March 31, 2023

Building the Dwelling of the Lord

Exodus 25

Jake Bitting
Friday's Devo

March 31, 2023

Friday's Devo

March 31, 2023

Friday's Devo

March 31, 2023

Friday's Devo

March 31, 2023

Big Idea

God reveals the way and His will through His Word.

Key Verse | Exodus 25:8-9

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Exodus 25

Contributions for the Sanctuary

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, 5 tanned rams' skins, goatskins, 1 25:5 Uncertain; possibly dolphin skins, or dugong skins; compare 26:14 acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

10 They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits 2 25:10 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

17 You shall make a mercy seat 3 25:17 Or cover of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

The Table for Bread

23 You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth 4 25:25 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

The Golden Lampstand

31 You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent 5 25:39 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Footnotes

[1] 25:5 Uncertain; possibly dolphin skins, or dugong skins; compare 26:14
[2] 25:10 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[3] 25:17 Or cover
[4] 25:25 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
[5] 25:39 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

S2:065 Exodus 25

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Exodus 25

My wife and I have recently been enjoying watching a show called Alone. For those who haven't heard of the show, 10 people are dropped in separate remote locations with 10 items each and are tasked with surviving longer than the other nine contestants. Aside from food, water, and shelter, one of the hardest parts about being on the show is the fact that you are actually alone—totally isolated from others. It has been reminding me of how you and I were created for relationship, not only with others, but most importantly with the One who gives us breath in our lungs (Colossians 1:16). In Exodus 25:8, God Himself is speaking directly to Moses giving him the good news that His relationship with the Israelite people is still on!

Up to this point in Exodus, God has rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, sustained them through the wilderness, and is now breaking the news to Moses that He will once again dwell in their midst. The last time God dwelled with His people in this type of way was in the Garden of Eden. This was before Adam and Eve committed the first sin and fractured their relationship with God. Boy— how things have gone downhill from there! Now, after years and years of testing God's patience, not only is He still with them, He actually desires a deeper relationship with them because He knows that He is what's best for them.

What's the worst thing someone has ever said or done to you? It's tough news to break, but Scripture and the Holy Spirit show us that you and I do that same type of thing to God every single day. We are the ones that "know not what they do" (Luke 23:33-34), as Jesus said when the soldiers were nailing Him to the cross. Why in the world would God want to be with us even for one second?! And yet He does. Oh, the patience of our good Heavenly Father (Exodus 34:6-7). Will you let His boundless love and mercy motivate you today?

This month's memory verse

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

– John 14:27

Discussion Questions

1. How do you respond to God's desire to be in relationship with you? Have you considered recently the great lengths He went to, the sacrifice made, in order to make that possible?

2. Where else in Scripture do you find the theme of God's desire to dwell with His people?

3. How do you respond to God's detailed instructions in this passage? If you were in Moses' shoes, would you want to obey in joyful response to the overflow of God's love and kindness toward you? What do these instructions teach you about God?

4. What is the significance of the various furnishings of the Tabernacle in Exodus 25?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

GM Jake! Love your reminder that this chapter describes a joyous reunion with God and His “treasured possession”. Q1. Part of what hung me up for a long time was this idea. How could God want a relationship with someone like me? More than anything else prayer has helped me close the gap. In some ways silence is the best way as I can listen rather than talking all the time. Q2. Understanding “dwell”; šâḵan; “to reside or permanently stay, abide, continue, inhabit, remain, rest, set.”, (Strong’s). Here are 24 verses about “dwell”. https://dailyverses.net/search/Dwell Q3. I struggle with Google Maps!! I would totally struggle with this much detail. Once I understand what he wants me to know I’d think it would be easier. Q4. OK. Let’s talk about gold. I count 17 times “gold” is referred to regarding the furnishings. Why does God require its use? - especially pure gold?
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Hugh Stephenson

“Gold is one of the seven metals of alchemy (gold, silver, mercury, copper, lead, iron & tin). For the alchemist, it represented the perfection of all matter on any level, including that of the mind, spirit, and soul.” More here- https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=attributes+of+gold&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 And how about how it’s refined? What’s with all the 9s? https://www.britannica.com/technology/cupellation https://www.omjewellers.com.au/different-types-of-gold-karats/#:~:text=24%20karat%20gold%20means%2024,is%20naturally%20the%20most%20expensive. https://www.businesstoday.in/personal-finance/top-story/story/is-the-gold-you-are-buying-999-or-9999-pure-349717-2022-10-13 And how much gold is there? https://www.gold.org/goldhub/data/how-much-gold And what it its value? https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/chart-how-much-gold-is-in-the-world/ How does God use gold to describe my relationship with Him? Zechariah 13:9, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Malachi 3:3 Voluntary contributions? “All things belong to God.” Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 89:11, Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:22, Exodus 9:29, Exodus 19:5, Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 10:26, Psalm 50:12, Psalm 104:24, Leviticus 25:23, Job 41:11, Psalm 95:4, Psalm 95:5, Psalm 50:10, Psalm 50:11, Leviticus 27:26, Leviticus 27:30, Haggai 2:8, Leviticus 3:16, Psalm 74:16, Jeremiah 46:10, Daniel 2:20, Romans 12:19
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Hugh Stephenson

So what am I to make of all this? A teacher suggests that when reading a passage to ask oneself, “What question does this passage answer?” Some ideas- What is God like? What will it look like for Him to be with us? What will this tabernacle and the furnishings tell me about Him? About me? https://www.gotquestions.org/ark-of-the-covenant.html https://www.gotquestions.org/ark-of-the-testimony.html https://www.gotquestions.org/mercy-seat.html https://www.gotquestions.org/cherubim.html https://www.gotquestions.org/acacia-wood.html https://www.gotquestions.org/lampstand-Bible.html https://www.gotquestions.org/bread-of-the-presence.html Part of what makes it real to me is a video of a kid who is totally color blind then gets glasses that let him see colors. Here’s several. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=you+tube+color+blind+kids+gets+glasses&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 I know how he feels. I was not colorblind but was blind to my sin. “I’m restless until I rest in him.” Augustine.
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Michael Sisson

Re: Ex 25:8 See also Jn 1:14; 1Cor 6:19, 2Cor 6:16 “…the concept of a spiritual Temple did not originate with Christianity. For example, the ancient rabbis looked closely at the verse, ‘And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst’ (Ex 25:8). In Hebrew, this verse can also be understood as ‘They will make me a sanctuary, but I will dwell within them.’ In other words, God’s faithful people have always constituted a dwelling place for his Spirit. “This illustrates an important concept in a Jewish frame of mind: physical and spiritual realities can exist simultaneously. The heavenly tabernacle already existed before God commanded Moses to build one on earth; the heavenly tabernacle was the ‘pattern’ that God showed him on the mountain (Ex 25:9). One does not negate or obviate the other.” — First Fruits of Zion https://ffoz.org/discover/prayer/jerusalem-and-the-body-of-messiah.html Re: Ex 25:14 Ex 25:14 (NASB) “You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, >>>to carry the ark with them.<<< During King David’s reign, the Israelites ignored this ordinance, and it cost Uzzah his life. (See 2Sam 6:3-7) For an interesting discussion about the Ark’s poles compared to similar Egyptian examples, see the following The Torah website link: https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-poles-of-the-ark-and-tutankhamuns-chest Re: Ex 25:15 See 1Kgs 8:8 Re: Ex 25:18,19,22 Interesting juxtapositioning... Ex 25:18 (NASB) “You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.” Jn 20:12 (NASB) ...and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. If this coincidence is meant to connect Ex 25:18 with Jn 20:12, then it also connects Ex 25:22 to Jn 20:12 and hints at the deity of Christ.
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Chris Landry

From Got Questions: The cherubim serve the purpose of magnifying the holiness and power of God. This is one of their main responsibilities throughout the Bible. In addition to praising God, they also serve as a visible reminder of the majesty and glory of God and His abiding presence with His people. *****Can I be that, too? Can I be like the Cherubim described here? Not from a position of heavenly hosting and all of that. But really....can I serve as a visible reminder of God's glory and represent what it looks and feels like to be with someone in which God is abiding? I think God's detailed account left for us in Exodus 25 can point me to a God that is orderly, intentional, and passionate for relationship with me and, Lord willing, I can be that abiding presence via the Holy Spirit to someone else....to show them and remind them that, "While I was still a sinner, Christ died for me...." <<<<<<< THIS is the example of God's pursuit and desire of His people. Of me. Of you. Also....the video on this page is kind of mind blowingly awesome if you have 4min. - https://bibleproject.com/blog/what-does-the-bible-say-about-angels-and-cherubim/
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Michael Scaman

Here they are in the dessert for 3 months and they had enough they they took from the Egyptians to make the Tabernacle. Lots of gold and fabrics and woods. That as an amazing provision and providence of God for them to do what he wanted. Th ark is made of materials both precious and common: wood and gold and speak to Jesus as fully divine and fully but un-fallen human. Psalm 68 has the ark going up mt Zion and Ephesians quotes it pointing to the ascension of Christ, supporting the view the ark points to Christ.
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Amy Lowther

1. I listen to his words and practice his ideas whenever possible. Yes. 2. God’s desire to dwell with his people is expressed in Ezekiel 37:27 and Leviticus 26:11. 3. Thank you for the privileges. I will complete the tasks as instructed. Yes, I would obey God in joyful response. These instructions tell us God likes nice things, likes being respected, and wants people believing in themselves. 4. The various furnishings of the Tabernacle were chosen in respect of God and the people of Israel.
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Sue Bohlin

Hi Jake! And thank you! I smiled when I read that God promised to dwell WITH His people, knowing that now, in New Testament days, He dwells IN us! Talk about an upgrade! This morning I was able to read the JTJ but ran out of time to comment because we had to leave for UT Southwestern for a PET scan, looking for a recurrence of cancer since I'm 3 months out from my surgery. While I was in the giant machine, I smiled again thinking about this morning's reading, and said, "Jesus, I'm so glad You're not only WITH me in this tube, You are IN me in this tube!" And He really blessed me when we visited my surgeon a little later and he said the scan was clear, and my tongue looked "perfect" and "fantastic." (Oh yeah--I pay close attention to those kinds of words!)