Inspecting The Tabernacle (Exodus 39)

Had Israel built the tabernacle and priest’s clothing just as the Lord had commanded? What might the various components picture about Jesus? Could Moses’ final inspection be a type of judgment of our lives? Let’s look at Exodus 39.

Is there significance to the people’s obedience, as the Lord commanded, being mentioned ten times in this chapter?

The craftsmen made beautiful sacred garments of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth—clothing for Aaron to wear while ministering in the Holy Place, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:1 NLT)

What was the possible significance of the detail in the high priest’s ephod or vest?

He made the ephod [vest] of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in with the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman. They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. It was joined together at the two ends. The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work: of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, as Yahweh commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:2-5 WEB)

What might be the significance of Israel being pictured as twelve gems?

They prepared the gemstones by mounting them in gold settings and engraving on them the names of Israel’s sons, like an official seal is engraved. The stones were attached to the vest’s shoulder pieces as reminder stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:6-7 CEB)

What might be the significance of placing the gems representing Israel near the high priest’s heart?

The breastpiece was made with the same materials and designs as the priestly vest. It was 22 centimeters square and folded double with four rows of three precious stones: A carnelian, a chrysolite, and an emerald were in the first row; a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond were in the second row; a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst were in the third row; and a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper were in the fourth row. They were mounted in a delicate gold setting, and on each of them was engraved the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Exodus 39:8-14 CEV)

Weaving gold was a skill possibly learned in Egypt. What might be the significance of these expensive materials for the priest’s clothing?

And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. (Exodus 39:15-18 ESV)

What was the purpose of the golden rings attached to the ephod or vest?

They made two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam, above the ephod’s woven waistband. Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:19-21 HCSB)

What was possibly the purpose of making images of pomegranates in the vest or ephod?

He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, entirely of blue. The opening of the robe was in the middle, like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening so it would not be torn. On the hem of the robe, they placed pomegranates made of blue, purple, and scarlet material and woven linen. They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates, on the hem of the robe, all around between the pomegranates. There was a bell and a pomegranate, then a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for when the High Priest ministered, just as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:22-26 ISV)

How were the coats for the priests made? What might be the significance of the materials used?

And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses. And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord. And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:27-31 KJV)