My Summary
Moses is told that they are to build a tabernacle. In the rest of the chapter the furnitue that will adorn the tabernacle is described. The ark, the table and that lampstand are the three things which will be inside the tabernacle.
Random Historical Things
1. All of the things God asked them to donate for the tabernacle were things the Israelites could reasonably be expected to have. The gold, fine linen and animals were all things given to them by the Egyptians. The hides of sea cows could have been either dolphins or some other sea creature common to the Red Sea. Acacia trees were numerous in the Sinai region.
2. For a while scholars doubted the fact that Israel had a "tent shrine" to worship at since no other nations did. However recent scholarly evidence has shown that many groups did have portable worship tents they carried around. Evidence of them has been found in Egypt as early as 3000BC
3. As we saw before the idea of a portable temple was an Egyptian idea. The design of the ark was also very Egyptian. This is another example of God using what the Israelites already knew to form a structure of worship.
And So What We Have Learned Applies to Our Lives Today...
1. In the 15th century the pope decided to build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. A Dominican preacher named Johann Tetzel went around selling indulgences to raise money for this. Normally indulgences were sold by the Catholic church offering forgiveness of sins for the purchaser. However, Tetzel was selling indulgences specifically for relatives in purgatory. The pope had given special blessing to these indulgences which provided total forgiveness for all sins of one in purgatory. Tetzel asked the commoners why they would not provide their grandmother with instant relief from torment for just a little donation. His mantra was, "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." A certain monk named Martin Luther was driven by these sales to put together his 95 theses and start the Protestant Reformation. How different is the way God asks the Israelites for donations for His tabernacle. He neither commands them nor offers great rewards. He requests the materials from "everyone whose heart compels them to give." Because of tv evangelists and greedy pastors the idea of giving is not popular. God does not take this approach, but asks for our generosity. Everything Israel had (and everything we have) is His anyway, but He still does not demand. He requests. How generous is our heart and are we giving to continue building His church?
2. The tabernacle is going to be the symbol of God's presence among Israel. Here we see three different pieces of furniture that will go into the tabernacle. Each of these have a purpose in reminding Israel of the presence of God in their midst. Although this is symbolic of God's throne in heaven, it is important to remember that it is only symbolic and we should not assume any of the particulars are the same in heaven. The ark contains the particulars of the covenant and has the mercy seat on the top from which God will speak to Moses. This is symbolic, complete with gold angels, of the throne of God where we can approach Him. The table with the bread requires Israel to continually replenish the bread reminding them of the continual presence of God and Israel's responsibility to keep His covenant. The lampstand gives light to the dwelling place of God and may also stand for the gift of life God has given us (because it is in the shape of a tree, but the Bible does not specify all the implications of the symbolism of the lampstand). The important thing to see is that is not idolatry. These things are symbols authorized by God to remind Israel that they belonged to God and that He was with them. While we do not have these physical reminders we have the promise that Jesus has made our bodies His temply and the Holy Spirit resides within us as well whispering to us the surety of our salvation and place as an adopted child of God.
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