(3/10) This chapter begins with instructions regarding the building of the tabernacle and making all the things associated with its proper function.

Ex. 25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Ex. 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

1) The tabernacle was to be made from offerings—gifts that were brought from the people of their own choice.

2) These gifts were to be given with a willing spirit; God’s sanctuary (25:8) was to represent a relationship of love and commitment between God and His people.

Ex. 25:3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

Ex. 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

Ex. 25:5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

Ex. 25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

Ex. 25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

Ex. 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Ex. 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

1) Gifts of love are always of the best that we can offer.

2) Verse 8 indicates that God’s desire is to dwell with His people. It is not His desire to be unapproachable and out of touch with His people. He wants to have fellowship with us.

3) The sanctuary was to be made from a pattern. Hebrews 8:5 indicates that this pattern was based on something already existing in heaven.

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

Ex. 25:10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

Ex. 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

Ex. 25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

Ex. 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Ex. 25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

Ex. 25:15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

Ex. 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

1) The instructions for the making of the ark are very specific—just as they are for everything connected with the building of this sanctuary. This is an indication that there is meaning attached to these details.

2) It is to be covered with PURE gold—no impurities or imperfections. Everything about God is pure and holy. No impurity (representative of sin) would be allowed in His presence.

3) The ark will be the place of safekeeping for the “testimony” of the Lord. When you think of testimony, you think of speaking the truth—God’s truth.

4) The ark will be moved as needed through the use of staves/poles which go through rings in the four corners of the ark. That way man would not defile it through his touch.

Ex. 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

Ex. 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

Ex. 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

Ex. 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

Ex. 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

Ex. 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

1) A mercy seat is constructed for the top of the ark—again using pure gold.

2) The cherubim represent angels of the very highest order, and are pictured in Ezekiel as attendant to the throne of God. (Lucifer was a cherub. Ezekiel 28:14 – “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth…”)

3) The cherubims are to have their wings stretched forth on high. This reminds me of a position of praise. They are also to have their wings covering the mercy seat; I’m not sure what that represents.

4) The faces of the cherubims are to be looking toward (have their focus on) the mercy seat, which is representative of the place of God’s presence and is indicative of where our focus in life should be.

5) The fact that God would meet with Moses (and through him the people) at the mercy seat shows His desire to deal with us in mercy and not judgment.

Ex. 25:23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

Ex. 25:24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

Ex. 25:25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

Ex. 25:26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

Ex. 25:27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

Ex. 25:28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

Ex. 25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

Ex. 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

1) I decided to look in the Bible dictionary regarding the wood and found that shittim wood and acacia are the same. It is a very hard wood that is not vulnerable to insects.

2) Again, such a significance is given to detail. It’s just another example to me of the fact that God has a purpose for everything He has made and every action He has taken.

3) The table is always to have bread on it. I think this is significant in that Jesus called Himself the bread of life, and He is always there for us. There is never a time that He is unavailable.

Ex. 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

Ex. 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

Ex. 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

Ex. 25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

Ex. 25:35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

Ex. 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

Ex. 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

Ex. 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

Ex. 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

1) The candlestick is to have a total of seven lamps. This brings to mind the verse regarding the seven spirits of God in Isaiah 11:2, since the Spirit is the one that teaches us (illumines us) as to God’s truth.

“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

2) Again, the directions and details are specific and pure gold is to be used.

3) Note that the candlestick was to be of “beaten work.” The comparison to our beaten Savior is obvious. (11/05)

4) Again, Jesus calls Himself the light of the world (John 8:12) and His light is always there to give us direction; we will never experience a black out in His care.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

5) The branches of the lampstand are to have flowerlike cups with buds and blossoms. I guess these could be representative of the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our lives. We, as Christians, are like the branches reaching out to others and showing the light of Jesus in our lives through the fruit we produce (our works).

Ex. 25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Again we are told that all of these instructions are being given according to a pattern—as shown by God to Moses.