Exodus 29:35-42 – Our life for God as a fragrant aroma

We have established that the ordination of the priests was an elaborate process. Verses 35-37 tell us that seven days were set aside for this purpose. God told Moses specifically to set aside a whole week for this ordination. And each day of the week, a bull was to be sacrificed on God’s altar. The altar would then be consecrated and purified. It was the place where God would accept the atoning sacrifice for His people. The altar was to be purified by the sprinkling of the blood of seven perfect sacrifices. The sacrifices were also for the priests as well, for they were also sinners like everyone else. Hence, they too need the atonement for their sin. As they performed the sacrifices for seven days, they would constantly be reminded that it was the grace of God that had removed their sin.  

The blood reminds us that we too need to have a sacrifice for our sin. We too need to be cleansed by the blood of a sacrifice. Glory be to God, the sacrifice that took away our sins was the death of Christ on the cross at Calvary. We have been set apart to serve God by the precious blood of Christ. This is God’s requirement. And we are now set apart to serve our living God.

Having been cleansed, the priests would now have to make sacrifices for the sin of the people. Verses 38-42 then gave instructions to the priests on their duties. They would offer sacrifices every day. Two one-year-old lambs would be sacrificed every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Together with each sacrifice, they would also offer grain, oil and wine. The smoke of the sacrifice that would be burnt on the altar would rise to God as a sweet aroma to please Him every day. This is significant in that they would start and end each day with God. Their offering was a fragrant aroma to God. Like them, we are to start and end each day with God. This was to be done daily at the doorway of the Tabernacle. Our life must be an offering to Him day and night. God still wants our fellowship. We must begin and end each day with Him. For such a gracious God, we must also offer our life in between, offering it as a fragrant aroma to Him by living it rightly every moment of our life. 

Exodus 29:29-34 – Divine fellowship in God’s presence

In Exodus 29:29-30, God gave instruction concerning what to do with the garment of Aaron the high priest. God even thought of the succession of that role. The high priest would fall on Aaron’s descendants. The one who would succeed him would be anointed and ordained. He would then come into the Tabernacle wearing the garment and minister in the Holy Place for seven days. Simply put, the garment was to be passed down to the succeeding priests one generation after another. So down the passage f time, the high priest’s role would come from the line of Aaron. Every high priest down the line could be traced to Aaron until God gave us Jesus, His only Son, to be our high priest. He hailed from the tribe of Judah. And He is our only High Priest and there is no one that would come after Him. Jesus our high Priest had offered the once-and-for-all sacrifice to atone for our sin. For us, He shall be our High Priest forever.  

Verses 31-34 tell us that after the ram of ordination was sacrificed, the priest would sit down and have a meal in the presence of God at the doorway of the Tabernacle. The fats and the internal organ would be burnt and offered to the Lord. Moses would then take the breast piece that was set aside for him. Then the rest of the flesh from the ram would go to Aaron and his sons. Whatever was not eaten that day, including the bread, would be burnt the next day. They must not be eaten for they were sacred. Why the meal? It was an indication that they had fellowship with God. They were literally feasting on the grace of God.

The ordination, in fact, depicts for us the different stages of the journey of our salvation. The cleansing with water points to our regeneration. The anointing points to the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Sprinkling of the blood shows our consecration through Christ our Lord that was shed for us. The robe of the garment tells us that we are covered by the robe of righteousness that Christ has given us. Now the eating of the ram of sacrifice can be likened to the communion we partake with fellow believers. Perhaps we don’t often prepare ourselves as much as we should before we come to the Lord’s Supper. It’s time we rethink our commitment to God regarding the Communion. The seriousness of it all demands that we come prepared so that we can rightly discern the Lord’s body. Paul warned us of the detriment of taking this meal lightly. So, the next time we come to the Lord’s Supper, we must come prepared. All praise to God!    

Exodus 29:22-28 – God will provide for His servers

Details for the ordination were given in the earlier verses from 10-21. We have seen how the priests were to be cleaned, dressed, and anointed. Then we saw how the three kinds of sacrifices were made and how their right earlobes, right thumbs and right big toes would be dabbed with the blood of one of the offerings. Step by step God gave the details. The last sacrifice was known as the ram of ordination. What is the significance of this offering? It was probably God’s way of indicating that as priests, Aaron and his sons had the right to receive a portion of the offering.   

So, God gave the instructions to Moses in verses 22-28. He was to put into the hands of Aaron and his sons, the fats of the ram that covered the inner organs. Together with some bread and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread, they shall wave them as a wave offering to the Lord. Moses himself would take the breast from the ram offering of Aaron and wave it to the Lord. Then he would divide the portion of the ram offerings, a portion to Aaron and a portion to his sons. From this point on, the priests would be given the privilege to eat from the sacrifice. God had made provision for the priests. The people would bring their offering to God and He allowed the priest to take a part of the offering.

The crux of this passage is simply this: God always thinks of the people who serve Him and would provide for their needs in life. This brings us to the realization that our source in life is God. As we give to Him, we also become God’s channels of blessing, Hence, we should always regard God as the source of our life. The people whom the Lord uses to bless us are His resources of blessings. Remember all good things in life come from God and it is only through Him can we become a blessing to others. What a privilege to be His channels!

Exodus 29:10-21 – we are cleansed, anointed and dedicated to serve God

In Exodus 29, God gave instructions for the ordination of Aaron and his sons. The first nine verses show specific details of how they should be washed and prepared for the ordination. Though they would be washed and dressed up looking good, they would only look good outwardly. What about the spiritual side of their life? They were still sinners after all. There would still be a disparity between their appearance and their inner condition that had to be dealt with. The guilt of their sin nature must be dealt with. Sacrifices had to be made to atone for their sinful nature before they could be consecrated for the role. So, in Exodus 29:10-21, three sacrifices were prescribed and they had to be carried out over seven days.

Exodus 29:10-14 describe the most important of the three sacrifices that must be carried out first. A bull was to be brought as a sin offering. It would be sacrificed at the courtyard outside the Tabernacle. Some of the blood of the bull would be taken and sprinkled on the horn of the altar of sacrifice. This act was to sanctify the altar and make it holy to God. Any sacrifice offered to God on the altar would then be accepted as an offering for the payment of sin. The uncleaned parts of the bull would be burned outside the camp. On the altar of sacrifice would be the rest of the animal offered as the atoning sacrifice. Before the bull was killed by Moses, the priests would gather around it and lay their hands on its head. In this act, they would be identified with the bull and their sin would symbolically be imputed to the bull. As the bull which they had laid their hands on was being burned, it would dawn on them that they were the ones that deserved to die. The penalty of sin would be death. But God had mercifully allowed a bull to die in their place as their substitute. This is pointing to Christ who had died in our place. His death on Calvary was the ultimate sacrifice. It should have been you and I that should have been punished. But God had mercifully sent Christ to take our guilty place and die in our stead. The offering of the bull shows that like everyone else, the priest also needed God to forgive their sins.  

In verses 15-18, we see the next sacrifice to be made. The first of two rams would be taken and as before Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on the head of the ram. Moses was to slaughter it and take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. The rest of the ram would be cut up into pieces with its entrails and legs. Then they would be put together with its head on the altar. Every part of the ram was to be wholly offered as a burnt offering by fire to the Lord. The smoke that arose would be a sweet aroma to the Lord. The offering of the whole ram offered as a burnt offering became the symbol that the priests had given their whole life as a total dedication to the Lord. Calvary, where Christ gave His life for us, is our first altar. There we give our life to Him. Then there must also be another altar, where we dedicate ourselves totally to the Lord to serve Him wholeheartedly.

Finally, in verses 19-21, the details of the third sacrifice were given. Like the previous two sacrifices, Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on the second ram, which would then be slaughtered. Its blood would then be taken and applied to the lobes of the right ears and the big toes of the right feet of Aaron and his sons. Then blood would be sprinkled on the altar on all sides. Some of the blood with the anointing oil would be sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and their garments. This act would complete its consecration. This last sacrifice was for the priest in particular as their ordination. It was to sanctify them for the holy service they would henceforth be performing. The blood of the bull justified them since they were sinners. The blood of the second ram sanctified them and got them ready for priestly service.   

The whole scene must be very bloody. Crimson blood was everywhere, on the altar, on the horn of the altar, on the right ear lobes, big toes of their right thumbs and big toes of their right feet and even their garments. They had been set apart for the priestly service. What’s more significant is that the whole act tells us that they were cleansed, dedicated, anointed and set apart for the priestly service. Like them, we believers of Christ have been cleansed by His precious blood. By being baptised we are identified through the washing of water. Then we are anointed by the treasured Spirit of God. Now we are dedicated and set apart to serve Christ in the world because we have been justified by Christ!

Exodus 29:1-9 – Set apart to serve God

What we are about to learn is how the priestly ordination of Aaron and his sons should take place. God instructed Moses to consecrate them so that they could be set apart as a representative of the people before God. Their calling was to perform religious rites and ceremonies on the people’s behalf. As we have indicated earlier, as priests they would represent the people before God when they come into God’s presence in the Tabernacle. And when they emerge from God’s presence and come before the people, they would represent God, by giving instruction and guidance on what they were supposed to do. Their roles as a priest were critical as the entire nation depended on their responsibility of entering God’s presence to offer prayer and sacrifices. To be effective, they had to be found holy and be consecrated for the task. So having chosen Aaron and his sons as priests, God instructed Moses to consecrate them for the duties as priests.

The ritual of consecrating them was elaborate. In verses 1-3, God told them to gather whatever was needed for the consecration. The preparation includes taking “…one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; …make them of fine wheat flour.” Moses was to “…put them in one basket, and present them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams.” The animals to be sacrificed must be in the prime of their life and without blemish. Then Aaron and his sons would be brought to the doorway of the Tabernacle and be washed. They were to be thoroughly washed with water from their heads to their toes. This cleansing was a symbol of spiritual purification. Without the cleansing, they were not allowed into the Holy Place or to touch any of the articles in it.

Once they were cleansed, they would be dressed in the garment that God had instructed Moses to make. We saw each piece described in Exodus 28. So Moses was to “take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breast-piece, and gird him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod; and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.” Being called to the role of the high priest, Aaron’s ordination was more elaborate. Anointing oil was poured over him from the head and allowed to cascade down to his beard. This is a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming upon the priest. Only Aaron, the high priest was ordained in such a fashion. His sons would be brought before Moses who would then “put tunics on them.” Then sashes would be tied on Aaron and his sons. Their calling would be an everlasting ordination.

The whole purpose for the ordination of the priests was to set them apart for the service of God. To serve God, they had to be cleansed and set apart. We believers through Christ have now become God’s holy priests. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our total being to God as a holy and acceptable sacrifice. Like the priests, we have been cleansed with the precious blood of the Christ and anointed with the Holy Spirit of God. We must remain set apart and honorably serve Him all the days of our life. Yes, that we must do! To Him be the honor!   

Exodus 28:31-43 – Approach God rightly attired

The high priest who would come before God must be properly attired. Why? It is because of the awesome responsibility on his shoulder. They were no ordinary attire but those that God had instructed Moses how to have them made. He would wear the ephod with the 12 tribes of Israel on his shoulders. Then he would put on the breastplate of decision with four rows of three gems stones each. Each stone was engraved with the name of a tribe of Israel. This suggests that he ministered to the Lord with the valued people of Israel close to his heart.      

Exodus 28:31-35 show us how the robe of the priestly garment was to be made. It was to be blue and violet in colour, the same as the curtain of the veil that was used to cover the Holy of holies. It would be a seamless garment that would be worn underneath the ephod. Its length would roughly be around the knees of the high priest. The opening was to be sturdy so that the priest wearing it could pull it over his head much like putting on a poncho. Little pomegranates and bells were alternatingly sewn on the hem. The bells would give a tinkling sound whenever the high priest is serving, to indicate that he was well, alive and serving. The pomegranates with its many seeds were symbols of fruitfulness. In verse 36 a plate of pure gold with the words: ‘Holy to the Lord’ engraved on it was to be attached with blue cords to the turban. Aaron as the high priest would wear it as he went before the Lord. The inscription - Holy to the Lord – indicates Aaron was on sacred service, serving the holy and majestic God.  

Verses 39-41 tell us that a less elaborate garment was made for the sons of Aaron, the other priests, to serve in the Holy Place. Aaron and his sons were then to be consecrated to the ministry of the priesthood. Verses 42-43 describe how the undergarment was to be made and worn by all the priests whenever they went before the Lord. It was “to cover their bare flesh” all the way to the loins even to the thighs. Aaron and his sons need to wear them “…when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place so that they do not incur guilt and die.” God’s purpose was to ensure that the priests serving Him must be dressed to preserve their modesty.

Even in the elaborate detail of the high priest’s garment, we must not forget that service to the Lord must be a sacred and set apart service. The priest comes to God representing His people. And the God he is coming before is holy and glorious. For our majestic and holy God, flippancy is not befitting. The priest had to be fittingly dressed. The high priest would go before God in the Holy of holies bearing the guilt of Israel’s sin. For their sin, they would bring an offering to the Lord. It was the priest who would help them to present it to God. And because the priest was deemed to be holy to the Lord, their gift would be accepted by God. The thought that the Lord Jesus is our high priest serving on our behalf in the heavenly tabernacle is so reassuring. In Him, we have holy par excellence, as our high priest. Let us confidently come to God through Him.   

Exodus 28:30 – God’s guidance is available

Every serious believer wants to know God’s direction for their lives. There is nothing more important than to be walking and living in the centre of God’s will for one’s life. We all wish to have a way to know exactly what God wants us to do. We all wish for a way that would help us make a decision, and know precisely that the choice we have made is right smack at the centre of His will. Yet, we know that ours is a faith journey and faith is required for this journey. The closer we are connected with God, the more we desire to do His bidding. The Urim and Thummim were given to the people of Israel to help them know God’s will for major issues in the life of the community. These instruments were carried in the front pocket of the high priest garment close to his heat to help the nation ascertain divine guidance for the community.

We do not know exactly what the Urim and Thummim were made of, but we know that they were used to determine if a decision was God guided. The Israelites believed that they were God’s given instrument to be used to declare His will. From various incidences in the Old Testament where the Urim and Thummim were used we surmise that they were God’s given instrument for making major decisions for the nation. Here are two examples. The first is found in the appointment of Joshua to succeed Moses. In Numbers 27:18-21 God specifically told Moses to “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord.” The second is found in Nehemiah 7. Here the Urim and Thummim were used to ascertain if some men were eligible to serve as priests as they sought to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. The records of the family line of these people were lost so Nehemiah 7:65 says that they used the Urim and Thummim to ascertain their identity. For all other things, they would exert their mind, weigh a matter and make their decisions accordingly. Like them, we are expected to use our God-given common sense to make our day to day decision too.

Perhaps one thing to learn from this verse is this: God desires that we are found living in the centre of His will. The Urim and Thummim were given to them seek God’s guidance at that time when the Word of God, the whole counsel of God, was not fully available then. But today, we have the Bible, the Word of God, His best resource to rely on to know His will for our life today. As we study and meditate on the Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit sent alongside us, we can discover God’s answers for our everyday living. It is therefore important that we make time to study, meditate and contemplate on the Word of God. And we must learn to wait upon the Lord as Isaiah 40:31 calls us to do, saying: “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” So, let us not hesitate to study His Word and wait on Him.

Exodus 28:15-29 – God will never forget His own

Exodus 28 began with the instruction to Moses on the ephod which the priest was to wear when he performed his duty. In verses 15-29, we see instructions given for another piece of dressing to be made. It was a square piece of breastplate for the priest to wear in front of the ephod. And like the ephod, it was to be skilfully made with the same material as those used for the innermost layer of the Tabernacle. On this breastplate would be four rows of stones mounted. According to  verses 18-20 the four rows of stones with fine gold trimming would be set in this order: the first row shall be “a row of ruby, topaz and emerald; and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper….”     

These rows of 12 stones represent the nation of Israel, the people of God. One stone for one tribe and twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. The name of each tribe would be engraved on one stone each. Earlier in Exodus 19:5, God had promised that if they obeyed Him, then of all the people of the earth, they shall be His treasured possession. They shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to Him. This promise would be displayed before God as a reminder to God. Each time the priest wearing the breastplate went before God, he would literally be carrying God’s people on his chest and close to his heart, as he entered the presence of the Almighty. This is what we leaders of God need to do. We must always carry the needs of the people we serve close to our heart when we come to God in prayer.

The precious stones also became a symbol of how precious and treasured the people of God was to Him. It behoves us, therefore, also to see them as God’s treasured possession. Exodus 28:22-28 showed how the breastplate would be fastened on the ephod.  On the four corners of the breastplate would be one ring each.  Gold chains would be used to attach the top two corners to the shoulder piece of the ephod. The two rings at the bottom two corners would be used to attach the breastplate to both the ephod and the high priest’s belt with blue cords.

This breastplate was kept close to the heart of the priest as he entered before God’s presence. Verse 29 says that “Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breast-piece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.” Every time when Aaron went before the Lord, the people of God also went in with him symbolically. They were ever displayed before God as a memorial. Of course, the all-knowing God certainly knew the needs of His people. However, it would still be just as needful for us to come to Him and acknowledge that we are dependent on Him more than ever. Isn’t this how prayer ought to be? It is true that God already knows our need long before we come before Him. But we still need to acknowledge how reliant we are on Him for all the provision in life. More than reminding God, the breastplate served to tell the people that they were ever before God. It may surprise us to know that God is more fully cognizant of all our needs, more so than we care to express to Him. That’s why In Matthew 7:7-8, the Lord Jesus encourages us saying, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” We are ever before God, and He is more than willing to meet all our needs!     

Exodus 28:6-14 – In Christ, we are ever before God

Whenever the priest would go before God, he would be representing the people. Hence, the garment he wore for the duty was not only important for him but also for the people of Israel. He was there not to intercede or act for himself but for the people he represented. Therefore, it was critical what he wore to do that function. He would be wearing a specially made “…ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skilful workman. It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined. The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.” The material used would be like the very material used for the inner curtain of the Tabernacle. It would be made like an apron or a vest without any sleeve. It also had two suspenders or straps so that the vest could be hanged over the shoulders when the priest came before God.   

In verses 9-14 God instructed Moses on how the ephod was to be put together. Two onyx stones engraved with the names of the 12 sons of Israel, six on each stone, were attached to the shoulder piece of the ephod by golden wire. The names of Israel’s 12 sons were to engraved in the order of their birth. Whenever Aaron comes before the Lord wearing the ephod, he would be bearing the names of the 12 sons of Israel as a memorial before the Lord. Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali and Gad would be engraved on one stone: and Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin would be engraved on the other. These 12 names on the ephod would be the emphasis. Bear in mind that the people camped outside the fence. At the centre of the fenced area would be the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God, which no one was allowed in except the priest. And whenever the high priest entered the Holy of holies wearing the ephod, he carried the people with him into the presence of God. In a sense he was not there alone, he was also representing the people of Israel before God.    

Whenever the high priest wearing the ephod went into the presence of God, he would bear the needs of the people before God to atone for their sins. The only problem with this was that no matter how well dressed the high priest was, he himself was a sinner. The cloth he wore could not cover the sin of his heart before God. Hence the sacrifice had to be repeated yearly. But the wonderful truth is that we have a great high priest in Jesus Christ. He is the perfect sinless high priest. He can perfectly bear our sin before the presence of God. This is precisely what He had done for us. The good news is that in Jesus Christ, we have a high priest who is ever present before the Father, making intercession for us. He bore us in His heart with Him and so we are ever before God. What a glorious thought!

Exodus 28:1-5 - The beautiful garment of the priest

Essentially the role of a priest is to represent men whenever he went before God. And when he is before his people, he would represent God before them. Here in Exodus 28:1 God identified the people whom He wanted to be appointed to the service of the priesthood. They were Aaron, Moses’ brother who had served as his spokesman before Pharaoh, and also Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the four sons of Aaron. What they would be doing was an important task. Hence, they could not appoint themselves to the role. It was God who had appointed them and affirmed by Moses. In much the same way, leaders play a very important role in the service of God. Hence, it will do us well to ensure that they are carefully selected, appointed and affirmed before entrusted with the role. The Lord Jesus took a whole night to pray before He selected the Twelve. This underscores for us the seriousness we should attach to place someone in the leadership position. Hence, we can understand why the Apostle Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus stipulated all those godly characters as pre-requisites for men to be appointed to leadership roles.         

In verses 2-5, God gave instruction on the making of a special garment for Aaron and his sons. God was most likely referring to the garment for the priests to be worn for the ceremony. In a sense, He was describing the ceremonial garment. The word used here is “sacred” which means set apart. This garment would distinguish Aaron and his sons from other people. God wanted them to serve with dignity and honour. Why? It’s because they would be representing God before the people and should be honoured. To make such a garment would require skilful men. They were people specially endowed by God to make it the way He wanted the garment made. There is one principle to glean from this. That is, we must get rightly skilled people for the right tasks so that they can produce their best for God. Bear in mind that God will give us gifted people to help with the work He had entrusted us to do. Each of us must also realize that God has endowed us with the right gift for ministry.

Since the calling of the priesthood is an important role, they must be given the right adornment. So, verses 4-5 describe the complete garment to be made. They are, “…a breast-piece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen.” More details will be given in the later chapters of Exodus. The words “sacred garment” suggest that these pieces of the garment were only worn to conduct the ceremonial service. They were to be made with dignity and honour, suggesting that they were not only beautiful but also glorious. The colours and material of blue, purple and scarlet were similar to those used for the inner curtains of the Tabernacle. We can see that both the garment of the priest and the Tabernacle serve one purpose. They point the people to the Holy God and His perfect nature. It must be said that there is nothing more wonderful than to contemplate the beauty and glory of the Lord. The Tabernacle and now the garment of the priest, they all serve to give us a picture of God in all His beauty and holiness. How lovely it is to know that we worship and serve a perfect God, who is holy and glorious! No wonder King David expressed his desire in Psalm 27:4 saying, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.” Amen! 

Exodus 27:20-21 – The everlasting light

God had instructed how the Tabernacle would be made. This tent would stand within a fenced area of 10,500 square feet. He also had specifically given instruction on how the fencing and the curtain of the entrance to this whole area should be made. On entering the fenced area would be the Brazen Altar for sacrifice. It was here that the animal for the sacrifice to God would be burned. At the inner area of this fenced area would be the Tabernacle or the Tent of the meeting of 1,000 square feet, comprising of two compartments - the Holy Place and the Holy of holies. Separating these two compartments was a uniquely embroidered curtain. God had already specified that the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat should be placed in the Holy of holies. And immediately outside the curtain on the side of the Holy place was the Altar of Incense. God also instructed that two other pieces of furniture, namely the Table of Shewbread and the golden Lampstand, be made and placed in the Holy place. 

The Tabernacle was the place where the spiritual transaction would be carried out. It was where thanksgivings would be offered and atonement of sin be made. The Holy of holies was where God’s presence would be. Priests with holy calling would also be appointed to carry out spiritual duties on behalf of the people. But only the high priest could enter into the Holy of holies, the dwelling of God. Other priests appointed could only enter the Holy Place to carry out their duties. The people were not allowed into the Holy Place, let alone the Holy of holies. The offering to be made to God was made on their behalf by the priests.  

Up till this point in Exodus, we are not told much about the specific duties of the priests. God only gave instruction on how the Tabernacle and its furnishings, the Brazen Altar, the outer courtyard and its fencing, and the curtain at the entrance, should be made. But from the Brazen Altar at the courtyard and the way the Tabernacle would be furnished, we can roughly surmise what the priests’ duties would be. They would be tasked to offer sacrifices at the Brazen Altar. They would be making the holy bread for the Table of Shewbread, and put them on this table. Their sacred duties would include taking care of the sacred utensils, sprinkling sacrificial blood, and minding the fire on the altar. They were also tasked to take down, carry, and set up the tabernacle whenever God and his people were on the move.

Here in Exodus 27:20-21, God gave instruction that the golden lampstand in the Holy Place should be kept burning. The people were commanded to bring clear oil of pressed olives to keep the light on the lampstand burning all the time. Aaron and his sons had been entrusted the duty of keeping the lampstand burning all the time. This suggests that one of them would be assigned the duty in the Holy place to tend to the light to ensure that it was perpetually burning all the time. This implies that they have to go on rotational duty as a lasting ordinance unto the Lord.

Remember how the lampstand was made. It had seven branches much like a tree. It was made to provide light within the Tabernacle. But more importantly, it was a symbol of the tree of life. It tells us that our God is the giver of light and life. Notice the light was to be kept burning all the time. It was signifying the eternal presence of God. In the presence of God, there is perpetual light and life. We who have tasted of the light and life from this tree must keep the light burning for an everlasting witness. We must keep the light of the Lord burning. It is our sacred duty!

Exodus 27:9-19 – Let us enter in and do what we need to do

Exodus 27:9-15 describe how the courtyard, where the Brazen Altar would stand, was to be made. It was also the larger tent that would house the Tabernacle proper. This bigger tent would have a surrounding fence. God wanted it to be constructed in a specific way. The fence about 150 feet by 70 making a total area of 10,500 square feet. It would be about the total area of four tennis courts put together. The Tabernacle would take about a thousand square feet. Hence the remaining open area would still be quite a lot. It would be rectangular in shape consisting of sixty pillars complete with silver hooks and set into bronze bases. They were joined together by white linen curtains. The height of the fence would be about eight feet tall allowing the people to see the top of the Tabernacle. They could also see the smoke rising from the altar. However, they could not see what’s happening inside the Tabernacle.   

In Exodus 27:16-18 God gave instruction on what material to be used for the screen at the entrance. It was to be made of white linen embroidered with blue and purple and scarlet thread, the same material used for the inner curtain of the Tabernacle. In verse 19, God instructed that the pegs, and all the utensils for the courtyard to be made of bronze. For obvious reason, everything inside the Tabernacle was made in gold, whereas outside at the courtyard everything was made of bronze. What else would have best depict the holiness and grandeur of God?

So far, we have seen that God’s entire setup contains three areas – the open courtyard and the Tabernacle proper comprising the Holy Place and the Holy of holies. They were set up to indicate where the different kinds of worshippers could go. Hence, we see that the differentiation of three kinds of worshippers. Like Moses who alone was summoned into God’s presence on Mount Sinai, only the high priest could enter the Holy of holies. Like Moses, the high priest was acting as a mediator representing the people before God. The second category was the elders who could ascent Mount Sinai but not into the top where Moses entered. They were represented by the other priests who could enter the Holy Place but not into the Holy of holies. Then the rest of the people, the ordinary Israelites could come into the courtyard but not into the Tent of meeting. However, unlike the Israelites, today we who have come into a relationship with God through Christ have a tremendous privilege. The wall and curtain that separated the different people had been torn down by the death of Christ Jesus. Remember the veil that separated the Holy place from the Holy of holies was ripped from top to bottom, signifying that we now have access to the Holy God through Christ.  The veil that once kept sinners out had been removed. And now with faith in Christ, we can enter in by the blood of Christ.

According to 1 Peter 2:9, we Christians are God’s royal priesthood. We have access to the Father and we are assigned to declare the praises and the excellencies of Him who have called us out of the darkness into His marvellous light. We have access to God so that we can go forth and declare Him. We are intermediaries between God and the people who are yet to know Him. We must go about our work of making Him known. It is not only a privilege but a command!  

Exodus 27:1-8 – Our salvation requires an altar of sacrifice

It was sheer amazing that God should come and dwell among His people in a tent! We may not think very much about this because we all live in physically well-structured houses. But for the Israelites living in tents, having God come down from His grandeur and live among them in a tent, was a great deal. The Tabernacle was an object lesson about God and His eternal dwelling place. It was a piece of heaven on earth. It was a constant reminder to them that God was dwelling among them. Through the Tabernacle, they learned about God’s holiness and His other characters. They also learned how to connect with Him, build the relationship and have fellowship and friendship with the divine. What a privilege!

In Exodus 27, we come away from the Tabernacle proper to the area outside of this unique earthly dwelling place of God. In verses 1-8, God gave Moses instruction to build a stove-like bronze altar. This was the altar where the Israelites would sacrifice animals to atone for their sins. In order to approach the Holy God, sin had to be dealt with. It was at this Brazen Altar at the entrance of the courtyard that the animal they brought to atone for their sin would be sacrificed.

In verses 1-8, God told them how to construct it - complete with the shovel, the pail and the grating network of bronze. According to verse 5, this grating net was to be placed “…beneath and under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will reach halfway up the altar.”  This Brazen Altar was to be a square table made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze, with four horns at its four corners. It measured approximately more than seven feet long, seven feet wide, and four feet high. On the two sides of this altar, four rings were made, two on each side. Two poles of acacia wood, also overlaid with bronze, were made to be used for transporting this altar by inserting them through the four side rings. Again, the exact pattern of how this Brazen Altar was to be made was shown by God to Moses when he was on the mountain with Him.

Inside the Tabernacle, every furniture was made of gold. Now at the courtyard, the altar and other furnishings made for the purpose of sacrifice were made of bronze. The shovels and pails were for removing the ashes from the stove-like table. Long forks were also made for turning the sacrificed animal over the flame on the altar. The network of grill placed inside the altar was made this way for the obvious purpose to facilitate the flow of oxygen to keep the fire burning for the sacrifice.  

What’s the significance of the Brazen Altar to us Christians? It points us to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was sacrificed at the altar for our salvation. God’s salvation plan requires a spotless sinless sacrifice. Jesus is the only sacrifice that met that requirement. He was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. However, unlike the sacrifices made on the Brazen Altar, Jesus the Lamb of God was the once-and-for-all sacrifice that has efficaciously removed our sins and made us acceptable to God.  So, with great delight and joy, we surrender our life to His Lordship and His reign!  

Exodus 26:31-37 – Christ dwelling in and among us

In the first fourteen verses of Exodus 26, God gave instruction to Moses on how he should have the four layers of the Tabernacle made. Then in verses 15-30, He dealt with the framework of the Tabernacle that should be made of acacia wood panels overlaid with gold. He even gave the dimension of each penal together with the silver stands and golden sockets and even instructed him how they should be assembled.

The Tabernacle was essentially a rectangular tent, 45 feet in length and 15 feet in width. It was made up of two compartments, the inner section called the Holy of holies, was squarish in shape measuring 15 by 15 feet. The outer rectangular portion, the Holy Place, measured 30 by 15 feet. Separating these two compartments was the curtain described in verses 31-35, also known as the veil. It was to be made of “…blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen …made with cherubim; the work of a skilful workman.” Moses was instructed to “hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their golden hooks on four sockets of silver.” Finally, in verses 36-37, God gave instruction on how to make the cover or the screen for the entrance to the tent. It was made of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen skilfully interweaved. Five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlaid with gold were made complete with hooks of gold, and also five sockets of bronze, probably to hold the five pillars.

Once God had revealed how the Tabernacle should be set up, He then told Moses what should be put inside. Inside the Holy of holies was the Ark of the Covenant and in the Holy Place was the Altar of Incense just outside the veil and the Table of Shewbread and The Golden Lampstand opposite each other. The Table of Shewbread on the north side and the Golden Lampstand on the south side. Apparently, the only person that had seen the blueprint of the Tabernacle was Moses. For Exodus 26:30 reads, “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain.”  

In essence the Tabernacle was a replica of heaven. It was the place where God’s throne was surrounded by Cherubim. Through the Tabernacle, God bro0ught heaven to earth. That explains why God took great pain to instruct how exactly He wanted it made. The only people that had the privilege to enter into the Tabernacle were the priests. Even then, only one could enter in when he was scheduled for the sacrifice. Inside the Tabernacle was like heaven and outside was earth.  The centre of the whole Tabernacle would be the Holy of holies where God would dwell and reign in glory. This tent would be at the centre of the lives of the Israelites, with the 12 tribes camping around it, outside the courtyard. The Tabernacle was to be the most important place in the world. It was a picture of God ruling both heaven and earth. Though they could not enter in they had the privilege of seeing it from a distance. They would certainly feel the privilege of God’s presence among them.  

For us, we need to know that the God we worship is the same God shown here. He still rules heaven and earth. He’s the same and has never changed. He is still the faithful perfect God. And He still desires our obedience. He still requires that we separate from sin. And the only way we can be free from sin is when we are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ His Son, who has come and dwell among us. Through Him, we now have a piece of heaven here on earth. Let’s be sure to camp around Christ, the God who has come and dwell among us.   

Exodus 26:15-30 – We are the building materials for God’s dwelling

In Exodus 26:1-14, God described the material for the Tabernacle and how He wanted the four layers made and assembled. Now in Exodus 26:15-30, He gave instructions on what He wanted for the frame of the Tabernacle. Simply put, the Framework of the Tabernacle was made of wooden panels of acacia wood overlaid with gold. They were each supported by silver stands, two stands per penal. The corners would have double panels. The panels were then connected by golden crossbars and held in place. This interlocking framework would then be draped over by the curtains. The top of the tent would be flat and not peak like a circus tent. It would approximately be a 45 feet rectangular shaped tent.

Many had drawn lessons about the character of Christ and how to relate to Him from the furnishings within the Tabernacle. What lesson can we see from the framework of what was described in Exodus 26:15-20? As a community of believers, our strength increases when we are in a relationship with Christ and interconnected to each other. Just like the interlocking of columns of acacia wood overlaid with gold, fitted together by silver sockets and held firm by the golden crossbar, we are to be connected to each other. First Peter 2:4-5 we are told that ”…coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” As each one of us relates with Christ, we become part of the building material God uses to build His community. We become God’s spiritual house to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.   

Exodus 26:1-14 – Life's beauty is found inward and not outward

Exodus 26 is one of the chapters of the Bible that many would skip or merely skim through. Why? Because a quick scan of it resembles reading an architectural plan which can make reading drab, dry and dull. But we need to know that what we are about to explore is no ordinary structure. It was God’s dwelling place among His people on earth. It’s a structure that teaches us so much about God and His character and provides us with instruction and requirement on how we sinners could meet a holy God. There are many spiritual lessons to be gleaned from a study of the Tabernacle. Hence the material to construct it, and how it was to be done, deserve our attention and reflection even though it makes reading difficult.

In Exodus 25, we saw how God wanted the furnishings of the Holy of holies and the Holy Place to be constructed. The Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat was to be placed in the Holy of holies. Then in the Holy Place, the outer chamber of the Tabernacle, God wanted the Altar of Incense, the Table of Shewbread and the Golden Lampstand placed. Having given details of how He wanted the pieces of furniture to be made, He then proceeded in Exodus 26 to describe how He wanted the tent or the Tabernacle to be made.    

In Exodus 26:1-6, God instructed that the inner layer of the Sanctuary would be made of white fine linen decorated with colors of blue, and purple scarlet fibers. Embroidered onto the linen sheets were cherubim, representing the angels that guard the throne of God. There were in total ten sheets of linen measuring 6 feet by 42 feet. A set of five sheets each were sewn together to make two enormous curtains. They were then joined together by 50 golden clasps. These two huge sheets were then draped over a frame to form the roof and sides of the Tabernacle. In verses 7-14, God described the next three layers of covering for the Tabernacle. Simply put, the first layer described in verses 1-6 would be covered by a layer made of goat’s hair. Then the third layer of ram skin would cover the first two inner layers before the fourth layer of water-proof hides of sea cows would be draped over it.

Reflecting over what we have read in these first 14 verses of Exodus 26, we can see that the exterior would look rough and coarse but the interior would look pleasant and pleasing. We surmised that being in the interior of the Tabernacle would very much be like being in heaven. It was essentially a replica of heaven where cherubim surrounded His throne. There is one thing we can take away from this first 14 verses. Do not spend too much time decorating the outward when the beauty of our inner man is far more important. Isn’t this what 1 Peter 3:3-4 exhorts us to do? Although Peter was addressing women, these verses are just as applicable to us vain men. His advice to us is “Your adornment must not be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” We must spend time to cultivate our inner man for the glory of God.    

Exodus 25:31-40 – There is life and light in God’s presence

The Tabernacle was a special, four-layered tent. The interior was lined with fine linen covered by cloth woven from goat’s hair. These two layers would then be covered by another layer of Ram skins. These three layers would then be draped over by a water-proof canvas made of the thick hides of sea cows. No light could pierce through this tent and there was not a single window. But for the Golden Lampstand that God placed in the Holy Place, the priest entering into the Tabernacle would find himself engulfed in pitch darkness. This tells us that God will never leave His people to wander about in darkness.  

In Exodus 25:31-40, we see God instructing Moses how He wanted the Golden Lampstand to be made. A scan of this passage of Scriptures will tell us how intricate this piece of art, the Golden Lampstand was. Without immeasurable skills from God, it would be hard to fashion it. This Golden Lampstand would then be placed opposite the Table of Shewbread in the Holy Place to provide light. It was to be beaten out of one piece of gold. It is so hard for anyone even to describe it, much less to make it without the wisdom and skill that only God can supply.  

We cannot even imagine how it was made, but we are told that it was not assembled but beaten from a piece of one talent of gold. In today’s equivalent, it would be approximately 75 pounds of gold. The complete lampstand would be about five feet tall. It had one central shaft with a broad base. This would be the main stem. Spread out from this stem were six branches, three on each side. Let us allow Exodus 25:31-36 to tell us how it was to be made. God told Moses, “Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower—so for six branches going out from the lampstand; and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.”

What’s the purpose of the Golden Lampstand? Firstly, for obvious reason, it was to provide light for the priest serving inside the Tabernacle. Secondly, for us, it represents God’s gift of light and life to us, His people. The lampstand was made in the shape of a tree, bringing us to the thought of the Tree of life. It also brings us to the tree that our Lord Jesus was hanged so that we can have life in Him. The Golden Lampstand also shed light to provide guidance. We know that from this tree, we don’t need to stray in darkness because we can have light and revelation on how to live a God-pleasing life. There is one thing that we must not miss i.e. there are life and light in God’s presence. Let us not neglect to come to the tree of life and find life and light in His presence!

Exodus 25:23-30 – Christ Jesus, our ever present bread in life

In Exodus 25:23-30, we see God giving instruction to Moses for the construction of the second piece of furnishings, the Table of Shewbread and the golden articles to be housed in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. This Table had been referred to as “the table of the bread of the Presence” in Numbers 4:7. Then in Leviticus 24:6 it was referred to as “the pure gold table.” In 2 Chronicles 13:11, it was referred to as “the clean table” and in 1 Kings 7:48, Solomon called it “the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence.” It was one of the three furnishings placed in the Holy place. 

Structurally, like the Ark of the Covenant, it was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. This Table was about three feet tall, three feet in length and one and a half feet in width with gold trimmings around its edge. This table also had four rings, two on each side for the purpose of transportation with two poles similar to those for the Ark. But unlike the Ark, the two poles used for transporting the Table of Shewbread were not left there permanently in the rings.  Notice that the Tabernacle and all the furnishings were not massive structures. It tells us that the importance is not in how massive the structure was, but the message God wants to convey through them.  

Verses 29-30 show us several articles that were made together with the table. The golden plates, most likely to place the bread of the presence. Golden dishes to hold the incense and the golden jars and bowls for the pouring of the offering. Why were jars and bowls kept in the Holy Place when the offering was to be made at the courtyard? It was most likely kept in the Holy place for safekeeping because they were made of gold for Holy purpose. When they were needed they would be taken out for use. In Exodus 34:16, God specifically referred to the “drink offerings.” On the Table would also be twelve loaves of bread. When we think of a loaf of bread, we imagine it to be like a whole loaf of “Gardenia bread.” But it was not so. Why? Because the Table was too small to house 12 loaves of Gardenia bread. So, a loaf of bread was most likely referring to one piece of "roti-prata" liked bread. So, there were twelves pieces stacked up in two piles vertically on two golden plates.

Many students of the Bible had drawn all sorts of lessons from the Tabernacle and the different pieces of its furnishings. But we must not overstretch what God wants to teach us. So, we ask ourselves what does God wants us to learn from His instruction on the Table of Shewbread? What’s important about this Table was not in the structure of the Table, but the bread placed on it. We must not extrapolate meaning out of nowhere. Instead, let us allow other scriptures to help us unlock the meaning of it. We should avoid coming to any conclusion independent of other scriptures. A safe guide would be to ask ourselves what has the New Testament said about them?

What can we make out of the bread? It is not because God needs the bread for sustenance. If we have this notion, it would be no different from the belief of the pagans. Their “so-called” gods need bread for their sustenance, but our God is the self-sufficient and self-existent One. He does not need us to feed Him bread. Neither does He need our help to survive. But the opposite is true. We need God in order to survive - both spiritually and physically. The moment He removes our breath, we will be dead physically. The moment we are disconnected from Him, we will be dead spiritually. He is the sustenance of our life. We are utterly dependent on God to live.

Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of life in John 6. He is not just supernatural bread but also the spiritual, sustaining and satisfying bread. Like the bread on the Table of Shewbread must be constantly changed so that they would never become stale, so also must our relationship with Him stay current. We need to constantly renew our mind and commitment so that our relationship with Him will always be intact. It is worth noting that there were twelve loaves of bread sowing us that Israel’s every tribe was always in God’s presence. So, we take heart that like the bread that was ever in God’s presence, He also carries us daily and we are ever in His presence. Like the bread that was ever in God’s presence, our needs are ever before Him. He will provide all our daily needs if we trust Him to. There are so many lessons to draw on. The two piles of bread tell us that He will abundantly supply our need, not just for a day, not just for a month or a year but day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year all through life. Praise God for His bountiful provision!

Exodus 25:17- 22 – Calvary, God’s mercy seat

In Exodus 25:10-16, God instructed Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant. It was to be a rectangular box of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It was to be about four feet in length, two and a half feet in width and two and a half feet in depth. Having given instruction for what He wanted for the Ark, God then proceeded in verses 17-22 to instruct him what to do for the lid and what to put inside it. Inside the Ark, God wanted Moses to place the Testimony. This refers to the two stone tablets that contain the Ten Commandments. This piece of furnishing had been called the Ark of the Covenant because it was placed the terms of the Covenant written on the two stone tablets.

Since the Ark was about four feet in length and two and a half feet in width, the cover to be built was to follow the same length and width. It was to be made of pure gold together with two Cherubim made of hammered gold at both ends of the cover. They were to be made from one piece of gold with the cover, with each cherub facing each other inward. Their wings were supposed to spread upward and inward and their tips touching each other’s yet overshadowing the cover. We surmise that they were the archangels of God whose function was much like a palace guard. For that was what they did in Genesis 3, where Cherubim were first mentioned and they were sent there to guard the way back to the tree of life.  

On top of the cover and in between the wings of the Cherubim was the location of the mercy seat. We must not mistake the seat to be referring to a throne. It was just referring to a location on the cover of the Ark where the mercy of God could be found and the forgiveness of sins be given. The mercy seat had the inference that the people would not be able to meet the demands of the Law stipulated in the Ten Commandments placed within the Ark. Hence, the mercy seat provided a place for them to atone for their failure in keeping the demands of God. Exodus 25:22 God said that it would be the mercy seat that “I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”

In the Book of Leviticus, the high priest was to bring the blood of a sacrificed animal into the Holy of holies and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. This was done once a year on the Day of Atonement. The blood sprinkled on the mercy seat would atone for their sin and protect them from God’s wrath. Why must blood be sprinkled on something so beautiful as the Ark? Hebrews 9:22 made it doubtlessly clear that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. The blood atones for the sin of the people and turns away God’s wrath. For the Almighty to accept us, sinners, something must come in between His holiness and our sinfulness. It’s the blood of an acceptable sacrifice. This is what Jesus did for us at the cross. He hanged there at Calvary in between heaven and earth with His shed blood so that the mercy of God could be released upon us. The cross is the mercy seat where our sins are atoned for. This is where we find our reconciliation with our Holy Father in heaven. The mercy of God could only be found when we come through the cross of Calvary. Let us remember the hill called Mount Calvary. Let us remember whatever the cost. Even when time has surrendered and earth is no more, we must still cling to that old rugged cross. This was where we were first forgiven, and still, find forgiveness whenever we falter.