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Awesome Hands – part 93

“The Splendor of the Tabernacle”

December 2, 2015

In our previous studies covering the tabernacle, we have discussed the various items contained within the tabernacle. In our next group of studies, we are going to cover the various linens and materials used to make the covering, frame and structure of the tabernacle.

As was previously covered, here is the offering the Lord expects from His people:

Exo 25:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 25:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
Exo 25:3  And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
Exo 25:4  And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
Exo 25:5  And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

The study today is going to cover the layers overlaying/covering the tabernacle.

We are covered

Anytime we talk about a covering, we know there is some linkage to Jesus Christ since He is our covering in various ways. Some of the attributes of the covering of the tabernacle will directly connect us with our savior in a most wonderfully planned way.

Psa 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 91:3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Exo 12:22  And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exo 12:23  For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Why have I taken the time to read these various verses in the context of curtains, linens and covering we are covering in Exodus 26?

As we have all come to learn, scripture uses many examples of various items to describe our relationship with the Lord. As we read about the various items found in chapter 26, let us see if they correlate to the covering of the tabernacle and the covering of Jesus Christ over us, His people, the temple of the living God.

Fine Twined Linen

Exo 26:1  Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
Exo 26:2  The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

So the first layer of the tabernacle is going to be made of fine twined linen. These 10 twined linen curtains are going to have all of the colors of blue, purple and scarlet but also have cherubims embroidered into them. They will also all be the same size.

When we see the number of the 10 being mentioned, then we know there is going to be a connection to the flesh and the old man. If you’ve studied the series Mike has done on the colors in scripture, then you’ll remember that blue, purple and scarlet show the progression of our walk with God.

We all start off with red, purple is a mixture of blue and red, and then we finally progress to the heavenly blue. There is much more to those colors, but I would welcome every to re-visit those studies or read up on them if you haven’t already so that I do not need to re-create those studies within my own series.

The point I want to make is that these colors are all spiritual types and shadows of the war happening to us while we are living. We have a war of the flesh and spiritual happening daily, and as this war rages on, we have a progression happening from fleshly carnally minded “red” to heavenly minded “blue”. If there is any doubt that the Lord is showing us this connection, remember that Cherubim are no merely overlaid onto these curtains later, they are embroidered INTO the actual curtain/covering.

In this progression, we are shown grace as we can see in the dividing of the curtains into manageable sections.

Exo 26:3  The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
Exo 26:4  And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Exo 26:5  Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
Exo 26:6  And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.

Fifty is the number of liberty in scripture. There is a reason that this layer of the tabernacle has fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the other.

These loops were made of blue linen signifying their heavenly connecting of the “curtains of one”. I phrase this “curtains of one” because each side of this “one tabernacle” has five curtains making one side and five curtains making the other side. The five curtains were then sown together to make one side and the other 5 to make one piece for the other side.

Each of these “sides” of the tabernacle were connected with taches of gold.

When I see the details the Lord has placed on this first layer of the covering of the tabernacle, I notice that He wants us to know this is one tabernacle as mentioned in verse 6.

Where else are we told we are one with God and His sanctification of this tabernacle?

Exo 29:43  And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by MY GLORY.

Lev 8:10  And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be MADE PERFECT IN ONE; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; THAT THEY MAY BEHOLD MY GLORY, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Our glory is one with Christ’s because Christ’s glory is the Fathers. We are One tabernacle. However, this tabernacle is still the temporary one which no longer exists because it was just the shadow of what the true tabernacle is.

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Goats Skin

 

Exo 26:7  And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
Exo 26:8  The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
Exo 26:9  And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
Exo 26:10  And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
Exo 26:11  And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
Exo 26:12  And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
Exo 26:13  And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

There are several significant differences about the goat skin layering of the 4 layers mentioned here in Exodus 26.

First off, the length of this “tent” is 2 more cubits longer than the 28 cubits that the tabernacle and covering of fine linen was made of.  This was so that it could hang over the sides and back of the tabernacle.

This layer is a “covering”, a “tent”, for the tabernacle. The fine linen was to be “one tabernacle” while this layer of goats hair was a covering for the tabernacle.

Num 4:25  And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

The fine linen with cherubim was included as the “one tabernacle” while the covering for the tabernacle was the tent or the goat hair.

Next, this covering was to be 11 curtains made into 2 pieces. One piece had 5 curtains and the other had 6. Five being the number of grace and six being the number of man, we should start to see a connection to the goat with this layer.

The connecting of the one whole piece of 5 breadths or curtains to the 6 breadths or curtains is done with BRASS this time and NOT gold. The loops are also not defined as blue which indicates they were made of the same material as the curtain themselves since the loops of blue were material used in the making of the first layer of the tabernacle.

Esau was represented by goat’s skins/hair when his blessing was stolen by Jacob who was “underneath” the goat’s hair. Jacob went on to be renamed to Israel. Being the True Israel of God, God’s people, we can see this as a shadow of the goat’s hair covering the true beauty beneath or inside.

Next we can see a connection to the scapegoat which is a sin offering. Most Christians today do not understand not can fathom that WE are sin offerings through the work of Jesus Christ in us.

Jesus Christ represents both the goat that was sacrificed and the goat that was released into the wilderness as the scapegoat. In connection with the goat hair covering, we can see that what we have hidden inside of us is the kingdom of God and what is in the Kingdom of God is Jesus and His and our Father.

Lev 16:5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Since it was Aaron who let the scapegoat go, and Aaron is the high priest who typifies Christ, we can correlate that type to Jesus Christ our high priest releasing the scapegoat into the wilderness.

Ram and badgers skin

Exo 26:14  And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.

As you can see from this verse, there isn’t much said about the ram and badger skins used. There isn’t much said about either of these coverings.

We know that the rams’ skin was dyed red and we can make an educated guess that these coverings were at least as big as the fine linen and goat layers.

A male sheep has a fairly easy to see spiritual correlation to Jesus Christ especially when the Lord says to dye the “skin” red. As I mentioned in the beginning of the study, we are all covered by the blood of Jesus and we are all guilty of that blood.

The badger’s skin was the last of four layers which is said in many commentaries to be uncomely. In other words, the outermost layer of these coverings was something that would make an onlooker see this tabernacle and not find much value in it.

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

There was items made of pure gold and others overlaid in gold, but from the outside an onlooker could not know what beauty was inside this tabernacle.

From the inside, the priest was surrounded by gold and had beautifully embroidered cherubim all around. The fine linen layer was the closest layer to everything pertaining to the glory of God in the tabernacle. The fine linen layer was also the outermost layer referred to as “the tabernacle”.

With this study, I hope we are able to glean a little bit more about the relationship the Lord has given us with Him and the beauty of what will be revealed when we see Him as He is.

In the next study, we are going to cover the structure of the tabernacle with the wood boards, the sockets and the bars. We are also going to cover the location the Lord tells Moses to place all of the items pertaining to the tabernacle and what they mean for us.