The Book of Exodus

An Appeal to God’s Faithfulness

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7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” – Exodus 32:7-13 ESV

God knew something to which Moses was completely oblivious. For 40 days and nights, Moses had been sequestered at the top of Mount Sinai where he had just received God’s plans for the Tabernacle and instructions for commissioning his brother, Aaron, as the high priest. But while Moses had been away, things had taken a decidedly dark turn down in the valley. His brother, under pressure from the people, had decided to play the role of a priest over his very own religion with its very own god.

Moses had just taken down all the details concerning the construction of God’s house, an elaborate sanctuary designed to be Yahweh’s throneroom on earth. This sacred structure was to be His self-designed dwelling place among the people of Israel.

“…let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” – Exodus 25:8-9 ESV

But along with the plans for the Tabernacle, God had given Moses instructions regarding the investiture of Aaron and his sons as priests.

“…bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” – Exodus 28:1 ESV

These men had been divinely chosen to serve as mediators between Yahweh and the people of Israel, ministering on their behalf in the Tabernacle. To accentuate the sacred nature of their new role, God ordained the creation of distinctive garments that would set them apart as holy and serve as reminders of their sanctified status as priests.

But, unbeknownst to Moses, Aaron was already serving as a priest by offering sacrifices to the golden calf idol he had commissioned. Not only that, he had declared a holy day on which the people would honor their new god with sacrifices and a raucous celebration that included plenty of feasting and drinking. And, as if this wasn’t bad enough, the people “rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6 ESV). The Hebrew phrase can be translated as “they stood up to laugh, mock, or play.”

They had sat down to eat a meal but followed it with dancing and celebration. And this imagery of a feast is significant because it ties directly to the meal that Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel had shared together in the presence of God.

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! – Exodus 24:9-11 NLT

That remarkable moment in time was meant to seal the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. Those leaders had been privileged to break bread with Yahweh Himself and that memorable event was intended to ratify their agreement to obey the commands of God. They served as representatives of the people and their presence before God affirmed what the people had agreed to do.

“All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” – Exodus 24:7 ESV

And yet, those very same men were part of the crowd that was feasting and playing in celebration of their newfound god. They rose up from another covenant meal and worshiped an altogether different god. In doing so, they broke the covenant they had made with Yahweh. They violated the very commands they had pledged to keep. And God was not happy.

“How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” – Exodus 32:8 NLT

Even God appears stunned by how quickly the people turned their backs on Him. But He wasn’t surprised or caught off guard. In His omniscience, God knew that the people of Israel would prove unfaithful and incapable of keeping His commands. His description of them as “a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:9 ESV) is not a statement of revelation. It is not as if He just discovered that fact, but He has known all along. From the moment He chose to deliver them from their captivity in Egypt, He knew they would prove to be a stubborn and rebellious people, and they had proven that fact every step of the way from Goshen to Sinai.

These people had a habit of murmuring and complaining. They had a track record of ingratitude and dissatisfaction with God’s way of doing things. And now, they had topped off their not-so-subtle attitude of rebellion by dismissing Yahweh altogether. They dumped their Deliverer and replaced Him with a god of their own making. And describes their actions in highly unflattering terms.

“Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.” – Exodus 32:7 ESV

The Hebrew word, שָׁחַת (šāḥaṯ), carries the idea of decay, spoilage, or ruin. The actions of the people of Israel had made them unacceptable in the eyes of God. They had made themselves impure and morally reprehensible to a holy God. In a word, they defiled themselves, and God held them personally responsible.

This led God to reveal to Moses His plan for dealing with their blatant display of apostasy.

“Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” – Exodus 32:10 NLT

This statement was intended to let Moses know just how serious this situation was. God was so offended that He was willing to start from scratch, and this would not have been the first time. When the sins of mankind had reached a fever pitch during the days of Noah, God had chosen to begin again by destroying every human being but Noah and his immediate family. But even with a new start, humanity continued to display its propensity for rebellion and godlessness. That led God to choose Abram, a pagan from the land of Ur, through whom He started a brand new nation that eventually became the people of Israel.

But the Israelites had displayed their hand. Even after God had rescued them from their captivity in Egypt and pledged to make His divine presence a permanent part of their community, they turned their backs on Him. So, God informed Moses that He was willing to start all over again. He would reboot the system once again; this time allowing Moses to play the role of Abraham.

Moses had to have been shocked by what God told him. He too must have been angered by this latest news of his people’s rebellion. Moses must have been appalled by Aaron’s role in the whole affair. But rather than embrace God’s plan to start over, Moses intervened. He interceded on behalf of his rebellious people and begged God to reconsider.

“O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!” – Exodus 32:11-12 NLT

Moses appealed to God’s faithfulness and reminded Him of His own reputation. The last thing God would want is for the nations of the world to view His actions in a negative light. For God to destroy the people of Israel now would send the wrong message and portray Him as unfaithful and untrustworthy. Yahweh would come across as just another fickle, revenge-minded deity who viewed human beings as nothing more than pawns in some kind of divine game of chance.

Moses reminded Yahweh of the covenant He had made with the patriarchs of Israel.

“Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” – Exodus 32:13 NLT

In all of this, Moses was revealing his understanding of God’s nature and his awareness of the bigger picture concerning the people of Israel. They were on their way to the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That was the destination and it was all part of the sovereign strategy that God had put in place centuries earlier. This moment in the wilderness was just a phase in the long-established plan of God and should not be allowed to deter or derail what God had ordained.

Moses was revealing his growing sense of trust in the promises of God. There had been times along the way when he had been ready to give up and go home. The constant complaining of the people had gotten on his nerves and tempted him to throw in the towel. But he was learning to trust in the will of God and to view the ups and downs of life as part of His divine plan. The Egyptians had been no problem for God. The lack of water in the wilderness and the Israelite’s diminishing supply of bread had not thrown a wrench into God’s plan. And as far as Moses could see, their blatant display of rebellion should pose no threat to God’s providential plan either. Yahweh was far too faithful to let this incident prevent His sovereign will from being done.

Moses knew that God was great. He was well aware of God’s holiness and transcendence. He was intimately familiar with God’s power. But he had also grown to understand God’s unwavering faithfulness. With the plans for the Tabernacle in his hands, Moses longed to see it take form in the valley below so that the people might know and experience the joy of God’s presence. So, he went to the mat with God and urged Him to display His faithfulness once again – in a big way.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fair-Weather Faith

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1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. – Exodus 32:1-6 ESV

While Moses had been up on the mountaintop receiving the Decalogue and the Book of the Covenant from God, he had left his brother, Aaron, in charge of the people down in the valley. The last they had seen of Moses was him ascending Mount Sinai into the dark storm cloud. The thunder, lightning, and earth-shaking signs that accompanied God’s presence at Sinai had left them terrified and unwilling to go anywhere near the mountain or its summit. They wanted nothing to do with Yahweh and were content to let Moses act as their proxy.

Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. – Exodus 24:15-18 NLT

During those 40 days and nights, the people of Israel began to wonder whether Moses was ever coming back. His long delay left them concerned about his safety and their own future. What would they do if Moses never came back? For all they knew, Moses had died on the mountaintop, a victim of Yahweh’s wrath.

It’s important to remember the sequence of events that precede chapter 32. God has already given Moses His laws and regulation, and Moses has shared them with the people. Not only that, the people expressed their eager willingness to obey all that God commanded.

Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” – Exodus 24:3 NLT

Following this corporate commitment to keep God’s laws, Moses wrote them all down for posterity (Exodus 24:4). Having completed his record of God’s commands, Moses “took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people” and, once again, “they all responded, ‘We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey’” (Exodus 24:7 NLT). The people had heard every one of God’s commands and had agreed to keep them.

As part of the ceremony to inaugurate the institution of God’s laws, Moses offered blood sacrifices and sprinkled some of the blood on the people, telling them, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions” (Exodus 24:8 NLT). They had made a vow to obey all of God’s commands, and now that agreement had been sealed with blood, making it binding and carrying a penalty of death if they broke their commitment. This auspicious ceremony was then followed by a special invitation-only meal between some of the leadership of Israel and God Almighty.

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! – Exodus 24:9-11 NLT

Then Moses was told to ascend back to the mountaintop where God promised to give a copy of the Ten Commandments written by His own hand.

“Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God. – Exodus 24:12-13 NLT

Moses left Aaron and the elders of Israel in charge during his absence. These were the very same men who had been given the privilege of seeing the God of Israel and eating a covenant meal with Him. In sharing that meal with Yahweh, they had personally sealed their commitments to the covenant and pledged themselves to see that every law God had given was obeyed by the people of Israel.

What happens next is critical. According to chapter 24, Moses returned to the top of Mount Sinai, “And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24:16-18 NLT).

This brings us to the events recorded in chapter 32. At the end of the 40 days, “When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, written by the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18 NLT).

Moses left the mountaintop with the God-inscribed copy of the Decalogue and all the instructions regarding the construction of the Tabernacle and the establishment of the priesthood. His arms and his mind were full of the divinely revealed will of God for the people of Israel. It is essential to understand that Moses was coming down from the mountain with not only the Ten Commandments but the plans for the Tabernacle, the house within which God’s presence was to dwell among the people. God had made a commitment to live among His chosen people in a house that they could construct with their own hands and pay for with their own resources.

But all that God had shared with Moses regarding the Tabernacle stands in direct opposition to what was taking place down in the valley. In Moses’ absence, the people began to have second thoughts about Yahweh. They were well aware of His commands and had heard every one of the regulations contained in the Book of the Covenant. They had even given their hearty approval and voiced their full commitment to living their lives according to God’s law.

But it took just over a month for the people of Israel to lose all their enthusiasm. The longer Moses delayed, the more they began to have second thoughts about everything. In their minds, Moses was Yahweh’s official representative and spokesperson. If Moses wasn’t coming back, their link to Yawheh would be broken. After all, it had been Moses who showed up in Egypt with news of their deliverance by the hand of Yahweh. And Moses had been the one to lead them out of Egypt and into the wilderness with the help of his God. But with Moses apparently gone, they began to question Yahweh and all the commitments they had made to Him.

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 32:1 NLT

With Moses out of the picture, the people turned to Aaron. At this point, Aaron had no concept of God’s plans regarding the Tabernacle and his future role as the high priest. That information resided with Moses and he had not yet returned to share it. So, when the people came to Aaron and expressed their desire to replace Yahweh with another god, he eagerly obliged them.

“Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” – Exodus 32:2 NLT

Little did Aaron know that he was taking what belonged to Yahweh and ordering it to be used for idolatry. He was unaware that God had given Moses a very different use for the resources of the people of Israel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” – Exodus 25:1-9 NLT

Aaron ordered the people to donate their gold earrings to construct an idol that was intended to replace Yahweh. This false god would take the place of the one true God. And in carrying out the will of the people, Aaron violated the very first commandment of the Decalogue.

“You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” – Exodus 20:3-5 NLT

And the man who oversaw the construction of this false god was the one whom God had chosen to serve as the high priest of Israel.

Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. – Exodus 32:4 NLT

God had great plans for Aaron and the people of Israel. They had no way of knowing that Moses was on his way down the mountain with God’s blueprints for the Tabernacle and His plans for the atoning work of the priesthood. The creator of heaven and earth was getting ready to take up residence among them, and yet they were busy replacing Him with a false god of their own design. And when Aaron had completed the construction of the golden calf and its accompanying altar, the people exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4 NLT).

Buoyed by the people’s enthusiasm, Aaron declared a feast for the following day so that the people might worship their newfound god. And sadly, the text records that “The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry” (Exodus 32:6 NLT).

Don’t miss the irony in all of this. Moses was coming down the mountain with all the details concerning the Tabernacle, the priesthood, and the sacrificial system. He had the plans for the Bronze Altar and directions for how the people might receive atonement and cleansing for their sins. But before his feet could reach the valley floor, the people of Israel had decided to come up with a plan of their own. It took just 40 days for the Israelites to forget Yahweh and every commitment they had made to Him. In their minds, He had always been Moses’ God and not their own. So, when Moses failed to return, they seized the opportunity to seek and serve another god.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Getting to Know God

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12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. – Exodus 31:12-18 ESV

It should be clear by now that God places a high priority on the observance of the Sabbath. He first introduced this holy day of rest when He gave the people manna in the wilderness. In response to their grumbling about the lack of food, God provided them with manna from heaven.

“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” – Exodus 16:23 ESV

Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” – Exodus 16-24-25 ESV

The priority of the Sabbath had been established long before Israel arrived at Sinai and Moses had received the Ten Commandments. But God restated this holy observance when He gave the Decalogue to Moses.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” – Exodus 20:8-11 ESV

Now, after a lengthy conversation with Moses on top of Mount Sinai, God gave His servant two tablets of stone on which He had inscribed the Ten Commandments with His own finger (Exodus 31:18). And then, in an obvious attempt to emphasize the importance of the Sabbath observance, God verbally restated its requirements to Moses.

“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community.’” – Exodus 31:13-14 NLT

Moses was about to descend back down to the valley with the tablets written by the hand of God and his own handwritten copy of the Book of the Covenant. He was to share all of this with the people of Israel but the one command that God highlighted was that concerning the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was more than just a command; it was to be a permanent sign of the covenant between God and His people.

“It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.” – Exodus 31:17 NLT

This weekly observance was designed to be a reminder of their unique relationship with their Creator-God. The purpose of the Tabernacle was to house the presence of God. That meant that the One who created the heavens and earth was going to dwell in their midst. When God had completed His creation of the universe and all it contains, He rested. He ceased from His labors because he had finished what He had set out to do. And by observing the Sabbath each week, the Israelites would be commemorating and sanctifying that one-of-a-kind day in history. Their great God had made all that their eyes could see and yet, He had chosen to dwell among them. Not only that, He had made a covenant with them – to be their God and to give them the privilege of being His chosen people. This covenant between God and the people of Israel was revealed to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai when he received his divine commission.

“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…’” – Exodus 6:6-7 ESV

But that was not the first time God had spoken of the covenant. When Abraham, the patriarch of the people of Israel, had been chosen by God, he had received a similar promise concerning his future descendants.

“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” – Genesis 17:7 ESV

Now, centuries later, that promise had been fulfilled. The people of Israel were the offspring of Abraham and God was making His covenant a permanent reality. The Tabernacle was designed to be the house of God so that the people might enjoy the blessing of His presence among them. But God did not need a place to stay; He wanted a people who desired a relationship with Him. The Sabbath was designed to be a day when the people made God their highest priority. Rather than working, they were to put all their energy toward knowing and serving God. He was to be their highest priority and greatest good.

The emphasis on rest has less to do with physical cessation from work than it does with the idea of reliance upon and trust in God for all their needs. With the Tabernacle, they would have a place to seek and find God. Located in the middle of their camp, this special structure would house God’s divine presence and assure His people that they were never alone. They had nothing to fear, except the holiness of their God, which is why God reiterates their need to observe the Sabbath or suffer the consequences.

“Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.” – Exodus 31:16 NLT

“This penalty seems harsh, but not when we realize what the Sabbath was intended to do. By not keeping the Sabbath, the Israelite was showing that he or she was not interested in knowing God.” – Peter Enns, Exodus

To work on the Sabbath was to exhibit a distrust in God’s presence and provision. It would be taken as a visual statement of self-sufficiency and a lack of reliance upon God’s word. That one day had been set aside by God and was intended to be a time when the people of Israel sought Him above all else. If you were working, you weren’t relying. If you were busy doing other things, you would have no time to set your mind on knowing the very One who created the heavens and the earth.

God knew His people well. When they heard Moses articulate the design of the Tabernacle, they would immediately want to begin the process of its construction. But God knew that, in their enthusiasm to build His house, they would run the risk of violating the Sabbath. Under the direction of Bezalel and Oholiab, and in the hopes of completing the Tabernacle in record time, they would attempt to work a seven-day week and violate God’s command. In their effort to build a house for God, they would neglect to take time to know God.

It is so important to remember that everything about the Tabernacle was intended to point back to the glory, greatness, holiness, majesty, and power of God. That structure in the wilderness was meant to be a constant reminder to the people of Israel about the wonder and awesomeness of the God who had chosen to have a relationship with Him. It sat in the middle of their camp for a reason. Among a sea of drab-looking tents, the Tabernacle would stand out and make a powerful statement about the transcendence of God. He was like no other. He was both attractive and awe-inspiring. He was accessible but also off-limits. He was approachable but so holy that entrance into His presence required purification and atonement.

The Tabernacle was meant to declare the glory of God. The Sabbath was intended to as a day to focus one’s attention on that reality. Rather than working, the people of Israel were to spend their time worshiping the One who had made them His chosen possession. Instead of meeting their own needs, they were to meet with the One who had rescued and redeemed them from their captivity in Egypt. He had chosen them and had promised to live among them, but now He expected them to seek to know and worship Him – “throughout their generations, as a covenant forever” (Exodus 31:16 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s House Built God’s Way

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1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” – Exodus 31:1-11 ESV

The Tabernacle and its furnishings had been designed by God but were to be handcrafted by men. For an earthly house for God to go from concept to concrete form, human hands would be required. Up until this point in the narrative, the Tabernacle was just an idea with no basis in reality. None of its furnishings had been fabricated. The curtains and veils had not been sewn. The timber for its beams had not been harvested or milled. Even the bronze, silver, and gold that would adorn the Tabernacle had not been collected, let alone smelted and purified for use.

There was much to be done, but before Moses could begin the process of enlisting workers and making assignments, God revealed the names of the two men who were to oversee the construction of His house. While Moses had been assigned the task of recording God’s plans for the Tabernacle, he would not be in charge of its construction. That responsibility would fall to two men who had been specially chosen by God: Bezalel and Oholiab.

It’s clear from God’s instructions, that the construction of the Tabernacle would require great skill and craftsmanship. This was to be no ordinary structure and its fabrication would involve a wide range of disciplines, including stone masonry, metallurgy, weaving, engraving, carpentry, embroidery, and tanning. To our knowledge, Moses had none of these skills and knew nothing about managing a massive construction project of this nature. While he had grown up in Pharaoh’s court and was intimately familiar with fine furnishing and opulent surroundings, nothing on his resume would have suggested that he was the man to build God’s house. He was a prophet with 40 years of shepherding experience.

But God’s plans for the Tabernacle included the men who would oversee its construction. They had been there all along. When Bezalel and Oholiab had walked out of Egypt along with the rest of the people of Israel, no one had any idea that they were to become two of the most important men in the entire nation, including themselves. They were just two more Israelites making their way to the land of Canaan along with their friends and family members. But God had plans for them. And God had equipped both of them for their future roles as His construction foremen.

“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!” – Exodus 31:2-5 NLT

Bezalel was a highly gifted man with expertise in a wide range of disciplines. He was an artisan and craftsman with extraordinary talents and abilities that set him apart from his peers. But God makes it clear that Bezalel’s gifts were divinely ordained. This man had been prepared for this very moment by the Spirit of God. We are not given any information regarding Bezalel’s previous construction experience or how he made his living in Egypt. Perhaps he put some of his diverse skills to work on the many building projects that Pharaoh forced the Israelites to complete. But, according to God, Bezalel was born for this moment. His true purpose in life had been to oversee the construction of God’s house.

And even his name suggests the future role that God had for him. Bezalel means “”in the shadow (i.e. protection) of God.” This man had been sovereignly prepared and preserved by God for this moment in time. He didn’t just “happen” to be in the crowd that day. He hadn’t submitted his resume to Moses along with a host of other candidates. It’s likely that Moses didn’t even know Bezalel existed. But God did. And God had providentially equipped Bezalel with “ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship” (Exodus 31:3 ESV).

These words reveal that Bezalel’s expertise was divinely inspired. He had been given a supernatural endowment that enhanced his natural skills and abilities. This Spirit-empowered ability was going to allow him to take God’s design and bring it to fruition. The details that Moses had recorded would need to be interpreted and interpolated before they could become reality. Bezalel was not handed detailed blueprints and a lengthy list of design criteria. Much of the Tabernacle’s construction would be left to his Spirit-enabled imagination. Even artists who have tried to illustrate the Tabernacle based on the details found in Exodus have found it difficult to discern the exact nature of its final form.

But with the Spirit’s help, Bezalel would have the wisdom necessary to discern and carry out every detail of God’s plan. This was going to be a project of massive proportions that would require spiritual insight and practical skills. And Bezalel was just the man for the task. But he would not be alone. God had also chosen an assistant to serve alongside Bezalel.

“I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make.” – Exodus 31:6 NLT

Oholiab was to be Bezalel’s foreman, overseeing a team of “gifted craftsmen” who had each been divinely selected and equipped for their roles.

“The artistic gifts these men possessed all came from God. To be specific, they came from God the Holy Spirit. Presumably Bezalel and Oholiab already had some natural talent for the arts and crafts (which also came from God). However, they were being given a special commission, and with that commission came special gifts. They alone were called to build God’s holy tabernacle, and in order to do this work they were inspired in the true sense of the word: They were filled with the Holy Spirit.“ – Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved For God’s Glory

This was not a Habitat for Humanity building project where everyone grabbed a hammer and started pounding nails. This entire project could have become an unorganized mess had not God preordained the very men who would oversee its implementation and completion. And it should not be surprising that God had a well-thought-out plan in place for carrying out the construction of His house. He had left nothing to chance but, instead, He had preselected and supernaturally prepared those who would carry out the plans for the Tabernacle’s construction.

Every single item that God described to Moses was to be made by these men. That means that there was a wide range of talents represented among them. Some of them, like Bezalel, were multi-talented and capable of contributing in a variety of ways. Others were experts in a particular field and assigned a single task to complete. There were those who did menial tasks such as chopping down the trees to make the support beams for the Tabernacle. Others slaughtered the goats and rams, then tanned their hides to make the outer lining for the Tabernacle’s roof. Some worked with precious gems and metals. There were those who sewed and weaved the curtains, while another group built the furniture that would fill God’s house. It was truly a team effort that required constant oversight and careful attention to detail. Nothing was to be overlooked. There was to be no skimping or cutting of corners. Attention to detail was paramount and mistakes would not be tolerated. After all, every facet of this vast project would ultimately form the dwelling place of God Almighty.

The Tabernacle was God’s idea, and so was the manner of its construction. He left nothing to chance. He had raised up the men who would build the Tabernacle long before He gave the plans for its design to Moses. Even before He had called Moses to deliver His people from their captivity in Egypt, God had sovereignly ordained those who would build His house. And according to King David, God had these men and their future roles in mind before they were even born.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed. – Psalm 139:13-16 NLT

Every individual who played a part in the building of God’s house was chosen for their role. Not only that, they were divinely equipped to contribute their part to the overall project. There was no skill missing. Not one part of the Tabernacle’s construction was left unaccounted for. At no point did Bezalel or Oholiel run out of materials or skilled workers. No one was forced to work outside their competency. God provided all they needed. And the apostle Paul reminds us that God has called and equipped another group of individuals to whom He has assigned another important task, the building of His Church.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10 ESV

God has chosen us and equipped us for service, just as He did with Bezalel and Oholiel, and Paul goes on to describe the purpose behind God’s supernatural endowment of His people.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13 ESV

God’s house built God’s way and all for God’s glory.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Purity and Peculiarity

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17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.” – Exodus 30:17-38 ESV

Holiness seems to be the theme of these closing verses of chapter 30.

“…it shall be a holy anointing oil…” – vs 25

“You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy.” – vs 30

“Whatever touches them will become holy.” – vs 30

“This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.” – vs 31

“It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.” – vs 32

“…make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.” – vs 35

“It shall be most holy for you.” – vs 36

“It shall be for you holy to the Lord.” – vs 37

The Hebrew word translated as “holy” is קֹדֶשׁ (qōḏeš) and it refers to something as being “sacred,” “separate,” or “set apart.” Even the oil and incense used in the Tabernacle were to be distinctively different and set apart solely for God’s use. There was to be nothing ordinary or pedestrian about God’s house, His priests, or the rites and rituals performed within it. Purity and peculiarity were essential requirements for the worship of God. Yahweh would not dwell in just any tent. His abode had to reflect His glory and grandeur. And His priests, while ordinary men, must be clothed in garments that matched the magnitude of their calling. When performing their priestly duties, they were to be dressed in clothes of unparalleled beauty and anointed with a costly oil made from a proprietary blend of myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, aromatic cane, cassia, and olive oil.

Their hands and feet were to be washed in the special bronze basin that was located between the altar of sacrifice and the veil that led into the Holy Place. For Aaron and his sons, the old adage, “cleanliness is next to godliness” was especially true because God had warned, “They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die!” (Exodus 30:20 NLT). They were forbidden to even draw near God’s presence in an unclean state. This ritual too, had to do with holiness or set-apartness. Their cleansing at the basin did not completely rid them of all dirt and grime, but it symbolized their need for purification before they could access a holy and righteous God.

This basin was strategically located at the door of the Tabernacle as a visual reminder to Aaron and his sons that their personal purity was essential. One must keep in mind that the basic was the very first stop after the priests had slaughtered and sacrificed animals on the bronze altar. Their hands and feet would have been covered in blood, requiring them to cleanse themselves before they could pass through the veil into the Holy Place.

It was King David who later wrote:

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart… – Psalm 24:3-4 ESV

The practice of ritual cleansing was meant as a constant reminder to the priests that their personal purity was important to God. His holiness was to be honored at all times, and His perfect righteousness was never to be treated lightly or flippantly. To do so would bring the penalty of death.

It’s interesting to note that God set apart Aaron and his sons to serve as priests in the Tabernacle. They were chosen by God for this distinguished honor. But their set-apart status was not enough. They needed the proper clothing to wear. They needed blood sacrifices to atone for their sins and make possible their forgiveness. They required anointing with oil to signify their status as God’s chosen servants. Then they needed to be covered in the sweet-smelling blend of olive oil and spices to mask even the smallest hint of unacceptable odor that might offend a holy God. This whole process speaks of their ongoing need for sanctification. Not one step was to be left out. Every phase of the process was essential in preparing them to serve God Almighty.

The aromatic blend of olive oil and expensive spices was not just reserved for Aaron and his sons. It was also to be used “to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand” (Exodus 30:26-28 NLT).

This process rendered all the items as holy or set apart to God. And God states that anyone or anything that came into contact with those very same items would be considered holy as well. This is not to say that holiness is contagious or transferable, but that holiness is mandatory. Verse 29 seems to indicate that only those who have been anointed with the holy oil could touch the pieces located within the Tabernacle. No other person, no matter their pedigree or social status, was allowed to enter the Holy Place or touch any of the furniture found within it. Holiness was required.

And God warns that the oil belongs to Him, not Aaron and his sons. It was made for His benefit. The sweet aroma it gave off was for His enjoyment. That meant that no one was to replicate it or use it for any other purpose.

“It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.” – Exodus 30:32-33 NLT

Violation of this command would result in expulsion from the community of Israel. Some rabbinical scholars speculate that the penalty actually involved physical death. To be “cut off” meant to be permanently eliminated by means of execution. But whether the penalty involved ex-communication or execution, it would prove to be a costly mistake to violate God’s command.

The same penalty was reserved for any misuse of the incense that was to be placed before the Ark of the Covenant. This special blend of spices was also set apart solely for God’s use. It was to be considered as holy or sacred, and never to be replicated or repurposed for any other use.

“Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.” – Exodus 30:37-38 NLT

The Tabernacle did not belong to the people of Israel. It was God’s possession just as they were. And everything associated with the Tabernacle was to be set apart for His use and for His glory. From the anointing oil and incense to the priestly robes and particular pieces of furniture that filled the inner recesses of the Tabernacle, it all belonged to the Lord. The holiness of these items was not tied to the actual composition of the oil and spice blend. What rendered them holy was God’s selection of them as His own. The oil was nothing more than a ceremonial reminder of their set-apart status. God wanted His people to know that His choice of them had rendered them holy. They were His prized possession, and He expected them to demonstrate that reality in their everyday lives. The Tabernacle was meant to be a visual reminder to God’s people of what it means to be holy and set apart. Cleanliness, purity, distinctiveness, and total dedication were required of the Tabernacle and of His people. They were to keep themselves pure and undefiled in all their ways. As the psalmist wrote years later:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways! – Psalm 119:1-3 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Census

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11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord‘s offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.” – Exodus 30:11-16 ESV

The Tabernacle, like any other man-made structure, was going to require ongoing maintenance and upkeep. Over the next 500 years of use, its carefully crafted timbers, veils, furnishings, and gold-covered fixtures would need repairs and replacement. Its construction had been funded by donations from the people of Israel but to cover the cost of its maintenance, God required a tax be collected from every male who was at least 20 years old. To determine the number of eligible males, God ordered Moses to take a census or literally, a head count of the people.

According to the book of Numbers, this census was not taken until ten months later. The most likely reason for the delay was that the census was not necessary until the construction of the Tabernacle was complete.

The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.” – Numbers 1:1-3 ESV

The completed census revealed a total of 603,550 male Israelites 20 years old or older. But that number did not include any men from the tribe of Levi because God had ordered their exclusion from the census.

“Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites. Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it. Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again.” – Numbers 1:49-51 NLT

These 603,550 male members of the Israelite community were ordered to pay a tax that would be used to cover the cost of maintaining God’s house. But there was a more important purpose behind this levy.

“…each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them.” – Exodus 30:12 ESV

The dual purpose behind the tax is clarified in verse 16.

“You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.” – Exodus 30:16 ESV

This half-shekel tax was to be considered an offering to the Lord but it was to also function as a reminder to each Israelite of their status as God’s people. The Hebrew word translated as “ransom” is כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er) and it means “price of a life” or “redemption price.” This so-called tax was actually a payment made by each Israelite male to signify that their lives belonged to God. This payment did not atone for their sins because that was only possible through blood sacrifice. But it let every Israelite know that their lives were not their own. He had redeemed or purchased them out of slavery in Egypt and made them His own people.

The apostle Paul picks up on this idea in his first letter to the believers in Corinth.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

The “atonement money” did not atone for sins, but it made atonement for their lives. And not only that, it served as a form of protection from God’s wrath.

“…each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.” – Exodus 30:12 ESV

God warns Moses that the taking of the census could prove to be a dangerous proposition. Numbering the people could lead the Israelites to develop a sense of self-sufficiency and independence from God. When they discovered that they had more than 600,000 men of fighting age, they might be tempted to become overconfident and reliant upon their own strength.

“When God numbers or orders anything to be numbered, taking the sum of them denotes that they belong to Him, and that He has the sovereign right to do with them as He pleases. The action itself says of the things numbered, ‘These are Mine, and I assign them their place as I will.’” – A. W. Pink, Gleanings in Exodus

God had promised to make of Abraham a great nation, and He had kept that promise. When the family of Jacob had entered Egypt there had only been 70 of them. But some four centuries later, their number had exploded.

…the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. – Exodus 1:7 ESV

And when the ten plagues from God finally forced the Egyptians to release the Israelites, they marched out like a mighty army.

…the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. – Exodus 12:37 ESV

This had all been God’s doing. Their exponential growth and miraculous release from captivity had been the work of Yahweh and they could not claim any credit for it. So, when the census was taken, they were not to marvel at their own might or become prideful of their capacity for self-rule. They belonged to God.

One of the keys to understanding all of this is to recognize that God ordered the census to record the number of fighting men. These were to be able-bodied male Israelites who could march into battle against the enemies who occupied the land of Canaan. But God wanted the Israelites to know that their vast numbers were not to be their hope. Years later, when the people were standing on the edge of the Jordan River preparing to enter the Promised Land for the very first time, Moses would remind them:

“The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.” – Deuteronomy 1:30-31 ESV

Each time the Israelites prepared to go into battle, the priests were to gather all the fighting men and tell them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 ESV).

The book of 2 Samuel records a much-later event when King David took a census of the people of Israel. While he had been prompted to do so by God, it was meant as a punishment against the people for their wickedness. And David’s general, Joab, recognized the nature of this test from the Lord.

“May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” – 2 Samuel 24:3 ESV

But David went ahead with the census, and nine months and 20 days later, he received the good news.

Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000. – 2 Samuel 24:9 ESV

But David regretted his decision and immediately confessed his sin to God.

“I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” – 2 Samuel 24:10 ESV

He had wanted to know the size of his army, and when he had learned that there were 1,300,000 soldiers under his command, he knew he had made a drastic mistake. He probably recognized the pride he felt upon learning of his massive military might. A sense of arrogance and self-sufficiency must have welled up within him as he considered the size of his army. But then he realized that he was putting his faith in the wrong thing. He had taken his eyes off of the Lord. And while David received forgiveness from God, he still had to pay for his costly error.

…the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. – 2 Samuel 24:15 ESV

To assuage the anger of God, David used his own money to purchase a piece of land where he commissioned the construction of an altar to God. He paid 50 shekels of silver for the land and 50 oxen, which he sacrificed on the altar. And as a result of this costly gesture, God relented.

…the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel. – 2 Samuel 24:25 ESV

David had placed a higher priority on the size of his army than the power of His God. For just a moment, he had taken his eyes off of the Lord and focused his hopes on the wrong thing. And God wanted Moses to protect Moses from making that same mistake. The number of able-bodied me who could take up swords against the enemy was to remind Moses and the people of Israel of God’s greatness, not their own. The census was really designed to glorify Israel’s God of Israel and not its army. And the tax was a reminder that the life of each of these men belonged to God. They were, first and foremost, an army of priests, a holy nation unto the Lord.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Altar of Incense

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1 ““You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” – Exodus 30:1-10 ESV

Back in chapter 25, God gave instructions regarding the primary pieces of furniture to be contained in the Tabernacle. He includes the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the table for the bread of the presence, and the Golden Lampstand. Each of these intricately designed pieces was to be placed within the two inner chambers of the Tabernacle. But there was one item left off the list: The Altar of Incense. For some unexplained reason, God did not mention this piece until after He had outlined the ordination ceremony for the priests.

There has been much debate about this apparent “misplacement” of the altar’s description in the narrative. Some have argued that it provides proof that the book of Exodus was amended by outside editors. There is a long history among editorial critics of the Bible that the book of Exodus was not written by Moses but was compiled by a variety of authors and edited into its current form. But why would these editors have placed the design of the altar in chapter 30 rather than chapter 25? That makes no sense. If anything, the delayed introduction of the Altar of Incense was perfectly timed by God Himself. He revealed it to Moses at just the right moment.

The Altar of Incense would be a vital part of the worship of Yahweh performed by Aaron and his sons. The placement of the Altar of Incense reveals the nature of its importance. It was to be located within the Holy Place just in front of the veil that led into the Holy of Holies. On the other side of that veil was the Mercy Seat, which was intended to be the throne of God on earth. It was there that His divine presence would reside. So, this small wooden box, covered in gold, was to be placed before the entrance into God’s presence. God was very specific about its placement.

“Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.” – Exodus 30:6 NLT

The incense altar was to be flanked by the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Showbread. But only it led into the Holy of Holies. And God gave Moses strict instructions regarding its use.

“Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.” – Exodus 30:7-9 NLT

This helps to explain the delayed description of this particular piece of furniture. Its use required the presence of a fully consecrated high priest. While the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Showbread also required the services of the high priest, the Altar of Incense was different. Its entire purpose was for burning incense before the Lord, and this ritual was to be performed twice a day for perpetuity. God even provided Moses with the recipe for making the incense.

“Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense. Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy. Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.” – Exodus 30:34-38 NLT

Even the spice itself was set apart for God’s use. Its proprietary formula was reserved solely for the worship of God, and Aaron and his sons were prohibited from replicating it for personal use. So, every morning and evening, Aaron would enter the Holy Place dressed in his priestly robes and offer up the incense to God.

According to the book of Leviticus, Aaron was only to use coals from the Bronze Altar to burn incense before the Lord.

“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. There in the Lord’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die.” – Leviticus 16:11-13 NLT

God stressed the importance that Aaron use the Altar of Incense properly by threatening him with the possibility of death for any breach of protocol. And the book of Leviticus tells us that Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu chose to violate God’s commands and lost their lives in the process.

…each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. – Leviticus 10:1-2 ESV

It seems that rather than using coals from the Bronze Altar as God had commanded, they chose a different source. In doing so, the smoke from the incense became unacceptable to God, and they paid for this violation with their lives.

There is no explanation given regarding the real purpose behind the burning of the incense, but elsewhere in the Scriptures, it is tied to prayer. King David would write in one of his psalms:

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
    Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
    and my upraised hands as an evening offering. – Psalm 141:2 NLT

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John records his vision of the throneroom of God in heaven.

…the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. – Revelation 5:8 NLT

Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. – Revelation 8:3-4 NLT

So, as Aaron offered up incense each morning and evening, it represented the prayers of God’s people. Dressed in his sacred and sanctified robes, the high priest took coals from the Bronze Altar and lit the holy incense before the veil that led into God’s presence. The smoke, symbolizing the prayers of the people, would rise before God, whose divine presence resided on the Mercy Seat. This scene, repeated every day, twice a day, would foreshadow the role of the Holy Spirit after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. – Romans 8:26-27 NLT

God desires to intercede on behalf of His people. He hears and responds to their prayers. And, in offering up incense, Aaron would be symbolically presenting the desires of the people before the throne of God.

Centuries later, when Solomon dedicated the newly built temple in Jerusalem, God placed His seal of approval on it and made a solemn promise to hear and answer the prayers of His people.

“…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 ESV

The key to understanding this passage is the issue of holiness. God expected His people to live holy lives. He gave the Decalogue and the Book of the Covenant so that they might know exactly how to conduct themselves as His chosen people. The entire Tabernacle was built upon the foundation of holiness. Every aspect of its design and every facet of its functionality was tied to holiness. Everything, including the priest and his garments, had to be purified and sanctified so that God could be worshiped properly. There was no room for error. The prayers of the people had to be offered in the right way if they wanted to hear from God. And even the Altar of Incense itself had to be purified annually so that the holy incense and the prayers of the people would rise before God as a pleasing aroma. There were to be no shortcuts. No concessions or compromises were allowed. Holiness was and still is the only acceptable standard.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Purified For His Presence

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22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is a food offering to the Lord.

26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord.

29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days.

31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy.

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.” – Exodus 29:22-46 ESV

God has revealed how Aaron and his sons were to be prepared for their roles as priests. They were to be washed, dressed, anointed, and atoned for, all before they could even enter the front gate of the Tabernacle complex. But even then, God mandated three separate sacrifices offered over a period of seven days to fully consecrate these men. By the time this elaborate ceremony was complete, Aaron and his sons would be drenched in oil and covered in blood, a sight that would have left an impression on all those who saw them.

“They were washed with water. They were robed in righteousness. They were anointed with oil. They were sprinkled with blood. They were purified, sanctified, anointed, and justified, and in this way there were consecrated for the holy service of God. In a word, they were ordained.” – Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved For God’s Glory

With this elaborate procedure completed, Aaron and his sons would be considered holy and officially ordained for service.

“He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.” – Exodus 29:21 ESV

What happened next is significant and should not be overlooked. God commanded that His newly consecrated priests make yet another offering that would complete their ordination.

“…take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh. Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the Lord’s presence. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the Lord.” – Exodus 29:22-24 NLT

After the final lamb was sacrificed and dismembered, the fat, liver, kidneys, and right thigh were to be placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons, along with bread from the Table of Presence. This rather grotesque-sounding ceremony had a purpose. Placing these elements in the hands of the consecrated priests was a sign of ownership. The best parts of the animal were given to Aaron and his sons but they were to offer them back to God as “a special gift for him” (Exodus 29:25 NLT). These elements were placed on the Bronze Altar and burned with fire, creating a pleasing aroma to God. This gift was given by Aaron and his sons, a sign of their commitment to give their best to God.

But God would reward them for their service. Aaron was allowed to keep the breast of the ordination ram, but only after lifting it up to God as a wave offering. In doing so, he acknowledged God’s ownership of all things, including himself and his sons. The breast of the ram was to be seen as a gracious gift from God. And Aaron’s sons would also receive a gift, in the form of the thigh of the ordination ram. These gifts, originally given by the people, were to become a form of divine compensation for Aaron and his sons. God would take care of His servants by meeting their physical needs.

“This was God’s permanent provision for the priesthood. The people brought their offerings to God, and God in turn gave the priests their share.” – Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved For God’s Glory

These gifts from God were reserved solely for the priests. No one else was allowed to consume any part of the ordination ram or the bread of the presence.

“Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance. They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purification in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy.” – Exodus 29:32-33 NLT

These men were to be considered completely holy. From their outer robes to the literal inner recesses of their bodies, they were fully consecrated to God. They were covered in robes of righteousness, anointed with the oil that represented the Spirit of God, sprinkled with blood that atoned for their sins, and filled with food from the table of God. There is tremendous symbolism in this ritual. It pictured the future consecration that would be experienced by all those who placed their faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29 ESV).

Jesus would later describe the process by which someone could experience the transformation from a sinner to a priest of the Most High God.

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:53-58 NLT

And the apostle Peter provided further insight into this remarkable transformation.

…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT

For a Christian, this process is immediate and permanent. It is a one-time event that never needs to be repeated. But for Aaron and his sons, the sanctifying process was to last seven days and required repeated sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people and to purify the altar of God. Sin would be a constant problem for the people of Israel and, therefore, the sacrifices would be an ongoing necessity.

“These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation.” – Exodus 29:42 NLT

And the author of Hebrews explains the reason for this perpetual and never-ending cycle of sacrifice for sanctification.

The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebews 10:1-4 NLT

Then he adds the fantastic news regarding Jesus’ once-for-all-time sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand… – Hebrews 10:10-12 NLT

Centuries ago, God made a provision for dealing with the sinfulness of His chosen people. In order that He might dwell in their midst, He provided an elaborate process for cleansing them from their sin and preparing them to enjoy the pleasure of His presence. His presence was predicated on their purification, and their purification was dependent upon the shedding of blood.

“Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God.” – Exodus 29:44-46 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Robed in Righteousness

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1 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.

19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 21 Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.” – Exodus 29:1-21ESV

God had given Moses His construction plans for the Tabernacle and its elements. He had provided the designs for the sacred garments of the priests. Now, He gave Moses instructions for the consecration of Aaron and his sons so that they might serve as His holy representatives before the people.

Once the Tabernacle was complete and ready for use, there would be one final step before God’s presence could dwell among His people. God had appointed Aaron and his sons to serve as priests and He had assigned given them the high honor and heavy responsibility of maintaining the spiritual welfare of the entire nation. The priests and the entire Tabernacle in which they would serve had to be thoroughly purified and consecrated to prepare the way for the Lord’s presence.

Despite the Tabernacle’s ornate and rather lavish design, it was still just a glorified tent. The elements contained inside its decorative walls, though covered in gold and decorated with precious gems, were just ordinary objects made with human hands. Those who had been chosen to wear the sacred garments and enter the inner recesses of the sanctuary were just ordinary men.

When the people of Israel looked at the Tabernacle they would see a structure they had helped to build. Their contributions had helped to fund its construction. Their sweat equity had transformed the words of God into a reality, and as they stood before the completed structure, they could take pride in what they had accomplished. So, it was essential that the people understand the sacredness of the Tabernacle. During its construction phase, they would have entered into its various chambers and touched the objects that would later become off-limits. They would have been familiar with every nook and cranny of God’s house and proud of the role they had played in its construction. But once completed, the Tabernacle would no longer be accessible. The gifts they had donated for its construction were no longer theirs. The doorway into the grounds of the Tabernacle would be closed to them.

The Tabernacle was meant to be a sacred space, set apart for God’s use. But it had been made with human hands and constructed from earthly materials. When King Solomon completed his grand plan for the Temple in Jerusalem, he admitted, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27 ESV).

Centuries later, the apostle Stephen picked up on this thought in a sermon he preached to a crowd of Jews in the city of Jerusalem, not long after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

“…it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

“‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
    or what is the place of my rest?
Did not my hand make all these things?’” – Acts 7:48-50 ESV

And the apostle Paul would echo the words of Stephen in an address he gave at the Areopagus in Athens.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” – Acts 17:24 ESV

As Moses and his fellow Israelites stood back admiring the glorious Tabernacle they had helped to create, it would have been easy for them to take credit for its existence. They would have assumed that it somehow belonged to them. But God wanted them to know that this building, while magnificent and worthy of praise, was unfit for His habitation. God didn’t need a house to live in. This Tabernacle was not for His benefit but for the benefit of the people of Israel. It would become a lasting symbol of His abiding presence and a vivid reminder of His holiness. But it all began on the day that Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons.

Chapter 29 of Exodus parallels chapter 8 of Leviticus. Each outlines the detailed instructions given by God to Moses for the elaborate opening ceremony of the Tabernacle. First on the agenda was the ordination of Aaron and his sons. Before they could serve in God’s house, they had to be purified with water. Then their personal garments were replaced with the sacred robes provided for them by God. Once properly attired, Aaron and his sons were anointed with oil. This ritual was designed to signify their set-apart status. It represented the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon each of the men, preparing them to serve in His holy house.

But one further step was required before these men could enter God’s presence. They had been ceremonially cleansed and robed in righteous garments but there was still the matter of their sin. To the human eye, they looked like priests and appeared to be holy and fully prepared for their role. But Moses was ordered to offer three different sacrifices to ensure that Aaron and his sons would be acceptable to God. Their garments could not take away sin. Though they looked like priests, they remained covered in guilt and unworthy to enter into God’s presence.

The first sacrifice involved a bull that was offered as atonement for sin. Its blood was sprinkled on the horns of the altar, making it holy before the Lord. But before the bull was killed, Aaron and his two sons laid their hands on the animal, ceremonially transferring their sins onto the beast. Its death served as a substitute for their own.  Their sin debt was paid for by another.

The next sacrifice was a ram and, as before, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the animal before it was slain. Then its blood was sprinkled on the sides of the bronze altar and its entire body was burned as “a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord” (Exodus 29:18 ESV).

“By consuming the entire animal, God was indicating that he had completely accepted the worshiper, and as it was a sweet smelling fire sacrifice, he was indicating that he was pleased to accept it. By offering the entire animal, the worshiper was indicating on his part a complete surrender to God.” – NET Bible Study Notes

The final sacrifice involved a second ram on which Aaron and his sons laid their hands. In this case, the blood of the ram was placed “on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet” (Exodus 29:20 ESV). This sacrifice was unique to Aaron and his two sons. It was intended to set them apart for their service as priests. In this case, the blood was not for atonement but for sanctification. It consecrated them for their unique role as God’s mediators. Covered in oil and blood, the men were ready to serve the Lord.

Their lavish garments were now soaked with oil and stained with blood, and it was in this macabre state that they were able to enter into God’s presence. When Aaron and his sons made their way into the Tabernacle for the first time, they did so by virtue of the blood. The author of Hebrews reminds us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV). Moses was required to shed innocent blood so that his brother Aaron might receive atonement. He had to take life so that the lives of his brother and nephews might be spared and so that they might serve the spiritual needs of the people.

Jesus did the same thing for us when He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. The entire Tabernacle and the rites and rituals surrounding it point to Christ. Once again, the author of Hebrews makes the connection between the two.

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. – Hebrews 13:11-12 ESV

Aaron and his sons were now ready to enter into God’s presence. But this elaborate ritual would have to be repeated over and over again before they could serve in God’s house. As sinners, they remained unfit for service without the blood sacrifice and the purification process that accompanied it. This entire ceremony was meant to communicate the holiness of God and the sinfulness of men. The blood was representative of man’s guilt and condemnation. But it also stood for God’s willingness to provide substitutionary atonement for the debt men owed. He had a plan for dealing with the problem and it involved the sacrifice of another. And as the apostle points out, “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holy to the Lord

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31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.” – Exodus 28:31-43 ESV

The old proverb, “clothes make the man,” could easily be applied to the high priest and his sacred garments. Aaron was being given a divinely designed wardrobe that would allow him to enter the very presence of God Almighty. When performing his priestly duties, Aaron was to be outfitted from head to toe with a one-of-a-kind vestment that set him apart from every other Israelite. Underneath the richly ornamented garments, Aaron was just another man. He had no righteousness of his own and had done nothing to earn or deserve his status as God’s high priest. Yet God had chosen him to serve in this incomparable role and adorned him with exquisite garments that signified the sacredness of his calling. These garments were to be considered holy because they had been set apart for one purpose only. They were to be used solely for the worship of God. Aaron was not free to use them for any other purpose or leave the grounds of the Tabernacle while wearing them. They were to be his uniform when serving in the sanctuary of the Lord.

In the closing verses of chapter 28, God provides the final piece of the ensemble that Aaron was to wear: A blue robe made from a seamless piece of finely woven linen. It appears that this robe was shaped like a poncho with a hole in the middle for slipping it over the head. The collar was reinforced to prevent it from tearing. Attached to the hem of the robe was a series of alternating ornaments.

“Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.” – Exodus 28:33 NLT

The pomegranates most likely symbolized fruitfulness, while the bells were intended to declare the actions of the priest as he ministered on behalf of the people. They could not enter the Tabernacle, so whenever the high priest went inside the compound to serve as their mediator, they could hear the sound of the bells and know that he was acting in their stead. He bore the name of their tribe on his shoulder and before his heart. And as long as the bells sounded, they knew that he had been accepted by God and was serving in their place before the throne of the Lord.

The sound of the bells was essential because it revealed that Aaron was still alive, and death was a distinct possibility every time the high priest entered into God’s presence. God even indicated that the bells would serve as a kind of early warning system, signifying that Aaron was approaching. God would later tell Moses, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20 ESV). So, once a year, when Aaron entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, the bells would announce his intent to enter God’s presence.

“And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.” – Exodus 28:35 ESV

Perhaps God’s glory departed the Holy of Holies prior to Aaron’s entrance, in order to prevent the high priest from seeing the face of God. The text is not clear. But in the book of Leviticus, Moses includes further details regarding Aaron’s once-a-year entrance into the inner recesses of the Tabernacle on the Day of Atonement.

“Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.” – Leviticus 16:2-4 NLT

Aaron had to take precautions when serving God because death was a real possibility if he did so in an improper manner. His garments had to be just right. He had to go through the proper purification procedures. And he was never to enter the Holy of Holies on any other day than the one prescribed by God – upon penalty of death.

One of the final elements of Aaron’s priestly outfit was the linen turban. Attached to the turban was a gold plate upon which were engraved the words, “Holy to the Lord” (Exodus 28:37 ESV). This emblem hung above the high priest’s forehead and signified that he belonged to God. In a sense, his garments made him holy. They set the high priest apart as being the sole property of God and dedicated entirely to His use and for His glory. And this was to be true of Aaron’s sons as well. They too were to wear holy garments that signified their status as God’s chosen vessels.

“For Aaron’s sons, make tunics, sashes, and special head coverings that are glorious and beautiful. Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they can serve as my priests.” – Exodus 28:40-41 NLT

These men had been given the incredible privilege and responsibility of serving the God of the universe, and they were not to take it lightly. Even their undergarments were meant to set them apart as God’s chosen servants and were designed to protect them from uncovering their nakedness before the Lord.

“These must be worn whenever Aaron and his sons enter the Tabernacle or approach the altar in the Holy Place to perform their priestly duties. Then they will not incur guilt and die.” – Exodus 28:43 NLT

God made provisions for everything. Any form of immodesty would have been unacceptable when serving in the house of God, so God designed holy undergarments to prevent Aaron and his sons from exposing themselves to one another while performing their priestly duties. God took every precaution to ensure that His servants remained “Holy to the Lord” in all that they did.

But there is a story recorded in the book of Leviticus that reveals how Aaron’s sons failed to fully appreciate the holiness of their calling. Despite all of God’s warnings and the precautions He took to ensure their safety when serving in His house, Nadab and Abihu took liberties with their position and chose to do God’s will their own way.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

‘I will display my holiness
    through those who come near me.
I will display my glory
    before all the people.’”

And Aaron was silent. – Leviticus 10:1-3 NLT

There is no explanation given as to what is meant by “the wrong kind of fire.” In Hebrew, it refers to “unauthorized fire.” Evidently, Nadab and Abihu did not follow God’s commands regarding the proper use of the Altar of Incense. There are some scholars who believe that whatever these two men did was done in a state of drunkenness, because immediately after their deaths, God gave Aaron a new prohibition banning the consumption of alcohol while serving in the Tabernacle.

“You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.” – Leviticus 10:9-10 NLT

But this sad incident reveals that clothes do not make the man. Nadab and Abihu may have been wearing the holy garments, but their hearts remained distant from God. Their outer appearance did nothing to change their inner dispositions. And Jesus would accuse the religious leaders of His day of having the very same problem.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” – Matthew 23:27-28 BSB

Yes, the robes of the high priest and his sons were important. But those sacred garments could not make Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu holy. Priestly robes cannot alter a man’s heart or change his character. Sadly, they can actually serve as camouflage, covering up the reality within, and that was the case for Nadab and Abihu. They looked like priests, set apart for the service of God, but they were actually whitewashed tombs, full of dead men’s bones. To all the people of Israel, Aaron’s sons looked the part, but God had a different perspective.

“…the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.