Brian Somers Torah: Exodus 25:1 – 27:19
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 – 6:13
Brit Chadassah/New Testament: Matthew 17:1-11
In the previous two portions, Yitro and Mishpatim, we studied the covenantal terms made between Yeshua and all Israel. Those terms provided the foundation upon which the house of Israel were to walk. Now and for the next several chapters, we learn about the House that Yeshua wants to build.
Through the covenant, we learn about love, respect and high ethical standards. We also realize that life happens and carelessness, forgetfulness, or passion can short-circuit clear thinking and cause unintentional sin. We also realize that we can willfully sin. The covenant itself both defines what is law, and what is sin, which is the breaking of the law (see I John 3:4). Whether intentional or unintentional, no sin can truly be justified because the wages of sin are death. See Paul’s discussion on the relationship between law and sin in his letter to the Romans, particularly 3:20 and 7:7-13, although that entire letter is well worth the intense study to understand and master.
At the outset of our study, we should specify that we are not going to discuss every detail of the Tabernacle, or Mishkan in Hebrew. Rather, we are going to provide some general concepts that each man can teach his family.
The first thing we should understand and ponder deeply is Yeshua’s deep desire to be with His people.
Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:8
There are three main goals that the Mishkan was intended to achieve (and undoubtedly others might add more).
- The Mishkan marks off sacred space. By that, I mean that it provides a means and venue for the Holy One of Israel who is without sin to come and dwell among a sinful people inside that sacred space.
- The Mishkan provides the venue and means to atone for sin on a temporary basis.
- The design, construction and operation of the Mishkan communicate concepts that we can internalize using all five senses in four dimensions, including time.
The Creator of Heaven and Earth could easily have called the Mishkan into existence via the spoken word. Instead, he chose to have Israel participate in the construction based on the designs that He provided to Moses.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me; from everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution. 3 This is the contribution which you are to take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 5 rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood, 6 oil for lighting, balsam oil for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.
Exodus 251-9
Israel was to
- Provide the materials
- Fabricate the various parts and assemble them together to make the final product.
We learn that there are two parties to this covenant, and He’s not necessarily going to do all the work. By willingly participating via donations of materials and labor in fabrication, we show the right heart attitude and things get done. That lesson applies to many other areas of life, doesn’t it?
Before moving to analyze a few of the concepts built into the design and construction of the Mishkan, I’d like to clarify what the “testimony” is.
16 You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.
Exodus 25:16
18 When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
Exodus 31:18
Exodus 31:18 clarifies that the testimony referred to by Exodus 25:16 are the two tablets that contain the Ten Commandments, or Ten Words as they are known in Judaism.
The materials that were used in the construction of several pieces of furniture and utensils tell us much, if we consider them carefully and know the significance of the materials.
The following were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
- The hollow box of the Ark
- The poles used for carrying the Ark
- The table for the Bread of the Presence
The following were made of pure hammered gold.
- The mercy seat which covered the Ark
- The pair of cherubim on the mercy seat
- The utensils
Pure solid gold represents unitary divinity. In other words gold represents heaven above. The items that are made of two components, wood (earth below) and gold (heaven above), represent a compound unity.
We can easily recognize that the cherubim are of heaven above. But the fact that the mercy seat is solid gold tells us that there is a barrier between that which is spirit and which is flesh made holy (acacia wood overlaid by gold). The utensils made of hammered gold tell us that properly set-apart and sanctified mortal men are to work with heavenly things.
The poles, made of the two materials, were meant to be used by men for transporting the holy objects. The holy Bread of the Presence was placed on the Table, which was itself constructed of acacia wood overlaid by gold.
Earlier, I mentioned sacred space. Woven linen is the primary base material used for making the curtains, veil and screen and is connected to righteousness.
8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Revelation 19:8
According to a fascinating article by the Emmaus Road Ministries, each color used for the curtains, veil and screen has significance. I encourage reading the full article here.
“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them.
Exodus 26:1 NKJV
31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim.
Exodus 26:31 NKJV
36 “You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver.
Exodus 26:36 NKJV
There are three main colors: Blue, purple, and scarlet. A fourth color, the pure white linen which is not readily visible, served as the foundation of every fabric.
White speaks of purity and righteousness. Blue typifies God’s divinity.
Purple depicts His royalty and Red is a picture of His human side, as well as His shed blood. These three colors are always recorded in the same order: Blue, purple, scarlet. Even the order is a message!
Emmaus Road Ministries, “The Colors Of The Tabernacle: Tabernacle Series Part 7“
The above article pointed out that when you mix blue and red, you get purple, which has long been associated with royalty.
“Even the order is a message” … that is correct. If we translate Blue as God the Father, Purple as God the Son, and Red as man, then I Corinthians 11:3 is a translation from color to words.
The Father <- The Son <- the Man
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
I Corinthians 11:3
The curtains that form the Holy of Holies and and the Holy and the veil that divides the Holy of Holies from the Holy are both made from white linen, blue, purple and red, and cherubim are woven onto them.
But the screen is not made with cherubim.
The cherubim help mark out what is the most sacred space. The area enclosed by curtains and veil made with white linen, blue, purple, and red thread and with cherubim is where Heaven touches Earth.
It would be well to consider the connection between the Veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy when it was torn from the top down when Yeshua died on the execution stake.
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised
Matthew 27:50-52 NKJV
37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. 38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:3-37-39 NKJV
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Luke 23:45-46
The last thing to discuss for this portion is the placement of the holy objects in the Holy of Holies and the Holy.
In the Holy of Holies, only one thing was placed, and that was the Ark of the Testimony, the mercy seat on the ark, and the cherubim on the mercy seat.
The veil divided the inner Holy of Holies from the outer Holy Room
In the outer Holy Room, there was the Table on the north side upon which the Bread of the Presence was placed and on the south side was the great 7-branched menorah that was always burning continually with olive oil as the fuel.
In the next chapter, we’ll continue our discussion. But for this chapter, the men should understand these concepts and teach them to their families. Everyone should understand how the Father is hidden, but the Son images Him and makes Him visible. Ultimately, where Heaven touches Earth, that place is most Holy!