Exodus 25-31

Exodus 24:3
So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.”

THE TABERNACLE SPEAKS OF JESUS (Exodus 25-27)

The Tabernacle (and later, the Temple), as Hebrews, Ezekiel, and Revelation tell us, are all picture of what Heaven is like. Hence, the decorations within it, with Angels around, are all a picture of Heaven.

In sum, the Tabernacle points us to Jesus

John 1:14
The Word was made flesh and tabernacle among us.

As we enter into the Holy Place…
There is only one door, who is Jesus – “I AM the Door”

Within the Holy Place…
The golden lampstand is Jesus – “I AM the Light of the World”.
The table of showbread is Jesus – “I AM the Bread of Life”.
The altar of incense is Jesus, who is continuously interceding for us.

Within the Holy of Holies…
The Mercy Seat is Jesus, as the propitiation for our sins.
The Ark of the Covenant is Jesus, as our sin bearer.

Exodus 26:7
You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle.

Exodus 26:14
You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that.

The Tabernacle had 3 coverings:

1st covering: goat’s hair
This is an insulating layer used to modulate temperature. Goat’s hair is a picture of atonement. During Yom Kippur, two goats were used to atonement of sin each year. One was sacrificed, and the other one was a scapegoat that carried the sins of the nation and was led into the wilderness so that it could not find its way back – symbolizing that we do not want sins to come back to us. Similarly, Jesus separates us from sin.

2nd covering: ram skins
There was no measurement for the ram skins because there is no limit to the forgiveness of God has for us. Ram is a picture of Jesus' sacrifice.

3rd covering: badger skins
Badger skins are waterproof and provide refuge for priests through storms. Similarly, Jesus protects us from the storms of our lives. 

The Tabernacle from the outside this looks plain and uninteresting – all we would see it the goat’s hair! The only way to discover the beauty of the Tabernacle is from the INSIDE. Similarly, the only way we can see the beauty of Christ Jesus is once we are IN Christ Jesus. 

The Pharisees could not see beyond the humanity of Jesus. They could not understand how God could be so... Ordinary. They could not see beyond the badger skin! They could not look beyond Jesus' humanity to see His deity. And we can never come to see His inside until we are IN Him!!

Those who give willing will also receive God’s blessing freely

Exodus 25:2
From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

God wants us to love and follow Him with our heart, mind, and soul. It is not at all about the giving of materialistic things – it is, as it is always with God, about our HEART, about dedicating our lives to the Lord!

Our God dwells with us (Cf. Matthew 1:23; John 1:14; Ephesians 2:19-22; and Revelation 21:1-3)

Exodus 25:8
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

Our God wants to dwell AMONG us. This is very different from pagan gods who are territorial (very much like demons, huh). God is ALWAYS with His people and never "loses" His power depending on the location.

Jesus is our Mercy Seat
The Mercy Seat is secured on top of the Ark of the Covenant.

Exodus 25:10
And they shall make an ark of acacia wood.

Acacia wood is very hard and strong wood that grows in the super hot and dry desert and is resistant to bugs and disease. This wood represents the incorruptibility of Jesus. 

The wood is then covered in gold. 

The wood speaks of Jesus’ humanity; the gold, His deity. Only a union between humanity and deity could salvation be provided. The humanity allowed Jesus to die for us. The deity allowed Jesus’ death to be the death of a PERFECT substitute.

The Ark of Covenant represents the Lord Himself, making it the most precious furnishing in the Tabernacle. It's the only furnishing in the Holy of Holies.

Exodus 25:11
… make on it a molding of gold all around

The Mercy Seat covers the Law (since the Ten Commandments are placed in the Ark, which is then covered by the Mercy Seat).

The design of the Ark was to keep the Mercy Seat firmly between us and the demands of the Law of Moses.

The molding on the Ark allows the Mercy Seat to remain firmly on the Ark. There would be no accidental slipping off of the Mercy Seat. The only way the Mercy Seat would come off is if someone takes it off on purpose. This is literally AND symbolically important. 

Literally: The Levite priests were responsible for transporting the Ark, following God’s exact instructions. As we learned from Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1-7; 1 Chronicles 13:9-12), if those instructions were not followed, the wrath of God follows. Hence, if the Mercy Seat were prone to slipping off during transport, every time someone slips, he would come under the Law and be judged. However, since God ensured the construction of the Ark would allow the Mercy Seat to remain firmly on the Ark, it would protect those from the Law in case they slipped.

Symbolically: Who doesn’t slip? We all make mistakes here and there, no matter how big or small. And when we slip, who protects us from God’s Wrath? God’s Mercy! When we slip, the wrath for God does not come forth upon us because His mercy firmly remains.

Exodus 25:16
And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

“Testimony” = The Ten Commandments. 

The Ten Commandments gives us insight into the perfect righteousness of God. It vividly shows us what it takes to live in perfect righteousness. Read through it, and we will quickly realize that no man can go through life without breaking at least one if not all of it (all man except Jesus!). The Ten Commandments thus exposes us to our sins, making us fully aware of God's righteousness and how we are unable to live up to it without outside help.

As mentioned to above, these passages make it clear how the Ark was to be transported. The Ark was never to be touched. Coming back to the example of when King David had ordered the Ark to be transported on a cart (via Philistine method), rather than following God’s instructions on how the Ark was to be transported. When the cart hit a dip, Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark to prevent it from tipping over. Even though Uzzah’s intention was good, he was still struck dead upon touching the Ark. This immediately halted all celebrations and reminded the people to go back to the basics. Was this really necessary? YES. Sin is likened to leaven because it spreads and causes everything to rise. If not stopped, it gets everywhere and becomes difficult to be rid of. The transport of the Ark was a huge celebration. Everyone was enjoying the process. David was probably the most joyful because of his great love for God. However, he transported the Ark the way he wanted to – and completely disobeyed the commands of God. We must understand that in order for us to abide in God’s will, we must FOLLOW God, not become so enamored with our own selfish ideals that we start doing things our way, thinking God would surely be okay with it.

Just as the Ark was to be transported by priests, the presence of God today is to be transported by us – followers of Christ. We are a kingdom of priests and are responsible for transporting God’s presence to the rest of the world! Hence, having the Ark be carried by only priests in the Old Covenant was a picture of what was to come through Jesus! Everywhere we go, the presence of God only goes out into this world as we transport it through our lives. God’s presence certainly should not to be transported on "carts"!

Exodus 25:17
You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold…

Mercy Seat in Greek is the same word translated as "propitiation". It is a picture of Jesus. The seat separates sin of man from the Law, just as Jesus is a mediator between us and the requirement of the perfect Law. Because of our faith in Him, we have mercy between us and God's righteous judgment. Jesus, the Mercy Seat, is our mediator between God's mercy and the righteous demands of the Law. 

When the children of Israel lifted up the Mercy Seat, God struck more than 500,000 men dead. No one can face the righteous demands of the Law without death, unless Jesus covers us! No one wants to face the righteous judgment of the Law without Jesus acting as our mediator, shielding us from the judgment that we deserve!

Furnishings within the Tabernacle all point to the life and work of Jesus

Exodus 26:19
You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty board.

Silver is a sign of redemption. The whole foundation of the tabernacle is built of silver. The foundation of our life is built upon redemption!

Exodus 25:30
And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

“Showbread” speaks to the fellowship with God (Cf. John 6:35, 48). The priests would eat the showbread while they carried out the ceremonies in the Tabernacle, to be in communion with God. Jesus is our showbread, nourishing our souls, always in communion with us.

Exodus 25:31
You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold…

The lampstand is the ONLY light source in the Holy Place, allowing the priests to see what they’re doing. We are priests with Christ. Christ is our ONLY light of this world (cf. John 8:12; Revelation 21:23), allowing us to see the Truth.

Exodus 26:31
You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen.

Exodus 26:33
The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.

Veil: Placed between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
Blue: Color of Heaven, speaking of Jesus' origin, His deity.
Purple: Represents royalty, speaking of His Kingship.
Scarlet: Represents blood, speaking of His sacrifice and suffering on the Cross, shedding His blood for our sins.

The veil is a curtain that separates the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. This illustrates the holiness of God. God is so holy that ONLY the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, ONLY one time a year on the Day of Atonement, and ONLY after the High Priest had made sacrifices for not just the sins of the people but for his own sins as well. If any one of these requirements were not met to God’s standards, the High Priest would be struck dead as he entered the Holy of Holies – not because God wants to punish him but because God’s holiness immediately strikes sin dead. The veil thus separates us from the wrath of God, just as Jesus separates us from the wrath of God (cf. Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:20.

All the above are beautiful pictures and types of Jesus. As Christians, instead of a tabernacle that is a type or a shadow of Christ, we have Christ Himself!

There is only one way to Heaven

Exodus 26:36
You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle…

There is only one way to the Holy Place. Even though there is only one door to Heaven, a narrow passage at that, God has made it clear that the pathway is open to ALL. If there are multiple ways to Heaven, why did Jesus have to die for our sins? For those who are offended, you clearly have not yet comprehended the gravity of our sin problem. Once we fully understand how big of a problem sin is, we would be thankful that there is at least one door, for we are undeserving! 

The Altar of Burnt Offering (Exodus 27:1-8)
The bronze altar is the first thing we see when we enter into the Tabernacle. This is where burnt offerings are offered to atone for our sins. This speaks of how we need to have our sins be addressed BEFORE we can approach God, how cleansing of our sins is the FIRST thing we need to do when we approach God (cf. Leviticus 4:18; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Everything shall be made according to how God has shown to Moses on the mountain (Exodus 25:9, 40; 26:30; 27:8).

The Tabernacle is a “copy” of heaven. Through the Tabernacle, we learn about God’s perfection, righteousness, and mercy. The only way for us to completely comprehend this as a picture of heaven is if we make it exactly the way God tells us to make it.


THE PRIESTHOOD POINTS TO JESUS (Exodus 28-29) 

Exodus 28:1
Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest…

Aaron and other high priests were to minister to God. That is, we do what we do for God, not for ourselves or to fulfill our own personal goals!

Through establishing the priesthood, God is showing the people that He always chooses a specific mediator through whom He would form a relationship with the people. Through the High Priest, sins of the nation were forgiven through daily and yearly sacrificial ceremonies dictated by God. All these ceremonies were also used to show that blood of an innocent animal was needed to atone for sin. However, without the blood of an innocent and PERFECT man, the blood of innocent animals was enough only to cover our sins, never to completely wash it away. This was why the High Priests must go through these sacrificial ceremonies once a year. However, with the coming of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the blood of this one and only perfect man, our sins were washed away completely and eternally. Jesus is our mediator between God and us; He is our eternal High Priest!

(Cf. Titus 3:5, Hebrews 9:14 Galatians 3:27 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Titus 3:6 Romans 3:25 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:5-6)

Exodus 28:2
And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

High priest gets garments that allow him to completely stand out. 

The garments all speak of Jesus. Therefore, as we read about it, think about these three things:
1. How it applied to Aaron
2. How it is fulfilled in Jesus
3. How it applies to us, as Jesus continues to live through us

Exodus 28:34
… a golden bell and a pomegranate…

The bell rings when the High Priest moves within the Holy of Holies, allowing those outside hear his work. The bell thus bears testimony. Similarly, we should be preaching to the people about God, allowing our testimony to be heard.

The pomegranate speaks of bearing fruit. We should be fruitful in our walk with God.

Exodus 28:36
… HOLINESS TO THE LORD

We are to be holy because we represent God to the world.

Exodus 28:40
… you shall make sashes for them…

The High Priest was to keep his clothing tidy, representing the ability to serve without distraction.

Exodus 29:1
Take one young bull and two rams without blemish…

Exodus 29:2
… and unleavened bread…

These all represent Jesus' sinless.

Exodus 29:4
… you shall wash them with water.

This represents water baptism.

Exodus 29:7
And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

This represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 29:10
Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull. 

Aaron and his sons, the High Priests, were to publicly acknowledge that they were sinners, too; that they were sinners ministering to sinners. Before they could deal with other people's sins, they must deal with their own sins. They, too, needed the Savior, Jesus Christ!

Exodus 29:11
Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD…

This is a picture of substitution and transference to an innocent sacrifice. As they put their hands on the bull and killed it, they would know that innocent blood was spilled to redeem them. 

This picture was repeated year after year for at least 1500 years so that the people would be clear that we are forgiven because of substitution and transference, so that when Jesus comes, people would recognize Jesus for who He was. The people, God’s people, would have no excuse for not recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. However, the pride of the Pharisees blinded them to this.

Exodus 29:14
You shall burn with fire outside the camp.

Because Jesus was crucified outside the city walls.

Exodus 29:18
It is a burnt offering to the LORD.

A burnt offering is a sacrifice of consecration. It is completely consumed, representing a COMPLETE dedication of one’s life to the LORD. 

The burnt offering is offered AFTER the sin offering. We cannot dedicate ourselves to God until we seek forgiveness of our sins. Once we have salvation, the Holy Spirit can then work in our heart, giving us the desire to dedicate ourselves to the LORD. 

We are first forgiven. And then, we are to seek consecration. It isn't enough to be just forgiven!

Exodus 29:20
… ear… hand… foot… blood…

Ear: Dedication to hearing the Word of God
Hand: Dedication to do God's work
Foot: Dedication to walk only in God's Way and God's Path
Blood: All of our life is completely bought and redeemed by blood

Exodus 29:21
Sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garment…

No matter how magnificent the garments were, no matter how spectacular the tabernacle was built, they are all nothing without the blood of Jesus. 

Today, people focus a lot on the building, on the dress code, on ceremonies, etc., in regards to how a church should be run. But. What of all these if these details lacked the blood of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit?

Exodus 29:24, 26
… wave offering…

The wave offering is an acknowledgement that everything we have come from God. It is a subset of peace offerings.

A peace offering, speaks of relationship. Levites did not have land to farm. However, to ensure that they received provision, a part of the peace offering was given to the Levites. This was a picture of the relationship between God and His people. 

Notice again the order of the offerings: Sin offering, then burnt offering, then peace offering. This teaches us the order that we should approach God. First, deal with our sins, then dedicate our lives to the Lord, then be in godly fellowship 

Jesus forgave our sins, allowing us to dedicate our lives to God. And once we are in God, we are in relationship with God.


APPROACH GOD WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF HEART (Exodus 30-31)

The Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10) symbolizes the collection of our prayers (cf. Revelation 5:8; 8:3). It is another picture of Jesus: His intercession, His continual prayer for each one of us.

The incense is to be burned every morning (Exodus 30:7), illustrating that we should be in constant communication with God through prayer.

The priests were to wash their hands and feet in the bronze laver (Exodus 30:17-21) every time they entered into the Tabernacle. Similarly, we should be cleansed with the Holy Spirit daily, we should die in our sins daily so that we may live in God. Why? Because even though our spirit is reborn in Christ, we still reside in our corruptible flesh. We thus fight against sins of the flesh everyday, and to do this well, we must consciously choose to die in our sins to live in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:31) (cf. Ephesians 5:26; 1 John 1:7-9).

Exodus 30:10
And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement.

The horns represent the POWER of prayer.

Exodus 30:11
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number…”

When taken as God has intended, a census is fine. However, David took a census of his men, and they died of a plague. Why? Because David was using that info to determine the strength of his army. We are strong because of our awesome God, never because of our numbers! When we are called by God to do something, we are strong because we are called, not because of how much materialistic power we might have!

Exodus 30:15
The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.

Rich or poor, everyone pays the same price. Why? This is a picture of our salvation. We were each bought with the same price. There is no favoritism.

Wrongful use of the anointing oil or incense have dire consequences
Those who misuse the anointing oil or incense were to be cut off from his people (Exodus 30:33, 38).

Why would God set such severe consequences?
1. To teach that God is HOLY. Everything related to God must therefore be holy.
2. To teach that sin is a serious problem. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
3. To teach that God’s righteousness is perfect. All sin in His presence would be burned up in His fire of judgment.

God gives each one of us unique talents to abide in His will
Just as God filled the artisans with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship to build the Tabernacle, so too does God fill us with such talents for us to carry out our calling. We can’t all be builders. Some of us need to preach, others need to support the preachers, etc. Regardless of what we do, as long as we are following God’s calling for us, we can trust that He has given us the ability to do it. The best example is Moses. He didn’t think he could do what God had called him to do, but once he put his complete trust in God, he was able to accomplish amazing things. And so, the key isn’t doing what we want to do, but to first learn what God’s calling on each one of us is through prayer. Once we learn what God wants us to do, then walk forward with courage, knowing that we will have the resources to accomplish our goals.