Exodus 25 – 28

Verse 25:8 gives the use for the offerings described in the previous verses:

 Direct them to build a holy sanctuary in My honor so that I can dwell among them.

As we get into building a moveable sanctuary for God we need to think of what Jesus did for us. That is a very important aspect to understanding what He did for us. I am still not sure I understand why an omnipresent God needed a special place to hang out and interface with the people.

Verse 25:10 describes the size of the covenant chest:

I want them to build a covenant chest made from acacia wood. It should be 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.

For some reason I always imagined it larger. I often wonder what ever happened to it, if it is lost in some warehouse or just has been lost to rot and decay. What would the world be like if it was found again? But we have to read more to see it’s power;-)

Verse 26:33 is a critical piece of the temple to understand the significance of Jesus:

suspended beneath the clasps that hold together the curtains; and place the covenant chest, which holds the sacred tablets, behind the veil. The veil will separate the two rooms and serve to divide the holy place from the most holy place.

See the veil is critical when you go to Jesus’ death on the cross. This veil was torn, not from the bottom up, but from the top down opening the Most Holy Place to all. The Israelites were looking for a triumphant leader to free them from Rome at that time, not to free them from the Law and sin!! The theological discussion could go on for days on this subject, but look at the importance of each level and how fewer and fewer can get in as the significance goes up.

One thing I don’t like about the sanctuary and the temple is how God is being put into a box. God is so much bigger than a Most Holy Place that even if that was the point of interface to His realm it seems to narrow God.