The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
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CHAPTER 35:
Chapters 35-39 describe the funding and then the building of the tabernacle as instructed by God to Moses in chapters 25-31. What’s important to note here is that the incident with the golden calf did not completely derail the project of building the tabernacle. In the wake of God’s incredible act of mercy in renewing His covenant with the children of Israel, Moses now gathers the congregation together and repeats for them the book of the law. (v.1) He reminds them of the importance of the sabbath which “…shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord…”. (v.2) (Exodus 20:9-10, Leviticus 23:3, Deuteronomy 5:13-14) As stated before, anyone that violates this commandment is to be put to death. Moses specifically mentions the kindling of fire in verse 3. Even this is forbidden on the sabbath. (Exodus 16:23, Numbers 15:32) Verses 4-20: Moses then repeats what God had commanded regarding the offering of money and materials to be gathered from the people in order to build the tabernacle. (Exodus 25:2, 1 Chronicles 29:14, Mark 12:41, 2 Corinthians 9:7) These verses are basically a summary of the detailed instructions set forth by God in chapters 25-31. Verses 21-29: “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord…”. (v.29) All the supplies necessary for building the tabernacle and all of its furnishings, as well as the materials needed for the priest’s robes, including the precious stones for the ephod and breastplate of judgment, are brought forth by all the congregation of Israel. While verses 22 and 29 specifically state that the Israelites give of a willing heart, we can also logically infer that, in the wake of their sin with the golden calf, the children of Israel are genuinely sorry for their sin, and that this bountiful offering is given out of a contrite heart and a humble spirit. God also stirs the hearts of His chosen people to give them the wisdom and skills needed for each specific task. (v.26) Verses 30-35: Moses calls out Bezaleel, son of Uri, (v.30) and Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, (v.34) before all the people and proclaims their God-given wisdom and talents regarding the building of the tabernacle. They also have the ability to teach and instruct others (v.34), and they will be the ones in charge of this project. Bezaleel is of the tribe of Judah and Aholiab is of Dan. “Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart…”. (v.35) (Exodus 31:3, 6, 1 Kings 7:14, 2 Chronicles 2:14, Isaiah 28:26) CHAPTER 36: Verse 1 is a summary of chapters 36-39. Under the direction and leadership of Bezaleel and Aholiab, all the wise hearted men work all that is necessary to build the tabernacle as God instructed. (Exodus 28:3, 31:6, 35:10, 35) Verses 2-7: Bezaleel, Aholiab, and all the other wise hearted men receive from Moses the offering of raw materials from the people. God stirs not only the hearts of the workmen but also of the people to give what is needed. (v.2-3) (Exodus 35:21, 26, 1 Chronicles 29:5, 9, 17) But the offering is not just a one-time collection. Verse 3 says the people come every morning, eventually bringing far more than what is needed. The workers inform Moses that they have all they need to begin the work (v.5), and Moses commands the people to cease from giving an offering. (v.6) All that was collected is more than sufficient. (v.7) When God works in the hearts of men, His blessings are always more than enough to supply His servants with what they need to do His work. Verses 8-38: The remainder of this chapter is another detailed description and summary of the work on the tabernacle. This continues through the end of chapter 39. “The repetition of so much detail reminds us that God never tires of those things which speak to Him about His beloved Son.” (Believer's Bible Commentary) As noted earlier in my commentary for Chapter 25, the shittim wood that comes from the Acacia tree is very strong and durable and practically indestructible. (v.20-30) “Likewise, the Lord Jesus was a root out of dry ground, was morally beautiful, and is the Eternal One.” (Isaiah 53:2) (Believer's Bible Commentary) Verses 31-34 describe the bars of shittim wood that hold the boards of the walls of the tabernacle together. Four of the bars are visible, but the fifth is invisible because it runs through the center of the board. “The invisible bar is a good picture of the Holy Spirit, binding believers together into ‘a holy temple in the Lord’ (Ephesians 2:21-22). The four other bars may suggest the life, love, position, and confession that are common to all God’s people.” (Believer's Bible Commentary) Hebrews 10:20 compares the veil that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle to Christ’s flesh. When Jesus died on calvary, his flesh was torn just as the veil was also torn, thus giving all believers direct access to the throne of God. The cherubim on the veil represent the cherubim that surround God on His throne. CHAPTER 37: This chapter describes the construction of the furnishings within the tabernacle: the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat, the table of the shewbread, the lampstand, and the altar of incense. (Refer to my notes on Chapters 25 and 30.) According to the notes in my study Bible, the lampstand, which is made of pure gold, is a symbol of Jesus Christ, for He is the true light. (John 1:9, 8:12) The gold represents His deity. In Revelation 1:20 the golden candlestick represents the NT church. As noted in my earlier commentaries, oil is often used throughout scripture to symbolize the Holy Spirit. Each of the seven lamps is to be trimmed every morning and evening, and all are not to be extinguished at the same time. (Exodus 27:21, Leviticus 24:3-4) It is estimated that in today’s currency, the golden lampstand would be worth about $34,000. CHAPTER 38: Verses 1-20 describe the construction of the bronze altar, the utensils, the laver, and the courtyard. (Refer to my notes on Chapters 27 and 30.) Verse 8: There’s no mention of women serving at the door of the tabernacle in the earlier chapters of Exodus when God first gave Moses the instructions. The only other reference to this in scripture is 1 Samuel 2:22 and Luke 2:37. There’s no other explanation in the OT that gives any more detail about what exactly this service is or the qualifications of the women that will perform this service. This is also the only mention in scripture about lookingglasses, or mirrors, in relation to the laver and its functions. Verse 21: This is the first time the tabernacle is referred to as the Tabernacle of Testimony. (Numbers 1:50, 53, 9:15, 10:11, 17:7-8, 2 Chronicles 24:6, Acts 7:44) Those last three references use the phrase “tabernacle of witness”. Both names refer to the stone tablets of the law that are placed within the ark of the covenant. The tabernacle is built for two reasons: 1) to house the ark of the covenant, and 2) to provide a dwelling place for God among His chosen people. The entire structure and all that is within it are a testimony of God’s presence, His providence, and His glory. That’s why it is always placed at the exact center of the camp. Verses 22-23: Bezaleel and Aholiab are once again recognized for all their work in overseeing the construction of the tabernacle. Their submission and obedience to the will of God by making “…all that the Lord commanded Moses…” is also noted in verse 22. Verses 24-31: According to my study Bible, it has been “…calculated that the amount of gold listed here (29 talents and 730 shekels) is about 40,940 ounces. At $500 per ounce that would be about $20, 470,000, an enormous sum in that day. The silver, amounting to about 141,000 ounces, would be valued at about $4,230,000, figuring silver at $30 per ounce.” I’m reminded of that line from the old hymn: “Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.” These verses are a testament to not only the glory and beauty of the tabernacle, but also the incredible amount of wealth that the Israelites received from the Egyptians on the night of the exodus. CHAPTER 39: Verses 1-31: The priestly garments. (Refer to my notes on Chapter 28.) Verses 32-43: The children of Israel bring all the finished pieces of the tabernacle and the priestly garments to Moses for his inspection and blessing. Verses 32, 42 and 43 emphasize that the children of Israel “…did all that the Lord commanded Moses.” That, along with the list of all the components, indicates that everything was indeed completed as God had instructed. There is nothing missing, nor are there any mistakes or errors in either the design or the sub-assembly of the different sections. The “…tabernacle of the tent of the congregation…” (v.32) is perfect and complete, including the garments for Aaron and his sons. (v.41) There is an echo in verses 32 and 42 of Genesis 2:1-2. That same sense of finality and completeness that was present when God declared His creation of the heavens and the earth as finished is present here when the children of Israel present the pieces of the tabernacle and the priestly garments to Moses. Moses blesses the Israelites and all their work. (v.43) CHAPTER 40: Verses 1-16: These final instructions from God to Moses regarding the erection of the tabernacle and the placement of all its furnishings seems especially redundant here. But God is a God of not only order and detail, but also of specific timing and purpose. There’s a sense in these opening verses of God giving permission to Moses to now assemble all the components of the tabernacle, now that the final inspection and blessing by Moses is complete. Remember, too, that the furniture within the tabernacle and outside in the courtyard couldn’t be placed just anywhere. As given in the first set of instructions, there is a specific layout and design for all of it, and that’s the other purpose of these final reminders from God to Moses. Moses obeys all of God’s instructions. (v.16) Verses 17-33: The tabernacle is assembled and completed in the month of Abib, which is the first month of the year. (v.1, 17) (Exodus 12:2, 13:4) Verse 17 also states that this is the beginning of the second year, which means that a full year has passed since the exodus from Egypt. The work of cutting, sawing, carving, engraving, molding, sewing and then assembling all the hundreds of pieces and components of the tabernacle took several months for the Israelites to complete. Verses 34-38: As soon as the last piece is put in place, and after Aaron and his sons have been washed and clothed in their holy garments, the presence of God descends upon the tabernacle in the form of the cloud, completely filling His house. (v.34) (Exodus 29:43, Leviticus 9:6, 23, 16:2, Numbers 9:15, 1 Kings 8:10-11, 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, Isaiah 6:4) God’s glory is so great, in fact, that Moses cannot even come near the tabernacle. (v.35) From now on, whenever the cloud rests upon the tabernacle, the Israelites know to remain where they are camped. (v.37) But when the cloud lifts, the children of Israel know it’s time to continue their journey towards the promised land. (v.36) Just as He did a year earlier when guiding them out of Egypt, God will continue to reveal Himself to His chosen people in the form of the cloud by day and the fire by night. (v.38) (Exodus 13:21, Psalm 78:14, Isaiah 4:5) The only difference now is that the cloud and the fire – which is, of course, not literal fire but, rather, the awesome radiance of God’s glory – will rest within the newly completed tabernacle. The book of Exodus ends on an uplifting and hopeful note. The tabernacle is complete and the Aaronic priesthood established, despite the minor setback of the people’s sin with the golden calf. God had promised Moses that He would dwell among His people (Exodus 33:14), and now that promise is fulfilled. God desires the same for you and me today. At the moment of our salvation our bodies become the “…temple of the Holy Ghost…”. (John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 6:19) However, all of this – the indwelling of the tabernacle here in Exodus and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the New Testament church – is but a mere shadow of what we believers will experience in the new heaven and new earth after all is said and done. (Revelation 21:2-3) As with so many things in the Old Testament, the tabernacle is a symbol of something greater yet to come. Exodus “…ends looking forward. The tabernacle is finished but it was designed to move, and this nation needed to be on its way to the land of promise.” (The Moody Bible Commentary)
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Chapters 28 and 29 are God’s instructions to Moses regarding the high priests. Chapter 28 is a detailed description of the vestiture that will be worn by Aaron and his sons. Verse 1: God tells Moses that Aaron and his sons – Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar – are to be called out and separated “…from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto Me in the priest’s office…”. (v.1) (Numbers 3:10, 18:7, Psalm 99:6, Hebrews 5:4) The role of the high priest is a sacred one, a position of the highest honor, for the priest is to be a mediator between God and His chosen people. Until now, the family patriarch had typically filled the role of priest for his household, i.e. Job, or the leader of a community had served as high priest, i.e. Melchizedek or Jethro. But now God is officially establishing and ordaining the Levitical priesthood for the nation of Israel. The Moody Bible Commentary explains it this way: “This office was not one a man could aspire to or assume on his own authority; it was not an office intended to elevate the man but to meditate between God and Israel. Everything about the priests, their clothes, their duties, their role, was designed to focus on the office and the function of the man. The quality and character of the man under the clothes counted, but only so far as the man’s character did not defile the clothes or demean the office. In his person he did not contribute to the value and vitality of the position. He could detract from it, but it was all about the office and it was all about the mediatorial function.” Just as God called Moses from a burning bush on the backside of the desert to be the leader of the Israelites, so He now calls Aaron and his descendants to serve as priests in the tabernacle. There is nothing that either of these men did of their own merit to earn their positions. God is the one who ordains and calls them, and He now establishes that it will be the tribe of Levi, starting with Aaron and his sons, that will serve as mediators between God and the Israelites. Verses 2-4: The robes worn by Aaron and his sons are “…holy garments…for glory and beauty.” (v.2) (Exodus 29:5, 29, 31:10, 39:1, Leviticus 8:7, 30) (See below, image courtesy of Logos Bible Software.)  According to the Holman Bible Commentary, “…the priestly garments were much more than utilitarian. They resembled other elements of the tabernacle complex, which featured fine fabrics, colorful designs, precious metals, and specialized workmanship, as appropriate for honoring the Lord, who would reside there.” The robes would be made by specific Israelites God would choose from among the congregation, “…whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom…”. (v.3) (Exodus 31:3, 6, 35:30-31, 36:1, Isaiah 11:2, Ephesians 1:17) Verse 4 lists the different pieces that would make up the whole of the priestly garments: the breastplate of judgment, an ephod, a robe, a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle. (Leviticus 8:7) God emphasizes a third time the purpose of the detailed instructions that are about to follow: that Aaron and his sons “…may minister unto me in the priest’s office.” Verses 5-14: The ephod. (Exodus 39:2, Leviticus 8:7) This is a two-piece garment, open at the sides and joined at the shoulders. (v.7) It and the belt are made of finely spun cloth of gold, blue, purple and scarlet. (v.6, 8) At each shoulder where the two pieces are joined together is an onyx stone (Exodus 35:27), each one engraved (Exodus 35:35) with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, according to their birth; six on one stone, six on the other. (v.9-10) (Refer back to Chapter 25 for my cross references and commentary on onyx stones throughout the Bible.) The onyx stones are secured in “ouches”, or settings, of gold. (v.11) These are fastened to a pair of gold chains at either end, and those are what connect the two pieces of the ephod at the shoulders. (v.13-14) The purpose of these two stones is so that “…Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” (v.12) (Exodus 39:6-7) Verse 29 also reiterates this: “…a memorial before the Lord continually.” What this means is that the priest is representing the whole nation of Israel before God every time he puts on the ephod and the breastplate of judgment and performs the sacrifices in the tabernacle. Verses 15-30: The breastplate of judgment. (Exodus 39:8) The instructions for this garment piece are more detailed than any of the other pieces, thus highlighting it as the most important of all the pieces of the priestly robe. This, too, is made “…of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen…”. (v.15) It is an exact square, each side being a span, or about nine inches (v.16), and it’s attached to the front of the ephod by a gold ring with a gold chain at each corner. The upper pair connect to the shoulders of the ephod via the ouches of gold that hold the onyx stones, and the lower pair connects to the belt of the ephod. (v.22-28) The breastplate itself contains twelve stones (v.17), each one engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Exodus 39:10) This is the order of the stones: sardius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, diamond, ligure, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, and a jasper. (v.17-20) In the text of my study Bible, there is a note next to each of the following names as thus: carbuncle (emerald), emerald (turquoise), diamond (sapphire), ligure (jacinth or amber), beryl (yellow jasper), and onyx (onyx or carnelian). Matching up the names of each gem according to its common name in the ANE compared to what we know it as today is somewhat difficult for a few of the gemstones named in the Bible, hence the notes in the KJV text. Although the text does not say specifically in what order the names of the tribes are to be engraved, we can logically presume from the earlier instruction regarding the onyx stones in the ephod that the order is according to birth. If this is the case, and if we go by the traditional Hebrew rule of reading/writing each line of a text from the right side of the page to the left, the name of each tribe and their assigned gemstone would be as follows:  You’ll notice that the description of the breastplate in the illustration above says that the colors of each gemstone match the colors of the flag of each tribe, but none of the Bible commentaries that that I am using as resources for my notes here say anything about that, so I’m not sure how accurate that is. It is a reasonable possibility, however, that each tribe would have had a banner or standard of some sort with a color that would match their assigned gemstone. And as for the colors of jewel in the breastplate, that, too, is up for some debate, only because of what I mentioned earlier about some confusion regarding the differences in a few of the names of the stones back then and how we would label them today. Attached to the breastplate are the Urim and the Thummim. (v.30) (Leviticus 8:8, Numbers 27:21, Deuteronomy 33:8, 1 Samuel 28:6, Ezra 2:63, Nehemiah 7:65) This is why the breastplate of judgment is so named: “…Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.” Exactly what the Urim and Thummim are is not clear. According to Strong’s concordance and the Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary, the word “Urim” means “lights” and Thummim means “perfection”. Scripture doesn’t describe them in any detail, saying only instead that the priest uses them to determine the will of God in any given situation or dilemma. (See Numbers 27:21 in the cross references above.) The Moody Bible Commentary says this: “Some have suggested that they were used as sacred lots (something like modern dice) to gain yes and no answers to specific questions. However, it might be that these objects were only symbolic of the high priest’s special authority as the Lord’s spokesman; in other words, when the priest was wearing these stones he was speaking for God.” Verses 31-35: The priest’s robe. (Exodus 39:22) This garment is worn under the ephod, and it’s made of only blue cloth. It’s longer than the ephod, extending past the knees. All around the hem, in an alternating pattern of one and one, are blue, purple, and scarlet pomegranates and tiny gold bells. (The pomegranates are most likely just bits of cloth sewn in the shape of the fruit.) (v.33-34) The reason for this is given in verse 35. If the high priest were to die while in the holy of holies, the lack of sound from his movements will be noticed by those who are either in the holy place or gathered in the courtyard outside the tabernacle. (Leviticus 10:2, Luke 1:21) Verses 36-38: The mitre and gold plate. (Exodus 39:30-31, Leviticus 8:9, Zechariah 14:20) The mitre, or turban, is the final piece of the priestly garments described in this chapter. Notice that the description of this headpiece starts not with the turban itself but, rather, with the large gold plate that contains the engraving, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD”. (v.36) It’s attached to the front of the turban with a cord of blue lace (v.37), and the turban itself “…probably consisted of folded fabric around the head, the sort of thing made familiar in pictures of men from the Middle East and Islamic countries today.” The meaning of the gold plate and its inscription is explained in verse 38: “…that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts…”. This goes back to the fundamental purpose of the role of the high priest from verses 1-3. Aaron and his sons are to be the mediators between God and the Israelites. Part of that responsibility means sanctifying all the things set aside in the tabernacle for the worship of God, as well as conducting the blood sacrifices that would temporarily cover the sins of the people before their holy and righteous God. “…that they may be accepted before the Lord.” The whole purpose of the tabernacle, the priest, and the blood sacrifices is so that God may have a covenantal relationship with His chosen people. Sin, remember, separates us from God. By instituting the Levitical priesthood and the system of blood sacrifices, God is making a way for the Israelites to worship and commune with Him without violating and staining His holiness with their sin. (Leviticus 10:17, 22:9, 16, Numbers 18:1, Isaiah 53:11, Ezekiel 4:4, John 1:29, Hebrews 9:28) This is why Jesus Christ is compared and contrasted with the role of the high priest in Hebrews. The tabernacle and the duties of the priest as instructed to Moses here in Exodus and Leviticus is a foreshadowing of Christ and all that he would do for all mankind hundreds of years later on the cross at Calvary. Jesus provided the once-for-all blood sacrifice that would take away the sins of all who would believe on His name. He now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf as our priest and mediator to God the Father. (Hebrews 4:15-16) Verses 39-43: The coat and mitre are to be made “…of fine linen…” (v.39) (Exodus 35:35, 39:27), and the girdle is to be crafted of needlework. Only the high priest is to wear all of the garments described thus far in this chapter. The other priests, including Aaron’s sons, will wear only the coat, belt and turban. (v.40) (Refer back to the illustration above.) (Ezekiel 44:17-18) The materials and the handiwork of these garments are to be a reflection of God’s beauty and glory. (v.40) They, like everything else related to the tabernacle, are to be HOLY UNTO THE LORD. Aaron and his sons are to be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified before God in order to minister for Him in the office of priest. (v.41) (Exodus 29:7, 30:30, 40:15, Leviticus 10:7) “Sanctified” means “to be set apart”. To stand before almighty God as mediator for the people of Israel is a holy and sacred duty that is not to be undertaken lightly. Furthermore, the priestly office, as well as the daily responsibilities within the tabernacle, are to have no hint of sexuality. This is the reason for the command in verse 42: “And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness…”. (Exodus 39:28, Leviticus 6:10, 16:4) The underwear extends all the way to the thighs, and is as essential to the office of the priesthood as all the other garments described in this chapter. God specifically states in verse 43 that Aaron and all others who serve after him in this role must wear these breeches, as well as everything else as instructed up to this point, lest they offend God’s holiness and be condemned to death for it. “…that they bear not iniquity, and die…” (Exodus 20:26, Leviticus 5:1, 17, 20:19-20, 22:9, Numbers 9:13, 18:22) This is a statute forever to Aaron and all his descendants. (Exodus 27:21, Leviticus 17:7) One final note: there’s no instruction in this chapter regarding footwear for the priests. That’s because the tabernacle is holy ground and, therefore, the priests are to remain barefoot. (Exodus 3:5) Below is an artist’s rendering of what the high priest might have looked like while wearing the garments described in this chapter. (Courtesy of Logos Bible software.)  |
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