Exodus 25:1-40

Exodus: *Israel becomes a nation

God’s instructions to Moses

Exodus Chapter s 19 to 40

Hilda Bright and Kitty Pride

Chapter 25

Chapter s 25:1 – 31:17 contain details about how the *Israelites *worshipped God. These Chapter s describe God’s special tent (also called the *Tabernacle) with all its equipment. Also they describe the priests and their duties.

Introduction – verses 1-9

v1 Then the *LORD spoke to Moses.

v2 ‘Tell the *Israelites to bring presents to me. You must receive the presents for me. Everyone should give to me when he desires to give. v3 These are the presents that I want to receive: gold, silver and *bronze. v4 Also the people should give blue, purple and bright red wool, and *linen of good quality. And they should give goats’ hair that they have made into cloth. v5 They should give the skins from male sheep and leather of good quality. They should colour those skins red. And they should give *acacia wood too. v6 Also, I need *olive oil for the lights. And I need powder that has a sweet smell. I need it for the special oil. And I need the powder to burn. v7 Also, they should give precious stones like *onyx. These will display on the priests’ special clothes.’

v8 ‘Then let them make a holy place for me. And I will live among them. v9 This holy place will be my tent called the *Tabernacle. I will show to you the design for it. You must make everything that belongs to it exactly like my design.’

Verses 1-7 describe the materials that Moses needed for God’s tent. In the special tent the *Israelites can *worship God. And the workers must make everything that the priests will use in it. God wanted everyone to help. So he gave a list of the materials that they would need. But each person must decide which of those things he wanted to give to God. And the amount that they gave should be generous.

Some of the gold and the silver came from Egypt (Exodus 12:35). *Bronze is a metal. People make it out of two other metals called copper and tin. People dug copper out of the ground in that area. Probably the blue and the purple colours came from the shells of fish that lived in the Mediterranean Sea. The bright red colour came from a small insect. Goats’ hair made a dark material that the rain did not go through. People who wandered from place to place, made their tents out of goat’s hair. Paul used goats’ hair to make tents (Acts 18:3). And people who wander like that today use it for their tents. The male sheep’s skins and the goat’s skins provided good quality leather. *Acacia trees are common in the region that is called Sinai. They provide a dark, hard kind of wood.

There was a list of powders with a sweet smell. And the *Israelites made the special oil only out of the powders on the list (Exodus 30:23-29). These powders came from plants with a strong, pleasant smell. They put that special oil on a person’s head. It was a *sign that God chose him for a special job. Then he served God as a king or as a priest. God told Moses to make that oil from a special mixture of expensive powders. Nobody must use it for ordinary purposes. Moses had to put that oil on Aaron and his sons. He had to separate them from other people in order to serve as priests. Also, Moses had to put that oil on God’s tent (the *Tabernacle). And he had to put that oil on everything that was in the tent. It showed that those things belonged to God. They were holy. The *Israelites should use them to *worship God only.

*Onyx is a precious stone. It has stripes of two different colours in it. An *onyx stone was one of the special stones that they put on the priests’ special clothes (Exodus 28:15-30). They cut the names of Israel’s 12 sons into the *onyx stones.

Verses 8-9 Moses had to make a special tent for the *LORD. This tent is called the *Tabernacle. It is where God would live with the *Israelites. Moses had to make sure that everything was right. He had to make everything as God ordered.

The special box – verses 10-22

v10 ‘Let them make a box out of *acacia wood. Make it about 42 inches (110 centimetres) long, 25 inches (66 centimetres) wide, and 25 inches (66 centimetres) high. v11 Cover it both inside and outside with pure gold. Put a narrow piece of gold round it. v12 Make 4 gold rings for it and fasten the rings to its 4 lower corners. Put 2 rings on one side and 2 rings on the other side. v13 Then make poles out of *acacia wood and cover them with gold too. v14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the box. And use the poles to carry the box. v15 The poles must remain in the rings on this box. You must not remove them. v16 I will give to you the flat stones where I have written my 10 *commandments. And you must put them in the box.’

v17 ‘Make a top or cover for it out of pure gold. Make it 42 inches (110 centimetres) long and 25 inches (66 centimetres) wide. This cover will be a place where God can forgive you. v18 At the ends of this cover make 2 *heavenly figures out of gold. You must hit the gold with a hammer in order to make all this. v19 Make the first *heavenly figure on one end of the top. And make the second *heavenly figure on the other end. These *heavenly figures must be part of the cover itself. v20 They must spread their wings over the top of the box. And their faces must look towards each other. But they must look down at the top of the box. v21 Place this cover on the box. Put the flat stones inside the box because I have written my rules on those stones for you. v22 And I will meet you there above the cover and between the 2 *heavenly figures. They stand over this special box that contains the two flat stones. That is where I have written my rules for you. And there I will give to you all my *commandments for the *Israelites.’

Verse 10 This special box was about 42 inches (110 centimetres) long, 25 inches (66 centimetres) wide, and 25 inches (66 centimetres) high.

Verses 11-16 Pure gold covered the special box. And the gold showed that it was very special. The *Israelites made it for God. So it was a part of the way that they *worshipped God. The special box had poles in rings at the sides. That was how the priests carried it. When they carried it, they would hold just the 2 poles. This box was very special. So God did not permit anyone to touch it. It would contain the two flat stones on which God had written his 10 *commandments. Some translations call those flat stones the testimony. The stones were like a witness in a court. They agreed with all that God had ordered his people. They were a *sign of the special promise that God had made to the *Israelites.

Verses 17-22 Probably they made the *heavenly figures in the shape of animals. And probably they made them with people’s faces. And they had wings. They were like the models that other people made in ancient times. They made them to guard their *temples. But those *heavenly figures were on the top of the special box as God’s servants. Later, king Solomon’s *temple had 2 much larger *heavenly figures. They were about 18 feet (5.5 metres) high. Solomon’s workers did not fix them to the gold cover (2 Chronicles 3:10). This cover reminded the *Israelites that God was willing to forgive them. They killed animals at the *altar. And the blood of those animals united them with God again. The *Hebrew word for cover is like another *Hebrew word. It means, ‘God has made a way to forgive’. Leviticus 23:27-28 speaks about the special day each year when God forgave the *Israelites’ *sins. God was present over the special box. The cover was like God’s royal seat. Psalms 99:1 describes the *LORD on his royal seat between the *heavenly figures.

The special box would contain the two flat stones with God’s 10 *commandments on them. While Moses was alive, that special box was always with the people. It was like a request to God that he would defeat the enemies along the way. Each night when they stopped, Moses spoke to the *LORD again. He asked God to stay close to his people, the *Israelites (Numbers 10:35-36). Many years later king David took that special box to Jerusalem. And the city became God’s royal seat on earth (Psalms 9:11).

The table – verses 23-30

v23 ‘Make a table out of *acacia wood. Make it 34 inches (88 centimetres long), and 17 inches (44 centimetres) wide, and 26 inches (66 centimetres) high. v24 Cover it with pure gold. And make a narrow piece of gold round the top. v25 Also make an edge round it about the width of a hand. Put a narrow piece of gold on the edge too. v26 Make 4 gold rings for the table. Fasten them to the table’s 4 corners. v27 The rings must be close to the edge. The poles that the men use in order to carry the table must go through the rings. v28 Make the poles out of *acacia wood and cover the poles with gold. Then use them to carry the table. v29 Make plates and large spoons, called ladles, out of pure gold. And make gold jugs and bowls that the priests can use. They will pour out the drinks that people will give to God. v30 Put the special bread on this table. It shows that I am present. And it should be always there in front of me.’

Verses 23-29 The workers made the table out of *acacia wood. Then they covered it with gold. And they covered its rings and poles with gold too. The poles went through the rings so that the priests could carry the table. When they travelled, they carried God’s special tent and all its furniture with them.

Verse 30 The priests arranged 2 rows of bread on the table. There were 6 flat loaves in each row. That was 1 loaf to *represent each of the 12 *Israelite families. The priests changed the loaves each week and put fresh bread in their place. But God said that only the priests should eat that special bread. These loaves showed that God provides. He gave to the *Israelites all that they needed. Also they showed that the people gave the result of their work to God. Jesus referred to this special bread. He said that the priest had given it to David. David and his men were hungry, so they came to the priest for help (1 Samuel 21:6 and Mark 2:25-26).

The *lampstand – verses 31-40

v31 ‘Make a *lampstand out of pure gold. Hit the gold with a hammer to make the base and pole of the *lampstand. And all its cups and flowers must be a part of the same lump of gold. v32 The pole on the *lampstand should have 6 branches on the sides. Put 3 branches on one side and put 3 branches on the other side. v33 On one branch put 3 cups. You must shape them like the flowers of the *almond tree together with young flowers. Put 3 cups on the next branch too. Do this to all 6 of the branches on the *lampstand. v34 Also, on the top of the *lampstand there must be 4 cups. Shape these like *almond flowers with young flowers as well. v35 And 1 young flower must be under the first pair of branches where they join the *lampstand. A second young flower must be under the second pair of branches. And a third young flower must be under the third pair of branches. They should be under all 6 branches. v36 The flowers and the branches must be part of the *lampstand. The workers must hit them with a hammer out of the same lump of pure gold. v37 Then make seven lamps for the *lampstand. Place the lamps upon it. Then they will shine onto the space in front of it. v38 Also you need trays and scissors to look after the lamps. Make these trays and scissors out of pure gold too. v39 You will need about 77 pounds (35 kilos) of pure gold to make the *lampstand and all its equipment. v40 And you must make everything like the design that I showed you on the mountain.’

Verses 31-37 The *lampstand has 7 branches. The *Jewish name for this *lampstand is ‘menorah’. It has become a *sign for the modern country called *Israel. In God’s special tent, the priests used it to give light in the dark Holy Place. Also perhaps it was a *sign to remind the *Israelites. They should be a ‘light to other people who do not recognise God’ (Isaiah 60:3). In Psalms 27:1 the writer says that God is his light. God made him alive and God guided him. The number 7 is a *sign that something is perfect. So the 7 branches and everything on the *lampstand were solid gold. The workers needed about 77 pounds (35 kilos) of gold to make it all. The name for that amount was a *talent. The *almond tree was the first tree to have flowers in the spring. The young *almond flowers (called buds) and the flowers made the *lampstand beautiful. Perhaps that reminded people that God cared about his people, the *Israelites. Many years later, when Jeremiah saw an *almond tree, it reminded him about God’s character. God was awake and he was looking after his people (Jeremiah 1:11-12).

Verses 38-39 There were 7 cups at the top of the branches. Each of the cups had a piece of string in it. This string brought the oil up into the cup. And the oil on the string burnt when the priest lit it. The priest used the gold scissors to look after those strings. Perhaps he used the trays to prepare the oil. Also, he had to cut off the pieces of the string that had burnt. So probably, he used the trays to receive those pieces of the string.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.
Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a gift to God.
Tabernacle ~ God’s special tent.
LORD ~ God gave this special name to himself. It translates the word ‘Yahweh’ in the Hebrew language. It links to the words ‘I am’; it means that God has been here always.

Lord ~ a name for God. It translates the Hebrew word ‘Adonai’, which means ‘my ruler’. The word ‘lord’ (without a capital letter) means an ordinary ruler.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Israelites spoke. A Hebrew is a Jewish person or an Israelite

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
bronze ~ a kind of metal that people make out of copper and tin.
linen ~ a special kind of cloth of good quality. People make it from the plant called *flax.
acacia ~ a kind of tree that grows in dry land.
olive ~ a fruit tree; people press its green or black fruit to obtain olive oil. People use the oil for cooking and for fuel in their lamps. The Israelites gave it to God as one of their gifts to him.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
onyx ~ a precious stone; usually it has black and white stripes, or brown and white stripes.
bronze ~ a kind of metal that people make out of copper and tin.
acacia ~ a kind of tree that grows in dry land.
sign ~ a signal; a mark to show that something is special; a powerful act.
onyx ~ a precious stone; usually it has black and white stripes, or brown and white stripes.
commandment ~ a rule or an order that God gave to the Jews. The 10 rules that God gave to Moses on the mountain called Mount Sinai (or Horeb); an order from someone who has authority.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.

Mount ~ another name for mountain.

'heavenly figures ~ Heaven is the place where God lives. Artists make figures. They look like people or other things that live with God.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God. King Solomon built the first temple.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.

worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a gift to God.
altar ~ a table on which people give gifts or *sacrifices to God or to a false god.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Israelites spoke. A Hebrew is a Jewish person or an Israelite

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
sin ~ the wrong things that people do against God or against other people; or, not to obey God.
represent ~ when a person acts on behalf of someone else; or you put something in place of something else.
lampstand ~ it held 7 lamps. They contained oil that burned, so the lamp-stand gave a lot of light.
almond ~ a kind of nut tree with beautiful flowers.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
talent ~ it weighed 3000 times as much as a shekel. It was the heaviest standard that they used to weigh things like gold, silver and other metals.

shekel ~ shekels weighed about 0.4 ounces (11 grams). It was the standard that they used to weigh things (especially gold and silver); they used it for God’s special tent and later, for the Temple.

temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God. King Solomon built the first temple.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.

worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a gift to God.