PM Jan 31st Ex 26

January 31^st       Exodus 26        The Tabernacle

1: Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. 2: The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3: The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. 4: And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5: Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. 6: And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle. 7: And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8: The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9: And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10: And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11: And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12: And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13: And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14: And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins. 15: And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. 16: Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. 17: Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18: And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19: And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20: And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 21: And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22: And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23: And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24: And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25: And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 26: And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27: And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 28: And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29: And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30: And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 31: And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33: And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34: And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 35: And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36: And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 37: And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 27        The Altar for burnt offering

1: And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2: And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3: And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4: And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. 5: And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. 6: And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7: And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8: Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

The Tabernacle curtains

9: And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: 10: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11: And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 12: And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. 13: And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. 14: The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15: And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16: And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. 17: All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass. 18: The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. 19: All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. 20: And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 21: In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28        The Priests clothes

1: And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 2: And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. 3: And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 4: And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 5: And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 6: And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. 7: It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8: And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9: And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10: Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11: With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12: And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13: And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14: And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches. 15: And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16: Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 17: And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18: And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19: And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20: And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21: And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 22: And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 23: And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24: And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 25: And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 26: And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 27: And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 28: And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 29: And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30: And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 31: And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32: And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. 33: And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 34: A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35: And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 36: And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37: And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 38: And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39: And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. 40: And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41: And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

In today’s Bible reading Moses continues to record the instructions he receives from the Lord regarding the building of the Tabernacle of meeting. This time he describes the main construction of the timber framework which is overlaid with coverings and curtains. Then Moses describes the Altar for the burnt offerings then the Tabernacle curtains and finally the clothes of the priests. The description that Moses starts with are very specific and detailed. The first thing is ten curtains of fine twisted linen with pictures embroidered into them depicting cherubims made of threads of blue purple and scarlet. These curtains were carried separately yet they were very carefully joined together when it was time to set up the tabernacle. These curtains were covered up by other curtains made of badger skins. Next Moses describes the construction of boards that when fixed together form the shape of the Tabernacle. They were very long and had tenons on the bottom fitting into sockets of silver. They were coupled in the dust and coupled up very high. Like believers they are coupled in the dust and coupled in heaven. The boards were joined top, middle and bottom by bars that ran through the boards. Then a veil was made to separate between the Most holy place and the holy place. Next the Lord describes the making of the Altar of burnt offering. This was effectively a very large timber b-b-q. Made of hollowed out timber frame but overlaid with copper. The copper protected the timber from burning. It was square. Five cubits square and three cubits high. It was high enough to burn a whole bull. There were lots of implements made for its service. The altar had rings and staves for moving it. Next the Lord turns to the making of the curtains that surrounded the courtyard. It created a huge area for the service of the Lord. All of these items are hugely significant yet we must not get hung up on them and remember that they all point to Christ. Then the Lord gave instructions for the making of the priestly and high priestly garments. There were certain people of the children of Israel who were specially gifted to make these things. The high priestly garments were for glory and beauty. The high priest’s garments were truly amazing. They were woven with gold thread. On the shoulders of the high priest were two onyx stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes, six on one and six on the other. Aaron bore on his shoulders the names of the children of Israel. When the Lord Jesus appears before his father in heaven as our high priest he bears our names on his shoulders. Next the Lord describes the making of a breast plate which contains twelve precious stones on which are engraved the names of the twelve tribes. Inside the breastplate were the Urim and Thummim. These were used as lots for determining the will of the Lord. Around the hem of his robes were bells and models of pomegranates. These speak of joy and fruitfulness. The high priest was to bear on his headdress a golden plate on which was written ‘Holiness to the LORD’. All of these things prevented the high priest and his sons to not die before the Lord.