Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:37-40

37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

The lamps mentioned in verse 37 were the top cup on each staff of the menorah. Once the design of the tabernacle and later temple were revealed, the necessity of this light would become apparent, as the holy place would be closed off, without any windows or direct sunlight.

Then there were the tongs and snuffdishes, which are assumed to be related to the care and maintenance of the lamps, perhaps to trim and collect the burned portions of the wick.

None of today’s items are described in detail, though verse 40 suggests that Moses was shown an appearance of them, which would allow him to relate their design afterwards. We are told, however, that they were all to be made from a talent of pure gold, which was the largest unit of measurement among the ancient Israelites. Thus, these instruments were to be made of a full measure, signifying a completeness and wholeness in their design.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:31-36

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

We now hear the description for the temple menorah. As with the other temple instruments it is to be made of pure gold, and the manner of its fashioning is spelled out in explicit detail. It can be hard to follow in text form, but comparing the words to visual recreations of the temple menorah can help one to understand the design being given here. These words describe a central staff, with three pairings coming off of it, resulting in seven sections that are each composed of the decorative shapes here mentioned.

When reviewing modern day recreations, one will soon notice that the top oil-wells really do look like almonds and the bumps along each arm really do look like flowers. The word “knop” only means an ornamental knob, so that part is often depicted as a generic decorative element.

It is worth noting that the word “menorah” only means lamp, and there are different types of menorahs in the Jewish culture. Thus, not every image of a menorah might be a depiction of the temple menorah. The one that most people will encounter, the hanukkiah, is specific to the Hanukkah celebration and is totally separate from the temple menorah. As such, it will not follow the rules that apply to this temple menorah. As the temple menorah is only for use within the temple, and Israel currently has no temple, there is no actual, functioning temple menorah today, only illustrative recreations.

One final note is that there is clearly a lot of symbolization in the design of the menorah. Much has been made of numbering the different parts and assigning meaning to those figures. I do believe that God does not specify something so explicitly without purpose, and therefore I suspect that there are valid interpretations of those figures, but I do not know which interpretations those are. At the very least, I can say that the flowers and the knobs and the dividing structure bring to mind a living tree, flowering and bearing fruit, carrying the seed of life within. As such I would identify it with God, His living creations, and the nourishment He gives to preserve and develop that life.

Note: It can be difficult to visualize some of the structures described in these verses. Here is an excellent and extremely focused series of animations that show the visual form of the temple and its instruments, built up verse-by-verse from the Exodus record: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpjohncRg94EZ55nJrbaKfi-lfeo3MFgl&si=6wm1J9Sdnu7LKYC_

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:29-30

29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

As with the Ark of the Covenant, after hearing the dimensions and materials of the table, we are then given its purpose, which is to hold the shewbred and all of the dishes related to it. We do not hear much of the shewbread in these verses, but the full details of how it was used is given in Leviticus 34:5-9:

And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.

The twelve loaves of bread is clearly a symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel, each of which would have access to the rites and rituals of the tabernacle, which was where the table of shewbread was kept. The shewbread was also made without leaven, calling to mind the haste with which Israel departed Egypt, and also symbolizes a state of purity and incorruption. The bread would be accented with frankincense, which was a sweet-smelling resin, sometimes burned as incense. Every sabbath the bread would be replaced with fresh loaves, and all of it was to be consumed by the priests, part of their nourishment by the hand of providence.

There are many overlapping symbols and images in all of this. The bread is the Israelite people. They are to remain unleavened, meaning uncorrupted by foreign philosophies and idolatry. They are to be refreshed regularly, upon every sabbath day. They are also to provide for the priests nourishment, so that the priests can provide for their spiritual refreshing. Also, they are to bring up a sweet fragrance to the Lord, which is the doing of good works and the words of sincere prayer. Finally, they are to rest upon a solid foundation, symbolized by the table, which is the ethical and moral bedrock defined by the commandments of Almighty God.

From these symbols we see the basis, the practice, and the outcome of living the Hebrew gospel. It is an amazing wealth of symbolism contained within a simple, repetitive practice.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:26-28

26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

The similarities between the table and the ark continue in these verses, where we hear that the table was also to be borne by staves when transported. And as with the ark, those staves were to be made of shittim wood and overlaid with gold.

The place of attachment for those staves seems ambiguous at first. “On the four feet” seems to suggest that they were at the very bottom of the table, the entire thing teetering in the air above the heads of those who carried it. But also it is supposed to be “against the border,” which in the previous verses seemed to be at the top of the legs, around the board that made that surface of the table. An examination of the original Hebrew seems to clear up the confusion, though. The word used there is רָ֫גֶל (regel), which depending on the context is sometimes rendered “feet,” but other times rendered “legs.” And, indeed, other English translations of this verse render it as “the four legs,” not “the four feet,” which definitely seems more realistic and consistent.

Carrying the ark with staves seems quite practical to me, as that is perhaps the simplest way to convey it for people. Carrying the table, particularly given that it was a small table, seems less practical. If I were the carrier, I would sooner place a small table over my shoulder and carry it that way, but obviously that treatment would be far less respectful. Reverence, not practicality, is clearly the top priority here.

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Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:23-25

23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

We now shift from the Ark of the Covenant to the descriptions for a table. As with the ark, we start with the materials and dimension. The width is to be double the breadth, and the height will be halfway in between. I may be reading too much into this, but it occurs to me that each side could be used to measure the others. The breadth folded over the length should reach exactly halfway across. The breadth folded over the height should leave just enough that the remainder could be folded over exactly half of the height. The height folded over the length should leave just enough to cover exactly half of the breadth. Like the Godhead, three separate sides, but each able to measure and define one another.

Also, the height of the table, a cubit-and-a-half, is exactly the same height as the Ark of the Covenant, showing that they are a pair. The other dimensions of the table, however, the length and the breadth, are each smaller than the corresponding sides of the ark. It is not a very large table, and it will only be used for a specific purpose.

Just like the heights, the material and ornamentation of the table exactly matches that of the ark. Shittim wood to make the shape and body, with pure gold overlaid everywhere. There is also to be a border that hangs a little ways down from the top slab, and it is to be ornamented with a golden crown, just as with the ark.

Consistency of design immediately speaks to consistency of purpose. Not to say that both the ark and the table would perform the same function, obviously they wouldn’t, but ark that stores and the table that bears would be united in a common purpose of ultimate spiritual observation. One would only have to see them to know these two are organs of the same body.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:22

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

One of the possible reasons I gave yesterday for why the lid on top of the ark might be called the mercy seat was that perhaps it formed a throne from which God would commune with His High Priests. Today’s verse supports that notion, as God says He will speak “from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.”

The space above the ark was going to be a highly sanctified place, one that could bear the presence of the Lord. So far, Moses had been required to ascend to the top of the mountain to commune with the Lord, but now the area inside of the tabernacle and above the ark would be an adequate domain for the Lord also.

There is a lesson here for all of us to find holy places, areas where the noise and voices and influence of the world cease, where there is enough purity and sincerity that His voice can “commune with thee from above” and “from between.” Obviously the Lord can force His presence suddenly and powerfully, such as when He dramatically appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, but we aren’t meant to rely on such rare occurrences. We’re meant to foster an atmosphere of constant spiritual immersion, like the Israelites were going to create in the heart of the tabernacle, in the space above the mercy seat.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:17-21

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

We heard already of the body, the poles, and the interior of the ark, today we hear about the lid that will go on top of it all. It is to feature two golden statues of cherubs, with wings extended over the whole thing. Traditionally their wingtips are often depicted as having touched, though that requirement is not specifically called for in these verses.

I spent some time trying to research why the lid is being called “the mercy seat,” as it doesn’t seem to be describing a traditional sort of seat at all. From my study I found the following possible explanations (perhaps there are more):

  1. The ark as a whole was meant to be seen as the throne of God. Who knows, perhaps the angle of the cherubim’s wings even formed a seat and a back. Thus, approaching the ark was approaching God’s throne, and it would occur within the tabernacle, whose primary function was to facilitate the forgiveness and realignment of God’s people. Thus this was a throne, and one of mercy, not of punishment.
  2. It does not mean “seat” as something that you sit upon, but as the core or origin of something, like how we say that the government is “the seat of power” in the land. The ark of the covenant was the origin of mercy for God’s people, therefore the “seat of mercy,” or “mercy seat.”
  3. The name “mercy seat” is merely an artistic choice by the translators of the King James Bible, and not necessarily the most fitting for our modern vernacular.
    The original word here, כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporeth), really means “propitiation,” or “atonement,” which is the act of accounting for the sins of the people so that they can be restored to their God. The word has at its root כָּפַר (kaphar) and כֹּפֶר (kopher), which mean “to cover over, pacify,” and “the ransom for a life” respectively. Thus, there is a notion of atoning, covering, and ransoming. Many other translations utilize those words, calling it something like an “atonement cover” (NIV) instead of a “mercy seat.”

I can’t help but note the special pun that exists in the English translation. The top of the ark is functionally a lid, which can also be called a cover, but it is described symbolically as an atonement/ransom, which is to cover the sins of the people. Perhaps this isn’t a pun, but baked into the etymology of the word. I do not know enough to identify whether there is any common root in Hebrew that would apply to both a “lid” and an “atonement,” such as we have in the English word “cover,” but perhaps there is a connection which bled its way into our modern English. Perhaps it is deliberate that the top of the box is both a lid and a sign of atonement, because in both senses it covers.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:16

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

Yesterday we discussed the materials and design of the ark of the covenant, and I said that I saw in it a symbolism of structured order overlaid with natural, pure beauty. Today we learn that the words of God’s law, the testimony that He had been delivering to Moses, would be the first items to be housed within the ark. Eventually other spiritual relics would be kept there as well, such as Moses’s staff and a jar of manna.

Thus, the words and signs of God are the elements housed within His structure and His beauty. One could view this from the outside in: The order and beauty of God are protecting His inner word, or from the inside out: God’s word is the beating heart within the body of His order and beauty.

With the outer body and the inner word, we are almost finished with the description of the ark. There yet remains one part: the lid that sits on top of it all. We’ll examine that portion next time.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:10-15

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

The first thing the Lord details for the tabernacle is the Ark of the Covenant that will be housed there. He gives precise measurements for its dimensions and dictates the materials that it will be made of. The body of the box and the staves will be made of shittim wood, which will then be covered in a layer of gold. The rings and the crown of the box will also be fashioned of pure gold.

Shittim wood is described as being strong and sturdy, close-grained and dense. Gold is a precious metal that is also a single chemical element, not a compound of different materials. Thus, the ark will have a structure of strength and resilience, carved to precise specifications. And over that precise structure shall be a layer of pure, natural beauty. There can be seen in this a representation of order being the foundation upon which beauty may thrive. This is a truth we can see repeated many times throughout our societies. A stable law provides the security for an artistic culture to thrive, a well-governed home gives its children the courage to dare, and a strong moral code is the basis for beautiful acts of charity. Order and beauty in one.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 25:8-9

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Now we see what the offering of riches and valuables is for: to make a tabernacle for the Lord “that he may dwell among them.” If the people were willing to consecrate their very best to God, if they would show great attention in following his building instructions exactly, if they would dedicate their time and labor to building the place, then they would be able to create a sacred place where He could reside. I believe that more important than the valuables, the attention, and the effort, is the sacrifice. What would make this place worthy of God would not be the minerals or man-hours, it would be the heart and will that had been poured into it, prioritizing this cause above all other alternatives. That was what would make this place an acceptable receptacle for the Lord’s presence.

Or, at least, it would make it acceptable for the Lord’s purifying spirit to come and sanctify the place, and then that purification would be what made the place an acceptable receptacle for the Lord’s presence. See Exodus 40:34.

It is the same with our hearts also. When we perform our acts of faith, it is the faith that matters far more than the act itself. It is not what we sacrifice, but that we sacrifice. And the offerings of time and effort that we make to the Lord do not make us worthy of His name, but it does invite His spirit to come and sanctify our hearts so that then we are worthy of His name.