Exodus 35-40

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)