Exodus - Chapters 28-31

In chapters 28-31 of Exodus, the Israelites make free will offerings to build the tabernacle. The directions on how to make various items for the tabernacle are given, but it is unclear why the order is mixed up with the priestly garments and consecration of the priests. The high priest, Aaron, and his sons are to wear sacred garments, including a special apron called an ephod and a turban with a gold plate engraved "Holy to the Lord". The priests are consecrated with offerings and anointing. The altar of incense is described, along with instructions on how to fund the tabernacle with atonement money. The bronze basin for washing and the anointing oil are also discussed. Bezalel and Aholiab are chosen by the Lord for their skills to craft the items for the tabernacle. Finally, the importance of observing the Sabbath is emphasized. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vav.vc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at chapters 28-31 of Exodus. Up to this point we have covered that the Israelites brought free will offerings to the Lord in order to build the tabernacle. Some of what they had came from the Egyptians before they left. We read about the directions on how to make the Ark of the Covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand which we call nowadays a menorah, the tabernacle itself, the altar of burnt offering, the courtyard, and then the oil for the lampstand. What I have not yet figured out is why all the items of the tabernacle were not discussed first before the priestly garments and consecration of the priests. As we have seen already, God has precise detail on how to build all these things, and he has gifted people with skills to build all the items needed, and he has a plan, so it seems funny to me that the order of describing the items is interjected in the middle with the priest. I could understand if maybe all the courtyard items were discussed, and then the priest, and then the items within the tabernacle, but even that is mixed up. Starting with chapter 30, we have the directions on how to build the altar of incense, which is located in the holy place. Then it's how to fund the tabernacle with atonement money. Then directions on building the basin for washing, which is located in the courtyard. Then the anointing oil, and how to make the incense, and the skilled men who are called to build these things, and finally a second reminder, the first was in chapter 23, verses 10 through 13, about keeping the Sabbath. I am sure that there is a reason for the order, and maybe someday it will make sense to me, but not yet. What do you think? The only thing I see in common between the basin for washing in the courtyard and the altar of incense in the holy place, is that they are both located in front of the curtain that enters into that next holy place, and it is only the priest that can enter that holy place, and only the high priest that can enter into the most holy place. But I am still pondering about this order. So chapter 28, Aaron, Moses' brother from the tribe of Levi, and his sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Isamar, may serve as priests, and verse 2 says, make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. Now if you have time, I recommend looking online for a picture of the high priest's garment. In verses 42 and 43 we learn that the priest had to wear special linen undergarments that covered themselves from the waist to the thigh, then Aaron as high priest was to wear a woven tunic, then a pullover robe that had a woven edge around the collar, and on the bottom of the robe decorative pomegranates and little bells were placed on the hem. Verse 35 says, Aaron must wear it when he ministers, the sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he will not die. Now I have heard it said that the high priest would also tie a rope around his ankle, so that just in case he would die in the presence of the Lord, then the priest could pull out his body, but that is not substantiated at all, but I have heard it from a few people. On top of his tunic he wore something like a special apron called an ephod, and on the shoulder pieces were two stones that sat on Aaron's shoulder, and each stone had six names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Verse 12 says, And fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. That was designated to hold a breast piece which had twelve different stones placed in it, and each were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Verses 29 and 30 read, Whenever Aaron enters the holy place, he must bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. Something like dice is the best explanation of what a Urim and Thummim are. They seem to rule them to seek the will of the Lord. Aaron also wore a turban on his head. On the turban was placed a plate of pure gold which was engraved, Holy to the Lord. Verse 38 reads, It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron's forehead continually, so that they will be acceptable to the Lord. Aaron's sons, the priests, were to wear tunics, sashes, and headbands to give them dignity and honor. Verse 40, After these men were dressed with these clothes, then they were anointed, ordained, and consecrated as priests. Chapter 29 covers the process of how to consecrate the priest and the high priest. The first offering was a sin offering, which once it was slaughtered, its flesh was to be burned outside the camp, because it was a sin offering. Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord. Verse 18 described it as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire. Verses 19 and 21 tell us that Aaron and his sons had to take a little of the ram's blood and put some on their right ear, their right thumb, and their big toe on their right foot. Then the altar was sprinkled with blood as well as their garments. They then performed a wave offering, with a loaf, a cake, and a wafer, which was also described as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, an offering made to the Lord by fire. Verse 25, Lastly they presented a fellowship offering. Verse 29 says Aaron's sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. Now one word that is used quite a bit in these next few chapters is the word atonement. The easiest definition I've heard for that is at one with God or reconciled. Then verse 37 reads, For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy. Now each day the priests were to offer sacrifices on the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. The tent of meeting is another word for the tabernacle. Verses 42b and 43 say, There I will meet you and speak to you. There also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. Once everything was consecrated, then the Lord said, Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. Chapter 30 begins with the altar of incense, which is located in the holy place, right before the curtain, which separates it from the most holy place. The altar was to be a square with horns, and it was all to be covered in pure gold, with a gold molding around it. It also had rings so the Israelites could carry it with poles of acacia wood covered with gold. Aaron was to burn incense each morning and night, so that the light would burn regularly before the Lord for generations to come. Then once a year Aaron was to bring the blood of the lamb and place it on the horns of the incense altar. Verse 10 reads, Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord. Verses 11-16 explain whenever they take a census of the Israelites, then at that time they are to pay a ransom for their life at the time that it is counted. This is called atonement money. Each person 20 years or older, poor or rich, was to give the same amount, a half a shekel. This money was to be used for the service of the tent of meeting or the tabernacle. Then came the instructions on how to make the bronze basin for washing, which was located between the altar which was in the courtyard and the tent of meeting or the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before they entered the tabernacle or the tent of meeting, so they would not die. The rest of chapter 30 ends with a special mixture for the anointing oil, which a perfumer was to put together. It was to be sacred. And verse 29, You shall consecrate them so that they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. No one but the priests were allowed to use this special oil, or they would be cut off from the people. Then verses 34 and 38 explain the special incense, which was mixed by a perfumer, and it was to be considered holy to the Lord, and no one else could use it, or they too would be cut off from the people. Chapter 31 starts with two men that the Lord chose. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. Verse 3, He was from the tribe of Judah. The other man was Aholiab, which the Lord appointed as his assistant. He was from the tribe of Dan. Verse 6b says, So I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you. Then chapter 31 ends with a command to observe God's Sabbaths. Verse 13b reads, This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know, you may know that I am the Lord who makes you holy. The people who desecrate the Sabbath were to be put to death. The Sabbath was a sign between the Lord and his people about their forever covenant. Verse 18 says, When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. One thing that stood out with me during this reading is that word atonement. It's found in chapter 29 verse 33, two times in verse 36, then verse 37, then chapter 30 verse 6, three times in verse 10, and two times in verse 16. The priests made offerings for their atonement and for the people's. There is atonement money given each census for each person 20 years or older, and the covering over the ark, which contained the two tablets of testimony, the covering was called an atonement cover. It is at this place that the Lord would meet the high priest. It was also this place that the high priest, who was the representative of the people, would come and meet God. Through all of these chapters, it is clear that the Lord made a way for his people to have a relationship with himself. There is a way for us to be atonement or reconciled with this holy God, creator of the heavens and the earth. In the Old Testament, through this Old Testimony, it was through sacrifices, but the problem was the people kept on sinning. People couldn't keep the agreement because of sin, which was why God, in his perfect timing, sent the perfect sacrifice, his son. The writer of Hebrews chapter 10 in the New Testament said, the law was only a shadow of good things coming. In verses 3 and 4, the writer said, but those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Ladies, that's why Jesus came. He lived a perfect life under the law and when he died and rose again, his blood covers us. All we have to do is believe in him. Verse 14 in Hebrew says, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Now the Lord puts his laws into our hearts and he writes them on our minds. Verse 16 in Hebrews. Verse 17 says, then God adds, their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. Ladies, since Jesus made a way of atonement for us, a way of reconciliation, as the writer of Hebrews said, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews chapter 10 verses 22 through 24. Remember sisters in Christ, we are not saved just for ourselves, we are now called to help others to be reconciled to God as well. We now are the intercessors, the priests before God. Whom has the Lord laid on your heart to pray for or are there any that are weighing down your shoulders that you need to pray about or talk to or maybe invite to church? Ask the Lord and then whatever he tells you to do, let's obey. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.