Introduction: Before the Israelites began to work on the tabernacle, specific teachings and reminders were delivered regarding the keeping of the Sabbath (Exod. 35:1–3). Even while working on the sanctuary, people needed to respect and celebrate “a Sabbath of rest to the Lord” (Exod. 35:2, NKJV).
God gave Moses a blueprint of the tabernacle, also called the tent of meeting, with instructions on how to construct it (Exodus 25–31). Now the time arrived to actually build it. All material for the tabernacle was first collected (Exod. 35:4–29, Exod. 36:4–7), then craftspeople (including women, see Exod. 35:25, 26) were endowed with the Spirit of God to work on the sanctuary skillfully and artistically (Exod. 35:30–36:4), and the construction began. If diligent work on various garments is included, then, altogether, ten major items had to be prepared:
• the tabernacle (Exod. 36:8–38),
• the ark (Exod. 37:1–9),
• the table (Exod. 37:10–16),
• the lampstand (Exod. 37:17–24),
• the altar of incense (Exod. 37:25–28),
• the anointing oil and incense (Exod. 37:29),
• the altar of burnt offering (Exod. 38:1–7),
• basin for washing (Exod. 38:8),
• the courtyard (Exod. 38:9–20),
• the priestly garments, the ephod, the breastplate, and other priestly clothing (Exod. 39:1–31).
In Exodus 38:21–31, the material used is enumerated (more than 1 ton of gold, about 3.75 tons of silver, and about 2.5 tons of bronze). Moses inspected all the work on the tabernacle and found that it was done “just as the Lord had commanded” (this phrase is repeated three times to emphasize precision and obedience; Exod. 39:32, 42, 43). Moses was very pleased with the accomplished work, and he blessed all the workers (Exod. 39:43b).
Afterward, the tabernacle was to be set up on the first day of the first month, according to God’s instruction (Exod. 40:1, 2), which meant that it was erected almost one year after the Israelites departed from Egypt (Exod. 12:2, 6; Exod. 40:17). When the big tent was ready, particular items were assembled and placed within and without, starting with the Most Holy Place and ending with the courtyard. Every space was divided by a curtain (three different curtains are mentioned: in Exodus 40:3, 5, 8; and, again, in Exodus 40:21, 28, 33).
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
God’s Presence
God’s Presence
God’s presence means everything to believers. His name “I AM WHO I AM” or “I will be who I will be” means that He is the eternal, all-present God. When God Himself explains the meaning of His name, His presence is emphasized (Exod. 3:13–15).
The principal theme of this Exodus section related to the tabernacle is God’s presence. The Lord asked them to build it, because He wanted to be tangibly with His people, to dwell among them in their very center. God wanted to be close to them so they could see His shekinah glory. The Israelites were guided by His presence in the visible form of the cloud during the day. This same cloud turned into a fiery pillar at night. When the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites moved (Exod. 40:36–38). If God should abandon the Israelites, they would be doomed to failure, destruction, and death.
The culminating point in the construction of the tabernacle was the fact that “the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (stated twice for emphasis; Exod. 40:34, 35), thus, filling the space with the cloud, a visible sign of God’s presence. The tabernacle, filled with God’s glory, is a very fitting climax and conclusion to the book of Exodus (Exod. 40:34, 35). This should help people to cultivate God’s presence in their own lives.
God already had previously demonstrated His presence in the midst of the land of Egypt (Exod. 8:20–23, NIV). He had led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exod. 12:51) and rescued them at the Red Sea (Exod. 14:30, 31). The Lord provided manna (Exod. 16:14, 15) and, through the Sabbath, taught them that He is their Creator, who was with them. Sabbath is nothing more than “God with us” (Gen. 2:2, 3), and He promises His people He will be with them wherever His name is remembered (Exod. 20:24, ESV). God’s saving presence is a guiding presence because, through various interventions, God helped Israel grow by His relational, and transforming, presence.
Filled With the Spirit of God
Filled With the Spirit of God
God not only provided the blueprint for the tabernacle and asked the Israelites to build a sanctuary, but He “filled” people with the Spirit of God (Exod. 31:3, Exod. 35:31), who enabled them to construct it (Exod. 31:1–11, Exod. 35:30–36:1). What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The biblical text provides a clear answer: the people were filled with wisdom and knowledge and were endowed with skills, abilities, and artistic capacities to do all kinds of crafts and designs with precious metals, stone, wood, and fabric in the building of the sanctuary. Thus, nothing magical or mysterious happened. No spirits or powers entered a person; only the Holy Spirit gave spiritual gifts, skills, or artistic abilities, enabling the advancement of God’s work of proclaiming His truth and mission. In the time of Moses, this endowment happened to Bezalel, Oholiab, and other craftspeople. When the Spirit of the Lord fills people, He enables them to do new things for His cause.
The same is true when “the Spirit of God came upon” a person. Such a phrase is mentioned in the Bible for the first time in the case of Balaam (Num. 24:2), which means that the Holy Spirit gave him a special revelation, and he was able to prophesy. In the book of Judges, the sentence “the Spirit of the Lord came upon” is used seven times for different judges (Othniel [Judg. 3:10], Gideon [Judg. 6:34], Jephthah [Judg. 11:29], and Samson [Judg. 13:24, 25; Judg. 14:5, 6, 19; Judg. 15:14]), empowering them to care, protect, and perform God’s work. A similar meaning is contained in the phrase regarding being baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16) or receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary
The Lord commanded Moses to build a sanctuary, according to the pattern (Hebrew: tabnit; Exod. 25:9) or plan (Hebrew: mishpat means literal judgment; Exod. 26:30) that He showed him on Mount Sinai. This pattern was a miniature representation of the heavenly sanctuary, adapted to our human situation and condition but modeled after the heavenly original (Heb. 8:1, 2).
The earthly sanctuary is not constructed according to the heavenly sanctuary on a 1:1 scale. The apostle Paul helps us to understand the vast difference between the heavenly and earthly sanctuaries. He argues that the priests “serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven” (Heb. 8:5, NIV) and explains that it was only a shadow of the heavenly reality. This illustration is very fitting.
Let’s make a comparison between a person and his or her shadow. A person’s shadow is as real as he or she is; however, the shadow is a very poor reflection of the man or woman. One can know very little about the person based on his or her shadow. The appearance of his or her shadow will depend on the position of the sun. Best-case scenario, one’s shadow may allow an observer to guess if the person is male or female, tall or short, fat or slim, and to speculate about other external characteristics. A person’s shadow will not reveal to the observer the person’s age or the expressions on his or her face. The shadow will say nothing about a person’s thinking, emotions, goals, knowledge, work, position, dreams, plans, or disappointments. It is sufficient to demonstrate by this example that we need to be careful not to make the heavenly sanctuary fit into our limited thinking, knowledge, and experience.
The original heavenly temple is incomparable in measures, space, and materials. The heavenly sanctuary temple is a place where God resides; it is a palace with His throne (Jer. 17:12). It is a place of assembly and worship for the universe (Isa. 14:13). It is the heavenly command center from which His judgments are issued (Ps. 11:4, 5; Ps. 18:6; Ps. 57:3; Ps. 76:8; Ps. 102:19; Ps. 123:1). As God is real, angels are real, heaven is real, and so is the heavenly sanctuary.
The rituals of the earthly sanctuary present a very important aspect of salvation by demonstrating how God saves and deals with sin and sinners. The earthly sanctuary reflects the main functions related to the plan of salvation. There were daily services that provided an individual believer forgiveness and assurance of salvation. The yearly services pictured the final and objective solution to the problem of sin: evil will be no more and will be totally eradicated. As a result, God’s character of love, truth, and justice is uplifted, vindicated, and affirmed by the entire universe because He has openly revealed and demonstrated His love. All creatures will recognize His glory, sovereignty, and power. He is worthy of every being’s praise for His goodness and justice, and every person will bow before Him in total admiration (Phil. 2:9, 10; Rev. 15:4). Everyone without any exception will proclaim that God is love.
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
Does God stress any prerequisites or conditions that must be fulfilled prior to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit? Pay careful attention to Peter’s statement in his sermon at Pentecost: “ ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ ” (Acts 2:38, ESV). What does this promise mean to you?
Many are praying for the Holy Spirit in order to possess it or have it for themselves. In reality, the Holy Spirit needs to possess us so that He may use us. He equips us for service. Remember that every believer has at least one spiritual gift to serve others. What is the gift you received from God? What spiritual gifts do you need so that you may be more useful to God, His church, and society at large?
How can we cultivate God’s presence in our lives? What activities can hinder, or take, the joy of His presence from us?
Why is it so important to eradicate sin and evil from our earth in order to restore the original harmony? Would it be possible to control evil if God did not eliminate it but allowed its existence in perpetuity? Explain. If evil is self-destructive, how long would it exist without God’s intervention to destroy it?
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Part I: Overview
Key Text: Exodus 40:34, 38
Study Focus: Exod. 35:1–40:38
Introduction: Before the Israelites began to work on the tabernacle, specific teachings and reminders were delivered regarding the keeping of the Sabbath (Exod. 35:1–3). Even while working on the sanctuary, people needed to respect and celebrate “a Sabbath of rest to the Lord” (Exod. 35:2, NKJV).
God gave Moses a blueprint of the tabernacle, also called the tent of meeting, with instructions on how to construct it (Exodus 25–31). Now the time arrived to actually build it. All material for the tabernacle was first collected (Exod. 35:4–29, Exod. 36:4–7), then craftspeople (including women, see Exod. 35:25, 26) were endowed with the Spirit of God to work on the sanctuary skillfully and artistically (Exod. 35:30–36:4), and the construction began. If diligent work on various garments is included, then, altogether, ten major items had to be prepared:
• the tabernacle (Exod. 36:8–38),
• the ark (Exod. 37:1–9),
• the table (Exod. 37:10–16),
• the lampstand (Exod. 37:17–24),
• the altar of incense (Exod. 37:25–28),
• the anointing oil and incense (Exod. 37:29),
• the altar of burnt offering (Exod. 38:1–7),
• basin for washing (Exod. 38:8),
• the courtyard (Exod. 38:9–20),
• the priestly garments, the ephod, the breastplate, and other priestly clothing (Exod. 39:1–31).
In Exodus 38:21–31, the material used is enumerated (more than 1 ton of gold, about 3.75 tons of silver, and about 2.5 tons of bronze). Moses inspected all the work on the tabernacle and found that it was done “just as the Lord had commanded” (this phrase is repeated three times to emphasize precision and obedience; Exod. 39:32, 42, 43). Moses was very pleased with the accomplished work, and he blessed all the workers (Exod. 39:43b).
Afterward, the tabernacle was to be set up on the first day of the first month, according to God’s instruction (Exod. 40:1, 2), which meant that it was erected almost one year after the Israelites departed from Egypt (Exod. 12:2, 6; Exod. 40:17). When the big tent was ready, particular items were assembled and placed within and without, starting with the Most Holy Place and ending with the courtyard. Every space was divided by a curtain (three different curtains are mentioned: in Exodus 40:3, 5, 8; and, again, in Exodus 40:21, 28, 33).
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
God’s Presence
God’s Presence
God’s presence means everything to believers. His name “I AM WHO I AM” or “I will be who I will be” means that He is the eternal, all-present God. When God Himself explains the meaning of His name, His presence is emphasized (Exod. 3:13–15).
The principal theme of this Exodus section related to the tabernacle is God’s presence. The Lord asked them to build it, because He wanted to be tangibly with His people, to dwell among them in their very center. God wanted to be close to them so they could see His shekinah glory. The Israelites were guided by His presence in the visible form of the cloud during the day. This same cloud turned into a fiery pillar at night. When the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites moved (Exod. 40:36–38). If God should abandon the Israelites, they would be doomed to failure, destruction, and death.
The culminating point in the construction of the tabernacle was the fact that “the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (stated twice for emphasis; Exod. 40:34, 35), thus, filling the space with the cloud, a visible sign of God’s presence. The tabernacle, filled with God’s glory, is a very fitting climax and conclusion to the book of Exodus (Exod. 40:34, 35). This should help people to cultivate God’s presence in their own lives.
God already had previously demonstrated His presence in the midst of the land of Egypt (Exod. 8:20–23, NIV). He had led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exod. 12:51) and rescued them at the Red Sea (Exod. 14:30, 31). The Lord provided manna (Exod. 16:14, 15) and, through the Sabbath, taught them that He is their Creator, who was with them. Sabbath is nothing more than “God with us” (Gen. 2:2, 3), and He promises His people He will be with them wherever His name is remembered (Exod. 20:24, ESV). God’s saving presence is a guiding presence because, through various interventions, God helped Israel grow by His relational, and transforming, presence.
Filled With the Spirit of God
Filled With the Spirit of God
God not only provided the blueprint for the tabernacle and asked the Israelites to build a sanctuary, but He “filled” people with the Spirit of God (Exod. 31:3, Exod. 35:31), who enabled them to construct it (Exod. 31:1–11, Exod. 35:30–36:1). What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The biblical text provides a clear answer: the people were filled with wisdom and knowledge and were endowed with skills, abilities, and artistic capacities to do all kinds of crafts and designs with precious metals, stone, wood, and fabric in the building of the sanctuary. Thus, nothing magical or mysterious happened. No spirits or powers entered a person; only the Holy Spirit gave spiritual gifts, skills, or artistic abilities, enabling the advancement of God’s work of proclaiming His truth and mission. In the time of Moses, this endowment happened to Bezalel, Oholiab, and other craftspeople. When the Spirit of the Lord fills people, He enables them to do new things for His cause.
The same is true when “the Spirit of God came upon” a person. Such a phrase is mentioned in the Bible for the first time in the case of Balaam (Num. 24:2), which means that the Holy Spirit gave him a special revelation, and he was able to prophesy. In the book of Judges, the sentence “the Spirit of the Lord came upon” is used seven times for different judges (Othniel [Judg. 3:10], Gideon [Judg. 6:34], Jephthah [Judg. 11:29], and Samson [Judg. 13:24, 25; Judg. 14:5, 6, 19; Judg. 15:14]), empowering them to care, protect, and perform God’s work. A similar meaning is contained in the phrase regarding being baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16) or receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuary
The Lord commanded Moses to build a sanctuary, according to the pattern (Hebrew: tabnit; Exod. 25:9) or plan (Hebrew: mishpat means literal judgment; Exod. 26:30) that He showed him on Mount Sinai. This pattern was a miniature representation of the heavenly sanctuary, adapted to our human situation and condition but modeled after the heavenly original (Heb. 8:1, 2).
The earthly sanctuary is not constructed according to the heavenly sanctuary on a 1:1 scale. The apostle Paul helps us to understand the vast difference between the heavenly and earthly sanctuaries. He argues that the priests “serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven” (Heb. 8:5, NIV) and explains that it was only a shadow of the heavenly reality. This illustration is very fitting.
Let’s make a comparison between a person and his or her shadow. A person’s shadow is as real as he or she is; however, the shadow is a very poor reflection of the man or woman. One can know very little about the person based on his or her shadow. The appearance of his or her shadow will depend on the position of the sun. Best-case scenario, one’s shadow may allow an observer to guess if the person is male or female, tall or short, fat or slim, and to speculate about other external characteristics. A person’s shadow will not reveal to the observer the person’s age or the expressions on his or her face. The shadow will say nothing about a person’s thinking, emotions, goals, knowledge, work, position, dreams, plans, or disappointments. It is sufficient to demonstrate by this example that we need to be careful not to make the heavenly sanctuary fit into our limited thinking, knowledge, and experience.
The original heavenly temple is incomparable in measures, space, and materials. The heavenly sanctuary temple is a place where God resides; it is a palace with His throne (Jer. 17:12). It is a place of assembly and worship for the universe (Isa. 14:13). It is the heavenly command center from which His judgments are issued (Ps. 11:4, 5; Ps. 18:6; Ps. 57:3; Ps. 76:8; Ps. 102:19; Ps. 123:1). As God is real, angels are real, heaven is real, and so is the heavenly sanctuary.
The rituals of the earthly sanctuary present a very important aspect of salvation by demonstrating how God saves and deals with sin and sinners. The earthly sanctuary reflects the main functions related to the plan of salvation. There were daily services that provided an individual believer forgiveness and assurance of salvation. The yearly services pictured the final and objective solution to the problem of sin: evil will be no more and will be totally eradicated. As a result, God’s character of love, truth, and justice is uplifted, vindicated, and affirmed by the entire universe because He has openly revealed and demonstrated His love. All creatures will recognize His glory, sovereignty, and power. He is worthy of every being’s praise for His goodness and justice, and every person will bow before Him in total admiration (Phil. 2:9, 10; Rev. 15:4). Everyone without any exception will proclaim that God is love.
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
Does God stress any prerequisites or conditions that must be fulfilled prior to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit? Pay careful attention to Peter’s statement in his sermon at Pentecost: “ ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ ” (Acts 2:38, ESV). What does this promise mean to you?
Many are praying for the Holy Spirit in order to possess it or have it for themselves. In reality, the Holy Spirit needs to possess us so that He may use us. He equips us for service. Remember that every believer has at least one spiritual gift to serve others. What is the gift you received from God? What spiritual gifts do you need so that you may be more useful to God, His church, and society at large?
How can we cultivate God’s presence in our lives? What activities can hinder, or take, the joy of His presence from us?
Why is it so important to eradicate sin and evil from our earth in order to restore the original harmony? Would it be possible to control evil if God did not eliminate it but allowed its existence in perpetuity? Explain. If evil is self-destructive, how long would it exist without God’s intervention to destroy it?