Exodus Chapter Thirty-Eight

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1 Exodus Chapter Thirty-Eight Overview Exodus chapter 38 records the Israelites conscientiously obeying the Lord s instructions with regards to constructing the main altar (1-7), the bronze basin and stand (8), the courtyard (9-20) as well as the inventory of the tabernacle construction or in other words it presents to the reader the amounts of materials used for the tabernacle and its furnishings (21-31). The construction of the things was in obedience to the Lord s commands which appear in 27:1-8a (main altar), 30:17-21 (bronze basin and stand) and 27:9-19 (tabernacle courtyard). The amount of the materials used in the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings is a general fulfillment of the Lord s instructions in Exodus 25:1-3a. Exodus 38:1-7: Construction of the Main Altar Exodus 38:1 Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2 He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3 He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5 He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks. (NASB95) Exodus 38:1-7 records the Israelites constructing the main altar in fulfillment of the Lord s commands to do so as recorded in Exodus 27:1-8a. These two passages teach that in the courtyard of the tabernacle, there was an altar called the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 30:28; Leviticus 4:7, 10, 18) and it was also called the bronze altar (Exodus 38:30). Unlike the altar of incense which was located in the Holy of Holies and mentioned in Exodus 30:1-10, this altar was used exclusively for animal sacrifices. Altar is the noun miz bē a ḥ ( (מ ז בּ ח (miz-bay -akh), which was the place where the substitutionary animal was sacrificed, i.e. the burnt offering. Burnt offering is the noun ʿō lā(h) (ע ל ה) (o-law), which portrays or typifies that aspect of Jesus Christ s spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross, which would propitiate the Father (1 John 2:2; 4:10). The burnt offering in Leviticus 1:2-17 depicts the doctrine of propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 The altar of burnt offering or the bronze altar resided in the courtyard and was made of acacia wood and overlaid with bronze rather than gold. It was five cubits long and five cubits wide and its height three cubits. This means that it would have been seven feet six inches long and seven feet six inches wide and four feet six inches in height. Thus, there was a total of fifty-six and one-quarter square feet of grilling area. Of course, minus whatever was taken up by the corner horns and any rim that may have surrounded the top, if either of these imposed upon the total surface top. The corners of the altar had horns, which were actually protrusions, which curved upward from the flat plane of the main surface of the altar. This contributed in holding anything on the altar from falling over the edge. The horns were to be covered with blood at the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29:1, 10-12; Leviticus 8:14-15; 9:9) and on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:18). Leviticus 6:13 teaches that the fire on this altar was never allowed to go out. The implements to be used in serving at this altar were composed of bronze, which was the metal used outdoors in the ancient world. The utensils that were used for serving at the altar included: (1) Ash pots to catch the ashes from the surface temporarily before dumping. (2) Shovels for cleaning the altar or removing the ashes and reconfiguring the live coals, which cooked the meat. (3) Sprinkling basins that would hold liquids for sprinkling water on the flames to moderate them or sprinkling cooking oil on the food or on the surface altar. (4) Meat hooks for 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 handling the meat. (5) Firepots to hold live coals for getting new fires going each morning (38:3; Num. 16:17) (6) Snuffers (Ex. 25:38). The altar of burnt offering had a bronze grilling surface or grating and a bronze network or net/strainer/grillwork, which was to hang below the surface, halfway from the surface to the ground. Transporting this altar was much like the transportation method employed for the ark. Namely, two acacia wood poles overlaid with metal, which in this case would be bronze and they would be inserted through rings fixed on two sides of the altar. This was for the purpose that the altar could be carried by a group of Levitical priests. More than likely there would be eight of these priests transporting the altar. This altar taught the Israelites that they, as sinners, could only approach a holy God by means of a substitutionary sacrifice, which would atone for their sins. Theses sacrifices portrayed the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross (Hebrews 10:1-18). It was lightweight and not a solid box. Rather it was to be a framework of wood overlaid with bronze as well as a bronze top grating along with a wood net/strainer/grillwork. The last part of this verse reminds the reader that there were more details with regards to this altar than have been provided here in writing. The altar of burnt offering was fundamentally different from the pagan altars of the day, which were intended to appease their gods or the feeding of the gods appetites in the hope that they might be bribed or cajoled into sparing them from illness or disaster by virtue of the offerings they placed on the altar. The positioning of the altar in the tabernacle courtyard before the entrance into the tabernacle taught the Israelites that they could not approach a holy God as sinners without a sacrifice. This atonement sacrifice for sin was taught by Adam and Eve to their children. Abel offered a blood animal sacrifice whereas Cain did not. The Lord accepted the former and not the latter. Exodus 38:8: Construction of the Bronze Basin and Stand Exodus 38:8 Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. (NASB95) Exodus 38:8 records the Israelites constructing the bronze basin and stand in obedience to the Lord s command to do so which appears in Exodus 30: The last article of furniture which would reside in the tabernacle courtyard was the bronze laver or basin for holding water William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 Laver is the kiy yôr (כּ יּוֹר) (kee-yore ), which means basin, laver, i.e. a container for washing. It was round since the root of the word means to be round, rounded. This round laver or basin for holding water was placed upon a pedestal or base. This was to let water run out through taps of some kind for the priests to wash. They could not simply dip their dirty hands into the basin. This was for the priests to primarily wash their hands and feet before entering the tent. It would be in the courtyard between the altar and the tent. No dimensions are given to the reader. The washing basin was placed after the bronze altar of burnt offering before the tent of meeting which contained the holy place and holy of holies. In relation to the moment of conversion, the washing basin portrays the baptism of the Spirit, which refers to the Spirit uniting the believer to the Holy One, Jesus Christ and identifying the believer with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session (1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter Titus 3:5; 3:18-21). In relation to experiential sanctification and fellowship, the washing basin portrays the purification from sin as a result of confession of sin to the Father (1 John 1:9). The basis for the forgiveness of sins in relation to both justification and sanctification is Jesus Christ s finished work on the cross. So the washing basin portrays the baptism of the Spirit which takes place at the moment of conversion and the confession of sin after conversion. Today in the twenty-first century, people know the importance of washing hands and feet helps prevent the contraction and spread of disease. In Bible times, there was no understanding of germs. However, the God of Israel understood the importance and benefited His people Israel by teaching them the value of washing oneself. But there was another benefit in teaching the Israelites to wash themselves, that of being pure in His holy presence. It taught holiness demands purity. The justified sinner is made pure and thus holy through his or her faith in Jesus Christ whose substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross purified them from the sin nature and personal sin. When the justified sinner sins after conversion, he or she is purified from sin and sins by confessing their sins to the Father which results in forgiveness of these sins which is based upon the finished work of His Son on the cross. So the washing basin taught the Israelites the importance of being holy while in the presence of the Lord and respected Him. Exodus 38:8 presents a detail which is not mentioned in Exodus 30:17-21, namely certain women were employed to serve at the tabernacle entrance. We have no information which would tell us exactly what function these women performed. They quite possibly were stationed at the bronze basin in order to help with utensil cleanup or the general clean up of the courtyard as well as for the resupplying of water for the basin. They could have been used to clean the clothes of the priests as well as assisting other women worshippers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Exodus 38:9-20: Construction of the Tabernacle Courtyard Exodus 38:9 Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10 their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11 For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 12 For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13 For the east side fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15 and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17 The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. 18 The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20 All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze. (NASB95) Exodus 38:9-20 records the Israelites constructing the courtyard of the tabernacle, which fulfills the Lord s instructions to do this that are found in Exodus 27:9-19. These two pericopes tell us that the tabernacle complex was rectangular in shape. The courtyard was 150 feet (100 cubits) long and 75 feet (50 cubits) wide, or 11,250 square feet. The description of the courtyard begins with the two longest sides, namely the north and the south, each of which had one hundred and fifty feet (one hundred cubits) of curtains made of twisted linen supported by twenty posts (one every seven and a half feet or every five cubits). The west and east ends of the courtyard were half the length of the north and south sides. The dimensions presented indicate square curtains which were seven and a half feet (five cubits) on each side, which were attached to poles spaced just like the longer sides. The east side was the place of entrance is thus treated differently. It was seventy-five feet (fifty cubits) wide with two curtains coming from each corner toward the center. The 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 curtains stretched twenty-two and a half feet (fifteen cubits) each, thus leaving a gap in the center of the east side of thirty feet (twenty cubits). The material of the curtains is not specified but they probably were of the same material used in making the south, west and north sides. Their supporting bases would be spaced the same as the others were. These curtains were rectangular and not square since their length of twenty-two and a half feet (fifteen cubits) was three times their height (seven and a half feet or five cubits). A special entrance curtain hung in the center of the east side, which was thirty feet (twenty cubits) wide. It was composed of material like the inner curtains of the tabernacle with the exception of the cherubim woven into them. This curtain was to have four posts and four bases. The spaces of the supporting posts for this entrance curtain were the same on average as all the others around the courtyard, namely seven and a half feet or five cubits. All the posts around the courtyard were same. The curtain was one piece, which means that it was used for closing up the courtyard at night. During the daytime, this curtain would be gathered to one side to allow access. All the metal articles used in the courtyard were bronze. The reason for this is that the Exodus generation was in the Bronze Age. Before iron was used on a regular basis in approximately 1200 B.C., bronze was the common metal used in the ancient world. The ropes and tent pegs mentioned in this verse would serve of course to stabilize the courtyard curtain and keep it from blowing over as a result of strong, gusty winds. Exodus 38:21-31: Amounts of the Materials Used for the Tabernacle and Its Furnishings Exodus 38:21 This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 23 With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen. 24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603, William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 men. 27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28 Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. 29 The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. 30 With it he made the sockets to 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 gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around. (NASB95) Exodus 38:21-31 presents to the reader the amounts of the materials used in the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings which is a general fulfillment of the Lord s instructions in Exodus 25:1-3a. These two passages tell the reader that three metals were used in the construction of the tabernacle, namely, gold, silver and bronze. The materials used in the construction were blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen as well as goat hair, ram s skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and breastpiece. The blue refers to dye made from shellfish and had a dark blue or purple-blue, almost violet color. The purple was a dye made from the shellfish or snail and was imported from Phoenicia. The scarlet was made from the eggs and bodies of the worm coccus ilicus, which is found with the holly plant. The powder made from the dried maggots produces a bright red-yellow color. The fine linen was Egyptian that had more delicate strands than ordinary linen. The goat s hair was spun into yarn (35:26) and was used to make the material for the first tent over the tabernacle. It was loosely woven and would allow breezes to pass through whereas the fibers expand and prevent water from seeping through when it rained. The metals would be used for covering the wooden framework of the tabernacle and for covering the altars, the table and the ark. Some would be used for the solid gold rings that held the ark poles, the gold plates, dishes, bowls and pitchers, the lampstand as well as the mercy seat on the ark. The fabrics were used for the curtains and for the garments for the priests. The skins served to shield the tabernacle from the elements. The wood was used for the framework for anything that needed to have strong spans such as the rafters of the tabernacle, the table, altar surfaces and legs for the ark, the table and the altar. In Exodus 38:21 the phrase the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony is an obvious semantically-repetitive apposition by which Moses makes sure that his audience knows that the tabernacle was not merely any tent but a special one 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 that held as its most significant content the two copies on tablets of the Ten Words/Commandments. 1 In Exodus 38:21, the phrase the number is the noun pā qǎḏ (פּ ק ד) (paw-kad ), which means in this verse inventory since it is used with regards to the accounting or enumeration of the materials that the Israelites donated to the tabernacle project. The word is used for the amounts of metals that were used to build the tabernacle and make its furnishings since the metals are the only thing that is quantified in chapter 38. Exodus 39:1-31 concerns itself with describing material used and some cases quantities are indicated. The first words here in Exodus 38:21 should be considered introductory to everything in 38:21-39:31 because the metal amounts in Exodus 38:22-31 are relevant to the metal objects which are described in chapter 39 such as the gold in particular which is mentioned throughout chapter 39. Exodus 38:21 tells the reader that Aaron s youngest son, Ithamar was in charge of the inventory of materials to be used in the tabernacle project. Stuart writes We have already encountered Ithamar briefly in 6:23 and 28:1. His role becomes prominent in Lev 10:6ff. and thereafter in Num 3 4; 7. His role as a supervisor of Levites is again evident in Num 4:28, 33; 7:8. Num 3:4 indicates his prominence by noting that after the death of Nadab and Abihu, the first two sons of Aaron, Ithamar was one of only two remaining sons who served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron. One gets the impression, once all the material on him and his older brother Eleazar is analyzed, that Eleazar functioned somewhat more as the actual executive high priest and Ithamar somewhat more as the administrative high priest, but the materials are scanty, and we cannot be sure if this pattern prevailed generally. 2 This verse worked out a system of recording material quantities by employing the Levites in this work. Some of the Levites were scribes and some were not. Some scribes came from the tribe of Levi and some came from the others tribes (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:6; 2 Chronicles 34:13; Nehemiah 8:9; 13:13). Scribes were needed because the donations made by the Israelites for the tabernacle project would have to be organized and recorded. In the future, donations for the various worship sacrifices in the tabernacle and later the temple would have to be recorded and organized properly. The Levites would be the teachers of the law as a supporting role for the priests thus they would need to be literate. This section of Exodus 38 presents to the reader the beginning of the role of the Levites and which role would be developed further in Leviticus. 1 Stuart, D. K. (2006). Vol. 2: Exodus. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 2 Stuart, D. K. (2006). Vol. 2: Exodus. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 Exodus 38:22-23 mention once again the leadership role of Bezalel and Oholiab in the construction of the tabernacle (cf. 31:2; 35:30; 36:1-2; 37:1). Notice that Moses mentions the tribes from which these men came from. This was to emphasize with the reader that the tabernacle project was not dominated by a single tribe but was completed due to the work of all the tribes. Exodus 38:24-25 tell the reader what the Israelites donated in gold to the tabernacle project. The Levites had calculated under Ithamar s direction that the Israelites had given 29 talents and 730 shekels of gold, which today would be at least a ton (2,000) pounds and maybe even 2,200 hundred pounds. Various equivalencies are used that differ somewhat because we cannot know for sure what exact weights and measures were employed at any given ancient time and place, but it is generally thought that a talent of gold was equal to about 75 pounds and a shekel to about 2/5 of an ounce at most periods of time. When the math is done, this yields about 2,193 pounds for the amounts of gold listed in v We do not know what a sanctuary shekel was. However, it probably was more than an official measure against which others were checked. Thus, by Moses mentioning this in relation to the offering for the tabernacle, he is emphasizing with the reader that all these figures with regards to the donations were absolutely and totally accurate against the official standard of measuring in that day. Moses is telling us that the gold measurement could be trusted because it measured against the official standard of the day for the nation and not estimated or roughly weighed by a set of weights which are the result someone s invention. Exodus 38:25 reveals that the silver offering was more than the gold and bronze combined. The 100 talents of silver which is about 7,500 pounds plus a fraction of a talent which is 1,775 shekels that is about 44.4 pounds, was the direct result from the required atonement money, which is equivalent to one-half shekel per person when the census was taken (see Exodus 30:11-17). A census was taken by the time the silver was used for the tabernacle. This census is identical with the one mentioned in Numbers 1:46. The text says that 603,550 people were counted in the census. Therefore, the resulting amount of money came to what was raised when 603,550 was multiplied by one-half shekel and converted to talents with the fractional remainder expressed in shekels. Stuart writes Several facts are worth noting here. First, silver was most often used in the ancient world for small coinage or the equivalent thereof not unlike coins in the coinage of America today, where most coins are silver (in appearance if not actually in fact), and higher amounts of money are not. Second, the number of Israelites indicated here is exactly the number given in the later 3 Stuart, D. K. (2006). Vol. 2: Exodus. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 census list summation of Num 1:46 indicating that the two passages are referring to the same event, a single census and not two. This is confirmed by the descriptions in the early chapters of Numbers of the setting up of the tabernacle, its dedication, and putting into use its implements. It is possible that the atonement money was collected well before the actual census, but it is also possible that the silvering of the tabernacle poles, bases, and hooks was one of the later tasks in the whole tabernacle construction process and therefore that the silver donation was not completed until later in the process than the gold or even bronze donation. The text does not provide enough information for us to sort this out definitively. Third, the amount indicates that everyone had complied with the goal of receiving a half shekel from each person no matter what his societal rank who was ready to fight and therefore was counted in the census (see 30:15). Beka means split or half in Hebrew and was a term used colloquially to indicate a half shekel. On crossing over as a way of participating in a census count, see comments on 30: In Exodus 38:27-28, Moses informs the reader how the silver was used, which is in obedience to the Lord s instructions with regards to its usage (see 26:19-25, 32; 27:10-17; cf. 36:24-36). Each silver post based weighed 75 pounds. What remained of the silver, which was about 44.4 pounds, was used for hooks, bands, and tops inside the tabernacle whereas outside the tabernacle bronze was employed. Exodus 38:29-31 records how the bronze was used in the construction of the tabernacle. All the objects which were to be of bronze are mentioned in Exodus 26:11, 37; 27:2-6; 27: This passage does not tell us the exact poundage of the bronze used per tent pole based in the courtyard or how much the bronze altar weighed or how large each tent peg was. It only gives the final tally donated and used. The reason why Moses only tells us the measured amounts of the metals used for the tabernacle and does not tell us the quantity of acacia wood used or how much yard or how many sea cow hides is that these metals were the most costly. By giving us an inventory of the metals used, Moses was emphasizing with the reader that the Israelites were dedicated to the Lord and desired to honor Him by making His symbolic dwelling place a beautiful residence. There is another reason why Moses only tells us the measured amounts of the metals used for the tabernacle and does not tell us the quantity of acacia wood used or how much yard or how many sea cow hides, namely that these metals they had special significance since they were indicators of proximity to the symbols of the Lord s presence. The silver and the gold outweighed the bronze by a large margin demonstrated how 4 Stuart, D. K. (2006). Vol. 2: Exodus. The New American Commentary (774). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 magnificent the ark since it was made of gold as well as the articles within close proximity to it. The gold was not seen by the Israelites except for the priests. The Israelites only had access to the area of the tabernacle which used bronze. This indicated a degree of holiness because of the relative value of bronze. It also indicated its relatively diminished holiness because the courtyard was an area which virtually everyone in Israel could enter William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11