EXODUS 26
7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. 9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. 11 “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. 12 And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skinsand a covering of goatskins on top.- Exodus 26:7-14
EXODUS 26 DIRECTIONS ON THE COVERING FOR THE TABERNACLE
In these following verses, God continued to give Moses directions on how to make the covering for the tabernacle. The reason for the covering is to ensure that his meeting place with his people is holy and protected from impure things. Since he is a holy God, he requires his people to meet with him with pure hearts to worship and adore him. But why mix mundane and ordinary materials such as goatskin, goat hair, tanned rams’ skins with special materials like bronze. Why not make it all glittering with gold?
Some commentaries say that the tabernacle is a foreshadowing of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. In the bible, the goat is a symbol of deception and evil. In Genesis 27, Jacob used goat skins to deceive his father Isaac to steal his brother’s birthright. Romans 8:8 mentions that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Without Jesus, we will never be able to overcome our flesh and sin. 11 goat skins symbolize chaos. It was an 11-day journey from the place where the Jews received the Ten Commandments to the place where they could have invaded the Promised Land (Dt. 1:2). “Bronze” is a symbol of judgment. Jesus is described as having “bronze” feet (Rev. 1:15). His bronze feet will bring judgment to Satan by crushing him (Rom. 16:20).
REFLECTION
- Why do you think it is important for us to reflect on why God instructed Moses the making of the tabernacle with such details?
