Today we’re going to look at Exodus 35:1 through Exodus 39:31, so I will refer to the passages we already read February 12 — as well as the ones we read today — because they are all on the same topic: The building and furnishing of the tabernacle.

But we start with the Sabbath . . .

Keep The Sabbath

In Exodus 35:1-3 (February 12), God set up the work week for Israel. We don’t know what the work schedule was like while they were slaves; maybe they worked every day, or maybe they got some days off. But God wanted Israel to work six days in a row and take every seventh day off. People were to do nothing on the seventh day except enjoy God and each other.

God set the precedent for Sabbath when, after six days of creation, he rested on the seventh day. He reflected on the excellence of what he had done and enjoyed himself. The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what God did to observe his day of rest, it just says he stopped working.

I have a friend who observes the Sabbath and he is one of the most well rested and balanced people I know. When I asked him how he uses his Sabbath day, he told me he just doesn’t work. He does everything he likes to do that isn’t work. When things get crazy during the week he thinks about his next Sabbath day and he feels calm and happy. That’s probably what God had in mind for the Sabbath.

Application of the Death Penalty

 The maximum penalty for not taking a day of complete rest on the Sabbath was death.

The death penalty was the maximum, but not the automatic penalty for a number of crimes under the Law of Moses. In actual fact, the death penalty was rarely applied in Israel. Charges had to be brought by at least two credible eyewitnesses and qualified judges had to hear the case. There was testimony on both sides before a verdict was reached.

The people who brought charges and gave testimony often knew the perpetrator and his or her family well and cared about what happened to them. In some cases, the community itself had to carry out the death penalty by stoning the convicted person. Family, friends and neighbors probably helped reform law-breakers long before their behavior was worthy of capital punishment.

The only crime that always required the death penalty was first-degree murder. Lesser crimes than homicide most likely had a spectrum of other penalties judges could apply.

The People Pitch In

Sometimes in our churches we’re invited to bring our “time, talent and treasure” to enhance our life together. That invitation covers pretty much everyone because each of us has something to offer whether it’s our time, our special talents or a gift of money. It feels great to invest in our spiritual community.

God wanted his people to be invested in the tabernacle so he sent them a message:

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord.’” Exodus 35:4

People and Materials

Moses had a list of materials needed for building the tabernacle; we find it in Exodus 35:4-9. It ranged from richly colored threads to precious metals and gems.

He also had a list of skilled work positions that needed to be filled. He needed carpenters, metal workers, weavers, embroiderers, people who could sew, leather workers, jewelers, and perfumers. There was also going to be a need for supervisors and clean up crews.

In Exodus 35:20, it says, “Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’s presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.”

 The response from the people was so great Moses had to ask them to stop bringing offerings. What they had already brought was more than enough.

Exodus 38:21-31 is a final inventory of the precious metals used in the construction of the tabernacle and courtyard. It added up to tons of materials, that didn’t even include the wood and heavy fabric in the structures. Many carts and animals were needed to carry the tabernacle when it was moved, and lots of manpower was required to assemble and disassemble it.

The Tabernacle is Built

 Exodus 36:8-38 describes the construction of the tabernacle.

First they built the tent to house the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. It was beautiful, with gold furnishings and richly colored curtains that hung from golden frames and were held together with golden clasps. The top of the tent was made of woven goat hair fabric, covered by ram skins dyed red and overlaid by another durable leather covering.

Inside the tabernacle was divided into two rooms. The one with an entrance to the courtyard was furnished with a tall golden lamp stand and a table for the daily offering of bread, with its dishes and pitcher, all made of gold. The square incense altar was also in this room and it, too, was overlaid with pure gold.

The Holy of Holies was a half the size of the Holy Place. It held the Ark of the Covenant topped with a solid gold lid ornamented with two cherubim who extended their wings toward each other and faced downward. Inside the Ark were the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna and Aaron’s staff that blossomed.

Furnishing the Tabernacle and Courtyard

Exodus 37:1-29 has the specifications for the Ark, the show bread table, the lamp stand and the incense altar. The details were very exact and it was all done according to Moses’s instructions. He personally gave directions to everyone on the project because he was the only one who had heard what God wanted.

Exodus 38:1-20 describes the courtyard with the bronze altar for sacrifices and the bronze washbasin. The courtyard was curtained off by dozens of heavy draperies hung on frames set in bronze bases.

Facing East

The entrance to the courtyard faced east, and, later, the Temple in Jerusalem would also face east. In the Old Testament people look to the east for the coming of the Lord, and Christians still do. This is what Jesus said about his second coming:

“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” Matthew 24:27

Clothing the Priests

Exodus 39:1-31 is all about the priests and their garments. Most of the priests wore simple white linen tunics with linen undergarments and caps on their heads. The clothing for the high priest included a rich blue tunic, the turban with its gold emblem and the bejeweled ephod and breastplate.

Why the Repetition?

We have read these details a couple of times now and it gets repetitious, but it also points out how important the tabernacle was. What was more important than meticulously building a house for God to dwell in?

The tabernacle and the temple are an important theme that runs through Scripture all the way into the New Testament – and on into our own lives today – because when we accept Christ, we become the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God dwells in us.

Take a moment to think about this today: How are you doing with making the temple of your body and soul hospitable for God?

To see pictures of a replica of the tabernacle, check out this website:

 

Tabernacle Model More (BiblePlaces.com)