Book of the Covenant

Exodus 40:17-38 (The Lord in Their Midst)

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Exodus 40:17-38
The Lord in Their Midst

Today is our last set of verses in the book of Exodus. This is our 105th sermon for the book as well. It has been an amazing adventure and the perfection of God’s word has been seen in countless different ways during our trip through it.

We have learned history, there have been innumerable moral lessons which have been presented to us, there have been prophetic pictures of things to come, and there has been an astonishing array of symbolism of Christ and His word revealed in every passage we’ve looked at.

These verses reveal the completion of an amazing journey which began when Moses ascended Sinai in Exodus 25. It has been an extraordinary 39 sermons since he was first told that the Lord was going to build a sanctuary to dwell in, there in the midst of Israel.

He immediately began to give details of what was to come, and as He did, He was revealing hidden pictures of the glory that those things only symbolized… Christ! Christ was being described in the minutest detail. His Person, His work, His word, His grace and mercy, His judgment, and His purifying glory.

And one picture which was being presented is now realized in His church. The tabernacle where the Lord would dwell was simply a picture of the church, the people of God, which is being built into a greater and more perfect temple for Him to dwell. Paul tells us this in out text verse of the day –

Text 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

Moses, who has been a marvelous type of Christ on numerous occasions, will erect the tabernacle in today’s passage, and the Lord will move into His dwelling. When He does, the refulgency of God will shine forth in such a dazzling display that it will be impossible to approach near.

Now imagine what it will be like when God’s people are glorified, and Christ comes to dwell among us for all eternity. The glories which lie ahead for the people of God make all of the distasteful trials of this world seem like they never happened. There is a hope which lies ahead for the faithful in Christ which will supersede anything we can possibly imagine.

Personally, I can’t wait for the day. And may that day be soon. Mere hints of what lies ahead will close out the book of Exodus for us. What a joy this book has been as the Lord has unfurled countless treasures concerning Himself and His marvelous plan of redemption.

We have this final passage to go. A passage which is a wonderful part of 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. Setting up the Tabernacle and the Most Holy Place (verses 17-21)

17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.

As according to verse 2 of this chapter, the words are fulfilled now. It was on the day of the new year, when the first year of freedom turned to the next according to the redemptive calendar which was given to Moses by the Lord, that the tabernacle was raised up.

It is exactly 345 days after departing from Egypt and 300 days since arriving at Sinai that the instructions were carried out. It is now the year 2515AM, or “in the year of the world.

For the time spent on the actual work of the tabernacle, the eighty days that Moses was on the mountain have to be deducted. Also, the giving of the law itself, and any intervals between these events needs to be deducted as well. In all, the work was fully accomplished in about one half of a year. With it having been approved by Moses, it would now be assembled in a single day…

18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.

There is dispute among scholars as to whether the word “fastened” is correct or not concerning the sockets. Various translations say, “put in place,” “set down,” “laid,” and “installed.” The word is nathan, from where our modern name Nathan comes from. It means to “give” or “put.”

The bases were extremely heavy, but some scholars think they were still not heavy enough to support the weight without tipping over. Therefore, they speculate that they were wedge-shaped, and they were actually partially buried in the ground. Whether this is the case or not, the tabernacle, once joined as a unit and secured with cords and pegs, would be one sturdy structure.

19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This would have certainly been the most difficult part of the entire operation. If you’ve ever worked with tents, you know this. But these people had been tent-dwellers for countless generations and could take down and put up their tents in a most trouble-free manner. Even today, the Bedouins move their large tents, breaking them down and setting them up, with little trouble.

The verse here shows, and even highlights, the great distinction between the two separate units. There is the tabernacle, and then there is the tent over the tabernacle. One covers over the other, and in almost all instances, the title “the tent of meeting” is used rather than “the tabernacle of meeting.” The tabernacle was raised, and then the tent which comprised both the ram skins dyed red and then the outer covering of the skins of sea animals was placed over the tabernacle.

20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.

This verse should rightfully say, “He had taken the Testimony and put it into the ark.” The two tablets of the Ten Commandments, meaning the Testimony, were placed in there when Moses came down from the mountain. This is recorded in Deuteronomy 10:5. The only other explanation is that Deuteronomy 10 was referring to this time. If so, then the Ten Commandments were left outside of the ark for quite some duration of time. This is unlikely.

Either way, the rest of the Ark was probably not assembled until now. It is at this time that the Testimony would be covered with the mercy seat and the poles were placed on the ark. Out of all 20 translations that I look at for these sermons, only the NKJV says that he “inserted the poles through the rings of the ark.”

The Hebrew never mentions the rings, and so their translation is more of an explanatory paraphrase. Unfortunately, they didn’t italicize those words, and so it must be considered a bad translation of this verse, even though it is a correct idea. As this is God’s word, precision should be made in matters like this.

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This would have been the last time that the Israelite people would have seen the ark for many, many hundreds of years. From this moment on, the ark was never to be seen by anyone except the high priest, and that only once a year. However, during the time of the movement of the tabernacle, it would also be seen by the priests designated to cover it before it was transported from place to place. This is recorded in Numbers 4:5.

Other than these exceptions, the ark was to forever remain behind the veil, showing the people that there was a fracture, or divide, between them and the Lord. The veil, with its cherubim woven into it, was to remind them that man had been cast out of Eden and could not enter the Lord’s presence, except through a mediator. What a profound and sobering picture of the work of Christ whose coming and whose ministry was as of yet unknown to them.

What is surprising is that even to this day, the Jews don’t get it. They are in the process of making a new veil for the coming temple in Jerusalem. On that veil will be cherubim like those of old. They are willingly demonstrating that they have no access to God and to His paradise which is prepared for those who come to Him through Christ.

Thank God for Jesus Christ who rent the veil through His work. Thank God for Jesus Christ who restores to us the intimate fellowship which was lost to man at the very first moments of his long and weary existence on this earth.

The Most Holy Place, where the Lord does dwell
The place where all of His goodness is known
We had lost access to that place for a long, long spell
But hints of how to return us there have been shown

There in the place where peace is to be found
Where the Lord resides, and from where shines His glory
A marvelous place where joy does abound
Is revealed to us in the gospel story

Entering through the veil, the torn body of the Lord
And placing our sins at the foot of the cross of Calvary
We have full access, yes peace is restored
This is what God has done through Christ for you and for me

II. Setting up the Holy Place (verses 22-28)

22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil;

With the veil set, the attention is next turned to the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The first item to be placed there is the table of showbread. The Tabernacle points to the west with its entrance at the east. This then means that the north side is on the right. There the table was to be placed.

As a correction here, the Hebrew says, “And he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle.” Two different words are used – tent and tabernacle. But the translators erringly overlook this and call it the tabernacle both times.

In another sad state, but one which is too often repeated, one scholar incorrectly commented on this verse concerning the placement of this table, and from that it was repeated by others. The comment was that until this point, there were no instructions given for where this table would be placed. Here is what the Pulpit Commentary states –

“No direction had been given upon this point, but Moses probably knew the right position from the pattern which he had seen upon the mount.”

This is what happens, one person says something, and then it becomes accepted without checking. In fact, the placement for this table was noted when it was first mentioned in Exodus 26 –

“You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.” Exodus 26:35

When reading commentaries, never allow your brain to squiggle until you first check to see if the commentary is correct. If such an obvious error is possible with such a simple thing as this, imagine how much more important it is to check on doctrinal matters which can affect your entire walk with Christ, and even the matter of your salvation!

23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This is the “bread of the Presence,” or the “bread of the Faces” as it literally is translated in Exodus 25:30. According to Leviticus 26, it was to be set in two rows, six loves to a row.

Because the instructions for this are given afterwards in Leviticus, it shows that the book of Leviticus is not necessarily a chronological record of what was instructed. Instead, it is a compilation of what the Lord commanded which was then placed in the order as divinely inspired by the Lord.

24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle;

The lampstand is the next item set in the Holy Place within the tent of meeting. It will be on the left as one enters to minister. Its arrangement was to be so that it was over against the table so that the light would shine to the north and illuminate the table.

25 and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

In this verse is a Hebraism that is translated in one of two ways. The words are va’yaal ha’nerot. Some translators say, “And he set up the lamps.” Others say, “And he lit the lamps.” Only Young’s Literal Translation gives a direct rendering of the Hebrew. He says, “And he causeth the lamps to go up.” It isn’t that he set up the lamps, it is that he lit them, thus making the light go up before the Lord. The Holy Place was illuminated through this work of Moses.

It should be noted here that it is Moses who is doing these duties. He certainly had help with the setting up of the tabernacle and the tent and each piece of furniture, but he is the one to oversee the entire process. Aaron is not mentioned as having done any of these things because he is not yet ordained to do them.

Only Moses is set apart to be the one in charge of the duties at this point. This will end in just a few days, when the rite of ordination is complete, but until then, it is his responsibility to ensure that each step is carried out. And as the process continues, we read again that he accomplishes the task “as the Lord commanded.” He is being a faithful steward of the tasks that he is charged with.

26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil;

This is the altar of incense, now called “the gold altar.” This is to distinguish it from the brazen altar which will be outside of the tent. It’s placement is just before the veil which would put it half way between the table and the menorah.

There before the veil, the smoke and smell of the incense would be the only thing to pass through the veil and into the Most Holy place each day. It signifies that the prayers of the people, through the Lord’s designated representative, would be received by God there in His dwelling place.

27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The incense would be lit and burned twice each day at the same times that the menorah was tended to. Again, this was a duty only authorized for the priests, and so once again, it says “as the Lord had commanded Moses.” It is a note that despite the fact that Moses was not the selected and ordained high priest, he was given the command to accomplish these tasks until Aaron and his sons were properly installed.

It is also worthy of note, once again, that the incense is called “sweet” or “fragrant.” The reason why this is so important is because not just any incense could be presented before the Lord. In just a few more chapters, and in just a few days from this very moment that Moses is working, two sons of Aaron will present unauthorized incense before the Lord, and they will be consumed by fire for their irreverence.

As this incense pictures acceptable prayers to God, the profane incense pictures unacceptable prayers to God. For us to mix our prayers with those of unbelievers, acknowledging their prayers as acceptable before the Lord, is a deed worthy of death.

We are not to pray with people of other religions as if we are praying to the same God. It is a direct affront to Him when we do this. There is one God, there is one Mediator between God and man, and there can be no fellowship between light and darkness.

28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle.

This hanging is the covering of the entranceway into the Holy Place. It was visible to the people from outside of the Tent of Meeting and anyone who was curious could watch the ministering priest go through this entryway, but their peering eyes could see no further than this.

The Holy Place where there is the Bread of life
The Holy Place where the Light of life shines so bright
The Holy place where prayers are raised to end all strife
There in the Holy Place the Lord came to cure our hopeless plight

His perfect life was ended so that we could live
His light was covered over so that we could shine
For us to His Father His prayers He did give
And to the world He has given His marvelous sign

Look to the cross and to our Bread of life
Look to the cross for the Light of the world
Pray through the One who has ended the strife
And give glory to the Lord who has His banner unfurled

III. Setting up the Courtyard and its Furniture (verses 29-33)

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The altar of burnt offering is connected directly to the door of the tabernacle in this verse. There is no connecting preposition in the Hebrew. Without this altar, there could be no access. One cannot minister to the Lord until he first offers to the Lord. Thus Moses has the altar placed in direct line with the entrance way and then it next notes that he made his offering, just as the Lord commanded.

30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing;

Despite the altar of burnt offering being connected to the door, this laver is still placed between the altar and the tent of meeting. The general speculation is that it was placed just off to the south side so that the priests would not have to go around it, but this is unstated in the Bible. Its purpose has been described already, washing. But the Lord once again states it and further defines it…

31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it.

The tense of the verb is frequentative. In other words, it indicates that washing took place at any given time. At this time, Moses would be the one to wash. When Aaron and his sons were installed, Moses would no longer perform priestly functions and he would no longer wash, but Aaron and his sons would. The verse simply explains the placement and use of the laver.

32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed,

The importance of the laver is seen in the exceptional amount of explanation given for it. So far, we have reviewed all of the furniture to be used in the sanctuary, and only this one piece has gotten so much detail concerning its use. If you don’t remember the symbolism of the laver, or if you didn’t see that sermon, you should go review. In short, it signifies our on-going sanctification which preeminently comes from knowing and adhering to the words of Scripture.

If you wonder how the Lord feels about the time you spend in the word, all you need to do is look at the amount of detail that He is giving us now as to the use of the laver. He wants you in it day and night. If you’re not filling yourself with the word, you are filling yourself with something else, probably something completely non-productive in regards to your relationship with the Lord.

32 (con’t) as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This is the last of eight times that this is said of Moses’ adherence to the duties he was prescribed. If you add in his supervision of the work of the people from the previous chapter, it is a full 18 times that the obedience of Moses is highlighted, just as the Lord commanded. With each step of the process, the Bible meticulously notes the adherence to what the Lord had previously spoken.

It is an especially poignant note for us to consider, because the word of the Lord to Moses is exactly the same word from the Lord which is recorded for us. Whether in part or in whole, when we receive the word of the Lord, our obedience to it, and our adherence to it is being gauged.

Moses was told, “Do this,” and the Bible then records, “Moses did this as commanded.” We are told, “Do this,” and when we stand before the Lord, the record will either read, “He did this,” or “He didn’t do this.” An eternity of rewards can be very easily lost in the purifying fire of the Lord’s judgment, simply because we failed to heed. Let’s not let that happen to us!

33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar,

The court around the tabernacle stretched out for about 150 feet on the north and south, and it was about 75 feet across on the west and on the east. In all then, it was approximately one half the size of a football field. It wasn’t just a court, but actually an enclosure. The tabernacle would have sat inside of it.

Flavius Josephus states that the tabernacle was placed in the middle of the court (Antiq. III 6, 3), but most photos or depictions you see have centered and all the way to the back of the courtyard. From a pictorial aspect, what Josephus says makes more sense. The placement of the ark, the very heart of the entire edifice would be there in the center of the sanctuary.

33 (con’t) and hung up the screen of the court gate.

This is the last detail mentioned for the entire sanctuary. It is the screen by which access into the court itself was obtained. As this is shown to clearly picture Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life – it is fitting that it is the last item mentioned. It is a note that in order to get through all of the other objects, and to the very throne of the Lord, one must come through Christ. There is no end-around for the people of the world. It is either Jesus, or one is left without access. Thank God for Jesus Christ!

33 (con’t) So Moses finished the work.

va’kal moshe eth ha’melakah – The words are simple and without any fanfare, “And finished Moses the work.” He was given a task, and he saw it through to its completion. The sanctuary was now complete in every detail.

As a note before we go on, the details of lighting lamps, burning incense, burning offerings, and washing with the laver – and so on – all of these details were certainly done after this final verse, but they were mentioned before to show that those functions were accomplished in accord with the use of the respective item.

Further, though the anointing of these items for their consecration isn’t mentioned until Leviticus 8, it is probable that it was accomplished directly after the final setting up of the sanctuary and as the week-long ordination of Aaron began.

It is I who consecrates Israel
It is by My glory that this is so
And it is I who can consecrate You as well
To you My holiness I will show

For those who call out from Egypt’s chains
I will respond and break them free
Nothing of the previous bondage now remains
For those who have been released by Me

I am the Lord who sanctifies His people
It is by My glory that this is so
So let them sing their praises from under the steeple
They are mine; let the world know

*IV. The Cloud and the Glory (verses 34-38)

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

The sign of the Lord’s approval of all that has taken place, and of His entry into His new residence is now given in a stunning display. The cloud which had led them from the Red Sea all the way to Mt. Sinai, and which had rested upon either Sinai, or Moses’ tent when he went to meet the Lord there, now enveloped the tent of meeting.

And from within the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord dazzlingly radiated out, filling the entire temple. The promise to dwell in the midst of Israel had now come to its realization.

Regardless of the actual timing of the events concerning the anointing of the tabernacle and all of the furniture, and also the timing of Aaron’s consecration, the temporary nature of the Levitical priesthood is made perfectly obvious by the placement of this final passage at the end of the book of Exodus instead of within the book of Leviticus. In Exodus 29, the Lord said these words to Moses –

“This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” Exodus 29:42, 43

At that time, I explained that the words “the tabernacle” were inserted by the translators. All it says is, v’niqdash bikbodi – “…and I will sanctify by My glory.” The question then was, “What will the Lord sanctify by His glory?” Of 20 English translations, the options were – “the place,” “it,” “the tabernacle,” “that place,” “the tent,” and “the altar.” Does anyone remember which was correct?

The answer was, “None of those.” Rather, the only entity mentioned in the verse was “the children of Israel.” It is Israel who is sanctified by the presence of the Lord. The proof of this was that His glory filled the tent of meeting.

The Lord had told them after their sin of the golden calf that He would not dwell in their midst. Through the mediation of Moses, the Lord agreed that He would dwell in their midst. Now, with the sanctuary complete, the promise is realized. He has come to dwell in their midst, and Israel as a people is sanctified by His glory.

During their exile, this was the very promise made to Israel through Ezekiel. He told them that a time was coming when He would be with them and once again sanctify them by His glory –

“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:27-28

But that never happened after the exile. There is no record of the presence of the Lord filling the second temple. The time is yet future to them even now, and it is connected not to this covenant, mediated by Aaron. Instead, it is connected to the covenant which is mediated by the Messiah to come as was promised through Jeremiah the prophet.

This marvelous truth is hinted at now in the placement of this passage in Exodus, not Leviticus. Even before the consecration of Aaron and his sons, while still under the mediation of Moses, the glory of the Lord fills the temple. This law administered by Moses, even after his death, was thus only temporary until the time of it being superseded by what it only pointed to, the better and more perfect covenant found in Christ Jesus.

35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

What this seems to imply is that Moses, in fact, attempted to enter the tent of meeting, just as he had done when he met with the Lord in the previous tent of meeting outside the camp. However, the brilliant splendor of Yehovah was so radiant and marvelous that he could not. It was beyond his ability to do so. What a sign to all of the people of the marvelous workings of the Lord on their behalf!

Verses 34 and 35 are repeated in what occurred at the building of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 8, we read this –

“And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” 1 Kings 8:10, 11

But notice the main difference between the two. In Exodus, it says that Moses was not able to enter. In 1 Kings, it says that the priests could not continue ministering. It is not the ministration of the priests that brings the Lord’s presence near, nor is it the law of Moses, which is still not complete – many more laws are coming.

Rather, the glory of the Lord coming among the people to sanctify them precedes the Aaronic priesthood, and it is also precedes the full giving of the Law of Moses. Therefore, neither of these things can be considered necessary for the coming of the Lord to dwell among His people.

Rather, the things which have been erected are what brought it to pass, and these things are merely types and shadows, as we have seen, of the coming Christ. As Christ is the fulfillment of them all, then it is the Lord Jesus in whom the glory of the Lord dwells in its full and resplendent glory.

If we would just pay heed to the details, even of seemingly obscure events in the Lord’s word, we would know where to put our trust, our hope, and our attentive eyes.

36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.

At some point, the magnificent glory which filled the entire tabernacle retreated into the Most Holy Place and was to be found only there above the mercy seat and between the cherubim as was promised to Moses in chapter 25.

However, the cloud of glory remained above the tabernacle. It no longer moved from Sinai to tent and back to Sinai. Instead, it remained there above the tabernacle at all times until it was time to move. Only in this instance would the cloud move. And when it did, the people were expected to break camp and follow.

37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up.

This verse is more fully explained in Numbers 9. The people remained where they were and only moved when directed –

“So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey.” Numbers 9:21, 22

It was solely by the direction of the Lord that the people moved. His plan was being executed, and His timing would prevail in having all things turn out as He had determined from the very beginning.

*38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

The cloud of glory had two distinct aspects. One was a covering cloud during the day, the other was the appearance of fire by night. This is not to be taken allegorically, but rather it is exactly what the people saw, and thus it was always visible to them.

With the presence of the cloud above the tabernacle, and in in full sight of all of the people, they would never again have to ask the question, “Is the Lord among us or not?” It would be evident to all that he was. It adds a touch of security to the obedient heart, but Israel is not known for its obedience. And therefore, it also adds a note of dread, and that assured judgment lies ahead for them.

We don’t even need to turn the pages to guess this, the Lord has said as much concerning the stiff-necked demeanor of the people. And yet, because of the faithful mediation of Moses, they have received the granting of their desires. They are now truly and inextricably the people of God, with all of the associated positives and negatives that this includes.

The positives will stem from their faithfulness to Him, and the negatives will stem from their rebellion against Him. The Lord is unchanging, and this the people will find out.

The chapter and the book close out with this final verse. The people became enslaved to Pharaoh at the beginning of the book, and they had now become servants of the Lord at its ending. Whereas the book of Genesis spanned well over 2000 years of human history, Exodus spanned less than 100.

After this, the next three books combined will span less than 40. The Lord chose His line of people, they had come to the point of their redemption, and now they will come to be refined as His people in order to enter the Land of Promise.

Unfortunately, the refinement of a people is not congenital. Each generation must heed the lessons of the past, or they too will fall under the expected punishments of the Lord. Israel failed to teach their children and they were twice exiled.

By God’s mighty hand alone, they have been returned once again to the Land of Promise. However, this time instead of being refined in advance of their arrival, they will be refined only afterwards. It will be a terrifying lesson as their numbers are whittled down through the process, but there will be an end to that refinement, and a time of great glory lies ahead for them yet again.

The cloud and fire is promised once again to the people of God who dwell in Jerusalem of the future. Isaiah tells us of the marvel that the people will behold –

“And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:3-6

Again, this passage from Isaiah is not to be allegorized. It is to be taken as a literal manifestation signifying the presence of the Lord over Jerusalem during the millennial period. It will be the time which occurs only after He has “washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion.”

That day cannot be far off. The time of Israel’s exile is ended, the time of the falling away by the church has surely come close to reaching its climax, and the just punishment upon the nations of the world is close at hand.

The Lord led Israel by cloud, and He leads His church by His written word. We fail to pay heed at our own peril. In His magnificent, superior word there is a promise of great and marvelous things which lie ahead for the redeemed of the Lord. Let us hold fast to these promises and not lose heart as we await their sure coming. The Lord of glory is there, and He is willing to accept all who come to Him by faith. Let us not fail to heed the call when it is made. And let us not fail to seek Him while He may be found.

Closing Verse: “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:22-27

Next Week: Jonah 1:1-3 With this new series you will never be bored! (From the Presence of the Lord) (1st Jonah 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 Lord in Their Midst

And it came to pass
In the first month of the second year
On the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up
To this command Moses did adhere

So Moses raised up the tabernacle
Fastened its sockets, set up its boards too
Put in its bars, and raised up its pillars
As he was instructed, so he did do

And he spread out the tent
Over the tabernacle
And put the covering of the tent on top of it
As the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did tackle

He took the Testimony and put it into the ark
Inserted the poles through the ark’s rings
And put the mercy seat on top of the ark
He followed through with each of these things

And he brought the ark into the tabernacle
Hung up the veil of the covering
And partitioned off the ark of the Testimony
As the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did this thing

He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting
On the north side of the tabernacle, as the Lord did tell
Outside the veil; its place of seating
And he set the bread in order upon it as well

It was there before the LORD
As the LORD had commanded Moses
According to His word

He put the lampstand
In the tabernacle of meeting, this job he did tackle
Across from the table
On the south side of the tabernacle

And he lit the lamps before the LORD
As the LORD had commanded Moses
According to His word

He put the gold altar
In the tabernacle of meeting
In front of the veil
This, the place of its seating

And he burned sweet incense on it
As the LORD had commanded Moses
As the Lord did submit

He hung up the screen at the door
Of the tabernacle, and then he continued to do more

And he put the altar of burnt offering
Before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting
And offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering
As the LORD had commanded Moses; the task he was completing

He set the laver
Between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar
And put water there for washing
In attention to this duty he did not falter

And Moses, Aaron, and his sons
Would wash their hands and their feet with water from it
These people only; they the only ones

Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting
And when they came near the altar too
They washed
As the LORD had commanded Moses to do

And he raised up the court
All around the tabernacle and the altar; this duty he did not shirk
And hung up the screen of the court gate
So Moses finished the work

Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting
Surely this was a marvelous sight
And the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle
The tabernacle was completed just right

And Moses was not able
To enter the tabernacle of meeting even if he willed
Because the cloud rested above it
And the glory of the LORD the tabernacle filled

Whenever the cloud was taken up
From above the tabernacle moving forward
The children of Israel
Would go in all their journeys onward

But if the cloud was not taken up
Then they did not journey
Till the day that it was taken up
They waited for it to move; they waited obediently

For the cloud of the LORD, this marvelous sight
Was above the tabernacle by day
And fire was over it by night
In all of the house of Israel’s sight, throughout all their journeys
It guided them as they went on their way

Lord God, thank you for this wonderful book
Exodus! What a marvel to have studied it
Into every detail possible we took a look
And to You our thanks and praise we now submit!

Hallelujah to Christ our Lord!
Hallelujah for Exodus, a marvelous part of Your superior word!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 40:1-16 (Seven I AM’s)

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

Exodus 40:1-16
Seven “I AM’s”

As always, Sunday night I was concerned about the sermon typing coming up on the next day. There is, once again, a great deal of repetition in these verses as the obedience of Moses to the command of the Lord is being evaluated.

I asked the Lord for His hand to be upon me as is my custom, and then in the morning I asked Him to prepare my fingers for the battle which lay ahead. As I got going, I began to realize that there is a pattern which seemed to match things going on in another book of the Bible. Being a bit dull, it took me several verses, maybe even half the sermon, to realize that the pattern didn’t just match that other book’s pattern, but it matches it exactly.

Considering that Exodus was written at the time of Moses, almost 1500 years before the coming of Christ, and considering that John wrote from memory what he had heard, and finally… considering that this pattern was (at least to my knowledge – I did an internet search) never seen before 31 October 2016, it shows, once again, that the word of God has many secrets waiting to be revealed.

How can it be that countless scholars have poured over this book, time and time again, and yet the pattern remained unknown? It is because it wasn’t yet ready to be revealed. But as we go on, you will see that it is precise, and it is also as obvious as the nose on your face, once you see it. What a gift! What a treasure! And yet, we find more time to watch sports or movies than we do reading this precious jewel, handed to us by God through the inspiration of His Spirit. Where are our priorities? Where indeed…

Text Verse: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

The Bible is literally filled with secret things. In His own providential timing, the Lord whispers them out to us. He opens our ear and speaks softly into it. Or maybe He wakes us up late in the night with a spark of His divine will filling our mind with something that we had never considered before.

Or, He may even open our eyes to something while we are reading the word. When He does, we need to grab the moment, seize the opportunity, and search out what He is telling us. It is true that not everything people think they find is actually valid.

Far too often we find those who claim they have found something that is so far off base that we blush in embarrassment, looking for a way to tell them they’ve missed the target, but there are a lot of targets that won’t be missed as well.

One of them is seen in today’s passage concerning the erection of the sanctuary and its consecration. This is then followed up with the consecration of Aaron and his sons. But it matches something going on in the book of John in a marvelous way.

And… it is all to reveal to us Jesus. 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. Setting up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting (verses 1-8)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

v’dabber Yehovah el mosheh lemor – these exact words haven’t been spoken to Moses since Exodus 31:1. That was seventeen sermons ago, a time which included the incident with the golden-calf and everything that transpired since then.

Now the words are spoken again to introduce an entirely new thought, one which has actually been anticipated since Exodus 25 and the calling of the people by the Lord to donate for the construction of a tabernacle. That was a full 37 sermons ago.

Once again now, the words of introductory preparation are written for us to stop… and to consider what lies ahead. Something new and marvelous is one thought away.  What will it be?

2 “On the first day of the first month

What is to be done will be done at the turn of the year. It is a new time, and a new season. The chosen first month for the redemptive calendar year was given in Exodus 12:2. It was the month of their deliverance from Egypt, and the Lord told them that it would be the first of their months from that point on –

“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:2

The name of the month, Aviv, was specifically given in Exodus 13:4. It is to be on the first of this month, and exactly 345 days after departing from Egypt and 300 days since arriving at Sinai, that this new instruction was to be carried out.

Thus, it will occur on the first day of their first full year of freedom, and it will be the first day of the designated redemptive year in the year 2515AM, or “in the year of the world.” And that instruction is…

2 (con’t) you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The words are correct. Both the term mishkan, or tabernacle, and ohel moed, or tent of meeting, are used. The words are placed in apposition, meaning that they are grammatically almost parallel, but the tabernacle resided within the tent. It being set up first, and then the tent being raised over it.

Further, it is the “tent of meeting,” not the “tent of the congregation” which is used by the KJV. The tent of meeting is where the Lord would meet with His designated representative, not the congregation.

Though the many parts of the sanctuary had been made by the people, and though they had been approved by Moses as meeting the specifications given by the Lord, it was not just completed and caused to be raised.

Rather, the Lord has determined the appointed times and seasons for all redemptive workings. This included the erection of this marvelous edifice which had been so painstakingly fashioned in order to picture the Person and the work of Christ to come.

By having it raised on the first day of the first month, the entire ordination process for it would be complete in time for the celebration of the first Passover which would be held on the fourteenth of the same month.

As this is the approximate time of the Spring equinox, the rising sun would be directly to the east, and thus it would be to the backs of those who would be worshipping towards the Most Holy Place where the Ark was to be located.

Further, as the first day of the month is the day of the New Moon, there would be no moon visible in the sky at that time. In both cases, it is a direct challenge to any notion of sun or moon worship. The Creator, not the creation, was to be worshipped by the people Israel. The precedence was being set in this selected timing.

Another reason for selecting the New Year was to set up the hearts of the people for a new beginning. The year past had shown them failing many times in their devotion to the Lord, culminating in the tragic instance of the golden calf. Now, with the new year, there would be a new beginning, and a chance to serve the Lord all the better in the year to come…. hopefully.

3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony,

The very purpose of building the sanctuary was for a place where the ark could reside. It is, in essence, the soul of the entire sanctuary. It is the spot where the presence of the Lord would reside, and where the high priest, once a year, would come to petition the Lord for mercy for the sins committed by the people.

And the ark itself was only a receptacle for the tablets of the Testimony. Without the tablets, the ark was just a wooden box, splendidly ornamented with gold. And so it is with us, we can be the most splendid example of humanity – being a hulking weight lifter, or the most beautiful movie star – but without adherence to the word of God, we are just another person which happens to be more ornamented than those around us.

In Christ alone is there an embodiment of the word of God, and thus He is the very soul of the Lord’s temple. For those who are in Christ, we are there with Him, in the Most Holy place, having satisfied the law, not through our own efforts, but through the work of Jesus. The importance of what this ark pictures cannot be understated. It needs to be repeated like a children’s story – again and again until it is ingrained in our very being.

This placing of the Ark in the Tabernacle is parallel to John’s words which begin his gospel –

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

3 (con’t) and partition off the ark with the veil.

The Hebrew says, v’sakota al ha’aron eth ha’paroketh – “And cover against the ark the veil.” The ark is not covered with the veil, but it is a covering none-the-less. The word sakak was used when the Lord said that He would place Moses in the cleft of the rock and cover him with His hand.

The veil would stand between the Holy Place where the priests ministered daily, and the Most Holy Place where the Lord resided. It was to signify the unapproachable nature of the Lord. There was a division, or a fracture, between Him and man, even between Him and the priests ordained to minister before Him.

The priests were kept from profaning His presence, and they were protected from being destroyed by Him by the placement of this veil. And as a reminder, on this veil were woven cherubim, as if guardians of the Presence. It is a picture of the cherubim which guard the way back to Eden.

This veil will remain for almost 1500 years, until the time of Christ’s crucifixion where it will be torn asunder, allowing all who will come, to simply come. Any may enter the Most Holy Place and that land of delight once again by a mere act of faith. In Christ, the fracture is healed and the divide is removed. The guardian angels rest their flaming swords, and peace with God is restored. The veil, as we have seen, represents Christ’s physical body. This corresponds to John 1:14 –

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

4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it;

The “Table of Showbread” was minutely described in Exodus 25. It is the first piece of furniture to be brought into the Holy Place. As you certainly remember, it pictures Christ, our Bread of life. This is as He Himself proclaimed in John 6:35 –

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Thus, this table pictures the Lord coming, in a limited way, into the Holy Place to commune with His people. As John Lange describes this –

“By this symbolic communion with the priests He discloses to the people the hope of fellowship with Him, the fellowship of His Spirit, of His blessings.”

The “things that are to be set in order on it” have not yet been described, only the implements, but not what they held. This shows us that some of the book of Leviticus was probably already being compiled prior to the raising up of the tabernacle. Here is what is to be set in order which is described in Leviticus 24 –

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

4 (con’t) and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps.

Only after the table was brought in was the menorah to be brought in. If the table signified a feast, then the lights are lighted in order for that feast to be held. It is of note that Jesus first proclaimed Himself the Bread of life in John 6, and then proclaimed this in John 8:12 –

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

Thus, His proclamations match the order of the furniture which have been brought into this Holy Place. The instructions here are to light its lamps, but this was done specifically at a prescribed time of the day each day, a time known as “between the evenings,” and thus about 3 pm.

5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony,

The term “before the ark of the Testimony” means outside the veil in the Holy Place, and directly in front of where the Ark sat behind the veil. The table was to the south; the menorah was to the north, but with its lamps illuminating the south.

As the presence of the Lord symbolically comes to fellowship with the priests through the veil in the placement of the Table of Showbread, so likewise, the prayers symbolically go through the veil and into the Most Holy Place by the wafting of the incense which is offered on this altar.

Despite there being a fracture, or divide, between the two, communion was possible through these two points. As the bread can be equated with the word of God which nourishes, and as the incense can be equated with the prayers of the people, the Lord fellowshipped with His people through the word and they with Him through prayer.

How much more now can we truly fellowship with the Lord when we have the full word of God available to us, and we have the Holy Spirit who receives our prayers and sends them directly through our Mediator to God the Father!

We have full and unhindered access to the very Throne of Grace, and we have the full revelation of God available at this time in the completed word. Truly, this dispensation we live in is the most blessed of times yet for those who are eager to fellowship intimately with God.

5 (con’t) and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.

The screen, or masak,  is that which separates the Holy Place from the outside courtyard. This screen is what is at the pethakh, or “doorway,” for access into the tabernacle. And once again, in order, we have Jesus’ claim that He is the Door, in John 10:7 –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”

The order of His proclamations follows in a remarkable way with the order of these items now being set up.

6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The altar is next mentioned, and it is said to be “before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting” despite it having the laver between it and the actual tent. This placement then answers to that of the altar of incense and the ark. Just as those two are being connected together, so are the brazen altar and the door.

Why would this be unless there was more symbolism which is calling out to be seen? What is it about the altar and the door which is so intricately connected? Again, we just need to go to the book of John and see which I AM statement of Jesus is next. In John 10:7 and again in John 10:9, He said that He is the Door. Immediately after this in John 10:11, He says –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

The altar is where the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered for the sins of the people. And so Christ who gave His life is detailed directly after the door in the setting up of the sanctuary, and directly after the door in the book of John. Only by dying for the sins of the people can Christ be the Door by which we again have access to the Father.

There is a continued precision in the word which spans thousands of years, and the writing of these men who were inspired by the Spirit of God to write and record these things.

7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

Oddly, the NKJV changes the terms here from what should be “tent of meeting” to “tabernacle of meeting.” The KJV sticks with “tent” but says “of the congregation.” Both are incorrect. It is ohel moed, or “tent of meeting.”

It is before this, “tent of meeting” that the laver is next to be set up. However, the laver is closer to the tent than the altar, and it begs the question, “Why wasn’t this then detailed first?” We have partially answered this. The altar answers to the Door. One cannot enter the Door until the sins are paid for by the death of the sacrifice.

However, one who is dead cannot enter anything. If we simply died on the altar with Christ and nothing more happened, we would have a hard time moving. But something wonderful happens to those who die in Christ. They are raised to new life though the power of the Holy Spirit.

The laver, in a sense, is a foreshadowing of our baptism in Christ. When we are baptized, we are making a picture of what Christ has done for us. This is why the one baptizing should make two proclamations during the baptism. 1) Buried with Christ in His death – this is when the person is dunked under, and 2) Raised to newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit – this is when the person is brought back up out of the water.

And this is what makes our continued journey possible. We don’t merely die with Christ, we are raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly places. We gain access through the Door and continue heading west to the Land of Delight. And this is what the next I AM statement of Jesus proclaims. In John 11:25 –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

One cannot wash and be sanctified if they are not resurrected. The laver is the seal that the resurrection has come about, and new life is granted. We are justified in Christ’s death; we are sanctified through the resurrection and the sealing of the Spirit. Paul tells us this in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 –

“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…

It is of note that the Hebrew of this verse specifically says v’natata sham mayim, or “and you shall put into it water.” They could have filled this laver first, but the Lord specifically calls for it to be placed and then filled. The reason is that one must first receive Christ, dying to sin before then being granted the Spirit. The order of the placement of each item is detailed and it is beautiful.

8 You shall set up the court all around,

The tabernacle and tent weren’t just exposed to the pagan world around them. They were instead enclosed by a court which kept the Holy Places separate from the world, and which also kept out any who would come near with empty hands. But, unlike Eden which was also closed off from the world, with no seeming possibility to reenter, we see that there is, in fact, a means of access…

8 (con’t) and hang up the screen at the court gate.

There was a masak, or covering, here as well. This is the same word that was just used in verse 5 for the screen at the doorway, but this time it leaves off the term pethakh, or door. Instead, it uses the term sha’ar, or “gate.” A different word is used to describe essentially the same thing. Why would this be? The answer is that once again, the terminology is given to show us the I AM proclamation of Christ. In John 14:6 comes that next statement –

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There was one means of access into the sanctuary for the outside world – one and only one. Likewise, Jesus claims to be that exclusive access which this screen only pictures. He is the way back to restoration with God which was lost at the very dawn of man’s time on earth.

The world hates the concept of a single path to God, but Moses gave us a foreshadowing of it in Genesis 3, he continues to give us a taste of it in the details of the tabernacle, and Jesus boldly proclaimed that He alone is able to make these pictures and symbols come to life through His life, His work, and His being. We ignore these marvelous clues at our own great peril.

I Am the Lord who is here for you
I Am with you always, so have no fear
Be strengthened through My word, this you shall do
And through this word, to you I will come near

Trust in Me and know that I Am with you always
In your walk don’t be terrified or afraid
Instead, cling to this word throughout all of your days
And never let your heart from Me be swayed

Seek Me diligently and by you I shall be found
Look to Me and let Me be your delight
I Am here with you, as if by sight and by sound
I Am with you all the day, and throughout each long night

II. The Rite of Consecration (verse 9-16)

9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy.

That everything associated with the tabernacle was to be anointed with oil is a clear reference to the presence of the Spirit. Without the life of the Spirit, nothing effectual for the redemptive process is possible. But when the Spirit is present, the anointing is both from the Spirit and for the Spirit.

If you missed the sermon on the holy anointing oil, it would be worth your time to go back and watch that. In it, you will gain an immensely detailed understanding of the work of Christ which is seen in every single detail. Just as the entire edifice was anointed, so the Spirit of Christ is behind every single aspect of the building of His church. Nothing occurs apart from Him, and all of it is for Him. As Paul says in Romans –

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy.

Only after mentioning the tabernacle and all that is in it is that which is outside then anointed. However, in this verse it says that the altar shall be “most holy,” whereas the previous verse said that the tabernacle and all of it was said to be “holy.” The scholars at Cambridge seem to find a contradiction in this by stating –

“It is remarkable that, while in Exodus 30:29 …the Tent of Meeting with all the vessels belonging to it, are, by anointing, made ‘most holy’ …, here the altar only is ‘most holy,’ and the Tent of Meeting and all its contents are only ‘holy.’” Cambridge

As is typical with them, they try to introduce doubt into the minds of their readers as to the consistency, and thus the reliability, of the word. However, the difference in terminology does not signify any higher or lesser degree of holiness.

Instead, the terms are used as a caution for the priests and the people. The people could come no nearer to the Lord than the altar of burnt offering. It is termed “most holy” here as a warning that no layman could touch it, lest they become devoted to the Lord.

The “holy” of the other implements implies “most holy,” because only the priests could come near them. The holiness of the altar had to be precisely stated as “most holy” so that the people would not err and die.

11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.

Nothing is said of the laver and its base being holy or most holy, and yet, it is consecrated through anointing. This may seem odd, but the laver is after the altar where the common people could not pass. This implies that anyone who was at the laver was already acceptable to touch the altar, and thus they were holy.

However, the laver is for washing of defilement, something which is not holy. And so the laver itself must be most holy in order to wash away the defilement in order for the priests to be acceptable to go on, meaning into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

Everything about the laver speaks of a sanctification process which is needed for the already accepted priest of God to continue in his duties. It is the place where cleansing occurs as he goes about his business; it is the word of God – the Bible.

We come to it with stains and impurities, and we leave it cleansed and purified, and yet it never picks up our defilement. It is a constant and endless stream of water available to purify the soul of the believer.

Understanding this, are you using it as such? When you pick up the stains of life each day, do you come to it and wash yourself clean once again? You cannot move forward without it, and so come to it often and cleanse yourself with the healing water of the word.

12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water.

Again, it is the tent, not the tabernacle. Make a note if your Bible says otherwise. The Bible is a book of beauty and precision, and so consistency in translation is always something to be desired.

It is at the door of the tent of meeting that Aaron and his sons were to be brought. This is speaking of where the laver stood, and it is from this laver that they would be fully washed, signifying their acceptability, once and for all, to be priests.

It is symbolic of the full washing that occurs the moment a believer comes to Christ. He is cleansed and he is purified from all unrighteousness. After this, the priests will only wash their hands and feet, signifying their on-going purification which was needed to keep them acceptable to perform their duties. The same is true for us, which is what is pictured in these ancient rites and rituals.

13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Aaron, though a fallen man, was a type of Christ as our High Priest. He was to be set apart and consecrated in order to serve as a priest. Likewise, as we saw in the details for the consecration of Aaron in Exodus 29, Christ Jesus was set apart for His duties as our true High Priest. That is referred to in the gospels, but it is most detailed and explained for us in the book of Hebrews.

For almost 1500 years, the priestly line of Aaron was invested with these holy garments which pointed to and pictured the coming Messiah. What is both exciting and saddening, is that there is a person alive today who has been selected as the next high priest of Israel. He will be washed, anointed, and consecrated for his duties, but there will be no true life in his investiture or in his actions.

Instead, Israel missed the boat and is heading down a misguided path of works under the law once again. The good of this is that eventually that path will lead them to their true Messiah. But it will be a path filled with pain and suffering before they get there.

14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics.

The sons of Aaron are emblematic of the sons of God, through the work of Christ. It is we who they only picture. Their white tunics symbolize the pure white righteousness that we possess because of Him. These sons though, for the dispensation of the law, were those who ministered before the Lord in their daily duties.

15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests;

The timing of the ordination of Aaron and his sons is often speculated to be later than that of the sanctuary. This is because it is detailed in Leviticus 8. However, this needs to be argued against for several reasons. The first is that though the command is given and only later enacted, the same is true with the sanctuary itself.

The Lord has given the command to erect it, and it will be erected after the command at the time specified. There is no reason to assume that just because the details of the priest’s ordination are written later, that they are actually conducted any later than that of the tabernacle itself. Secondly, in the raising up of the tabernacle, in verse 30-32 of this chapter, it says –

“He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Therefore, the details are already out of any chronological order, even as the erection of the details are being given. And thirdly, if the tabernacle and all of the associated furniture was considered holy through the consecration process, but Aaron and his sons were not, then they would not be able to serve as priests, or they themselves would incur guilt and die.

Rather, the recording of all of these details is done in specific categories rather than chronologically. The categorical details are kept together for a logical reading of each step of the process.

15 (con’t) for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

The priesthood of Aaron was anointed at this time, and it passed down to each subsequent generation after him. Any new anointing of later High Priests is glaringly left unstated, especially at the time of the transfer of the garments from Aaron to his son at Aaron’s death. However, from Leviticus 21:10 it does appear that each next high priest did have anointing oil poured over his head. From this, the priesthood was passed down as “an everlasting priesthood.”

Unfortunately, these words, everlasting priesthood, lead to one of the frequent questions I receive concerning the Law of Moses and its duration. How can we not be required to observe the law if it was for an everlasting priesthood throughout the generations? The question is faulty, because it doesn’t read the intent of the passage. The translation into English, though not incorrect, is vague. Further, it does not take in the whole counsel of Scripture.

An everlasting priesthood does not mean an eternal priesthood. The word olam simply means “to the vanishing point.” Whatever point in the eternal counsels of God that Christ would come and annul the first covenant, the priesthood would likewise be annulled. This is stated by the author of Hebrews –

“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 priesthood ended because it had reached its vanishing point. We serve God under a New Covenant. If you are still stuck under the Old, you err in your walk and you are not pleasing to God. Finally in this verse, it cannot go without note that this ordination process of Aaron and his sons corresponds directly to Jesus’ final I AM proclamation. In John 15, He said the following –

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:5-8

Only when one is in Christ can they be productive in Christ, but not all who are in Him are productive, nor does His word abide in them. The priests of Israel were ordained to be priests to God, just as we are called to be. They were to be about the Lord’s business and to be effective stewards of His. If His word failed to abide in them, there would be consequences.

As a confirmation of this, we read the following account of Aaron’s two oldest sons. They failed to let the word abide in their lives, and the fire consumed them,  just as Jesus’ words say about what will happen to us –

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:
‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’
So Aaron held his peace.” Leviticus 10:1-3

The seven “I AM’s” of Jesus are reflected in the process of raising the tabernacle and in its consecration, and of that for Aaron and his sons. This cannot be by chance, but was by the guiding of the Holy Spirit each step of the way.

Let us now consider why the Ark and the Veil have no I AM statement attached to them. First, the Ark, which bears the word, pictures that which always existed – the Word of God. This is why it is introduced first as a statement of fact in John 1:1.

Next the Veil, which is explicitly said to be the body of Christ, was prepared by God for Christ to dwell in. That is why John 1:14 follows after the statement of John 1:1. Only then are the Seven I AM’s stated.

However, there is still one glaring omission concerning the furniture. There is no I AM statement for the Altar of Incense which is placed in front of the Veil between the Table of Showbread and the Menorah. Why would this be?

The reason is the same as the order in which it was instructed to be made. The Ark, the Table, and the Lampstand were all detailed in Exodus 25. However, the Altar of Incense wasn’t detailed until Exodus 30.

The placement of the Altar had to be noted in order here as the furniture was set up, but the purpose for it did not take effect until all of Christ’s work was finished. Only after the last I AM statement by Jesus in John 15 comes Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer of John 17.

The prayer of His for us, and our continued prayers today, took effect when Christ’s work was complete. Only when one is in Christ can their prayers be acceptable to God. As we noted earlier, the placement of this altar answers to the placement of the ark and veil, just as the placement of the Altar of Burnt offering answers to the door of the tent of meeting, bypassing the laver.

The precision in the layout, as is then matched by what occurs in the book of John, is simply astonishing. And so it is for us. Each step is logical and orderly as we move from understanding the work of Jesus to applying it to our lives. When we do, we are able to come boldly to the Throne of Grace where our prayers and petitions are heard once again.

Like the Ark and the Veil, no I AM statement is necessary for this altar. The work was fulfilled, and the nature of the Person is understood through what He has done. He is our Mediator, and through Him, our prayers, signified by the incense, is passed through Him to God.

Ark of the Testimony (containing the Word of God) / John 1:1

Veil (The Body of Christ) / John 1:14

———————

Seven I AM’s

Table of Showbread – I AM the Bread of Life / John 6:35

Menorah – I AM the Light of the Word / John 8:12

Screen Door to Tent – I AM the Door / John 10:7

Altar – I AM the Good Shepherd / John 10:11

Laver – I AM the Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25

Screen to Courtyard – I AM the Way the Truth and the Life / John 14:6

The Anointing of Priests – I AM the True Vine / John 15:5-8

———————

Altar of Incense / Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer of John 17

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

This verse is rather similar to final words of the previous chapter –

“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

The difference is that Moses was the one to approve the work of the people, and so he looked it over and approved it and blessed the people. In this verse, Moses is himself being obedient to the word and the word itself is commending him for his actions. And so from construction to completion, the work is noted as having been accomplished according to all that the Lord had commanded.

As I said at the beginning of the sermon, and during it as well, the way in which these several points have followed the seven “I AM’s” of Jesus is more than remarkable. The divine fingerprint is to be found all the way throughout Scripture; each page validating that more than human wisdom was involved in the process.

The many places it was compiled, the many personalities involved in it, and the length of time in which these things took to be recorded is a validation all its own that we are holding in our hands the very word of God.

But adding on to that is the fact that many of these patterns, such as the one today, have been left unseen for the 2000 years that this book has been studied by faithful scholars. How is it that such patterns can suddenly come forth, and yet people deny that there is a deep wisdom behind the word?

Let us not fall into such skepticism, but rather, let us behold the beauty of this word, treasure its secrets in our hearts, and continue to look for more remarkable patterns which are waiting still for curious eyes to gaze upon and bring to light, to the glory of God who has placed them there.

And as we have seen numerous times today, these patterns reveal Christ. God is trying to wake us up to our need for Christ. And so, once again today, I would like to explain quickly, and with care, how you too can share in God’s marvelous offer of peace which is granted through Him…

Closing Verse: “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” John 8:58

Next Week: Exodus 40:17-38 I tried to find a word to rhyme, so I didst… (The Lord in Their Midst) (105th 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.

I AM

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
These are the words He was then relaying

On the first day of the first month, do not forget
The tabernacle of the tent of meeting, up you shall set

You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, please understand
And partition off the ark with the veil, per my command

You shall bring in the table
And arrange the things that are to be set in order on it
And you shall bring in the lampstand
And light its lamps, to this you shall commit

You shall also set the altar of gold
For the incense before the ark of the Testimony
And put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle
Follow this order as given by Me

Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering
Before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting

And you shall set the laver between
The tabernacle of meeting and the altar
And put water in it
No portion of this detail shall be allowed to falter

You shall set up the court all around, as I now state
And hang up the screen at the court gate

And you shall take the anointing oil
And anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it
And you shall hallow it and all its utensils
And it shall be holy, as I to you submit

You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering
And all its utensils, and the altar consecrate
The altar shall be most holy
This condition of it I now to you relate

And you shall anoint the laver and its base
And consecrate it, there in its place

Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water
On them the water you shall pour

You shall put the holy garments on Aaron
And anoint him and consecrate him too
That he may minister to Me as priest
These things to him you are to do

And you shall bring his sons
And clothe them with tunics, so shall it be
You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father
That they may as priests minister to Me

For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood
Throughout their generations, as is to be understood

Thus Moses did; each and everything as he was bid
According to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did

Heavenly Father, how precious is your word
And how marvelous it is to read it and find Jesus
Each page that we turn, it reveals our great Lord
Who has done such wonderful things for us

O God, our hearts are directed to You
And so be with us in all that we do
Let us never stray from the path which is true
And each day through Your word, please – our souls renew

And in this we will give You our highest praise
As we wait on our Lord’s return – that most marvelous of days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

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 38:1-8 (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 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…