Offerings for the Tabernacle
Study note
God told Moses to collect an offering from everyone whose heart was willing to give. The materials included gold, silver, bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat hair, animal skins dyed red, acacia wood, olive oil, spices, and precious stones. God said, 'Let them make me a sanctuary, so I may dwell among them.' The Tabernacle was to be built exactly according to the pattern God would show Moses.
1 The Lord told Moses, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Ask the Israelites to bring me an offering. Accept a gift from every person who feels moved in their heart to give." Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
3 "Here is what you should collect from them: gold, silver, and bronze," And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
4 "blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, and goat hair," And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
5 "ram skins dyed red, fine leather, and acacia wood," And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
6 "olive oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense," Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
7 "onyx stones and other precious gems to decorate the priestly vest and breastpiece." Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
8 "Have them build a sacred place for me so that I can live right among my people." And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
9 "Build the Tabernacle and everything that goes in it to match the exact design I am about to show you." According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
The Ark of the Covenant
Study note
The Ark of the Covenant was the most sacred object in the Tabernacle. It was a chest made of acacia wood covered in pure gold, about three and a half feet long and two feet wide and tall. It had a gold lid called the mercy seat, with two golden cherubim (angelic figures) facing each other with wings spread over the lid. God said He would meet with Moses above the mercy seat, between the cherubim, and speak His commands for Israel. The stone tablets of the law would be placed inside the Ark.
10 "Build an Ark from acacia wood. Make it three and three-quarter feet long, two and a quarter feet wide, and two and a quarter feet tall." And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11 "Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and outside. Run a decorative gold edge all around the top." And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 "Cast four gold rings and attach them near the four bottom corners of the Ark — two rings on each side." And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 "Craft carrying poles from acacia wood and coat them with gold." And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 "Slide the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark so it can be transported." And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 "Leave the poles in the rings permanently. Never take them out." The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 "Place inside the Ark the stone tablets of the law that I will give you." And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 "Craft a mercy seat from pure gold — three and three-quarter feet long and two and a quarter feet wide." And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 "Shape two winged angels — cherubim — from hammered gold, placing one at each end of the mercy seat." And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 "Position one cherub on one end and the other cherub on the opposite end. They should be formed as one continuous piece with the mercy seat." And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 "The cherubim should spread their wings upward so their wings form a canopy over the mercy seat. They should be facing each other, looking downward toward the mercy seat." And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 "Set the mercy seat on top of the Ark, and place the stone tablets of the law inside." And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 "That is where I will meet with you. From above the mercy seat, from the space between the two cherubim on top of the Ark of the Testimony, I will speak to you and give you all my instructions for the Israelites." And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
The Table of Showbread
Study note
A table of acacia wood covered in gold was to be built for the bread of the Presence, also called showbread. Twelve loaves of bread would be placed on this table at all times, representing the twelve tribes of Israel always in God's presence. The table had gold plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers.
23 "Construct a table from acacia wood — three feet long, a foot and a half wide, and two and a quarter feet tall." Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24 "Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold border around the edge." And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25 "Add a rim about three inches wide around the table, and put a decorative gold edge on the rim." And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26 "Make four gold rings and fasten them at the four corners of the table, near the legs." And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27 "Position the rings close to the rim — they will hold the poles for carrying the table." Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28 "Make the carrying poles from acacia wood and overlay them with gold. These will be used to transport the table." And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 "Create plates, serving dishes, pitchers, and pouring bowls for the table. Make all of them from pure gold." And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 "Always keep the special bread of God's Presence displayed on this table before me." And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
The Golden Lampstand
Study note
A lampstand of pure gold was to be hammered from a single piece of gold weighing about 75 pounds. It had a central shaft with six branches, three on each side. Each branch was decorated with cups shaped like almond blossoms. Seven lamps sat on top. The lampstand provided the only light inside the Tabernacle. It was to be made exactly according to the pattern God showed Moses on the mountain.
31 "Create a lampstand from pure gold. Hammer the entire thing from a single piece of gold — its base, its central shaft, its decorative cups, buds, and flower petals." And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 "Six branches should extend from the sides — three on one side and three on the other." And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33 "Each branch should have three cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and flowers — the same design on all six branches." Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34 "The main central shaft should have four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with buds and petals." And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 "Place a decorative bud beneath each of the three pairs of branches where they connect to the central shaft." And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36 "The buds and branches should all be hammered from one solid piece of pure gold, together with the lampstand." Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37 "Make seven lamps for the lampstand. Position them so they cast light forward." And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38 "Craft the wick trimmers and ash trays from pure gold." And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39 "Use a total of seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and all its accessories." Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
40 "Be very careful to build everything exactly as I showed you on the mountain." And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.