The Furniture of The Tabernacle
By Bobby Hayes, M.A.
Faculty member in Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary
This is a study concerning the Tabernacle and its shadow of Jesus Christ and the Christian walk. This study was presented to me by one of the most spiritually mature men I have ever met, Cecil Gossett. I do not know if Cecil himself wrote this, compiled this, or went through the study himself and brought it to us. This is an updated transcription of the study booklet he utilized. All images were found on Google images. I do not take the credit for them or for the majority of the writing (though here and there I made some adjustments and additions). All footnotes are from the Ryrie Study Bible and are included to give further insights on Scripture that is quoted throughout the study.
Bobby Hayes
The Furniture of the Tabernacle
An Introduction to the Tabernacle
Exodus 25:1-2, 8-9
[1]25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution
8 Let them construct a sanctuary[2] for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.
Introduction:
Suppose you were planning the building of a beautiful new home, and your architect or contractor should say, “The house we shall build for you shall be absolutely perfect- It will never need extra attention, additions, or repair.” What would be your thoughts? “Impossible” you would say. “There has never been such a structure.” You would be correct in saying “impossible” as to such a building today, but incorrect in saying “there has never been such a structure.”
For the earth has had one building constructed that was perfect in every detail from its very beginning. It never again needed attention, additions, alteration, or repair in nearly 520 years.
The blueprint, the pattern, plan, design and all of its specifications were minutely made in Heaven and given to Moses for the children of Israel while he was in Mt. Sinai:
Exodus 24:12, 15-18
12 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”
15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16 The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.
17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.
18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
God Himself was the architect of every single detail, and every detail points to some phase of the character and work of His Son Jesus Christ.
- THE VALUE OF THE TABERNACLE
Note: There is no portion of Scripture richer in meaning and more perfect in its teaching than this concerning the tabernacle. In I Corinthians 10:1-15 Paul writes of today’s spiritual application of the years of wilderness wanderings of Israel where this tabernacle was the center of their worship. Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 10:11
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
And so the tabernacle is given for believer’s study in our day. God means to teach us marvelous truths about His Son, so again and again He emphasized perfection in its building:
Exodus 25:8, 40
8 “And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them,”
40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern (see Exodus 25:40) which was shown you on the mountain.”
Hebrews 8:5
If you have a spiritual nature, i.e., if you are a child of God, and born again, you have an ever-present desire to know Jesus in a better way, to have a deeper experience with Him, and to know the abiding presence of Christ. Then you will want to follow these Tabernacle studies.
Not only will you find a perfect and complete presentation of the matchless, adorable, loving Person of Christ in the tabernacle, but you will find in the tabernacle a type of the believer.
The believer is “in Christ” and thus is the dwelling place of God. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Further, the tabernacle is a complete picture of the plan of salvation (one of the most beautiful in the Bible). You will thrill to see the furniture paced in the form of a cross.
Indeed, the subject of the tabernacle is inexhaustible, and a “must” in the growth of a Christian.
- THE PEOPLE TO WHOM GOD GAVE THE TABERNACLE
Note: In chapters 19-24 of Exodus we have a detailed account of the commandments and table of law that God gave Moses at Sinai. The law was given to show Israel their utter inability to keep God’s commandments or to save themselves:
Exodus 24:4-7
4 Moses wrote down[3] all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.
6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
Poor, blinded Israel. They stood before God’s holy law and boasted repeatedly, “We can keep at law- ALL THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD HATH SAID WE WILL DO.” How little they knew their hearts and their inability to keep the law. It was as though they were saying, “We do not need a Savior.”
Exodus 24:8
In v. 8, God’s response through Moses was “BEHOLD THE BLOOD”:
So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Exodus 24:12
In v. 12, Moses turned and was in the Mount 40 days and 40 nights:
Now the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”
And when Moses came down from the mountain, what do you suppose he brought back with him? The law? No, something far better than the Law- it was the pattern of the Tabernacle, the picture of grace, the plan of salvation in Jesus Christ (see Exodus 25-31).
Had Moses not returned into the Mount and were the story to have ended with their boast to keep the law, the whole record would have ended there in judgment. But Moses went back and returned to Israel bearing two things from God:
The Law- To show the exceeding sinfulness of sin and man’s awful failure and God’s judgment.
The Tabernacle- To show God’s way of escape, mercy, pardon and salvation.
Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh[4] and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.[5]
III. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE
Note: The way God used to build His Tabernacle of worship is quite interesting. We read in Exodus:
Exodus 25:2, 8
2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution.
8 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 35:4-5, 21
4 Moses spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, saying,
5 ‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever is of a willing heart,[6] let him bring it as the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze,
21 Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.
This should be a model to God’s people of all ages, whether tabernacle, temple, church, synagogue, of how God’s people should be in their giving. Notice the phrases, “heart moves him,” “willing heart.” Not a requirement but a heart motive. This is repeated later in the chapter and in the next chapter:
Exodus 35:29 (Bold mine)
29 The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord.
Exodus 36:3 (Bold mine)
3 They received from Moses all the contributions which the sons of Israel had brought to perform the work in the construction of the sanctuary. And they still continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.
And then the delightful and wonderous giving of the people:
Exodus 36:5-7
5 and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.”
6 So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more.
7 For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.
Can you imagine your pastor standing in the pulpit on Sunday and announcing, “We have more than enough money for the church. Keep your tithes and offerings until we need it.”
- The giving of God’s people and their worship is directly related. There is a spiritual relationship between man’s possessions and God. In the Bible duty is based on doctrine, behavior of belief, and character is determined by creed. There is perfect harmony between teaching and living, position and practice, doctrine and department.
- Giving is a matter of faith in God’s Word. How big do you believe God to be? Your answer to that is determined by the degree of faith and obedience to Him in the realm of Christian stewardship. Mark this truth: the Christian takes money that he can never keep and exchanges it for that which he can never lose. We give in obedience to God’s Word to the end that God may bless us.
- God’s plan for church and the church’s work is as old as the Book, and it will always work. His plan of His people giving will care adequately for all of God’s causes.
God-Appointed Workmen
Exodus 35:30-36:2
30 Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship;
32 to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze,
33 and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work.
34 He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35 He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.
36 “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”
2 Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every skillful person in whom the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it.
The man Bezalel is one of the many unheralded personalities of the Bible and his attitude and actions should be a continuing example for us to follow.
Bezalel was naturally gifted with much talent which he gave to the work of the Lord. From Bezalel we learn that we can do even better work when we are filled (controlled) with the Spirit.
The OUTER COURT, the INNER COURT, and the HOLY PLACE
Introduction: The supreme question of all ages is this: how can a sinful man approach a Holy God? How can he be made acceptable before God? How can he know forgiveness and be at peace with God? The teaching in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness gives us the answer:
Simply defined: The Tabernacle is the place where Old Testament man met with God in reconciliation and fellowship.
Let us get a “bird’s eye” view of the Tabernacle. It was composed of three parts- the Outer Court, the Inner Court, and the Holy Place.
The Outer Court
The Inner Court and the Tent were enclosed by a uniquely structured fence that was about 150’ long and 75’ wide, or half as wide as long. The pure white linen hung from 60 pillars, 20 on each side and 10 on each end.
In this linen fence two things are to be noted: the top and the bottom of the pillars. The top was silver, standing for atonement. The bottom was of brass, standing for judgment.
The curtain of pure white linen pictures the righteousness and holiness of God. The people of Israel always camped by tribes around the Tabernacle, God’s dwelling place. The pure linen curtain always excluded man, keeping him on the outside. It kept all that was defiled way from God’s presence.
But in pure grace God provided a way whereby the guilty sinner on the outside could approach Him on the inside for forgiveness and salvation. Not through the linen curtain, but through the doorway at the east end of the court. There was only one doorway and it always faced toward the sun rising. This speaks of Jesus as the Son of Righteousness.
No man dares enter the court of the tabernacle in any other way than by this one way of entry. It was the door of grace- the door is Christ. It is interesting that there are no cherubim (angels who are guardians of God’s holiness) here are they are in the Holy Place. No guards are needed at this doorway. Rather, there is the invitation, “Whosoever will may come.”
The entry to the Tabernacle is 30’ wide- wide enough for everyone to enter but narrow enough that only those who come God’s way may enter. It is just as broad and narrow as Jesus’ own words:
“Enter[7] by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
Matthew 7:13
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:9
“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me, I will certainly not cast out.
John 6:37
The Inner Court
The man on the outside represents the sinner. From the one entrance, looking inside the court he would see to pieces of furniture in the court. First was the brazen altar and then the brazen laver for ceremonial washing. Beyond that was the Tabernacle of the Lord’s Presence.
He looked at the pure white linen curtain and realized that his sin cut him off from God. He longed for forgiveness and fellowship with God.
Through his mediatory, the priest, he approached the one entrance bearing his sacrifice. In God’s economy there is only one covering for sin and that is the blood of an innocent sacrifice.
Until the sinner comes by the way of the door of faith in Jesus, he never beholds the glories of Christ and His wonderful salvation.
The Holy Place
While the outer and inner courts were parts of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle was the small structure inside the courtyard. Hebrews 9 calls it:
For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place
Hebrews 9:2
For its size (45’ by 15’) it was very costly; an estimate from 2015 placed the gold and silver cost of the entire Tabernacle at approximately 38 Billion dollars. It had two rooms, on the size of an ordinary living room, the other bedroom size. The framework was 48 upright boards of acacia wood, each 2’wide and 15’ long, all covered with pure gold. The larger room in Scripture is called the “Holy Place,” the smaller the “Holy of Holies.”
This little building rested upon a foundation that seemed wholly out of proportion to the building itself. The foundation alone weighed five tons, of solid silver. Each of the 48 upright boards rested on a 100 lb. block of solid silver (remember, silver is a type of salvation).
As we study the furnishings, we shall learn the meaning in type of the gold, silver, and brass in Scripture, and of the acacia wood. Your will rejoice when you see Jesus in it all.
The Tabernacle also had a most remarkable covering consisting of four layers of different materials. In the following lessons will we look not only at the articles in the Tabernacle, but also the roof covering.
Remember two important things when we study the Tabernacle:
- Everything about the Tabernacle speaks of our Lord Jesus in type and shadow. It also pictures the walk and worship of the saved man, the believer.
- The Tabernacle was a portable structure (just as believers are today since we are constantly on the move). When the shekinah glory lifted and moved, it signaled the 2-3 million Israelites that this meeting place with God was to be disassembled and set up again at the next place appointed by Him in the shekinah (just as God leads believers today). The Tabernacle was portable, constructed without nails, screws, hinges, or glue (just as we are fitted by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ). It withstood the howling storms of the wilderness for 40 long years (just as we withstand the storms of life).
We will begin our study with the Altar of Burnt-Offering in our next installment.
[1] Fifty chapters in the Bible report instructions concerning the tabernacle:
- 13 in Exodus
- 18 in Leviticus
- 13 in Numbers
- 2 in Deuteronomy
- 4 in Hebrew
It served as the place where God met with His people and it prefigured the perfect approach to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, who “tabernacled” among men (John 1:14; Hebrews 10:19-20).
[2] Sanctuary. Literally, holy place. Also called the tabernacle (v. 9 from a word meaning “to settle down, to abide”); the tent (26:36); the tent of meeting (29:42); and the tent of the testimony (Numbers 17:7).
[3] The covenant was publicly ratified, written down, and ratified again. Various forms of ritual ratification included blood sacrifice (as here), passing through the pieces of the slaughtered sacrifice (cf. Genesis 15:10, 17), partaking of a meal (cf. Genesis 31:54), and eating salt together (cf. Numbers 18:19).
[4] In the likeness of sinful flesh. The word “likeness” is crucial, for it indicates that Jesus was a true man but not a sinful man. Flesh=body.
[5] The contrast here is between a life dominated by the flesh (=sinful nature within) and one controlled by the Holy Spirit.
[6] All were invited to contribute materials for the tabernacle, but only from a willing heart (Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7).
[7] In vv. 13-29 of Mathew 7 notice the two ways (13-14), two trees (18-20), two professions (21-23), and two builders (24-29). The “two ways” was a common teaching method in Judaism and Greco-Roman philosophy.