Exodus 26:1-6 The Tabernacle

"Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen

and blue, purple and scarlet yarn,

with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.

 All the curtains are to be the same size --

twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.

Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five.

Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set,

and do the same with the end curtain in the other set.

Make fifty loops on one curtain

and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set,

with the loops opposite each other.

Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together

so that the tabernacle is a unit."

Exodus 26:1-6 (NIV)

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A chapter ago, in Exodus 25:8-9, The LORD had instructed Moses to have the Israelites build a sanctuary for the LORD, according to the pattern which God had revealed to Moses.  Then God would dwell among them. The NIV Study Bible notes on these verses reveal that the word translated 'tabernacle' literally means 'dwelling place'.  The word "almost always signifies the place where God dwells among his people."  In notes on Exodus 26:1, a concise description of the tabernacle is given:

"Its basic structure was to be 15 feet wide by 45 feet long by 15 feet high.

Over an inner lining of embroidered linen (v. 1-6),

it was to have a cover woven of goat hair (v. 7-13)

and two additional coverings of leather,

one made from ram skins dyed red and one from the hides of sea cows (v. 14)."

In the current passage which we are examining (v. 1-6), it describes the inner lining of embroidered linen.  This inner lining was made up of two panels of five curtains each, fastened together at opposing ends with loops of material joined by gold clasps.  In this way, the tabernacle is one unit.

We will take a look at other coverings for the tabernacle.  However, before ending this post, I wanted to say a bit about what this tabernacle meant.  Since God dwelt there, it was a place where heaven and earth symbolically came together.  Man could meet with God, but it had to be on God's terms.  At this point, the full plan of redemption had not yet played out; the people of Israel (and, by extension, mankind in general) were still outside Paradise.  A Messiah had been promised who would restore the relationship between God and Man, but at that time He had not yet come.

What do I mean by that?  Well, I did not write about that part of Scripture yet, where the Fall of Mankind is detailed (Genesis chapter 3), for I started this blog with the intent of tracing the line of Abraham, which begins to be discussed in Genesis 11:26.  At that time I temporarily skipped over the previous chapters of Genesis because I was focusing upon Abraham.

I knew that the previous chapters were crucially important to the whole story of God's dealings with mankind.  Without the details of God as Creator, the Fall of Man, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, the rest might seem rather puzzling and disjointed.  I figured I would weave discussion of those other chapters in later.  Well, it seems that now is a good time for later, if you know what I mean.

Also, it had been bothering me that I had skipped the earlier parts of Genesis, for I believe all of Scripture is God's Word.  I do not want anyone to think that I regarded those early parts as mere myth.  The exact oppposite is true:  I believe they are true and that they are foundational for our discussion.  However, at that time I didn't want to get bogged down in discussions of evolution vs. creation.   I believe in creation, but at the time I didn't feel ready to write on those matters.  I'm probably still not ready.  However, it is time to take a look at some of those earlier chapters of Genesis.

Actually, how I believe that I will proceed is this:  We will take time to go back and discuss the Fall of Mankind, which is written about in Genesis chapter 3.  Of course, that involves a discussion of Adam and Eve, and where they came from, which brings in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.  I imagine that in the process of doing that, we may also take a run through Genesis 4-11, which includes a whole lot of interesting material.  After that, we will be pretty much up to speed and can continue on with a much better understanding of God's plan of redemption and why the tabernacle is part of that plan. 

At every point, please know that your comments and questions are welcome.  I may not be able to answer all questions, but I have no problem admitting that when it happens.  As far as I am concerned, I am just exploring what God's Word says.  Your insights and observations are most
welcome.

Now let's go back so that we can go forward.  You know what I mean!   

Abraham Deceives Abimelech: Genesis 20:1-18

Abraham moves on from where he had been staying and lives for a while in Gerar (near the Philistines and about halfway between Gaza and Beersheba).  There, "Abraham said of his wife Sarah, 'She is my sister.'  Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her." (Genesis 20:2 NIV)

Oh no, here we go again.  Remember what happened the last time Abraham told this half-truth?  This is the second time in which God has to intervene to protect Sarah, the one who God has promised will bear Abraham a son.  I don't know how Sarah thought about the whole matter, but I can guess.  I know that I wouldn't have been very happy.  Apparently, Abraham has let his fear get the best of him again.  God has promised to protect Abraham, but Abraham's faith is not quite up to believing that yet.

When Abraham had been in a similar situation in Egypt, the Lord had afflicted Pharaoh's household with serious diseases until Pharaoh returned Sarah to Abraham.  This time, God speaks to Abimelech in a dream.  Perhaps it is more like a nightmare, because God warns:  "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." (Genesis 20:3 NIV)  Abimelech protests that he has done this innocently.  Both Abraham and Sarah had told him that Sarah was merely Abraham's sister.

"Then God said to him in  the dream, 'Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.  That is why I did not let you touch her.  Now, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live.  But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.' " (Genesis 20:6-7 NIV)  Nothing like stating things in a clear and unambiguous manner, right?

"Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid."  (Genesis 20:8 NIV)  The following verses show us just how upset Abimelech was as well:  "Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, 'What have you done to us?  How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom?  You have done things to me that should not be done.'  And Abimelech asked Abraham, 'What was your reason for doing this?' " (Genesis 20:9-10 NIV)  I couldn't help but compare how seriously Abimelech viewed adultery, with the present day carelessness about it.  To Abimelech, such a thing could affect not only himself, but his entire kingdom.

Abraham, embarrassed, has to admit, "...I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'  Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.  And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me:  Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '  (Genesis 20:11-13 NIV)  It must have been embarrassing for Abraham to have to admit to the king that he thought his kingdom was ungodly, especially when that king was acting in a more godly manner than Abraham was at the moment.

Mercifully, Abimelech does not point this out, and neither does he explore the rather shallow excuse that Sarah was, indeed, Abraham's half-sister.  It was not the time to quibble.  (Verse 18 indicates that God had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because Sarah had been taken into Abimelech's household.)  Instead, "Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him.  And Abimelech said, 'My land is before you; live wherever you like.' " (Genesis 20:14-15 NIV)

Abimelech also graciously gave Abraham a thousand shekels of silver to show that Sarah was innocent and to make up for any offense to her honor.  "Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, for  the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah." (Genesis 20:17-18 NIV)

If you are thinking that all this was very dramatic and perhaps overdone, remember that it is not all about Abraham and Sarah and their promised son, Isaac.  That was important, but behind it all is the fact that although Abraham did not know it, the promised Messiah would later come through this same Abrahamic line, so any attempt to disrupt that line was a direct affront to, and attack upon, God's plan of redemption.  Also, it seems that God's punishment of nations for attacks against the Jewish people was generally 'in like kind'.  For example, in the well known example of the ten plagues upon Egypt, since Pharaoh was oppressing God's firstborn (Israel) and trying to put Israelite children to death, the Pharaoh's firstborn dies.  In the present case, since the continuance of the physical line of Abraham was being threatened, the punishment of closing every womb in Abimelech's household (thus threatening the continuance of Abimelech's physical line) was very appropriate.

However, once again, God intervened and restored Sarah (untouched) to Abraham.  This dispelled the threat, and allowed Abimelech's household to go back to normal as well.  Not to mention the other consequences:   Abraham being somewhat enriched by Abimelech's gifts.  I hope Abraham gave the thousand shekels of silver to Sarah to help make up for everything he had put her through. ;)
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PS:  Sarah must really have been one beautiful woman, for the Pharaoh of Egypt found her attractive at age 65 and now, at the time of this situation with Abimelech, I believe she is somewhere near 90 years old.

Genesis 12:3 All Blessed

Genesis 12:3 ends with the seventh part of the covenant blessing which God promises to Abram: "...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."(NIV) We have already considered the blessings or curses which would come upon nations depending upon their relationship with the nation of Israel. We have also noted the impressive accomplishments which have come to the world through the Jewish people. However, I believe that the Messiah who would one day come through the nation of Israel is the real pinnacle of the blessings indicated in Genesis 12: 1-3.

At this point I think it would be helpful to note that in the Scriptures, God often acts in a way which I can best describe as 'slow revelation'. In film-making, this usually refers to the way in which the details of the story are not given all at once, but are gradually revealed to the viewer, whether by the continued advancement of the story line, or by a particular camera shot, where the camera draws back to reveal some significant detail or additional information. God's revelation of Himself to mankind seems very much like that slow revelation. His Word reveals a complex and beautiful plan, continually unfolding and expanding. There is so much of Him that our finite minds could not grasp it all. Yet the wonder of it all is that He desires to have a relationship with us. This reminds me of Romans 11:33-36 in the New Testament, where the apostle Paul says:

"Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has know the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen." (NIV)

Genesis 12:2 You will be a blessing

Despite a lot of bad press to the contrary, the world has benefited in the extreme from the presence of the descendants of Abram (Abraham). Even a quick glance over the history and accomplishments of this nation will reveal the blessings which have resulted from the grace of God which is often poured out through the Jewish people. The number of Jewish Nobel Prize winners is unusually high. In searching for some information on this matter, I came across a very interesting website: www.jinfo.org. (Someday soon I will learn how to link to sites! Until then, you will have to type them in yourselves.) I have not read through the whole site, so I do not know if everything there is, um, 'kosher'...but it certainly has some interesting material about the impact of the Jewish nation upon various disciplines of the world. Take a moment to take a look and judge for yourself.

Needless to say, the greatest blessing which has come through the Jewish people (although this is, actually and ultimately, through the grace of God) is the knowledge of the true God. Plenty more on this as we go along, especially as we get to discussions of the Messiah. I believe He is the ultimate blessing to arrive via the Jewish nation.

Shem

Let's move on to Genesis 9:26. In this verse, Shem seems to be given some sort of prominence in his relationship with God: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem.."(NIV). Of course, God is God to Ham and Japheth as well, but it seems that this line of Shem will have some sort of special closeness to God. Perhaps it would be more precise to say that it is through this line that God will continue to work to bring the promised Savior/Messiah. So, again, it is not that Shem's line is better in some way. The focus is upon God's choice of this line to carry out this certain aspect of His will and plan. We will go into more detail about this as it develops through the Biblical narrative, but it is through this line that Jesus Christ is eventually born.

There is some controversy as to whether Shem or Japheth is the oldest son of Noah. We have already established that Ham is the youngest son. (Genesis 9:24) I used to wonder why people had a struggle as to which of the other two, Shem or Japheth, was the oldest. It seemed that Genesis 10:21 (NIV) answered that question: "Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth...". Then I discovered that there is some debate as to whether that verse should read: "...to Shem, the older brother of Japheth". Ah, now I see. It could go either way. We might argue that the oldest son was the most likely to inherit the blessing of being the one through whom the promised Messiah was to come, so that Shem is likely the oldest. However, Scripture is full of places where the second or younger brother is given preeminence, almost as if to say that God will do as He sees fit regardless of human systems of hierarchy. So at this point, I just do not know which son is the oldest. Drop me an email/comment if you have further ideas on this topic.