampstands so that there would always be light.
We see a description of the lampstands…
Exodus25.32 “Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side & three branches of the lampstand from its other side.”
Exodus25.37 “Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; & they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it.”
