July 25

EXODUS 28

⁶ “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. ⁷ It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. ⁸ And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. ⁹ You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. ¹¹ As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. ¹² And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. ¹³ You shall make settings of gold filigree, ¹⁴ and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. – Exodus 28:6-13

EXODUS 28 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRIESTLY GARMENTS

After the Lord God appointed Aaron and his sons as priests, he specified to Moses that they must wear certain garments to identify them apart from the rest of God’s people. They were intercessors for the people and God gave them authority to do so. These garments would indicate and remind the people of God that they had authority to intercede for them. So, this is a special clothing that represents God’s spiritual authority given to the priests.

The ephod was made of gold. In the bible, gold has many symbols and meaning. It could be of material wealth and prosperity, divine sacredness and purity, wisdom, righteousness and tests of faith. Linen was a symbol of purity. Blue, purple and scarlet yarns were also used to make this ephod just like the curtains and coverings in the tabernacle. The onyx stone is a very dark stone which probably represents sin or darkness and adding the engravement of the twelve tribes of Israel will remind them of the sinfulness of God’s people. The priest who will wear the ephod will carry on his shoulder the sins of the tribes of Israel.

Because Jesus has already died for all sinners, we don’t need these garments for priests anymore because he is our High Priest and our intercessor.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think priests in the Catholic Church still wear priestly garments?

July 23

EXODUS 27

¹⁶ For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. ¹⁷ All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.²⁰ “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. ²¹ In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. – Exodus 27:16-21

EXODUS 27 INSTRUCTIONS ON THE GATE AND THE TENT OF MEETING

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

According to a commentary by Kaiser, the purpose of the gate was fourfold. (1) it was a barrier in that it prevented unlawful approach; (2) it was a protection, keeping out all wild animals; (3) it was a positive line of demarcation between the world and the holy presence of God; and (4) with its single gate, it was a way of approach to God.”

The gate opened from the east because according to Isaiah 41:2, the Messiah will come from the east. According inspiredscripture.com, this also meant that believers faced westward toward the Holy of Holies to pray to God. Praying away from the sun reversed the practice of the pagans who prayed toward the rising sun. This has two meanings today. First, your worship of God should not mix the belief systems of the world. Second, you shouldn’t worship the things or idols of the world. The gate to the Tabernacle was 20 cubits long. By contrast, the door leading to the Tent of Meeting was only 10 cubits long This means that the path to God narrows the closer that you wish to draw toward Him: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14).

REFLECTION

• Why do you think the path to God is narrower than the path to destruction?

July 22

EXODUS 27

⁹ “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. ¹⁰ Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. ¹¹ And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. ¹² And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. ¹³ The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. ¹⁵ On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. – Exodus 27:9-15

EXODUS 27 INSTRUCTIONS ON THE OUTER WALLS OF THE TABERNACLE

The following verses narrates God’s instructions on the outer walls of the tabernacle. He wanted fine twined linens of hundred cubits long for one side with bases of bronze and the hooks of the pillars made of silver. Both the north and south side have equal number of pillars, bases and hooks. The west and the east side have the same fifty cubits in its breadth with ten pillars and ten bases.

What do these outer walls of the tabernacle symbolize in the life of Christians? The twined linens symbolized “righteous acts of the saints” according to a commentary. As Rev.19:8 says, the bride was granted to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure. Without Jesus, we cannot be cleansed because we are all sinners. Linen was white and reflects the light, which makes sense why the Lord God wanted it to be used in the outer walls of the tabernacle. We cannot enter the holiness of God when we are unclean. In the book of Matthew 5:14-16, we are reminded of what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount. We are supposed to be the light shining in this dark world.

Bronze symbolizes judgment and because Jesus took the judgment of God on us when we broke God’s laws, we cannot flee from God’s judgment unless we come through Christ. Silver is a symbol of redemption and refinement. It is good for us to be reminded that as we are being redeemed, we are also being refined into the image of God.  He made us out of love and righteousness. Let us live in this imprint he gave us.

REFLECTION

• How can one protect oneself from the automated sinful nature?

July 21

EXODUS 27

“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. ² And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. ³ You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. ⁶ And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. ⁸ You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. – Exodus 27:1-8

EXODUS 27 ON THE MAKING OF THE ALTAR

According to a website on bible plants, this type of wood was only mentioned in the making of the altar in the tabernacle and Noah’s ark build. Acacia wood grows very slow, and because of this, the wood is hard and dense. It is very strong and resistant to decay. When pierced, its sap can be used as both pharmaceutical and a preservative. According to inspiredscriptures.com. this symbolized Christ. In Psalm 16:10, David alludes to this non-decaying state of all those who believe in him. No wonder God specified this type of wood to be used in the making of the altar to foreshadow his Son’s strength and indestructibility.

Furthermore, the commentary says that the altar turned the sin into ash. That sin had to be disposed of because sin cannot be in God’s presence. To do this, God ordered the Jews to prepare bronze utensils to remove and dispose of the ash. This again foreshadowed Christ. His blood will not just cover your sins. His blood will take away your sins: “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”’ (John 1:29). The altar was designed to be portable. The Levites carried it using acacia / shittim poles. This signifies that Christ will bring His sacrificed blood to any place where a sinner may repent.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think God was very specific with the wood to be used in the altar?

July 17

EXODUS 26

“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. ² The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. ³ Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. ⁴ And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. ⁶ And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole. – Exodus 26:1-6

EXODUS 26 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TABERNACLE

It is with such specific details that the Lord God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle. In this account, he specified the fabric to be used to make the ten curtains made of fine twined linen and ordered Moses to have the color purple, scarlet and blue to be used to skillfully weave the design with cherubim imprinted on them.

One commentary says that in many of the Gospels, we see Christ portrayed as the fine linen that the priest could see while serving. This curtain was composed of fine linen which represents Christ’s pure humanity. On it, cherubim were embroidered with different colors of thread that symbolize different aspects of Christ’s humanity. The blue thread represents Christ’s heavenliness, the gold thread, His divinity, the purple thread, His kingliness and the scarlet threat, that He is our Redeemer.

God doesn’t just direct Moses without a purpose. It was to foreshadow that when Jesus comes to redeem us, this temple with the tabernacle in it will be destroyed just like what happened when Jesus died on the cross.

What an intentional designer God is. He thought of everything. He always has a purpose for all the instructions he gives to Moses as a preparation for his Son’s coming to redeem us all from our sins.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think it is important for us to follow God’s instructions on everything in our lives including specific details?

July 16

EXODUS 25

³¹ “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. ³² And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; ³³ three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ³⁴ And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, ³⁵ and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. ³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. ³⁸ Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰ And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain. – Exodus 25:31-40

EXODUS 25 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LAMPSTAND

The Hebrew word for lampstand is “menorah” which means “to flame”. It was to give light to the priests who work in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The next thing God ordered to be made was a splendid candlestick, made of pure solid gold and Moses was given very detailed instructions as to the materials, design and specific dimensions of it. We witness a God who is very functionally creative and specific about anything he wants done.

According to some sources, the seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.

According to a commentary, the tabernacle had no windows, so no light from the outside could come into the holy place. It just made perfect sense why God wanted specifically to have something there to light the area. In 2 Peter 1:19 it says that the word of God is the lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

REFLECTION

·       What does the lampstand symbolize in the life of a Christian?

July 15

EXODUS 25

²³ “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ²⁴ You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. ²⁵ And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. ²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ²⁷ Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. ²⁸ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. ²⁹ And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. ³⁰ And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly. – Exodus 25:

EXODUS 25 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TABLE OF THE BREAD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God instructed the Israelites to prepare a table made of acacia wood

Its dimensions are; 3 feet long, 1 foot, 6 inches wide, and 2 feet, 3 inches high

Four rings of gold should be fastened to the four corners of its legs

This will hold the poles that would be inserted in it to carry the table

Everything else will be made out of pure gold including the dishes for incense

They must meet with the Lord on that table to thank him for the things they received.

According to Morgan “In the East a table was always the symbol of fellowship. Thus, the people were reminded of the possibility created of constant communion with God.” Meyer calls the showbread “presence-bread.” Bread is necessary for survival, and the link was a reminder that fellowship with God was just as necessary for man. Leviticus 24:5-9, showbread was made of fine flour, and twelve cakes of showbread – one for each tribe of Israel – set on the table, sprinkled lightly with frankincense. Once a week, the bread was replaced, and normally only priests could eat the old bread.

We use tables to gather and eat together. This account reminds us how important it is for us to gather at the table (presence of God) so we can remember and thank him for all the provisions that he gave us and also to never forget to gather in love and fellowship.

REFLECTION

·       How does our modern-day lifestyle change the importance of gathering together for a meal to thank God for all his provision of both physical and spiritual food?