The nation of Israel had finally completed the tabernacle according to the design God had given to Moses (Exodus 35:1-39:43).  This endeavor was completed nearly one year following Israel’s exodus from Egypt.  Moses blessed the people for their hard work and attention to every detail concerning the tabernacle (Exodus 39:42-43), which would become the center of religious worship for the Israelites.  Since the children of Israel were on a journey to the Promised Land, the tabernacle was designed to be portable so that they could easily set it up and tear it down.  After all the items of the tabernacle were built, the Lord spoke to Moses and commanded him to set up the tabernacle for the very first time (40:1-2).  The Lord detailed the arrangement of the interior and exterior of the tabernacle (40:3-8), the consecration of the items used in the tabernacle (40:9-11), and the anointing of the priesthood who would be involved in the daily duties of the tabernacle (40:12-16).  Moses obeyed did everything according to God’s command and they erected the tabernacle in the first month of the second year of their journey (40:16-33).

When the tabernacle was set up as God commanded, “…the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (40:34-35).  God’s glory filling the tabernacle was a visible sign that God was pleased with the tabernacle and that everything had been done according to His word.  God’s promise to “…dwell among the children of Israel and…be their God” (Exodus 29:45) had finally been fulfilled.  The cloud that had initially led the children of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 13:20-22) now dwelt amongst the people.  ”Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys” (40:36-38).

This event in the history of Israel was a glorious time as they looked to the Lord as the One who was leading them to the land of Canaan.  Israel had endured great persecution in Egypt (Exodus 1:1-12:36), but God delivered His people and set them on a journey toward the Promised Land with Moses as their leader (Exodus 12:37-15:21).  Israel’s first year of freedom from bondage was plagued with many growing pains because God wanted them to trust Him fully with their lives (Exodus 15:22-18:27).  In order to establish them as a nation, God gave a written Law which provided Israel with commands and ordinances to ensure that they would maintain a proper relationship with Him and others (Exodus 19:1-24:18); furthermore, God also established the tabernacle as the center of worship for Israel (Exodus 25:1-31:18).  Although Israel quickly strayed away from worshiping the Lord (Exodus 32), they were restored and eventually built the tabernacle which inhabited the presence of God (Exodus 33:1-40:38).  The nation of Israel is much like mankind.  God seeks those who will worship Him with a pure heart, but oftentimes man selfishly walks in his own ways.  God restores and forgives those who turn back to Him.  The story of Israel is a messy story, but a picture of God’s mercy and love for His people.

Dear God, may I learn much in my own life by reading about Your relationship with the nation of Israel.

Israel’s exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:31-42) had led them into the wilderness where they struggled to have faith in the God who had miraculously delivered them from bondage.  Rather than trusting Him, Israel often turned their back on God and questioned Moses’ leadership; however, God repeatedly proved Himself by providing for and protecting the nation of Israel.  In order to establish Israel as a nation, God gave them the Law which detailed how they could maintain a proper relationship with God and others.  The Mosaic Law included the Ten Commandments (20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations for the tabernacle (24:12-31:18).  Although Israel promised to obey God’s Law (Exodus 24:7), they quickly broke that promise by creating and worshiping a golden calf (Exodus 32).  God was extremely angry and threatened to withdraw His presence from Israel (Exodus 33:1-6), but Moses’ prayer for mercy (Exodus 33:7-23) resulted in the Lord promising to journey with them.  Moses made new tablets (see Exodus 32:19) and God wrote the Law on them once again (Exodus 34:1-9).  The covenant between God and Israel was renewed.

After the Law had been rewritten and renewed, Moses gathered the people to remind them about the Sabbath regulations (35:1-3).  Work on the tabernacle was to be limited to six days a week and the seventh day should be reserved for rest.  Moses then spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord.  Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord…’” (35:4-9).  The items gathered for this offering would be used by the gifted artisans (35:10-19, 30-35; 36:1) to construct the tabernacle, which would become the center of worship for the Israelites.  ”Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart” (35:20-22).  Israel’s heart had truly changed.  Days earlier they were worshiping the golden calf, but now they had repented of sin and were giving of their own possessions to construct the tabernacle (35:23-29).  The two artisans, Bezalel and Aholiab (see Exodus 31:1-11), received the offering of the people from Moses and began the construction on the tabernacle; in fact, the offerings received from the people were more than enough to construct the tabernacle (36:2-7).  According to the instructions given by God to Moses, the people built the tabernacle (36:8-38), the ark of the testimony/covenant (37:1-9; see also 25:10-22), the table for showbread (37:10-16; see also 25:23-30), the golden lampstand (37:17-28; see also 25:31-40), the oil and incense (37:29; see also 30:22-38), the altar of burnt offering (38:1-7; see also 27:1-8), the bronze laver/basin (38:8; see also 30:17-21), the court of the tabernacle (38:9-20; see also 27:9-19), the materials for the tabernacle (38:21-31), and the priestly garments (39:1-31; see also 28:1-43).

When all of the work had been completed by the nation of Israel (39:32-41), ”Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it.  And Moses blessed them” (39:42-43).  Moses’ blessing on the work of the tabernacle was his seal of approval on every detail.  Israel had now evidenced their commitment to God’s design and had created a place for Him to dwell.  Israel’s center for worship had been completed and designed according to God’s plan.

Dear God, thank You for the example of Your forgiveness and restoration of Israel.

God loved the nation of Israel.  They were His chosen people and God desired them to become a “special treasure…a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6).  In order to establish them as a nation, God gave His Law to Moses and expected the people to obey.  Although Israel agreed to obey God’s Law (Exodus 24:7), they quickly broke the covenant by worshiping a golden calf (Exodus 32) which resulted in God withdrawing His presence from the Israelites (Exodus 33:1-6).  Moses begged God not to remove His presence, so the Lord honored Moses’ request and promised to accompany Israel on their journey to Canaan (Exodus 33:7-23).  After granting His forgiveness, the Lord commanded Moses to cut two tablets of stone so that the Law could be written again (34:1).  Moses then brought the stone tablets to Mount Sinai where the Lord descended in a cloud to meet with him (34:2-5).  This second encounter between God and Moses lasted 40 days and during this time the Law was renewed.  Upon his arrival on the mountain the Lord declared to Moses, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation” (34:6-7).  When Moses heard these words he bowed in worship saying, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance” (34:8-9).

God responded to Moses’ prayer and promised to renew the covenant between Himself and the nation of Israel (34:10).  As a part of this covenant, God promised to drive their enemies out of the land, but the Israelites were not to make any covenants with pagan nations (34:12).  Making a covenant with a pagan nation would bring judgment on Israel.  Rather than adapting to the idolatrous culture of the pagans, Israel was to “…destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images” (34:13).  These actions would ensure that Israel would not engage in worship of other gods (34:13-17).  The Lord also reminded them to keep the religious ordinances such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (34:18-20, 25), the Sabbath Day (34:21), the Feast of Weeks (34:22a, 26), and the Feast of Ingathering (34:22b).  The three feasts were to be celebrated each year (34:23) and God promised to protect their land while Israel was observing these feasts (34:24).  The covenant was given to Moses and he wrote it on the stone tablets as he met with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights (34:27-28).

After receiving the covenant from the Lord, Moses descended from the mountain and his face was shining because he had been in the presence of God (34:29).  Moses did not know his face was glowing but when he approached Aaron and the children of Israel, they were afraid to come near to him (34:30).  Moses then called for the people to come near him and he talked with them and declared the commandments that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai (34:31-32).  Moses later became aware of the glow on his face because he covered it with a veil.  When Moses spoke with the people he put the veil on his face, but when he spoke with God he removed the veil (34:33-34).  Time in the presence of God changed the countenance of Moses and was also a visible reminder that Moses had spent time with God.

Dear God, may time spent with You change me so that others would know that I’ve been in Your presence.

God had given the Law to Moses in order to govern the nation of Israel in maintaining their relationship with God and others.  The details of this Law were given to Moses on Mount Sinai and included the Ten Commandments (20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations for the tabernacle (24:12-31:18).  Obedience to these regulations and commandments would result in Israel’s proper worship of God.  Although the people had agreed to obey the Law (Exodus 24:7), they quickly rebelled when a golden calf was created and worshiped (Exodus 32).  Moses begged for mercy on behalf of Israel, but God’s wrath was poured out on Israel for their disobedience and thousands died (Exodus 32:30-35).  God commanded Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land, but His presence would not accompany them on the journey (33:1).  Instead of God’s presence leading the children of Israel, an angel would go before them and drive out their enemies (33:2).  When the people heard that God’s presence would no longer accompany them on the journey, they mourned (33:3-6).

In response to God’s presence being removed, Moses withdrew from the camp and met with the Lord in his tent, which was the place where they met prior to the construction of the tabernacle (33:7-11).  Moses approached the Lord and begged for His presence to lead them into the Promised Land (33:12-13).  God responded to Moses’ request saying, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (33:14).  Moses wanted to be certain of God’s presence so he again said to the Lord, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth” (33:15-16).  Moses and Israel were nothing without the presence of God.  The Lord granted Moses’ request for His presence (33:17).  Since Moses had a unique relationship with God (see Exodus 33:11), he also asked for God to show him his glory (33:18).  Moses’ request to see God’s glory was a confession of his desire to see more of God’s character and nature.  The Lord granted Moses’ request to see more of His glory, but he would not be permitted to see God’s face because no man could glimpse God’s face and live (33:19-20).  The Lord then said to Moses, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen” (33:21-23, NLT).  Although God is not human, He is described here with human parts so that mankind can understand the reality of this encounter between the Lord and Moses.  Even this experience in unique to Moses, all those who love and follow God should have a growing desire to know the Lord in a more intimate manner.

Dear God, show me Your glory!

When God had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him two stone tablets with the Law written on them (Exodus 31:18).  This Law would govern the nation of Israel in a proper relationship with God and in maintaining healthy relationships with others.  Obeying God’s Law would ensure God’s blessing on Israel, but disobedience would invite the judgment of God on the nation.  In the 40 days Moses was meeting with God on the mountain he received the Ten Commandments (20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations for the tabernacle (24:12-31:18); however, the people became concerned about Moses being gone for so long so they said to Aaron, “Make us some gods who can lead us.  We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt” (32:1, NLT).  More than a month before they had promised to obey all of God’s commands (Exodus 24:7), but their commitment to obey God soon turned to outright rebellion.  In an apparent move to be similar to the other pagan nations surrounding them, Israel asked Aaron to fashion false gods so that they could worship them and receive guidance from these false deities.  Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Aaron commanded that the people bring their gold to him and from that gold he fashioned a golden calf saying, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (32:2-4).  Aaron also built an altar before the golden calf and the people “…rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (32:5-6).  These words indicate that the nation had engaged in idol worship as well as immoral activities in an effort to honor God.

God made Moses aware of Israel’s sinful actions (32:7-8) and told him that they would be consumed (32:9-10), but Moses pleaded for God’s mercy on the people (32:11-13) and He granted it (32:14).  Moses descended from the mountain to find the people engaged in false worship, so he became angry and threw down the tablets of stone, which broke in two (32:15-19).  Moses’ action was symbolic of Israel breaking the law of God.  Moses then “…took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, ‘What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?’” (32:20-21).  Aaron accused the people of being prone to evil (32:22) saying that he had simply taken their gold and thrown it into the fire (32:23-24a); furthermore, Aaron said that the golden calf miraculously appeared out of the fire (32:24b).  Aaron shifted all the blame upon Israel without taking any responsibility himself.  His actions showed a lack of leadership and a deceitful heart.

Sickened by the Israelites’ unrestrained actions 32:25), Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, “‘Whoever is on the Lord’s side— come to me!’  And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him” (32:26).  Moses then commanded the tribe of Levi to administer judgment on all who persisted in idolatry and about 3,000 people were killed by the sword that day (32:27-29).  On the next day Moses told Israel that he was going to attempt to make atonement for their sin before God so he returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (32:30-31).  Although Israel was a disobedient people, Moses had a great love for them.  He was even willing for his own life to be taken prematurely so that the nation could be spared.  God rejected Moses’ offer and promised to put to death those who had sinned (32:33).  Eventually, all those who sinned were put to death by a plague (32:35) and through other means.  Only the younger generation would be permitted to enter the Promised Land in the future (see Deuteronomy 2:14).  Obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment.

Dear God, give me an overwhelming desire to obey You.

During Moses’ 40 day encounter with God on Mount Sinai, God provided him with the law and commandments so that Moses could teach the nation of Israel and lead them in obedience to God (Exodus 24:12).  These tablets of stone recorded the Ten Commandments (20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations for the tabernacle, the center of worship for the Israelites (24:12-31:18).  The ceremonial regulations included instructions concerning the tabernacle (Exodus 25-27), instructions concerning the priesthood (Exodus 28-29), and instructions concerning priestly service in the tabernacle (Exodus 30-31).  Although some of the tabernacle furnishings were already discussed in Exodus 25:23-40, God provided the details of the altar of incense in Exodus 30:1-10.  The discussion of the altar of incense here highlights the rituals surrounding this item in the tabernacle.  The altar of incense was to be carefully constructed (30:1-5) and placed before the veil, which was before the ark of the covenant where God would meet with the priest (30:6).  Aaron was commanded to burn incense on the altar twice a day, morning and evening (30:7-8).  The recipe for making the incense was given in Exodus 30:34-38 (30:9).  Once a year Aaron was to cleanse the altar with the blood from an atonement offering (30:10).

God also gave Moses instructions regarding money for the tabernacle often referred to as ransom money (30:11-16).  Each time a census was taken, every male 20 years or older was to pay a tax which would help maintain the tabernacle.  This offering would protect them from any plagues (30:12) and serve as an atonement for sin (30:16).  Details are given for the use of the bronze basin (30:17-21) which stood between the tabernacle and the altar.  This basin or washbasin was to be used by the priests to cleanse their hands and feet prior to performing the priestly duties.  Failure to cleanse themselves would result in death (30:20-21).  God then provides the recipe for making the holy anointing oil (30:22-25) used to purify the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests (30:26-30).  After providing all of these instructions concerning the construction and furnishings of the tabernacle, God commanded Moses to enlist two men (Bezalel and Aholiab) to construct everything He had described (31:1-11).  These two men were described as “gifted artisans” who would be able to construct everything according to God’s design (31:6).  After assigning these two men to constructing the tabernacle, God reminded Moses about the Sabbath law (31:12-17).  This reminder was placed here so that the people would remember that they were to work six days and rest on the seventh (see Exodus 20:8).  Observing the Sabbath day would protect Israel from God’s judgment (31:14-16) and remind them that God had created the heavens and the earth in six days but rested on the seventh day (31:17).  When God finished speaking all of these instructions found written in Exodus 25-31, “He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (31:18).  God’s law had been written and now the nation of Israel was expected to obey it.  Obedience would bring blessing while disobedience would bring God’s judgment upon the nation.

Dear God, thank You for the revelation of God through Moses concerning the law of God.

The tabernacle would become the center of worship for the nation of Israel and God provided very specific instructions concerning the furnishings of the tabernacle (Exodus 24:12-25:40), construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1-37), and the attire of the priests (Exodus 27:1-28:43).  Moses was receiving these instructions directly from God during their 40 day encounter on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18) and He wrote on tablets of stone the Ten Commandments (20:1-21), civil/religious ordinances (20:22-24:11), and ceremonial regulations (24:12-31:18).  Obedience to these regulations and laws would help Israel become a “special treasure…a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6).  Since the presence of God would inhabit the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, those who served in it were to be consecrated to the Lord.  In Exodus 29 God details the ceremony for installing priests for service in the tabernacle.  A young bull and two rams were to accompany a basket filled with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes, and unleavened wafers to the tabernacle courtyard where Aaron and his sons would also meet (29:1-4).  Aaron was to be dressed in the priestly garments described in Exodus 28 and then anointed with oil (29:5-7).  This anointing symbolized God’s consecration of him for priestly service in the tabernacle.  Although Aaron’s sons were not to be anointed, they were dressed in priestly garments including tunics, sashes, and head coverings (29:8-9).  These rituals would solidify them as the ones who possessed the right of the priesthood.

The young bull was brought to the entrance of the tabernacle where Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head which symbolized their sinfulness and the priests’ identification with the animal being sacrificed in their place (29:10).  The bull was then sacrificed on the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 27:1-8) and some of the blood was to be placed on the horns of the altar and in its base (29:11-12).  The insides of the bull were to be burned on the altar and the remaining outer parts were to be burned outside the camp as a sin offering (29:13-14).  Another sacrifice was then to take place with the two rams.  Aaron and his sons were to lay their hands on the head of the first ram, slaughter it, and then splatter the blood on all sides of the altar (29:15-16).  The ram was to be cut in pieces, washed, and then burned as a burnt offering to the Lord (29:17-18).  The other ram would also be slaughtered, but the blood was to be placed on the right earlobe, the thumb of their right hand, and the big toe of their right foot (29:19-20).  Blood and oil was to be sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and on their garments (29:21).  Blood on the earlobe illustrated the hearing of God’s word.  Blood on the thumb illustrated doing the work of God and blood on the toe symbolized walking in the ways of God.  Blood on the priests and their garments set them apart as holy in their service to God.  The insides of the second ram were to be offered with the bread, cake, and wafers as a wave offering to the Lord (29:22-28; 31-34).  The wave offering was to be waved back and forth between the priest and the altar which symbolized that the offering was being given to God.  The elements waved as an offering to God were to be burned on the altar; however, the breast of the ram was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons (29:26-27).

The priestly garments for Aaron and his sons were to be passed down to future generations and be worn for seven days, which probably symbolized completeness (29:29-30).  God repeats instructions for eating parts of the second ram (29:22-28) that the priests alone were permitted to eat (29:31-33).  Any parts left over from the meal were to be burned because it was a holy meal (29:34).  This ordination ceremony lasted seven days and the sacrifice of the young bull was to be repeated each day (29:35-36).  The altar was to be purified each day following the sacrifice (29:37).  Furthermore, God gives instructions to Moses concerning the daily offerings in the tabernacle (29:38-41).  One lamb was to be sacrificed in the morning and one in the evening (29:42).  As Israel obeyed God’s commands for offerings and blood sacrifice, He would meet with them and speak with them in order to fellowship with His people (29:43-46).

Dear God, I desire to meet with You daily so that I can know and follow Your ways.

The tabernacle would soon become the center of worship for the Israelites and the place where God would dwell among His people.  Since the children of Israel were still on their journey from Egypt (Exodus 12) to the land of Canaan, the tabernacle was portable and would accompany them through their wilderness wanderings.  God provided very specific instructions to Moses concerning the tabernacle and its furnishings which included the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10-22), the table of showbread (Exodus 25:23-30), and the golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40; 27:20-21).  All of these items were contained inside the  tabernacle (Holy Place and Holy of Holies), but God also described two furnishings which were to be placed in the outer court of the tabernacle (Exodus 27:9-19): the altar of burnt offering/bronze altar (Exodus 27:1-8) and the bronze basin (Exodus 30:17-21).  The altar of burnt offering was used for animal sacrifice and the bronze basin was used by the priests to cleanse their hands and feet before performing their duties in the tabernacle.  Failure to use the bronze basin would result in the death of the priest (30:20-21).

God also instructed Moses to make Aaron and his sons priests and clothe them with priestly garments which are described in Exodus 28.  The priests were to wear the ephod (Exodus 28:5-14), the breastplate of judgment (Exodus 28:15-30), and other priestly garments (Exodus 28:31-43).  The ephod was a two-piece outer garment which covered the priest’s upper body and was fastened together at the shoulders by straps as well as onyx tones.  The two onyx stones were to be engraved with the

names of the twelve tribes of Israel – six names on one stone and six names on the other stone in order of their birth (28:9-10).  The breastplate of judgment was to contain twelve stones with each one engraved with the name of a tribe from Israel (28:15-30).  This garment would symbolize the priest’s intercession on behalf of Israel.  The breastplate was folded in half and contained the Urim and the Thummim.  Although the Urim and Thummim’s material cannot be identified, the objects helped determine matters which needed great discernment (see Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 30:7-8; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65).  The other priestly garments included a robe (28:31-35), a turban (28:36-38), a tunic/sash (28:39-42).  God declared that these garments “…shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him” (28:43).  These words emphasize the importance of the priestly duties before God and the people of Israel.  The priests were to practice their duties with preciseness and be certain that their approach to God was reverent.

Dear God, may I always approach You with reverence and fear knowing that You are holy and worthy of my worship.

Moses had gone up into Mount Sinai with Joshua where they remained forty days while God provided them with two tablets of stone with the law written on them (Exodus 24:12).  The Mosaic Law written on stone tablets included the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) and civil/religious ordinances (Exodus 20:22-24:11) which, if obeyed, would help Israel maintain a right relationship with God and others.  God also gave very specific instructions regarding the construction of the tabernacle and it’s furnishings such as the ark of the testimony (Exodus 25:10-22), the table of showbread (Exodus 25:23-30), and the gold lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40).  The tabernacle would become symbolic of God’s presence dwelling among the people (Exodus 25:8) and served as the center of worship for the Israelites.  Although the tabernacle was portable and accompanied Israel on their journey to Canaan, God gave specific instructions to Moses concerning the construction of the tabernacle.

The contents of the tabernacle were to be surrounded by ten linen curtains woven with blue, purple, and scarlet thread with cherubim embroidered on them (26:1).  Each curtain was to measure 6 feet wide and 42 feet long (26:2).  Five curtains were to be joined together to make one long curtain and the other five curtains were also to be joined together to make another long curtain (26:3).  When the five curtains were joined together they measured 30×42 and joined to the other set of curtains it would measure 60×42 (26:4-6).  The sixty foot width covered the top of the tabernacle as well as the back making the length 45 feet and the height 15 feet.  The 42 foot part of the curtain extended over the top of the tabernacle and would have come within 18 inches of the ground on either side.  Over top of the linen curtains were placed eleven curtains made of goat hair in order to protect the inside from the weather (26:7-13).  These curtains were three feet longer so that they would touch the ground and hide the contents of the tabernacle from outside view.  These two layers were to be covered by two more layers – a layer of ram skin dyed red and a badger skin on top of the ram skin (26:14).  In total there were four layers covering the tabernacle.

Click Image for Larger View
Exodus 26:15-30 describes the construction of the tabernacle frame.  The walls were not to be solid but constructed with upright frames so that the layers of curtains could be draped over it and the inner curtains could be seen from the inside.  This type of construction would also allow for quick disassembly and set up along their journey.  God also provided very specific instructions for forming the veil, which would separate the holy place and the Most Holy Place, where the ark of the covenant was housed (26:31-35).   The Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies was the location where God would descend when He wanted to meet with His people.  The high priest could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-20).  The tabernacle was also to have an entrance point made of the same curtains as the inner, but without the embroidery (26:36-37).  God had given Moses very specific instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle and He expected them to be followed precisely (26:30).  Following these instructions each time they started and stopped their journey would remind Israel that God is holy and He was to be revered.  Worship of God was never to be on their own terms, but on the conditions He had commanded.

Dear God, You are holy and deserving of all my worship.

After the Mosaic Covenant had been given by God and confirmed by the Israelites (Exodus 24:1-11), they were placed under the leadership of God and became a theocracy.  The laws of God would now govern this young nation and help them maintain a proper relationship with God as well as each other.  Following the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) and the civil/religious ordinances (Exodus 20:22-24:11), Moses was called to Mount Sinai to meet with God, who would give him the laws written on tablets of stone so Moses could teach the people (24:12).  Moses took Joshua with him to the mountain and left Aaron and Hur to watch over the people (24:13-14).  ”So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (24:13-18).  During that forty days, God communicated to Moses that the tabernacle would become the central place of worship and all the details of it’s construction are found in Exodus 25:1-31:18.  The tabernacle would be constructed from the voluntary offerings of the Israelites who would be provided with a list of materials needed to build the worship center (25:1-8).  The tabernacle would become the sanctuary where God would dwell with His people (25:8).  God then provided Moses the details concerning the furnishings of the tabernacle (25:9): the ark of the testimony (25:10-22), the table of showbread (25:23-30), and the gold lampstand (25:31-40).

The Ark of the Testimony (25:10-22).   Also known as the ark of the covenant, this rectangular chest was to be constructed with one piece of acacia wood and overlaid inside and out with gold (25:10-11).  A ring would also be attached to each corner of the ark so it could be carried by golden poles, which were never to be taken out (25:12-15).  Moses would soon place the two stone tablets with the Law written on them into the ark of the testimony (25:16, 21; see also Exodus 31:18).  The chest was to be covered by a golden mercy seat (lid) with a cherub at each end whose wings stretched to cover the seat (25:17-20).  The ark of the covenant was designed to be the place where God would meet and speak with His people (25:22).  On the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-20) the high priest would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat and the blood symbolized Israel’s sin being covered.  The blood of the sacrifice bridged the gap between the presence of God and the broken law of God.  This blood atonement made for the sins of Israel would later take on new meaning when Jesus Christ shed His blood to atone for the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:11-15).
The Table of Showbread (25:23-30).   The table of showbread was to be constructed with one piece of acacia and overlaid with gold all around (25:23-24).  This table was to be carried in the same manner as the ark of the testimony (25:25-28).  The dishes, pans, pitchers, and bowls were to be made of pure gold (25:29).  Bread was always to be set out on this table before God (25:30).  Leviticus 24:5-9 reveals that 12 loaves of bread were to be set in two piles of six and replaced on each Sabbath.  The bread was referred to as the bread of presence and symbolized God’s personal fellowship with His people.
The Gold Lampstand (25:31-40).   This furnishing was to be placed opposite the table of showbread and looked similar to a flowering almond tree (25:31-40).  The lampstand (menorah) gave light for the priests who were performing their duties in the Holy Place and symbolized Jesus Christ, the One who brought light to the world (John 1:6-9; 8:12).

Click Image for Larger View

Dear God, thank You for Your ever abiding presence.