Exodus 36:8-40:38

36:20 - 37:16 The wooden frames were overlaid in pure gold and supported by silver bases. They made a curtain that would divide the Tabernacle into two rooms. Only the high priest would be allowed to go into the inner room. Bezalel, the craftsman, made the ark of the covenant out of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. It had angels on the top made of hammered gold. The table for the bread of the Presence was acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. The plates, bowls and pitchers were also pure gold.

v. 17-29 The lampstand was made from a talent of gold (about 75 pounds). A small altar for burning incense was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. The sacred anointing oil and incense were the work of master perfumers. A larger altar was built out of acacia wood and overlaid in bronze. Its grating and utensils were also bronze. This altar would be located outside the Tabernacle. It was used for burning sacrifices. They made a bronze basin to hold water for ceremonial washing. It was made "from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." In class we talked about how ancient mirrors were not glass mirrors like we have today but were made of a highly polished piece of silver or bronze. It's interesting that the water basin was made from mirrors, because when you look into water in a basin you always see your reflection. Also, we noticed that Moses said there were women serving at the entrance to the Tabernacle.

38:1-31 The curtains of the courtyard were made of linen and supported by bronze bases, not silver ones like in the Tabernacle. The courtyard was twice as long as it was wide. All the posts had silver bands and silver hooks. A curtain was made for the entrance to the courtyard. Moses recorded the specific amounts of the materials they used. Keep in mind that they had to break the Tabernacle down and carry it whenever they moved during that 40 years in the wilderness. The weight of the metals alone was almost 15,000 pounds (7.5 tons) not including all the curtains and wooden posts.

The gold was a wave offering and it was used for the sanctuary. The silver was from the census in which Moses collected ½ shekel from each male over the age of 20-- a total of 603,550 men. Each of the silver bases weighed one talent or about 75 pounds. The bronze was a wave offering and was used for bases, utensils, tent pegs and the bronze altar. If we were to build the same Tabernacle at today's values it would cost more than 54 million dollars, not including labor.

• gold = 29 talents and 730 shekels (2,000 pounds) worth about $51,840,000 today
• silver = 100 talents and 1,775 shekels (7,500 pounds) worth about $3,528,000 today
• bronze = 70 talents and 2,400 shekels (5,000 pounds) worth about $28,000 today

39:1-43 The expert weavers made the priestly garments for Aaron and his sons. The ephod had gold strands, cut from hammered sheets of pure gold, worked into the embroidered linen. It would have glittered in the sunshine. Its waistband was woven in one piece with the ephod. Two onyx stones were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes and set in gold filigree settings. These were placed on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones. Aaron's breastpiece was made the same way, with the gold strands worked into it. They placed twelve precious stones on it and each stone was engraved with one of the names of the twelve tribes. The breastpiece was attached to the ephod with braided gold chains and tied with a blue cord. Aaron's robe was blue and woven as one piece. On the hem they alternated gold bells and embroidered pomegranates. Aaron and his sons wore fine linen tunics. His sons wore sashes and headbands, but Aaron wore a linen turban. A gold diadem engraved with the words, "Holy to the Lord" was placed on the front of the turban. It was fastened with a blue cord. When the work was all finished the craftsmen brought everything to Moses for his approval. "The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses." After he inspected all of it Moses blessed them for their obedience.

40:1-33 The Lord told Moses to set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month in the second year of their calendar. The Israelites completed the Tabernacle during their first year after leaving Egypt. The Lord gave detailed instructions about the order in which everything should be put in place. The ark of the covenant must be put in the tent and shielded with its curtain. Moses put the stone tablets in the ark. Then he put the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense in place before setting up the outside curtain on the tent of meeting. Next the altar of burnt offering was positioned at the entrance to the Tabernacle with the bronze basin near it. Then they set up the courtyard and anointed everything with the sacred oil. Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, washed them with water, and dressed them in their sacred garments. He anointed them as priests. This was the beginning of the Levitical priesthood. "Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." Moses did all that the Lord commanded. All their work was finally finished.

v. 34-38 Then something amazing happened. The cloud that had been leading them covered the tent of meeting "and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle." Moses could not enter the tent because of the glory of the Lord. From that day on, whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle the Israelites would break camp and move on. But if the cloud did not lift then they would stay where they were until it lifted. "So the cloud of the Lord was over the Tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." So we see that even though the Lord had threatened not to go with them He was in fact with them in a visible way throughout their years in the wilderness. He had not abandoned them in spite of their rebellion.

This concludes the book of Exodus. Next time we'll begin reading Deuteronomy.

   -- Sandy Blank

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