Exodus 38-40 Finishing the Tabernacle

Thoughts

Exodus 38

The Bronze Altar (Altar of Burnt Offering) (matches Exodus 27:1–8)

• Made of acacia wood, overlaid with bronze.
• Square: 5 cubits by 5 cubits (about 7.5 ft).
• Includes horns on each corner, utensils (pans, shovels, basins, forks, firepans).
• Hollow inside and carried with bronze-covered poles through rings.

The Bronze Basin (Laver) (Matches Exodus 30:17-21)

• Made from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
• Used by priests for washing before entering the tabernacle or offering sacrifices.

The Courtyard (Matches Exodus 27:9-19)

• Outer courtyard enclosed by fine linen curtains:
  • 100 cubits long on the north and south sides.
  • 50 cubits wide on the east and west.
• Posts and bases made of bronze, with silver hooks and bands.
• The entrance curtain on the east side was made with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.

Inventory of Materials (millions in our $$)

• 29 talents and 730 shekels of gold
• 100 talents and 1,775 shekels of silver
• 70 talents and 2,400 shekels of bronze

Exodus 39

I’m not sure how to do Exodus 39 so I’m just going to do an outline ??

Making the Ephod (verses 1–7):
The ephod and breastpiece are my favorite parts of the tabernacle (the clothes still count right).  

Making the Breastpiece (verses 8–21):
I love the 12 gemstones in four rows, each representing a tribe of Israel. 

Other Priestly Garments (verses 22–31):
They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, which had  pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the hem, and golden bells between them.
They also made linen tunics, turbans, and undergarments
For the high priest, they made a pure gold crown engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” “קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה” 

Completion and Inspection (verses 32–43):
“The people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses”. We have a lot of stories of Israel not listening to God but when it came to the tabernacle they followed every instruction!

Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had followed God’s instructions perfectly. As a result, he blessed them.

This kind of reminds me of God inspecting creation “it is good”.  A new creation.

Exodus 40

We are now ONE YEAR after Israel left Egypt!

Everything is created and now it is time to assemble to actually create ‘the Tabernacle’

“As the Lord had commanded Moses” is repeated 19 times

Leviticus gives us fuller account of priest duties and dedication

God officially moves in

Questions

Why was Moses now not able to enter when God’s presence was in the tent – he spent time in His presence on the mountain and got to see His back.

Application

I love how the book of Exodus ends. It begins with the Israelites under great oppression in Egypt, and ends with freedom and the presence of YHWH dwelling among them. The whole story of Exodus reflects our own spiritual journey. We all start out oppressed and bound by sin. But God hears us and rescues us. He desires to dwell within us and guide us just like He led the Israelites.