seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 25:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
10 “Have them make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.
17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
23 “Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. 29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. 30 Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
31 “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35 One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36 The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
37 “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38 Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. 39 A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
This is the link to the commentary I use.You shall take My offering: The offering didn’t belong to Moses, it didn’t belong to the elders, and it didn’t belong to Israel itself. God said you shall take My offering. The offering belonged to God, and was held by Moses and the nation on God’s behalf.
Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them: The purpose of the tabernacle was to be the dwelling place of God. The idea was not that God exclusively lived in that place, but that it was the specific place where men could come and meet God.
According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings: It is evident that God not only described the tabernacle and its furnishings to Moses, but also did show him something of its structure and arrangement. There was a vision that accompanied the giving of these words.
Remember, Moses and company are all still at the mountain. Everyone had a meal with God and then Moses and Joshua went up to the top of the mountain again. Everyone else was down at the base of the mountain. The mountain was still quaking and erupting. There was a cloud over everything at the top of the mountain. Remember now, back in Egypt, before the Tribes left for the Promised Land, God told the Israelites to ask for gold and silver and other stuff to take with them. The Egyptians let them have all kinds of beautiful gold, silver, leather, wood, and cloth. They had enough stuff with them, apparently, to build a beautiful Temple.
They wouldn't be building a solid building. This would all be in a tent... which they would build too. The tent is mobile.
Check out the measurements of the Ark in verse 10. A cubit is about 18".
They shall make an ark of acacia wood: The Ark of the Covenant was essentially a box (an ark is a box, not a boat). It was made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, 3 feet 9 inches long; 2 feet 3 inches wide; and 2 feet 3 inches high.
The box God told them to build was only 45"X27"X27". It's a box about the size of a desk. It's portable. The table and the lampstand and the lamps are all portable.
God wasn't ready to be put inside a human building. He had His tent handcrafted by His People to His Specifications. They had places to go and missions to accomplish so God couldn't be hemmed up in a human building... He needed them to move.
Now.... Check out verse 2. God only wanted volunteers to do this work. He didn't want anyone to be "required" to pitch in. He wanted cooperative humans working and contributing to their God. He wanted them to enjoy it.
God could have spiffed up all these things and make them just appear. After all He created all the molecules that made up the components. He wanted willing humans to use the talents He created in them to do the job. He didn't need their cooperation and contributions... He allowed them to cooperate and contribute.
I know it's a lot of reading... but I suppose there are those, like me, who want to read the Bible every day. It's people like you and me... the people who read the Bible every day... who thank God every day.... that don't mind the specifics because the specifics are from God. We read because we love God.
So... this is about the instructions God gave Moses [and Joshua] for the construction of the stuff for His Holy Tabernacle.
God had them make it....
God Ordered Furniture!!!
