April 11, 2023

Continual Burnt Offering

Exodus 27 - 28

Will McIlroy
Tuesday's Devo

April 11, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

April 11, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

April 11, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

April 11, 2023

Big Idea

God reveals the way and His will through His Word.

Key Verse | Exodus 27:20-21

"You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

Exodus 27 - 28

The Bronze Altar

1 You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits 1 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

The Court of the Tabernacle

9 You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

Oil for the Lamp

20 You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

The Priests' Garments

1 Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

15 You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span 2 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, 3 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly.

31 You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, 4 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36 You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

40 For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

Footnotes

[1] 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[2] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters
[3] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain
[4] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail

S2:067 Exodus 27 - 28

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Exodus 27 - 28

I have never been accused of being a detail-oriented person, so chapters like this can be challenging. As I explored the key verses of Exodus 27:20-21, however, I was reminded that God's glory shines in small details as much as in the big events. 

We just read about the Golden Lampstand in Exodus 25:31-40. However, we were never told how they were to be used until today. It should be obvious though, right? These lamps are meant to be lit continuously. Lamps that do not light are as useless as a fish that does not swim or a car engine that does not ignite.  Their purpose is to always be shining for God.

Keeping the lampstand burning was no easy task. Aaron and his sons were charged with the duty of finding the finest oil and were told to "tend it from evening to morning before the LORD" (Exodus 27:21). The lamps required constant attention, fine oil, and the constant trimming of wicks to keep the fire burning.

 Just like the lamps, we, too, have a purpose. That purpose is to give glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). How do we give glory to God? By allowing the Holy Spirit, which is symbolized by the oil, to shine through us. As the lamps were meant to burn continuously, our lives are meant to always burn for the Lord. But, if I am being honest, I cannot burn for the Lord by my own strength. I need the strength of the Spirit to supply my "oil" and to "trim" my life so that my flame keeps burning.

Lastly, as I read these verses, I am reminded of times when it feels like my lamp is about to go dark—when times are hard, and my faith is shaky. If that is you right now, I want you to look to Isaiah 42:3, "[A] bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench." Be reminded that a faintly burning wick is infinitely brighter than a wick that is not burning at all. Be reminded that God, in His mercy, will never quench our faith. 

This month's memory verse

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

– Philippians 4:4-5

Discussion Questions

1. How have you been living out your purpose? How have you been glorifying God? 

2. Would you say you have been on fire for the Lord? Or has it been difficult lately? How can you find comfort in verses like Isaiah 42:3?

3. Aaron and the priests constantly tended to the lampstand. How can you tend to your own soul? Or, to say it another way, how can you allow the Holy Spirit to supply your oil and trim your life so that you can burn brightly for the Lord?

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 Will. Confessions of two non-detail guys. Even so, there are clearly some key details God wants me to know and will tell me through the tabernacle and its elements. What does God want me to know, be reminded, learn? Tabernacle itself- All or part of Chapters 25-31 are about the tabernacle, including the detail about the priests, their garments, their consecration, and service. Chapters 35-40 are about preparations and execution of the construction as well as the erection and consecration. That’s 13 of the 40 chapters, almost 1/3 of the entire book. CLEARLY there are foundational understandings that are being conveyed. Thinking more about this- It isn’t clear how much this generation knew about the Patriarchs as they lived over 400 years prior with no written record. Even so, they had not heard from God since then. So it makes sense that God would want/need to educate and equip them.
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Hugh Stephenson

ONE- The tabernacle was a portable temple. A “tented palace for Israel’s divine king”. He’s enthroned on the ark. I have not fully appreciated this direct link to the later temple build by Solomon. How does this connect to the indwelling the Holy Spirit in me? -It was the means through which he would dwell with them. -Metals: the closer you got to the Ark the more valuable the metals bronze, silver, gold. -Colors: Purples denotes royal, and blue denotes divinity TWO- The tabernacle links to the garden of Eden, God’s dwelling place before the Fall. Noting the east facing entrance guarded by cherubim, gold, the tree of life, “lamp stand), and the tree of knowledge, (law). https://www.gotquestions.org/tree-knowledge-good-evil.html https://www.gotquestions.org/tree-of-life.html https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/tree-of-life/ https://bibleproject.com/podcast/tree-knowing-good-bad/ BRONZE ALTAR– Upon entering the tabernacle the first thing that one sees is the place where sacrifices are made to God so that the people can come to Him. The offerings were burnt offerings. “The sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ.” Got Qs. https://www.gotquestions.org/burnt-offering.html https://www.gotquestions.org/Old-Testament-sacrifices.html https://bibleproject.com/podcast/what-did-burnt-offerings-really-mean/ “We present to Him our bodies (Romans 12:1-2), or material wealth (Philippians 4:18), praise and good works (Hebrews 13:15-16), and a broken heart (Psalm 51:17).” “God met the Israelite where he was, in the courtyard, rather than where He was, within the veil.” "The position of the Altar just inside the entrance to the court made it as clear as symbology could that the beginning of fellowship between God and man must be in sacrifice." “Nevertheless, the Israelite had to make a special effort to approach God, by entering the courtyard to present his offering (cf. 2 Cor. 5:18-20). There was only one entrance (cf. John 10:9; 14:6).”
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Hugh Stephenson

PRIESTLY GARMENTS- -Vivid colors represent the Glory of the Lord. -The colors are the same ones used in the tabernacle itself. -The jewels and stones name each of the 12 tribes. -The Urim and Thummim were given to convey God’s will, (c.f. Holy Spirit in NT). -The garments cover the entire body so that no “nakedness” would be shown in God’s presence, (c.f. Genesis 3:7) Consecration- Al the elements; the tabernacle, the materials, the tools/implements, the garments were “set apart” therefore represented God’s holiness. “Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?” https://utmost.org/look-again-and-consecrate/ “Thus God’s dwelling in the tabernacle was a step toward the restoration of paradise, which is to be completed in the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21–22).” (Constable).
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Michael Sisson

Re:Ex 27:21,28:43 Ex 27:21 (NASB) “In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; >>>it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.<<< Ex 28:43 (NASB) “They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. >>>It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.<<< Both chapters conclude with statements that these statutes would remain applicable in perpetuity. If we accept the p’shat (simple, historical/grammatical interpretation) of these verses, we must conclude they are in effect “forever,” and were not abrogated by Messiah’s atoning work on our behalf. This understanding agrees with Yeshua’s (Jesus’) own testimony in Mt 5:17-19 and G-d’s promise in Jer 33:17-18. If we believe “forever” means something else here, we should worry what “forever” actually means in other verses like Mt 6:13; Lk 1:33; Jn 6:51,6:58,14:16.
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Sue Bohlin

Will, thanks so much! Shine on! I have questions. Hoping there will be a line in heaven for these questions . . . Like, the Israelites were a nomadic people for 40 years in the desert. Where did they get olive oil for the lamp for FORTY YEARS??!!! Where did they get the fine twisted linen for the priests' garments? We are still buying and using Egyptian linen today; did the Israelites bring a bunch of it when they escaped from Egypt? While pondering these questions, I read about God's instructions for the twelve gemstones for the high priest's sacred garment. Where did those gemstones come from? I would imagine, He sovereignly plucked them out of the hands of Egyptians the night of the Exodus when the Israelites plundered their neighbors on the first "trick or treat." From the beginning, He intended for those twelve gemstones to be part of His glorious worship ensemble for the high priest. I bet there were twelve or so people who were very proud of what they had scored off the Egyptians in these early post-exodus days . . . and then Moses would announce that Yahweh commanded that those twelve gems be put on display in Aaron's garment. Here's the rub: the gems never belonged to the people who had them in their possession; they were merely temporary stewards of God's beauty and glory. I would imagine there would be a test of people's hearts who were holding the gemstones: would they freely turn them over to Moses with the understanding that they had always belonged to Yahweh and they had merely been the carriers till it was time to assemble the worship elements, or would they selfishly be like the seagulls in Finding Nemo, "Mine! Mine! Mine!" Or worse, Gollum in Lord of the Rights: "My Precioussssssssss!" What a reminder that every penny that goes through our hands (or our bank account) actually belongs to God, and we are only stewards, or managers, of His treasure. We need to be ready to be tapped on the heart to give back whenever God says, "Time to hand over My treasure," just like the gemstone carriers in Exodus.
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Amy Lowther

1. I was always a good helper in elementary school. I progressed through junior high and high school always trying to do what was good and right. I currently work as a Quality Assurance Associate supporting workers in producing quality products and orders for multiple levels of customers. I also currently greet Sundays for Frontlines, welcoming several guests into the church each Sunday, speaking with them and helping them when appropriate to have great experiences. I glorify God by using His values and His guidance to care for everything I do and everyone with whom I interact. 2. I think God is alive in each of us. I think God is a good friend for each of us in everything we do everyday. God loves each of us and wants us to do our best. 3. I can tend to my soul by getting God’s guidance in everything I do and working at life His way everyday when things are good and when things are bad. I can tend to my soul by reading the Bible and sharing it with others, by attending services and applying learned information in daily life, and by serving others.
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Michael Scaman

Zechariah will have about 7 surrealistic Picasso like visions that are take offs of aspects of the temple and the law. One will concern the 4 horns on the alter. After the surrealistic visions of the temple and law, Zechariah speaks much much more plainly about the coming Messiah.