[Exodus 25] Moses Tabernacle and You. In Exodus 25 after ratifying the Old Covenant in the previous chapter, God instructs Moses concerning a Tabernacle for His Presence. This Tabernacle speaks of God’s indwelling in our hearts by faith and tells us much of the mysteries of Christ living on the inside of us.
[Exo 25:1-40 KJV] 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3 And this [is] the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ [hair], 5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make [it]. 10 And they shall make an ark [of] shittim wood: two cubits and a half [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put [them] in the four corners thereof; and two rings [shall be] in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13 And thou shalt make staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat [of] pure gold: two cubits and a half [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18 And thou shalt make two cherubims [of] gold, [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: [even] of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth [their] wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces [shall look] one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which [are] upon the ark of the testimony, of all [things] which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 23 Thou shalt also make a table [of] shittim wood: two cubits [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that [are] on the four feet thereof. 27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28 And thou shalt make the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: [of] pure gold shalt thou make them. 30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. 31 And thou shalt make a candlestick [of] pure gold: [of] beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, [with] a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, [with] a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick [shall be] four bowls made like unto almonds, [with] their knops and their flowers. 35 And [there shall be] a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it [shall be] one beaten work [of] pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, [shall be of] pure gold. 39 [Of] a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40 And look that thou make [them] after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
In the previous three chapters we see that God brings the people to Sinai and hands down the law and the judgments based on the law by which the elders are to judge the people. After laying out these commands God calls the elders of Israel by the twelve tribes to enter into a covenant by the shedding of animal blood and eating and drinking before Him at the base of the mountain. The law is rehearsed once orally and the people all consented to obey. Then the law is first written by Moses on animal skins and then by God Himself on tablets of stone and the people consent by covenant that they will obey all that God has commanded. Now they are ready to receive the Spirit of God which will come from the summit of Sinai down into the camp to dwell in a tabernacle, an elaborate tent fashioned according to instructions and with materials gathered together here in chapter 25.
In v. 1 the people are instructed to bring offerings of various goods that will be used to create and fashion what will be the Tabernacle of Moses, also known as the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. This tent is the precursor of the Temple that Solomon will build in days to come. In order to build this artifact offerings must be made and they must come (v. 2) from willing hearts. Now we know why God moved upon the Egyptians to laden the Israelites down with the wealth of Egypt in the exodus from captivity. This tent was no simple or basic structure. It was made of gold, silver, brass, fine linen and other materials of great value. There were also taken fabrics and jewels to fashion the ephod that the high priest would wear and other goods and instruments necessary for the conduct of worship before God in their midst above the Mercy seat.
Who decides how to fashion the tabernacle? There is no committee appointed for all will be shown to Moses (v. 9) tells us so that it is made according to the pattern that God gives. Everything about this tabernacle speaks to us about Jesus, and about the timelines and purposes of God. For instance the layout of the articles of worship, the holy furniture will be laid out in a cruciform shape denoting the power of the Cross that facilitates the presence of God in us and with us and among us.
In v. 10 God gives Moses instructions regarding the ark of the Covenant which will be the centerpiece of the Tabernacle. It is to be made of Shittim or Acacia wood. Wood represents human nature showing us that God lives on the inside of us. Acacia wood is a thorny, twisted, gnarly wood very hard to work with. It speaks to us of flawed human nature that God nonetheless invests His purposes in. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, the acacia tree may be the “burning bush” (Exodus 3:2) which Moses encountered in the desert. Also, in the Christian tradition, Christ’s crown of thorns is thought to have been woven from acacia.
Notice that the ark is completed in half dimensions. In other words there was NOTHING FULL MEASURE about the ark – but in the New covenant we are told in Eph. 4:13 we are coming to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
The ark was to be made of wood but overlaid with gold (v. 11). Gold speaks of the divine nature of God. Notice then that the nature of God (gold) covers the nature of man (wood). This shows us that in the OT godliness is an outward thing that rests upon men but Col. 1:26-27 tells us that in the NT the nature of God is not just ON us but IN us by virtue of the New Birth.
The box part of the ark was wood (human nature) overlaid with gold but the mercy seat was all of gold – this tells us that while we are the dwelling place of God’s glory – the WORK OF GOD’S MERCY is all of God’s doing and work and none of man. The Mercy Seat speaks of the substitutionary work of Christ that only He can bring about. We cannot suffer for someone else’s sins.
Everything God does is by his mercy and we cannot influence or earn or participate in his mercy.
In v. 12 we see that the Ark of the Covenant is not stationary but designed to be portable. There were four rings in the ark for four staves in order that the ark could be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. These four rings speak to us of the four gospels yet to be written that would contain the full message of the glory of God and the mercy of God.
The number four is interesting because the glyph for the number four in almost all ancient languages is that of a cross – speaking of the death by which the mercy of God and the glory of God which the ark typify is brought to us. In these four rings attached to the Ark of the Covenant there will be four staves or poles made to rest upon the shoulders of the Levites. The staves are acacia overlaid with gold which points to the fact that the message of the mercy and glory of God is carried forward by men and woman called of God.
In v. 16 we see that the Ark will not be empty. There are certain things that will be placed in the ark and as such the ark represents the human heart. The first thing placed within will be the tablets whereupon the commandments are written by the finger of God. Jeremiah confirms this:
[Jer 31:33 KJV] 33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
On either side of the lid of the ark (the Mercy Seat) there will be two winged cherubim. The mercy seat and the cherubim where not fashioned and then constructed or pieced together. Those who work in precious metals deny this is even possible. In fact, this entire passage is rejected by textual scholars who contend these verses were fabricated by a priestly source in the 7th century BCE in order to provide legends and “Moses” myths to the nation of Israel at the time. The wings of the Cherubim cover their faces and extend protectively around the center of the lid, or mercy seat and above it where the presence of God will manifest in Shekinah glory.
Notice that the tablets of the law are in the Ark and the Mercy Seat is above it. This is what is meant when scripture tells us that mercy triumphs over judgment. God could have put the two tablets of the Law on the lid or Mercy Seat but He didn’t. It isn’t a judgment seat but a Mercy Seat. Verse 22 tells us that above the Mercy Seat is where God will commune with Moses and it is in God’s Mercy that He communes with us, not in adherence to a legalistic approach to God but in the awareness that He is a God of mercy and forgiveness who desires us to approach Him on that basis.
There are also instructions given for the Table of Shewbread also known as the Bread of His Presence. The table is a reminder that all the elders sat down in chapter 24 and ate covenantal bread so it speaks of obligation but it also speaks to us of Jesus who is the Bread of Life. The instructions were (v. 30) that there was to be bread on this table continually. Jewish legend holds that this bread was kept fresh supernaturally the whole time it was laid on the table.
In v. 31 the form and fashion of the Golden Lampstand is given. Again it was to be of a single beaten work, not several parts put together. Goldsmiths tell us it is impossible to make such a thing yet we know God showed them how. God commands
The lamp stand was to be decorated with open almond blossoms. The word for almond in Hebrew means “the awakening one”, because the almond tree was the first tree to awake from the sleep of winter and blossom. It speaks of being a FIRST PARTAKER.
In 1Co 15:34 Paul calls upon us to “awake to righteousness.” Almond blossoms speak of vindicated anointing, whereas in Numbers 17:8 there was a leadership challenge and God vindicated Aaron by causing his rod made of almond wood to bud and blossom over night. Almonds also speak of the power of God. Moses rod in Numbers 20:11 it was fashioned from almond, the very rod that brought the water out of the rock (and parted the Red Sea).
What else does the candlestick represent?
1. LAMP of GOD’S WORD:
[Psa 119:105 KJV] 105 NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
2. SPIRIT OF GOD:
[Zec 4:1-8 KJV] 1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What [are] these, my lord? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7 Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying], Grace, grace unto it.
3. SPECIFICALLY the SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD: [Isa 11:1-3 ]
Each and every article of furniture used in the Tabernacle speaks to us spiritually about who God is to us in the New Covenant through the work of redemption. These things are revealed in type and shadow and reward us richly as we seek them out to better understand the things of salvation and walking with God in our day.
