April 2001
Exodus Chapter 25
The 25th chapter of the book of Exodus is important in factual historical significance. The Lord instructs Moses in the building of several major items to be used by the Israeli people in worshiping the Lord. These items are extremely important in a historical context to an understanding of God's plan of worship and are referred to on a regular basis with regularity.
The well-known worship terms of "ark of the covenant", the "mercy seat", the "sanctuary" and 'tabernacle" all are originally specified as parts of the future worship service of the people to the Lord.
At the conclusion of the 24th chapter of Exodus, we learned that Moses went up into the "cloud" of Mt. Sinai to be with God for 40 days and 40 nights. God had already delivered His commandments and much law to Moses for the Israel people to follow, as was described in earlier chapters 20-23. Now the Lord starts providing specific direction as to the worship service to be observed by the people.
In the first seven verses of the 25th chapter, the Lord specifies the offering He expects from the people. He demands gold, silver and brass. He specifies blue, purple and scarlet and fine linens; and goat's hair and rams' skins died red, and badger's skins and shittim wood. The Lord tells Moses that oil for a light, and spices for anointing oil are needed as well as sweet incense.
The Lord says onyx stones and other precious stones are needed for an ephod (ornamental vest) and a breastplate to be used in the worship service.
In verses 8 and 9 of the chapter, the Lord first references that He will demand be built a "sanctuary" and that it be such a "tabernacle" that the Lord will be able to dwell among the people. Exact details will be provided later by the Lord.
First, the Lord begins with the most important details of the container of the testimony -- the 10 Commandment tablets. Commonly identified as the "ark of the covenant". The ark and its covering "the mercy seat" will play an extremely important role in the future "dwelling place" and worship service in the most holy part within the tabernacle.
Beginning at verse 10, the Lord details to Moses that the people will make "an ark" out of shittim wood, to be overlaid inside and outside with gold. It is to be built two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half tall. Under our common measurements, it would be just under 4 feet long (45 inches), and be just over 2 feet (27 inches) both in width and depth.
The Lord instructed a gold crown be made around the ark and that four gold rings be cast and placed at the four top corners. Gold-covered wood staves would be placed through the rings so that the ark could be carried by men.
God then specified that the ark would be used to carry the "testament" which he would later give to Moses.
The Lord then specified a "mercy seat" be built to be used as a cover for the ark, but also to be the place where the Lord would appear to dwell among the people. The mercy seat would fit exactly over the ark and would be gold also. It would have a gold cherubim at either end of the mercy seat, facing each other, each with their wing span high and covering the mercy seat.
The ark and it's mercy seat cover became much more significant than a simple repository for the 10 commandments. The Lord stated He would commune with the people from above the mercy seat and between the two cherubim. This would take on the context similar to the Lord's earthly throne.
Next, the Lord specified the building of a table and a candlestick. The table would also be of shittim wood, overlaid With gold with a gold crown around the top. It would be two cubits (36 inches) long; one cubit wide (18 inches), and a cubit and a half tall (27 inches). The table also would have four gold rings at the corners wherein staves could be inserted to use to carry the table.
Gold dishes, spoons, covers and bowls would be used with the table, upon which would be placed bread to be used as part of the worship service.
Next the Lord described a specific pure gold candlestick to be prepared that would have six branches of specific design with gold lamps and gold tongs and gold snuffdishes.
All these items were detailed by the Lord to be later specified as a part of the holy worship place wherein the Lord could dwell among the people. The very specifics of the Lord's demands indicates He was having the people prepare an extremely important and holy sanctuary that would become a major part of the Israel people's religious ceremony.