Exodus Sermons (written)

Exodus 25:31-40
The Menorah

The menorah is a marvel and a wonder concerning the wisdom of God. The details of its design and construction are literally filled with pictures of Christ and His work throughout the ages. Like the previous two pieces of furniture that have been described, contemplating the design and construction of the menorah is to take a look into the very mind of God.

His handiwork is evident in every detail, and the perfection of what we will see is more than astonishing when one thinks of all that is connected to it throughout the rest of the Bible. By the end of the sermon, we will have looked into a host of patterns and details, and yet I fear that we will have only touched on the things that this marvelous gold menorah actually symbolizes.

In the end, the menorah was only a representation of something else. It served its purpose during the years that Israel had a tabernacle and then a temple, but in the end, the true Menorah is found in our Lord Jesus. He is the true Light which shines in the world, and He is the one to illuminate the dark places with His radiant magnificence.

And to understand the Lord Jesus, we must look to another lamp which has been given to us, a lamp which is also pictured in the menorah. It is the lamp of Scripture which illuminates the work of Christ throughout all of human history…

Text Verse: And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19-21

Peter tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who gave us the Bible through holy men of God. A few things about this are necessary to understand. The first that of the inspiration of Scripture. In Matthew 22:43, Jesus shows that the writings of God through David were from the Holy Spirit.

The logical deduction that we can make is that all of the Old Testament came with the same divine inspiration. Jesus’ words throughout the gospels show that this is true. In Luke 24, after the resurrection, Jesus explained all of the Scriptures to those He walked with and showed how they actually revealed Him.

But He had already told the people this. They just hadn’t understood. This was seen in His words to the Jewish leaders –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39

The Scriptures which Jesus spoke of at that time were the Old Testament. Jesus plainly stated that the words of the Old Testament testify of Him. After this, and just before His crucifixion, Jesus said this to His apostles in John 16:13 –

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

In other words, the same Spirit who gave us the Old Testament has given us the New as well. The word of God is one unified whole which points to the work of God in Christ and it is illuminated to us by the Holy Spirit.

These truths are clearly and precisely detailed in the construction and design of the menorah. It is the light of the tabernacle which was designed by God. Understanding this, let’s get right into the sermon today. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Lampstand of Pure Gold (verses 31-36)

³¹ “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold;

The last item to be described in this chapter is that of the menorah. Some translations archaically call it a “candlestick,” but it is much more appropriately called a “lampstand.” The word menorah is introduced into the Bible here. It is essentially the same as the word ner, or “lamp.” Thus, the menorah is literally “a lamp bearer.”

This menorah, like the overlay of the ark, the entirety of the mercy seat, the overlay of the table of showbread, and the utensils for the table of showbread, was to be made of zahav tahor, or “gold pure.” Again, as before, the symbolism remains constant.

Zahav, or gold, is the finest of the biblical metals. It indicates purity and holiness, but even more it represents royalty – kings and kingdoms. Gold is both a metal and a color, and both are associated with kingship. It is also considered an incorruptible metal.

The adjective tahor, or “pure,” comes from the verb taher which means pure in a physical, chemical, ceremonial, or moral sense. In this we can see that the gold is to be completely undefiled in any way. It thus reflects that which is divine, and so it pictures Christ’s deity and perfect purity in all ways – physical, moral, etc.

^{31 (con’t)} the lampstand shall be of hammered work.

Like the Mercy Seat which sat on the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand was to be made of “hammered work.” Miqshah or “hammered work” comes from the word miqsheh which means “a fancy hairdo.” Therefore, it could be a turning of metal, like the braids of hair, or it could be a hammering of metal for shaping.

As was seen from the terminology used in the making of the Mercy Seat, it is more likely a hammering of metal than of a turning of metal. The skilled hands of a craftsman were to shape the menorah until it was complete and ready to be used.

^{31 (con’t)} Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.

The word translated as “shaft” is yarek, and it properly means “thigh.” The thigh stands as the foundation of man, the place for girding on one’s sword, and for the source of life. The first two times it was used in the Bible give us a hint of why the word is chosen here. It is found in Genesis 24 –

“Please, put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; ⁴ but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” Genesis 24:2-4

&

“So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.” Genesis 24:9

This is the most intimate part of the man and this was therefore the most solemn vow that could be made. Under the thigh is where Abraham’s life was continued on through his seed, resulting in Isaac. It is also where the rite of circumcision was conducted.

This request of Abraham pointed to the coming Messiah, because Abraham’s seed would lead to the Messiah through Isaac, the son of promise. Further circumcision as a rite pictures the cutting away of the sin nature. The oath that was demanded concerned the highest decision in the life of Abraham and it would therefore be the highest priority of the servant who was to carry it out.

This “thigh” would be the central stem from which proceeded the pairs of branches, from it would continue the middle shaft all the way up to its lamp, and it would also include the base of the lamp.

The word qaneh, or “branches” follows the Greek translation of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew, the word is singular. It won’t be plural until verse 32. Therefore, this is only speaking now of the middle branch. The word qaneh means “a reed” or a “stalk.”

Next are mentioned “its bowls.” The word is gabia which means a cup or a bowl. The “knobs” are a word introduced into the Bible here, kaphtor. This word indicates either the capital on a column, or a bulb or knob which encircles the shaft of the lampstand.

The word is identical to the name Kaphtor which refers to the island of Crete and so it is believed that they are named from the place where such ornaments were first imported. (HAW)

And finally, the perakh, or flowers are now mentioned for the first time in the Bible. The word means a bud, a blossom, or a flower. What appears to be the intent, although this is debated, is that these bowls, knobs, and flowers represent the entire flower which includes the cup – the whole opened flower; the knob – which is the calyx of the flower; and the corolla – which are the outer leaves of the flower.

All of these were to be ornamented on the main shaft and were to be hammered from just one piece of gold. But there is much more to have come out of this single piece of metal…

³² And six branches shall come out of its sides:

Not only was the menorah to have such a marvelous shaft going straight up, but it was to have six branches which came out of its sides as well. Unlike other candelabra, this one will be unique in that all of the branches come out of the sides only, thus they are all on the same plane…

^{32 (con’t)} three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.

This menorah is to be hammered out of a single piece of metal. Thus it will be something which will require immense skill in order to fashion. Unlike something which is either cast from molten metal, or something which is soldered together, this will be like the mercy seat, completely formed from a single solid chunk of gold. From each side will come three individual branches which are to be symmetrical to one another.

³³ Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower,

These bowls are not at the top of the branch, but are within the branch itself. And so what you have is the branch coming out of the menorah, and then an almond blossom with its knob and flower. Then there is more branch, and then another almond blossom with its knob and flower. Then there is more branch, and another almond blossom with its knob and flower. This would be followed by more branch leading to its top.

The verb for “made like almond” is shaqad. It is only used six times and all are in reference to the making of the menorah. This word comes from shaqed, or almond. It is used only four times in the Bible, but understanding its use will give insight into its symbolic meaning on the menorah.

In Numbers, Aaron’s staff is used as a sign to the people. In one night, it is said to have sprouted and put forth buds, produced blossoms, and yielded ripe almonds.

The almond is one of the first plants to flower in the spring, in late February to early March, and it is one of the last plants to have its fruit ripen – from August through October. Thus, this was an amazing miracle because it spanned the entire harvest season… in a single night.

In Ecclesiastes, the blossoming of the almond tree is said to reflect the aged condition of man. The almond blossoms are white just as an aged person’s hair is white. Following on with that, white hair is reflective of honor in Leviticus 19.

And in the book of Jeremiah, we read this last use of the almond –

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’
‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied.
¹² The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.'” Jeremiah 1:11, 12 (NIV)

In those verses is a play on words. The word almond is shaqed, but the word “watching” is shoqad. Therefore, the almond is being equated with an extended period of time, honor, and watching.

^{33 (con’t)} and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—

Opposite each branch, there would be another branch which followed same pattern, repeating it on the other side.

^{33 (con’t)} and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.

All six of the branches were to come directly out of the lampstand, each with its corresponding branch on the other side. In total, the number of floral arrangements on the six branches would be 18. The branches derive their source from the stem of the menorah, thus the central branch is the heart of it and the branches are dependent upon the middle branch.

³⁴ On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower.

Like the branches, there were to be floral arrangements as well, but instead of three on any other branch, there were to be four. Therefore, in all, there will be 22 of these floral arrangements on the menorah: 4 in the middle and 18 on the 6 branches, or 22. These 22 arrangements correspond to the 22 letters of the Hebrew aleph-bet. We are being given insights right from the mind of God.

³⁵ And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.

A question arises whether these three knobs are in addition to the four already on the lampstand, or if it is speaking of three of the four knobs on the flowers themselves. The word “and” at the beginning of the verse could mean, “in addition,” or it could simply be a descriptor for the use of three of the bulbs.

Assuming that these are bulbs belonging to the flowers, the thought here can be understood in one of two ways, either the branches come out of the stem and there is a knob below that spot, and thus the knob is “below” the branches in altitude. If this is so, then the branches would come out above the knob and below the flower.

Or, there is a knob on the stem and the branches come out of the knob. If this is so, then the knob is below the base of the stems, but only in the sense of being where the stems begin. Various depictions show both options and it is hard to be dogmatic about which is correct, but the second option, that of the stems coming out of the knobs, seems correct based on the next verse.

The depiction on the Arch of Titus is no help at all as it doesn’t match the Bible in either regard.

³⁶ Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece;

Because it says “their knobs and their branches,” it appears that the branches are actually coming out of the knobs and not out of the stem above the knobs. Otherwise, it appears that these words would be superfluous. But the intent here is that the branches were not to be fashioned separately and welded onto the knobs. Instead, they were to be of one solid piece with it.

^{36 (cont’)} all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.

Everything thus far described was to be fashioned out of a single piece of metal by being hammered. It was not to be cast or welded, something that would be infinitely easier to do. Instead, it was to be shaped by the hand of the artisan through wisdom and skill.

Again, Moses is reminded that it is to be of zahav tahor, or “gold pure.” It was thus to have no impurities of any kind, but it was to be refined to the very highest degree possible. The repetition of the words is a stress all its own for Moses to consider and remember.

The purest of gold, fit for a King
Was used to make a seven-branch lampstand
Seeing its beauty makes my heart sing
The workmanship marvelous; stunning and grand

Every detail is so beautiful, each knob and flower
The glistening of the branches as they catch the light
It shines in the dark for hour after hour
Illuminating the holy place throughout the night

The glory of God is seen in each detail
Every branch speaks out a marvelous story
And in what it pictures, nothing will fail
As the Lord reveals to us His unending glory

II. A Lamp for Giving Light (verses 37-40)

³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it,

What is implicit here is that there will be seven individual lamps for each of the seven branches. Though not described, they would be round or oval lamps with a mouth at one spot from which the wick would protrude.

They would probably have been worked into the top flower of each branch, or if the branch continued out of the top flower, they would be fashioned so that the lamp would be made to come out of the protruding branch.

^{37 (con’t)} and they shall arrange its lamps

Some translations have these words read something like, “…and they shall light its lamps” instead of “and they shall arrange its lamps.” The word is alah and it means “to go up.” For this reason, it may be better translated as “set up” the lamps, rather than “light the lamps,” although later in chapter 27 the same term will be used for the lighting of the lamps.

In other words, the details for the construction and arrangement of the menorah are being given now, not the details for the care of it. This is seen in the continuation of the verse…

^{37 (con’t)} so that they give light in front of it.

The purpose of the menorah was to give light throughout the night. Exodus 30:8 says that the lamps were to be lit at twilight. Exodus 27:21 shows that it was to burn all night, being tended to from evening until morning by Aaron and his sons. And Exodus 30:7 shows that they were to be extinguished in the morning when the High Priest dressed them.

Exodus 26:35 then shows that the menorah was to be placed outside the veil, in the Holy Place, across from the Table of Showbread on the south side of the room. It would be parallel with the wall and so the words, “that they give light in front of it” means that the direction of the table of showbread would be that which was primarily illuminated, but the entire holy place would be fully lit from the lamps.

³⁸ And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold.

The word for wick-trimmers, melqakh, is introduced into the Bible and will be used six times. It comes from the word laqakh which means “to take.” And so it means “snuffers” or “tongs.”

It is that which will draw out the wick if necessary to keep the fire burning and also to terminate the burning of the wick at morning time. It is used in the sense of “tongs” in Isaiah 6:6 when a hot coal is taken from the altar and pressed to Isaiah’s lips.

The “trays” is another new word in Scripture, makhtah. It would be the snuff-dishes which were used to place the snuff which was taken from the wicks when extinguished. The same word is used in other places to indicate a fire-pan which is used for removing coals from a fire, and also it is translated as a censor. Like the menorah itself, these implements were to be made of pure gold.

³⁹ It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.

The talent, or kikkar is reckoned by various sources from 75 to 130 pounds of gold. As a fun brain squiggle for you, the word kikkar comes from the word karar, which means to dance in a twirling manner, and thus “round.” Therefore the talent would be a large round ingot of gold.The menorah and all of its associated utensils was to be made from an ingot of the finest gold of this weight.

*⁴⁰ And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

Moses is reminded here that the things to be built are to be in accordance with the pattern that he was shown. The word “pattern” was first seen in verse 25:9 when speaking of the implements for the construction of the tabernacle.

The admonition is again given and it is not just speaking of the details of the menorah, but of all of the details of Chapter 25. The word pattern is tavnith. It comes from the word banah, to build. It indicates a structure; by implication, a model or resemblance.

According to the pattern I showed you
So shall you make all of these things
Every detail shall be precise, so shall you do
For in the details there are pictures of marvelous things

Those things that I will later reveal
Are found hidden in each and every detail, you see
For now in symbols these things I did conceal
Yes, wonderful things I’m sure you will agree

And someday the mysteries will become clear
Those things that were once hidden from sight
Will be realized in My own Son, precious and dear
They will shine forth with a resplendent light

III. Marvelous Pictures of Christ and His Work

In these instructions, there was a pattern or a model for Moses to work with. He was shown in advance exactly what the final results should look like. Nothing was to be left to the thoughts of man, but of God alone. Therefore, the tabernacle and all of its implements reflect that which is of divine origin. Everything about them then was to symbolize or picture something else.

In the case of the menorah, there is an immense amount of detail for us to consider. This third piece of furniture in the tabernacle follows logically after the first two – the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat, and then the Table of Showbread.

The ark with the law inside is a picture of the fulfilling of the law by Christ, thus He “embodies the law.” The crowning aspect of that was His death in fulfillment of the law, pictured by the mercy seat.

After His earthly work, pictured by these things, comes the Table of Showbread. With His work accomplished, He could truly be considered our Bread from Heaven. His resurrection proved it and His words were vindicated in that act. We can now participate in His life by receiving His work. From that, we become a part of the lump of Bread, His body.

Immediately following that are the details of the Menorah. The light of the lamp proceeds from the oil burning on the lamp. Thus, the oil is a picture of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, illuminating the Holy Place. This could only follow after His death as He Himself said –

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

After Christ’s death, we could receive His body as our Bread of Life. From that act, the Spirit is given to us. As you can see, the order in which each of these pieces have been named follows the pattern of the work of Christ for us as is outlined in the Bible. Each article follows logically and naturally, one after another.

Considering the menorah, the pure gold symbolizes His divine nature as well as total purity and His royal status. Notice that only tahor, or pure gold, is used in this lamp’s design. It speaks of pure divinity and absolute holiness. The menorah itself is designed specifically as an implement of illumination. In symbolism, it is the illumination and light of Christ. The light is what He spoke of in John 8:12 –

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

Within the menorah though, there is much more symbolism than just this. Its seven branches marvelously unite all of the spiritual meanings of this divine number into one – holiness, perfection, fullness, and completion.

The shaft, or yarek, speaks of the Messiah, the fulfillment of the promised seed of Abraham. He is the divine entry into humanity in the Person of Jesus Christ; God incarnate. From that middle shaft six other branches come out. They are of the same nature as the branch, and yet they are distinct from it and totally dependent on it.

Further, though the details of these branches differ from the shaft, they are essentially the same in material and in final use. The number six in the Bible represents man, especially fallen man. But these six are united to the first and thus bear the first’s same nature. Therefore, these picture the redeemed of the Lord, dependent on Christ, and yet bearing His nature. As there are two sides which are identical, they reflect the totality of man – Jew and Gentile.

Also, the seven lamps filled with oil reflect the seven-fold Spirit of the Lord mentioned first in Isaiah 11 –

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2

This seven-fold spirit is referred to several times in Revelation, such as in Revelation 4:5 –

“From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and rolls of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.” Berean Study Bible

Next, the seven branches reflect the seven days of the creation account. From top to bottom, and from right to left, the branches would be numbered going up on each side. Thus it would be branches 1, 2, and 3 on the right, and 4, 5, and 6 on the left.

The first and fourth branches would be at the same level. They reflect the creation of light on the first day, and the creation of the light bearers – the sun, moon, and stars, on the fourth day.

The second and fifth branches would be on the same level. They reflect the division of the waters above and below in the second day, and the filling of the waters with fish and the firmament with birds on the fifth day.

The third and six branches would be on the same level. They reflect the creation of the dry land and plants on day three, and the filling of the land with animals and man and the giving of the plants to man as food on the sixth day.

The seventh, middle branch, reflects the day of God’s rest from His creative efforts and upon which the other six days branch out from, and of which they are actually dependent on. It is the foundation and the source of all else. All of creation is dependent on this seventh, and without it nothing else would have any true meaning.

This explains why there are four flowers on the middle shaft. The number four is the number of creation. All of creation is represented by these four flowers. Stemming from that are the branches which reflect the divine completeness of all of creation.

Next, the seven branches picture the entire span of redemptive history, its fullness. It is reflective of the 7000-year span of man’s time on earth. The middle branch is unique from the others and it is that which the others stem from. The middle branch is known as the shamash, which means the helper or servant candle.

Tradition has it that this was the first lit and the others were then lit after it. It is still a practice of the Jews to this day. Thus this middle, or servant, candle is a picture of the time of the birth of Christ around the year 4000, or right in the middle of the 7000 year plan for man.

He came as the Servant at that time. He is the One who then lights up the ages of human history. The six branches of human history stem out naturally from this epoch moment when Christ came to dwell among us and they are actually dependent on His coming. He is the Foundation of man and He is our Source of life.

Further, He is our Rest. Therefore, the words of Hebrews 4:3 are confirmed in His coming at this 4000 year point –

“For we who have believed do enter that rest…”

Just as the middle branch pictures God’s Sabbath rest in Creation, Christ is our true Sabbath rest because of His coming.

The seven branches also reflect the seven-fold division of Scripture – the Law, the Old Testament History, the books of Wisdom, the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets, the New Testament History, and the New Testament Letters. This is the light of God revealed to us in written form.

These seven divisions follow in the same pattern as that of the seven days of creation. From right to left, the branches would be numbered going up on each side. Thus it would be branches 1, 2, and 3 on the right, and 4, 5, and 6 on the left.

The first and fourth branches would be at the same level. Branch one would be the five books of Moses, the Torah; branch four would correspond to the five Major Prophets.

The second and fifth branches would be on the same level. Branch two would reflect the twelve OT history books; branch five would reflect the twelve Minor Prophets.

The third and six branches would be on the same level. Branch three symbolizes the five wisdom letters; branch six symbolizes the five NT books of history Matthew through Acts.

The seventh, middle, branch symbolizes the 22 NT letters. Despite coming last in written history, they are what the six other categories branch out from and which those branches are dependent on – the revelation of the grace of Christ. They explain the foundation of biblical theology and they fully reveal Christ, our Source of life and our place of rest.

As a marvelous point of interest, if one takes the numbers from each corresponding branch (22, 5, 12, and 5), they will come up with the most splendid of patterns as revealed in the Hebrew aleph-bet. The 22 letters of the main branch correspond to the letter Tav in Hebrew, the 22nd letter of the aleph-bet.

The next two branches each have five corresponding letters. This is the fifth letter, Hey. The next two branches each have twelve corresponding letters. This is the twelfth letter, Lamed. The final two branches have five corresponding letters. Again, it is the fifth letter, Hey. In order, they are Tav, Hey, Lamed, Hey. Written out, they spell the word tehillah, or “praise.” It is where the name of the psalms, tehillim, comes from.

Thus, radiating from the menorah in a pictorial display is the praise of God’s workings in creation, in history, and in the work of Christ, all which are revealed in the word of God, the Holy Bible; the structure of which is found in this beautiful pure gold menorah which stood in the holy place of the tabernacle.

Just as the menorah was to be fashioned by hand out of hammered work, the Bible was fashioned by the hand of man under the inspiration of the Spirit. It is one unified whole. It wasn’t cast, as if by the work of a single process, nor was it soldered together as if of many pieces.

Instead, it was made as a unified whole from one circle of gold. Just as the wheel of the Bible, forms a perfect circle which matches the form and structure of the menorah. The wisdom of the Lord, through the Spirit of God and through the hand of man, “dances” if you will, twirling through the entire process, from beginning to end. The Bible is a single, unified, and marvelous whole.

The menorah is specifically called the “Lamp of God” in 1 Samuel 3:3. Likewise, the word of God is also called a lamp in Scripture, in Psalm 119, it says this –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Christ is the word of God, and the Holy Spirit is what illuminates the word of God. Thus both are intricately tied up in the symbolism of the menorah.

The 22 floral arrangements on the menorah first symbolize the Hebrew aleph-bet, which is the basis for the structure of the entire Bible. That they are almonds signifies the entire period of the word of God going forth throughout history. The almond being of the first blooms of the season, and of the last to ripen signifies the entire duration of man’s time on earth.

The almond also signifies the honor and wisdom tied up in the giving of the word, and that the Lord is watching over His word. He is watching to perform His word, and He is watching man’s adherence to it throughout all ages.

And this brings us to the next picture of the menorah. The seven branches represent the seven dispensations of redemptive history over which God’s light shines, and through which the word has been illuminated.

They are the dispensations of Innocence, Conscience, Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and the Millennium. God’s word has been given throughout all of them and the Spirit is what illuminates them for those who walk in His light; the light of Christ.

The 22 floral arrangements on these dispensations are then also reflective of the 22 letters, or epistles, of the New Testament. After the first five books of New Testament history, Matthew through Acts, these 22 letters are what testify to the doctrine of salvation through the work of Christ alone.

Therefore, although the dispensation of Grace is the sixth in the stream of time, it is the logical center of the seven. The dispensations then are represented on the menorah by branch one symbolizing Innocence; branch four corresponds to it in Promise.

Branch two symbolizes Conscience, and branch five corresponds to it in Law. Branch three symbolizes Government, and branch six corresponds to it in the Millennium. Each of these is supported by the foundation of Grace which fully reveals Christ, our Source of life.

The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is that which lights up the entire Bible. Shadows of it were seen in the Old Testament, but only in the truths as revealed in the 22 New Testament letters, which explain the work of Christ, are they fully realized. In the 22 floral almond depictions, we see that which the Lord has watched over, from beginning to end. Only in them is this truly understood.

The tabernacle itself is a picture of the person of Jesus Christ. As the church is His body, then the makeup of the tabernacle also reflects this truth. On the menorah are the seven lamps, each representing the seven churches of the book of Revelation. They are a light to the world of darkness.

The menorah itself is a representation of the light of the word of God and of His Spirit as it is revealed through Jesus Christ. These are given to His people, the people of His church, to direct our praises, our worship, and our conduct. And they are also given as a means of comfort, and as a light shining in the darkness.

As the menorah pictures the word of God, the illumination toward the Table of Showbread in the Holy Place symbolizes the Bible illuminating the work of Christ, our Bread of Life. It was to be an ever-present reminder to God’s people that Christ’s life was given for us. It is the highlight of the message of the Bible.

When we look at the menorah, we can see a picture of that which is wholly marvelous. It is a snapshot of creation, of all of redemptive history, and it is a picture of the intricately detailed work of God in Christ for us.

Because this includes we who have been redeemed by God and sealed with His Spirit, let us therefore strive to shine out to the world the light of Christ and the warmth and comfort of His Holy Spirit. Let us be responsible members of His body, pursuing His word, and telling others of His marvelous deeds.

And if you have not yet called on Christ as your Lord, it is high time you do. God is shouting out to you through Scripture, and through both testaments that He loves You enough to present Himself in these most marvelous of types and pictures, and finally in what they represent – Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of all of it and in Him you can find your true Source of light and hope…

Closing Verse: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Next Week: Exodus 26:1-14 Paying heed to this sermon will be time well spent… (The Tabernacle and the Tent) (71st Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Christ, Our Shining Lamp

You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold
The lampstand shall be of hammered work
Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers
Shall be of one piece, no detail shall you shirk

And six branches, out of its sides shall come
Three branches of the lampstand out of one side
And three branches of the lampstand will be from
Out of the other side; these instructions shall be applied

Three bowls shall be made like
Almond blossoms on one branch, you see
With an ornamental knob and a flower
Do this as you have heard from Me

And three bowls made like almond blossoms
On the other branch; so you shall understand
With an ornamental knob and a flower
And so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand

On the lampstand itself four bowls
Shall like almond blossoms be made
Each with its ornamental knob and flower
So shall it be arrayed

And there shall be a knob, thus you shall do
Under the first two branches alike shall be your aim
A knob under the second two branches of the same too
And a knob under the third two branches of the same

According to the six branches that extend
From the lampstand; to this you shall attend

Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece, as I have told
All of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold

You shall make seven lamps for it
And they shall arrange its lamps in this way
So that they give light in front of it
Ensure you do this just as I say

And its wick-trimmers and their trays
Shall be of pure gold, for beauty and for praise

It shall be made of a talent of pure gold
With all these utensils, so shall you do
And see to it that you make them according
To the pattern which on the mountain was shown to you

Such marvelous detail for these implements of gold
Each carrying a picture of our Lord Jesus
Just as everything which in the Bible You have told
Shows something far greater to us

What marvel and beauty is found in this precious word
And all of it is centered on Jesus Christ our Lord

And so we praise You, Lord God Almighty
So be pleased to live in our praises for all eternity

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 25:23-30
A Table in the Presence of the Lord

I had to make a choice on Monday the 1st of February. When I first got up, I thought, there’s a lot of verses left in chapter 25, eighteen in fact. But the instructions for the table of showbread are only eight verses and parts of them are very similar to parts of the details for the Ark of the Covenant.

So I started compiling a sermon which would include the entire 18 verses to finish off the chapter. I didn’t really want to do that because the details for the menorah are so exacting and precise, I figured I had have to cut them short and not do a full evaluation of that most precious item.

However, after a few hours of study and typing, I realized that I could get a full sermon out of just the verses concerning the table of showbread. There is repetition with the construction of the ark, yes, and I’m not one that likes to repeat things. However, the Lord repeated these details for a good reason and who am I to ignore repeating the meaning of them.

And so some of this sermon will repeat details of what we saw concerning the Ark, except they are modified for the construction of the table. Maybe you will get distracted at a different point in the sermon today than that of the sermon on the Ark. If so, then you might hear something new that you missed before. And there is plenty of completely new detail in this passage as well. So sit back and please enjoy what the Lord has tucked away for us.

Text Verse: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.'” Psalm 91:1, 2

What is it like to be in the presence of the Lord? Adam and Eve were in His presence, but they lost that right. The naming of the two boys, Cain and Abel, tell us a great deal about how Eve felt. She desperately wanted to go back to that land from which she was exiled.

And this has been the great hope of mankind ever since. Every culture has some ideal of what it will be like, but only the Christian has a foretaste of it in reality. We are literally brought back into the presence of God and into right fellowship with Him once again because of the work of Christ.

Now we can truly experience a glimpse of what lies ahead. In Christ, we are safe, we are secure, and we are heard. Our prayers can ascend to our heavenly Father and He really hears them. The table of the showbread gives us an Old Testament look into this truth. So let’s jump right into it and see what the Lord has in store for us to see.

It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Table of Showbread (verses 23-30)

In the Holy of Holies there was one piece of furniture, the Ark of the Covenant. The next room of the tabernacle, proceeding out from the Holy of Holies, was the Holy Place. In this room there were three pieces of furniture: The table of showbread, the golden menorah, and the altar of incense.

The first two of these are described here in Chapter 25 and the third will be detailed in Chapter 30. The placement of the altar of incense is debated, but we will worry about that when we get to those verses. For now in this chapter, we are concerned with the table of showbread and the menorah.

The table and the menorah are both depicted on the Arch of Titus. When the Romans plundered Jerusalem, they carried these implements off as war booty. In commemoration of that, they were engraved on this arch to show the magnificence of the conquest.

It is an extra-biblical note to the surety that this record dating back to the time of Moses is accurate, and that the Jewish presence in Israel is exactly as the Bible proclaims. In other words, one cannot carry away plunder from a Jewish temple if a Jewish temple did not exist! This flies in the face of the many deniers of a Jewish presence in the land in times past.

Of the two pieces of furniture after the Ark, the table has a special significance and is to be considered of great importance. For this reason, its details follow immediately after that of the Ark and Mercy Seat. This table of showbread, like the Ark of the Covenant, pictures Christ and His work and its details begin in verse 23…

²³ “You shall also make a table of acacia wood;

Moses is now instructed to make a table. The word for table is shulkhan. This is the first of 71 times it will be used in the Bible. It comes from the verb shalakh which means “sent” or “to spread out.” The idea is that a table is spread out for a purpose.  This is reflected, for example, in the words of the 23 Psalm –

ta’arokh lephanai shulkhan ne’ged tsoretai – prepare before my face a table in the presence of my enemies. “Spread it out! O Lord!”

The table, like the ark and like all of the tabernacle’s furniture, is to be made of shittim, or acacia wood. As I described in the instruction for the building of the Ark, acacia is a very slow growing tree that would be readily available in the area where they were. Its heart wood is dark reddish-brown and it is beautiful when sanded and polished.

It is resistant to decay because it deposits in its heartwood waste substances which turn into preservatives. This renders it unpalatable to insects. It is also dense and difficult to be penetrated by water and other decaying agents. It is considered incorruptible, picturing the incorruptible nature of Christ’s humanity.

^{23 (con’t)} two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

The table is one half a cubit less than the Ark in both length and breadth and it is the same height. The Pulpit Commentary says it would then be about three feet long, one foot six inches wide, and two feet three inches high. It is a humble sized table.

²⁴ And you shall overlay it with pure gold,

Again, like the Ark, the wood is to be overlaid with gold. And again, it needs to be noted that zahav or gold is the finest of the biblical metals. It indicates purity and holiness, but also royalty – kings and kingdoms. It is one of the few metals that have a natural color which is not silver. Thus it is both a metal and a color, and not surprisingly, both are associated with kingship.

It is precious because of its rarity, and it is valuable. Throughout history it has been used as a basis for monetary systems, and it is the standard by which the value of other things is set. It is also considered an incorruptible metal.

And the gold here, like with the ark, has an adjective to describe it, tahor, or “pure.” It means clean or pure and comes from the verb taher which means pure in a physical, chemical, ceremonial, or moral sense. In this we can see that the gold is to be completely undefiled in any way. As the wood pictures Christ’s human nature, the gold pictures His divine nature.

^{24 (con’t)} and make a molding of gold all around.

This molding is similar to the idea of the molding on the Ark. There, the molding was for the placement of the Mercy Seat. On the table, it is for beauty and adornment, as if it were a crown. But it was also for keeping the items of the table securely on the table. The bread which will be placed on the table will remain there, even when the table is moved. This crown is not said to be of wood which is then overlaid with gold. Rather, it is a solid gold molding.

²⁵ You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around,

The word for the “frame” which is to be made is a new word in the Bible – misgereth. It means “borders” as in something which encloses. The word for “handbreadth” is tophakh and it is actually quite rare. This is the first of only five times it will be seen, all in Exodus and Ezekiel.

This rim then is to be a structural support for the legs of the table. Views vary on where this frame is. Some depictions have it directly below the top of the table, or even level with it. Some have it somewhere down the legs of it. The depiction of the table on the Arch of Titus shows something halfway down the legs, but that is not a frame.

Rather, those were pieces attached to the legs for the holding of silver trumpets. The frame itself appears to be right at the top of the table.

^{25 (con’t)} and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.

This is not the same molding as that of verse 24. The first molding went around the table at its top. This one would be outside of the rim itself, either outside of the first rim or under the table top. Looking at various photos of replicas of this table will show you how different artisans view these words.

²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold,

The only real difference between this verse and verse 12, is that it says the rings for the Ark were to be cast out of gold. However, it can still be assumed that these were also to be of cast gold. The word for “ring” is tabbaath and it should be re-explained for you to remember.

The word means “ring,” but it comes from another word, taba. That is a verb which means “to sink.” This then gives the idea of a signet ring which is sunk into clay or wax in order to make a seal. From this comes the idea of any ring.

^{26 (con’t)} and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.

The Ark had feet to which the rings were attached. This table has legs and so a new word, peah, is used here to indicate “corners.” As each leg is at a corner, the rings are attached there. However, the rings are not at the top or the middle of the legs. Rather, it says, al arba ha’peot asher l’arba raglav – “in the four corners that are on the four feet.”

In other words, the rings were at the very feet of the table. When it was carried, like the Ark, it would be completely elevated above those who carried it. No image that I looked for accurately depicted this aspect of the table. But, this is exactingly depicted on the Arch of Titus. Like the Ark, it does not specify whether these rings are on the short side of the table or the long side.

However, the depiction on the Arch of Titus shows that the top is considerably longer than the legs. Therefore they ran along the longer side of the table. Unlike the Ark, the table would sit along the side of the holy place in a lengthwise manner. Therefore, even with the poles inserted, they would not interfere with the movement of the priests.

²⁷ The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.

These words can be interpreted in several ways. Because we have the depiction of the Arch of Titus, we know what the table looked like. Therefore, these words are not correctly translated as “close to the frame.”

As the poles were at the feet of the table, and the frame was at the top, the words mean something like “opposite the frame” or “over against the frame.” Barnes correctly says, “…the rings were to be placed not upon the framing itself, but at the extremities of the legs answering to each corner of it.”

The rings were as far from the top of the border as the border was from the top of the feet. This then means that the poles were right at the bottom, and when it was carried, the entire table was above the carriers.

²⁸ And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold,

The same process for the poles of the Ark is seen for the poles of the table. They were to be made of shittim, or acacia wood, and they were to be overlaid with gold.

If you noticed, the same thing has occurred here as occurred in the description of the Ark and the Mercy Seat. Neither the rings, nor the gold of the poles has the adjective “pure” associated with them. Why? The answer is the same as for that of the Ark, which I will explain later.

^{28 (con’t)} that the table may be carried with them.

There is a difference between this and the instructions for that of the Ark. In the construction of the Ark, it specifically said –

“The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.” Exodus 25:15

For this reason, many scholars come to the conclusion that the poles were removed from this table when it was placed in the tabernacle. This is how Jamieson-Faucett-Brown states it –

“The staves, however, were taken out of it when stationary, in order not to encumber the priests while engaged in their services at the table.” JFB

There is no reason to assume this and every reason to assume otherwise. First, the fact that the rings were said to be cast for the Ark and not for the table doesn’t mean they weren’t cast. It logically follows that they were.

Secondly, the reason for explicitly stating that the poles were to remain in the Ark is because they, in fact, would be considered as encumbering movement in the Holy of Holies. Logically, one would think they would be removed so that the priest wouldn’t have to walk between or around them to apply the blood on the mercy seat. But this was what was expected.

And third, it has already been shown that the poles were alongside the longer side of the table. It’s placement in the Holy Place means that the staves would in no way encumber the movement of the priests, even if they remained in the table. Considering what they picture, there is every reason to assume that they were not taken from the table, even at rest.

²⁹ You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring.

Each of the words – qearah or “dishes,” qasah or “pitchers,” and menaqqith or “bowls,” are used for the first time in the Bible. The word kaph or “pans,” is a common word which means “hands.” However, this is the first time it is used in this sense.

qearah, or dishes, is used 17 times and only in Exodus and Numbers. It comes from a word which means to tear, or cut out. Thus it is something hollowed out like a shallow bowl. These were probably used for bringing the loaves of bread to the table.

kaph, or pans, simply means hand. Thus it is something like a hand. Some translations say “spoon,” but pan, or even “cup” seems more likely. These would have been used to hold incense which was placed with the bread.

qasah, or pitchers, comes from an unused word meaning “to be round” and so it is a jug or a pitcher. It is a rare word used only four times in the Bible. These would have been used for pouring out drink offerings in conjunction with the changing of the loaves each week.

menaqqith, or bowls, indicates a sacrificial basin for holding blood. In this case, it would be wine, as in a drink offering. It is also a rare word found only four times in the Bible. Like the previous word, these would have been used for pouring out drink offerings in conjunction with the changing of the loaves each week.

Each of these is noted as “for pouring.” The word for “pouring” is nasak and it means “to cover.” Thus, when something is poured out, it covers something else. This word has been used only once so far, in Genesis 35 where it said this –

“So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵ And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.” Genesis 35:14-15

It is obvious that the table of showbread was used not only for the display of the bread, but it is where these instruments were placed in conjunction with the rituals which accompanied ministering to the Lord. One bowl is seen atop the table in the depiction on the Arch of Titus.

^{29 (con’t)} You shall make them of pure gold.

Like the gold for the construction of the table, only the finest and purest of gold was to be used for these items. They were to be used in the service of the Holy Place and each is given as a picture of the Lord, His work, and His church to come.

^*30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

From this verse, we derive both the object of the table’s use and the name which we ascribe to the table; it being called “the table of showbread.” However, this name is really a paraphrase of the Hebrew. It was first introduced into English as “showbread” in William Tyndale’s translation of Hebrews 9:2 back in 1526.

What it actually says is lekhem pannim lephanay tamid, or “bread of the faces before My face continually”. Therefore it is the Bread of the Faces, or as some call it, the Bread of the Presence. The word “always” or tamid, means “perpetually.” This comes from an unused root meaning to stretch, as an indefinite extension. Thus one gets the idea of “perpetual” or “that which is continuous.”

This table then will be used for the placement of twelve loaves of bread which were to be set continually before the Lord, as is noted in Leviticus 24 –

“And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. ⁶ You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. ⁷ And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ⁸ Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. ⁹ And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the Lord made by fire, by a perpetual statute.” Leviticus 24:5-9

He is our Bread of Life, the one who sustains us
And through His life, we have been given life too
A constant theme in the Bible, it does discuss
From the beginning to the end; yes, through and through

In Christ we can again draw near to the Lord
And in His presence forever remain
We are counted as holy, so says His word
Never again will God look upon us with disdain

Justified! We are allowed access once again
Through the blood of Christ, our fellowship is restored
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race, the sons of men
For those who have not His calling ignored 

II. Wonderful Pictures of Christ

Like the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy Seat, the descriptions in these verses all point to the work of Christ. The Ark is a picture of Christ, the embodiment of the law. The Mercy Seat pictures Christ, our place of propitiation and atonement. These are in the Most Holy Place.

Outside of that place we have the first piece of furniture described, the Table of the Bread of the Faces, the Bread of the Presence, or the Table of Showbread. All three names are depicted in the details. The furniture is described as shittim wood covered in gold.

The shittim wood is the base material for the table. Its heart wood is dark reddish-brown and is beautiful when sanded and polished. It pictures Christ’s humanity. He, a son of Adam from the Middle East, and thus bearing the same general color as the wood. Shittim is an incorruptible wood, thus picturing His incorruptible nature. Though a Man, He never sinned.

The table, like the Ark, was not of a very large size. In fact, it was humble in that regard. Rather than being some giant, ostentatious thing that people would flock to, it was rather lowly. This pictures Christ in His humbled and lowly human state. He didn’t come as a larger than life figure, but rather He came to a poor family and led a rather small existence by the world’s standards.

The table was overlaid with gold, the most precious of the biblical metals. This represents His divinity which overlays the wood, or His humanity – He being the God/Man. The word for “overlay,” tsaphah, is identical to a word which means to look out or about, spy, keep watch.

Thus His divine nature is what watches over His subjects, keeping an eye on them. The gold therefore not only pictures His divine nature, but it is also a picture of His royal, kingly status. One who has subjects is the ruler of those subjects. And finally, the gold is the standard by which the value of all other things is set. Therefore, He is the standard by which all others are compared to.

The gold of the table is described by the adjective tahor, or pure. This comes from the verb taher which means pure in a physical, chemical, ceremonial, or moral sense. In this we can see that the gold is completely undefiled in any way, thus it pictures Christ’s perfect purity in all ways – physical, moral, etc.

The table was completely covered with gold. This pictures Christ’s complete incorruptible human/divine nature. He is simultaneously fully Man and fully God. And He is completely incorruptible in both respects.

The molding of the table is also a picture of His kingly status. Though the word for this molding is never used in the Bible to indicate a king’s crown, in picture, this is exactly what is seen. This crown was at the top of the table, where the bread was to be placed, the symbolism of which I’ll get to when we get to the bread.

After the crown molding, the frame is next described. It is said to be a “handbreadth” thick all around. This word handbreadth, or tophakh, comes from another word used only twice in the Bible. Once in Isaiah 48:13 where the Lord is said to have “stretched out” the heavens by His right hand.

And once again in Lamentations where it speaks of children who are held by another, as if dandled in their hands. Thus the idea of the handbreadth shows the ability to accomplish a feat. In this case, it is sufficient to support the table of the bread of the faces. This pictures the Lord’s ability to establish and sustain His people through His own work. This is seen, for example, in Isaiah 59 –

Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
¹⁶ He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
¹⁷ For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:15-17

In the Bible, Christ is said to wear “many crowns.” The molding for that frame reflects another of His many kingly roles, that of establishing and sustaining.

After this, the four rings are mentioned. These have the exact same symbolism as for that of the Ark. The number four in the Bible always speaks of the physical creation. The four corners of the earth are represented by the four rings.

The four-fold division of mankind – the families, tongues, countries, and nations are represented by these four rings, and thus the four rings are represented by the message of the four gospels going out to all people and all places.

The ring is the symbol of authority, as a signet. Just as a signet sinks into the wax as a sign of authority and testimony of the king’s rule, the four gospels sink into the hearts of man and are a testimony and authority of the rule of Christ the King.

These rings are attached “in the four corners that are on the four feet.” These four feet then are the gospels which are taken to the ends, or the four corners of the earth. They are the written record of the work of Christ from which the message of Him is derived.

The placement of the rings at the feet of the table thus elevates the table above those who carry it. It is a picture of exalting the work of Christ above all else. As our feet move, carrying the gospel, Christ is elevated to His proper position, above all.

The poles of the table, or bad, are that on which the table rests as it is being carried. The number two in the Bible indicates that there is a difference in things – they contrast, and yet they confirm. There is the heavens and the earth. They contrast, and yet they confirm the extent of creation. There is man and there is woman. They contrast, and yet they confirm the totality of humanity.

The word bad means “alone.” There are two poles which together support the one table. The table pictures Christ and thus they picture the two testaments which present the work of Christ. They are what makes Christ mobile to the world as their word carries Him, each contrasting – the law and grace, but each supporting the whole and confirming the message of Him.

And each is made of the same materials, shittim wood and gold. Together, they proclaim the dual nature of the coming Messiah and the Messiah who has come – He is the God/Man.

As the four gospels are the transition from Old to New, it is the four rings, attached to the four feet, to which the two testaments are affixed. As Christ is the King, the carrying of the table on the poles pictures the palanquin which a king would have been carried around on. He is the King depicted in the four gospels which are tied to the two testaments of the Bible.

As the table can only be carried by two poles, not just one, it teaches us that should either or both testaments of the Bible be removed, we would not have a proper presentation of who Christ is. Without one or the other, we would have a faulty view of Him, and without either, we would have no knowledge of Him at all.

The reason why the adjective tahor, or “pure,” is not used to describe this gold is because the gospels and the two testaments have been handled by man. They have our taint in them, even if they are the inspired word of God.

How often have I highlighted for you errors in the KJV, the NKJV, or in the many other translations which I refer to! Though the word of God is pure, man’s hands and his fallible interpretations have been used in the process of sharing it. The lacking adjective is no mistake. Instead, it is another picture for us to understand.

After this the four items for the service of the table were mentioned – the dishes, pans, pitchers, and bowls. These were to be used for the bread, incense, and wine which accompanied the rituals surrounding the weekly bread offering.

Although these will be described later, and their symbolism fully addressed then, a quick look at them now will help us see the purpose of the table. It and the provisions are both types of Christ. The bread pictures Christ explicitly in the Bible.

First, He was born in Bethlehem, in Hebrew beit lakhem, or “the House of Bread.” It was given as an initial clue that from the House of Bread would come the true Bread of Life. Throughout His ministry, he used bread in both picture and word to demonstrate fundamental truths about Himself, the word of God, and our need for both. Several times in John 6, Jesus says that He is the Bread of life, such as this –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ⁵⁰ This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51

This now explains why the poles run along the longer side of the table, rather than the shorter side. It is because this table, unlike the Ark, is being carried as a funeral bier. Christ died as our Bread of Life. Only in His death can we have this life. This is why when we take the Lord’s Supper; it says we “proclaim His death until He comes.” Every detail is perfectly ordered and arranged.

The fact that there are 12 loaves shows the totality of His church. Bullinger defines twelve as a perfect number, which signifies “perfection of government, or of governmental perfection. It is found as a multiple in all that has to do with rule.” And this is exactly what the bread signifies.

The “bread of the faces” pictures those who are all of the subjects of their King.” As we are in Christ, we are, as Paul notes in the New Testament a part of the same lump of bread as that of the Firstfruits, meaning Christ. Here is one such verse –

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

The bread had no yeast in it, picturing His sinless perfection. As we are in Him, we too are now deemed sinless. This bread was to be placed in two rows, six per row. These then show that they are of the same lump and yet they differ. Two implies a difference. The number six is the number of man. Two sets of loaves shows two types of man. Therefore, it is a picture of both Jew and Gentile being one in Christ.

We now are in Christ and share in His sinless state before God. In other words, these two rows of bread carry the same general significance as the two cherubim that were on the Mercy Seat. The frankincense placed on the bread pictures Christ’s work. He was presented with frankincense at His birth, picturing what was to come in His ministry.

At His death, His body was wrapped in spices according to the Jewish customs. This would have included frankincense. His death is remembered at the presenting of the loaves. It is His death that makes us acceptable to God once again.

The changing of the loaves each week on the Sabbath was a sign that we are always being renewed in Christ. Even though we currently live in fallen bodies, we are even now positionally seated with Christ in the heavenly places. But more importantly, it is a picture of our being rested in Him, our true Sabbath Rest.

This is why we don’t need to observe a Sabbath day any longer. He is our rest and our place of rest. This is confirmed by those most memorable words of fulfillment found in Hebrews –

“For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Hebrews 4:3

Our status in Christ, and our eternal spiritual renewal in Him, is pictured by this changing of the loaves. Paul speaks of our renewal in Christ several times such as in this passage from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 –

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

As this bread is before the face of the Lord, it is also called the “Bread of the Presence.” In other words, in the bread, there is a picture of the people, but also in the location of the bread, there is a picture of being in the presence of the Lord. It pictures the communion between us and the Lord, because we are in Christ.

The bread being on the table pictures our being supported by Christ. He is the underpinning of our position. Without Him, the God/Man, there would be no place for us before the Lord, but because of Him we rest safely there in His presence.

The wine would have been poured out at the time of the changing of the loaves, picturing the pouring out of Christ’s blood for His people. The incense being sprinkled on the loves pictures our death with Christ. It symbolizes the access that we have to God’s throne of grace in our time of need. This was made possible by His death. This is seen again and again in the New Testament such as –

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

Until now, I have left off the symbolism of the crown molding which is at the top of the table simply because of what it pictures. It is obviously a picture of His kingly role, but because it is at the top of the table, it thus surrounds the loves of bread, which picture those who are in Christ.

Therefore, this crown molding is a picture of the eternal salvation of those who are in Christ. He surrounds and encompasses them, and therefore, it pictures Christ our King in His role as the One who justifies His people before God.

The description of this second piece of furniture follows naturally after that of the Ark of the Covenant. One cannot be “in Christ” until the mission of Christ was fulfilled. Thus, the Ark was detailed first – His Divine/Human nature fulfilling the law and embodying the tablets of the law.

Next, the Mercy Seat was detailed. It was His sacrifice, which was in fulfillment of Scripture. Once that was accomplished, He began His next role, that of being our Bread from Heaven. We can now participate in His life by receiving His work. From that, we become a part of the lump of Bread, His body.

Our lives are now literally in the presence of God and our prayers are now acceptable to God. From this marvelous aspect of His work, we will move on next week to that pictured by the menorah, the golden lampstand, which will complete the chapter. We’ll hope for wonderful things in that passage as well.

What we should learn from the repetition of many of the same themes as the construction of the Ark is that we are being asked to remember the truths they reveal. We are to remember what the acacia wood represents, we are to remember what the gold represents, and we are to think on why some gold is to be “pure” and why other gold doesn’t have that adjective attached to it.

On and on, repetition is used in these pieces of furniture to show us things we are to remember. And above all, we are asked to direct our attention to Christ. It is He who is the subject of every picture we see. If we can remember this, then our continued studies throughout the rest of the Bible will all make complete sense.

And as God wants us to see Christ, it is an indication that He wants us to receive Christ. In so doing, we will again be pleasing to Him. Without the Son, no man can be pleasing to the Father. And so be sure to call out to Him for the forgiveness of Your sins. And then come forward and share in the Lord’s Table; a memorial of the giving of the true Bread of Life for us.

Closing Verse: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17

Next Week: Exodus 25:31-40 Something surrounded by a wonderful aura… (The Menorah) (70th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Bread of the Presence

You shall also make a table of acacia wood
Two cubits shall be its length; that will be just right
A cubit its width; this is understood
And a cubit and a half its height

And you shall it with pure gold overlay
And make a molding of gold all around, just as I say

You shall make for it a frame
Of a handbreadth all around
And you shall make a gold molding
For the frame all around; its appearance will astound

And you shall make for it four rings of gold
And put the rings on the four corners
That are at its four legs; do this as I have told

The rings shall be close to the frame, this is where
As holders for the poles, the table to bear

And you shall make the poles of acacia wood
And overlay them with gold
That the table may be carried with them, as is understood

You shall make as you are now told
Its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring
You shall make them of pure gold

And you shall set the showbread
On the table before Me always, as to you I have said

A marvelous table in its purpose and design
A table for bread to be in the presence of the Lord
And what it pictures is wonderfully sublime
Such beautiful pictures of Christ are found in this word

Lord God, how good it is to know that we now can rest
In your Presence because of the work of Jesus
It was He went to the cross, completing the test
And His work now restores access to You for us

We thank You and we praise You for this wondrous glory
Which You have revealed to us through the gospel story

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Exodus 25:10-22
The Ark of the Covenant and the Seat of Mercy

Since Genesis 1:1, we have seen literally thousands of pictures of Christ and His work. The total number is literally astonishing. Surely His words to the leaders of His time about all of Scripture testifying of Him are true!

Today we have 13 verses which are literally filled with pictures of Him. So many so, that some had to be passed over in order to fit the verses into a single sermon. However, when we are done, I’m sure your head will be filled with delight at the absolutely marvelous display of the revealing of Him in each word or thought.

The Ark of the Covenant is probably the most notable aspect of all of Israel’s worship. People who don’t know a single thing about the rest of the Old Testament have still heard of the ark and have an idea of what it is supposed to look like. It is the center of attention in movies, documentaries, books, and so on. We are fascinated by it like no other piece of antiquity.

If it is real, then it means that the story of the Hebrews is true – and so everyone is looking for it. Some have even, untruthfully, claimed to have found it. But there is no need for an ark any longer. Why, because we have the true Ark which this one only pictures. We have Christ Jesus. Today, you will see why we can make the claim that He is the fulfillment of this marvelous piece of furniture where God met with man.

Text Verse: “‘Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,’ says the Lord, ‘that they will say no more, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.'” Jeremiah 3:16

Jeremiah foresaw a time when Israel would no longer direct their attention to an implement made of wood and gold. Instead, they would have their attention directed elsewhere. That time is beginning to occur, even before our eyes. Jewish people are coming to their Messiah in a magnificent way.

And someday, the nation as a whole will acknowledge Him for who He is – the place where God meets with man. Many pictures of this are found in today’s thirteen verses. So let’s get right into them. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Details for the Ark (verses 10-16)

¹⁰ “And they shall make an ark

The word aron, or ark, has only been used one time so far in the Bible, and yet its use actually gives us an early insight into the purpose of the ark which Moses is now going to be instructed to make. In Genesis 50:26, we read this –

“So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” Genesis 50:26

The aron simply describes a box or chest of some sort. In the case of a coffin, it is a type of chest with a specific purpose. The ark which will now be described is also a type of chest and it will have quite a few purposes, all of which picture Jesus Christ. Every detail about this marvelous piece of furniture looks forward to Him.

It has to be noted now that in these directions for the construction of the sanctuary and the implements in it, the ark is the first piece of furniture to be named and described for construction. And yet, we will find out later that its actual construction is detailed after the detailing of the construction of the tabernacle. This is seen in Exodus 36 and 37.

It is right and appropriate that the housing of the ark would be constructed and ready for the ark itself. However, everything about the tabernacle is centered on this ark and therefore, it is also right that the details for its construction should come first.

It should be noted here and now that what is being constructed is very similar to arks that have been found in ancient Egypt and elsewhere. For this reason, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“Arks were an ordinary part of the religious furniture of temples in Egypt, and were greatly venerated. They usually contained a figure or emblem, of some deity. Occasionally they were in the shape of boats; but the most ordinary form was that of a cupboard or chest. They were especially constructed for the purpose of being carried about in a procession, and had commonly rings at the side, through which poles were passed on such occasions. It must be freely admitted, that the general idea of the “Ark,” as well as certain points in its ornamentation, was adopted from the Egyptian religion.” Pulpit Commentary

Other scholars agree with this, but I think it is incorrect. What is being described is, according to the book of Hebrews, a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” Therefore, the similarity between the artifacts of other cultures should be attributed to their attempt to copy the true heavenly things, not the other way around.

^{10 (con’t)} of acacia wood;

This is the wood which was requested for the construction of the tabernacle and all its furniture in Exodus 25:5, and so this is the second time that shittah, or acacia wood, is named in the Bible. As I said last week, acacia is a very slow growing tree that would be readily available in the area where they are. Its heart wood is dark reddish-brown and is beautiful when sanded and polished.

It is like cypress in Florida which is resistant to decay because it deposits in its heartwood waste substances which turn into preservatives. This renders it unpalatable to insects. It is also dense and difficult to be penetrated by water and other decaying agents. It is considered an incorruptible wood, thus picturing the incorruptible nature of Christ’s humanity.

^{10 (con’t)} two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

A cubit, or ammah, is a unit of measurement which is the length of the forearm below the elbow. It comes from em which means “mother” and thus it is the mother measurement. It is debated what the exact length of a cubit is, but it is about 16 inches.

The only other time that such precise measurements were given in Scripture so far was in the construction of Noah’s Ark in Genesis 6. The same words are used – length, width, and height. The dimensions of the ark mean that it will be 5.625 cubits in space.

The actual dimension in feet is debated, but scholars go from about 3′ 9″ long to 4′ 5″ long. Assuming the smaller measurement, it would be 3′ 9″ x 2′ 3″ x 2′ 3″. It is not an especially large box. Rather, it is humble in its size.

¹¹ And you shall overlay it

Moses is next instructed to “overlay” the ark. The word “overlay” is introduced into the Bible here. It is tsaphah – it will be used 48 times, the majority of them are in Exodus when detailing the construction of the tabernacle, or in Kings and Chronicles when detailing the construction of the temple.

This word means exactly as it is translated, to lay out or to “overlay.” Importantly, it is identical to another word, tsaphah, which means “to look out or about, spy, keep watch.” That was first used in Genesis 31:45-49 during this exchange –

“So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Then Jacob said to his brethren, ‘Gather stones.’ And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁴⁸ And Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between you and me this day.’ Therefore its name was called Galeed, ⁴⁹ also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.” Genesis 31:45-49

If you remember the details of that sermon, the heap that was constructed, and all of the surrounding details, pictured the formation of the Bible, the Word of God.

^{11 (con’t)} with pure gold,

The overlaying of the ark is to be with gold. As seen last week, zahav or gold is the finest of the biblical metals. It indicates purity and holiness, royalty, and divinity. It is one of the few metals that has a natural color which is not silver. Thus it is both a metal and a color, and not surprisingly, both are associated with kingship.

It is precious because of its rarity, and it is valuable. Throughout history it has been used as a basis for monetary systems, and it is the standard by which the value of other things is set. It is also considered an incorruptible metal.

But the gold to be used has an adjective to describe it, tahor, or “pure.” It means clean or pure and comes from the verb taher which means pure in a physical, chemical, ceremonial, or moral sense. In this we can see that the gold is to be wholly undefiled.

^{11 (con’t)} inside and out you shall overlay it,

The gold was not only to overlay the outside, but the inside as well. What was incorruptible in wood was to be completely covered in a layer of what is incorruptible in gold.

^{11 (con’t)} and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.

The molding or zer, is introduced into the Bible here. It will be used just 10 times and only in Exodus. It is a molding which spreads around the top as if a crown. It is comparable to an Aramaic word which means a wreath or a crown. This may have been used to keep the mercy seat in place.

¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it,

Moses is next instructed to “cast four rings of gold.” The word for “ring” is tabbaath and it will take a moment to explain. The word means ring, but it comes from another word, taba. That is a verb which means “to sink.” This then gives the idea of a signet which is sunk into clay or wax in order to make a seal. From this comes the idea of any ring. This is seen in the first use of it in the Bible back Genesis 41-

“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.” Genesis 41:42

^{12 (con’t)} and put them in its four corners;

Some versions say “four corners” and some “four feet.” The word is pa’amoth and it means times, or occurrences. Literally, it is “to strike.” One will strike an anvil. One’s foot strikes the ground as he walks, etc. This is why some translators choose the word “feet.”

If you look at different pictures of the ark, you will see some with the carrying poles along the sides anywhere from the bottom to the top at the molding. Others put the poles right at the feet so that the entire ark is elevated above the carriers. I would favor the idea of “feet.” This would keep the ark wholly elevated above the priests who carried it and it would keep them from having any part of their body touch it as they did so.

^{12 (con’t)} two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.

The obvious question is “which sides? Almost all drawings show the poles along the long side of the ark, not the short side. However, that raises a problem which we will see in a moment…

¹³ And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

The word for “poles” is bad. It means “alone.” It indicates a single piece of wood which stands alone. These were also to be made of shittah, or acacia wood, and they too were to be overlaid with gold.

¹⁴ You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.

The poles were to be placed into the rings in order for it to be carried. This then brings in the problem of “which side” the rings were on. Was the ark carried like a funeral bier or what is carried like a throne? If the poles were in the long sides, then it would be as if carrying a funeral bier; if in the short sides, then like a throne. The reason why this becomes complicated is because we read this in 1 Kings 8 –

“Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁷ For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. ⁸ The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside.” 1 Kings 8:6-8

It is without a doubt that the ark rested length-wise in the temple with the cherubim on the ark on each side, to the left and right as one walked in. Thus the poles were along side the short side of the ark. The poles were extended, but not removed, from the ark so that they could be visible in the holy place. It was a symbol that the ark had reached its place of rest.

From this, we can know that unlike the pictures we commonly see, the ark was carried by the priests as a throne. The ark would face forward with the cherubim on each side as it was carried.

¹⁵ The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

From even before its construction, the law was given that the poles should never be removed from the ark. They were to be as permanent as any other part of it. This was to ensure that the ark would never be touched. Should someone presume to do so, there would be an immediate penalty. 2 Samuel 6 shows us –

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.” 2 Samuel 6:6-8

¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

Once the ark was completed, the Lord directs that the Testimony, meaning the two tablets of stone which are the basis of the law, were to be put inside of the ark itself. As the basis of the law, they represented the entirety of the law. And what is the purpose of the law? It is explained in Deuteronomy 31 –

“Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you; Deuteronomy 31:26

The law was a witness against the sin and rebellion of the people. The substance of that law, based on the Ten Commandments, was contained within the ark itself.

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty
And glorious is the Lord in His place
To stand in His presence, a glorious sight to see
And to gaze upon the beauty of His face

But fallen man cannot so upon Him look
Lest we die from the stain of sin we bear
The words which testify against us are written in His book
In the law, only condemnation is found there

But at the throne of Christ, there is mercy and grace
At the place where God and man do meet
Once again through Christ, we can look upon God’s face
And for eternal ages, enjoy fellowship so sweet

Glory, glory, glory to the Lord, Christ Jesus
Who has made the way back to God for us

II. There I will Meet with You (verses 17-22)

¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold;

As important as the ark and what it pictures is to the theology of the Bible, the mercy seat is no less so. This mercy seat is known as the kapporeth. This word is introduced into the Bible here, it is used 27 times, and only when speaking of this mercy seat.

It is identical in meaning to kopher, which means “a cover” but in this case it indicates “a satisfaction.” This comes from the word kaphar, which in this situation means “to appease” or “to satisfy.” The theological implications of what this mercy seat, and its use, pictures are of the highest importance for fallen man.

This seat was to be made of pure gold, indicating no defilement. It was to be unstained in any way. John Lange describes its purpose –

“…the mercy-seat (kapporeth), as a symbol of God’s gracious willingness to accept expiation as such a fulfilment of His general will as covers and removes the demands imposed by the law, or the special will, on account of guilt.” John Lange

In 1 Chronicles 28, the Holy of Holies, where the ark and its mercy seat were contained, was called bayith ha’kapporeth, or “house of the mercy seat,” or “house of the expiation.” It is the place where sins were dealt with once a year on the Day of Atonement. As a squiggle for your brain, which you will need before we finish today, the Greek translation of the OT translates this word, kapporeth, as hilastérion.

^{17 (con’t)} two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.

The mercy seat was to be made to the exact size of the top opening of the ark itself, thus it served as a lid to the ark while serving as the place of expiation for the sins of the people at the same time. The tablets inside were thus embodied within the ark.

¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold;

What a cherub looks like is debated over. Ezekiel gives a vivid description of them in his book. Among other things, he says –

“Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.” Ezekiel 10:14

Whether these cherubim above the ark looked like those in Ezekiel or not cannot be known for certain. From the Bible, we can deduce that cherubim were a special class of being. The first time they were mentioned was in Genesis 3 –

“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:24

They are a select class of angels which, among other things, are near to God, they have great power, and they act as guards. As they are guards of the tree of life, they are the ones who can point man to the way of accessing the right to that tree. Two of them are to be depicted on the mercy seat.

As a note of rectification, the KJV incorrectly uses the term “cherubims.” The “im” at the end of the word makes the word plural in Hebrew. Therefore, the plural is either “cherubs” for English or “cherubim” for Hebrew. “Cherubims” is incorrect.

^{18 (con’t)} of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.

The term “hammered work” or miqshah is used for the first of ten times, and its meaning is disputed. It comes from miqsheh which means “a fancy hairdo.” So, it could be a turning of metal, like the braids of hair, or it could be a hammering of metal for shaping.

The word “ends” is another new word – qatsah. It means “the extremity.” Here, the Hebrew reads “from the two ends,” and thus the term “hammered work” is probably correct. The cherubim are made to rise out of the mercy seat itself. The central thought of these cherubim is that they were there, beholding the mercy seat, and thus the ark, because their form comes out of the mercy seat itself. In other words, the two are inextricably linked together.

¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.

The verse is explicit and well translated. One cherub was to be at one end, and the other at the other end. And each was to come from out of the mercy seat. They were not to be made separately and then soldered on (see Cambridge), but instead they were to be fashioned out of the same piece of gold that the mercy seat was made of. John Lange provides a thought on the symbolism –

“…the two cherubim as symbols of God’s righteous dominion in the world, proceeding out of God’s gracious will and the law, in order to the maintenance of the justice which is represented by the union of the ark and the cover [the mercy-seat].” John Lange

²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings,

The word for “wings” here is kanaph. It means “an extremity.” It can be wings on a bird, the edges of a garment, the corners of the earth, etc. If these cherubim resembled men as some speculate, then the “wings” could be their garments spread out over the mercy seat. This would do no harm to the idea of “wings.” Or they could be literal wings as angelic figures are often represented as having.

^{20 (con’t)} and they shall face one another;

This means that they will positionally face each other. One cherub is facing the other on the opposite side. The word for “another” here is akh, which means “brother.” Thus in the larger sense it indicates “one like another.” One is facing the other of its kind.

^{20 (con’t)} the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

Although the cherubim are positionally facing, their attention is directed not towards each other, but towards the mercy seat. It is true that they could see the reflection of one another in the gold, but the attention would be focused on the place itself. Everything else would merely be a reflection of what took place there.

²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.

Although it hasn’t been said yet that the mercy seat would be placed atop the ark, it could be inferred by the dimensions of it which matched the dimension of the ark. Now what seemed implicit is made explicit. The mercy seat is the top of the ark and the covering for what is inside. And what is in there is repeated from verse 16 – the Testimony that I will give you.

What is implied is that what is under the mercy seat and within the Ark requires mercy. Were it not so, a mercy seat would not be needed. What seems cumbersome in this verse is that the lid is said to be put on the ark before the testimony is placed into it. This isn’t the case. The word “and” can be used to mean “after.” Therefore, it would say, “…after you have put in the Testimony.”

Again, the tablets are called the “Testimony” for a reason. They are a testimony to the people concerning their duty, and they were a testimony against them when they violated its standards. However, because they were inside the ark, they were sealed there, within the ark and under the mercy seat.

²² And there I will meet with you,

The word “meet” here is yaad. It doesn’t just mean to meet, but rather “to appoint” or “to designate.” In other words, this is the designated spot of meeting. It isn’t a random meeting place as if it could be there or somewhere else. Nor was it a random time of meeting, as if He may be in or He may not be in. Rather, it is the designated place of meeting. And the word “you” here is singular. It is a personal meeting place with the one who was allowed to come into it. It is not a general meeting place where anyone can come and meet with the Lord.

^{22 (con’t)} and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat,

If the cherubim are on each side, and their wings cover the mercy seat from above, then it must be that where the cherubim are looking is the spot where the Presence would be, not above them as if He sat atop them. If that were so, then it would have said that. Rather, it is between the cherubim and below their wings; above the mercy seat. The word for “speak” is the general word for speaking. It is therefore, from this spot that His word would go out.

^{22 (con’t)} from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony,

The cherubim would be on the right and on the left of Moses, or the designated High Priest. From the center of the mercy seat, between the cherubim is where the word would issue from. But it also notes “which are on the ark of the Testimony.” The mercy seat, and thus the cherubim, are on the ark itself.

*^22 (fin) about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

The ark is the focal point of Israel’s relationship with the Lord and the mercy seat above it would be the place where the commandments would issue forth from. Again as before, what is implied is that mercy is needed concerning the commandments of God. From that, it is implied that the commandments will, in fact, be broken.

One doesn’t need mercy if they are in compliance with the law. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Therefore, it is from this spot that propitiation of the people’s sins would come and mercy would be granted.

Into His presence I came, the Ruler of all
I came boldly because the mercy seat was there
On the name of Jesus, I did call
And covered by His blood, with God, fellowship I could share

I was going astray, and was as lost as I could be
Yes, one of the world’s many lost children
But in a mere moment, mercy found me
I was cleansed and purified right there and then

It was at the spot where my Lord did die
And where His blood soaked into the ground
There at the place of mercy, for Him I did cry
And there at that place… mercy was found

III. Wonderful Pictures

You’ve already been given all of the information you need to know for what the things we have seen picture. Let’s just think of Jesus – His Person and His work – and it will all fall into place. The shittim wood is the base material for the ark. Its heart wood is dark reddish-brown and is beautiful when sanded and polished.

This pictures Christ’s humanity. He, a Son of Adam from the Middle East would bear the same general color as the wood. Shittim is an incorruptible wood, thus picturing His incorruptible nature. Though a Man, He never sinned.

The ark was not of a very large size. In fact, it was humble in that regard. Rather than being some giant, ostentatious thing that people would flock to, it was rather lowly. This pictures Christ in His humbled and lowly human state. He didn’t come as a larger than life figure, but rather He came to a poor family and led a rather small existence by the world’s standards.

The ark was overlaid with gold, the most precious of the biblical metals. This represents His deity which overlays the wood, or His humanity – He being the God/Man. The word for “overlay” was tsaphah, which as I noted is identical to another word which means “to look out or about, spy, or keep watch.”

Thus His divine nature is what watches over His subjects, keeping an eye on them. The gold therefore not only pictures His divine nature, but it is also a picture of His royal, kingly status. One who has subjects is the ruler of those subjects. And finally, the gold is the standard by which the value of all other things is set. Therefore, He is the standard by which all others are compared to.

The gold of the ark is described by the adjective tahor, or pure. This comes from the verb taher which means pure “in a physical, chemical, ceremonial, or moral sense.” In this we can see that the gold is completely undefiled in any way, thus it pictures Christ’s perfect purity in all ways – physical, moral, etc.

The ark was covered inside and out with gold. This pictures his complete incorruptible human/divine nature. He is simultaneously fully Man and fully God. And He is completely incorruptible in both respects.

The molding of the ark is a continued picture of His kingly status. Though the word zer is never used in the Bible to indicate a king’s crown, in picture this is exactly what is seen. This crown was at the top of the ark, which pictures His body, and it is the place where the mercy seat would rest. Thus, it is a picture of the merciful king.

Next we saw the four rings. The number four in the Bible always speaks of the physical creation. The four corners of the earth are represented by the four rings. The four-fold division of mankind – the families, tongues, countries, and nations are represented by these four rings, and thus the four rings are represented by the message of the four gospels going out to all people and all places.

The ring is the symbol of authority, as a signet. Just as a signet sinks into wax as a sign of authority and as a testimony of the king’s rule, the four gospels sink into the hearts of man and are a testimony and authority of the rule of Christ the King.

These rings are attached to the four paam or “feet” of the ark. The word used indicates a strike as if the steps of a foot. These four feet then are the gospels themselves. They are the written record of the work of Christ from which the message of Him is derived. These gospels represent Christ the King, the Servant, the Son of Man, and the Son of God as depicted in those four gospels.

The poles of the ark, or bad, are that on which the ark rests as they carry the ark. The number two in the Bible indicates that there is a difference in things – they contrast, and yet they confirm. There is day and there is night. They contrast, and yet they confirm the duration of a day. There is salvation and there is condemnation. They contrast, and yet they confirm the end for all men.

The word bad means “alone.” There are two poles which together support the one ark. The ark pictures Christ and thus they are the two testaments which present the work of Christ. They are what makes Christ mobile to the world as their word carries Him, each contrasting – the law and grace, but each supporting the whole and confirming the message of Him.

And each is made of the same materials, shittim wood and gold. Together, they proclaim the dual nature of the coming Messiah, and of the Messiah who has come – He is the God/Man. As the four gospels are the transition from Old to New, it is the four rings, attached to the four feet, to which the two testaments are affixed. They are the tabbaath, or seal, of His rule.

As Christ is the King, the carrying of the ark on the poles pictures the palanquin which a king would have been carried around in. He is the King depicted in the four gospels which are tied to the two testaments of the Bible.

The Bible is explicit that the poles were not to be removed from the Ark. Should either or both testaments of the Bible be removed, we would not have a proper presentation of who Christ is. Without one or the other, we would have a faulty view of Him, and without either, we would have no knowledge of Him at all.

This is why Paul says in 2 Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” During a Bible study some weeks ago, our precious Mabel asked what the poles represent. This is the answer.

After the description of the ark, came that of the mercy seat. It was to be of pure gold. Again, it pictures Christ’s deity, His kingship, purity, and moral perfection. It was to be the same size as the ark because it was to be that which encloses it.

The mercy seat is the spot where the blood was to be applied and it is the spot where God would meet with man. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the mercy seat is called the hilastérion. The word means, “A sin offering.” It is that by which the wrath of God would be appeased, and thus it is a propitiation. And this is exactly how Isaiah describes the coming Christ –

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,” Isaiah 53:10

Paul picked up on this in the New Testament and uses the same word, hilastérion, to describe the finished work of Christ –

“For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:22-26

As the mercy seat sat on the crown molding, the propitiation for the sins of the people at the cross of Calvary is considered to be the crowning achievement of the work of Christ.

The cherubim were first seen in Genesis 3:24 as the ones who guarded access to the tree of life. To guard something means that access is available. If it weren’t, then there would be no need for guards. Cherubim then had the means of access.

And though these two are not guards, they show that the way to the tree of life is realized in the propitiation of Christ’s death as a sin-offering. They are united with the mercy seat, being worked out of the same piece of solid gold. As there are two of them, then it implies that even though they come from the same metal, they differ. Two implies a difference. And yet, they confirm that they are one, having come from the same metal.

What the meaning of these cherubim are is debated. There are three prevalent views: 1) They represent actual angels as those guarding the tree of life. 2) They are symbolic representations of the Godhead. 3) They represent all of redeemed humanity.

Their positioning shows us what they represent. They are of the same gold as the mercy seat, thus they bear the same nature. However, there are two of them and they are facing one another bodily and yet looking down at the place of mercy. They thus represent the redeemed of all humanity, Jew and Gentile alike.

They come from the same metal and so they are one, and yet they are separately fashioned and so they are two. They contrast and yet they confirm the redeemed of man. This is why the term tahor, or “pure,” was used. This adjective wasn’t used to describe either the gold of the rings or of the poles. Why? Because the gospels and the written testimonies have been handled by man. They have our taint in them, even if they are the inspired word of God. In the ark and mercy is a picture that we have become like Christ, pure and undefiled because of His work.

Many verses in the New Testament confirm that we will be like Christ and that we will be one, even though two. In one example of our new, Christ-like nature, Paul gives us these words –

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:5, 6

In support of the fact that we are one in Christ and yet still two in distinction, Paul writes this to us in Galatians 3 –

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

We remain Jew and Gentile, and male and female, and yet we are one in Christ. The meaning of the cherubim looking towards the mercy seat then becomes obvious. All of the redeemed of humanity have but one place to look for mercy from God – to the finished work of Christ.

It is a marvelous set of pictures we have been given, but there is more. Twice it notes that the Testimony was to be placed in the ark. The ark then isn’t just a picture of Christ, but it is also a picture of Christ’s death. Despite being incorruptible and fully God, He still died, pictured by the ark itself.

Inside it was the tablets which represent the entire law. Those, being inside the ark, picture Christ embodying the law. He is the fulfillment and embodiment of it. However, without His death, the law could not be considered fulfilled.

In His death, the law was fulfilled and thus nullified. He is the end of the law. And in His death a new covenant came into place, seen in the mercy seat. Both the fulfilling of the law for us, and the granting of mercy from the law, come through His death. He is the place where propitiation with God is restored. John tell us it is so –

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (hilasmos) for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

It is Christ who fully answers each demand of the law; it is Christ who covers over our sins with His own shed blood; and it is Christ who has come between us and the curse of the law. Again, Paul shows us this truth in Galatians 3:13 –

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).”

The testimony is sealed in the ark; the law is completed in the work of Christ. The blood covers the transgressions of the law in both – one in picture; one in Person. Christ’s blood has taken away the curse of the law from us, covering it for all time.

As a pictorial lesson for those who are looking to see if Jesus really is the One to come and fulfill these things, John shares with us a marvelous account which occurred just after the resurrection. It is so innocuous that most of us just read over it and never realize what he is trying to tell us –

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” John 20:11-17

Mary looked into the tomb. And what did she see? “…two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” A picture was being made of the true mercy seat where the blood of Christ left His body and sprinkled the earth below Him.

The two angels were there, fulfilling the picture of the ark which was given to Moses 1500 years earlier. These two angels, or “messengers” as the word implies, are Enoch and Elijah – one Gentile, one Jew who represent the redeemed of the ages. They were taken to attend to the Lord and His ministry as is seen in both testaments of the Bible.

It is in Christ where we are designated or appointed to meet with God. Christ is no random meeting place as if He could be there or somewhere else. Nor in Christ is there some random time of meeting, as if He may be in or He may not be in. Rather, He is the designated place of meeting.

In Him, God is always there, in both time and in place. If you are in Christ, you have personal access to the throne of grace, because in Christ you have been granted the mercy to again enter into God’s presence.

If you wonder why the cherubim had their “wings” raised, it is a picture of the redeemed, gazing at the sight of Christ’s work and raising their arms high in victory. In our white garments of purity it will be ten thousand times ten thousand wings as we hail the matchless King of Glory and shout “Hallelujah! Christ has prevailed!” If you have never called on Christ as Your Savior, why not! Do it today.

Closing Verse: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And He Himself is the propitiation (hilasmos) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2

Next Week: Revelation 21:5 It’s a lot nicer than the land of Sweden (Return to Eden) (Resurrection Day 2016)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Place Where Mercy is Found

And they shall make an ark of acacia wood
Two and a half cubits its length shall be
A cubit and a half its width, this is understood
And a cubit and a half its height, you see

And you shall overlay it with pure gold
Inside and out you shall it overlay
And shall make on it a molding of gold all around
So shall it be done, I do say

You shall cast for it four rings of gold
And in its four corners shall they be applied
Two rings shall be on one side, as I have told
And two rings on the other side

And you shall make poles of acacia wood
And overlay them with gold, let it be understood

You shall put the poles
Into the rings of the ark on each side
That the ark may be carried by them
In this you shall certainly abide

The poles shall be in the rings of the ark
They shall not be taken from it, it is true
And you shall put into the ark
The Testimony which I will give you

You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold
Two and a half cubits shall its length be
And a cubit and a half its width
Such are its dimensions you see

And you shall make two cherubim of gold
Of hammered work them you shall make
At the two ends of the mercy seat
Not a single detail shall you forsake

Make one cherub at one end
And the other cherub at the other end, to make it complete
You shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it
Of one piece with the mercy seat

And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above
Covering the mercy seat with their wings, you see
And they shall face one another
The faces of the cherubim toward the mercy seat shall be

You shall put the mercy seat
On top of the ark, this you shall do
And in the ark you shall put the Testimony
That I will give you

And there I will meet with you
And I will speak with you
From above the mercy seat, so I will do
From between the cherubim two

Which are on the ark of the Testimony
About everything which I will give you
In commandment to the children of Israel
All the things they are to do

O God, how marvelous are You in all ways
For giving the true Ark of the testimony to us
And so forever, yes even through eternal days
We can fellowship with You, through our Lord Jesus

All of these pictures from Israel’s past
Have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord
And through Him and His work we are reconciled at last
Yes, through Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word

Praises, yes praises we shall eternally sing to You, O God
And forever in Your marvelous light, golden streets we shall trod

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 25:1-9
Preparations for the Tabernacle

The day I typed this sermon was the day after the tornado on Siesta Key, which was a Sunday. That Sunday I got home and nothing went right with the video work. It didn’t all get done until about 12:30 that night.

Monday morning I was tired and I was frustrated. So much so, that when I was at my morning job cleaning the mall, I could hardly get the mental strength to talk to the Lord about the upcoming sermon. I mumbled my prayer for guidance and help to get through it, and I think I may have mumbled a prayer for a car to run me over and save me from any more life.

When I got home, I thought, “How am I ever going to get through these nine verses with a sermon?” I figured there would be a lot of filler and not much detail. However, despite being hugely tired and saying out loud to the Lord, “I don’t think I can do this today” I began studying.

Where I had begged for relief from the task, I began to beg for relief from any distractions. Every word and every detail pointed to Christ and all I could wish for was more… give me more of You, O Lord. Thanking the Lord for once again surprising me with an overwhelming abundance of detail!

Text Verse: “Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.” Psalm 132:7

Nine short verses that simply won’t wait another moment to be looked into. Let’s skip the fluff and dive right into them. Christ is there… It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Willingly Made Offering (verse 1-7)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

v’dabber Yehovah el Moshe l’mor – “And spoke Yehovah to Moses saying.” The first verse of the chapter is offset as an anticipatory statement. Normally when it says something like, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…” the same verse will contain at least a portion of what the Lord said. This however is not the case here. Instead, the words are given by themselves.

In this, it makes the chapter a verse longer than it would have otherwise been, and thus the book of Exodus is a verse longer, and so the Bible as a whole is also. Because the obvious patterns which run through Scripture based on the verse divisions, it is always interesting to highlight the offset verses.

In the case of this one, it is the only one to be found in the entire chapter. But even more, it is the main introduction for everything from now until Exodus 30:10. Everything that is recorded between those two verses is one running commentary of instruction from the Lord to Moses.

The record of the Bible is that no break at all is found in the instruction during that period. This then is 197 verses of detailed instructions which Moses was given at one time in order to show us Christ. It is an amazing amount of information, but because it was all given at one time, we will also evaluate it all at one time.

This means that this sermon will last for the next 37 hours without a break. I hope you ate breakfast… Seriously though, these verses through Exodus 30:10, are laid out precisely and with intent. As an overall brushstroke of what lies ahead there, these are the major sections of instructions which are given –

The Offerings of the People for the Tabernacle
The Details for the Construction and Care of the Tabernacle
The Ark of the Testimony and the Mercy SeatThe Table for the Showbread
The Gold Lampstand (meaning the Menorah)
The Tabernacle (the Dwelling place) and the Tent
The Altar of Burnt Offering
The Court of the Tabernacle
The Care of the Lampstand
Garments for the Priesthood
— The Ephod
— The Breastplate
— Other Priestly Garments
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons
The Daily Offerings
The Altar of Incense

As verse 1 notes, it is the Lord who gives all of the instructions for this dwelling place and all of its associated care. The Book of the Covenant with its main civil, political, and social laws were imparted to Moses who then presented them to Israel. These laws were both moral and judicial in nature. They agreed to them and this was confirmed in the cutting of the covenant and the partaking of the covenant meal.

However, to this point no form of worship, or specified conduct for the necessary religious rites, has been given with the exception of the instructions for the earthen altar. This section begins that process. This will be the ceremonial aspect of the law.

In order to ensure that the people would remember and follow the Lord who had become their God, and to ensure that they would fix their eyes, heart, and attention on Him alone, the instructions that follow are necessary.

They will have a priest to minister, they will have the implements of that priesthood for him to properly do so, and they will have a place where he could effectively conduct the rituals. It should be noted that the design and materials for this ritual worship are all going to be instructed by God, specifically and precisely.

The reason for this is that if it were left to the people to construct the tabernacle and to design all of the associated implements, it wouldn’t properly reflect who He is. The design would be arbitrary and without any real connection to the holiness of the Lord.

Looking at the countless religions of the world, and the often tragic ways in which they worship their gods, it is not surprising that the Lord will give such minute detail for worshipping Him. And this is so important to proper worship that these instructions will be given first in chapters 25-31 as a divine command from the Lord.

Then they will be repeated after they are accomplished to show complete adherence to what was mandated. This will be a historical record of the fulfillment of the command and will comprise most of chapters 35-40.

In New Testament Christianity, there is no such specificity given for the worship of the Lord. There are big churches and little ones. There are ten thousand styles of them, and they meet at whatever time is acceptable to the congregation. The New Testament believer is to worship in Spirit and in truth with very little to instruct us in how to conduct ourselves during the times of worship with the noted exception that our conduct is to be centered on the study, explanation, and application of the Word of God.

Unlike us, however, the minute and precise instructions for tabernacle construction will be given beginning first with the making of the Ark of the Covenant. This is the place where the Lord will manifest Himself to the High Priest. The final instructions in chapter 30 will deal with the altar of incense.

This altar of incense was to stand immediately in front of the Ark. Therefore, the layout of the next 6 chapters is specific and purposeful. As Keil and Delitzsch note –

“The dwelling was erected round Jehovah’s seat, and round this the court. The priests first of all presented the sacrifices upon the altar of burnt-offering, and then proceeded into the holy place and drew near to Jehovah. The highest act in the daily service of the priests was evidently this standing before Jehovah at the altar of incense, which was only separated by the curtain from the most holy place.” Keil and Delitzsch

In Exodus 17, while at Massah and Meribah, the people contended with Moses and tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” The tabernacle would be a permanent reminder to them that He was, in fact, among them.

And even more, because they were in the wilderness and dwelling in tents, this royal and kingly edifice would likewise be a tent. When they broke down and moved, He would also move with them. This would continue all the way through the time of the judges, and even until the time when Solomon would build a permanent edifice to the Lord.

In the same way, Jesus came and pitched His tent among us. He dwelt as we dwell, He moved as we move, and His tent was not unlike our own. Israel was given instructions for the place where the Lord would dwell and it would only be a reflection of the more perfect tabernacle not made with hands.

Everything about what they would construct was given to testify to the people of Israel that the Lord had made His abode among them. Each aspect of it, from the materials used and the form of construction, to the rituals associated with them, picture the work of the Lord Jesus. In other words, everything that lies ahead testifies to the coming Messiah – the Incarnate Word of God.

This even includes the seemingly unrelated aspect of obtaining the materials for the construction. Though it is true that materials need to be collected in order to build the tabernacle, the fact that they are collected, and from where they have come, are in themselves pictures of Christ.

² “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering.

With Moses having ascended to the Lord, the first words recorded here are not “Welcome Moses. Sit down and let’s talk.” Rather they immediately begin with a command to him, “Speak to the children of Israel.” Whatever may have been said prior to this is not the concern of the account.

There are no superfluities recorded here, only precision and determined purpose. And what he is to speak to them concerns an offering. The word is terumah. This is its first of seventy-six uses in the Bible.

It is mostly found in Exodus, Numbers, and Ezekiel, but also in quite a few other books of the Old Testament. It means “a present” (as offered up), especially in sacrifice or as tribute. A terumah can be voluntary or it can be prescribed, but either way it is something that is presented upwards.

It comes from the word rum which means to be high, or exalted. Thus one can see the idea of something being offered up, like and oblation. In the case of this offering, the Lord is requiring it from the people for the purpose of building Him a tent.

From the external appearance of it, it will seem rather mundane. And yet, the interior will be grand, beautiful, and pure. The parallel to Israel should have then been evident. They were a group of people, like any other. And yet, they were to be a grand people, beautiful to God, and pure in their lives and conduct.

As the abode of their King was, so were they to be. And so, the offering is requested of them in the same manner as the offerings of any subjects appearing before their king would be made. They were to bring from their own stores that which would be lifted up as a special gift for this precious dwelling.

And yet, there was nothing compulsory about this particular offering. Unlike a large percentage of the other offerings which will be noted in Scripture, this one was to be wholly voluntary…

^2 (con’t) From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

The Hebrew here reads kal ish asher yidevenu libbow, literally “…of every man whose heart impels him.” This is the first of eighteen times that the word nadav will be used. It means to incite or to impel. It is the kind of willingness that would impel a person to volunteer as a soldier after their country was attacked.

It would also be the type of offering someone would make when a great need arose in a community or a church. They would see the need and their heart would impel them forward to meet the need. This is exactly what the Lord is looking for.

It is the same sentiment that Paul uses in the New Testament concerning one’s giving in church for any reason. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he gives one of only two specific verses concerning giving in our dispensation of grace. There he wrote –

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

There was to be nothing forced upon the people for this most sacred of habitations. Rather, the bestowal of the offerings was solely up to how their heart urged them on. On the giving of the gifts and in the use of them after they have been given, Matthew Henry writes the following –

“The best use we can make of our worldly wealth, is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. We should ask, not only, What must we do? but, What may we do for God? … What is laid out in the service of God, we must reckon well bestowed; and whatsoever is done in God’s service, must be done by his direction.” Matthew Henry

³ And this is the offering which you shall take from them:

For the third time in just 2 verses, the word terumah, or “offering” is used. The things that are to be presented are an offering or an oblation to the Lord. They are to be willingly given, not demanded, and they are to come from the people.

All things are from the Lord and He could have demanded these things as a compulsory tax, but this was not how it was to be. There will be taxes and other compulsory gifts, but these were to be solely from the heart. And the list begins with three metals.

It is not at all unlikely that there would have been an immense amount of each of these at hand. First, the sheer number of the people meant that if every family had only a little of each metal, it would still add up to an immense amount. These metals would have been accumulated over the centuries, plundered from the Egyptians when they left, and even plundered from the Amelekites during that battle. The named metals are…

^3 (con’t) gold,

zahav – Gold is the finest of the biblical metals. In the Bible it spiritually indicates purity and holiness, royalty, and divinity. It is one of two metals that have a natural color which is not silver. Thus it is both a metal and a color, and not surprisingly, both are associated with kingship.

It is precious because of its rarity, and it is valuable. Throughout history it has been used as a basis for monetary systems, and it is the standard by which the value of other things is set. It is also considered an incorruptible metal.

^3 (con’t) silver,

v’keseph – “and silver.” Silver is another precious metal which is associated in particular with a major subject of the Bible – redemption. Kespeh comes from another word kasaph which means to “be eager” or to “long for.” Thus we have a hidden pun from Paul’s hand concerning redemption and our longing for it –

“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”  Romans 8:23

The root from this state of eagerness means “to become pale.” Thus the color of silver, which is pale, finds its source. Our redemption is something we eagerly await, and in so waiting our countenance is pale, waiting to be filled with the resplendent glory of the Lord.

Throughout history, silver has been used as one of the major mediums of monetary exchange. This is especially evident in biblical history where it is almost synonymous with money. This is so much so that translators quite often translate the word keseph as “money” rather than as “silver.” And in a large portion of these instances, the silver or keseph, is noted in the purchase, or redemption, of people, materials, or objects.

^3 (con’t) and bronze;

u-nekhosheth – “and bronze.” The metal here is called bronze, but it refers to copper and its alloys. For example, in Deuteronomy 8:9 using this same word and speaking of the land of Canaan, it says “…a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.”

However, the KJV incorrectly translated that verse as “brass” instead of “copper.” Brass is an alloy and is not dug out of the ground, and it was too early in history for brass to have been a part of the metal making process. Rather, copper is dug from the ground in an impure state and then it is refined to become pure copper, or it is mixed with other elements to become an alloy.

The metals, whether copper, bronze, or brass, get their color from the copper which is the other rare metal that possesses a natural color which is not silver. The nekhosheth, or bronze hasn’t been seen since Genesis 4:22, but it will become a common word from this point on. It mainly symbolizes judgment, but also endurance. Like the other two metals, the symbolism for this will be seen throughout the Bible and in both testaments.

This judgment can be negative, such as in the case of bronze fetters being worn by those who have been sentenced for a crime, or in a pictorial judgment such as that found in the curses of Deuteronomy 28:23 where the punishment for disobeying the Lord is described as “…your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze.” That picture is one of rainless skies, heat, and anguish.

However, the judgment can also be one of purification and justification. This is seen time and time again as well, but one fine example is that of the brazen serpent of Numbers 21. There the people sinned against the Lord and the Lord judged them for it. However, at the same time as bringing judgment upon them, He gave them grace and a chance to be justified by mere faith –

“Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. ⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses: ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.’ ⁶ So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
⁷ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.
⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’ ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” Numbers 21:4-9

Following the literal, spiritual, and pictorial meanings of these metals throughout the Bible, you will find consistency and marvelous pictures of Christ. The same is true with colors…

⁴ blue,

u-tekeleth – literally, “and blue.” This is the first time that tekeleth or “blue” is mentioned in the Bible. It is believed to come from the word shekheleth, the cerulean mussel. In other words the color obtained from it or that is dyed with it. Blue in the Bible is associated with the law, especially the keeping of the law. This is seen explicitly in Numbers 15 –

“Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. ³⁹ And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, ⁴⁰ and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.” Numbers 15:38-40

^4 (con’t) purple,

argaman – Again, this is the first use of this word in the Bible. It is purple or blue/red. The color in the Bible, like in many other cultures, is one of royalty or that which pertains to or belongs to a king. As it is a mixture of blue and red, in meaning it thus is a combination of what those two colors mean – the law for blue; and war, blood, and/or judgment for red, as we now see…

^4 (con’t) and scarlet thread,

v’towlaat shani – literally, “and from worms red.” Two words here are used to describe the color. The first is towla. This is actually a worm known as the crimson-grub. However, here it is used only in this manner concerning the color from it and cloths dyed with it. The second word is shani which means scarlet.

Taken together, they are translated as “scarlet,” but implying the scarlet which comes from the towla or crimson-grub worm. The double words “implies that to strike this color the wool or cloth was twice dipped” (Clarke). The scarlet, or red, in the Bible pictures and symbolizes war, blood, and/or judgment. All of these colors picture the future work of Christ.

^4 (con’t) fine linen,

v’shesh – literally, “and linen.” This is only the second time that shesh has been seen in the Bible. The first was when Joseph, who himself was a marvelous picture of Christ, was clothed in fine linen after interpreting Pharaoh’s prayers and being elevated to his high position in the land. The symbolism of the shesh, or fine linen, is explicitly explained in the book of Revelation –

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his bride has made herself ready. ⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” Revelation 19:7, 8 (Jubilee Bible)

Therefore, the linen symbolizes righteousness.

^4 (con’t) and goats’ hair;

v’izzim – literally, “and goats’.” It is the plural of the word ez, or female goat. But it is masculine in the plural here to indicate goats’ hair. Hair in the Bible gives us a picture of awareness. Esau was a hairy man and he pictured fallen Adam, aware of sin.

The goat is a picture of punishment of sin. The hairy goat offering was one of the sin offerings, but more so is that goats are only used in sin offerings. Other animals might be used for several offerings, but goats were always for judgment on sin. Therefore, the goat’s hair here pictures awareness of sin and that it will be punished.

⁵ ram skins dyed red,

v’orot elim me’addamim – literally, “and skins of rams dyed red.” The ram is the leader of the flock and its protector. The protection is seen in its power to butt with its horns which are also a symbol of strength in the Bible. The symbolism we are to see then is that of Christ, the protector of His people.

The verb for “dyed red” or adom, is found 10 times in the Bible. It comes from the idea of being made red, or to show blood in the face. The use of these ram skins dyed red will picture Christ’s covering of our sins. It is explained by the use of adom in Isaiah –

“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’
Says the Lord,
‘Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.'” Isaiah 1:18

After this, Paul explains how this points to Christ in his second letter to the Corinthians –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

^5 (con’t) badger skins,

v’orot tekhashim – literally, “and skins of porpoise.” The word here is takhash and it is always governed by the word oroth, or skins. Therefore it is certainly the hide of an animal. The translation of the KJV and the NKJV of “badgers” is dubious at best.

The badger is rarely, if ever seen in Sinai and it lacks any cognate language support. Rather, this word is cognate to the Arabic word tukhas, or porpoise. Therefore, in modern translations it is normally called the porpoise, the dolphin, or the dugong, which is like a manatee. Thus it would be a light gray to sky-blue covering.

This is the first of 14 times it is used in the Bible and it is always used in connection with the covering for the tabernacle, with but one exception in Ezekiel 16 where it is used to describe figurative sandals worn by Jerusalem. As Bedouins still use the dugong for such sandals even in more modern times, such a sea animal is the most likely translation.

As this skin will be used as the outermost covering of the tabernacle, “the skin of a marine animal like the dolphin would have been eminently suitable, both for its toughness and for its waterproofing properties” (HAW).

As the sea is representative of the world of chaos and confusion and rebellion, this would then make a beautiful picture of Christ’s covering of us from that. This would fit well also with the one non-tabernacle use of this word in Ezekiel concerning the sandals made of this skin. Having such skin for shoes would then infer that the chaos of the sea was under-foot and subdued.

^5 (con’t) and acacia wood;

va’atse shittim – literally, “and wood acacias.” This is the first of 28 times that shittah, or acacia wood, is used. Acacia is a very slow growing tree that would be readily available in the area where they were. Its heart wood is dark reddish-brown and it is beautiful when sanded and polished.

It is like cypress in Florida which is resistant to decay because it deposits in its heartwood waste substances which turn into preservatives. This renders it unpalatable to insects. It is also dense and difficult to be penetrated by water and other decaying agents. Thus it is considered an incorruptible wood. Therefore, it pictures the incorruptible nature of Christ’s humanity. This will be seen as the implements for the tabernacle are constructed.

⁶ oil for the light,

shemen la’maor – the noun shemen, or oil, comes from the verb shamen, which means “to grow fat.” The oil will be used throughout the Bible as a picture of that of the presence of the Spirit. In this case, it would be for spiritual understanding, specifically that which provides illumination.

^6 (con’t) and spices for the anointing oil

b’samim l’shemen ha’miskhah – the word bosem, or spice, is introduced into the Bible here and will be used 30 times. It means “fragrance” and so by implication, spicery. It is also the balsam plant, which has a sweet odor. One can hear the similarity in sound – balsam and bosem. These spices would be used for anointing those designated for a particular task.

The spiritual picture is that of the anointing of the Holy Spirit first for Christ’s work and then that which is given to us through Christ’s work. A simple and yet direct verse which shows this is found in Luke 4 –

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18

^6 (con’t) and for the sweet incense;

v’liqtoreth ha’sammim – These two words, qetoreth, or “incense,” and sam, or “fragrant,” are both used for the first time in Scripture. The Bible explicitly explains what incense pictures and therefore we need go no further than what it says –

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8

This will be further explained as we travel through the instructions from the Lord to Moses.

⁷ onyx stones,

avne shoham – “stones onyx.” We already met this stone, shoham, once before in Genesis 2:12. We can’t be adamant about what it actually is, but it will be seen a total of 10 times in Scripture.

“Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. ¹¹ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. ¹² And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.” Exodus 28:9-12

These will be explained when we get to that passage.

^7 (con’t) and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.

v’avne milluim la’ephod v’lakhoshen – And now we have a few new words once again. The first is millu, or “setting” which is used just 15 times. The stones are to be “set” into place. This word also means “ordination” where someone is “set” into a position. The next is ephod. It’s a word that will be used 49 times. In this case, it means a girdle; specifically the ephod or high-priest’s shoulder-piece, but it also generally means “an image.”

And the last word is khoshen. This is a word which comes from another unused root probably meaning to contain or sparkle, perhaps a pocket; or rich, as containing gems. It is used only of the breastplate of the high priest. It is only seen 23 times in Exodus and twice in Leviticus. These will be explained in detail in those passages.

Christ is there in every detail of the book
Waiting for us to study and show ourselves approved
What a marvel when we open it up and look
How our souls are stirred! How our hearts are moved

Christ is there, it all speaks of Him and His work
What He has done for us was all told in advance
Let us not fail to look for Him, let us not this obligation shirk
Each discovery is like joining in a heavenly dance

Thank You for this marvel, Your precious superior word
It is filled with wonder! It is beautiful and marvelous
Christ is there in every detail; it’s all about our Lord
Yes, every single verse tells us of our Lord Jesus

II. A Sanctuary to Dwell In (verses 8 & 9)

⁸ And let them make Me a sanctuary,

This is the purpose of everything that has thus far been told to Moses. All of the specifics requested by the Lord as a free-will offering were for the purpose of making a miqdash, or sanctuary.

The miqdash has only been named in a general sense in Exodus 15:17. This was in the Song of Moses and spoke of the sanctuary of the Lord, the place where He dwells, specifically the land of Canaan, but more especially the eternal dwelling place for the saints. Now a specific miqdash is named for construction, and it has a very specific purpose to it…

^8 (con’t) that I may dwell among them.

v’shakanti betowkam – “and I will dwell in their midst.”

I said while looking at verse 1 that though it is true that materials needed to be collected in order to build the tabernacle, the fact that they are collected, and from where they have come, are in themselves pictures of Christ.

What I meant is that the same materials which are being used to build this tabernacle found their source in the world, especially Egypt. This was seen at the time of the Exodus –

“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. ²¹ And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. ²² But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:20-22

The Lord set it up so that Israel could plunder the Egyptians for a specific purpose; so that He could build a tabernacle that He might dwell in their midst. This is exactly what Christ did in His coming. The world of Egypt, as was clearly seen in those sermons, was a picture of the world of sin where fallen man dwells.

In Christ, God plundered from humanity in order to build His greater and eternal Temple where He would dwell, meaning the Person of Jesus Christ. He did it in that Christ came from the stream of humanity. He came through the sinful world of humanity to dwell among us – even though He was without sin. This was just as the tabernacle was built from the land of Egypt, and yet it would be a pure and undefiled place for Him to dwell.

This verse of Exodus 25 is perfectly realized in John 1:14 –

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

And just as incredible, He has now done it from His people who have become living stones in His temple. We were “plundered” as it were from the devil and yet we are being built into a holy temple in which Christ will eternally dwell “in our midst.” Every word we are seeing today is simply a picture of a greater spiritual truth.

*⁹ According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

Two final new words are introduced into Scripture here. The first is tavnith. This is the first of 20 times it will be used. It comes from banah, to build. It indicates a structure; by implication, a model or resemblance. In these instructions, there will be a pattern or a model for Moses to work with.

The second and final new word of this passage is mishkan, or “tabernacle.” It is the place where the Lord will “dwell” or “tabernacle” among His people. As we continue to see the details for its construction, we will need to continuously remind ourselves that what we are seeing is a picture of our Lord in a physical representation.

If we can remember this, then we must be certain that every single detail will point to Him and His ministry. We need to treat the coming passages as carefully and meticulously as we have these nine verses today, understanding that we are being given pictures of the greatest glory we could ever imagine.

It goes unstated how Moses was shown what to make. Whether he was shown something as if an artist’s drawing, whether it was with a sculptured model, whether it was impressed upon his mind supernaturally, or even if he was given a glimpse at what these things actually picture, it is unknown.

What the Bible does tell us is that he saw a pattern. This is confirmed by Stephen’s words in Acts 7:44. And what the Bible tells us further is that there is a reason for the specificity. It is explained to us in Hebrews 8 –

“For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'” Hebrews 8:3-5

These minute details are given because the mishkan, or tabernacle, is a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things. The precision was needed because it deals with the very dwelling place of the Lord in heaven. Let’s close with a splendid thought concerning this detail from the pen of Joseph Benson –

“When Moses was to describe the creation of the world, though it be such a stately and curious fabric, yet he gave a very short and general account of it; but when he comes to describe the tabernacle, he doth it with the greatest niceness and accuracy imaginable; for God’s church and instituted religion are more precious to him than all the rest of the world. And all the Scriptures were written, not to describe to us the works of nature, (a general view of which is sufficient to lead us to a knowledge of the Creator,) but to acquaint us with the methods of grace, and those things which are purely matters of revelation.” Joseph Benson

It should go without saying that God really wants us to see His Son in every detail of what He has given to us in Scripture. As this is so, wouldn’t we be wise to search Him out while He can be found by us? We don’t know our last moment. It could be fifty years away or five minutes from now.

Let us use our time wisely and search out Christ who alone can reconcile us to our Creator. If you have never taken the simple step of receiving Him as Savior, I would pray that today would be the day. Let me tell you how you can be sure of a heavenly home with Him who is pictured by the many details we’ve seen here…

Closing Verse: “How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
² My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1, 2

Next Week: Exodus 25:10-22 It’s made of wood and gold, not of stoney… (The Ark of the Testimony) (68th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Willingly Made Offering

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
These are the words to Moses he then was relaying

“Speak to the children of Israel
That they bring Me an offering
From everyone who gives it willingly, this I tell
From his heart he shall make My proffering

And this is the offering
Which you shall take from them, so I have said:
Gold, silver, and bronze
Blue, purple, and scarlet thread

Fine linen, and goats’ hair too
Ram skins dyed red, badger skins
And acacia wood; this you shall do

Oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil
And for the sweet incense; for the perfumer’s toil

Onyx stones, and stones to be set
In the ephod and in the breastplate
These you shall not forget

And let them a sanctuary make Me
That I may dwell among them, so shall it be

According to all that I show you
That is, the pattern of the tabernacle, one that is fit
And the pattern of all its furnishings
Just so you shall make it

The Lord gave instructions for the tabernacle
So that He could dwell among the children of Israel
And He requested from them the offering
So that of their hearts He could tell

Would they give the best of all that they had?
Would they bring for Him these things He noted
It would only be right for them to provide these
Because upon them His affection He had doted

And so it should be with us
Each of us should give of our very best
For God gave His Son, our Lord Jesus
And so let us not fall short in our test

Let us give of our time, our abilities, and our treasure
And let us be willing to do so, even without measure

For He is a great God, and so let us to Him our voices raise
And let us give to Him the best of our lives as an offering of praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 24:9-18
Come Up to Me on the Mountain

A chiasm spans these verses. I found this one just a couple days ago as I figured there may be one here based on the 2 chiasms which spanned our last two sets of verses –

Exodus 24:9-18 Moses Went Up
Designation of Aaron and Hur to Lead During Moses’ Absence (3/2/2016)

a 9 Then Moses went up
b 10 (Description of the Lord’s glory)
c 12 T Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there;
d 13 Moses went up to the mountain of God.
x 14 (instructions to the elders/designation of Aaron and Hur as leaders
d 15 Then Moses went up into the mountain,
c 16 And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
b 17 (Description of the Lord’s glory)
a 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud

There is something pretty special about climbing mountains. There is work involved in it, like a test of endurance, but when you get up to the top, it can be the most rewarding thing. This is why Christians often use the term “a mountaintop experience.” When you are up there, you can raise your arms and feel the victory of having defeated the granite foe which tired your legs and exhausted your lungs.

From the mountain top, you can look back down on the mountain in derision – “You couldn’t beat me, instead I overcame!” And you can look around at the world around you and feel victorious over all of it. You have ascended to a point where everything else looks small and insignificant.

For the Christian, a mountaintop experience is one which says, “I am alive! I have come to the place of God and to the throne of His grace. Nothing can defeat me because I am up here with Him. Everything else is overcome.”

In today’s verses, there will be a mountaintop experience for the nobles of Israel. They will rejoice and feast in the presence of the Lord. And yet, they hadn’t really overcome anything. They simply agreed to the covenant and so the covenant was cut between the Lord and them.

If they saw God, feasted in His presence, and rejoiced at the marvel they beheld while still bound under the law which was set against them, then how much more should we rejoice at being in the presence of God while having the law fulfilled in our place? I mean, Christ is the One who did the work. Christ is the one who overcame. And by calling on Christ, we too are seated with Him in the heavenly places, not below Him looking up.

Text Verse: O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Isaiah 40:9

Today is a great passage because it shows us that we can, in fact, draw near to God. Not too long after this account, Israel will really mess up and will violate the very law that they go up the mountain to celebrate in its establishment. Their mountaintop experience will end. But for those who are in Christ, the law is fulfilled. And so our mountaintop experience is just getting started. And it is one which will last for all eternity. Great stuff from our glorious Lord!

It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. They Saw the God of Israel (verses 9-11)

⁹ Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,

This must be a second ascension by these men after the ratification of the covenant. Some scholars see it as the same ascension mentioned in verse 1 and then verses 2-8 would be parenthetical. But as we saw last week this is not correct.

The first ascension was for the receiving of the Book of the Covenant. After that, it was brought to the people where agreement of it was made. After that it was ratified in blood through sacrifice. Now, a second ascension is made. This is for a different purpose which logically follows such a sacrifice.

The question of why each of these named people has ascended needs to be answered. Why are Aaron and his two eldest sons mentioned? Why didn’t one of the sons of Moses come? And why seventy elders? Moses is selected because he is God’s chosen prophet. There is no family line of succession in the Bible for prophets. Thus his sons are not included.

Aaron is to be the high priest. This line will include genealogical succession all the way until the time of Christ. Thus, his two eldest sons are recorded in anticipation of this. And the seventy elders are representative of their respective tribes. Seventy has already been seen numerous times as reflective of divine perfection. Thus these seventy leaders divinely represent all of Israel. Of this ascension, Keil notes –

“Through their consecration with the blood of the covenant, the Israelites were qualified to ascend the mountain.” Keil and Delitszch

In other words, Keil is saying that it is because of the sacrifice and the sprinkling of the blood that they may now ascend the mountain. This is not entirely correct as they had already ascended once. Rather, the consecration with the blood allows for what follows during this ascension, something marvelous for them to behold…

¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel.

This verse is one which deniers of the Bible will use to challenge the inerrancy of it, and so it is good to evaluate it carefully. First, the words are clear – v’yiru eth elohe yisrael “…and they saw the God of Israel.” The first seeming contradiction arises from the words of Deuteronomy 4:12 where we read this –

“And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.”

A moment later, the explanation for having seen no form is given –

“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, ¹⁶ lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, ¹⁷ the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, ¹⁸ the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.” Deuteronomy 4:15-18

This is easily explained in that Moses was speaking to the entire congregation of people in Deuteronomy. The people as a whole were denied this privilege that the elders were granted. Secondly, in Exodus 33, Moses asked to see the Lord’s glory. In response, the Lord said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Again, there is no contradiction here. Nothing is said of seeing the Lord’s face at this time with the elders on Sinai. It simply says they saw the God of Israel. After Moses was told he couldn’t see the face of Yehovah, he was still allowed to see his back. If He has a back, then He has a front.

We cannot see the future, but we can see the present, and in our mind we can still see what it past. Again, there is no contradiction. Third, twice in the New Testament, we are told that seeing God isn’t possible. Those verses are –

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵ which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:13-16

These verses are speaking of God the Father and the Divine essence within the Godhead. No man can see Jesus’ deity, and yet we see His humanity. Someday we will see His glorified humanity in a splendor that we cannot even imagine, but it will still be the part of God that is revealed in the present. The vastness of God will never be fully seen by us, even to all eternity.

It is Jesus who reveals God to us. And this then explains what the people there on the mountain saw. The “God of Israel” is Yehovah, the Lord. This is stated explicitly in Exodus 5:1. He is called the “God of Israel” here “because He, the God of the fathers, had become in truth the God of Israel through the covenant just made.” (Keil)

And as the Bible will continue to reveal as we progress, Yehovah, the Lord is Jesus our Lord. Therefore, the vision that they see in no way contradicts another portion of Scripture. Jesus revealed Himself to the people as Yehovah, the God of Israel.

This same God of Israel, Yehovah, will continue to manifest Himself to select people in various ways. Among others, He will appear in bodily form to Joshua, to Gideon, and to the parents of Samson. He will appear in divine splendor to Isaiah and to Ezekiel. Each time He reveals Himself in Scripture, we will get a better understanding of His glorious nature, all of which is revealed in Jesus. The author of Hebrews explains this –

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” Hebrews 1:1-3

^{10 (con’t)} And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,

The fact that the feet of the Lord are mentioned shows that they beheld the Lord. It would make no sense, as so many scholars say, to note what is under His feet if they didn’t see His feet. Instead, it would simply leave that out, but it doesn’t. And if there are feet, then there is a body connected to the feet.

The words here read, kemaaseh livnat ha’sappir – “a work of the clearness of sapphire.” Two words are introduced into Scripture here. The first is livnah. This is its only use in the Bible. The word means “brick,” and thus properly whiteness, and then by implication, transparency.

The second new word is sappir. This is the first of just 11 times it will be used. Sappir comes from the word saphar which means “to count.” And thus it is a gem, perhaps used for scratching other substances. It is debated whether this is actually a sapphire or a lapis lazuli, but it is probably the sapphire.

The reason why is because it is said in Isaiah 54:11 to be one of the foundation stones in the New Jerusalem. John then mentions the same concerning sapphire in Revelation 21:19. Thus, this clear sapphire pavement (if you will) is a part of the vision of God which is beheld by the elders of Israel.

^{10 (con’t)} and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

u’ke-etsem ha’shemayim la-tohar – “and the bone of the heavens in clearness.” The word “essence” is etsem. This word means “bones,” and thus it is a comparative word which stems back to the creation of Eve for Adam. In Genesis 2:23, Adam proclaimed this –

“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2:23

He was making a comparison based on the rib from which she was made. Thus “bone” is a word of comparison. The etsem or “bone” of the heavens means “like the heavens.” And so this is not the sky that they saw, but something like the sky.

The word for “clarity” here is tohar. This is the first of only two times it will be used in the Bible, here and Psalm 89:44. In that psalm, it will be used in a negative way when the Lord is said to have caused the glory, or the clarity, of the throne of David to cease. Tohar comes from taher which means “clean.” Thus it literally signifies brightness; ceremonially purification; and glory.

Of this remarkable vision which these men beheld, Matthew Henry gives the following advice –

“The sapphires are the pavement under his feet; let us put all the wealth of this world under our feet, and not in our hearts. Thus the believer sees in the face of Jesus Christ, far clearer discoveries of the glorious justice and holiness of God, than ever he saw under terrifying convictions; and through the Saviour, holds communion with a holy God.” Matthew Henry

What Matthew Henry is saying is that this most precious of gems is used as a mere place for the feet of the Lord. And so let us not fix our eyes on even something so precious as this. Instead, let us fix our eyes on Jesus who is the Source and Creator of even such magnificent things.

¹¹ But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand.

A curious word is introduced here which is translated as “nobles.” It is atsil, and it is only found twice in the Bible, here and in Isaiah 41:9. Instead of “elders,” they are called atsil. The word gives the sense of separation.

In other words, the verse explains the use of the word. If we paraphrased it to say, “But on the separated of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand” then we can grasp why the word is used. These men were granted the right to have close proximity with the Lord because of their separated status. From this, the translators have designated them as “nobles.”

And again, this verse shows us that these men actually saw the God of Israel. If they didn’t and if they only saw a glimpse of His glory in light or fire as so many scholars suggest, then there would have been no need to include the words that He did not lay His hand on them.

The entire congregation has seen glimpses of His glory in light and in smoke, and in fire in both the pillar and in the manifestation at the giving of the law. Instead, these men are being given a view of far more.

^{11 (con’t)} So they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Some translations give the idea of two separate occurrences – first they saw God, and then they ate and drank. This is incorrect. The two are simultaneous – they saw God while they ateand drank. This was a meal in the presence of the Lord as they dined on the peace offerings of the sacrifices of verse 5.

In this meal is a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Table which we participate in each week. It is a remembrance of the meal which was shared by Christ and His apostles at the giving of the New Covenant. We remember this by faith in the accuracy of the Bible and so, in Christ as revealed in Scripture we see, and fellowship, with God.

It needs to be noted that the word for “God” is used three times in our verses today. The first was calling him elohe yisrael, or “God of Israel.” The next two times it will say ha’elohim or “the God.”

This is the first such time. v’yekhezu et ha’elohim – “And they beheld the God.” The article is unfortunately left off once again by translators, but it is an important clue as to the nature of the Lord. This is evident because of the coming words of verse 12…

On the mountain of God His people will meet
There in His presence they will look upon His glory
The banquet will be delicious and the fellowship sweet
It will be the consummation of a marvelous story

There on the mountain of God the people will rejoice
For eternal days there will be gladness and delight
Never again will be heard the saddened voice
Never again will there be a dark fearful night

On the mountain of God where Christ will forever reign
The people will stream to Him, His glory they shall see
Never will there be troubles or trials, never again pain
Instead there will be only blessing and joy – for all eternity

II. The Mountain of the God (verses 12-15)

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there;

What can be assumed is that when the meal ended, all of the people descended the mountain and went back to the camp once again. This is to be inferred based on the events of Exodus 32. At some point after that, it says that “‘the Lord’ said to Moses.”

The God whom the elders saw is Yehovah. This name is mentioned 11 times in this chapter. The three times the word “God” is mentioned are only in this last section from verses 9-13.

They are given in relation to who the Lord is. He is the God of Israel. He is the God who can reveal Himself to the nobles, and He is the God who displays His power on the mountain. It is the God, Yehovah, who now petitions Moses to come up once again. It is for a very specific purpose that He does so…

^{12 (con’t)} and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

The word “tablets” is luakh. This is the first of 43 times it will be used. It comes from a root which means “to glisten.” Thus it is a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood, or metal. This is now the third time that writing has been mentioned in the Bible, but this time the words are said to have been written by the Lord Himself.

There is great debate as to the meaning of the words found here. Is this speaking of only the Ten Commandments in a triple description? In other words, the tablets of stone are the law and the commandments. Or, will the Lord give him tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments and also the law and commandments which He has written? Deuteronomy 5:22 says this –

“These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.” Deuteronomy 5:22

This sounds like only the Ten Commandments were inscribed on stone. However, it could mean that only the Ten Commandments were spoken to the people and nothing more. This doesn’t preclude other words having been included on the tablets. In Exodus 31, after seven chapters of instruction to Moses, it will say this –

“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18

This seems to imply that all of what was said in those seven chapters is recorded on the tablets, but it also doesn’t preclude the assumption that the Lord simply waited to give the tablets, which contained only the Ten Commandments, to Moses just before he went back down the mountain. The answer to this seems to come from Exodus 34 where it says this –

“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:28

In that chapter, Moses was told to write the words of the Lord, but the words of the Ten Commandments were written on the new set of Tablets by the Lord. So, what seems to be the case is that only the Ten Commandments were written by the Lord on tablets. The rest of the instructions which follow in the next seven chapters will be recorded by Moses as the Lord instructs.

The stone tablets are given as a picture of our spiritual state. They are durable, but capable of being broken. In this, God knew that man would break them. It was therefore a picture of the hardness of the human heart upon which no impression can be made except by God’s finger. Paul explains this in the New Testament with the coming of the New Covenant. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he says –

“…clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:3

Thus this entire giving of the law, with Moses’ breaking of the first tablets and then a second set being made, is a picture of Christ. God made the first tablets and recorded the law on them. But man was incapable of obeying them, pictured by Moses dashing them to pieces.

The second set of tablets was made by Moses and then the Lord wrote the commands on them. This pictures Christ, who came from man and yet who fulfilled God’s word without breaking it. The humanity/deity of Christ is the Stone of the tablets, unbroken and who is the Word of God.

Everything else that Moses will be told in the next seven chapters will also picture Christ. There will be instructions for religious life, a form of worship given, ceremonies, a tabernacle with associated furniture, garments, etc. All of these are given for the benefit of the people, but they will all picture the work of the Lord. These will be recorded by Moses at the Lord’s instruction.

¹³ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

As suddenly as he appeared in Exodus 17, Joshua now appears again. Together with Moses, they both ascend har ha’elohim or the “mountain of the God.” As always is the case, when the mountain is referred to in connection with God, there is an article in front of “God.” The One true God, Yehovah, dwells there.

Joshua is certainly being brought along because he was not only the general of the forces as we saw in the battle with Amalek, but he was also his close and trusted assistant. He was shown to be accepted by Moses as his designated representative and successor. In every way so far he forms a beautiful picture of Christ.

What is just as remarkable here as in the account in Exodus 17, is that the name yehoshua, or Joshua, is used, but his name was originally Hoshea. It won’t be until Numbers 13 that the change in his name is recorded. And yet Moses calls him Joshua now. Thus, in this we are to see a further picture of Christ.

The commentator Bishop Pearson explains this as “…without Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, there is no looking into the secrets of heaven, nor approaching the presence of God.”

¹⁴ And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you.

All that is said here is that they were to wait for the return of Moses and Joshua. No timeframe is given for their return, but verse 12 says that he would remain there. The time was, however, unspecified. What is implied though is that no matter how long they were gone, they were to wait there and not ascend the mountain where the presence of God was.

^{14 (con’t)} Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.”

As in the battle with Amalek, Aaron and Hur are given special attention. During that battle, which was led by Joshua, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands to ensure the battle would end in Amalek’s defeat. Josephus says that Hur is the husband of Miriam and thus he would be the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron.

¹⁵ Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.

With his instructions for the affairs of the camp settled, it says that he went up into the mountain. The same words are used here as in verse 13 – v’yaal moshe el – “and went up Moses to.” When we get to verse 18, it says that Moses will go up again, using the same word v’yaal or “and went up.”

Because of this, scholars say that Moses went up the mountain with Joshua a part of the way and then when he is called again, he will go up the rest of the way alone. But it doesn’t say this. That is only speculation and it is unfounded. What appears to be happening is that verses 13, 15, and 18 are all the same ascent.

13 – So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
15 – Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.
18 – So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain.

Between the first two notes of ascent, is a parenthetical thought –

14 – And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.”

16, 17 – Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷ The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.

No scholar looks at the first mention of going up as him actually going up until he first instructed the elders about Aaron and Hur. So why should the second mention be any different? Rather, that thought is given while Moses is still with the people. He waited six days until he was called and then he went up with Joshua into the cloud which had descended on the mountain before they departed.

It’s important to note that in Hebrew it doesn’t say “a cloud” covered the mountain. It says “the cloud” covered it. Thus, it is the same cloud which guided the people through their wanderings, through the Red Sea, and which has brought them to where they are. It is the cloud which both conceals the glory of the Lord and in which the glory is revealed.

What makes this interesting is that only Moses is mentioned from now through verse 32:17 when Joshua will again be mentioned. Despite him being with Moses all of the time, he will not be mentioned through the entire account.

We have not been left alone in the wilderness
Though the Lord is not here, He has a Helper given to us
And His word is written so we don’t have to guess
Which path to take to lead us straight to Jesus

And if it be the word of God, then let us daily attend to it
For in its pages are all that we need as our guide
With our feet shod, to its words let us submit
And walk the path it reveals, never turning aside

And when we come to the end of our days
For our efforts, upon us the Lord will smile
Because we have been obedient to all of His ways
Applying His words to our lives all of the while

III. The Glory of the Lord (verses 16-18)

¹⁶ Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days.

Why is it important to determine if Moses went up part of the way and then waited six days to go up the rest of the way, or if he ascended the mountain on the seventh in one ascent? The reason is that Matthew uses the same terminology for the account of the transfiguration that is used here in Exodus. Here is what he wrote –

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” Matthew 17:1-3

The specificity by Matthew is given for a reason. In the preceding verse, which is Matthew 16:28, Jesus said this to His disciples –

 “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:28

It was on the seventh day that Jesus, Peter, James, and John ascended the mountain and Jesus was transfigured, thus revealing the glory of the Lord. Matthew is tying the glory of the Lord seen at Sinai to the glory of Christ on the high mountain.

All three of the synoptic gospels tie in the glory of the Lord on the mountain with the promised taste of the kingdom. For the people of Israel, the law had been received and the elders had seen the glory of God. Now a repeat of this is seen in Christ.

In Matthew 16, Peter had made his proclamation that Jesus is the Christ. It was to be known and understood that He is the incarnate Word, Yehovah, just as Yehovah is understood to be “the God” by the elders of Israel. Unfortunately, in both occasions, the people failed to stand on the evident truth. In Exodus, they will fashion a false god, and in Matthew they will crucify Christ. But there is also another picture in both accounts which will be seen as we go on.

^{16 (con’t)} And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

It is certain to me that Moses and Joshua are still with the people in the camp. Six days had gone by since the cloud descended upon Sinai. Now, on the seventh day, the call is made for Moses from the midst of the cloud. It is time for him to ascend the mountain.

Many – even most – scholars see this as a Sabbath day. I don’t see any reason to assume this. Rather, as Moses has to ascend the mountain, that would mean that he would have to work to go up, thus it would certainly be a violation of the very law that has been given and which will be engraved on stone. That makes no sense.

What makes more sense, if we are to speculate, is that this is the first day of the week. The call would have been made after the Sabbath when Moses had rested, not on it. Further, it would then match the day which John received his vision of the future which is recorded in Revelation 1:10, which was on Sunday, Lord’s Day.

¹⁷ The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.

The six days equate to the first six thousand years of man on earth. The seventh day equates to the millennium. This is the same picture that Christ was giving the disciples. He said that some standing with him wouldn’t taste death till they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

The transfiguration anticipated the fulfillment of this. The glory of the Lord was seen to them on the mountain on the seventh day, just as the glory of the Lord will be seen in the coming millennium during the final thousand years of God’s 7000-year plan.

The people of Israel had a taste of this truth 1500 years earlier. To them, the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. The author of Hebrews uses the same terminology to speak of Christ our God. He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

The outward appearance of God’s glory on the mountain in this fiery display was given to demonstrate the “unapproachable justice of God” (Lange), just as it was when the cherubim stood at the east of Eden with their flaming swords and as is seen throughout the rest of the Old Testament symbolism.

Only in the death of Jesus, where the veil of the temple was rent in two, could man once again find access to God. The law which was received, and which Moses will now continue to receive, is only another barrier to true fellowship with God. Only in its fulfillment can that be realized. And only Christ has fulfilled it.

The Pulpit Commentary notes concerning the six days of delay before calling Moses to Himself that “God thus taught Moses, and through him the world, that near approach to him requires long and careful preparation.” That careful preparation of six days is directly equated to the six thousand years of careful preparation that God has taught us through until the coming of Christ in His kingdom.

It is true, we already have access to God through Christ, but this is not yet realized in its fullness. The account today shows us though that it won’t be long before it is. We are at the cusp of a great day in redemptive history.

¹⁸ So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain.

Moses alone is recorded as going up, but we know that Joshua was with him. The picture we see in this is realized in the layout of the temple. The people remained outside while the high priest alone went behind the veil. Thus Sinai, or the Bush of the Thorn, is given as a picture of that which is unapproachable but to the high priest. The people of Israel waited while Moses and Joshua went up.

Jesus is that High Priest, pictured by Moses and the unnamed Joshua. He wore a crown of thorns pictured by the naming of Sinai in verse 16. It is the only time Sinai is mentioned in this chapter and the first time it has been named since chapter 19, thirteen sermons ago. It was He who bore the crown of thorns who also went behind the veil.

And like bookends, the names are calling out to us. Moses is the one to receive the Law, Jesus is the One to fulfill it. Thus even the names fit the picture. Moses, or “He who draws out,” is the one to draw out the law for the people. Joshua or “Yah is Salvation” is there to picture Jesus, the Lord who saves, who fulfilled it for us.

*^{18 (con’t)} And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The chapter ends with these surprising words. If you had never read the account before, and if you had to stop here for a while, you would be left wondering about it. But as we know, Moses received an immense amount of information during those forty days. They will comprise the next seven chapters of Exodus.

But the number forty isn’t just an arbitrary amount of time that Moses happened to take to receive the instructions. The timeframe has been given for us to reflect on. Like all numbers in Scripture, there is a purpose for each. EW Bullinger defines the significance of the number forty –

“Forty has long been universally recognized as an important number, both on account of the frequency of its occurrence, and the uniformity of its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement—(not judgment, like the number 9, which stands in connection with the punishment of enemies, but the chastisement of sons, and of a covenant people). It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation.”

The forty days are rightly defined by Bullinger as a time of evident probation. The people had been given the law and now they were to be tested with that law without their leader there to supervise them. How would they fare during the period that he is gone?

There are eight such great forty day periods recorded in Scripture. One of them corresponds to this period in a marvelous way. Israel was given these forty days of testing and they will fail. Jesus was given forty days of testing and He prevailed.

And His forty day period also matches the other periods of forties found throughout the Bible; both periods of forty days and of forty years. In all ways, He was shown to be superior to those who came before Him. He never failed and He is consistently shown as our “Greater than…” In all ways and in all types and pictures, He is truly “Greater than.”

One thing is for sure about these many stories of the Old Testament. Time and time again, they are given to show us not just stories of things that really happened, but of something else, something that we cannot do without.

Each story points to our failings, but they are intended to lead us to Jesus’ victory. It may seem a curious way that God deals with us, but one thing is sure – nothing can be more rewarding than finding Christ on every page. The love of God for us is poured out in the ink which permeates the pages of the Bible.

All of this effort is to show us that God really cares enough to take the time through the ages of human history to weave together a most marvelous picture of Jesus. If you are seeing this, but are still on the outside of His grace, why don’t you settle that today? Call on Christ, receive His offer of grace, and be reconciled to God through that act. Let me tell you how you can do just that…

Closing Verse: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ²⁰ where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19, 20

Next Week: Exodus 25:1-9 Many details for Moses to tackle… (Preparations for the Tabernacle) (67th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Meeting with God on the Mountain

Then Moses went up
Also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu
And seventy of the elders of Israel
Well, those seventy went up too

And they saw the God of Israel
Something marvelous that to their grandchildren they could tell

And there was under His feet
As it were a paved work of sapphire stone
And it was like the very heavens in its clarity
There below the feet of His awesome throne

But on the nobles of the children of Israel
He did not lay His hand
So they saw God, and they ate and drank
A marvelous feast, one ever so grand

Then the Lord said to Moses
“Come up to Me on the mountain and be there
And I will give you tablets of stone
And the law and commandments for you to share

Which I have written
That you may teach them

So Moses arose –
With his assistant Joshua together they did trod
And Moses went up to the mountain of God

And he said to the elders
“Wait here for us until we come back to you
Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you
If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them; this you shall do

Then Moses into the mountain, up he went
And a cloud covered the mountain for this event

Now the glory of the Lord rested
On Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days
And on the seventh day He called to Moses
Out of the midst of the cloud; such were His ways

The sight of the glory of the Lord
Was like a consuming fire, as the record does tell
On the top of the mountain
In the eyes of the children of Israel

So Moses went into the midst of the cloud
And into the mountain up he went
And Moses was on the mountain
Forty days and forty nights; the time that he there spent

So Moses went there to meet with the Lord
And to bring back instructions for Israel
All the instructions according to His word
Those words which the Bible does now tell

And all of this was a part of the story
To lead us to the coming of Jesus
Each step reveals a bit more of His glory
Each step is revealed in the word to us

Lord God, we thank You for this marvelous book
We thank you for all the wonder it does relate to us
Give us the burning desire each day to take a look
And to bring us ever closer to our Lord Jesus

Yes, through Him to You we shall eternally praise
Yes O God, so it shall be for eternal days!

Hallelujah and Amen…