Exodus 26

Bible Passage:  Exodus 26

Continuing from biblereader’s post from yesterday, we move today into the next portion of instructions concerning the building of God’s holy sanctuary.

While there is a tendency to get caught up in the details of how to go about the construction, we just need to bear in mind that there are three building instructions being addressed in today’s chapter. These are:

1) Four different sets of curtains

2) Support system for the tabernacle

3) Two barriers: the Veil and the Screen

Offerings and Materials

If we were to note down the various materials used in the building of the tabernacle (or “tent”), we find that they come in all forms. We have the first set of ten curtains made of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread (Ex 26:1). Then we have clasps of gold and bronze (Ex 26:6, 11). We also find that ram skins, badger skins, and goats’ hair come in handy (Ex 26:7, 14). And also, the wood of choice happens to be acacia (Ex 26:15, 26, 32). Often times, the question of material choice surfaces when we consider the various celebrity artefacts of the Old Testament. Thus it is not unsurprising to hear renewed discussions of what is gopher wood? (Noah’s ark), or what’s the difference between using real gold or just doing gold plating?

Admittedly, such questions have no direct bearing upon the greater message of the Bible (Salvation), and in particular the theme for Exodus. Since we are looking at the Family of the Chosen Race, it seems more profitable for us to look at the deeper issues.

It is clear from yesterday’s Ex 25 reading that the materials came about only because of the Israelites’ willing and wholehearted offerings. That was in fact the only requirement made by God (cf. Ex 25:2). It was definitely no simple feat that the people offered, and that they offered could only be because God moved the hearts of the people. When we consider our church today, the materials are readily available in the building and construction markets, and thus the missing material is not what is physical. What God wants from us is our willing offerings that must stem from the heart: it is the spiritual side of things that we must consider.

When we can understand that our offerings build up the church, then we will readily give what is physical, and do so willingly.

Receipt and Dissemination

The set of instructions for the erection of the Tent of Meeting was given solely to Moses. He was the sole, first-hand recipient and now he had the duty to channel this set of building instructions to the people. The words that are reiterated emphatically are worth placing in captions:

“And you shall … according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain” (Ex 26:30)

One has to acknowledge that it is an essential piece of commandment when something is repeated a few times. In fact, God made sure that Moses heard Him loud and clear because this was mentioned twice in yesterday’s chapter (Ex 25:9, 40) and would be reiterated again tomorrow (Ex 27:8). We could hazard a number of guesses as to the repetitions but one plausible way of considering it is that it was a foreshadowing of the similar commandment that God would give later in the New Testament, via Paul (cf. Eph 2:20-21). The Tabernacle must be built according to God’s strictest specifications and not man’s own superficial speculations.

On this Sabbath day, we all come together to worship God as one Family that has been Chosen. We the spiritual Israelites have a duty to receive the Word from God and to pass it on in its pristine form. There must be no room for change or errors because this is the Church of God that we are building. Let’s make our offerings and build up this spiritual Tent of Meeting together.

May the glory of the Lord fill His chosen tabernacle. (Ex 40:34)