1. Thu: Galatians 1-3
  2. Fri: Ezekiel 33
  3. Sat: Psalms 33-36
Sunday · Week 18
The Books of the Law

Exodus 26-28

Week 18 · about 17 min
  1. Mon: Mark 12-13
  2. Tue: Isaiah 46-48
  3. Wed: 2 Samuel 1-6

Detailed plans for the tabernacle structure and the garments of the high priest.

Names Over the High Priest’s Heart

And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

Exodus 28:29 (KJV)

These chapters are full of measurements, and it’s fine to read them lightly. A few details are worth noticing. A veil divides the holy place from the most holy place, and that’s the veil that tore when Jesus died. Aaron’s shoulders carry two onyx stones with the names of the tribes, six on each. Over his heart is a breastplate with twelve stones, each engraved with a tribe’s name. Every time he went before God, he carried the people on his shoulders and over his heart. The gold plate on his turban read “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” Hebrews calls Jesus our great high priest.

Reflect: Who are you carrying on your heart before God?

Exodus 26

1Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the cunning workman shalt thou make them.

2The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure.

3Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

4And 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 edge of the curtain that is outmost in the second coupling.

5Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling; the loops shall be opposite one to another.

6And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps: and the tabernacle shall be one.

7And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make them.

8The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: the eleven curtains shall have one measure.

9And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent.

10And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain which is outmost in the second coupling.

11And thou shalt make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

12And the overhanging part that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.

13And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

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

15And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.

16Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.

17Two tenons shall there be in each board, joined one to another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

18And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

19And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons:

20and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards:

21and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

22And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.

23And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part.

24And they shall be double beneath, and in like manner they shall be entire unto the top thereof unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

25And there shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

26And thou shalt make bars of acacia wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

27and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the hinder part westward.

28And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass through from end to end.

29And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

30And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shewed thee in the mount.

31And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim the work of the cunning workman shall it be made:

32and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks shall be of gold, upon four sockets of silver.

33And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, and shalt bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

34And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35And thou shalt set the table without the veil, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36And thou shalt make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.

37And thou shalt make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 27

1And thou shalt make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

2And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

3And thou shalt make its pots to take away its ashes, and its shovels, and its basons, and its fleshhooks, and its firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

4And thou shalt make for it a grating of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.

5And thou shalt put it under the ledge round the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar.

6And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with brass.

7And the staves thereof shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, in bearing it.

8Hollow with planks shalt thou make it: as it hath been shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

9And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen an hundred cubits long for one side:

10and the pillars thereof shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

11And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings an hundred cubits long, and the pillars thereof twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

13And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

14The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

15And for the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16And for the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer: their pillars four, and their sockets four.

17All the pillars of the court round about shall be filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets of brass.

18The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits, of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.

19All the instruments of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

20And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.

21In the tent of meeting, without the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28

1And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

2And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.

3And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

4And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of chequer work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

5And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.

6And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the cunning workman.

7It shall have two shoulderpieces joined to the two ends thereof; that it may be joined together.

8And the cunningly woven band, which is upon it, to gird it on withal, shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth.

11With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be enclosed in ouches of gold.

12And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulderpieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13And thou shalt make ouches of gold:

14and two chains of pure gold; like cords shalt thou make them, of wreathen work: and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the ouches.

15And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the cunning workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

16Foursquare it shall be and double; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof.

17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;

18and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;

19and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

20and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.

21And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.

22And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains like cords, of wreathen work of pure gold.

23And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

24And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.

25And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, in the forepart thereof.

26And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.

27And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulderpieces of the ephod underneath, in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the cunningly woven band of the ephod.

28And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be upon the cunningly woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

30And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

31And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent.

33And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

34a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.

35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

36And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLY TO THE LORD.

37And thou shalt put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

38And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

39And thou shalt weave the coat in chequer work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.

40And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and headtires shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

41And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

43and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.

Revised Version (RV). Revised Version (RV), 1885, public domain.