Parish Blog

The Lord doesn’t create the tent of meeting and its furnishings out of nothing; he gives his Spirit to skilled craftsmen and artists to carry create.

The Lord gives instructions to construct an altar of incense and place it before the veil of the Most Holy Place.

Aaron and his sons are the first high priest and priests of Israel. They are consecrated and ordained through a series of sacrifices. One bull and two rams are involved in the sacrifices. Aaron and his sons are ceremonially washed before being vested with their priestly garments.

Aaron and his sons will have a special role in the worship of the tabernacle. In the Bible, clothing is important. Think about Adam and Eve’s garments, Joseph’s robe, and Jesus’ garments. The saints in Revelation are robbed in splendid apparel.

There are three sections to the tabernacle complex. The Most Holy Place that includes the ark of the covenant. The Holy Place includes the lamp stand and table of the bread of presence. In Exodus 27, we have instructions for a courtyard. Each of the three sections is divided by a veil or screen.

The tabernacle construction reflects the creation and garden in Genesis 1-3. Just like a Cherub was placed to guard the garden with a flaming sword in Genesis 3, so cherubim are woven into the curtains of the tabernacle.

Exodus now moves into a section that deals with the construction of the Lord’s sanctuary, the tabernacle. At the outset, we see this construction project is a work of the people and their gifts.

The Book of the Covenant is closed. As we’ve seen, the Ten Commandments stand out. They will be written with the finger of God into two tablets and given to the people. But the case laws are also part of the package, the covenant by which they are to live before the Lord.

The beginning of chapter 23 begins with an application of the ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness.” In this case, there is a prohibition against spreading rumors or “fake news.”

In Exodus 21, we have case laws about the sabbath and not murdering. Now in Exodus 22, the commandment of not stealing and not committing adultery come into view.

Having received the Ten Commandments, now Moses receives the ordinances associated with those commandments, writes them down, and delivers them to the people (Ex. 24:7). Beginning in chapter 21, we have specific case laws, each of which are applications of a more general principle.

The Lord is making a covenant with his people whom he has brought out of the house of slavery. A covenant is like a marriage. There is ceremony, recitation of vows, and symbols. Israel is Yaweh’s bride.

Israel now comes to Sinai, where Moses goes up the to meet God on the mountain. The Lord gives Moses a message that begins with a reminder of his deliverance.

The congregation of Israel comes to Rephidim and sets up camp. They have just witnessed Moses turning the bitter water sweet after grumbling.

Moses and the people respond to God’s great act of redemption in the exodus with a song of praise. This song celebrates Yaweh as the one who has “triumphed gloriously; the horse and the ride he has thrown into the sea.”

Israel is God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). So they are to remember “Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine” (Ex. 13:2).

Exodus 12 is a monumental chapter of the Bible. In it, we read about the paradigmatic event of redemption: the exodus and redemption of God’s people on the heels of the tenth plague.