Leviticus 4:1-21 - Unintentional Sins Against God’s Word

Leviticus 4:1-21

The Sin Offering

1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. 4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the LORD. 5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. 6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8 He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails, 9 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove, 10 as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering. 11 But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and offal— 12 the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

13 ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; 14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting. 15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD. Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD. 16 The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting. 17 Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil. 18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 19 He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. 20 And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 21 Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.

When an individual or the whole of God’s people sinned by doing contrary to what God’s word in the commandments told them, an atonement had to be made in the form of a sacrifice for that sin or sins.  This was for when the sin came to light, no longer hidden, and conviction to the group or individual resulted with a desire to confess and forsake it.  This pattern of conviction of sin and repentance is still in effect, but the atonement for sin now has been made complete with no need to repeat (Hebrews 9:25-26) with additional sacrifices.  The ultimate and completely effectual sacrifice has been made by God Himself as our High Priest and atonement of His own lifeblood that never loses its efficacy!  No longer needing to sacrifice each time to cover our unintended or even intended sins of which we are cognizant, we can instead rely on that supreme sacrifice for forgiveness and come asking again when we fail (1 John 1:9) when we stumble because we know the sacrifice still covers it and He still lives eternally to intercede (Hebrews 7:24-25) on our behalf to the Father.  Things which are hidden will come to light and must be repented of, turning from that sin to follow Him according to His word, and we will find grace in forgiveness to restore our marred relationship and continue on in Christ as He works in us to perfect us (Philippians 1:6) as promised.  Jesus Christ is our eternally-efficacious sin offering and our eternally-vigilant High Priest present in these temples of our individual bodies (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19, 1 Peter 2:4-5) and the larger assembly (Hebrews 12:23) of the church, His body, to continually atone for our sins.  Rest therefore in Him and come holding nothing back (Hebrews 4:16) when forgiveness in His grace is needed when you sin against Him consciously or unconsciously.  He is forever faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us (Psalm 51:2) from all unrighteousness.

Leviticus 3:1-17 - Offering of Peace in Thankfulness

Leviticus 3:1-17

The Peace Offering

1 ‘When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. 2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. 3 Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; 5 and Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is on the wood that is on the fire, as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

6 ‘If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD is of the flock, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 7 If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD. 8 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

9 ‘Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD, its fat and the whole fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone. And the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 10 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; 11 and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

12 ‘And if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. 13 He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 14 Then he shall offer from it his offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 15 the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; 16 and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD’s.

17 ’This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’”

The peace offerings were thanksgiving offerings, voluntarily given to God in thanks or in praise to Him.  Sometimes, however, they were offered only in distressing times, not out of thankful hearts, to try to gain God’s favor.  These were not acceptable to God because they were not given out of love and thankfulness from sincere hearts to Him. The peace or thanksgiving offerings are ritually described in detail here because God wanted the people to offer in a manner worthy of true thanksgiving by not missing the details.  Unfortunately, this often devolved into just following a checklist of performance and missing the mark of the heart offered to the LORD.  Whether burning the fat instead of allowing it to be eaten was for their health or merely signifying giving the best to God is not clear, but the prohibition against consuming the blood is explained in other places as the lifeblood of the sacrifice which was reserved for Christ offering His life in the blood (John 6:53) for us to partake of to atone for our sins which no animal blood ever could.  Besides this, for health reasons the blood transmits many diseases as well.  Either way, God had prohibited these as we see in Acts 15:29 as Leviticus 17:13, 14, like Genesis 9:4-5 originally told us from the beginning of creation.  This was no new thing but planned in our conception in Eden’s Garden to not take the life of another man or beast.  This is demonstrated later by Jesus telling us in John 6:53-54 to partake only of His blood and body for atonement and sharing in Him as our lifeblood of sacrifice and unity in thanksgiving to Him.  This is the true offering of peace in thanksgiving to God alone for our lives. 

Leviticus 2:1-16 - Pleasing Offerings as a Sweet Aroma

Leviticus 2:1-16

The Grain Offering

1 ‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it. 2 He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD. 3 The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.

4 ‘And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 5 But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

7 ‘If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD. 10 And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.

11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire. 

12 As for the offering of the firstfruits, you shall offer them to the LORD, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma. 

13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

14 ‘If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads. 15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. 16 Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and part of its oil, with all the frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the LORD.

The grain offering included Frankincense, an expensive incense that by burning it with the offering on the altar produced a “sweet aroma.” (Ephesians 5:2).  It was offered with all the other offerings except the sin offering.  And because we know that a pure sacrifice is pleasing and honoring to God, just as Christ surrendered His life to please His Father as a sacrifice, so should we offer ourselves as a sweet aroma to our Lord as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) to Him.  Such sacrifices are purified by fire as a handful was burned while the rest was consumed by the priests.  We offer ourselves to the Lord but He still gives us more than enough to sustain us through the trials and purging by fire (1 Corinthians 3:13, 1 Peter 1:7) to refine and purify us in our ongoing sanctification as indicated with the prohibition of added leaven that symbolizes sin.  These offerings were also seasoned with salt (Mark 9:49-50) as a sign of a preserved covenant made by God (Numbers 18:19) which is evidence of an unbreakable and everlasting covenant (Isaiah 55:3, Hebrews 13:20) with us.  As to the sacrifices of the first fruits, they were not burned for a sweet aroma on the altar, but were offered as is to the LORD just as we offer ourselves as we are to Him, even those parts not purged with fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-13, 15), along with the grain offerings of the trials we endure to rid us of worthless chaff and leave the precious works that last to honor the Lord.  These are the offerings of our lives as a sweet aroma to the Lord. 

Leviticus 1:1-17 - Perfect Unblemished Sacrifice is Required

Leviticus 1:1-17

The Burnt Offering

1 Now the LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.

3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD. 4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 5 He shall kill the bull before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 6 And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 8 Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 9 but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

10 ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish. 11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 13 but he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

14 ‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the LORD is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. 16 And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes. 17 Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus is said to focus on the worship and walk of the nation of God where Israel was established as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Leviticus therefore shows how God’s people are to fulfill their priestly calling.  According to Nelson Publishers, the Hebrew title is Wayyiqra, “And He Called.” The Talmud refers to Leviticus as the “Law of the Priests,” and the “Law of the Offerings.” The Greek title appearing in the Septuagint is Leuitikon, “That Which Pertains to the Levites.” From this word, the Latin Vulgate derived its name Leviticus which was adopted as the English title, but it is more than just about the Levitical priesthood.   What we see in this first chapter then is a clarification and command on proper sacrifices for the priests to administer in worship as a holy people.  The burnt offerings had to be as perfect as outwardly possible to atone for sin and offered from one’s own free will from the heart. This shows us the pattern that required the Messiah Jesus to offer Himself as the only perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10,14) and perfect high priest to offer that atonement because He is the divine God in the person of the only Son of the Most High who can alone make a complete and lasting sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12, 13-14) for sin.  The pattern for the Levitical priesthood was intricate in the details of preparing and offering the sacrifices which had to be repeated over and over since there was no perfect unblemished animal and no perfect sinless priest to offer to a holy God; the only perfect one was God’s Son (Hebrews 9:23-24, 24-26), the perfect unblemished (1 Peter 1:19) Lamb of God (Genesis 22:8, John 1:29)!  A perfect unblemished sacrifice is required at the hand of a sinlessly perfect priest who must therefore be divine and not sinful as we and all creation (Genesis 3:17, Romans 8:20-21) are, having been marred by the original sin of Eve and Adam.  No other sacrifice can appease the most holy LORD as a sweet aroma of life but Jesus Christ who offered Himself as the perfect unblemished Lamb by His own hand as our eternal and perfect High Priest.  We no longer need the old Levitical priesthood nor the ineffective system of animal sacrifices.  It is finished! 

Exodus 40:34-38 - Overshadowed by God’s Glory

Exodus 40:34-38

The Cloud and the Glory (Exodus 13:21, 22; Numbers 9:15–23)

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 

36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 

38 For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Israel was overshadowed by the glory of the LORD as they experienced firsthand His glory covering the completed tabernacle of worship and sacrifice.  His glory filled the temple (Ezekiel 44:4) as the rising sun (Matthew 17:2) in full strength throughout the day, not just at its zenith.  This glory not only filled the inside of the temple but also covered it from without as well.  It was immersed in God’s glory to incite fearful awe and worship, just as the cloud in the daylight reminded them of that fiery glow of holiness at night.  These coverings by the LORD were given so that Moses was unable to go in to speak with Him until God raised the cloud enough for him to enter in.  When the cloud was completely taken up, the children of Israel had their cue to journey to the next place God was leading them to tabernacle a while.  Throughout their pilgrimage they looked to the fire by night and cloud by day to guide them just as when the LORD led them out of captivity from Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22) and through the sea of their baptism into trust in Him to come (1 Peter 3:21).  Are we so overwhelmed and overshadowed by the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ when we enter into His temple, our local churches of worship and praise, that we cry, “glory!” (Psalm 29:2, 9) and bow in our souls to Him?  We stand to before Him as Moses did but with unveiled faces (2 Corinthians 3:13-14, 18) in a more full view of this glory by grace, and we should be thankful forever for each moment together with one another in His presence. Do we know of His presence when we meet together in worship and praise?

Exodus 40:1-33 - Completion of the Tabernacle

Exodus 40:1-33

The Tabernacle Erected and Arranged

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.

9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.

12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 25 and he lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

Moses had directed the work to construct the multiple components of the tent of the tabernacle which was the mobile temple of Israel to worship and offer sacrifices to atone for the sins of God’s people.  The order of assembly of the individual parts was accord with the importance of each, beginning with the Ark of the Testimony that was a witness of the old covenant of works.  It was carefully placed behind the veil in the most holy place where the high priest was to enter to approach the mercy seat to plead for the people to be forgiven.  This pointed to the importance of the coming of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, whose mercy seat we now come near (Hebrews 9:11-12) to find help (Hebrews 4:16) as we face temptation and sin.  No more animal sacrifices can help us for a short time as before, for His sacrifice of His own lifeblood alone can cover us in never-ending atonement.  As the true and only Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 9:15, 12:24) and Intercessor, He now lives forever (Hebrews 7:25) to stand between us and God’s judgment of wrath on our disobedience called sin.  Outside the veil we see the table of showbread to display the provision for the priests who serve there, with the lamp perpetually lit to show the light of the world to come when the veil would be torn away and the way was made to enter through Christ as the veil (Hebrews 9:19-20) to a reconciled relationship with the Father at last!  This is the new and living way to enter into the most holy place where God is.  Outside the screen of that sanctuary was the altar of sacrifice with the washing laver between the altar and there to ritually cleanse the priests on their way to enter the sanctuary.  All these elements of the tabernacle were sanctified along with Aaron and the priests and dressed accordingly to represent holiness and reverence for the LORD.  All this was put together as Moses finished the work given him to do with all care and attention God deserves.  Do we like serve our Lord in holiness, washing ourselves clean through continuous confession of sin when we fail (1 John 1:9) and with reverence of awe in our serving Him as we follow the Lord Christ?  He said, “follow Me,” and that we are to be holy as He is (1 Peter 1:16) as we keep the temples of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) in righteous order (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) to not impede our worship and ministry of the gospel and give proper worship of God’s glory in the beauty of holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 96:9-10, 13) until He comes to judge the world in righteousness.  May we then be found in His righteousness alone and about our Father’s work when He comes for us in clean and orderly temples to worship Him.  Do we follow to complete His work (Philippians 2:12-13) in these temples of our bodies as well as He works in us?  Let us aim to complete the work in our temples.  Amen!

Exodus 39:32-43 - Finish the Work God Gives

Exodus 39:32-43

The Work Completed (Exodus 35:10–19)

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. 

33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39 the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.

42 According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.

We read how Moses finished all the work that the LORD had given him to accomplish to oversee the construction of the tabernacle as laid our on Mount Sinai, on top of the mountain where he met with God and received His words.  The children of Israel also finished the work given them through Moses to them as His servants under his God-given authority and leadership.  This is an example for us in the church today under spiritual leadership authorities given by the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:12, Hebrews 13:7) to do His work (1 Peter 5:2-4) in all humility of service (Matthew 20:26-27) to the Lord together.  The people then when they finished brought the completed work of the place of worship to show Moses and to ensure it was according to the pattern God had shown him since they had heard it secondhand from him.  Moses looked over all their work they had finished for worship and sacrifice and he approved it as unto God for them.  Then Moses their servant of the LORD blessed them for all their hard work for His sake.  We can also find joy in working together to provide worship to the Lord in our local church buildings and service to meet ongoing and urgent needs () of the people of God.  Those who lead us by divine authority (Acts 20:28) are to be humble servants of grace and not overlords of control as they and we all submit (Ephesians 5:20-21, 1 Peter 5:5) to each other as unto the Lord Jesus Christ in the roles of spiritual responsibility given for the growth of the Body (Ephesians 4:16) in love.  May we be faithful to finish the work God gives to each of us in spiritual harmony of grace and selfless service for His glory as living sacrifices and priests as His saints made holy as we use the gifts and talents we have been blessed with for this purpose.  May we be committed to Finish the Work God Gives each of us with wholehearted labor of love for His glory and the good of one another. 

Exodus 39:1-31 - Clothed in Holiness to the LORD

Exodus 39:1-31

Making the Garments of the Priesthood (Exodus 28:1–43)

1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Making the Ephod

2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3 And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4 They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5 And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

6 And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Making the Breastplate

8 And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 9 They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; 11 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. 14 There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. 15 And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. 16 They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18 The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 19 And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod. 20 They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Making the Other Priestly Garments

22 He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen. 25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates: 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to minister in, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

27 They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, 29 and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

30 Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

31 And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The description of the priest’s clothes included the ephod and breastplate, which were to both symbolize and memorialize the tribes of Israel and provide a reminder when calling on the name of the LORD for direction and guidance of His wisdom.  The breastplate held the Urim and Thummim, which rabbis have interpreted to mean “those whose words give light” for Urim and Thummim as “those whose words are fulfilled,” or more literally as “lights” for the Urim and “perfections” for the Thummim.  These lights guided the inquiring priest to seek the perfect will of God in every situation brought before Him, a shadow of a more certain seeking of His will we now have by His indwelling Holy Spirit to illuminate His perfect word found in the scriptures for each Christian to use to find the direction we should walk and the decisions we should make in accordance with His will.  It is important to also note that the golden sign on the head of the priest read “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” as the need for each of us to be holy (1 Peter 1:16) and pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14) to serve and honor the Lord in acceptable worship as we see Him as He is.  All these elaborate garments of the Aaronic priesthood given by God’s pattern through Moses are indica of greater things to worship from the heart and soul which Moses had not yet understood clearly but have been re in Christ by His word and Spirit to us now.  May we then faithfully serve Him in righteous living to worship as intended, clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Isaiah 61:10, Ephesians 4:24, 6:14) and our own responsive works prepared (Ephesians 2:10) for us as a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6, 5:10) to our God.  It may help to visualize having that pure gold plate on our heads inscribed with the words, “Holiness to the Lord” as a constant reminder that we have been saved from sin to not keep living in it again (Romans 6:1-2, 15-16, 12-14, 18) if we are to truly worship and serve our Lord God in spirit and truth.  We are to remind ourselves that we are clothed in His righteousness alone and the pursue holiness to please Him in response for such grace to be called to minister as priests of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Exodus 38:21-31 - Temple Completed to Plan

Exodus 38:21-31

Materials of the Tabernacle

21 This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer, a weaver of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine linen.

24 All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place, that is, the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: 26 a bekah for each man (that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 27 And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents, one talent for each socket. 28 Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made bands for them.

29 The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils for the altar, 31 the sockets for the court all around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the court all around.

The materials used to construct the tabernacle of the Testimony (witness) of the Covenant of God with His people, the traveling tent temple of Israel, is described here using earthly elements to follow the pattern of the tabernacle in heaven (Hebrews 8:5, 9:24) where God is worshipped continually.  The Levitical priests counted the materials used and the amounts of each to show accountability as good stewards as well as confirm the correct implementation of God’s plans handed to Moses on the mountain for all to read and testify to.  The gold, silver, and bronze are summed up and explained where each was used in which part of the temple.  Everything is covered in detail here so it could be reproduced later if needed as when the permanent temple was built, razed, and rebuilt later.  God’s heavenly plans are recorded in scripture not only for the physical tabernacle and later permanent temple, but also for the spiritual tabernacle of our lives to demonstrate that the best is required of us to honor and serve God who sits on the mercy seat of eternal grace (Hebrews 9:11, 14, 23-24, 28) as we come near to obtain mercy (Hebrews 10:11-12, 19-20) and grace (Hebrews 12:28) when needed (Hebrews 4:16) as we stumble in sin.  The materials we use to construct our lives, our temples to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, are found throughout scripture as culminated in the clearer explanations and exhortations in the epistles of the New Testament which uncover the meaning of the same hidden in the Old Testament.  The entire word of God is needed (2 Timothy 3:16-17) to mature us and make us complete for every good work (Hebrews 13:21).  These temples are to be completed according to His plans as a template for our lives just as those were handed to Moses for the physical tabernacle.

Exodus 38:1-20 - Altar of Offerings, Basin to Wash, Court to Gather

Exodus 38:1-20

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering (Exodus 27:1–8)

1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits. 2 He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4 And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim, midway from the bottom. 5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles. 6 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. 7 Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards.

Making the Bronze Laver

8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Making the Court of the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:9–19)

9 Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long. 10 There were twenty pillars for them, with twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 11 On the north side the hangings were one hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and their twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 12 And on the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and their ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver. 13 For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits. 14 The hangings of one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15 and the same for the other side of the court gate; on this side and that were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine woven linen. 17 The sockets for the pillars were bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, and the overlay of their capitals was silver; and all the pillars of the court had bands of silver. 18 The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. The length was twenty cubits, and the height along its width was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 And there were four pillars with their four sockets of bronze; their hooks were silver, and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver. 20 All the pegs of the tabernacle, and of the court all around, were bronze.

Here the design and con of the elements of the tabernacle were recorded; there was the altar for offering sacrifices to atone for sin, the laver or wash basin for the priests to cleanse them before ministering the holy things (Exodus 30:18-19, 20), and the court of the holy place just outside the holy of holies where the Ark of the Testimony behind the veil which kept all but the high priest out.  These had ritual functions for worship that symbolized the spiritual realities of sacrifice and reverent worship of the LORD.  We know as priests to the Lord Jesus Christ that we are to be living sacrifices in the court of the house of God, the body which is the church and is composed of each of us as individual temples (1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:22, 1 Peter 2:5) and as living stones making up the whole.  We know also that as His priests we are to be holy because He is, so we wash our as we have been washed (Titus 3:5) by Him to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) for mercy at the Heavenly mercy seat where He lives to meet us and accept our lives as living (Romans 12:1) sacrifices.  All these elements are patterned after the temple in heaven (Hebrews 8:5, 9:23-24) to be exact spiritual representations of God’s plan for our salvation by the sacrifice and priestly ministry of Jesus Christ for our sins and to be able to worship Him freely without fear of failing to find lasting atonement which animal sacrifices always fell short of accomplishing.  We see then the pattern of acceptable offerings, washing clean (and keeping clean) from sin, and gathering in the court together as acceptable children before the opened way to the throne of grace no longer behind the veil.  These elements are brought to life in these living temples by the work and person of Christ to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18) and allow worship that is well pleasing (2 Corinthians 5:9, Hebrews 13:20-21) to do the will of our Father God in heaven with a cleansed conscience at last! 

Exodus 37:10-29 - Our Heavenly Pattern for Worship

Exodus 37:10-29

Making the Table for the Showbread (Exodus 25:23–30)

10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.

Making the Gold Lampstand (Exodus 25:31–40)

17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.

Making the Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1–5)

25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense (Exodus 30:22–38)

29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.

The bread of presence, showbread, consisted of twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, continually on the table and eaten by the priests on the Sabbath.  New loaves were put in their place (Leviticus 24:5–9) when they were eaten by the priests.  These loaves lay before God's presence in the tabernacle, with some saying that the twelve loaves constituted a perpetual thank offering to God from the twelve tribes for the blessings that they received from Him day by day and others like Edersheim adding that Jewish and Christians regarded 'the bread of the Presence' as an emblem of the Messiah to come.  The table displaying these flat breads was described here along with the utensils which were also to be arranged on the table that had rings for poles to carry this part of the mobile tabernacle tent-temple.  Likewise, the golden lampstand, the menorah, was carefully crafted to be kept lit perpetually to symbolize and remind the people of the necessity of continuing worship and sacrifices for atonement of their sins.  The incense altar (Exodus 30:1-5) for burning the specially-crafted substance made only for holy use to the LORD indicated the essence of morning and even prayers (Psalm 55:16-17, Revelation 5:8) lifted up as well in their worship in this temple of the LORD.  These physical constructions were symbolic of true worship and were commanded as a tutor like the Law (Galatians 3:24-25) to point towards the coming Messiah, the Christ named Jesus whose name means God is salvation (Matthew 1:21), making the physical representation of the heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 8:2, 5, 9:2, 11-12) no longer (Acts 7:44, 48) required.  This passage then is for our understanding of the pattern made real in Christ alone for us to accept Him as the fulfillment of the heavenly design that we might continually worship the Lord who tore the veil to gain access to the Father through His all-atoning sacrifice of His flesh for us that we may worship continually with Him as our eternal and great High Priest in our prayers as living sacrifices ourselves (Romans 12:1) in His presence, eating the showbread of the Lord’s provision before His face as priests to our Lord God.  This is our heavenly pattern for ministry and worship.