THE HEBREW TABERNACLE
1.0 THE REASON FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE
EXODUS 25:8
“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.
EXODUS 40:38
The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.
2.0 THE LAYOUT OF THE CAMP AND THE POSITIONING OF THE TRIBES
THE LAYOUT WAS IN THE SIGN OF A CROSS.
NUMBERS 2:2
When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle,* but at some distance from it.
RABBI RASHI
באתת [EVERY MAN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL ENCAMP BY HIS OWN STANDARD] WITH THE SIGNS [OF THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES] — Each banner shall have a different sign — a piece of coloured cloth hanging on it, the colour of the one not being the same as the colour of another, but the colour of each tribe shall be like that of his stone that is fixed in the breastplate (of. Exodus 28:21), and by this means everybody will be able to recognise his banner .
3.0 CREATE SPACE OR DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND ARK OF COVENANT
THE HOLINESS OF GOD IS A VERY KEY ISSUE TO UNDERSTAND IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES
RABBI RASHI
מנגד AT SOME DISTANCE [AROUND THE APPOINTED TENT THEY SHALL ENCAMP] — at a distance of a mile (2000 cubits), for it is said, (Joshua 3:4) “Yet there shall be between you (the Israelites) and it (the Ark), about two thousand cubits”; the reason for this distance, which was that of a Sabbath day’s journey, was that they might be able to come unto the vicinity of the Tabernacle for instruction on Sabbath, for Moses, Aaron and his sons and the Levites were encamped quite close to it (Bemidbar Rabbah 2:9; cf. Exodus 33:7 and Rashi thereon).
JOSHUA 3:1–4
Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove* and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile* behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”
4.0 THE TABERNACLE PLACES WORSHIP AT THE CENTER OF THE COMMON LIFE OF THE HEBREWS.
4.1 WE NEED TO ASK SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT WORSHIP:
A DEFINITION: Worship is the outpouring of love and devotion from our hearts to God.
The key word to think of when discussion Worship is ATTENTION and FOCUS
OUR ATTENTION AND FOCUS IS UPON GOD HIMSELF
Worship is our encounter with the presence of God and our response.
5.0 THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE
5.1 MATERIALS FOR THE TABERNACLE
EXODUS 25 1:7
Offerings for the Tabernacle
The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. 3 Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them:
gold, silver, and bronze;
4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
6 olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
7 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.
5.2.1 Where did materials come from among a group of Slaves?
EXODUS 12:36
The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!
5.2 THE BLUEPRINT PLANS FOR THE TABERNACLE
EXODUS 25:9
You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.
The design of the Tabernacle was given directly by God to Moses and was built by those full of the Holy Spirit.
EXODUS 35:30–35
30 Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The LORD has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 32 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 33 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. 34 And the LORD has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. 35 The LORD has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.
6.0 THE FENCE AND COMPOUND OF THE TABERNACLE
EXODUS 27:9–19.
9 “Then make the courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, make the curtains 150 feet long.* 10 They will be held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. 11 Make the curtains the same on the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings. 12 The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long,* supported by ten posts set into ten bases. 13 The east end of the courtyard, the front, will also be 75 feet long. 14 The courtyard entrance will be on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22½ feet long,* supported by three posts set into three bases. 15 The curtain on the left side will also be 22½ feet long, supported by three posts set into three bases.
16 “For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long.* Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set in its own base. 17 All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and hooks and bronze bases. 18 So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 7½ feet high,* made from finely woven linen. The bases for the posts will be made of bronze.
19 “All the articles used in the rituals of the Tabernacle, including all the tent pegs used to support the Tabernacle and the courtyard curtains, must be made of bronze.
6.1 One Entrance
One of the major distinctives of both The Hebrew Spiritual Worldview and also the Christian Gospel is the fact that it does not embrace multiple levels of salvation. There was one entrance into the Holy Sanctuary in the same way as there was only way through our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
John 14:6
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
6.2 Pure White Linen
Without question the most important aspect of the Spiritual Life in Judeo-Christian history is the importance of Purity and Innocence.
The idea of the Power of the Spirit is meaningless without the Fruit of the Spirit.
MATTHEW 5:8
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
7.0 FOUNDATION METALS BRASS AND SILVER
Exodus 38:9-11
8.0 THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE Exodus 38:1-8
Very strict laws that governed how the Altar was to be treated.
9.0 THE BASIN OF WATER FOR CEREMONIAL WASHING
Blood and Water as symbols of cleansing.
10.0 THE SANCTUARY
The coverings of the Sanctuary
Several Layers all symbolic
EXODUS 26:1
“Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim.
11.0 THE MATERIALS FOR THE SANCTUARY
THE HOLY PLACE
10.1 The Table of Show Bread Exodus 37:10-16
EXODUS 25:23–30
“Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.* 24 Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge. 25 Decorate it with a 3-inch border* all around, and run a gold molding along the border. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs. 27 Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table. 28 Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 29 Make special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, ladles, pitchers, and jars—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings. 30 Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.
LEVITICUS 24:5–9
5 “You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts* of flour for each loaf. 6 Place the bread before the LORD on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two stacks, with six loaves in each stack. 7 Put some pure frankincense near each stack to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the LORD. 8 Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the LORD as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant. 9 The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD.”
The bread was to be a symbolic visualisation before the Lord of the 12 Tribes of Israel before the Lord.
The idea being that God is pleased when He sees the Bread.
Of course symbolically the Bread is a picture of the Bread of Life our Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Father sees the Son he is pleased.
MATTHEW 3:16-17
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened* and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
10.2 The Golden Lamp Stand
Exodus 37:17 - 24
17 Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. 18 The lampstand had six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. 19 Each of the six branches had three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 20 The center stem of the lampstand was crafted with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 21 There was an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extended from the center stem, all made of one piece. 22 The almond buds and branches were all of one piece with the center stem, and they were hammered from pure gold.
23 He also made seven lamps for the lampstand, lamp snuffers, and trays, all of pure gold. 24 The entire lampstand, along with its accessories, was made from seventy-five pounds* of pure gold.
10.3 The Altar of Incense
Exodus 37:25-28
Building the Incense Altar
25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high,* with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. 26 He overlaid the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and he ran a gold molding around the entire altar. 27 He made two gold rings and attached them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 Then he made the sacred anointing oil and the fragrant incense, using the techniques of a skilled incense maker.
