17. building the tabernacle

8/12/2019 17. Building the Tabernacle

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In Exodus 25- 31 Moses received the blueprints for constructing the

Tabernacle, the place on earth where God will dwell among hiscovenant people. As Hebrews 8 points out, this earthly Tabernacle isa copy and shadow of the genuine Tabernacle, which is in heaven;hence, Moses was warned to make everything according to thepattern shown *him+ on the mountain (Hebrews 8: 5).

With the episode of the golden calf rebellion and Moses smashingthe tablets of the Ten Commandments, the Israelites traumaticallyviolated this divinely mandated sacred space.

After Moses dealt with the rebellion he went back up Mt. Sinai and

spent an additional 40 days/40 nights in intimate communion withGod, descending the mountain visibly luminous from basking in Godsdivine presence.


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With the building of the Tabernacle in chapters 35-40, divine order is

restored. In Lesson #17, we witness the fashioning of the Tabernacle,exquisite in its lapidary beauty and dazzling colors of violet, purpleand scarlet; gold, silver and bronze, relishing every resplendentdetail.

The parallel structure of command in chapters 25-31 andimplementation in chapters 35-40 is heightened by the use ofmirroring language between the two sections (often word for word,phrase for phrase). Such repetition may seem redundant to modernreaders, but it is common practice in ancient Near Eastern literature,a practice that highlights the completion and fulfillment of a divinely

ordered task.

When Moses completes the work of building the Tabernacle, thepillar of cloud and fire settles down upon it, filling the Tabernaclewith the Glory of God.


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In sharp contrast to thegolden calf rebellion,

characterized by divisionand discord, work onbuilding the Tabernaclebegins by Mosesassembling the wholeIsraelite community (35: 1)and charging them withworking together as onepeople to accomplish agreat task constructing asacred space where God willdwell among them.


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Prelude

On six days work may bedone, but the seventh dayshall be holy to you as thesabbath of complete rest tothe Lord. Anyone who doeswork on that day shall be

put to death (35: 2).

Even faced with such a dauntingtask as building the Tabernacle asacred space for God theSabbath must be observedrigorously.


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You shall not even light a fire inany of your dwellings on the

sabbath day (35: 3).Since metalwork, which requires fire, is aprimary task in building the Tabernacle, theprohibition on making fire is emphasized.

In a more universal sense, the ability tomake and use fire is a foundationaltechnology of any civilization, an ability inGreek mythology that was reserved for thegods. As Hesiod recounts in his Theogony ,Prometheus steals fire from Zeus and is

punished by being chained to a rock, wherean eagle eats his liver, which is regenerateddaily due to his immortality.

Nicolas-Sbastien Adam. Prometheus Bound(marble), 1762. Louvre Museum, Paris.


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Moses said to the wholeIsraelite community,This is what the Lord hascommanded: Receive from among youcontributions for theLord. Everyone, as hisheart prompts him , shall

bring . . . (35: 4-5)..

There yougo,

Moses!

Offerings shall be voluntary.


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Let every artisan amongyou come and make allthat the Lord has

commanded . . . (35: 10).

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Artisans shall volunteer.


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The Lord has singled outBezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur,of the tribe of Judah, and has filled him with a divine spirit of

skill and understanding andknowledge in every craft . . ..He has also given both him andOholiab, son of Ahisamach, ofthe tribe of Dan, the ability to

teach others. (35: 30, 34)..

Bezalel and Oholiab shall lead.


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As God has Bezalel and Oholiab asdivinely appointed craftsmen, sodo other cultures and mythologies

have theirs:Ugarit = Kothar-wa-KhasisEgyptian = PtahGreek = HephaestusRoman = Vulcan.

Divine Craftsmen

Guillaume Coustou the Younger. Hephaestus at theForge (marble), 1742. Louvre Museum, Paris.


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All the artisans who were doingthe work for the sanctuary came from the work each was doing,and told Moses, The people arebringing much more than isneeded to carry out the workwhich the Lord has commanded usto do. Moses, therefore, ordereda proclamation to be makethroughout the camp: Let neither

man nor woman make any morecontributions for the sanctuary.(36: 4-6).

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The first time ever a pastor asked people to STOP giving to the building fund!


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The Tent Cloth

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5 Sheets

100 golden loops

and clasps,with violet yarn

5 Sheets


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The Tent Cloth, 4 layers

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Goat hairRam skins dyed red

Tahash skins ( dolphin?)


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The Veils

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4 acacia wood columns,

plated with gold4 silver sockets

5 acacia wood columns,plated with gold

5 bronze sockets


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The Ark of the Covenant

. Acacia wood poles,plated with gold Gold rings

Acacia wood box

plated with gold

Gold molding

Lid of solid goldwith two cherubim,made of one piecewith the lid.


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The Table of Showbread

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Acacia wood poles,plated with gold

Gold rings

Gold molding

Acacia wood table,plated with gold

Golden vessels


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The Menorah

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Solid gold menorah,

made of one piece

3 cups shaped likealmond blossoms oneach branch4 cups shaped like

almond blossoms oncenter branch

Cups for holding oil


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The Altar of Incense

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Acacia wood boxplated with gold

Gold ringsAcacia wood poles,plated with gold

Gold moldingHornsPlated with gold


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The Bronze Altar

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Acacia wood hollow box,plated with bronze

Horns,

plated with bronze

Acacia wood poles,plated with bronze

Bronze grate


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The Basin

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Bronze basin and stand


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The Courtyard

.Fine-twinned linen curtain Bronze socket

Acacia wood post

Silver-plated cap

Bronze tent pegs


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The Courtyard, Gate

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Four bronze posts,with bronze sockets and silver caps

Fine-twinned linen curtain,with violet, purple and scarlet yarn


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Amount of Metal UsedGold29 talents, 730 shekels = 36,990 oz.$49,529,610

Silver100 talents, 1,775 shekels = 125,325 oz.

$2,686,968Bronze70 talents, 2,400 shekels = 91,200 oz.$16,416

Total Value: $52,232,994 Note: 1 talent = 75 lbs.; 1 shekel = 1/3 oz.

Gold = $1,339/oz.; Silver = $21.44/oz.;Bronze = $0.18/oz.


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The TabernaclePillar of Cloud and Fire


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1. Why is nearly half of Exodus devoted to the Tabernacle?2. Why does the golden calf rebellion interrupt the Tabernacle

narrative? What is its purpose in the story? 3. After the golden calf rebellion the Israelites seem delighted

to get to work on the Tabernacle. How do you explain theirtransition from rebellion to full cooperation?

4. God dwelt with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden quitecomfortably, but after sin enters the world in Genesis 3 Goddistances himself from humanity. In Exodus he carefully movescloser, finally manifesting his Glory in the Tabernacle inExodus 40. How do you explain Gods cautious behavior in hisrelationship with humanity?

5. At the end of Exodus, how much time has passed since theIsraelites have left Egypt?


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Copyright 2014 by William C. CreasyAll rights reserved. No part of this course audio, video,

photography, maps, timelines or other media may bereproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronicor mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage or retrieval devices without permission inwriting or a licensing agreement from the copyright holder.

[All Tabernacle illustrations in these lectures are taken from:Paul F. Kiene. The Tabernacle of God in the Wilderness of Sinai ,trans. by John S, Crandall. Grand Rapids, Michigan: ZondervanPublishing House, 1977. Used by permission.]

17. building the tabernacle

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