Monday, April 26, 2010

Exodus 36-40


The Israelites who had been chosen by God to build the tabernacle (Bezalel, Oholiab and others) were given craftsmans skills.  Moses summoned people to come help both with building (if they had the skills) and providing materials (through freewill offerings).  Amazingly, the Israelites continued to bring offering after offering until Moses had to tell them to stop because there was already enough material.

Bezalel, Oholiab and the other skilled workers began building all the parts of the tabernacle, the Ark, the table, the lampstand, altars, basins for washing, the courtyard, and all the priestly garments (ephod and breastplate) exactly to God's specifications (as outlined earlier in the chapter).

Moses inspected their work, saw that it was good and to God's specification, and he blessed them.  God then gave them explicit instructions on how to set it up.  When this all done, a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  No one could enter while the Lord was there.

As they went along on their journey, they would always wait until the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle.  Then they would pack up and move.  By day, the cloud was above the tabernacle, by night, it was a flame.

Some Useful Background Information

Tabernacle: a portable "dwelling place" for God, and derives from the Latin word tabernaculum, which means "tent."  Interestingly, most Jewish synagogues in the last 2000 years have been inspired and/or modeled off of this ancient description of the tabernacle in the Bible!
Ark: made out of acacia wood, this was a vessel that carried the stone tablets, Aaron's rod, and manna.
Lampstand: if you read the description of the lampstand, it sounds like the Jewish menorah.
Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other.

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