This concludes our study on Exodus. If you are looking for any posts you have missed including part 1 of this study, you can find the table of contents by clicking here.
If you are looking for information on our next study, you can find the information here: Esther Bible Study
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Below are my thoughts for each of the chapters we studied this week along with the answers to the questions I posted in the study guide.
Also, make sure that you get a copy of the coloring page I have pasted below.
Exodus 38-39
My thoughts on these chapters…
As I was reading this chapter, I got to wondering about the colors of the threads chosen for the ephod in chapter 39:2, “And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.”
Some were obvious to me such as scarlet representing the blood of Christ and purple being royalty. What I wasn’t so sure about was the color blue. There are many interpretations online for colors used in the Bible, especially when it comes to blue. To choose one, I felt would merely be speculation. Personally I wondered if the blue might represent His Lordship as He is both King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring.” – Numbers 15:38-39
Questions and Answers…
What were the basins made out of?
The bronze basins were made from the mirrors of the women who served at the tabernacle entrance.
Who kept a record of the material used?
The Levites kept a record, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron
What was the total amount of gold used for work on the sanctuary?
The gold weighed about 1,900 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard
How much silver was used?
The silver weighed about 6,437 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard
How much bronze was brought in?
The bronze weighted about 4,522 pounds.
Where did the Israelites get these resources from? See Exodus 12
I actually answered this question in the last chapter:
in Exodus chapter 12, the Lord gave the Hebrews favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they lent them jewels and fine clothing. Verse 36 of chapter 12 says, “they spoiled the Egyptians.”
Charles Spurgeon writes, “Let none say that this was robbery. It would have been, had it not been commanded of God; but as a king can set aside his own laws, so God is above his laws, and whatsoever He orders is right… Sometimes necessity has no law: how much more shall that God who is above all necessities be the master of his own laws? The great Potentate, the only wise God, the King of kings, hath a right to make what laws He pleases; and let not vain man dare to question his Maker, when his Maker gives him a command.”
What is faith compared to in 1 Peter 1:7?
Gold.
What did they do with the gold in Exodus 39:3?
Gold was hammered flat and then woven into the fine linen that was used to make the ephods for the priests.
The Ephod symbolized Christ. When the High Priest put on the Ephod, he was clothing himself with the righteousness of Christ that comes by faith.
Exodus 40
My thoughts on this chapter…
It was interesting to see how Numbers chapter nine fills in some of the details of Exodus 40. I happened upon it and read how the Israelites celebrated their second Passover in the first month of the second year, before completion of the tabernacle. Then Numbers chapter 10 continues the story where the book of Exodus ends.
In addition to that, I was captivated by what I saw as a comparison between Exodus 40 and Acts 2:1-3. God was with His people throughout the Old Testament, but the tabernacle was a place where God would dwell among them. In this chapter we see God filling the tabernacle with His glory.
In Acts we see God filling His people with the Holy Spirit. Up until that point, Christ had been with them, but as we see in Ezekial 36:27, God’s Spirit would dwell within His people. “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
Questions and Answers…
Let’s establish a timeline? During which month do they set up the tabernacle?
The first month.
When did they celebrate the first Passover? See Exodus 12:18
The 14th day of the first month, at which time the Exodus began. This tells us that they had been in the desert for a year.
What was the name of this month? See Exodus 13:4
Aviv – Also known as Nissan.
What took place when they finished the work on the tabernacle?
A cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
What comparison do we find to 1 Kings 8:10-11?
Once the temple was complete and the priest withdrew from the Holy Place, a cloud descended and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
To me—and this is merely my opinion—I see a similarity to Acts 2:1-3.
Jesus has set up His church, everything was in place, and the disciples had gathered as He had instructed.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” – Acts 2:1-3
Up until this point, God was with them, but He wasn’t dwelling within them. John 7:39 says, “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”
In much the same way, God was with His people throughout the Old Testament, but the tabernacle was a place where God would dwell within. And so the Bible refers to us as the temple of the Holy Ghost, both individually and as the church which is the body of Christ:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What signified God’s presence during the day, and what signified His presence at night?
A cloud by day and a fire by night, signifying the presence of God.
When did the people of Israel travel and when did they stay put?
They stayed put when the cloud was down and when it was lifted, they travelled.
What does their adherence to detail say about their faith, and what can it teach us about ours?
That we should study so that know the will of God and that we should obey His plan for our lives.
FREE Coloring Page
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I happened upon this at the conclusion of the study. I will say that I see the similarity between the filling of the Tabernacle with the presence of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Praise God that He is now with us 24/7! How truly blessed we are!
Barbara from Life & Faith in Caneyhead