The Mosaic Covenant: The Tabernacle
The first time I read through the book of Exodus, I remember getting halfway through the book and suddenly finding myself reading a list of building materials and dimensions. And it didn’t end! In fact, the directions repeated themselves for a second time! It was almost as bad as reading the endless chapters of genealogies in 1 Chronicles.
Stories like the golden calf (Exodus 32) and Moses' witnessing God's glory (Ex. 33) interrupted the instructions and building details, but the second half of Exodus still left much to be desired in my mind. When you consider the beginning of Exodus, which describes Israel's oppression under Egyptian rule and God's miraculous intervention through the plagues and the Red Sea crossing, the second half of the book seems like a letdown.
It has taken me a very long time to understand that something astonishing is happening in the building of the tabernacle.
In the story of Exodus, God reveals that He is claiming Israel for Himself. He has stated that Israel is His firstborn son (Ex. 4:22), and during the covenant ceremony, God declared that Israel was His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (19:5-6). He would be their God, and they would be His people.
In Leviticus, God said, “I will put my dwelling place among you…I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (26:11-12, NIV).
The language used in this verse should remind you of another time when God walked among people. Way back at the beginning of Genesis, God created mankind in His image (Gen. 1:27). He placed these humans in a garden in the land of Eden to work and care for the land (2:15). God walked among them (3:8) and had a relationship with them. Until I spent time studying this topic, I was unaware that God's covenant with Israel and the construction of the tabernacle had a direct connection to the Eden account.
Humans were God's image-bearers, and God gave them the mission to care for His creation. As such, they served as priests of God in a sanctuary set apart from the rest of the world and located in the garden in Eden. The garden was the first temple, a place where heaven and earth met, and God dwelt among His people. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were banned from the presence of God and exiled from the garden, which was then protected by cherubim (Gen 3:23-24).
Now, in Exodus, we see man being allowed, to a degree, back into the presence of God. We see His priestly image-bearers working and caring for His earthly dwelling place. The entire design of the tabernacle (and later the temple) was meant to bring people closer to God, while also reminding them of His holiness and their own sinful nature.
The show notes for the Bible Project Podcast “Exodus: Why Does the Tabernacle Furniture Even Matter?” state:
“If you were to walk through the tabernacle, you would pass through two outer courts en route to the Holy of Holies. The entrances of each court, guarded by cherubim, would remind you that each boundary you pass brings you into greater proximity to God’s own presence and the location where heaven and earth are one.”
Let's now take a similar walk through the elements that we would encounter if we were present in the tabernacle. If you have not yet done so, please view these two diagrams to get a sense of the place I am describing (diagram 1; diagram 2).
After entering the courtyard, we would come to the bronze altar for burnt offerings, where the priests would offer the sacrifices for sin and guilt. No one could proceed any further into the presence of God without the shedding of blood to atone for their sins. Even so, only the priests would be allowed into the tabernacle itself.
Between the bronze altar and the tent of the tabernacle, we would find the bronze basin. As a practical measure, the priests used the basin to wash the blood and dirt from themselves before entering the tabernacle. Ceremonially, it signified cleansing oneself before entering the presence of God.
The courtyard represents the outer world, or creation. By entering the tabernacle, we would enter into a new layer that draws us ever nearer to God. We enter the sanctuary, a sacred and separate place from the rest of the world, like the region of Eden would have been. This initial room in the sanctuary is also called the Holy Place.
In the Holy Place, we would see three elements: the table for the bread of the presence, the lampstand, and the altar of incense. All of these elements are either made of gold or are overlaid with gold. As we draw nearer to God, the materials become more extravagant and more beautiful.
The table, located on one wall of the tabernacle, held the utensils required for a meal: plates, cups, pitchers, and bowls. The Bible says little about the uses of these materials, but I would assume they would be used for eating. On top of the table were 12 loaves separated into stacks of six. The loaves were replaced once a week on the Sabbath. When we recall how Jesus named Himself the bread of life (John 6:35), the bread on the table can make us think of God's provision for us. When we come to Him for salvation, He grants us the righteousness of Christ and gives us eternal life in His presence.
Opposite the table stood the lampstand, made from 75 pounds of gold. It was shaped like a tree with seven branches and blossoms that were cups, each holding pure olive oil. The oil produced little smoke and provided better light. It was the only source of light within the tabernacle. The lamp was to be kept burning continuously and tended day and night to ensure it remained lit. There is a great deal of symbolism that we can identify in this particular element, and I will list them below.
Given the Eden connections, the lampstand, with its natural elements, may represent the tree of life.
The lampstand may also symbolize the Holy Spirit, who is often connected to oil and fire in the Bible. (See Zech 4:1-14, Acts 2:1-4, Rev. 1:12-16 for further references.)
Jesus names Himself the light of the world (John 8:12), the light of life.
There seems to be a close connection between the ideas of light and life. If we think of the natural world, most living things need light to survive. Plants need it for photosynthesis, animals and humans need it to regulate their circadian rhythms, the seasons wax and wane with the amount of sunlight we receive, and we even have an essential vitamin that we can only obtain from the sun. Theologically, we can also see the light as symbolizing God's presence and His sovereignty.
As we move further into the tabernacle, we would then come to the altar of incense placed directly before a thick veil. The priests would burn incense on the altar morning and night. Once a year, the altar would be anointed with blood during the Day of Atonement ceremony before the priest would pass through the veil to the Most Holy Place. The incense used was a sacred formula and would starkly contrast with the scent of death from all the sacrifices. The aroma of the incense can symbolize the prayers of God’s people (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8, 8:3-4).
The veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place within the sanctuary. The Most Holy Place was seen as God's dwelling place, like the garden in Eden. The veil was embroidered with guardian cherubim, just as cherubim protected the garden in Eden. They symbolized that the way to God was barred for any unauthorized person.
Within the Most Holy Place, we would find the ark of the covenant and its atonement cover, also called the mercy seat. This is where God's presence dwells. The ark is the connection between heaven and earth, symbolizing the footstool of God's throne in heaven. Temples served as meeting places between heaven and earth in the ancient world. The tabernacle fulfills the same purpose. Priests could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement, and only after they had completed the appropriate sacrifices for their sin and the sin of the people.
I love how the NIV Application Bible commentary describes the tabernacle as "a piece of holy ground in a world that has lost its way" (135). Furthermore, the tabernacle also "prefigures the incarnation of the Word of God…” (Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, 77). The tabernacle (and the temple) were the places where God dwelt with mankind once more. In Jesus, “[t]he Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Thus, Jesus is the true and better tabernacle and temple where heaven and earth meet.
There is much more to explore on this topic, but many other scholars have already done far more justice to this concept. You can find additional resources below if you would like to learn more. I pray that you have a new appreciation for the tabernacle. I will certainly read Exodus with a different lens in the future. But, in the end, it all comes down to the fact that God was always working through the covenants to paint an ever clearer picture of the Coming One, of Jesus, who is our Savior.
Go Deeper
Read: The Building Instructions, Exodus 25-30
Watch: The Tabernacle and the Messiah
Watch: Tabernacle of Moses Replica in Timna Park (starts at 9:25)
Listen: What’s So Special About the Tabernacle by the Bible Project
Listen: Why Does the Tabernacle Furniture Even Matter? by the Bible Project
Watch: Temple Theme by the Bible Project
Read: “Heaven Invades Earth: Understanding the Symbolism & Purpose of the Tabernacle” by Wyatt Graham
Author’s Note:
Please realize that the resource list is a work in progress, and not all the sources listed are ones that I necessarily used or heavily considered in the development of this series. A variety of schools of thought may be represented. I am not intentionally promoting one theological system over another. I also recognize that there are multiple approaches to studying covenants, and I am not here to promote one over another. My goal is to present a basic understanding of the various covenants and how they progressively reveal God's overarching plan of salvation for humanity.