Torah (written)

Exodus 39:1-43 (And Moses Blessed Them)

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Exodus 39:1-43
And Moses Blessed Them

Today’s passage is like the past few. It deals with the actual work which was accomplished in accord with the details which had previously been given. Therefore, like those past few sermons, we will find a parallel thought to look over which relates to the work being conducted rather than minutely analyzing the verses as we already have.

As the verses today deal with the garments of the priesthood, it would be good to look at how those garments actually demonstrate the inferiority of the Law of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron, to that of the covenant given in Christ’s blood which is administered by the priesthood of the Lord.

It should never be our intent to find fault in the Law of Moses in the sense that it was an inappropriate aspect of God’s workings in the dispensations of time. And yet, the author of Hebrews says concerning this law, “ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.”

What then was faulty concerning the covenant, if not the covenant itself? The answer is, the human aspect of it. It was administered by a fallible man, its priesthood was carried out by fallible men, and the people under the law were never made perfect by the law itself. Paul tells us in Romans that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

However, because man is fallen, the law can only highlight our sin, it was never intended to remove it by our efforts. Rather, it was given to show us that we needed something more. The law could remove our sin, but only in its fulfillment. And that could only come about by One who had no sin of His own. Enter Jesus. It is He whose work was needed in order for the law to make us holy…

Text Verse: “Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:16, 17

Only after Christ fulfilled the law could the work of our hands be established. And only through the administration of a New Covenant, in the mediation of a better High Priest, can we hope to please God. Thank God for Christ Jesus who does all of this for us! Yes, 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 Better Priesthood (verses 1-31)

The idea of a priest is that of someone who has authority to perform religious ceremonies on behalf of himself and others. The first actual mentioning of a priest in the Bible is that of the mysterious Melchizedek in Genesis 14 –

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’
And he gave him a tithe of all.” Genesis 14:19, 20

This is all that is recorded here about this mysterious man. There were certainly priests since the time after the fall. Adam would have performed the function on behalf of his family, but the idea of a priest who administered on behalf of others is really only first seen in Melchizedek. This Melchizedek is reintroduced into the Bible in the 110th Psalm where David reaches back into the words of Genesis and makes a prophecy based on a most profound deduction; certainly inspired by the Spirit of God –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” Psalm 110:4

David foresaw a Person who would come who would be a priest forever, and he explains this with the words “according to the order of Melchizedek.” One would have to be extremely astute to understand all that this simple sentence means.

In fact, even with a detailed explanation of it in the book of Hebrews, people still often fail to grasp the full significance of David’s amazingly deep, and yet short and simple proclamation. This is the only other time in all of the Old Testament that Melchizedek is mentioned.

And of course this is proper because the Law of Moses had a priest, it had a priesthood, and it also had a place where the priests were to minister. Along with that, the priests had all of their duties and responsibilities laid out. For the law of Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood which served that law, Leviticus details the majority of their responsibilities.

And, inclusive of all of these other things, the garments of the high priest, and his associate priests, are all given in minute detail here in the book of Exodus. The law is given, the sanctuary along with all of its furniture is described, and so it is natural that the ordination process for the priests, and the garments of the priests, are described at this time now as well.

Those priestly garments were called for by the Lord, and now their actual manufacture is detailed in obedience to the Lord’s word. This is the purpose of verses 1-31 of this chapter. The significance of these things, and their amazing prophetic pictures of Christ, were explained in several sermons already, and to understand their meaning, you can go back and read or watch them. It truly is an astonishing study which would be well worth your time.

And so as far as the Aaronic priesthood, it has been called for, it is being prepared, and it will be fully ordained and established in the pages ahead. Most of the duties of that priesthood will be minutely described in Leviticus. This priesthood will last about 1500 years.

It was superseded by the greater priesthood of Christ Jesus, but it still continued until AD70 when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were exiled. Amazingly, and in fulfillment of Scripture, this same priestly line has been identified through modern DNA analysis, and people of that line today are being prepared for reinstating this ancient priesthood.

A high priest has already been selected, and the garments and associated implements necessary for conducting their duties have been fashioned. Though this priesthood is obsolete through the work of Christ, God has shown that it would, in fact, be reinstated for a set period and for a specific reason. That is detailed in Daniel 9.

In verse 24 of Daniel 9, it says that a period of 70 “weeks,” or periods of 7-year intervals, would lay out the entire future prophetic scenario for the completion of the time of the Law of Moses, including its priesthood. That then is a 490-year period. Until the time of Christ’s death, it was a period of 483 years.

At that time, the prophetic calendar was stopped. The temple sacrifices were no longer acceptable to God, and as I said, the temple was destroyed in AD70, exactly 14,000 days after the cross of Christ. That, however, still leaves a 7-year period left unfulfilled. It says in Daniel 9:26 that the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed, but then in Daniel 9:27 it says this –

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.”

If there are sacrifices and offerings noted after the death of the Messiah, and the further destruction of the temple in AD70, then it means that verse 27 is speaking of a future date when they will be reinstated. It is future to us now, but it won’t be long before it comes about. We are living in extraordinarily exciting times as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is being realized before our eyes.

All of what we are seeing now in the re-establishment of this Aaronic priesthood goes back to these passages in the book of Exodus, including the details of the garments we are looking at today. Observant Jews in Israel need only to pick up a copy of the Bible and read what we are looking in this passage in Exodus in order to know what to make and how to make it.

But, because these things only pointed to Christ, and because David spoke of a priesthood on the order of Melchizedek which was to come, and because Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant for Israel, and finally… because we have already seen an explanation for all of the things in this passage today in past sermons, we will look at what actually replaces Aaron’s priesthood, and why the efforts of Israel in reestablishing the priesthood are only a stepping stone to the final termination of the Law of Moses.

As I said, David made that seemingly off-handed reference to Melchizedek in the 110th Psalm. Unless you stop and really contemplate it, you might just keep on reading without ever giving a second thought to what he says. But the author of Hebrews was determined to explain what we might so cursorily pass by.

And so he re-introduces this Melchizedek in Hebrews 5, and then he talks of him briefly in chapter 6 and more especially in chapter 7, explaining why he is such an important figure. Here is what he says in Hebrews 5 –

“So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’
6 As He also says in another place:
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” Hebrews 5:5-11

The author directly quotes David’s words of the 110th Psalm and explicitly tells us that these words are speaking of Jesus. David, under inspiration of the Spirit, wrote words of a coming High Priest. However, that His priesthood would be according to the order of Melchizedek brings in some obvious problems. They will be explained by him as he goes along.

In Hebrews 6, the author speaks of the immutability of God’s promises, and the surety we have therefore in the oath of God, noting that God cannot lie. In this, he is referring to the word of the Lord through David concerning the High Priest to come. Remember what the Lord said through David in Psalm 110 –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” Psalm 110:4

To close out chapter 6 of Hebrews, and to prepare us for his detailed explanation in chapter 7, the author states these words –

“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

The hope of God is in the oath of God, and in His trustworthiness in fulfilling that oath. This hope is that Jesus is the coming High Priest that David spoke of, a high priest forever. What is he talking about? Chapter 7 of Hebrews explains it, and we will look over his words, but we can only do so briefly. A full evaluation of what he says would take innumerable pages of commentary.

As we proceed, remember why we are even looking at the passage. It is because we are currently going through Exodus and are evaluating those things which are a part of the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood. Was this to be a permanent priesthood? If so, then there would be no need for Jesus.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Hebrews 7:1-3

The author notes the name and positions of Melchizedek. He is the king of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. He doesn’t question or dispute this. He is speaking of a real person, who really filled the offices of both king and priest, something not allowed under the Law of Moses. Under the law, the two offices were not to be mixed. When someone attempted to mix them, bad things resulted. One such account is recorded about King Uzziah –

“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.”
19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 26:16-21

The next thing the author of Hebrews notes is that he filled this king/priest role at the time of Abraham. Thus, Melchizedek precedes both the priesthood of Aaron and the kingship of Israel, typified by David who wrote the 110th Psalm. Next, he explains the meaning of his name and title – Melchizedek is from melek, or “king,” and tsaddiq, or “righteous.” He is further melek shalem, or “king of peace.” Thus, in both titles, he typifies Christ.

But he further typifies Christ in that the Bible gives no record of his genealogy, birth, or death. Because of this, his priesthood is considered an eternal one. This doesn’t mean it literally is, but that in record, this is all that God wanted us to know in order to make the typological picture of the Lord.

4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:4-10

The point here is to show the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of Aaron. Aaron descended from Levi who came from Jacob who came from Isaac who came from Abraham. Greatness within the Bible is reflected in the preceding generation. Thus a father is considered greater than the son. Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people and is thus the greatest of that race.

However, Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, demonstrating that Melchizedek was the greater. This is supported by the subsequent blessing of Abraham by Melchizedek. The greater blesses the lesser. Levi received tithes from Israel, and the Aaronic priesthood, administered by the sons of Levi, therefore is said to have paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedek.

The reason for this is that Levi was still in Abraham’s loins when Abraham presented his offering to Melchizedek. It is the same concept as the transfer of original sin. Charlie Garrett was in the loins of Adam when Adam sinned. Thus, I have sinned through Adam, just as Levi paid tithes through Abraham.

And so we have established several things already about Melchizedek. He is a king and a priest; something greater than that belonging to the priesthood of the law which was separated from kingship under the law. He also preceded the priesthood of the law, and yet his priesthood is, from a biblical context, still in effect; it is eternal. The Aaronic priesthood had a beginning when the law was introduced. It also had an ending with the establishment of the New Covenant. Therefore, the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater in this respect.

Further, Melchizedek is typical of the Son of God because he has no recorded genealogy. Thus, his priesthood is greater than that of the law which was administered through Moses and which began with the man Aaron – both of whose births and deaths are recorded. Also, because Melchizedek is shown to be greater than Abraham, and Abraham is greater than Levi, then the priesthood of Melchizedek is also greater than that of the priesthood of Levi.

David said that someone was coming who would have a priesthood on the order of Melchizedek. Thus, this coming priesthood would be greater than that of Aaron in each of these respects. To support this, the author now asks an obvious question…

11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. Hebrews 7:11-13

The author now brings in the idea of making subjects of the law perfect. Did this occur? The answer is, “No.” If people were made perfect through the law, then offerings would have been made one time and they would have ended.

But they never ceased. They were offered continuously, and year after year. They only made people aware of their sin, but never could remove the sin. Instead, they only temporarily covered them until the next offering for sin.

But even more, if the people were made perfect under the law, there would be no need for another priesthood. But David promised that someone coming would be a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Why would there be a need for such a priesthood if the priesthood of Aaron sufficed in perfecting the people? There would be none. But David proclaimed differently.

And if there was to be a change in priesthood, then there – by default – must be a change of the law. The law already had a priesthood. In fact, the two were dependent on one another. If the priesthood ended, so would the law which mandated the priesthood. And if the law which mandated the priesthood ended, then the priesthood mandated by the law would be of no effect.

And even more yet. These things are being written about Jesus. But Jesus was not of the line of Levi, and therefore, He could not be an administrator of the law of Moses which prescribed that the priesthood was of Levi. Jesus descended from another tribe…

14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:14-17

The author’s logic is impeccable. David spoke of a priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. That priesthood is fulfilled in Christ. But Christ descended from Judah. Therefore, there must be a change in regards to the law itself. This is not a change in the law, but a change of law.

And this law which He will administer is not one according to a high priest who will die and be replaced with another, but it is one according to the order of Melchizedek who has no recorded death, and thus it is an eternal life designed for an eternal priesthood.

18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’”),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Hebrews 7:18-22

If Christ’s priesthood is in effect, which it is clearly established that it is, then the former commandment, meaning the Law of Moses, is annulled. It was weak and unprofitable because it could save no one. It couldn’t even save its own high priest, whose death is recorded. After him, each subsequent high priest died as well.

However, in Christ, there is an indestructible life and a better hope which accompanies the covenant which He administers. It is a hope by which we can, through Him, draw near to God. And again, the author uses impeccable logic in telling us that the first covenant came without an oath concerning the ordination of the priests. They were appointed, served, and died. However, the words of David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and thus coming from God who cannot lie, are spoken by oath –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’”

Thus again, the superiority of the priesthood of Christ is evidenced. In all ways, His priesthood is “Better than.”

23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:22-25

The garments which were made for Aaron, and which are exactingly detailed in today’s verses from Exodus, were transferred from high priest to high priest. When Aaron died, the transfer was noted, thus setting the pattern for all future sons of Aaron who filled this position –

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying: 24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” 27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.” Numbers 20:23-28

The importance of recording this act cannot be understated. Aaron died, and the garments of his priesthood passed on to his son. Aaron was prevented, by death, from continuing in his priesthood. Thus the line of priesthood remained, but the occupant of that priesthood was changed. The garments of the priesthood were a profound testament to the fallible nature of the priesthood. They stood as a witness that the law could perfect none.

However, Christ died in fulfillment of the law. At the same time, He offered a New Covenant in His blood. In His death, the law died with Him. It could no longer have any possible power over Him. And yet, He never sinned under the law. As the wages of sin is death, then death could also not hold Him. It was impossible for Him to remain dead. Peter testifies to this fact in Acts 2.

Christ died apart from His garments, as is recorded in Scripture, and thus it is the Man, and not the garments which are the focus of His priesthood. Under the law, it was the garments and not the man which was the focus of the priesthood. Aaron was not considered fully ordained to the priesthood until he was clothed in the priestly garments. When his tenure as priest ended, his garments were removed from him, and then he died – in that order.

And so we see that in Christ’s resurrection, it is to Jesus, and not changeable garments which our eyes are to be directed. The garments He wears now merely signify His eternal priesthood which already exists in His eternal Being.

He is risen apart from the law; He can never die again. Aaron died and his ministry ended. Christ lives eternally and therefore He continues forever in an unchangeable priesthood. Because of this, the author tells us that Christ can save us to the uttermost when we come to God through Him. Paul explains this in Romans 6 –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Romans 6:8-10

As He lives to God, He always lives to make intercession for us. He is perfectly qualified to do so as the author next explains…

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. Hebrews 20:26-28

Christ has been, as it says, “perfected forever.” This doesn’t mean that He was not “forever perfect,” but that under the law and as a Man, if He had sinned He would not have been perfect, nor could He have been “perfected forever.” But, He was sinless before the law and died in fulfillment of it. Thus, the law now has no power over Him. He is, therefore, perfected forever. He can never be found with fault under the law again. In Him, the law is annulled.

Unlike the high priests of Israel who had to first offer for their own sins, and only then could they offer for the sins of the people, Christ offered Himself in His perfection before the law, for the sins of the people. What the high priest of the Law of Moses could never do for the people, Christ has done for His people.

If you wonder why there has been such minute detail concerning the garments of the priests of the law, hopefully you are now seeing why that detail is so important. In type and picture, each detail points to Christ, but in reality when worn by the human mediator of the law, it pointed all the more to his imperfections, not his perfections. Only in Christ are the perfections realized. As a side note to the idea of priests, the last time the term is mentioned is in Revelation 20 with these words –

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

Those who willingly refuse the mark of the beast during the tribulation period will be granted a high honor. They will be raised to life and can never die again, and they will be priests of God and of Christ during that marvelous millennial period. It is fitting that the idea of a priesthood enters Scripture with the enigmatic Melchizedek, who pictures Christ, and it ends with those who are made priests through faith in the work of Christ.

The LORD has sworn and will not relent
You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek, with that intent
Christ is our High Priest, ceasing never

With Him as our High Priest
We have a sure confidence. Imagine the grace!
His mercies are forever, never being ceased
Though Him we are shown the favor of God’s face

Thank God for our High Priest, Christ Jesus
And for the work that He has done and continues to do
The beautiful work that He has done for us
Our great High Priest, ever faithful and true

II. So the Children of Israel Did All the Work (verses 32-43)

With the final verse of chapter 39, the long repetition of the verses from the previous chapters is ended. The instructions were given, and the instructions were followed through with – being meticulously recorded as evidence of that fact. And so now we come to the final verses of the chapter…

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished.

The minute details of the previous chapter find their culmination in this verse. First, the work is said to be finished. Two descriptions are given. It says mishkan ohel moed – tabernacle, tent of meeting. The tabernacle is the dwelling place, and the tent is what covers the dwelling place. The two are noted separately and yet belonging one to the other, almost as a pleonasm intended as emphasis. The two will be mentioned separately in verse 33.

32 (con’t) And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did.

The second aspect of this verse is that the work was not only accomplished, but it was done “according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” This takes us back 34 sermons to the words of the Lord in Exodus 25:40 which said “…see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” Just as Moses was shown, just as the people were instructed, so the work was accomplished.

33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39 the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.

These verses confirm in one place all of that which was made. The only word of exceptional note in all nine verses is that which is translated as “set in order” in verse 37. It is a new word in the Bible, maarakah. It means an array, and is most commonly used in the idea of a battle array, where an army is lined up for war.

The lamps of the Menorah were so set up, as if a battle of the goodness of light is dispelling the evil of darkness. What a marvelous picture of Christ the Lord, the Light of the world shining forth through the darkness.

42 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.

This is a reaffirmation of the words just spoken in the second clause of verse 32. It noted they did what was commanded, then what was done was noted, and now it again notes that they have done all that was commanded. In six months or less, all of this work was engaged in, and completed, according to the minute specifications of the Lord. It really is an amazing feat to consider.

43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it.

The chapter’s final verse shows that Moses inspected every detail. He had been shown the pattern on the mountain, and he had been admonished to follow it exactingly. The directions were given, the work was accomplished, and now the chief inspector carefully evaluated each item to ensure that it met the requirements of the Lord. As it did, the record now, for the third time, notes that the children of Israel accomplished the tasks as required. With that note of achievement, we come to our final words of the chapter…

*43 (fin) And Moses blessed them.

It is possible that Moses blessed the people with the words of the 90th Psalm which formed our text verse of the day.

“Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:16, 17

Whether with these, or other words of commendation, the leader of the people was pleased with the work and he so blessed them for their efforts. The tabernacle was ready, the law would be continued, and the Lord would dwell in the people’s midst. Moses’ blessing now was an affirmation of these facts.

Today we have seen that the law was only a stepping stone to the greater work of Christ. If the law was served by such marvelous items, and was regarded with such minute detail and care, then surely how much more precise and glorious is the greater ministry of Christ for us!

Again, if the Lord was willing to dwell among the people in a sanctuary wrought by fallible hands and corruptible materials which were glorious non-the-less, just imagine the splendor which lies ahead for those who are in Christ.

The people labored towards the day when the Lord would occupy His dwelling. How much more willing should we be to labor towards the day when we will dwell with Him! Let us never tire in our efforts to speak of the goodness of the Lord. And whatever be the labor of our hands, may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be upon us so those labors will be established. Let it be so now, and even until the Lord takes us home to be with Him in His eternal dwelling place.

Closing Verse: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Next Week: Matthew 1:18 We have permission to deviate from Exodus, yes the holiday does clear it… (She Was Found with Child Through the Holy Spirit)

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 Work is Accomplished

Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread
They made garments of ministry
For ministering in the holy place
As the Lord intended it to be

And made the holy garments for Aaron as well
As the LORD had commanded Moses, as He did tell

He made the ephod
Of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen
He followed the details, as the Lord had said

And they beat the gold into thin sheets
And cut it into threads as well also
To work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And the fine linen, into artistic designs, as we now know

They made shoulder straps
For it to couple it together; as we see
It was coupled together at its two edges
Thus it was made accordingly

And the intricately woven band of his ephod
That was on it was of the same workmanship as well
Woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen, as the LORD to Moses did tell

And they set onyx stones
Enclosed in settings of gold so well
They were engraved, as signets are engraved
With the names of the sons of Israel

He put them on the shoulders of the ephod
As memorial stones for the sons of Israel
As the LORD had commanded Moses
As the LORD to Moses did tell

And he made the breastplate
Artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod
Of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen, just as he was showed

They made the breastplate square by doubling it
When doubled, a span was its length and a span its width

And they set in it four rows of stones
This as the Lord did show
A row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald
Such was the first row

The second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond
The third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst
The fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper
They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings
No detail was missed

There were twelve stones according to the names
Of the sons of Israel
According to their names
Engraved like a signet, as well

Each one with its own name, certainly
According to the twelve tribes, as we see

And they made chains for the breastplate
At the ends, like braided cords of pure gold
This as the Lord did state

They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings
And put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate
He accomplished each of these things

And they put the two braided chains
Of gold in the two rings
On the ends of the breastplate
Again, he faithfully accomplished these things

The two ends of the two braided chains
They fastened in the two settings, as the Lord did relay
And put them on the shoulder straps
Of the ephod in the front, just as He did say

And they made two rings of gold
And put them on the two ends of the breastplate, as showed
On the edge of it, as he was told
Which was on the inward side of the ephod

They made two other gold rings
And put them on the two shoulder straps, as per directions at hand
Underneath the ephod toward its front
Right at the seam above the ephod’s intricately woven band

And they bound the breastplate
By means of its rings to the ephod’s rings
With a blue cord, so that it would be above
The intricately woven band of the ephod, he did these things

And so the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod
As the LORD had to Moses showed

He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue
Doing exactly as he was instructed to do

And there was an opening in the middle of the robe
Like the opening in a coat of mail
With a woven binding all around the opening
So that it would not tear; there was to be no wardrobe fail

They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates, so they did do
Of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen too

And they made bells of pure gold
And put the bells with the pomegranates between
On the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates
A beautiful design upon the hem was seen

A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate
All around the hem, as the directions demanded
Of the robe to minister in
As the LORD had to Moses commanded

They made tunics, artistically woven
Of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, this they did do|
A turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen
Short trousers of fine woven linen too

And a sash of fine woven linen
With blue, purple, and scarlet thread
Made by a weaver, as the LORD had commanded Moses
Yes, just as the LORD had said

Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold
And wrote on it an inscription, attending to the word
Like the engraving of a signet
HOLINESS TO THE LORD

And they tied to it a blue cord
To fasten it above on the turban
As commanded to Moses by the LORD

Thus all the work of the tabernacle
Of the tent of meeting was finished too
And the children of Israel did according to all
That the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did do

And they brought the tabernacle to Moses
The tent and all its furnishings, as we know
Its clasps, its boards, its bars
Its pillars, and its sockets also

The covering of ram skins dyed red
The covering of badger skins
And the veil of the covering; just as the Lord had said

The ark of the Testimony with its poles
And the mercy seat
The table, all its utensils, and the showbread
These pieces they did complete

The pure gold lampstand with its lamps, it was fitted right
(The lamps set in order)
All its utensils, and the oil for light

The gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense
The screen for the tabernacle door
The bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils
The laver with its base also, but still even more

The hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets
The screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs as well
All the utensils for the service of the tabernacle
For the tent of meeting, as the word does tell

And the garments of ministry
To minister in the holy place
The holy garments for Aaron the priest
And his sons’ garments, to minister as priests before the LORD’s face

According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses
So the children of Israel did all the work
Then Moses looked over all the work
And indeed they had done it, not a detail did they shirk

As the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it
And Moses blessed them; a blessing he did to them submit

Lord God, establish the work of our hands
And let the beauty of the Lord be upon us
So may it be for each who understands
Of the marvelous wonder of Christ Jesus

Thank You O God, to You we send our highest shouts of praise
And they shall be lifted to You now, and even for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 38:9-31 (The Always Evident Lord)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Exodus 38:9-31
The Always Evident Lord

As with the previous few passages, the majority of the verses today have been covered, almost exactly, in earlier sermons. And so once again, we will follow a different path as to how we can approach these already familiar words.

I titled this “The Always Evident Lord” because the courtyard was visible to any who passed by. Even from the outside, and without peering into the courtyard itself, a person could make many deductions about what went on inside the sanctuary by simply sitting outside and watching the daily activities.

If they were astute enough, they might even be able to put together more than initially meets the eye. The larger portion of those who were in Israel completely missed the Always Evident Lord, Jesus. He was there among them, everything He did was in fulfillment of the very words of Scripture that they listened to each Sabbath day, and His words proclaimed ever-so clearly who He was… and yet they missed Him. They are still missing Him to this day.

And yet, there are innumerable multitudes who have taken the time to open their eyes, compare the words of Scripture which have been presented to them about Jesus, find Him, and even come to know Him in such a detailed way that they understand Him better than the Jews understood the symbolism of their own temple. After all, if one understands the Person, they should be able to understand what the shadows which only pointed to Him mean.

Today, we’ll take a trip down the streets of Israel to the place where the sanctuary of the Lord stood. When there, we will contemplate its outer courts and what occurred there to see if we can find out anything about the God who resided there. If we can learn something about Him, then we might be able to find out how to approach Him.

Text Verse: Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat! Job 23:3

Job wanted to know where he might find the Lord. A person walking along the streets in Israel might be curious about the edifice he passed by where the Lord God of Israel dwelt. If so, he might stop and ask some questions about the unusual edifice.

From there, he might decide to stay awhile and observe the goings on at that special place. If so, he might come across the answer to the dilemma that Job faced. If we know where He is, we might be able to determine how to come to His seat.

For us, the place has been described in detail, the way there has been explained, and the means by which we can take that way there is fully revealed. This is the infinite value of the Holy Bible. It explains where the infinite God resides, it explains the bridge between finite us and infinite Him, and it explains the means by which that bridge is made available. Further, the duration of our journey to know Him fully will be an infinite one.

We have this treasure right next to us and available to us. It is finite in size, and yet its value and its worth are infinite. Such is the marvel and the wonder of this 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 Always Evident Lord (verses 9-20)

9 Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long. 10 There were twenty pillars for them, with twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 11 On the north side the hangings were one hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and their twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 12 And on the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and their ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 13 For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits. 14 The hangings of one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15 and the same for the other side of the court gate; on this side and that were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine woven linen. 17 The sockets for the pillars were bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, and the overlay of their capitals was silver; and all the pillars of the court had bands of silver. 18 The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. The length was twenty cubits, and the height along its width was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And there were four pillars with their four sockets of bronze; their hooks were silver, and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver. 20 All the pegs of the tabernacle, and of the court all around, were bronze.

The courtyard of the sanctuary was the part which was evident to all the people. From outside, people knew that there was a structure which had a set and specific purpose. It would be unique, and thus it would bring the curious to wonder about it. And certainly this is the intent of what we know it pictures.

A simple question by anyone could be asked of those who went in and out as to what its purpose was. And a simple answer was all that was needed to explain the overall purpose of it –

“Excuse me, Sir, what kind of dwelling is this?” “It is the dwelling of the God of Israel, the true God. What you see is only the outer courtyard, and above the outer court hangings you can see the top of the tent where He dwells.”

This exterior view would be available to both Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free man. Any who were curious about what they saw needed only to ask. And if they were shy, they could make logical deductions about what it was and what its purpose was.

But it is speculated that the outer hangings themselves would allow a bit more to be seen. The word which describes the hangings indicates “a hanging,” but also a sling for slinging stones as if the hangings were loosely woven. That doesn’t tell us much, but the Greek translation of it indicates a sail. Because of this, it is believed by some scholars to be a fabric which was woven in such a way that the inside of the court could be seen through it.

And so we have here an edifice which would attract attention to itself, but not in an ostentatious manner. It would then at times make those outside curious enough to see more. They would long to peer in and see what was so special about this “God of Israel.”

Even from the outside, it would be evident that there was order and harmony here. There would also be a great deal of diversity. From the outside, without even peering in, there would be various materials evident to the eye. White fabric; bronze bases; poles of metal or wood; silver hooks, pillars and bands; and the front screen would have been a beautiful mixture of colors.

Surely the person curious about the exterior would want to know more about the interior. And so they might get closer in order to let their peering eyes gaze through the outer hangings and into the courtyard itself. What they would see then is the extent of the always-evident Lord. Other things would be concealed, but everything facing out into the courtyard would be evident.

And this is what the world around us pictures still. There is a world, filled with people, who know nothing about the true God as He has specifically revealed Himself. They go about life unknowing, and therefore, normally uncaring. It isn’t that they don’t necessarily care about the things of God, but one cannot truly care about something they have no comprehension of.

You certainly don’t care a thing about the planet Gypsar which is in the Tulovian galaxy because you have never heard of it. But if you knew of the marvelous treasures that were there, you would read all about it. Until someone sees the sanctuary, they can never care about what the sanctuary pictures, nor would they care about the God who resides in it.

God to them is simply a god of whatever their traditions, culture, or their minds have established. And so when the Lord designed the tabernacle, He did it in such a way that any passerby would be curious, hopefully even tantalized, to know more about Him.

As this sanctuary in every detail pictures Christ, as we well know, then it must be comparable to how Christ is evident to the world today. There is the edifice, there are the priests coming in and going out, and there are also common people coming and going.

Along with the entries and exits of the people, there would be animals being brought in alive, and none exiting alive. Any person, sitting for a spell and watching the activity, would be able to make conclusions about what they were seeing.

The people go in with a lamb, there is the sound of bleating which is suddenly interrupted by the sound of the death of the animal, there is a temporary lull in what one could see, and then… There! Above the courtyard smoke is rising. The smoke smells like the fragrant burning of a lamb. Aha! A sacrifice! Right there at the front of the courtyard.

Without even looking through the hangings, but just simply sitting outside, one could really learn a lot about the always-evident Christ. We can even back up for a moment. Today, just within the past hour, three groups of people came to the sanctuary at the same time. A priest came out to meet them and they chatted. After that, he bent over and inspected each animal very carefully. One of them was turned away. It was evident, even from where we are sitting and watching, that it had a defect.

Though the words were spoken in a different language, one not understood, it was unmistakable that the animal was rejected because it was marred. Only the very best was to be offered to this “God of Israel.” You see how easy it is! Just sit awhile and watch, and you will learn so very much.

And what about the people, will the people tell us anything as they come and go? Well, there is certainly a very, very rich man. Look at those fancy clothes. And yet, he is the one whose animal was turned away as unacceptable!

But that person to his right must be the poorest person ever seen. He and his family are literally in rags. And yet, they have saved all that they had in order to bring a lamb. And it is the most precious lamb I have ever seen. They must have paid extra for the chance to have it. Or, if they raised it, they were the most blessed of all. Surely they are giving of their very, very best in order to present a pleasing offering to this God of Israel.

I cannot even look upon that lamb without the greatest sense of awe and wonder. God, if there truly is a “God,” must have taken the highest delight in fashioning that lamb – so innocent and pure, and yet, these people have decided that offering the lamb back to Him is more important than anything else.

I can tell that money is not the issue here with this God. The richest man I have ever laid my eyes on has had his offering rejected, and the poorest bunch of hillbillies I have ever seen have had theirs accepted, and even gladly. The high priest himself marveled at the perfection of this precious lamb.

No, it is not about money at all. It is something much more valuable… it is about faith. One family demonstrated faith in the provision of the Lord, even in their poverty. The other demonstrated a complete lack of faith, trusting in his own status before this God of Israel. One was accepted; the other was rejected. This God, and the rites given to honor Him, is a God of any and all who come to Him by… faith.

I know this because the third family that came was well-to-do. They drove up on high performance donkeys with their servants and offerings in tow, and yet they too have been accepted. Their offerings were without blemish, and they were offered with a sense of humility, even gratitude, for the honor of serving this God of Israel. They didn’t trust in their wealth; they demonstrated faith.

I am indeed impressed with what I have seen. Let me tarry here and ponder more. I am truly curious about this “God of Israel.” He appears different than all the rest. The other temples I have passed by didn’t care at all about the type of offering, as long as there was a lot of money to go into the back pocket of the priest. A wink, a nod, the passing of some silver, and all was settled.

And that brings me to the silver. Even from outside, I can see that there are items of silver along the border of the courtyard. It is that upon which the hangings are hung. Other than the screen at the front, the hangings are all the finest white. In fact, while sitting here, one was taken down because it had a mar on it. Only the purest white, like snow, even like purity itself, is seen.

And that purity was hung from silver. It reminds me of the silver being passed from the people to the priest at the other temples, but this silver is pure and polished. There is nothing underhanded or dirty here. And so if silver be silver, the purpose remains the same. Money was passed and a deal was made… REDEMPTION!

The silver pictures a purchase, and thus an act of redemption. It is all so clear. The purity of the hangings is hung upon the silver of redemption. I like this God! This God of Israel! There is order and harmony here. And I can see, sitting here pondering these marvelous courts of the house of the Lord God of Israel, that the posts are set in bronze.

If the other materials have meaning, this must also. Bronze. It is hardy, it has a specific color because of the copper in it which other metals except gold lack, it is a very enduring metal, it is used as the base of the poles, and in fact, it is used for the pegs as well. It is the foundation of everything else that I can see.

I have already seen that there is judgment going on inside of the court. The sudden termination of the bleating, and then the rising of the smoke tells me this. It is the first thing that happens, just inside the entry to the sanctuary. It is the basis for everything else that occurs, just as the bronze is the base of everything I see from out here. JUDGMENT!

Simply by sitting outside, I can tell that the bronze signifies judgment. Yes, there is order and harmony here. There is wisdom on display. This sanctuary has intent and purpose; it has logic in all of its parts. Thus, the God inside that inner tent is different than all others.

I have passed through many lands and seen many gods. I have seen countless offerings, including human sacrifice – babies for some gods, and martyrs of war for others. There is no wisdom there. There is not logic there. There is no order or harmony. There is only chaos and death. But this sanctuary is different. I will tarry a bit longer…

Now, comes another thought to mind, this courtyard that I am looking at is facing east and west. The entrance is east, so those who enter to face the place of their God will be facing west. Isn’t that curious! The sun rises in the east. One might think this sanctuary would be turned around the other way for the people to face the rising sun.

Instead, they have the sun to their backs, rejecting it as any type of god. Their eyes look west. It reminds me of an ancient story, one where there was a land of exile to the east, but a place of delight to the west. It is an ancient story, but it is in my memory. These people are looking west, maybe in hopes of the land of delight. I need to learn more about this God who dwells to the west…

This makes me think about another part of this sanctuary. If their God resides in the west, then they are coming from the east, out of that place of exile I heard about. You might think that the whole east end would be opened wide then, so that any and all could flood in. But this isn’t the case.

Instead, there is a screen at the entrance. There is a simple and small way to gain access into the courtyard. Think of it! The whole world is rushing along, busily seeking out “God” in whatever manner they choose. The path is wide to fit all of those people. But if this God that these people serve is the true God, then what a narrow means of gaining access into His presence!

One must be heading west, they have to go through just the right door at just the right location, they must come with an offering, and that offering is rejected if it isn’t pure and spotless and perfect. If these expectations are met, then they come up to this screen and its limited means of access. And what a marvelous screen! It is made of the richest colors – blue, purple, and scarlet thread which are intricately woven. It is a masterpiece of beauty.

I asked one of the people about the colors. He happened to speak my language and he told me that the blue stands for their law, the law of their God. The purple speaks of royalty. Their God is their King. As their King, He exercises the power of a king, upholding the law, executing war, and judging. These are a combination of blue and red which merge into purple.

And the red, how deep it is. It is the finest scarlet color I have ever seen. He told me that the red speaks of shed blood, but then he curiously said that the shed blood is what grants life. This is the strangest thing I can imagine. I need to learn more about this God who gives life from death. These things are so curious, and yet they seem so reasonable at the same time. And so I am tempted to get closer now and peer through the hangings to see the inside of the court better.

As I peek in, it is just as I expected. I can see an altar, standing before the entrance, west of the screen. It is bronze too. JUDGMENT! I’ve already figured out what the bronze stands for and why would I expect this to be any different? I’ll sit here quietly and see what happens. Maybe I’m right…

Sure enough, this altar is where a lot of activity is going on. The people bring in their animals, hands are placed on their heads, words are uttered, and then the animal is sacrificed. Its blood is collected and is handled by the priest.

Is this what it means that shed blood is what grants life? Is there some sort of a transfer from this innocent animal to the people, and from the people to the animal? That must be what the man meant. The people come in carrying a burden, the burden is transferred to the innocent animal, and the people’s burden is lifted.

It all makes sense. I’ve seen this type of thing in other temples, but it never seemed so effective. I don’t know how I know it, but I just know it. Here, there is such a sense of order and meticulous care, that I can tell what they are doing makes perfect sense. It is like a dream come true seeing what is happening here.

The only other thing I see outside of the main tent area within the courtyard is a wash basin. It is bronze too. JUDGMENT. The priests go to it to wash their hands and their feet. Now isn’t that curious! They are priests, so they must have been ordained as priests. And yet, they need to go back to this basin to clean themselves, as if they are defiled.

How can a priest be defiled? They must pick it up as they live their regular lives. They don’t wash their whole body though, just their hands and their feet. So, if they are priests who are acceptable to their God, and yet they are defiled, then the defilement must come as they walk with their feet and as they work with their hands.

I think I understand this. Even those cleansed by God still need to continuously purify themselves in order to be acceptable to perform the priestly duties. This God that they worship is so holy that even His priests must continuously be purified. The only word I can use to describe this is that they “sanctify” themselves. It’s funny, they are sanctified, and yet they need to be sanctified. I will ponder this as I browse some more. …

Well, isn’t that interesting. It sure seems rather odd to me is that this courtyard doesn’t have any other furniture. There are no chairs for the priests to sit at; there is no place for them to lie down. They just keep working… one sacrifice after another. And yet, the people seem content and pleased with how things are going.

I need to find out why, and there is just the guy to ask. He is an old man with a long beard and many years of life scarred into the wrinkles on his face. He must have been coming to the sanctuary a long time. If anyone knows the scoop, it must him.

And bonus, no translator needed. He also speaks my language. It seems that this God of theirs has every detail figured out in advance for me. In asking him what all of this meant, he stretched out his ancient eyes and looked back towards the tent inside the courtyard. He thought about it and then spoke.

“Our people worship God. The God. The one true God. He gave us His law and we were asked to live by it. A covenant was cut and we were accepted as His people. In the law, there are penalties for sin, but there is also forgiveness from sin as provided by the law.

“We come here to sacrifice in accordance with the law and our sin is forgiven. And we come here a lot. Year after year, we are reminded of our sin, and so we know that our sins are forgiven, but our sin is not taken away. If it was, we wouldn’t have to come back time and time again.

“But… in our law are included ancient stories of our history, even to the beginning of time itself. Right at the beginning, we were told of One who would come and who would destroy the evil one who brought sin into our lives. Until He comes, we present ourselves at this sanctuary to do what He will someday take care of for us.

“When He does this, I mean when He destroys the power of the one who brought evil into our lives, we won’t have to come back here, year after year. Instead, not only will our sins be forgiven, but our sin will be taken away. This is what we are waiting for.

“This sanctuary is telling us a story. Each pillar, and each color tells a part of it. The altar and the screen tell us a part of the story. I’ve contemplated this sanctuary for the past 87 years of my life, and each time I think on it, the story becomes a little clearer to me.

“There are parts of this sanctuary that no one is allowed to see, except the priests of course. And there is one part that only the high priest may see, and he can only see it once a year. And when he goes in, he must bring the blood of a sacrifice made for himself before he enters. He also takes in incense to obscure his vision of the most holy objects that are there. That tells us a story too.

“All of this is temporary, but all is necessary. We, as a people, are learning a most important lesson, if we will but learn. We’re a stiff-necked group. Our God has told us as much, and I fear that terrible times lay ahead, but we will still hold out for the promise of this One we call “Messiah.” He will make all things new.

The old man stopped there and said, “This, this is the answer to your question. Now I have a question for you. Life is precious and it passes by all too quickly. There is hope in the God of Israel. Would you like to come and rest in the shadow of His wings?”

I pondered his question. I’ve seen enough. I’ve seen the logical construction of this sanctuary. I’ve counted its poles and hangings. I’ve noted its sizes and dimensions. I’ve contemplated its materials and colors. I understand the sacrifices, and I believe that they are effective in making the people acceptable to their God – “the God.” I’ve seen so many things, and yet I have not even stepped inside. That is what I want to do next.

“Yes sir. I believe that I would. I would like to come and dwell among your people, and I want to share in what your God offers. I will do what is required to become a part of your people, the people of the God of Israel.”

Obviously, this has been a story, but it is a reasonable story. The courtyard of the sanctuary was what anyone who passed by could see. It was intended to keep people out, but it was also designed to let people in. For those who were of Israel, they could come inside the courts. For those who were not of Israel, they could still look in through the hangings in order to see and understand.

And what was it that both Israel and the Gentiles was to understand? It was that the God who resided within the tent which was within the hangings of the courtyard, was the same God who had done so much for Israel. He had done the miraculous in the past, and He had made promises for the future as well.

The courtyard was the always-evident Lord. One could understand so much about Him by just contemplating what their eyes could see. He is loving; He has provided a way of fellowshipping with His people. He is just; the people’s sins required judgment. He is merciful; He provided forgiveness through a substitute.

He is compassionate; He allowed the forgiveness of sins many times. He is righteous; His forgiveness was not arbitrary, nor was it withheld when it was petitioned as He laid out for the people. He is holy; the substitute could have no blemish, but rather it needed to be perfect.

The lesson of the courtyard is the lesson of our lives in the Lord. The people of the world may only see the true God through our lives, and so we are to be the always-evident Lord to them. Not that we are the Lord, but that we are the ones to make the Lord known to others.

If we, you or I, are all that some people will ever see in order to know Christ, will we be a suitable example for this to happen? Are we willing to put ourselves on display so that people will say, “I want to know more about what is inside the courtyard.”? Will they want to come through the screen, come to the altar, place their hands on the Lamb, and confess their sins over Him?

Each aspect of the courtyard is an aspect which pertains to you. The white hangings are the righteousness of Christ imputed to you. The bronze is the judgment which was rendered upon Christ for you. The silver is the redemption upon which your righteousness was purchased. We can go through every detail of this courtyard and apply what the always-evident Lord has done for you.

In turn, you should make yourself a shining example of this always-evident Lord for others to see and desire. Until they are justified, they cannot be sanctified. And until they are sanctified, they will never be glorified. The access to the throne of God is found in one place for all people, and you may be the only one to bring that knowledge to some of them.

You are on a journey heading west, back to the land of delight. Be sure that you bring along as many people as you can in the process. Should you fail, their destiny will be a far, far different one. As I noted, there is no chair and no sofa in the courtyard. There is no bed either. The priests worked and never sat down. You too need to spend your time wisely, working out your presentation of the always-evident Lord, so that when someone asks you about Him, you will be ready with a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord
How marvelous are Your courts which do surround
And how beautiful is Your gate, it pulls my heart toward
The marvelous place, there on the dry ground

I long to enter into the place where You dwell
And to smell the burning of the sacrifice
Accept my offering O Lord, and be pleased to tell
That we are again in fellowship, so sweet and so nice

How lovely is Your dwelling place, my God
I long to stay here with You for eternal days
And to gaze upon the beauty of my Lord
And with my soul, forever to sing Your praise

II. The Inventory (verses 21-31)

21 This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony,

These words are debated. Is this speaking of the inventory of the things already mentioned, or the metals which will next be numbered? What is probably correct is that it brings us all the way back to chapter 35, and it carries all the way through until verse 20 of this chapter. Further, it will also include the metals when they are mentioned.

Everything that was offered, collected, and constructed was detailed and described. Even if the exact amount of the materials wasn’t noted, such as how much acacia wood was used, the materials were accounted for in the construction of the items.

In this verse, it places everything under the umbrella of ha’mishkan mishkan ha’eduth – “The tabernacle, [the] tabernacle [of] the testimony.” The reason for this is that the entire sanctuary, including the tent and the courtyard, was designed and constructed as extensions of the tabernacle itself.

And the tabernacle was erected specifically for the purpose of enclosing the two stone tablets of ha’eduth – the testimony. It is the testimony against sin which is contained within the Ark and upon which sat the Mercy Seat.

21 (con’t) which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

This counting of the materials was according to Moses’ command and was intended to be as a service of the Levites. The word “for” is not in the Hebrew and it gives a faulty sense of what is said. The service wasn’t for them, it was administered by them at the direction of Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron.

It is curious that as the youngest he would be selected, but maybe the meaning of his name gives us a clue as to why. The name Ithamar means “Island of Palms” or “Land of Palms.” The tamar, or palm, is a symbol of uprightness. Thus the Levities are considered as an island of upright people who are administering a service before the Lord.

22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer, a weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine linen.

The initial call of Bezalel and Aholiab was made in Exodus 31. The men, their work, and even their names were chosen specifically for us to see pictures of Christ. If you skipped that sermon, you are directed to go home and watch it.

24 All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place, that is, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

The gold mentioned here was not for the “holy place” but for the sanctuary. The gold was used in the holy place, the most holy, place, and on the pillars which supported the screen entrance into the tabernacle. The total amount of gold is estimated to equal out to 4245 troy pounds. ($62,543,198.10 / 7 Dec 2016)

Although it is an exceptional amount, it is not so much as to be inconceivable. If there were 2,000,000 people who left Egypt and each family requested articles of gold from their neighbor, this would only amount to a portion of what was carried out.

25 And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a bekah for each man (that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 27 And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents, one talent for each socket. 28 Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them.

Although this is new information in the Bible, we have already reviewed it in a previous sermon, having gone forward to this passage in order to understand where the silver for the sockets, hooks, bands, and overlay came from.

That sermon was detailed in Exodus 26:15-30. If you missed that, you are directed to go home and pull it up on YouTube. If you watch it during dinner, order pizza or something else that you can eat by hand so that you don’t miss any details.

As a squiggle for your brain, this is the second and last time that the beqa is mentioned in the Bible. The first was in Genesis 24:22. The beka comes from baqa which means to cleave or to split. Hence a beqa is a split, or half, shekel.

Verse 26 is also an important number concerning those who are considered as adult males in Israel at the time. The age is twenty and above, and there are 603,550 men. This is in accord with the number given in Exodus 12:37 and it, therefore, allows a close reckoning of how many people actually departed from Egypt.

The number is not exact, but it is close enough to estimate the total population who probably came out. That would be somewhere around 2,000,000 souls. The total amount of silver today would equal about 14,602 troy pounds. ($3,457,169.52 / 7 Dec 2016).

29 The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils for the altar, 31 the sockets for the court all around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the court all around.

The use of the brass and what it pictures concerning the work of Christ was previously noted in our sermons. If you missed them, and there are several, you will need to just start all over with the tabernacle series and watch each sermon. Be sure to take notes as I will be giving a written exam before you get your certificate of completion. The total amount of bronze today would equal about 10,277 troy pounds.

In all, the need for every detail set out by the Lord was met by the giving of the people, and all of it was voluntary with the exception of the ransom money taken during the numbering of the people. The Lord had a plan, the minutest details of which are being overseen by Him, and it is being worked out moment by moment in the stream of time.

Our Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of every one of these types and shadows which He has brought to the pages of His word. He is there for us to see and to understand. Be pleased as you pick up this precious treasure each day to look for Him there.

In the end, we are on a journey back to the arms of our heavenly Father. Christ is the path, and Jesus is the finish line at the end of that path. Let us fix our eyes on Him and let us not waiver in our devotion to Him. Let us be found pleasing in the sight of the Lord as we look for Him in His superior word.

Closing Verse: “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.” Psalm 96:7-9

Next Week: Exodus 39:1-43 When I give you the title, please don’t, hem or haw, haw or hem… (And Moses Blessed Them) (103rd 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 Courtyard and the Inventory

Then he made the court on the south side
The hangings of the court, according to the word
Were of fine woven linen
One hundred cubits long, as specified by the Lord

There were twenty pillars for them
With twenty bronze sockets also
The hooks of the pillars
And their bands were silver, as we know

On the north side the hangings
Were one hundred cubits long, as was said
With twenty pillars and their twenty bronze sockets
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver
As the instructions read

And on the west side there were
Hangings of fifty cubits, as we are told
With ten pillars and their ten sockets
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, not of gold

For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits
The hangings of one side of the gate
Were fifteen cubits long
With their three pillars and their three sockets
As the record does state

And the same for the other side of the court gate
On this side and that were hangings of cubits fifteen
With their three pillars and their three sockets
Bezalel’s adherence to the details here is seen

All the hangings of the court all around
Were of fine woven linen; surely its appearance did astound

The sockets for the pillars were bronze
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver also
And the overlay of their capitals was silver
And all the pillars of the court had bands of silver, as we know

The screen for the gate of the court
Was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen
It was accomplished just as the Lord had said

The length was twenty cubits
And the height along its width was cubits five
Corresponding to the hangings of the court
For perfection Bezalel did strive

And there were four pillars
With their four sockets of bronze too
Their hooks were silver
And the overlay of their capitals and their bands
Was silver through and through

All the pegs of the tabernacle
And of the court all around, were bronze
Every detail Bezalel did minutely tackle

This is the inventory of the tabernacle
The tabernacle of the Testimony
Which was counted
According to the commandment of Moses, you see

For the service of the Levites, from the first to the least
By the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest

Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur
Of the tribe of Judah, so we know
Made all that the LORD had commanded Moses
And according to the detailed instructions also

And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach
Of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer was he
A weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine linen
Working out his works so carefully

All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place
That is, the gold of the offering
Was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels
According to the shekel of the sanctuary, such was the proffering

And the silver from those who were numbered
Of the congregation was one hundred talents, so we see
And one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels
According to the shekel of the sanctuary

A bekah for each man; that is, half a shekel
According to the shekel of the sanctuary
For everyone included in the numbering
From twenty years old and above, counted accordingly

For six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men
The number was taken at Sinai, there and then

And from the hundred talents of silver
Were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil
One hundred sockets from the hundred talents
One talent for each socket did entail

Then from the 1775 shekels
He made hooks for the pillars, this he did do
Overlaid their capitals
And made bands for them too

The offering of bronze was talents seventy
And two thousand four hundred shekels accordingly

And with it he made the sockets
For the door of the tabernacle of meeting, so he made
The bronze altar, the bronze grating for it
And all the utensils for the altar, plying in his trade

The sockets for the court all around
The bases for the court gate, bases which did abound
All the pegs for the tabernacle
And all the pegs for the court all around

Thank You, Lord for the wonderful detail we see
Every word is precious for us to ponder
And all of it points to Jesus ever so marvelously
Thank You for sharing with us such splendid wonder

Hear our thanks as we praise You for all of our days
Forever and ever we shall sing to You with joyous praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Exodus 38:1-8 (Justified and Sanctified Before Our God)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Exodus 38:1-8
Justified and Sanctified before Our God

On the day I typed this sermon, which was 10 October 2016, I received word that a friend of mine had died. Jeff loved the Lord desperately and he often spoke to others about Him. He had a group on Facebook called “Homeward Bound” where he would post happy messages about Christ.

When I traveled the 50 states in 2010, I got to meet him personally and we shared a few hours together at a marvelous Greek restaurant. He also came to Florida to visit us for a few days sometime after that.

Jeff was saved by the Lord and He loved the Lord. But he also struggled with life. He had addictions that he couldn’t overcome. He was often depressed and would email asking for prayer. “Charlie, I’m in a very low spot right now.” We would pray and I carried him with me often in my heart during these times.

He would also have extreme highs, and he never failed to thank the Lord for them. He loved his family, he cherished his friends, and he connected me with more Facebook friends than any other person I know. He was always sending me new friend requests to approve. I have come to cherish many of them. He had the knack of knowing how to fit the right people together.

Well, my friend Jeff is no longer Homeward Bound. He has arrived at His final destiny, there to live in perfect contentment and peace with his Lord.

Today, we are going to look at two different pieces of tabernacle furniture that describe two different functions in the process of redemption. We’ve already seen what they picture, and so we will look deeper into how those pictures are actually realized in the work of Christ in and for us.

The first is the Altar of Burnt Offering and it looks at the process of justification. The second is the Bronze Laver and it looks to the process of sanctification.

Jeff got the first process settled at the foot of the cross. He was pardoned for the sins of his life, once and for all, through the work of Christ. Jeff struggled with the second process. He would go in fits and starts through cycles of sanctification and then falling back into the world.

Thank God that the race isn’t up to us to complete. The sanctification of this life is one which keeps us healthy and in a right walk towards Christ. The full and final sanctification, however, comes solely through the work of the Lord. We’ll see that as we go along today. But I cannot stress to you enough the importance of these two processes.

Text Verse: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

To stand justified before the Lord means that we are free from condemnation. We have overcome and we are guaranteed a place at the heavenly banquet which has been prepared for the redeemed of the Lord.

To be sanctified in its fullest sense is something that is accomplished the moment we were justified. We are made acceptable to God at that time. However, to be sanctified in this life is something that we need to pursue, from day to day, and even moment by moment.

Like I said, Jeff struggled with this aspect of our walk, but we all do to some extent. If we can just look beyond the pains, the trials, and the struggles and let the word dwell richly in us, then the sanctification process is a lot easier. The more we have the word in us, the less likely we are to fall back into old ways.

Like a tap that must be opened in order to receive the waters, our growth in the Lord will only come through receiving the waters He provides. And that tap ain’t opening itself. The book is there, and the amount of dust on top of it will tell how long it has been since you opened it up.

And once it is open, the amount of notes in it, whether there are many or few dog ears in it, and the number of pages falling out of it are indications as to how seriously you take it to heart. I am quite certain that Jeff’s Bible was well worn and marked up, but I think that at times, the dust started to pile up on it. Those are certainly the times he would call or email and tell me things weren’t going so well.

Don’t squander your time, and don’t ever feel that you can make it without this precious gift of God. Trust this word, rely on this word, and let this word fill your heart and soul – in good times and especially in bad times. Pursue the word, and let it dwell richly in your soul at all times.

This is what the Lord would ask of you, and this is the lesson that is 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. Justification (verses 1-7)

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits. 2 He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4 And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim, midway from the bottom. 5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles. 6 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. 7 Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards.

The concept of justification before God is given its greatest explanation to us from the hand of Paul in the book of Romans. There is a place where man’s sins are atoned for. It is where the penalty for sin is paid. In the economy of the Law of Moses, that took place at the Altar of Burnt Offering.

Man would come before the Lord, place his hands upon an innocent animal which would then be slaughtered and burnt up on the altar. In this, an innocent would take the place of the guilty. The sin would be transferred to the innocent, and the sinner was considered, at least temporarily, “justified” before God. The penalty for his sin had been paid, and it was thus removed.

This was the standard for all of Israel throughout the time of the law, and of course, there was much more involved in the process. There were several types of sacrifices, and there were certain days where more was done than on other days, such as the Day of Atonement. But the common theme was that a substitute died in place of the guilty.

As we saw in the giving of the instructions for the altar described here, every single detail pointed to Christ. Thus, in the study of the altar, both of its construction and use, we find foreshadowings of the marvel to come. Concerning the concept of being justified before God, it is all here in those types and shadows. Paul speaks of what it means to be “justified” in God’s sight in Romans  2 –

“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified…” Romans 2:12, 13

We are told that if one sins under the law, he will be judged by the law. Only a person who actually “does” the law, meaning adhering to it perfectly, will be justified. But Paul gives us an all-encompassing statement in Romans 3:19, 20 –

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

How can it be that only “the doers of the law will be justified” and yet, “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight”? How can this be? It is because nobody is able to live out the law as it is written. It is an impossible task. Thus, within the law itself, there was a way given to obtain mercy from violations of the law. It was found in the sacrifices of the law, highlighted by the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement.

Without them, man stood guilty before God, but because of them, man could be pardoned for another year. But… the truth then follows that the removal of the sin was actually only temporary. If sacrifices needed to be repeated, year after year, then it means that there was a constant reminder of sin. This is explained in the book of Hebrews –

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Hebrews 10:1-4

This is why Paul says that “by the law no flesh will be justified” in the sight of God. There was only a temporary stay of God’s wrath, not a permanent taking away of sin. However, there is good news…marvelous news for us. This altar and its associated sacrifices was only a temporary fixture which was intended to both picture, and lead us to, an understanding of the greater work of Christ. Paul continues to explain this in Romans 3:21-23 –

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

We are told here that “the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed.” In other words, this righteousness is one which is not at all associated with the law, meaning deeds of the law. He even tells us that the Law itself, along with the Prophets, bear witness to this. How can we know what is witnessed unless we study it?

Paul’s words have to be rooted in something, or they are meaningless. This is why we study the law! It is because in understanding the law, we can then appreciate the absolute marvel of what Christ has done for us.

We were just told that “all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God.” It is the law which gives us the knowledge of sin. Without a law, there is no law to break. If there were no legal speed limit, then we could drive at any speed we wanted. But as soon as someone passes that dang law which restricts us to 70 mph, we will become lawbreakers when we drive at 71 or more.

Likewise, the law gives us the knowledge of sin, but it does nothing to take away the guilt. When the law is broken, it is broken. We can pay the fine, but the infraction remains as a permanent part of our history. Therefore, there must be something which comes apart from the law to remove our guilt, or we will always have that guilt in memory.

In the United States, we have a provision which actually fits this need quite well. It is call the Pardon. When the president pardons a person, their record is wiped clean. It is as if the law was never broken. It can never be brought up again, and it is to be released from all record and memory. This is a marvelous type of what occurs for the believer in Jesus Christ. Paul continues with the good news in Romans 3 –

“…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.”

The Day of Atonement was a day of faith in the provision of God for another year. Now, in fulfillment of what that day signified, we see Christ Jesus. He was “set forth as a propitiation by His blood.” The animal that was slaughtered at the altar had its blood carried into the Holy of Holies where it was sprinkled before the Lord and on the mercy seat. Paul says that Christ is that Mercy Seat.

Here he uses the word hilastérion. It is the same word as is found in the Greek translation of the OT for the Mercy Seat. Christ is our place of propitiation and restoration. Again, this is explained in Hebrews 9 –

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;  25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:24-26

What we are being told, is that each of these articles was only a copy of something which heaven requires for our justification before God, and that Christ is the fulfillment of those things. He came under the law, fulfilled the law, and then put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Think of it! If He never sinned under the law, then the law has no power to condemn Him. And so in dying under the law, but without violating it, the law, through Him, is finished. Hence, His final gasping words of His torturous time on Calvary’s cross –

Tetelestai – “It is finished.”

In Greek, it is in the perfect tense. It is finished, completely and absolutely. Unlike the sacrifices of the altar which had to be repeated again and again (and again!), this was a one-time-for-all-time thing. But before the reality, came the types and shadows.

What God has done in Christ is first hinted at in these objects which were instructed by the Lord through Moses, and which are now being carefully and meticulously made by Bezalel and those who are appointed under him.

Now arises a question for us to consider. The people agreed to the law which was presented by the Lord. They placed themselves under both its protection and its penalties. Within the law, God provided them a means of being forgiven for violations of the law. Right? If they came forward acknowledging those violations, then it means that they knew they were guilty before the law, yes? Otherwise, they would have no need of coming forward.

And so, if they came forward and received God’s needed mercy for the forgiveness of their sins, then could they turn around and boast about their forgiven state? Well, technically, they could. But it would be a vain boasting!

Being granted mercy implies that they simply did not receive what was justly deserved. They were guilty before the law and their guilt was mercifully transferred to an innocent. As this was temporary and only given in anticipation of the Christ to come, Paul asks the question for us, and then he follows up by answering it –

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27

If someone perfectly lived out the law, they wouldn’t need to come and ask for mercy. Therefore, boasting is excluded. If we have faith that Christ died for us, it means that we needed Him to die for us! How can we boast in ourselves concerning what He has done? Rather, we are to boast in Him for what He has done.

This is what it means to be justified before God. All boasting is set aside, except for that boasting which is in the Lord. This is what the people are being taught in this marvelous piece of shittim wood and bronze.

And this is what we are taught as we carefully and meticulously wind our way through the pages of Scripture. We are coming back to God through the work of Another; through the work of God in Christ. Paul sums up the transaction here, pictured by this ancient wooden box which was lavishly covered In bronze –

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” Romans 3:28, 29

The law was given to Israel, the Jewish people, but there is one God who created all people. The people outside of the covenant required justification before God, and the people inside of the covenant required the same justification. The badge of circumcision didn’t nullify their need for justification; it highlighted it.

And so both Jew and Gentile must come to God in the same manner, by faith in the work of a Substitute. Only in this vicarious act can we stand justified before God. And so Paul’s final question, and explanatory response, of Chapter 3 of Romans is given for us to consider.

“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Romans 3: 30

What does it mean that “we establish the law?” It is that we acknowledge that the law exists, that it had power over us, and that we had no ability to meet its precepts. However, we further establish that Christ could and did. He lived out the law, and died in fulfillment of that same law – as is pictured in the sacrifices which were made at this very altar that Bezalel is so faithfully constructing for Israel.

Thus, by faith in what He has done, we “establish the law.” We acknowledge our guilt before God, place our hands on the Innocent, and the transfer is made from imperfect us, to our perfect Substitute. In this act, pictured by this transfer at the altar, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 –

“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

Paul will go on speaking of the process of justification throughout the book of Romans and throughout the rest of his writings as well. We have simply taken a very short trip through a long and detailed process which involves the most serious of contemplation and careful consideration.

This was the intent of presenting Israel with these implements, rituals, and practices. And yet, they failed to come to an understanding of what God was trying to show them. Even in the coming of Christ, they rejected Him and considered their own righteousness before God as an inherent righteousness.

They failed to see that the animals which died as their hands were placed on its head meant that they were.not.righteous, but unrighteous. The sacrifices were simply an act of “going through the motions.” Isaiah explained this to them as did many of the other prophets, but their eyes were glazed over and their ears were made dull. Here is how Isaiah explained it to them, right at the beginning of his writings –

Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats. Isaiah 1:10-11

Just a few verses later, the Lord calls out for them to reason things through. If they failed to do so, there would be consequences…

18 “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.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:18-20

If they, who had these articles and rites before their very eyes, failed to make the necessary connection to a right-standing with God, how much less likely are we to do so unless we pay heed to the word which has been given to us!

Don’t ever assume that because you belong to a certain church, or because you have done certain things, or even that because you are of a particular blood line, that you have somehow merited God’s favor. That is the crucial mistake which only further removes a person from their Creator. Only by faith in what Jesus Christ did can we stand justified before our glorious God.

In our Thursday night Bible studies right now, we are going through the book of Romans. It is a long, detailed, and intricate book of explanation concerning these things. I would recommend that you put your best foot forward and join us for that marvelous trip each week.

Justified! Free from sin; released from all guilt
Justified! In Christ my pardon is won
Through His life and death, when His precious blood was spilt
I am reconciled to my God; the work is done

O! That Christ would take the place for someone like me
What manner of love would bring this about?
There He hung, on the cross of Calvary
Until those final words, He did breathe out

It is finished! The price has been paid
For all who will place their sins at the foot of this cross
What a most exceptional trade
His righteousness as gain; my sin and guilt as loss

II. Sanctification (verse 8)

8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Like justification, sanctification is explained to us in detail in the New Testament. The Bronze Laver, though lacking in any significant detail, is the implement which pictures our process of sanctification.

Something is added into the details here that was not included in the details that the Lord gave to Moses on the mountain. It is that the laver was made from the bronze mirrors of the serving women. It is a detail which has great significance, and yet Bezalel probably never gave it a second thought.

But the Lord specifically included that information for us to consider and, pun intended, reflect upon. That is exactly what a mirror is, it is something which reflects who we are. We reflect on what we look like and then work to improve the shabby figure we see, adjusting ourselves until we look the very best that we can.

That is what the process of sanctification is for; to mold us into an image other than the one we started out as. As fallen, fallible sons and daughters of Adam, we have flaws and imperfections which are displeasing to the Lord. We were born that way and we often only make things worse as go from bad decision to bad decision.

We wind up as vessels which are wholly and completely unacceptable to God. Here is how Paul describes us when we come to this state –

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10

This is a real problem because even though this seems horrible in the extreme, it pretty much covers all of us in one way or another. God looks at us based on intent. Coveting is something that happens inside of us.

Nobody else may even know that we are coveting, but God does. I dare say that there isn’t a person here who hasn’t coveted something at some time in his life. We may or may not have done many of the things on the list, but we have all done some of them.

But through the process of coming to Christ, we are forgiven of sin’s penalty and we receive the pardon which He purchased for us. Along with that, comes something more, something which we experience, at least positionally…

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11

Christ’s shed blood washes us from these things and we stand not only justified, but also sanctified. As I said, this is a positional sanctification. It is what allows us to immediately come into God’s presence. Should we call on Jesus and die that same day, we would be considered acceptable to God because of what Jesus did for us.

Paul reiterates this type of sanctification in Ephesians 5. There he equates Christ’s sacrifice of Himself directly with our sanctification…

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-28

It is Christ, and Christ alone who sanctifies us and makes us acceptable before God the Father. Through Him, all past defilement is washed away. The things of the past are gone, and in Christ all things are made new – clean, and presentable to our heavenly Father.

But, there is another type of sanctification which the Bible speaks of. This is also what is pictured in the Bronze Laver. The priests would come to this laver to wash at certain times and before doing certain things. This instructed them that even though they were ordained as priests and acceptable to God to conduct their priestly duties, they still needed to purify themselves in the presence of the perfectly holy Lord.

In the New Testament, we are called a kingdom of priests, and we are expected to perform our priestly duties properly and with a sense of purity, just as Christ did. Paul gives us an insight into this process of sanctification in 2 Timothy 2 –

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20, 21

It should be pretty obvious by evaluating ourselves that even after we call on Christ, we have a long way to go as far as living in the manner that the Bible expects of us. Some of us never progress in this way; others are full steam ahead, living out the word and growing in holiness before the Lord.

But even those who are ever striving forward still pick up the dirt of the world. None of us are exempt from this. And so we are to come to the laver and wash ourselves. It is the word of God which is being referred to. We read the word, apply it to our lives, and we are purified by the water.

This most precious gift of all is given to us to lead us into all righteousness, to purify us in our life’s walk, and to make us acceptable vessels, useful for our Master. And yet, Paul tells us elsewhere that it is God who is the One who sanctifies us. He said this in his first letter to the Thessalonians –

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

And yet there is more. The mystery is further explained by Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians –

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth…” 2 Thessalonians 2:13

It is the third member of the Trinity, God’s precious Holy Spirit who is behind the process of sanctification. But how do we tie these things together so that they make sense? 1) We are told that we are to cleanse ourselves in order to be sanctified, and yet 2) we are told that God is the one who sanctifies us in this manner. And even more specifically, 3) it is the Spirit of God who does it.

How do we reconcile these verses so that they make sense? The answer is that in our sanctification, we passively receive from the Spirit as we actively cleanse ourselves with Him.

In the tabernacle and at the temple, the priests would go to the laver, open the spigot, and they would receive the water for cleansing of their physical bodies. The priests actively did something, and the water passively passed to them. And yet, it is the water which is what cleansed them.

In our lives, if we are willing to go to what the laver and its water picture, we will receive sanctification and cleansing. The water is the word of God, the Holy Bible. It was given to us by inspiration of the Spirit. We are, when we go to the word, washed and cleansed. We actively pursue the word, and we passively receive the Spirit. And yet, it is the Spirit which cleanses us.

There is a synergism which cannot be denied in this process, just as there is a synergism in our justification. On the Day of Atonement, the people had to actively come to confess their sins, but as we saw, they could not boast in that. It would be utterly foolish to boast in receiving forgiveness for sins that we had just confessed that we committed!

Likewise, in Christ we must come to Him in order to be saved, but in coming to Him we are saved by Him. There is a synergism involved in the process. In the same manner, we must come to the word in order to be sanctified. When we receive what it says and apply it to our lives, we are sanctified.

It is an immensely sad thing to contemplate, but the water is right there for us if we desire it. The word is written; it was divinely inspired by the Spirit to lead us into all righteousness; its precepts are available to any and all who will pick it up and read it; and the yielding of our lives to it will bring us back into a holy and right standing with our heavenly Father. And yet so few avail themselves of this fount of spiritual blessing.

Bezalel’s hands fashioned this laver with skill and care from the mirrors of the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. God fashioned the Bible as if from the mirror of His perfection through holy men of God, selected by Him.

When people looked at the Bronze laver, they would remember the story of where it came from. When we look at the Bible, we are likewise to remember where it came from. When the priests opened the spigot, they would feel the refreshing water purifying them for service to the Lord. When we as priests of the Lord open the Bible, we should naturally expect the same as it purifies us for our acceptable service to the Lord. How is it that we can be sanctified? Paul sums the thought up so well with these words –

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

In doing these things, we will keep ourselves from temptations, we will be kept from falling into evil practices, we will stay on the right path, and be able to resist the devil. He is there, setting snares for us each and every day, but in knowing the word and having it dwell richly in us, those traps will be evident long before they draw near to us. This is the power of the word of God to affect our lives. Like the water of the Laver, its contents are able to cleanse us fully. This is why Paul says to us in 2 Corinthians 7:1 –

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

How can we know the promises unless we are told of them? And how can we cleanse ourselves unless we avail ourselves of the tool and manual which is given for this very purpose? Open it, read it, study it, live it, share it, teach it, and preach it. I do believe the time is short and we desperately need to use it wisely.

As a final note today, we need to remember who it was that was given charge of constructing these particular items, Bezalel. The name Betsalel is made of three different parts. The el at the end means “God.” The “b” at the beginning signifies “in.” and the middle part comes from the noun tsel, meaning “shadow.”

And so his name means “In the Shadow of God.” As shade is considered a protection in the Bible, such as from the heat of the sun, it is a metaphor for “In the Protection of God.” Considering my friend Jeff who has passed on to the arms of Christ, we have no worries if his failings somehow separated him from God. Such is not the case.

The true Altar was designed by the Lord, and it was fashioned by He who dwells in the protection of God. If He died for Jeff, then Jeff was and is in that protection. And the same is true for each and every one of you who have called on Jesus. God has given us a place of safety and refuge from His wrath, there in His shadow. It is Jesus Christ the Lord. Let us avail ourselves of that by coming to His cross and confessing our sins before Him.

And then Bezalel made the next piece, the Bronze Laver. Its purpose and use is behind Jeff now, but for each of us, we have it available to us. If we consider and reflect upon those who have gone before us in various ways and in various states, maybe the Bible will have more meaning to us.

Jeff may have been able to endure the struggles of this life a little better if he had more of the word in him during his low spells. It is incumbent on us to do our very best to fill ourselves now and always with the precious, marvelous word. In so doing, we can more easily face the many trials and woes that come our way.

Life may be painful, but with the word in our hearts it will be less so. Our walk may be filled with many sorrows, but with the word open before our eyes, we can also find many comforts. Our days may be long and tedious, but when pondering the promises of the word, the time ahead takes on a new and an exciting meaning.

Let us remember these things and thank God who has done so very much for us, all of which is reflected in these two beautiful pieces of handiwork which stood in the sanctuary and which were then used until they were no longer needed. The true Altar and Laver have come. Let us go to Christ so that we may stand approved, justified and sanctified, before our glorious Creator.

Closing Verse: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20, 21

Next Week: Exodus 38:9-31 He is the One we are to fix our eyes toward… (The Always Evident Lord) (102nd  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 Altar and Our Laver

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood
Five cubits was its length and five cubits it was wide
It was square, as is understood
And its height was three cubits; with the instructions he complied

He made its horns on its four corners
The horns were of one piece with it
And he overlaid it with bronze
Thus he fashioned as the Lord did submit

He made all the utensils for the altar:
The pans, the shovels, the basins, working in his trade
The forks, and the firepans as well
All its utensils of bronze he made

And he made a grate
Of bronze network for the altar
Under its rim, midway from the bottom
His workmanship did not falter

He cast four rings for the four corners
Of the bronze grating
As holders for the poles
Here is where the altar and the poles were mating

And he made the poles of acacia wood
And overlaid them with bronze
From the directions, this was understood

Then he put the poles into the rings
On the sides of the altar, the directions he did follow
With which to bear it
He made with boards the altar hollow

He made the laver of bronze
And its base of bronze, as was called for
From the bronze mirrors of the serving women
Who assembled at the tabernacle of meeting’s door

Lord God, we thank you with all of our soul
For what these things we have seen look forward to
We can have certainty that all is under control
And that every detail has been handled by You

Our destiny is secure; we stand justified
Because of Jesus Christ and the blood that He shed
Though His cross we have been purified
Our pardon is purchased and we are brought back from the dead

And through Your word, we can grow in sanctification
And we will daily become more like You
Walking in holiness through the Spirit’s ministration
This is what coming to Your word will do

Help us, O Lord, to pursue Christ now, and always
May our lives be a pleasing offering in Your sight
O, for this to be true for all of our days
May we pursue Jesus with all of our might

And then in eternity’s splendid glory
We will walk in Your light for unending days
We shall behold the unfolding never-ending story
And in that brilliant light, we shall give you eternal praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 37:1-29 (Christ in Every Detail)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) 0 Comment

Exodus 37:1-29
Christ in Every Detail

On the night before preparing this sermon, I was exceedingly distressed. I lay there asking the Lord for guidance on how to present these verses. Other than the tense of the verbs, they are almost identical to those for the instructions given to Moses.

Literally, there are a handful of words which are different than those previous instructions. To me, simply cutting and pasting those many sermons and repeating everything that was said would make no sense. And so I struggled with what to say.

In the end, I started typing, and out came today’s sermon. It is more a theological rather than a pictorial presentation of Christ. I hope that in listening, you will have a better appreciation for the life of our Lord and how He fits into the marvelous plan of redemption which issues directly from the mind of God.

The things which are described in these verses all point to Him, as we have already seen. Rather than seeing how they picture Him, today, we will get a brief look at how what He did is fulfilled in them. It is a ton of verses to go through, but don’t let the brevity of the analysis disappoint you.

The words are short, precise, and uncomplicated, but they all point to the majestic glory of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

Text Verse:  Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’” Hebrews 10:5-7

God prepared a body for Christ out of the stuff of the world. And then He stepped into that body and revealed Himself to us. All of the articles used for the construction of the sanctuary were simply given in anticipation of Him.

Each item chosen was with the intent that we would see Him and know about Him. The same is true with Him as a Person. God selected individual occurrences in history and placed them in His word so that when He arrived, it would be obvious that He was who was spoken of in those ancient writings.

Unfortunately, most in His time didn’t recognize it, and today people are still missing it. But for those who are willing to accept the inspiration of Scripture, and that this inspired word points to Him, the two merge into one magnificent masterpiece of marvel.

The stories tell of the One to come, and the details of those stories tell of what He did. Let us not miss this as we search out 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 Ark and the Mercy Seat (verses 1-9)

Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

In the instructions for the Ark, we saw that it pictured Christ in every single detail. In a broad stroke of the finer detail, it represents the Lord as the God/Man who is the fulfiller and embodiment of the law.

The gold, His Deity; the wood, His humanity. The molding around it signifies His kingly status. The four rings reflect the four gospels. The poles are the two testaments of the Bible. These, and a hundred other details, were all minutely described – word by word – so that you could see Christ in His work of fulfilling and embodying the law on our behalf.

This ark had to come about somehow, and so the size, materials, and details were given as pictorial representations of Christ to come. And Christ had to come about somehow as well. The Bible shows that He didn’t just pop into existence in order to save us.

Rather, He came from God, perfect and pure in all ways. His infinite nature came forth to unite with His finite creation. And His human nature came from the line of humanity, not suddenly as if there was a person who God arbitrarily chose. Rather, the line of humanity from which He came was meticulously recorded, even from the very first man who ever lived.

At key points in His ancestral records, individuals are highlighted, showing who they were and what they did, but also being recorded in who they came from, and thus who they would lead to. There was the first man Adam, who rebelled against his Creator, but who later demonstrated faith in the promise of restoration.

There was Enoch who is noted in such high regard that God took him so that he wouldn’t see death. He was a man of faith and was rewarded for that faith. Noah was a preacher of righteousness and a man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. In a world full of wickedness so great that God determined to destroy it, Noah kept his faith and became the inheritor of a new world.

The line continued on through others, great names that the world celebrates. But it also included some that the world condemns for their actions. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, is included in Jesus’ genealogy, but in the surprising way in that it is through his two daughters that he leads to Christ.

Yes, through both of them. He slept with the first, and she had a son named Moab. Ruth, the wife of Boaz descends from Moab. He slept with the other, and she had a son named Ben Ammi. Solomon’s wife, Naamah, who gave birth to Rehoboam, and who is in the genealogy of Christ, descended from Ben Ammi.

Again and again, surprising people show up in Jesus’ genealogy. Some were faith-filled souls, and some were scoundrels. There was a prostitute of Jericho, meaning she was a descendant of Canaan, the cursed grandson of Noah. David, despite being a great man of faith, was also a fallible man who made great errors in his life.

Step by step, the history of Jesus’ ancestry is recorded, quite often in such a way that it takes real effort to determine who is actually in it. But each story, which reveals each person, shows that God was watching all along, ensuring that the materials used were perfect for the body prepared.

Just as the ark was carefully and meticulously constructed, so was the human genealogy of Jesus carefully and meticulously arranged. And then, when it was ready, it was wrapped in the pure gold of God’s Deity. The Ark was prepared, and the Man was ready to do what was purposed from the creation of the world.

He was born under the law, the meticulously recorded standard for the people of Israel. For any under that law, there was the need for perfect obedience to it. As the law itself says in the book of Leviticus, “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:5).

The entire time of the law, detailed records of the lives and actions of the people were kept. They often don’t seem to correlate to the purpose of the Ark of the Testimony at all, and yet they all do, perfectly. The time of the law is given to show us deep truths concerning the law –

  • It is to show us God’s perfect, holy, and righteous standard.
  • It was given to show us how utterly sinful sin is to God.
  • It was given to show us that no one, not a single person in well over fifteen hundred years of Israel’s history, could perfectly meet the standards of that law.
  • It was given to show us the need for God’s grace in the giving of the Day of Atonement, and God’s mercy in the covering which that atonement granted.
  • It was given to show us that in the granting of the grace and mercy of the Day of Atonement, the person so forgiven was deemed as if he were sinless before God – forgiven and free from sin’s penalty for another year.
  • It was given to show that the law could never take away sin completely because each year, they would have to come back and be forgiven again for the sins of the previous year, showing that the law could make none perfect.
  • And thus, the law showed us our need for something else; something greater than the law itself. It showed us our need for Jesus.

If none could meet the standards of the law, except for a vicarious act carried out on the Day of Atonement, and if the Day of Atonement was incapable of making the sinner free once-and-for-all, then in order to be made perfect, a perfect Substitute would be needed. Enter the God/Man; enter Jesus.

He came, pictured by this marvelous ark. He faithfully lived out His life under the law, never violating its precepts. Thus, He embodies that law. This is pictured in the placing of the tablets of the Ten Commandments in the Ark of the Testimony. Just as it enclosed those tablets, Christ embodied what they represent.

But there is the truth that no top was detailed for this box in the instructions that we were given in verses 1-5. Its top remained open and the perfect law of God, that which could never be met by mere mortal, fallen man, was open and exposed to the world in that condition. It is a note of condemnation.

This Man, Christ Jesus did fulfill the law and we stand naked and exposed in His perfect presence. The law, which He embodies, condemns us. Moreover, the Man who radiates out that law stands as a witness against us. Thus condemnation is found in His presence.

Is that the end of the story? Is this where we perish? Do we look at Jesus, see God’s perfection radiating out of Him, and thus become consumed by His perfectly pure glory? The answer is, at least for those who live by faith in Him, “No!”

As noted, within the law, there was a provision of mercy for those who failed to meet that law. It is found in what is known as the Day of Atonement. On this one day each year, the men of Israel were told to go to Jerusalem and confess their sins before the Lord.

Detailed instructions for this day are noted in Leviticus 16, in following these instructions – both by the people and by the high priest of Israel – the people were forgiven of their sins. The Day of Atonement centered on the shedding of the blood of an innocent animal. That blood was then applied to another piece of furniture, one distinct from, but directly connected to, the Ark itself…

6 He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

Zahav tahor – pure gold. The absolute perfection of Christ is seen in the substance. The mercy seat, the place where God would pour out His forgiveness on Israel each year, was this spot. The law, contained within the Ark, was covered by this most holy seat of mercy, thus hiding it from sight.

If the tablets of the law were looked upon by man, only death could result. This is seen in the account of the Ark returning to Israel after having been captured by the Philistines. Eventually it was returned to Israel, and when it was, it came to Beth Shemesh. There, the people dared to look into the Ark and their lives were forfeit.

The mercy seat had been removed, and mercy was removed with it. But there is more to the mercy seat than just the gold. There was something applied to the gold which brought about the mercy – blood. The people didn’t receive mercy simply because there was a mercy seat. If they did, then they would have received it continuously, because the mercy seat never left the Ark.

Rather, it was only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, that propitiation for the sins of the people came about. And that came about through a specific ritual which involved the shedding of the blood of an innocent substitute. This innocent life was taken in place of the guilt of the people. The Lord received this payment as a temporary stay of His wrath, year by year.

It was the blood which provided the forgiveness, and it was the blood which rested upon the mercy seat. Without the covering of blood, mercy would not be granted. When the mercy seat was removed from the Ark at Beth Shemesh, the blood was removed as well. Only wrath was left. The substitute’s blood was forsaken as the people looked upon God’s law.

In type and picture, the pure gold Mercy Seat is Christ. It is His divine and perfect nature covered by the blood of His humanity which was shed to take away the sin of the world. What the innocent animal only pictured, Christ fulfilled perfectly. He had lived out the law without erring in any point. He thus embodied the law. But in order for that to be complete, He had to also die in fulfillment of the law.

Until He died, the law wasn’t actually fulfilled because His death was a necessary part of the law, pictured by the death of the animal. Forgiveness cannot come for the sins of one, without the death of another. But, the one to die could not have sins of his own or he would simply die in his own sin. The law would be his judge, and the law would condemn.

Only a perfect Man, who had lived perfectly under the law, could both fulfill the law and die in the place of another. In this act, the blood would thus satisfy the law. And in its satisfaction, it would also make the law obsolete. A law which is fulfilled is finished. The law could no longer have mastery over Him.

Further, as He was innocent before the law, then His blood could take away the sins of any who received the payment, just as occurred with Israel on the Day of Atonement. But unlike Israel who had to come year by year because the law was not fulfilled in the death of an animal, in Jesus, the law is fulfilled for the believer – completely and perfectly.

There is no need to come back a second or a third time to be perfected before the law. Rather, we are perfected once and for all through the substitutionary work of Christ Jesus. But there is more. In the fulfillment and annulment of the law for us, there must be something to replace it.

The law was based on a covenant. In its termination, a New Covenant then came in to replace it. The law was never intended as a means to an end. It was, from its inception, regarded as a temporary step in the path to full and complete restoration with God. This New Covenant is explained by the author of Hebrews with words cited from the book of Jeremiah –

“‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ 17 then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:16-18

In other words, in this New Covenant, received by grace, the sins of man are not counted against them. It says, “Now where there is remission of these,” meaning remission of the sins through the blood of Christ, “there is no longer an offering for sin.” Christ’s offering is a one-time and for-all-time offering for sin.

As this is so, then the sins of the Old Covenant, whatever they may be, are forgiven in Christ. Further, they can no longer be counted against that person. Man is dead to the law through the death of Christ. Go through the law, see what condemns your heart, and then lay it at the foot of the cross. It is forgiven in Him. We are no longer under law, but grace. Paul explains this in Romans 6 –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:8-11

In the act of receiving Jesus Christ, we are following a process which includes, literally, all of the precepts of the law. We may have never killed a person, but we are guilty before the law, just as if we did. If one violates any part of the law, the law is broken. In receiving Christ, we partake in the death of the High Priest, and so our guilt in regards to the sixth commandment dies with Him.

Under the law, we are guilty for eating certain types of meat, but in Christ, that guilt is taken away. Sin can only be imputed where law exists. In Christ, the sin which results from a violation of the Old Covenant can no longer be imputed because in Christ, the law is made obsolete.

Like the cherubim on the Mercy Seat who looked towards the place of shed blood with wings held high, let us likewise look to the place of propitiation – where the blood of the sinless Son of God was shed. Let us look to Calvary with arms raised high in victory! Let us look to Jesus! Thank God for Jesus Christ who is the grace of God poured out for all who will but believe. He is our place of mercy and propitiation.

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

II. The Table of Showbread (verses 10-16)

10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.

A table of showbread with twelve loaves. The table and all its utensils clearly and perfectly displayed the work of Christ. We saw this as we looked at each verse and word. He, being the true Bread from heaven, is sinless and perfect. The loaves which were to be placed on this table reflect His people, His redeemed.

As the law is fulfilled and annulled in Christ, those who call on Him are granted His sinless perfection, pictured by the twelve loaves without yeast. As they are before Him in the Holy Place, it indicates that we are deemed as sinless and, therefore, are acceptable in His presence.

God made Christ Jesus our Substitute, counting to Him our sin. In exchange, we were granted His righteousness. Paul explains this to us with these words –

“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

In being made our sin, He then took our punishment for the sins we committed and died for those sins. However, because He had no sin of His own, His death was only for those who sinned. Death could not hold Him because He never sinned.

With His work accomplished, He could truly be considered our Bread from Heaven. His resurrection proved it and His sinless perfection under the law was 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.

And so not only is He the Bread of Life, He is our Bread of Life. He is the One who sustains us at the beginning of our walk and ever after as well. We are always acceptable in God’s presence because of Christ’s work. Sinless once, and sinless for all time. Thank God for Jesus Christ our Bread of life!

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

III. The Lampstand (verses 17-24)

17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was 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 extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.

In the Bible, like in life, there is a contrast between light and darkness. Light is life, light provides clarity, and light grants surety. Darkness is opposed to this. The lampstand, or menorah, symbolizes that which provides the true light, Christ Jesus.

The details of the menorah were so minutely given because it details the marvelous work of Christ which runs all the way throughout redemptive history. He is the Light of the World, and everything associated with Him gives us guidance and illumination as we trek westward, back to the very presence of God.

The menorah was designed so that six branches would all come out of one and be supported by that one. The middle branch is the Messiah, Christ Jesus. From Him, stems out everything else by which the workings of God are illuminated. As He Himself said –

“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

From Christ comes the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord which directs all aspects of both the creative and redemptive processes.

Concerning creation, from Him comes all of that which is created. And therefore, everything found in the six days of creation rests upon Him. It is all dependent on Him for its existence, both initial and on-going. He is also reflected in the seventh day, that of rest.

His human arrival at the year 4000, the very middle of the 7000-year span of human history, indicates that His advent is the true light which lights up all of time, from day 1, until the last day. In His coming, His life is that which gives rest to all who came before Him, and to all who have come since. Human history is centered on the Light which shines forth in His incarnation.

Concerning redemption, He is the center of the dispensations of time. In His advent and through His work, He bestowed God’s grace upon mankind. Thus, His work is that which illuminates all seven dispensations of redemptive history. Each hangs upon what He has done for us through the redemptive process.

There was Innocence. When that was lost, there came a corresponding Promise. There was Conscience, and with that came the corresponding Law. And there was Government, and with it will come the corresponding Millennium. All of these are ultimately dependent on, and illuminated by, the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.

And all of this is revealed in and by Him who lights up Scripture. The word is received from Him, it points to Him, and it is only properly understood by His illumination. And this illumination is two-fold. First, it is illuminated about Him. He is the Subject of it. Until this is realized, it is a book which really makes no sense at all. Secondly, it is illuminated by Him. He is the One to make it understood as He opens minds to its hidden truths concerning Him.

In all ways, Christ is the true Light of the world which brings sense, harmony, and even ever-lasting joy to that which would otherwise seem illogical, chaotic, and downright hopeless. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.

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

IV. The Altar, the Oil, and the Incense (verses 25-29)

25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.

The construction of the Altar of Incense is not listed in the same place as it was in the giving of the instructions. It was detailed, much, much later in the instructions. And the oil and the incense was detailed even later than that. The reason for their unusual placement in those instructions was explained, and we saw that it was for exceptionally profound reasons.

But in the construction of them, they are noted now because they pertain to the room in which they are to be placed and used, the Holy Place, before the Veil. Every detail of these things was carefully analyzed, and all of it pointed to Christ and His work for us and through us.

The incense itself represents prayer. Prayer is something that man has engaged in since the earliest times of human history, and it is something that has occurred at all points in history since then. It can be found in every culture and even among those who claim there is no God at all.

The altar pictures Christ as our means of acceptable prayer to God. The problem with man is that he has sin in his life. It is an infection which he is born with, and it is something that only increases as he continues to live out his life. And in that state, the Bible tells us the natural outcome that occurs –

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1, 2

Sin separates man from God and so He will not hear our prayers. Christ came to remedy that. In His life, He lived out the law for us, and in His death, He removed our sin from us. It is through Christ, and through Christ alone, that our prayers can be heard.

This is the amazing thing about the world. There are innumerable religions praying to God in an even larger number of ways, and yet it is simply wasted breath accompanied by useless offerings. That was reflected in our text verse. In Hebrews, it said, “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, You had no pleasure.” What do we think we can offer to God that He will be satisfied with?

We can’t bribe Him. He doesn’t need money, food, clothes, or any other thing. The Bible shows us the only thing that will, in fact, please Him, faith. For example, there is steady stream of speculation as to why the Lord accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s.

People pursue long theological discussions about animal sacrifice as opposed to grain and fruit offerings. They look to the crimson thread of blood offerings which fill the Bible, and which point to Christ’s shed blood. On and on the speculation goes, but the Bible simply and clearly explains the matter –

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” Hebrews 11:4

The first two words explain it all – “By faith.” People come to God with offerings in an attempt to bribe Him into listening to them.  But God rejects that. What He is looking for is one who has faith in what He has promised, both in what He has done in relation to that promise, and what He will continue to do in relation to it.

And the promise was given to the first man, Adam. It was the promise of a Messiah. Because of this, only faith in Messiah brings prayers to God’s ears. For the world today, the Messiah has come. And so, only prayers that are in accord with this Messiah-revealed, meaning Jesus, are prayers that will be heard. No prayer outside of Him is acceptable, no not even from His chosen people Israel.

The Messiah has come and they must come through Him. And within the church, there are no secondary levels to His authority. We cannot pray to or through images of Him, saints, His mother, or to any living intermediary. We are either in Christ and our prayers to God are heard because they are offered to Him through Christ, or they are unheard by Him.

In the actual incense and the anointing oil, we saw that all of it pointed to Christ, to the word of God, and to the work which Christ fulfilled as is recorded in His word. God chose specific ingredients whose words came from particular root words to guide us to a complete and full appreciation of what each thing symbolized.

In Christ, those symbols are fulfilled. He is the fulfillment of each sweet smelling fragrance, and each dab of precious oil. Through Him, the Spirit is given, the mouth of the prophet speaks, and the word is inspired. Through Him, our prayers rise without hindrance to God who is pleased to hear them, and to respond to them according to His infinite wisdom.

Some prayers may go unanswered, but in Christ, none go unheard. Thank God for the precious Gift which He molded throughout all of human history in order to be a place, a body, in which He could dwell. Thank God for Jesus Christ our Mediator.

God worked meticulously and exactingly to lead from Adam to Christ. On the way there, He worked in the same fashion in giving us pictures of Him by which and through which He worked for, and responded to, His people Israel. In Jesus, the Person is revealed, and in Christ, the pictures are fulfilled.

Let nothing hinder us from our devotion to Christ, and let nothing obscure our vision of Him. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. In His presence, we will stand in the very presence of God. Why should we look anywhere else now as we await that marvelous moment when we behold Him with our own eyes, and see the fulfillment of these mere types and shadows.

Let us be people of faith, who respond to the words of Scripture with a sense of awe and wonder as we behold the glory of Christ, letting it transform us into the same image, from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Though the world has come to the point where we are mocked for our faith, let us be those who stand approved and unashamed, holding fast to the great and eternal words which reveal that same faith that we profess. Be one of the greats in the kingdom of God by being one of the greats of faith now.

Stand and rejoice in Christ, even if though – for a little while – you may be grieved by various trials. Know and understand that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than pure gold which perishes, will be found to praise, honor, and glory when Jesus Christ is revealed. Stand on your faith in the One whom, even though you have not seen, Him you still love. Abide securely in His word, and revel in the marvelous promises which lie ahead.

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

Next Week: Exodus 38:1-8 We have no fear where shall end our earthly trod… (Justified and Sanctified before Our God) (101st 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 in Every Detail

Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood
Two and a half cubits was its length, as it was intended to be
A cubit and a half its width, this was understood
And a cubit and a half its height, you see

He overlaid it with pure gold
Inside and outside, he did it overlay
And made on it a molding of gold all around
Such was done, as the Lord did say

And he cast for it four rings of gold
In its four corners, to be applied
Two rings on one side, as the Lord had told
And two rings on the other side

He made poles of acacia wood
And overlaid them with gold, as was understood

And he put the poles
Into the rings of the ark at each side
To bear the ark
To the instructions, he did abide

He also made the mercy seat of pure gold
Two and a half cubits was its length, as it was to be
And a cubit and a half its width
Such were its dimensions, you see

He made two cherubim of beaten gold
He made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat
Just as he had been told

One cherub at one end on this side
And the other cherub at the other end on that side, a marvelous feat
He made the cherubim at the two ends
Of one piece with the mercy seat

The cherubim spread out their wings above
And covered the mercy seat with their wings, as was meet
They faced one another
The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat

He made the table of acacia wood
Two cubits was its length, it was made just right
A cubit its width, as was understood
And a cubit and a half its height

And with pure gold he did it overly
And made a molding of gold all around it
Just as the Lord did say

Also he made a frame
Of a handbreadth all around
And made a molding of gold
For the frame all around; surely its appearance did astound

And he cast for it four rings of gold
And put the rings on the four corners
That were at its four legs, just as he was told

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

And he made the poles of acacia wood
To bear the table
And overlaid them with gold, as was understood
In fashioning this, he was found to be able

He made of pure gold the utensils
Which were on the table, as you see
Its dishes, its cups, its bowls
And its pitchers for pouring, each made exquisitely

He also made the lampstand of pure gold
He made the lampstand of hammered work
Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers
Were of the same piece, his duties he did not shirk

And six branches came out of its sides
Three branches of the lampstand out of one side
And three branches of the lampstand
Out of the other side, care to the instructions he applied

There were three bowls made like
Almond blossoms on one branch, you see
With an ornamental knob and a flower
He followed the directions carefully

And three bowls made like almond blossoms
On the other branch; the directions he did understand
With an ornamental knob and a flower
And so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand

And on the lampstand itself were four bowls
Like almond blossoms, so he made
Each with its ornamental knob and flower
So it was arrayed

There was a knob, so he did do
Under the first two branches of the same, it was his 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 extending from it
He did as the directions did submit

Their knobs and their branches were of one piece as he was told
All of it was one hammered piece of pure gold

And he made its seven lamps, again just as he was told
Its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold

Of a talent of pure gold he made it
With all its utensils, just as the directions did submit

He made the incense altar of acacia wood
In this manner he made it as was understood

Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit
It was square, as by the instructions accordingly
And two cubits was its height
Its horns were of one piece with it too, you see

And he overlaid it with pure gold
Its top, its sides all around, and its horns as well
He also made for it a molding
Of gold all around it, following the instructions so well

For it, he made two rings of gold
Under its molding, as the details did submit
By its two corners on both sides
As holders for the poles with which to bear it

And he made the poles of acacia wood
And overlaid them with gold, as was understood

He also made the holy anointing oil
And the pure incense of sweet spices too
According to the work of the perfumer
All of these things Bezalel did as he was instructed to do

Lord God, it all is about Christ, so we see
And our faith is strengthened in Him through each detail
He is portrayed in this word so perfectly
And so our faith is bolstered, as we pass along life’s trail

The care You have placed in this precious word
Leads us step by step to better knowing Jesus
In it we have confidence, through what we have heard
Confidence of Your great love and care for us

In Christ You are with us; Christ faithful and true
And because of Him we shall forever praise and glorify You

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 36:1-38 (The People’s Offering)

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Exodus 36:1-38
The People’s Offering

We’re going to cover more verses today in a single sermon than I have ever presented before. And with many verses comes many details. It doesn’t matter that 31 of the verses have been substantially given to you before, you probably don’t remember 99.837% of what those details pertained to.

Because of this, instead of our usual 24 or 25 page sermon, we have 139 pages to get through. Lunch,,, no lunch. You’ll be blessed if you’re home by bed time. Ok, that won’t happen. Other than the first seven verses, we won’t go into any detail at all. But those seven verses have a lot of relevant detail which you can contemplate and apply to your own life in the presence of the Lord.

When we get towards the end of them, I’m going to highlight a group of people who tend to give more than any others. It almost seems like a universal truth, and it probably stems from the fact that those who don’t have, don’t worry about what they don’t have. But those who do have always worry about keeping it. Solomon actually talked about this in Ecclesiastes 5:12 –

Text Verse: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
Whether he eats little or much;
But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.”

From the verses today, we will see that some of the people probably didn’t sleep the night through, but it was because they were preparing something for the Lord, not because they were worried about losing what they had. Their hearts were geared towards a good goal, and they were determined to meet that goal, laboring with their hands in order to make it come about.

Is this what you are doing with your time? Are you working towards meeting goals which are honoring of the Lord, or are you filling your time with all kinds of other things? Solomon tells us to enjoy our time and to find pleasure in the work of our hands, and in the blessings which that work provides, but he also makes us aware that we have responsibilities to the Lord. The people of Israel who are highlighted today, spent themselves for a good cause and they are remembered for it now.

Let each of us endeavor to act in the same way with these brief lives that we have been given. Soon enough we will be facing the Lord to make an account of ourselves. Such truths are 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 People’s Freewill Offerings (verses 1-5)

“And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary,

The chapter begins with this verse which curiously seems rightly placed at the end of chapter 35. In verses 30-35, Bezalel and Aholiab were named by Moses as the ones called by the Lord to accomplish the work set forth for the construction of the sanctuary.

Moses also noted their ability to teach all the others in the skills necessary to accomplish those tasks. He even said of Bezalel almost exactly what is said of him here again. In verse 31, he said that “He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship.”

It is of note that there it said the Lord “filled him with the Spirit of God.” Now it says that “the Lord has put wisdom and understanding” in him. It is the Lord who gives the Spirit. Therefore, the wisdom and understanding are from the Lord. This is exactly what Jesus says of Himself in the New Testament –

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15

It is another, of the innumerable verses of Scripture, which point to the fact that Yehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus of the New. The same Lord who directs the Spirit of God is found in both, because they are One and the same.

As far as the curious placement of this verse being place here instead of at the end of the last chapter which closed out with the words, “…those who do every work and those who design artistic works,” that spoke of Bezalel and Aholiab and it also spoke of all of those who were to be directed by them. Because of this, it would seem that this first verse of chapter 36 should be placed in that section as a final clause. In fact, Adam Clarke argues that it is, in fact, misplaced –

“The first verse of this chapter should end the preceding chapter, and this should begin with verse the second; as it now stands, it does not make a very consistent sense.” Adam Clarke

And yet, it is instead placed as an introductory clause to this new chapter! It is so curious, that there are two different ways in which this verse is translated. The first is in the past tense –

“Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.” (KJV)

They have certainly done this with the assumption that it is a statement explaining what lies ahead as an accomplished fact. The second is in the future tense as is recorded in the NKJV and others. It is hard to be dogmatic on which is correct, but the reason for the curious placement is actually seen in the next words…

1 (con’t) shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”

Rather than being a concluding thought for the last chapter, this verse is given as an opening thought for this one. It thus ties the two together, and it shows that what the Lord has commanded is to be accomplished. What will be described from here on out is then exactly what was commanded by the Lord.

Though these men were chosen by the Lord, and though they were filled with the Spirit of God, they are not working independently of the commands of the Lord, but in accord with them. One cannot claim authority in speaking for the Lord without doing that which the Lord has commanded.

Wow! If people would simply realize this, they would very quickly turn from the false leaders of the world and to those who conduct their lives in accord with the word of God. Any church which has its own catechism, book of laws, or the like to which they are obedient has already started down the wrong path. Those can be amended by man who wrote them, but the word of God is fixed and unchanging. Only in an adhering to what the Lord has commanded can there be people who are truly led by His Spirit.

2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.

Verse 1 was given as an introductory thought, directing the people to adherence to the word of the Lord. With that done, Moses is now noted as actually calling those who have the ability to perform that same word. There are those who have abilities, and the desire to perform the work of the Lord, but there still needs to be a calling of them for the ability and desire to be used.

And so several things are seen here which must all work together. 1) There are those who are capable, but not willing. 2) There are those who are willing, but are not capable. 3) There are those who are both willing and capable, but who are not called. 4) There are those who are willing and capable, and who also receive the call.

To call those who are capable, but are not willing will lead to frustration of the individual in his tasks. To call those who are not capable, but who still want to work, will lead to frustration for everyone else who has to make up for their deficiencies. And to call those who are not willing and also not capable will lead to complete frustration and failure in all regards. Only when the qualifications are met, and a need for them exists, should a call be made for the work of the Lord.

For now, those with the abilities and the desire to use them are called forward by Moses to accomplish the work. The verses which describe that work begin in verse 8 and go all the way through the end of chapter 39. They are going to have a ton of repetition to the instructions given to Moses in Exodus 25-30.

In those chapters, that which was expected to be done was spoken. In these chapters, that which is done is to be documented. The seemingly tedious repetition is given in order to demonstrate exactly what was given in verse 1 concerning the words, “…all that the Lord has commanded.”

In other words, there is an expectancy that the word of the Lord will be fulfilled, even in the minutest detail. The accomplishment of this work in that same detail is given to show obedience to that word. If the work does not represent the instruction, then an incorrect presentation of the Lord’s word would be the result.

As each detail of the instructions were given as anticipatory pictures of Christ, then any details not adhered to would present a false picture of Christ. In other words, it is showing us two truths. The first is that there is the true Christ, and there are false Christs.

The second is that the true Christ is revealed in type and shadow in what is ultimately made, and then approved of by Moses. This adherence to the minutest details of what the Lord had spoken will be seen in the final words of this long and detailed section –

“According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.” Exodus 39:42-43

Understanding this, we will not skip over these three chapters of repetition, but will go through them – just not with the same minute parsing of each word that we went through before. Rather, we will simply and quickly follow them along and highlight the work as it goes. In the chapters ahead, I will also use what is being explained as a basis for following other avenues for us to pursue. Don’t lose interest in what lies ahead. These are repeated for your benefit and instruction, so cherish them with that in mind.

3 And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary.

Back in Exodus 25:8, the term miqdash, or sanctuary, was used to describe everything concerned with what is being constructed. Two other terms were given. One was the mishkan, or tabernacle, and the other was the ohel, or tent.

Some translations have followed the words precisely, stating them as intended each time they were used. Others, like the KJV, were regularly wrong in how they presented the tent and the tabernacle. This causes confusion as to what was being spoken of.

The word translated here as “sanctuary” is ha’qodesh, or literally, the holy. However, it is the same in meaning as miqdash, and so the word “sanctuary” is correct. Everything about the structure is holy, and it is a single unit which comprises the sanctuary.

Understanding this, all of the offering which is brought forward is for the purpose of making the sanctuary. The opening words of the verse are v’yiqhu mil-liphne moshe. Literally, “And received from before the face of Moses.” The mental image here is piles and piles of offerings which were first presented to Moses, and who then passed them on to the workmen for the required service.

3 (con’t) So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.

The word v’hem or “And they” is emphatic here. It is speaking of the Israelites now. There were piles of goods which had been brought, but the people continued to bring more as a nedabah, or “freewill offering.” This is the first time this word is used in the Bible, and it is correctly translated as “freewill.” The people voluntarily gave, they did so with spontaneity, and they continued to give ba’boqer ba’boqer, or “by morning by morning.”

The fact that the offerings are specified as coming in the morning shows that the people labored to make whatever was requested, maybe spinning the yarn or preparing the animal hides, whatever. They worked into the night and excitedly got up and rushed to Moses to present their offerings.

Others surely lay in bed and thought, “Did I give enough yesterday,” or “Tom gave more than me and I feel embarrassed to have done so little.” The thoughts of the night compelled the people to search themselves out and to decide on what gift they would be willing to present the next day. At morning, they would come forward to ease the burden of the call upon their hearts.

4 Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing,

The word for “craftsmen” here is ha’khakamim. Literally, it means “the wise men.” In other words, they are those with the skills of the labor. They are noted here as suspending their work on the sanctuary, and so there must be an important reason for doing so…

5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”

A new word is brought into the Bible here, dai, or enough. In this verse it is connected to the word min, and so it is being used in a comparative sense, thus “more than enough.” There was a need, and the need has been more than met. The Lord commanded the work, the people were asked for an offering, not out of compulsion, and the need is met and even more so. What the Lord has commanded will be realized. This same marvelous sense of giving is seen again in 1 Chronicles where the people gave for the building of the temple in Jerusalem –

“Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly. 7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, into the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly.” 1 Chronicles 26:6-9

And again, in the building of the second temple after the exile of Israel, the people gave as is recorded in both Ezra and Nehemiah. Today, even as we live and breathe, the people of Israel are giving for the building of the next temple. It is sad that it is a misdirected giving in that they have missed Christ in the process.

6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.”

What the previous verse as well as this verse imply, without actually stating it, is the integrity of the workmen and of Moses. If they wanted to, they could have kept gathering up the things brought forward and lined their own pockets with the excess.

Moses could have said, “This will be our pay. Let them bring what they want.” But neither occurred. The workmen had enough for the work and they passed that onto Moses. He was interested in the work of the Lord which was now fully provided for, and so he made it known that it was time to stop bringing offerings.

What is more, the words, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work” indicates that it was the people who were offering things which required labor who seemed to be the most willing to give. The making of thread, yarn, dyed fabrics, and the like is what is specifically being noted. These would be the common people who probably had the least to give, and yet they gave abundantly out of their poverty.

This reminds me of the trip I took in 2010. I stayed with quite a few families as I went around the US. They were all exceptionally kind and took good care of me. But the family that went far beyond their ability to help was the poorest that I stayed with. They literally lived hand to mouth and yet when I left, they had prepared enough food for a travelling army, sending me off with that.

The same was true in the poorest countries that I visited in the past. Those who had nothing, always gave beyond their ability to give, and yet in the more wealthy countries, it was never the case.

On the other side of this same note, it is this poorest group, those who have the least to give, who are always targeted by the false teachers and preachers of the gospel. They know this truth, and they take advantage of it in order to enrich themselves. They promise that the windows of heaven will be opened to their audience if they just give, knowing that they will be taking what cannot be afforded.

If they could, they would even steal the food, half-chewed, out of the mouths of their woefully-cheated flock. Moses will have none of it. He has been told of the surplus and he now speaks out the command to decease and desist from bringing more. It is to such a noble group that the command now goes out.

6 (con’t) And the people were restrained from bringing,

The word here for “restrained,” kala, means just that. It was first used in Genesis 8:2 when the Lord shut up the windows of heaven in order to restrain the rains after the flood. The word gives the sense of a purposeful restraining action. In this case, the people had to be so restrained from giving more. It shows the true desire of them to be considered as having taken a part in the construction of this marvelous edifice. Charles Ellicott notes of this verse –

“The humblest class of contributors would thus appear to have shown itself the most zealous. When will Christian liberality be so excessive as to require to be ‘restrained’?”

7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.

The dai, or sufficiency, of verse 5 is repeated again here. This is bolstered by the use of the same word in the Hebrew to translate both “the material” and “the work.” In essence, it says, “And the work they had was sufficient for all the work to be done.”

Although the verses so far reflect a strong desire for the construction of the sanctuary, we must go back and remember what the construction of the sanctuary implies to fully understand the importance of these verses. In verse 33:3, we read this –

“Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

The Lord had told Moses that He would not go up in their midst. This implied that the tabernacle would not be built and that they would only be led to Canaan, but would not be given the blessing and honor of having the Lord in their midst.

Because of this, the people stripped themselves from that time on of any ornaments. They were a people in mourning at their rejection by the Lord. From this act of contrition, and the mediation of Moses, the Lord relented and agreed to go up in their midst. The sanctuary was to be the proof of His presence and so the offerings were given with that in mind.

The people, in their giving, showed their strongest desire to uphold this covenant relationship with the Lord. And as is the case, it was the lowly and humble who were at the forefront of the process. It is a truth which Paul showed still exists in the church –

“Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

The churches of Macedonia were poor and even needy, and yet, they gave beyond their means in order to minister to the saints in Jerusalem. This self-sacrificial giving is more often than not seen in the poorest of the people. They, like the widow whom Jesus highlighted at the temple, give much out of their poverty, while the rich normally give out little in compared to their wealth.

For the service of the Lord, here in His church
What are you willing to give?
Have you something to offer, or will you rest on your perch?
And vainly whittle away this life that you live

Have you a skill or an ability that is of use?
And are you willing to use it in the service of the Lord?
If you have and do not share, what is your excuse?
What other thing have you geared your life toward?

Surely you have a talent or a treasure
Something that can be used to glorify the Lord
And so use it to the full; to the highest measure
Don’t let your gifts to God simply be ignored

For He will reward you, and do so without measure
Seek His glory now and you will receive heavenly treasure

II. The Construction Begins (verses 8-38)

As I said, much of the words of chapters 36-39 are almost identical to the words given to Moses on Mount Sinai in regards to the instructions for building the tabernacle. That section of repetition now begins with verse 8. In most cases, the tenses of the verbs are the only things that make any substantial changes in the details. It would not make any sense to cut and paste those sermon verses when they can be listened to on-line. Rather, we will cover the rest of the chapter today in one large brushstroke.

8 Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made ten curtains woven of fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim they made them. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the curtains were all the same size. 10 And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set; likewise he did on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. 12 Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain on the end of the second set; the loops held one curtain to another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be one tabernacle.
14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain of the second set. 18 He also made fifty bronze clasps to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

In these verses, from verse 8 until verse 18, the details correspond in an exact manner to Exodus 26:1-11. They were detailed in the sermon entitled The Tabernacle and the Tent. Marvelous pictures of Christ were seen at that time.

19 Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering of badger skins above that.
20 For the tabernacle he made boards of acacia wood, standing upright. 21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board a cubit and a half. 22 Each board had two tenons for binding one to another. Thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. 24 Forty sockets of silver he made to go under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. 25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty boards 26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards. 27 For the west side of the tabernacle he made six boards. 28 He also made two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle. 29 And they were coupled at the bottom and coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus he made both of them for the two corners. 30 So there were eight boards and their sockets—sixteen sockets of silver—two sockets under each of the boards.
31 And he made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 32 five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle on the far side westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from one end to the other. 34 He overlaid the boards with gold, made their rings of gold to be holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

In these verses, from verse 19 until verse 34, the details correspond in an exact manner to Exodus 26:14-29. Those verses were mostly detailed in the sermon A Sure Foundation and a Steady Frame. Again, marvelously beautiful pictures of Christ were seen in every verse at that time.

35 And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim. 36 He made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them.

In these verses, from verse 35 and verse 36, the details correspond in an exact manner to Exodus 26:33, 34. Those details were seen in the sermon The Veil and the Screen. It seems almost impossible to imagine all of the details of Christ which were seen in those verses, but the Lord fit them in for us to marvel over.

37 He also made a screen for the tabernacle door, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.

These last two verses of the chapter correspond to Exodus 26:36 & 37. They were also covered in that same sermon, The Veil and the Screen.

In all of these verses, there are some translational errors depending on which version you use. For example, in these final two verses, the NKJV continues with the word “tabernacle” of the previous verses in this chapter even though the Hebrew changes from mishkan, meaning “tabernacle,” to ohel, meaning “tent.”

Such errors in translation will easily cause confusion in the reader if they are attempting to do a detailed study such as we have done with the verses in the past. This is why, as I often note, it is really important to not get stuck on a single translation of the Bible. It is detrimental to a right understanding of many important areas of Scripture. It causes people to become myopic and their theology will surely suffer because of it.

In all, we have just gone through the same verses which once took us three complete sermons to get through. If you missed those, you missed more detail than you could really imagine. I would implore you to go back and review them and see what marvelous pictures of Christ are revealed in these 31 verses.

Other than the first seven verses of today’s sermon, nothing new has been introduced to your ears, but those seven verses were enough, I hope, to prompt you to consider your willingness to give in the service of the Lord. And I am not merely talking about coming to the Superior Word. I am referring to what you are willing to do FOR the Lord.

There are skills which you possess, resources which you have, and opportunities which come your way continuously to share of yourself to others and for others. The people of Israel built a sanctuary for the Lord to dwell in. We are a part of a much more marvelous temple that is being built in which God will reside forever.

Each person that comes to the Lord through your efforts, or who is built up in the Lord because of your efforts, is another beautiful stone which is being set in that temple.

Don’t hold back of yourself, but be willing to expend yourself for this marvelous edifice which God is erecting. And if you just happen to be here and are not one of the saved of Christ, let me tell you about His cross and what that means to you…

Closing Verse: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

Next Week: Exodus 37:1-29 Be sure to invite all your friends by email… (Christ in Every Detail) (100th 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 People’s Offering

And Bezalel and Aholiab
And every gifted artisan
In whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding
Yes, in each and every man

To know how to do all manner of work
For the service of the sanctuary
Shall do according to all that the LORD has commanded
The instructions meticulously, out you shall carry

Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab
And every gifted artisan too
In whose heart the LORD had put wisdom
Everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and the work do

And they received from Moses
All the offering which the children of Israel
Had brought for the work of the service
Of making the sanctuary; they had offered ever so well

So they continued bringing to him, as we read
Freewill offerings every morning; suitable offerings indeed

Then all the craftsmen who were doing
All the work of the sanctuary came
Each from the work he was doing, each task he was pursuing
Yes, all the craftsmen, just the same

And they spoke to Moses, saying
“The people bring much more than enough
For the service of the work
Which the LORD commanded us to do –
They have brought lots of stuff

So Moses gave a commandment
And they caused it to be proclaimed the camp throughout
Saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work
For the offering of the sanctuary; we have enough no doubt

And the people were restrained from bringing
For the material they had was sufficient
For all the work to be done—
Indeed too much, nothing requested was now deficient

Then all the gifted artisans among them
Who worked on the tabernacle
Made ten curtains woven of fine linen
And of blue, purple, and scarlet thread; the weaving they did tackle

With artistic designs of cherubim, them they made
They did marvelous work with their trade

The length of each curtain was cubits twenty-eight
And the width of each curtain cubits four
The curtains were all the same size
They were thus made properly for sure

And he coupled five curtains to one another, thus he did do
And the other five curtains he coupled to one another too

He made loops of blue yarn on the edge
Of the curtain on the selvedge of set one
Likewise he did on the outer edge
Of the other curtain of the second set; so it was done

Fifty loops he made on one curtain
And fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain
On the end of the second set
The loops held one curtain to another, this is for certain

And he made fifty clasps of gold
And coupled the curtains, this job he did tackle
To one another with the clasps
That it might be one tabernacle

He made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent
Over the tabernacle
He made eleven curtains, giving one hundred percent

The length of each curtain was cubits thirty
And the width of each curtain cubits four
The eleven curtains were the same size
And they were made properly for sure

He coupled five curtains by themselves, this he did do
And six curtains by themselves too

And he made fifty loops on the edge
Of the curtain that is outermost in one set
And fifty loops he made on the edge
Of the curtain of the second set, the loops he didn’t forget

He also made fifty bronze clasps, so it was done
To couple the tent together
That it might be one

Then he made a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red
And a covering of badger skins above that, just as the Lord said

For the tabernacle he made boards
Of acacia wood, standing upright, per the Lord’s words

The length of each board was ten cubits, accordingly
And the width of each board a cubit and a half, you see

Each board had two tenons
For binding one to another, this challenge he did tackle
Thus he made for all the boards
Of the tabernacle

And for the tabernacle, boards he did make
Twenty boards for the south side, this task he did undertake

Forty sockets of silver he made, according to the Lord’s words
To go under the boards twenty
Two sockets for its two tenons under each of the boards

And for the other side of the tabernacle, the north side
He made twenty boards, you see
And their forty sockets of silver
Two sockets under each of the boards, accordingly

For the side of the tabernacle to the west
He made six boards, just as to him the Lord addressed

He made two boards also
For the two back corners of the tabernacle
This is where they did go

And they were coupled at the bottom
And coupled together at the top by one ring
Thus he made both of them
For the two corners, he did accomplish this thing

So there were eight boards
And their sockets—sockets of silver, numbering sixteen
Two sockets under each of the boards
He did this according to the pattern Moses had seen

And he made bars of acacia wood:
Five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle
As was to him made understood

Five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle too
And five bars for the boards of the tabernacle
On the far side westward, so he did do

And he made the middle bar to pass through, as the Lord did intend
The boards from one end to the other end

He overlaid the boards with gold
Made their rings of gold to be holders for the bars
And overlaid the bars with gold, just as he was told

And he made a veil
Of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, so he did entwine
And fine woven linen
It was worked with cherubim in an artistic design

He made for it four pillars of acacia wood
And overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold
And he cast four sockets of silver for them
He did this just as the Lord had told

He also made a screen for the tabernacle door
Of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, these three
And fine woven linen, made by a weaver
And its five pillars with their hooks, as it was intended to be

And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold
But their five sockets were bronze, just as he was told

Lord God, You have given us instructions in Your word
Things which we are to do as You determine are right
And so help us to be obedient, help us in this Lord
That we may walk in a manner which is pleasing in Your sight

Lord, surely in obedience to You, with this You are pleased
And in this obedience surely all our griefs are eased

And so with this we will press on, our eyes fixed on Jesus
Who is the greatest joy and the highest hope for each of us

Hallelujah and Amen…