Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 26:36-37

36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Yesterday we heard of the inner curtain, dividing the interior of the tabernacle into two rooms, now we hear about the outer curtain, which would divide the entire tabernacle from its surrounding courtyard. This door would follow the pattern of the inner curtain and the ceiling, made of fine-twined linen dyed blue, and purple, and scarlet. Thus, all the interior would be uniform.

This curtain would be hung from five pillars, as opposed to the four for the interior curtain. The odd number of pillars suggest that they were spaced evenly across the entrance, and not grouped together on either side with a single wide entryway in the middle. To me that suggests that the interior curtain was similarly broken up by each pillar. This would mean there would be four divisions to pass through the outer curtain, and three divisions to pass through the inner. Alternatively, some depictions assume the external curtain had two pillars grouped on each side, with one support pillar in the middle, creating two divisions, and no support pillar for the interior curtain, creating just one division there.

Another similarity between the exterior and interior curtains is that their pillars would be made of shittim wood overlaid with gold, with golden hooks to hold the curtains. The interior curtains, however, were said to have silver sockets at their base, just like the boards that made up the walls, whereas these external pillars are said to have sockets of brass. It’s a small change, but the use of less-valuable brass suggests that these pillars were to be seen as part of the outer courtyard, rather than part of the tabernacle. We will hear how brass was the chief metal used for the instruments and structures of the courtyard, which seems to correlate to that the place being less sanctified than the tabernacle.

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 26:7-11

7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.

9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.

10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

We now move on to the second set of curtains. There are many similarities between this and the first, but also some notable differences. The first curtains were made of linen, which is made from the flax plant. This curtain is to be made from the hair of goats. If we take a peek ahead, the next layers will be made of rams skins and then badgers skins. Thus we have a progression from plant, to hair, to skin; the layers are becoming more animal as they go. What is more, they are becoming more wild. The linen is artificially woven by man, the goat’s hair grows on the beast, and the skins are obviously a result of an animal’s death. Also, the ram is a domesticated sheep, whereas the badger is a wild creature and unclean for the Israelites to eat, ergo more wild.

Another difference is that the individual curtains are longer than the previous. They are thirty cubits long as opposed to twenty-eight. Also there are eleven of them, and they are paired into two groups of five and six, as opposed to the ten linen curtains paired into five and five. Thus, these goat’s skin curtains, when combined together, are both longer and wider than the others, which makes sense given that it will be overlaying the first.

As with the first set of curtains, these are to have loops made in the long edge of both halves, and then those loops connected by a series of taches or hooks. This time the taches would be made of brass, though, not gold as with the first set of curtains. This again shows how the outer layer is less refined and precious than the inner.

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 26:1

1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

God is working from the inside out in His directions for the tabernacle. First He gave the testimony of Hebrew law, written upon the tablets of stone in the mountain. Those, He explained, were to be housed within the Ark of the Covenant, the first religious relic He described the fashion of. He went on to describe the table of shewbred, the menorah, and the lamps, which would be placed just outside the curtain where the ark resided. Now, in today’s verses, he goes further outward to describe the border of the tabernacle, which was to be defined by a series of curtains.

It seems to me that God is describing a body, whether that be the body of a man, or the body of a people. Looking at the design of the tabernacle, the written law reminds me of John’s pronouncement: “in the beginning was the Word,” meaning that first comes the idea, the concept, the Spirit of God, animating from within. Around that spiritual core are the instruments of ritual, the religious practices that keep the body connected to that inner spiritual core, that remind us of our center. Then, the outer layers, the skin that separate the spiritual from the outside world. The outer layer has one face pointed outward, one face pointing inward, a duality that allows one to navigate their surrounding domain while keeping the inner sacred sacred.

Let us keep that representation in mind as we examine the details of these curtains tomorrow.

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 25:23-25

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 25:10-15

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 24:4-8

4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.

6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.

8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

The Israelites had committed to following God’s law, and this covenant was sealed by making solemn sacrifice. Every tribe had their own altar, and all of them ritually dedicated themselves to following the word that God had given.

Let’s take the time to be specific about exactly what those rituals were, and what their significance was. There are three rituals being described here.

  1. The burnt offering. The formal description of how this offering was to be made is given in Leviticus 1.
    • Performance: The Israelite who was making the sacrifice would give up an entire animal which would be cut into parts, cleaned, and then the entire thing was burned on the altar.
    • Significance: This was a constant and regular sacrifice in the Israelite tradition. The burning of the entire animal obviously represents the giving of the whole self to the Lord, turning one’s entire life to His will. It is therefore a fitting symbol for those who are ready to make penance for past transgressions and willing to commit themselves back to the Lord.
  2. The peace offering. The initial description of this offering can be found in Leviticus 3, though there are some details that are only explained later, such as in Leviticus 19:5-8 and Deuteronomy 27:7.
    • Performance: The Israelite would once again offer up an entire animal. This time, though, only the fat and specific organs would be laid on the altar and burned. The rest would become a meal that the Israelite would eat that day and the next, with any leftovers being burned upon the third day.
    • Significance: This was a sign of fellowship and friendship. The Israelite making the offering would essentially be sharing a meal with the Lord. The Lord’s part of the meal came from what was burned on the altar, the Israelite’s part from eating the remaining flesh. Also of note was that the parts burned on the altar were forbidden for the Israelites to eat anyway (fat and blood), so God was taking the portion that was not right for the Israelites and leaving for them what was good, just as He takes from us our sin and leaves us with a new heart. This sacrifice is a fitting symbol for those who are living in union and harmony with God, sharing a life and a purpose with Him.
  3. The sprinkling of blood. Some of the most thorough details of this ritual are actually the ones given here in these verses. However, there are some additional details of this event included in Hebrews 9:19-22.
    • Performance: This ritual was attached to the other sacrifices. There is no sprinkling of blood without the burnt and peace offerings. The priest would take the blood from the offerings, mix it with water, and divide it in two. Half he would sprinkle over the altar, its instruments, and even the book of the law, and the other half would be sprinkled upon the person(s) making the offering.
    • Significance: The blood was sprinkled over the instruments and word of God, and also upon the people. It covers them both, binds them together, and seals their covenant. In Hebrews 9 the assertion is made that every testament/covenant requires the death of the testator to be in full force. Frankly, that is a logic I don’t understand at this point. I don’t yet know what fundamental, universal truth makes it so that death is necessary to empower a commitment, but apparently there is one, and so that sprinkled blood was the activating agent in the covenant between God and His people.

Taken as a whole, we can see that Israel was sacrificing their old lives and giving themselves wholeheartedly to God by the burnt offering. Then they were recognized as His partners and shared meal with Him via the peace offering. Finally, this new union was sanctified by the sprinkling of the blood.

These were not random rituals, each one served a function and a purpose, with deep spiritual meaning behind them. They were being used to properly initiate God’s people.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 19:1-2

1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

Moses had received his vision of the burning bush and prophetic calling in Mount Horeb. He had been told at that time to remove his shoes “for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Now, after having fulfilled the first part of his divine calling: leading Israel out of captivity, he came again to the foot of a mountain.

This mountain, Mount Sinai, would be yet another holy mountain. As we will soon read, Moses would ascend into it while Israel camped at its feet, and Moses would receive all the law of the Lord at its summit. Surely, this was “holy ground” once more.

There are many reasons why the Lord would choose mountains as the place for His presence. They literally draw the gaze heavenward. They stand above the lower things of the earth. Their summit resides in the atmosphere, suspended between heaven and earth. They are a place where the elevated meets the debased.

To ascend into the mountain requires effort and determination. Ascending requires overcoming the constant pull of gravity. It requires leaving behind valleys and rivers and homes, having as one’s sole objective the peak.

Just by their natural, physical structure, mountains remind us of God in many ways, and of our journey towards Him. I, myself, am fortunate to live in a part of the world where I am surrounded by mountains, and I have had some of my most precious spiritual experiences within them.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 15:22-24

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

There was a rich symbolism in the plagues that befell Egypt, each one corresponding to the effects of sin upon mankind, mirroring the natural consequences that we face for our evil deeds. Unsurprisingly, that same rich symbolism is present in the account of Israel’s journey into the wilderness. As we encounter each setback the Israelites faced, hear their reaction to it, and see God’s solution, I will pay close attention to how it is a type for the hardships that we, who are faithful, also face in our journeys.

Indeed, if there is any lesson to be learned from the stories of Israel in the wilderness, it is that hardship is not only for the wicked. Yes, the Egyptians received a singular sort of suffering for their crimes, but the Israelites would be tried by fire as well!

And so, in today’s verses, the Israelites found themselves finally free, out on their own, but there wasn’t any water to be found. They pressed on a little further, and there the water was bitter, so much so that they could not drink of it.

As a person who has been a slave of addiction, and associated with many others in the same boat, I have seen the euphoria that befalls a freed soul when he leaves his captor by making a confession of his sins. All at once, that man is out of the place he thought he would never leave, just like the Israelites, and he is sure that the worst is behind him. But now he faces the world without his drug of choice. He still faces difficult relationships, financial pressure, feelings of inadequacy, long spells of boredom, and he has none of his sinful wine to slake his thirst. He is in the bare, open desert, a man alone, and he can see no water.

Then the man might murmur to his mentor, much like Israel did to Moses, “well what am I supposed to do now?” Our slave masters might have been evil, but they also provided a structure that protected us from the harshness of the world. Who will protect and provide for us now?