MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023

Monday, March 6, 2023

The Tabernacle: Function of the Furnishings

With each reading consider the function of the furnishings.

1.     READ:  Exodus 25: 23 – 30;  Leviticus 24: 5 – 9

FYI: The table of the consecrated bread of the presence held twelve loaves of bread (representing the twelve tribes) that were not touched until Sabbath, when the priests ate them.

2.     READ:  Exodus 25: 31 – 40;  Leviticus 24: 1 – 4;    Numbers 8: 4

FYI:  The lampstand, for which no size is specified, was fashioned from a single block of gold, not overlaid like other furnishings.  Scholars have noted Egyptian influence in its description such as its shaft that appears to be like a “reed” that was common along the Nile (Exodus 2: 1 – 3). The word translated “cups” (Exodus 25: 33) has Egyptian roots. These connections support the tradition that the lampstand had a unique role in helping the Hebrews to understand their God and distinguish Him from the idols of Egypt.

3.     READ: Exodus 30: 1 – 6;  32: 25 – 29;    Leviticus 16: 1, 2, 12 & 13

FYI:  The incense offered in the tabernacle is a reminder of God’s constant presence as symbolized by the pillar of fire and cloud (Exodus 13: 21 & 22) Later texts (Psalm 141: 1 & 2; Revelation 8: 3 – 5) reveals that the prayers of God’s people are like incense…a sweet fragrance to God.

4.     READ:  Exodus 25: 10 – 22; Leviticus 16: 15 – 17

FYI:  The Ark of the Covenant, the most sacred object in the most sacred place, contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments. It was the first item God described when issuing instructions for the building of the tabernacle. On the ark rested a slab of gold called “The Mercy Seat” or an “Atoning Cover.” Rising out of   this cover as part of it, one from each end, were tow cherubim that faced the center, their wings extended over the covering. This covered space, thought of as God’s throne, was where God’s presence lived.