Exodus 25

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. ³ And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, ⁴ blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, ⁵ tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, ⁶ oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, ⁷ onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. ⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. ⁹ Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. ¹⁰ “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹ You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ¹³ You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. ¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. ²¹ And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. ²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. ²³ “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ²⁴ You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. ²⁵ And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. ²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ²⁷ Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. ²⁸ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. ²⁹ And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. ³⁰ And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly. ³¹ “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. ³² And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; ³³ three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ³⁴ And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, ³⁵ and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. ³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. ³⁸ Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰ And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Some years back this letter appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal:

It is about time someone woke up to the fact that all of these big, beautiful churches will not bring in people, only Jesus can do it.

If he were here today, as of course he is in spirit and in our hearts if we are Christians, He would destroy every one of these places, because people should not go to church just for the looks of the church.

Think of all the good use for these thousands upon thousands of dollars, in helping people who really need it – the underfed, the poverty-stricken and those who live in the ghettos. I would rather worship God in a barn, because God isn’t in these big fancy buildings people are putting up. God is here now! He wants us to help the sick, helpless people, and each true Christian will know this in his heart. We need Christ, not big empty churches!

So on Wednesdays, the business meeting nights, go and watch the fights over money to pay for these big buildings.[1]

It is, perhaps, not an unusual sentiment. I once knew of an exciting church plant that was meeting in a school. That is in no way out of the ordinary, for buildings usually come later with church plants, if they come at all. This church, however, was quite vocal that it intended to continue meeting in the school and that it would not build a building. When asked about this, the common refrain among those attending was, “We do not want an edifice.”

Let me hasten to say that I tell this story with no judgment whatsoever. The earliest Christians met in homes, not in sanctuaries. The Church is now and always has been the people of God, not buildings. And, to be sure, the creation of church architecture has introduced certain dangers into the church experience. If a church does not want “an edifice,” fine and good!

All of that is true. All of that is undeniable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a congregation that chooses not to have a building.

On the other hand, the suggestion that the creation of sacred buildings, objects, and spaces is inherently detrimental and the concurrent idea that not having such a space is inherently superior is profoundly problematic. After all, a large portion of the book of Exodus is dedicated to precisely this: the creation of sacred space. In fact, as Victor Hamilton observes:

Exodus devotes approximately two chapters to narrating the exodus from Egypt, two-thirds of one chapter to the Decalogue, but thirteen to the tabernacle (sixteen if one includes the interlude in chaps. 32– 34). That is about one-third of the entire book. That such a large portion should be assigned to one topic highlights the importance of worship in the life of the community, the importance of the presence of God among his people.[2]

My point here is not that the creation of individual sanctuaries in our day is somehow directly analogous to the God-ordained construction of a tabernacle for the Jews of the Exodus. It is clear that the tabernacle was, in many respects, unique. My point is simply that the presence in Exodus of this heavy emphasis on getting the tabernacle right refutes the notion that space is inherently wicked and it argues for the fact that, however and wherever an individual congregation works this out, what spaces we do have should be used to speak of the glory and saving work of God.

Let us consider the significance of God’s call for a tabernacle.

The Call for Devoted Hearts

Before calling for a sacred physical space, the Lord called for sacred heart space. He did this in His appeal for the people of God to donate the goods necessary to build the tabernacle.

¹ The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. ³ And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, ⁴ blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, ⁵ tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, ⁶ oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, ⁷ onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. ⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. ⁹ Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The crucial phrase here is “from every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.” This phrase, more than any other, should obliterate the idea that our choices are necessarily between a lifeless edifice or a edifice-less life of vitality. In God’s original design, the people were to build a space for worship, but were to do so because it was consistent with their own heart’s desire to know and honor the Lord. Never did the Lord God ask for an impressive structure simply to have an impressive structure. The tabernacle was to be a physical manifestation of the sincere worship already inhabiting the hearts of His people. They were to honor God outwardly because they were already honoring God inwardly.

The Call for Sacred Space

On that basis – the sincerity of the worship of His people and their willing obedience to His call – the people of God were to build a tabernacle. The elements laid out in Exodus 25 are as follows: the ark of the covenant, a table, and a lampstand. Each element was significant.

A Sacred Ark

The ark is perhaps the most well-known of the elements of the tabernacle because of its place of prominence in popular culture. Movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and documentaries on the ark that one may see on channels like The History Channel, keep at least the terminology of “ark of the covenant” in the vernacular. For Israel, this was no curiosity piece, however. It was a vitally important symbol of the presence of God with His people.

¹⁰ “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹ You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ¹³ You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. ¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. ²¹ And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. ²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

When we begin to speak of the details of the tabernacle, we must be careful. It is certainly true that the tabernacle had a significance that pointed beyond itself. It is also true that the tabernacle ultimately pointed to Christ. That being said, some do tend to run wild with their evaluation of the details. If we are not careful we can lapse into a kind of hermeneutical chaos whereby every single thing means anything and thus nothing. This problem was observed as early as the late-2^nd/early-3^rd century by Origen.

But when the passage about the equipment of the tabernacle is read, believing that the things described therein are types, some seek for ideas which they can attach to each detail that is mentioned in connection with the tabernacle. Now so far as concerns their belief that the tabernacle is a type of something they are not wrong. But in rightly attaching the word of Scripture to the particular idea of which the tabernacle is a type, here they sometimes fall into error.[3]

We must be careful in applying meaning to the details, though it is undeniable that the details are significant. If we put the biblical measurements of the ark in our language, we can say that the “ark is about 42– 45 inches long (around 3½ feet) and about 27– 30 inches wide and high (around 2½ feet).”[4]

The ark was, simply put, a gold covered box with four feet and four rings through which carrying poles were to constantly remain. The lid of the ark was the mercy seat upon which were two golden cherubim facing one another. The author of Hebrews said this in Hebrews 9 concerning the contents of the ark:

² For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, ⁴ having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

The ark was therefore a sacred object, but most significant of all was the fact that it was there on the mercy seat that the Lord would meet with Moses.

²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

We begin to get a sense of the importance of sacred objects and symbols when we read this. God was not contained in the sacred object. The sacred object was not God. But God had chosen to speak with His people around the sacred objects He commissioned. While we do not want to run wild with allegorical interpretations of these objects, this much is certain: God wanted to plant the concept of His presence mediated through physical matter to His children in their minds. Put another way, God’s presence and communication with His people was not to be conceived of as only non-material though God Himself is non-material and though graven images of God were forbidden in the ten commandments.

On this side of the incarnation, we understand why God was planting this idea in the minds of His people: these physical symbols of God’s presence would prepare His people over long years of observance for the ultimate physical manifestation of His presence, His Son Jesus Christ. The ark was therefore a type of the coming of Christ. It resided in the interior holy tent within the tabernacle. The mercy seat would also become the place where the blood of sacrifice would be thrown. Again and again, the ark points to the coming Christ.

A Sacred Table

In addition to an acacia wood box, there was an acacia wood table.

²³ “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ²⁴ You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. ²⁵ And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. ²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ²⁷ Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. ²⁸ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. ²⁹ And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. ³⁰ And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

This “bread of Presence” was twelve loaves of bread representing the twelve tribes of Israel. We might say that the table and the bread spoke of the relationship God had with His people. It is intriguing to see how often the symbol of a table is used to speak of God’s faithfulness. In Psalm 23:5, for instance, we read, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

In Matthew 8, Jesus spoke of table fellowship as a sign of being the people of God and of the absence of table fellowship as a sign that one was not among God’s people.

¹¹ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

In Matthew 15, a Gentile woman dared to suggest that she be allowed the crumbs that fell from the table of the Lord. In offering this provocative metaphor for relationship, she was blessed by the Lord Jesus.

²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul spoke of two opposing tables, the table of the Lord and the table of Satan.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

It is significant, then, that here in the tabernacle the Lord prescribed a table with twelve loaves of bread upon it. This was not merely functional furniture. This was a statement of a relationship. The people of God dwell in the presence of God and God dwells among His people.

A Sacred Lampstand

Exodus 25 concludes with the commissioning of a most impressive lampstand.

³¹ “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. ³² And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; ³³ three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ³⁴ And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, ³⁵ and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. ³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. ³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. ³⁸ Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰ And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Tony Merida writes that the lampstand “was handcrafted and made from around 75 pounds — one talent — of pure gold (v. 39). This was no lamp from your local department store!”[5] Touche! This was anything but common.

The presence of light and fire in this most sacred place of worship was profoundly significant. Light was the first act of creation (Genesis 1:3). God had appeared to Moses in a burning bush (Exodus 3). God had been leading His children through a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22). For us, we remember that Jesus called Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12). And at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Church in power in Acts 2, He came in tongues of flame!

Fire and light were powerful reminders of the presence and power of God! This helps us understand why God was so particular in His design of the tabernacle. He designed it thus so that His people would thereby be drawn into remembrance and worship of Him! Victor Hamilton put it nicely when he said:

Indeed, this place of worship is a beautiful place. Why should it not be aesthetically pleasing? It is a place of worship that appeals to the senses, and especially to visual sensibility. But what is it that gives this place its beauty? The high quality of craftsmanship under the supervision of Bezalel and Oholiab? The ornate holy furnishings, most of which are overlaid with pure gold? The curtains made from interweaving different kinds of beautiful fabrics? The odor of the incense? No, all these beautiful items are but symbols, yet important symbols, to be sure. What makes this place of worship so compelling is the presence of God in its midst. No Israelite ever walks away from this tabernacle after a worship experience and says, “What a bronze altar!” or “What curtain flaps!” or “Best incense I’ve ever smelled!” or “Nice turban on the Reverend’s head!” What they surely say after they exit the gate of the courtyard must be something like “What a God! And just think, he invited us into his residence to meet with him!”[6]

We see that the tabernacle was meant to be a physical reminder of God. It was no mere edifice. It was no busy-work construction project. It was a vital component of worship for the people of God.

At the very least this tells us that physical elements can help us worship the one true God so long as they do not themselves become the objects of our worship. Again, I do no pass judgment on churches that choose to have a place or that choose not to. The New Testament never prescribes or demands the creation of a place. I would merely say that if we are to have a place, it should be conducive to true worship.

Even this, however, is not the primary point that needs to be made. The primary point is that the God-ordained creation of sacred space for His wilderness people introduced a concept into their minds and worship that would come to fruition fully in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle of God pointed to the God who would take on flesh and tabernacle Himself among us (John 1:14)! To reduce the tabernacle commands to the question of buildings today is to miss the point: the tabernacle was telling Israel that one day God Himself would dwell physically among them in the person of their Son!

Jesus is now our tabernacle!

In the old debates about icons, the Greek father John of Damascus argued precisely this point and used Exodus 25 to make his point.

What is more insignificant than colored goatskins? Are not blue and purple and scarlet merely colors? Behold the handiwork of men becoming the likeness of the cherubim! Was not the meeting tent an image in every way? “And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” Yet all the people stood around it and worshiped! Were not the cherubim kept where all the people could see them? Did not the people gaze upon the ark, and the lampstand, and the table, the golden urn and Aaron’s rod, and fall down in worship? I do not worship matter. I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for me, taking up his abode in matter and accomplishing my salvation through matter. [italics added][7]

There it is! We do not worship matter. We worship the Creator who took His abode in matter and accomplished our salvation through matter! The tabernacle and all of its particulars prepared our minds and hearts for that great event.

 

[1] James Leo Garrett, Jr., Quarterly Review (October-November-December 1972): 9.

[2] Hamilton, Victor P. (2011-11-01). Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Kindle Locations 14109-14112). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[3] Joseph T. Lienhard, ed., Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Gen. Ed., Thomas C. Oden. Old Testament, Vol. III (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), p.123.

[4] Hamilton, Victor P., Kindle Locations 14416-14417.

[5] Merida, Tony (2014-06-01). Exalting Jesus in Exodus (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (p. 170). Kindle Edition.

[6] Hamilton, Victor P., Kindle Locations 14099-14107.

[7] Joseph T. Lienhard, ed., 126.