"This chapter contains construction details for making the altar of burnt offering, the bronze basin, and the courtyard. It also lists the inventory of materials used to make everything in the tabernacle."
38 Then Bezalel made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; its top was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide, and three cubits high. 2 And he made its horns (horn-shaped projections) on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar [of burnt offering], the pots, shovels, basins [to catch the blood of the sacrificed animal], meat hooks and the firepans [to store live coals]. He made all its utensils of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze mesh under its rim, extending halfway up it. 5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the carrying poles. 6 And he made the carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.
8 Bezalel made the basin and its base of bronze from the mirrors of the attending women who served and ministered at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.
9 Then he made the court: for the south side the curtains of the court were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits; 10 their twenty support poles, and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 11 And for the north side [of the court the curtains were also] a hundred cubits; their twenty support poles and their twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 12 For the west side [of the court] there were curtains of fifty cubits with their ten support poles and their ten sockets; the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were silver. 13 For the east side [the front of the courtyard, there were curtains of] fifty cubits. 14 The curtains for one side of the court gate were fifteen cubits, with their three support poles and their three sockets; 15 and the same for the other side [of the court gate]. Left and right of the court gate there were curtains of fifteen cubits; with their three support poles and their three sockets. 16 All the curtains around the court were of fine twisted linen. 17 The sockets for the support poles were made of bronze, the hooks of the support poles and their connecting rings were made of silver; and silver overlaid their tops. All the support poles of the court had silver connecting rings. 18 The screen (curtain) for the gate of the courtyard [on the east side] was the work of an embroiderer, in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, corresponding to the curtains of the court. 19 Their four support poles and their four sockets were bronze; their hooks were silver, and silver overlaid their tops and their connecting rings. 20 All the pegs for the tabernacle and the court were bronze.
- THE TABERNACLE COMPLETED. Finally! I wonder how long, how many days, weeks, or months that the skilled people of Israel were able to do all the things that God has commanded them.. It was all very detailed, nothing God said was not accomplished, everything was followed to a T. For sure, all those metal works and linen works took much time. Maybe despite of being tired, the Israelites worked with joy because the Spirit of God was upon them.
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the building and furnishing of the sanctuary, the gold from the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver from those of the congregation who were assembled and counted was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26 a beka for each man (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone who was counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil (partition curtain); a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28 Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the support poles and overlaid their tops and made connecting rings for them. 29 The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels. 30 With it Bezalel made the sockets for the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31 and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs around the court.
- THE COST OF THE TABERNACLE. This part of the story shows good governance or leadership of Moses to all the people of God, the Israelites. Moses commanded the count of all the cost of the Tabernacle. This also shows transparency to the people, all their offerings for the work of God were accounted for and documented. There was a system, and it was organized. I believe no material was ever put to waste, and that's good stewardship of God's blessings. God is an excellent God and a God of order-- as His people, we ought to do the same as well, in our jobs, in our personal lives, in our business, in the church, in the missions, etc.
After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):
a. From the bronze mirrors of the serving women: Exodus 30:17-21 gave the original command to build this container for the water of ceremonial washing. Here only are we told that the bronze used to make the laver came, at least in part, from the polished metal mirrors of some of the women of Israel.
i. It is wonderful to think that these women gave up their ability to measure their own physical beauty to make this reservoir for the water of ceremonial washing. By analogy, it may be said that some are so focused on looking at themselves that they fail to look to Jesus. It is always time to surrender such a mirror to Jesus.
ii. From a New Testament perspective, one may say that believers experience the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26), and that the word of God is like a mirror (James 1:22-25).
b. The serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting: Apparently, there were a group of women in Israel who served God by regularly meeting to help the priests and the work of the tabernacle.
i. “The verb translated minister is rare and interesting, and is used in only one other place of women in the service of the sanctuary (1 Samuel 2:22). It really means ‘organized in bands for war’, but it is used of ordinary Levitical service (Numbers 4:23, etc.).” (Cole)
a. By the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest: This priest named Ithmar oversaw the Levites who had the responsibility of managing all these resources. They had a big job to do and seemed to do it well.
b. Which was counted according to the commandment of Moses: By some estimations the present day value of the materials used in the tabernacle would total more than $13 million (DeWitt). Their combined weight would be almost 19,000 pounds (more than 9 tons or 8,500 kilograms). This was a significant project to manage.
i. “The exact calculation teaches the necessity of thoroughness and accuracy in all things connected with money for religious work.” (Thomas)
ii. Some wonder where Israel got all these resources out in the middle of the desert. But Exodus 12:36 reminds us that the children of Israel left Egypt with great resources because they had plundered the Egyptians, who willingly gave Israel what amounted to back wages for their years of slavery.
a. Twenty-nine talents: Some estimate a talent to equal about 70 pounds (32 kilograms). This means there was something like 2,030 pounds (920 kilograms) of gold used in the tabernacle.
a. The silver from those who were numbered: Exodus 30:13-16 described how the Israelites were to give silver as part of a census, a counting of the nation. This accounts for the high amount of silver given.
Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-38.cfm ©2013 David Guzik
https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html
"In the Old Testament, the high priest was the only man to enter into the Holy of Holies. He would only enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the nation of Israel. After Jesus came to this earth in the form of a man, he bled and died for our sin. He is the atoning sacrifice for all people, past, present, and future. From John 14:6, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes into the presence of the Father but by Him."
From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:" "Every individual will have to personally accept the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You have to pay the redemption price. What is it? Well, it is not silver or gold. The only condition is that you must be thirsty. Would you like to have a drink of the water of life? It is free. Salvation is free, but it is no cheap. It cost God everything. He gave His Son to die on the cross and to pay the price of our redemption. We are redeemed by His blood."
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