November 7, 2020
The book of Exodus tells the story of the birth of the nation of Israel fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. From the seventy descendants of Jacob, Israel was fruitful and multiplied greatly until they filled the whole land of Egypt. After four centuries of slavery, God answers the cries of His people for deliverance. God raises up Moses for this calling, to lead his people out of bondage to a land of promise and deliverance.
Some of the greatest stories of the Bible are featured in Exodus—from the Ten Plagues, and the Passover, to the crossing of the Red Sea, and the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai. The Passover lamb, the exodus from the land of Egypt, the seven feasts, the tabernacle, and even the high priest, are all foreshadows of the ministry of Christ.
Chapters 1-18 contains the events leading up to God’s delivering the Hebrews from their captivity in Egypt, and chapters 19-40 shares the events in the wilderness and the account of God’s instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai to direct the life and worship of the nation.
Exodus 38
Making the Altar of Burnt Offering
1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height. 2 He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down. 5 He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards.
Making the Bronze Basin
8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
Making the Court
9 And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; 10 their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 11 And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 13 And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 And so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases. 16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. 17 And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18 And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. 20 And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.
Materials for the Tabernacle
21 These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses; 23 and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base. 28 And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them. 29 The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; 30 with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, 31 the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Reflection:
- The altar of burnt offering was were the offerings were made to atone for the sins of the people. The blood of the animals shed for the sins of the people of God. The priests were also a type of Christ, who ministered on behalf of the people before a holy God. Jesus Christ was the lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of people. He is our High Priest, who constantly lives to make intercession for us before God the Father (Hebrews 7:25). If we are in Christ, then we too can intercede for others through prayer.
- Consider Paul’s words of Ephesians 1:16-18, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”
- The bronze basin was made from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting according to verse 8. Christians have various opinions on what the basin represented from the believer’s water baptism, to the believer’s sanctification, to the word of God. Perhaps all of these can be foreshadowed in the bronze basin. Take a moment to reflect on your own baptism, and the fact that the blood of Jesus has sanctified you and washed you clean, and that you abide in God’s word.
- John 15:3-4, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
- It was very important that the priests wash their hands and feet at the bronze basin. And when they did, they would see their reflection in the polished bronze mirrors and be reminded of the dirt and filth being washed away. That washing process was very important, so much so that the Lord told them that whoever does not wash dies, and therefore everyone who has washed is as one who was saved from death, as one who was born again. They could not just look at their reflection and walk away.
- Consider the words of James 1:22-24, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for washing me clean from my sin. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for correcting me when I go astray and fail to be obedient to the Lord’s commands and his word. When you show me the errors of my way, do not let me be like one who looks in the mirror, and sees what needs to be changed, and then walks away and forgets what has been revealed. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (Psalm 119:105). In Jesus’ name, amen.
Lord Jesus thank you for this day. Yes keep molding me into the tabernacle You want me to be. And when I look into that mirror, Help me remember that Your Spirit resides in me. Examine my heart and mold it with Your love. The love that endures all things. Help me to love those around me. Everyone. Not just the lovable. In Your Name Jesus I pray Amen.
I remember the day I was water baptized when my pastor placed me under the water my white robe went up in the air and I felt the Holy Spirit like I never had before I was 18 years old. I was raised Catholic and baptized on the forehead as a baby. I always was raised you had to go to church on Sundays this was a must. I have been close to Jesus since I was a Child but did not understand everything until I got saved. It is now 46 years and he is still teaching new thing I love him so much.
God’s salvation package is the greatest gift of all. We are so blessed to be so loved by the Creator of the Universe that He would sacrifice His only Son to provide forgiveness for our sin. Now we can live in victory because Jesus has won the victory on our behalf!
Today I rest, knowing that Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice frees me to live for God, not because he requires it from me, but because God has given me a new hart that desires to live for him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving us and forgiving us of our sins. I want to live for you each day. Guide me in all of my decisions and help me to be an instrument for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.