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.