Exo 28:1

AARON: Sig “very high” (Act 5:31; Heb 4:14; Phi 2:9).

FROM AMONG THE ISRAELITES: The High Priest is to be taken from among the people whom he represents (cp Heb 5:1).

NADAB: Sig “willing” / “free will” (Jdg 5:2; 2Ch 17:16).

ABIHU: Sig “my father is he” (Gal 4:6; 1Jo 3:2).

ELEAZAR: Sig “help of EL” (Psa 121:2; Hos 13:9; Exo 18:4).

ITHAMAR: Sig “land of palms” (Psa 92:12; Eze 41:18).

PRIESTS: Saints are priests also (1Pe 2:9).

Exo 28:2

Exo 28:2ff: See Article, For glory and for beauty (Exo 28).

Clothing symbolizes a way of life, to be kept clean, as in the “wedding garment” of Christ’s parable (Mat 22:11-13). It describes an inner beauty, not like the Pharisees’ “whited sepulchres” — which are outwardly clean, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones (Mat 23:25-28; Ecc 3:11). “Let your priests be clothed with righteousness” (Psa 132:9). “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and diadem” (Job 29:14). “Put on the new man… righteousness, true holiness” (Eph 4:24). “Be clothed with humility” (1Pe 5:5). “Whole armor of God…” (Eph 6). “Righteousness, girdle of loins; faithfulness, girdle of reins” (Isa 11:5). “Clothed with house from heaven” (2Co 5:2,3). “Girt with golden girdle” (Rev 1:13).

TO GIVE HIM DIGNITY AND HONOR: “For glory and for beauty” (AV). Cp Psa 27:4; 29:2; 90:17; 149:4.

“God’s purpose for these particular works of Bezalel suggests a purpose for all of the arts — to glorify God and to manifest beauty” (Gene Edward Veith).

Exo 28:5

GOLD: A tried faith (1Pe 1:7), necessary to please God (Heb 11:6). “When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

BLUE: Color of heaven, God’s dwelling (on fringe of garments, to remember commandments: Num 15:37-40).

PURPLE: Color of kings. Jesus wore such a robe. Cp Mar 15:17; Est 8:15; Dan 5:7 mg. Combination: blue of God and red of man.

SCARLET: Or red, “adom”: denotes our mortal, sinful natures (Isa 1:18; Rev 6:4; 17:3). (Conc Christ: “God made him to be sin”: 2Co 5:21.)

FINE LINEN: White, sym righteousness (Rev 19:8).

Exo 28:8

SKILLFULLY WOVEN WAISTBAND: “Curious girdle” (AV). A belt, allowing freedom of movement without stumbling. Exhortation to put aside hindrances. An active, working righteousness: “Loins girt, lamps burning… as men that wait for their lord” (Luk 12:35,36). “Gird up loins of mind” (1Pe 1:13). Also, Eph 6:4.

Exo 28:12

ON THE SHOULDER PIECES: And upon heart (v 30), and forehead (v 38).

MEMORIAL STONES FOR THE SONS OF ISRAEL: And for God (v 29).

Exo 28:15

A BREASTPIECE FOR MAKING DECISIONS: “A breastplate of judgment” (AV). “Urim” (lights: ie Zec 14:7) and “Thummim” (fullness: ie Col 1:19) speak of glorious light from stones in breastplate. Represent the light of God (1Ti 6:16) and holy men — ie saints (Deu 33:8), both now (Phi 2:15; Eph 5:8) and in purified state (Dan 12:3; Mat 13:43).

Exo 28:16

SQUARE: “Foursquare” (AV), sym Israel, with 4 cherubim of Ezek, 4 divisions of camp, and “foursquare” New Jerusalem. Prob 4 lines of 3 stones each, forming a square, like the encampment of Israel.

Exo 28:21

“The names of all the saints he bears, engraven on his heart…” (cp v 39).

Exo 28:29

WHEN AARON ENTERS THE HOLY PLACE, HE WILL BEAR THE NAMES OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL OVER HIS HEART: Christ bore our names into the holy place: By his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (for himself, and for others): Heb 9:11,12.

A CONTINUING MEMORIAL BEFORE THE LORD: And a memorial to the children of Israel (v 12). “To bring them to continual remembrance before the Lord” (RSV).

Exo 28:30

PUT… IN: Or “inside”. A pouch, behind breastplate (WRev 24). Cp Lev 8:8.

OVER HIS HEART: “Set me as a seal upon your heart” (Song 8:6).

Exo 28:33

POMEGRANATES: Sig “fruit”: “By their fruits you shall know them” (Mat 7:16). “Fruits of spirit” (Gal 5:22,23). The land of promise = “land of pomegranates” (Deu 8:8), and is for those who manifest the “fruits of the Spirit”. Sym multitudinous Christ, with many seeds in perfect whole.

GOLD BELLS: The bell-shaped blossom as well as the ripe fruit (LB 584). Thus, both promise and fruition. Also, “bells” for a joyful noise of worship. Bells of gold = words of faith.

Exo 28:37

TURBAN: “Mitre” (AV). A crown, on forehead. “As frontlets between your eyes” (Deu 6:6-9). Our minds always engraved with mind of God; “sealed” (Rev 7:2,3; Zec 3:4; 2Co 3:3; 11:22).

Exo 29:4

WASH THEM WITH WATER: And anoint them with oil (v 7), and blood (v 20).

Exo 29:9

ORDAIN: The AV mg has: “fill the hands of”. A priest in the service of the Father was to always have his hands full with the service of the Truth.

Exo 29:10

See Lesson, Laying on of hands.

Exo 29:20

The full consecration of the High Priest and his sons involved four aspects, and in all of them Christ is prefigured:

(1) Firstly, the right ear, which of course includes the head, was sprinkled or purified with the blood of the sacrifice. This purifying plainly touches hearing, and thus the intellect — and stresses that the cleansing of the great priest who would represent all the people was a mental one, in which he knowingly and willingly participated.

In like manner, Christ himself, the greater High Priest of a more perfect Law, voluntarily participated in the shedding of his own blood, and was consecrated a High Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron (Heb 7). This aspect of his cleansing — for his obedience in sacrifice was surely for himself as well as others — found its fulfillment when the crown of thorns was brutally crushed down upon his head and his ears.

(2) Secondly, Aaron and his sons were cleansed when the blood of the sacrifice was placed on the thumbs of their right hands. This would signify that their hands, and the works of those hands, would be consecrated, or dedicated, to Yahweh.

Likewise, Christ’s hands, being pierced with the Roman spikes, were consecrated to the work of his Father. And those hands had always done the work that his Father called him to do; this work was finalized on the cross at Golgotha.

(3) Thirdly, Aaron and his sons received the blood of the big toes of their right feet; the feet would signify their “walk”, or general conduct.

This portion of the picture as regarding Christ was completed when the nails pierced his feet also. As his walk, his life, all his conduct, had glorified God… so did his final steps which brought him to the cross, to lay down his life, his perfect life, for others.

(4) Finally, the remaining blood was sprinkled against the altar on all sides: thus signifying that all who stood with Aaron and his sons around the altar on which they would offer sacrifice — that is, all the nation of Israel — were participants in this consecration.

This final aspect of the High Priest’s consecration has great meaning for all of us; we stand round about the “altar” (which is Christ: Heb 13:10), and thus we are touched, indirectly, by the blood of Christ, in our belief and baptism into his death (Rom 6). Figuratively speaking, when his side was pierced and the blood flowed forth to stain the soil round about the cross, we were there, and we were touched by that sprinkled blood, and our sins were forgiven.

Let us stand, or rather kneel, with awe and reverence and the deepest gratitude, at the foot of the cross. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Exo 29:22

THE FAT TAIL: Eastern sheep have a very large appendage of fat on tail (LB 97).

Exo 29:45

THEN I WILL DWELL AMONG THE ISRAELITES AND BE THEIR GOD: “Why would God want to dwell among this people? They were an uncouth lot, always murmuring and complaining, wishing that they had stayed in Egypt. Why would God want to dwell among them? Answer — He called them out of Egypt to be His Family on earth. He was their Father. And as a Father He wants to dwell with His children, to experience their growth, watch their ‘first steps’, hear their ‘first words’, attend to their education and schooling, provide for their needs. Without saying so in so many words, God is telling Israel that He wants to move in with them, just as any parent likes to be in touch with their children and to experience the joys that raising a family can bring (2Co 6:17)” (CY).

Exo 30:1

Exo 30: “Further details of the tabernacle furnishings are now provided together with further instructions. The altar of incense was near the Most Holy, and represented the daily rising of the prayers of the people. This is described in vv 1-10. It was an altar, as prayers are in the form of a sacrificial offering to Yahweh, based upon the offering of the Messiah. Notice that Aaron was to dress the lamps when he burns incense on the altar (v 7). This taught the need for a combination of the Word (the lamps) and prayer (incense). Both are necessary because the Word reflects the Voice of God to us, and Prayer is the Voice of ourselves speaking back to the Father. Atonement was required for the altar annually, to teach the need to hallow the divine work from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. Similarly the Christ altar required cleansing (Joh 16:24; 17:19), to make prayers efficacious. When the High Priest sinned in his official capacity or when the congregation sinned through inadvertence, blood was placed on the horns (Lev 4:3,21). Then the ch outlined the law concerning the ransom of souls (vv 11-16), the laver (vv 17-21), and the holy anointing oil (vv 22-33). In all cases specific and important laws were given to instruct the people in the holiness of Yahweh, and the need to come before Him in an appropriate and proper manner” (GEM).

“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense” (Exo 30:1).

“Morning and evening, incense was burnt on this altar. Plainly, incense symbolizes prayer: Psa 141:2: “Let my prayer be set forth before you as incense” (cp Rev 5:8-10; Luk 1:10). The incense was ignited by coals from the altar of burnt offering. Thus, the two altars are connected — teaching us that acceptable prayer must be offered to God through Jesus Christ our sacrifice.

“The incense… is ‘the prayer of saints’ (Rev 5:8; 8:4). It is a daily obligation: a daily benefit — a pleasure of God and an advantage to His people. I have known men argue against its necessity. They say, ‘God knows, without being told.’ This is true, but is not a good reason for the neglect of prayer, in view of the great help it is to us in gendering the habit of expansion of mind towards God, in view of the pleasure it affords to God, and in view of its inculcation by this Mosaic lesson. ‘The Lord taketh not pleasure in fools.’ ‘He taketh pleasure in the righteous.’ ‘The prayer of the righteous is his delight.’ All these things are testified; and it was shown in unmistakable parable when the high priest every morning put sweet-smelling incense in his censer on the fire taken from the altar, and waved his censer before the Lord in the holy place” (LM 193).

Exo 30:2

ITS HORNS OF ONE PIECE: Suggesting cherubim figures on its faces (winged oxen?).

Exo 30:3

TOP: More lit, the “roof”.

SIDES: More lit, the “walls”.

MOLDING: “Crown” (KJV), the battlement, or parapet, encircling the “roof” of the “house”. Purpose: to keep incense from falling off (cp law of parapet on roofs, Deu 22:8). One reason to be on roof: to pray (ie Peter in Act 10:9). Thus the altar of incense is equated with a house, and the incense on the top with individuals engaged in prayer!

Exo 30:4

Exo 30:4..

THE POLES USED TO CARRY IT: Thus the incense altar was portable — teaching that prayer is acceptable in all places (Mal 1:11; Joh 4:21-23).

Exo 30:7

EVERY MORNING: Manna given (Exo 16:21). Fire on the altar (Lev 6:12). Incense offered (here). Praise offered (1Ch 23:30). Service offered (1Ch 9:27). Sacrifice presented (2Ch 2:4; 13:11). God visits (Job 7:18). God is their arm (Isa 33:2). His compassions new (Lam 3:23). The Philistines present themselves (1Sa 17:16). God silences the wicked (Psa 101:8). Judgment (Zep 3:5). Administer justice (Jer 21:12).

Exo 30:9

DO NOT OFFER… ANY OTHER INCENSE: Other types of incense would be peculiar to worship of other gods. This incense must be made according to the formula of vv 34-38.

Exo 30:18

Those already consecrated as priests washed hands and feet daily, before engaging in their ordinary duties in holy place. Repr cleansing agent of word of God (Eph 5:26: “washing” = “laver” in Greek): Psa 119:9; Joh 15:3. There is a constant need, to “wash” every day our “hands” (work) and “feet” (walk).

BRONZE BASIN… FOR WASHING: Made of polished mirrors of tabernacle women (Exo 38:8).

Laver was almost certainly circular, as was temple laver (1Ki 7:23-29).

Exo 30:20

ALTAR: Sym prayer through Christ: Heb 13:10; Rev 6:9.

Exo 30:23

Vv 23,24: Holy anointing oil: Of Christ, the bridegroom: “Your name is as ointment poured forth”: Song 1:3; Psa 133:2; Joh 12:3; 19:33,34.

FINE: “Rosh”; translated “head” (Psa 23:5), “excellent” (Psa 141:5). Ref to Christ, the great high priest and perfect sacrifice.

MYRRH: “Drop, distill”: here, the free-flowing kind, exudes voluntarily from tree. Myrrh is bitter, yet purifying, soothing, cleansing. Ref bitterness of death, sacrifice: Joh 1:36; 3:14-16; 12:32,33; Eph 5:2,25-27.

CINNAMON: “Stand upright”. “Sweet odors” of Est 2:12, related to purification. Cp Song 4:12-16. Ref upright character of Christ (cp Song 7:7,8, upright palm).

FRAGRANT CANE: “Calamus” (AV). “Aromatic reed cane”, used of a shaft with hollow center, expressing inner thoughts: the sweet inner pith.

Exo 30:24

CASSIA: “Cleave, stoop down” (5:9). Humility of Christ: 2Co 8:9; Phi 2:5-8; Psa 110:7. “Cleave to”: ie Rth 1:14. Christ always cleaved to God.

Exo 30:25

THE WORK OF A PERFUMER: AV has “the art of the apothecary”. “When God told the children of Israel to make an holy anointing oil He gave them the recipe, yet He said it was to be made after the art of the apothecary. In spite of the fact that the exact ingredients and the exact amounts of each were Divinely specified, it still required the art of the apothecary to blend it into the holy anointing oil. The art of a man was used to serve God!

“Those of us who are not cooks know that it takes more than just the recipe to make a cake. We can follow it to the letter and our creation will be nothing in comparison to the cake that mother used to make from the same recipe. The art of the cook is important to the making of a delicious cake.

“So it is in our work in God’s vineyard, He wants us to use our art, our skill in ministering to the saints; and if we do this faithfully… The truth does not turn out peas in a pod. God wants us to develop our individualities, our skills, our arts for Him. God does not want uniformity but unity. The four Gospels all show the personalities of the writers while telling us the story of the life of Christ. Each was true, but each revealed the life of Jesus after the art of the writer. These men were devoted to a life of service to God and yet Peter and John were as different as day and night. Each loved the Lord, and Jesus loved them both. Each served God with his whole heart, but their approaches to things were entirely different. We need to remember that God made each of us different, and He did not make a mistake when He made us” (MM).

Exo 30:32

ON MEN’S BODIES: “Upon ordinary men” (cp v 30).

Exo 30:34

Here we have the spices that are used to make up the incense for the altar, which should burn perpetually (v 8) throughout their generations. It had to be the right incense as any other was classed as strange incense (v 9).

GUM RESIN: “Stacte” (AV) is from a root meaning “to distil,” and it has been by some interpreted as distilled myrrh. Others regard it as the gum of the storax tree, or rather shrub, the Styrax officinale.

ONYCHA: The claw or nail of the strombus or wing-shell, a univalve common in the Red Sea.

GALBANUM: A gum, probably from the Galbanum officinale.

PURE FRANKINCENSE: An odorous resin imported from Arabia (Isa 60:6, Jer 6:20) yet also growing in Palestine (Song 4:14).

Exo 30:37

This special formula was never to be used for ordinary purposes.

Exo 31:2

BEZALEL: “In the shadow of EL” (cp Psa 91:1: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty”). Cp also Psa 57:1; 63:7.

URI: “Light”; cp “Urim” (plural).

HUR: Whiteness, splendor”.

OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH: Cp Jesus, of Judah, likewise the son of “Light” (1Jo 1:5; cp Joh 9:5), being the brightness of his Father’s glory (Heb 1:3) (Xd 121:335).

See Lesson, Carpenter and tentmaker.

Exo 31:3

I HAVE FILLED HIM WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD: “Let us find a work to do and do it with all our might. Let us develop our skill as did Bezaleel whom God chose and filled him with wisdom and understanding in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver and in brass. Speaking of him and his assistant, Aholiab, Moses says ‘them hath God filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work.’ God will fill our hearts with wisdom also if we have a mind to work. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; says Solomon. Become addicted to the work of the Lord. Use your skill, your art, your energy in God’s service. May we each respond as did Isaiah when he heard the Lord saying ‘Whom will I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me’ ” (MM).

Exo 31:6

OHOLIAB: “The Father’s tent” (cp v 2n).

Exo 22:1

Vv 1-9: Restitution varies here according to several factors. First, restitution varies, depending on whether the stolen animal is recovered. Second, restitution varies according to the value of the animal, especially with regard to the productivity of the beast. If a man’s ox was stolen, the fields could not be plowed, the wagon pulled, or the grain threshed. Thus, a stolen (and not recovered) ox was to be paid for fivefold, while a sheep only fourfold. In Lev 6, the sacrificial system provided a means for the thief to repent, to make restitution, and to obtain forgiveness. In the New Testament, Zaccheus demonstrated his repentance by restoring fourfold what he had wrongly taken (Luke 19:8-10).

Restitution kept the offender out of prison, and kept him in society. It also enabled him to make his offense right by repaying the victim of the crime in a way that replaced the harm by a positive benefit. Thus, both the offender and the offended could live together, both with a sense of justice and human dignity. Today, most often, the victim receives little or no compensation, the offender makes no restitution, and is forced to live apart from society, at a price society is penalized to pay.

Restitution is a corrective, but not a cure for the crime of stealing. The Bible clearly prescribes the cure, especially in the New Testament. Crime would have the thief get ahead at the expense of one’s neighbor. Justice would have one person gain while, at the same time, the other party gained equally. Jesus Christ teaches that we should be willing to sacrifice our own interests if that benefits our neighbor: “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Mat 5:42). “And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same thing. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men” (Luk 6:32-35).

Christ calls for nothing less than a complete reversal of the attitudes and actions of the thief: “Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need (Eph 4:28).

The thief does not wish to work, but rather to live off of others who work. The thief looks upon the needy as the vulnerable, whose weaknesses he may very well use to his advantage, and thus to prey upon them. The Christian must put away laziness and go to work. The Christian views the needs of others as the opportunity to manifest the love and grace of God to men, and thus reaches out to help, giving of his own resources.

Exo 22:6

Very seldom in the East are there roads, fences, etc to divide fields of one man from another. Thus fires spread very rapidly (LB 343).

Exo 22:8

JUDGES: “Elohim”, or “God” (NIV mg).

Exo 22:16

SEDUCES: Or “entices” (AV). This, in ct to Deu 22:28,29 (“forced” or “rapes… violated”: NIV).

Exo 22:26

Great extremes of climate in the East. May be very hot during the day (and thus no need for an outer garment), but very cold at night.

Exo 22:28

GOD: “Elohim”, or “judges” (AV mg; NIV mg). Translated “gods” (AV)!

Exo 23:1

Exo 23: “The righteousness of Yahweh is revealed in the Law of Moses. In all its wondrous ritual, and righteous decrees, the Law shows the way in which the divine character and life can be developed in the individual. This ch provides [1] Seven laws of social ethics (vv 1-9), [2] Six laws of religious worship concerning the sabbaths and feasts (vv 10-19), and [3] Four laws of conquest (vv 20-33). The commandments shows the way in which a division must be observed in actions. The personal laws in the Book of the Covenant terminate with the remarkable instruction of v 19, which is thrice repeated in the Law (v 19; Exo 24:16; Deu 14:21). The prohibition not to boil a kid in his mother’s milk seems to constitute a warning against allowing that which is designed for life to become the means of death. The over-indulgence of children can cause that, and has been sad cause of many lives lost for the kingdom (Num 14:3-31), seen in Eli’s sons (1Sa 3:13), Adonijah (1Ki 1:6). Compare Pro 19:18; 23:13-14; 29:15; 1Ti 3:4. The final v in Exo 23 draws attention to Yahweh’s constant concern for unstable flesh. That generation in the wilderness failed under test (Num 11:13)” (GEM).

Exo 23:4

YOUR ENEMY’S: Not merely “your brother’s”, as in Mat 22:4. “Brother”, as used by Jesus, sig all men. These phrases are added because of man’s inherent readiness to exclude some from fraternal relation.

Exo 23:19

DO NOT COOK A YOUNG GOAT IN ITS MOTHER’S MILK: Found in Exo 23:19; 34:26 and Deu 14:21. Five possibilities: (1) The mother would suffer from still producing milk, with no offspring to nurse. (2) The Canaanites worshiped milk as coming from certain goddesses (ie, keep away from worship of idols of land). (3) A prohibition against imitating the superstitious rites of the Egyptians, who, at the end of their harvest, cooked a kid in its mother’s milk and sprinkled the broth as a magical charm on their gardens and fields, to render them more productive the following season (JFB). (4) The suckling should not be killed so young, cut off in its prime. (Christ the sacrifice suffered in the midst of his own people.) (5) Do not “destroy” your child with the “milk” of excessive kindness/coddling!

Exo 23:20

ANGEL: “Malak” = God’s messenger or agent. Angel of God’s presence (Isa 63:9). Immortal, void of fleshly lusts: Exo 32:34; 33:2.

Exo 23:21

MY NAME IS IN HIM: All the angel’s speech is directed by God’s power: Rev 19:13; Jdg 2:1-4; Joh 5:43; 8:47; Gen 28:12.

Exo 23:28

HORNET: Hieroglyphic sym of the united dynasty of upper and lower Egypt. Thutmose III had undertaken 3 campaigns against Canaan. He extorted much wealth, leaving the land in a weakened condition (Arch Expl 25; Dawn 58:5).

Exo 23:31

THE SEA OF THE PHILISTINES: The only time the Mediterranean Sea is so called.

Exo 24:2

THE OTHERS MUST NOT COME NEAR: The mediation of Moses was to keep apart, in ct to that of Jesus, which was to bring together. Cp Deu 5:5; ct Eph 2:14. Israel is shut out from the presence of God. The way to a meal of fellowship (v 11) is through a sacrifice (vv 4-7).

Exo 24:3

Vv 3-11: Virtually everything pertaining to the Law of Moses — the tabernacle, the altar, the vessels, the priests, and the common people, as well as the actual Book in which the covenant was written — all this was sanctified by the sprinkled blood (Heb 9:19-22). The blood of the sacrifices was, legally speaking, the means by which the whole of the agreement was sealed or confirmed; without the sprinkled blood on all the parts, or parties, of the covenant, there would have been no covenant! (The leaders of Israel also saw God on the mountain, and then participated in a special meal: Exo 24:11.)

Exo 24:4

Cp the “altar” of Christ on the cross, surrounded by 12 “pillars”/apostles (Gal 2:9), and then the rest of Israel.

12 STONE PILLARS: An affirmation that the 12 tribes would never return to Egypt. Cp usage of pillar in Gen 31:45-52. Ct Num 14:14. 12 = number of governmental perfection; 12 thrones promised to the 12 apostles.

Exo 24:6

BLOOD… ON THE ALTAR: Christ’s sacrifice, efficacious for Christ himself (the firstfruits) (Heb 13:20; 7:27; Zec 9:9; etc) and then for others.

Exo 24:7

THEN HE TOOK THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT AND READ IT TO THE PEOPLE: The people listened and were encouraged to observe all of the words of the law. But this was not just a single reading. There was repetition — a very important learning tool for human beings: Deu 31:11-13; Acts 13:15; Col 4:16. Ct the bad example of Israel: Jer 7:23,24.

Exo 24:8

SPRINKLED IT ON THE PEOPLE: Christ’s sacrifice, for his brethren.

THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT: Cp the bread and wine passed to the brethren at the Last Supper (cp v 11 here).

Exo 24:10

The throne of God: Eze 1:22,26; Rev 4.

Exo 24:11

BUT GOD DID NOT RAISE HIS HAND AGAINST THESE LEADERS OF THE ISRAELITES; THEY SAW GOD, AND THEY ATE AND DRANK: “Those who have been called to mount Zion enjoy a similar experience. They have been privileged to see the body of heaven in its clearness, the beauty of the Son of God, the revelation of the Father. Called out from among men they have been drawn into a fellowship based on the offering of Jesus once for all. Although the death of the Son of God forms the basis of their approach to the Lord’s table, yet the Lord does not lay His hand upon them when they draw near to behold and to eat and drink” (MMS 80).

Exo 24:18

AND HE STAYED ON THE MOUNTAIN FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS: During this period of forty days, and the second period when the tables were renewed, it appears that Moses neither ate bread nor drank water. Cp Exo 34:28; Deu 9:9. In like manner, Elijah fasted for forty days, when he visited the same place (1Ki 19:8). They were the two who met our Saviour on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mat 17:3), the one representing the law, the other representing the Prophets. Thus they foreshadowed in their own experiences Jesus’ own fast of 40 days in the wilderness of Judea (Luk 4:1-13).

Exo 25:3

Vv 3-8: Were these “spoils” from Egypt? And so the tabernacle of Israel was built with materials from the Gentiles.

Exo 25:5

SEA COWS: Heb “tachashim”. Translated, variously, “sea cows” (NIV; WEB); “dugongs” (mg); “porpoises” (NASB); “seals” (JPS); or “badgers” (KJV; Roth). The general scholarly consensus on the word is that it is Egyptian in origin. The Arabic word “duhas” refers to a dolphin. They are common in the Red Sea; their skins are used for clothing by the Bedouin. The word has also been connected to an Egyptian word for “leather” (BDB). This is followed by NRSV and NET (“fine leather”).

Exo 25:6

OLIVE OIL FOR THE LIGHT: It was not every oil that might be used in the Lord’s service; neither the petroleum which exudes so plentifully from the earth, nor the produce of fishes, nor that extracted from nuts would be accepted; one oil only was selected, and that the best olive oil. Pretended grace from natural goodness, fancied grace from priestly hands, or imaginary grace from outward ceremonies will never serve the true saint of God; he knows that the Lord would not be pleased with rivers of such oil. He goes to the olive-press of Gethsemane, and draws his supplies from him who was crushed therein. The oil of gospel grace is pure and free from lees and dregs, and hence the light which is fed thereon is clear and bright. Our churches are the Saviour’s golden candelabra, and if they are to be lights in this dark world, they must have much holy oil” (CHS).

Exo 25:8

AND I WILL DWELL AMONG THEM: The antitype, Christ, “tabernacled among men” (Joh 1:14), to reveal God’s glory.

The instructions (which follow) start with the central piece in the tabernacle and work their way outward. This order focuses on the purpose for which the tabernacle was made — it was derived from God, and starts with His presence in the midst of Israel, and then radiates outward.

“Reading through the instructions for making the tabernacle it is interesting to note that God begins giving his instructions at the centre of the tabernacle and gradually works outwards.

“At the very centre is the Ark and the atonement cover — the place that God would meet with his people. In the same way that the Ark, the most precious piece of furniture, was at the centre of the tabernacle, so we need to keep our God at the very centre of our lives and let his influence spread outwards from us.

“The table is the next to be described. It was used to hold the bread of the presence. It held twelve loaves of bread – one for each tribe. Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:35). He came for us so that if we believe in him we would never be hungry. God has provided Jesus as our bread. And just as there was one loaf of bread for each tribe, so there is enough bread for each of us.

“Jesus also said, ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). In the same way as the lampstand gave light to those near God in the tabernacle, so Jesus is our light to show us the way to God.

Access to God, the bread of life and the light of the world are all thing that God supplies for us — things we need to have life. But there is one item of furniture missing — the altar of incense which represents our prayers to our God. It is missing here because we are being taught that God provides for us to come to him, but prayer is what we give to God.

“What amazing grace he gives us in opening the way for us to come to him” (RP).

Exo 25:10

What happened to ark? 2Ma 2:4,5 says Jeremiah hid it in a cave on Mt Nebo. In Christ’s time the most holy place was empty.

Exo 25:16

The ark contained 3 items: (1) golden pot of manna (Exo 16:33,34) (Christ as bread of life: Joh 6); (2) Aaron’s rod that budded (Num 17) (sym divine selection, authority, resurrection); and (3) tables of covenant (here; Exo 40:20) (divine law). See Heb 9:4n.

Exo 25:17

ATONEMENT COVER OF PURE GOLD: Sym faith (Rom 3:25n). Christ the “covering” for sins (Rom 4:7; Gal 3:26-28). A man of faith, shaped by trials, beaten into shape by God.

Exo 25:18

CHERUBIM OF GOLD: Their faces looked upon the blood-sprinkled mercy seat (cp 1Pe 1:12). Ref multitudinous Christ (cp Eze 1:10 with Rev 4:7; 5:9,10), when in glory united with Christ. In them God’s glory shines forth (Psa 80:1; Rom 5:2).

Exo 25:20

Their faces looked upon the blood-sprinkled mercy seat (cp 1Pe 1:12). Lesson: we must look toward Christ.

Exo 25:22

Ark of testimony: also called: “ark of covenant” (Num 10:33); “ark of God” (1Sa 3:3); “ark of Lord God” (1Ki 2:26); “ark of Lord of all earth” (Jos 3:13); “the holy ark” (2Ch 35:3); “the ark of thy strength” (Psa 132:8).

THERE… I WILL MEET WITH YOU: Did Moses go into the Most Holy? Prob yes (Num 17:4).

BETWEEN THE TWO CHERUBIM: Cp cherubim of Gen 3:24.

Exo 25:23

The table for the shewbread, or “bread of the Presence” (Lev 24:5-9; 21:6). Typ our memorial table (Act 2:42).

Exo 25:25

A RIM: A horizontal strip running around all 4 sides. This held the silver trumpets with which to assemble the people (Num 10:2-10).

Exo 25:29

FOR THE POURING OUT: The table held cups for wine, as well as plates for bread (Lev 24; Num 28:7).

Exo 25:30

BREAD OF THE PRESENCE: “Bread of the faces”. Called also “perpetual bread” (Num 4:7).

Exo 25:31

See Lesson, Lampstand.

HAMMER IT OUT… OF ONE PIECE WITH IT: Not joined together at seams, or melted, but rather one continuous undivided unity, shaped by affliction. “Hammered” or “beaten” (AV): Christ (Isa 53:5,10), his saints (Lev 2:1,14; 24:2; Exo 29:40; 37:7; Gal 2:20; Phi 3:10). “Of one piece”, ie “One Body”!

Exo 25:32

BRANCHES… ALMOND (v 33): Repr an almond tree! The tree of life (Gen 3:24; Num 17:8). The 7 ecclesias are a tree of life, because they offer Christ to world (Pro 15:4; 11:30; Psa 1:3; Rev 22:1,2; cp sym: Rev 1:13). Also, a symbolic representation of the burning bush!

Exo 25:34

ON THE LAMPSTAND: That is, on the one central branch.

Exo 25:40

The earthly: a shadow of the heavenly. The natural: a shadow of the spiritual. “According to the true tabernacle”: Heb 8:5; 9:23,24. “An artist, in drawing a pattern for some fabric or utensil, will supply a style of ornamentation that is harmonious throughout, whether simple or elaborate; and so an architect, working out a plan for a building, will observe the same style of architecture down to the minutest details, where an uncultured mind would either omit all correspondence or introduce incongruous features. It is certainly an added beauty to the work of God among men that its opening personal incidents should bear a general resemblance to its final developments on a larger scale — and so be a sort of prophecy — which enabled Paul to say ‘which things are an allegory’. Whatever we may think of it, there the fact undoubtedly is; and it would be a pity to make the mistake of those who stoutly shut their eyes and maintain there are no types and shadows connected either with the history or the institutions of Israel under Moses” (LM 105).

Exo 19:1

Exo 19: “Israel came to the mount that burned with fire! The trumpet sounded long (v 13). The word is ‘yobel’ (the word for Jubilee), and signifies a continuous note. Evidently this noise was continuous, the shorter notes of the shophar gradually became longer until they have the yobale (jubilee) note. In Lev 25:9, both words are used in conjunction: the ‘shophar of the yobale.’ The excitement of the occasion, followed the tempting of Israel in the experiences they suffered on their walk from Egypt. Now, they came into the presence of the Great Judge, so that Sinai is Biblically the place of judgment of His people, and the purpose and mode of future judgment is set in the past. The record declares: (1) Yahweh proclaims His covenant to His people: vv 1-6. (2) The people accept the covenant: vv 7-9. (3) Moses is instructed to sanctify the people: vv 10-13. (4) The people are sanctified: vv 14,15. (5) The awe-inspiring God and the trembling people: vv 16-25” (GEM).

The Israelites stayed there one full year (Num 10:11), building the tabernacle. The nation was organized there, in the lonely desert, surrounded by mountains: a people set apart!

“If we count them up and read between the lines we find that Moses went up Mt Sinai at least six times in this short [brief period]. Considering he was over 80 years old, it was quite a feat! It was up on the mountain that God chose to communicate with Moses. We can also think of other people: Abraham, David, Elijah and Jesus, who all spent time with God up on a mountain.

“To get to the top of a mountain requires dedication and determination. Mountain tops are not for people who give up easily. They are for God’s hard working servants. Mountain tops also help us to get a perspective on life. From the top of a mountain we can see ourselves and our lives more like the way God sees us, when we view the smallness of the people and futile business far below. And by the time we get to the top of the mountain we are free from distractions. People, problems and the easy sinful life all tend to stay at ground level; and the clearness of the sky and horizon bring us nearer to our creator.

“We all need time up a mountain more often than we take it. We may not be physically able to climb a mountain but we can climb a spiritual mountain to free us from distractions, give us perspective and bring us together with our creator.

“Climb a mountain today” (RP).

SINAI: “Sin” (ie brambles) (Exo 16:1) with “yod” added. Thus, sig “10 brambles”, the 10 commandments — brambles to man’s natural desires.

Exo 19:4

See Lesson, Eagle and its young, the.

Exo 19:5

MY TREASURED POSSESSION: “Segullah”, we are told, referred to the private treasure of kings; in societies where kings were more or less absolute dictators, everything in their realm was considered to be legally their property — but even a king could not control and spend and enjoy all properties in his kingdom, and so he would possess certain properties, properties which were set apart as his own “special treasure”, his “peculiar” or unique property, and no one else’s.

In the figure here, God Almighty is the great king, and all the universe belongs to Him, and all men, and all they have — it is all His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him! But… the Heavenly Father has condescended to choose a special few of all His subjects to be His own family, His own special possession, His own cherished riches. They stay close to His person; they recline in His bosom; they hear His whispers of endearment; they feel the tender touch of His special love. They are dearer to Him than the stars in the heavens, or the glorious snow-topped mountains. They are dearer to Him than the treasures of the richest mines, or the harvests of the richest fields. They are the ones He has redeemed with the precious blood of His Son. “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him’ ” (Mal 3:16,17).

Exo 19:18

THE LORD DESCENDED: Myriads of angels: Deu 33:2; Act 7:53; Gal 3:17; Heb 2:2.

THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN TREMBLED VIOLENTLY: Earthquakes accompany awesome manifestations of God: Exo 19:18; Jdg 5:4; Psa 77:18; 114:4; Isa 2:10-22; Jer 4:24; Eze 38:20; Joe 3:16; Amo 9:1,5; Zec 14:4; Rev 6:12; 11:19; 16:18.

Exo 19:22

PRIESTS: The firstborn of every family. The Levites, Aaron’s family, were not yet separated (Num 3:12,41).

Exo 20:1

Exo 20: “Exo 20 presents the law as the basis of harmony between Yahweh and Israel. (1) God sets out ten commandments as the basis of His covenant: vv 1-17. (2) Moses stands as the Redeemer: vv 18-21. (3) God is one and will be worshipped as one. (4) The basis of approach to Him is through the altar principle.

“The ten commandments were inscribed on both sides of two stones, representative of the two great commandments (Mat 22:40). The first five on one stone have each an explanatory addition; the last five are brief and emphatic: ‘Thou shalt not.’ An explanation of our duty toward Yahweh is necessary for personal experience, should teach us how to act toward others” (GEM).

Why should we keep the Ten Commandments? “Charles is a typical middle-aged Englishman. Most people like him, because he’s a friendly sort of chap. Good hearted, good living and public spirited, too.

“He stood for the local council last year, but failed to get in. He never goes to church, but he would be hurt if you suggested he was not a Christian. He believes in keeping the Ten Commandments (or at least, as many as he can remember), and in being kind to other people.

Of course, he doesn’t believe in the Bible, except for a few bits that he approves of. Like most people, he follows the fashion and assumes that the Bible has been shot full of holes by scientists and other experts. And anyway, he says he can live a perfectly good life without the Bible, thank you.

“Yet Charles has suddenly become a worried man. His tranquil life has recently taken a very nasty knock. He has two teenage sons who are worrying him stiff. They stoop to every kind of petty dishonesty they can get away with, and the way they behave with girls makes Charles’ hair go grey.

“The worst of it is that Charles feels so powerless. Whenever he says anything, he comes up against a stone wall. ‘But why not, Dad? We’re not hurting anybody. Why shouldn’t we do what we like?’

“Poor Charles has no answer for them. If he says, ‘Because I say so!’ they merely retort, ‘And who do you think you are?’

“He knows how his father made him toe the line, forty years ago. The old man simply said, ‘Charles, pack this up! It’s wrong. The Bible says so.’ In those days Charles knew that to his father the Bible was authoritative. So Charles did as he was told.

“But Charles cannot talk to his own sons like that. They know he doesn’t accept the authority of the Bible. Charles believes in keeping the Commandments, and it upsets him to see his sons breaking them. But he doesn’t know WHY he keeps them. So how can he hope to persuade his sons to keep them?

“Charles is not alone in this. There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of fathers in the same uncomfortable position.

“The fact is that there always was ONLY one good reason for keeping the Commandments. They are introduced by the statement: ‘And God spake all these words, saying…’ And they are immediately followed by a passage that says: ‘And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking… And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.’

“That is why a hundred generations of God-fearing Jews have respected the Ten Commandments. They believed that the whole book of Exodus was true. They believed that God really did appear on Mount Sinai and thunder out those commandments to their ancestors.

“Jesus Christ endorsed that belief. Several books of the NT refer directly to it as a historical fact. That is why many generations of Bible-believing Christians like Charles’ father have had a profound respect for the Commandments” (GT ch 15).

Exo 20:2

God acted first: He made a covenant with Israel: man did not look for God; God looked for man!

Ten commandments: 4 about God, then one about family, and then 5 about others. The family is transitional: interpreting God to children, so that they will learn how to treat others.

See Lesson, Law and covenant.

Four handwritings: Upon the stone (Exo 20:2); upon the wall (Dan 5:24); upon the ground (John 8:6); upon the cross (John 19:19).

Exo 20:3

Vv 3-5: “The god of this world is what men of this world worship. It takes many forms: ambition, power, wealth, position, family, even treasured beliefs nurtured from childhood. These are the gods worshipped by men. Sometimes they create deep psychological barriers which cause men to harden their hearts against the sweet and gentle influence of the Word of God. These are the idols men venerate, that occupy their time and efforts; all in their way are manifestations of the god of this world which blinds the minds of men, preventing the glorious light of the gospel from shining unto them” (D Fifield).

“What other gods could we have besides the Lord? Plenty. For Israel there were the Canaanite Baals, those jolly nature gods whose worship was a rampage of gluttony, drunkenness, and ritual prostitution. For us there are still the great gods Sex, Shekels, and Stomach (an unholy trinity constituting one god: Self), and the other enslaving trio, Pleasure, Possessions, and Position, whose worship is described as ‘the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’ (1Jo 2:16). Football, the Firm, and Family are also gods for some. Indeed the list of other gods is endless, for anything that anyone allows to run his life becomes his god and the claimants for this prerogative are legion. In the matter of life’s basic loyalty, temptation is a many-headed monster” (James Packer, “Your Father Loves You”).

An “idol” is something men “worship”… which “blinds” their minds, “preventing” the gospel and the love of God from entering, or controlling, their lives. If we get this point right, it seems to me, then we may recognize that anything and everything, essentially, MAY BE an idol… but that nothing, effectively, MUST BE an idol. Let me illustrate what I mean.

For example, it ought not to be considered “judgmental” or “critical” for someone to point out that most anything (or anyone) MAY BE an “idol” — even the most innocuous of pastimes: gardening or long walks on the beach MAY BE “idols” if pursued and enjoyed to the exclusion of the worship and service of our Heavenly Father. But, of course, they are not necessarily “idols”!

For that matter, the very most legitimate time-consumers — such as family and work — MAY BE “idols” IF our interests and concerns in these directions, and our allotments of time and energy, threaten to crowd out God from our lives. After all, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple” (Luk 14:26). Harsh language indeed, since elsewhere we are plainly told to love our spouses and families, to provide for them, to honor our parents, etc, etc. Surely Jesus is saying, ‘Don’t let EVEN your family… those closest to you… who have the most legitimate claims upon you… don’t even let them turn you aside from serving God!’ Likewise, work — earning one’s daily bread, and providing for one’s family — is the most legitimate of pursuits (supported by various Bible passages), but if through greed (the love of money) or competitiveness (pride) our jobs become the be-all and end-all of our lives, and threaten to consume all our time and all our concern, and to squeeze God out of our lives, then the Bible tells us they are “idols”!

On the other hand, and looking at what might be called the other end of the continuum, we consider the graven images which depicted or represented false gods. Surely, we say, such images were and are ALWAYS “idols”. No question there. Aren’t they, invariably, “idols”?

I am not so sure. Remember the brazen serpent of Moses (Num 21), which Hezekiah later threw on the scrap heap, calling it — contemptuously, I think — “Nehushtan”, a mere piece of brass! Was it an idol, or was it merely a piece of metal? I think the answer depended on how any individual viewed it. To Moses and those who were saved by looking to it, it was surely not an idol — but a reminder of God’s love and even a prophetic indicator of the Messiah who was to come — who would be lifted up on behalf of all men (John 3:13-16). But to the superstitiously-inclined of generations after Moses, it began to be thought of in an idolatrous manner: its veneration threatened to crowd out God Himself, and for that reason it ought to be destroyed.

Similar points might be made about the symbol of the cross: an object whose meaning changed for people (at least, some people) over time.

Likewise, Paul in Rom and 1Co deals with the question of meat offered to idols, real idols of wood or stone or metal, by pointing out — essentially — that every person’s conscience might be different in regard to the “realness” of such “idols”. He says (paraphrasing) that we know (or should know) that such objects are not gods at all; in other words, such a “god” is, really, “no god” — it’s just a lifeless material thing, with no mystical powers, and no evil connotations… unless we endow it with such powers! But for those who cannot help themselves, but view such an image as truly an idol, or have felt or seen its “power” in their lives or the lives of others, then… yes, it’s a “god” or an “idol”… and such scruples ought to be respected by other, “stronger” brethren.

So, it seems that even what we might at first glance agree is, very definitely, an “idol”… may NOT be an “idol” either — unless we make it so!

I subscribe to BAR magazine (Biblical Archaeology Review). A few years ago, BAR ran advertisements for replicas of certain “gods” and “goddesses” — little images of various statues and figures that had been unearthed by archaeologists in and around the Holy Land, accompanied by descriptions and explanations of their Biblical significance. It was quite interesting to see the sorts of reactions these ads produced: some folks were vehemently angry because BAR was promoting “idolatry”; there were cancellations of subscriptions, and charges of idolatry and blasphemy if even a picture of such images were printed in the magazine, whilst to many others it was plainly a matter of no consequence.

Were such little images truly “idols”? Or not?

Exo 20:5

“In Adam all die” (1Co 15:22); Rom 5:12). Some sins (alcoholism, promiscuity, drug addiction) have immediate and lasting effects on generations to follow. “Even so in Christ…” (v 6 here)!

Vv 5,6: Perhaps the deepest imprints of human faults are made by parents upon their children. When our sins and failures run their normal course, they harm future generations. Our hang-ups are passed to our children, who in turn pass them to their own. The NT says that parents’ sins may cause specific problems like angry, resentful behavior or depression in their children (Eph 6:4, Col 3:21).

A comparison of the offspring of two marriages clearly illustrates this: (1) Jonathan Edwards, the famous preacher and theologian, was also president of Princeton University. Of the 1,344 descendants of Edwards and his wife traced so far, many were college presidents and professors. One hundred eighty-six became ministers of the gospel. Eighty-six were state senators, three were Congressmen, thirty were judges, and one became Vice President of the United States. (2) In 1677 an immoral man named Jukes married a licentious woman. Nineteen hundred descendants came from the generations begun by that union. Of these, 771 were criminals, 250 were arrested for various offenses, 60 were thieves, and 39 were convicted of murder. These people spent a combined total of 1,300 years behind bars and cost the state of New York nearly $3 million.

Exo 20:8

The Sabbath day: a law to nation of Israel: Exo 31:12-17; 16:29; Neh 9:13,14; Eze 20:12. Transgressors were punished with death: Exo 35:2. A man gathering sticks on the Sabbath: Num 15:32. Paul rules out Sabbath-keeping as a requirement for Christians: Rom 14:6,7; Col 2:16,17; Gal 4:9-11.

Exo 20:11

MADE: “Asah” may sig “appoint” or “establish” (cp Psa 104:19).

Exo 20:12

Advice also to parents: Teach your children to honor you, so that they will grow up learning to honor God.

Exo 20:13

AV has “Thou shalt not kill”. But “kill” is used in old English sense of “to commit murder”. Old English “slay” is equivalent to our modern “kill”. This is not a command never to take a life.

Exo 20:17

See Lesson, Double negative, Hebrew.

Exo 20:19

“So they chose Moses instead of God, and they have been dying ever since” (HAW).

Exo 20:24

AN ALTAR OF EARTH: Clay, earth: ref mortal nature of Christ the altar of God (Heb 13:10), the “stone” cut out without hands (Dan 2), built into the temple (Psa 118:22; Eph 2:19,22; 1Ti 3:16). Ct brick altar (Isa 65:3).

Exo 20:25

YOU WILL DEFILE IT IF YOU USE A TOOL ON IT: “A standing rebuke to those who are not content to accept Christ as the word reveals him.”

Exo 20:26

LEST YOUR NAKEDNESS BE EXPOSED ON IT: “Uncovering nakedness” is a euphemism here for sexual intercourse. No man was the father of the “altar” of Christ.