This is the first time the ten commandments are given, and they are given orally by God, Ex. 20:1-17. Compare with Deut. 5. 
The second time Moses is called up to receive tables of stone written by God, 24:12-18. In 31:18 it says they were written by the finger of God, and in 32:15,16 it specifies that the two stones were written on both sides and the writing was the writing of God engraved upon them. In 32:20 Moses throws them down in anger and breaks them.
The third time the commandments are given, the tables are made by Moses and the law is again written by the hand of the Lord, 34:1 and Deut 10:1-4. Confusion exists because in Ex. 34:27 the Lord says to Moses, “Write thou” and verse 28 “he wrote”. This is not a conflict with verse 1 and Deut. 10:1-4. It is simply that God wrote the ten commandments and Moses wrote the ceremonial parts given in Ex 34:11-26 as he did in Ex. 24:4 and read them in 24:7.
v 1-3. The first four commandments have to do with our relationship to God.
“No other gods before me.” He could simply have stated He was God, but He showed them they had an obligation, because of the great deliverance from Egypt, to obey Him willingly. We might use 1 Jn. 4:19, We love Him because He first loved us.
v 4-6. “Not make any graven image.” This does not mean no photographs or even statues as art, but not to make images for the purpose of worship. Some religions make statues to worship, or set aside objects or places and worship them. Anything that comes between us and God can be considered an idol, money, position etc. Not just to the third or fourth generation, but to those that hate God. It is human nature for children to follow in the evil steps of their fathers, but they are not punished for the deeds of the fathers unless they do the same.
v 7. “Not take the name of the Lord in vain.” This is not just the obvious profanity in the use of Jesus Christ or God’s name, but the “minced oaths” that many accept as a common part of speech, Golly, Gee, By Gosh, Holy Smoke etc. When a professing believer denies the virgin birth, inspiration of Scripture, the blood atonement etc., it is a form of taking God’s name in vain.
v 8-11. “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.”  It is given as a sign to Israel forever, Ex. 31.:1-13-17, Ezek. 20:12,20. In Ex. 16: 29 they are first told that God had given them the seventh day as the sabbath. The ten commandments are repeated in Deut. 5:15 with emphasis that it should also be remembered because of their great deliverance from Egypt, as it is again in Deut. 15:15, when the observance of the sabbath year is given.  God rested the seventh day, Gen. 2:1-3, and established a principal of a seventh day, which may or may not have been observed by men. It can be noted that Noah did some things in seven day cycles. Believers worship on Sunday because the early church began to observe it in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection.
v 12. The last six commandments have to do with our relationship to man.
“Honor thy father and thy mother.” This is repeated to believers in Eph. 6:2 with the notation it is the first commandment with promise. It is observable that children who don’t respect parents will not respect teachers, other leaders or the law.
v 13. “Thou shalt not kill.” The Hebrew meaning of kill, as it is used here, is murder. The Lord established in Gen. 9:6 that murderers should be killed by man as a part of governing. It is further commanded in this same portion of scripture, Ex. 21:14-17. God also commanded His people to go out to war. Jesus carried it farther in Matt. 5:22,   But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:
v 14. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Jesus said, Mt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Jesus didn’t change things, just emphasized the heart attitude.
v 15. “Thou shalt not steal.”  This is not just outright theft, but blue collar or white collar thefts from employers or employees in various ways of cheating. Prov. 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
v 16. “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” There are over 20 reference in scripture specifically bearing out this thought. One can bear false witness by tone of voice, facial expression, or even remaining silent when he should speak up.
v 17. “Thou shalt not covet.” Coveting is extremely dangerous because it is hidden in the heart where no one can see it. It may then lead to killing , lying, stealing and committing adultery.
v 18-21. These verses express the effect the fire, thunder etc. had upon the people. See also 19:18,19. They withdrew and were now willing to have Moses repeat the message to them rather than risk hearing directly from God. In 19:9 God said he would come in a thick cloud, and 20:21 calls it thick darkness, even though He descended in fire.  Moses drew near, but did not enter what screened God’s presence.
v 22,23. God had given the ten commandments orally in the hearing of the people, but now that they see that God talks to Moses from heaven, God warns again against idolatry.
v 24-26. Except for the altar God would later describe for the tabernacle, their altars were to be of earth or stones not hewn. Hewn stones might lead to sculpturing into idoolatry. The priests would wear what we might call shorts,  but God called bare thighs nakedness to be avoided.  Also the heathen practiced ritual nakedness, and this was to be completely avoided.
STEPS  TO  HOLINESS
Be ye holy for I am holy, Lev. 11:44; 1 Pet. 2:9

                                                                                               Standards - Chap. 20-23
Covenant - 19:5,6
Deliverance - 14:29
Exodus - 12:51
Bondage - 3:7
Promise - 2:24

Exodus 21

The laws in these chapters may be grouped as follows:
1.  Laws Concerning Worship Ex. 20:23-26
Discussed briefly at close of last chapter.
2.  Laws Concerning Masters and Servants Ex. 21:1-11
A Hebrew servant could go free after six years, in keeping with the seventh year rest of the land, but had the choice of remaining if he had a wife and children who could not go free. This practice of boring a hole in the ear to show perpetual servitude is alluded to in Ps. 40:6. The Lord Jesus Christ expresses the will to be the perpetual slave of the Father in serving Him. The slave was then enrolled in a book, and in Ps. 40:7 Christ mentions being written in a book. Of course David was writing concerning himself, but in so doing he writes of Christ. \
Protection is also given to a slave betrothed into the family, that if she does not receive  equal food, raiment, and duty of marriage as another wife, she shall go free. 
3. Laws Concerning Injuries to Persons EX. 21:12-32
Capitol offenses included murder, kidnapping and smiting or cursing father or mother. Cities of refuge would be provided for unintentional homicide, verse 13, but no one deserving death would escape being killed, verse 14.
Generally speaking, an offender should suffer an injury equal to that which he had inflicted, verse 23-25. Except for murder, the punishment was usually a fine.
A beast that killed a man should be destroyed, v 28. If the owner knew it to be dangerous but did not confine it, he would also be killed.
4. Rights of Property Ex. 21:33-22:15
Verses 33,34 regulate the situation where a man has left a pit open and an animal falls in.
Verses 35,36 tell how to handle a situation where one man’s ox harms another’s. Most of those regulations are self explanatory without comment.
5. Miscellaneous Laws Ex. 22:16-23:19.

Exodus 22

This is a continuation of the previous chapter
(4. Rights of Property Ex. 21:33 -22:15 )
22:1 is the restoration if a man kills or steals another man’s ox or sheep. The difference in penalty between v 1 and v 4 is that the latter is impulse and the former is premeditated, sold and more difficult to replace.
Verses 2 -4 give the rules regarding restitution for other theft, including selling the man as a slave to pay for them.  A man was guiltless if he killed a thief in the night, but if he killed him in daytime when he could be seen and help procured, the slayer would in turn be guilty of homicide and be killed.
v 5. Restitution for livestock in another man’s field.
v 6. Restitution if one’s fire destroys another man’s field.
v 7-13 Restitution or not if one has delivered something to another to keep and it is lost, died or stolen under various situations and disputes. 
v 14,15. The difference in liability if the owner is present. 
5. Miscellaneous Laws Ex. 22:16-23:19.
Verses 16-31 Include the way to handle immorality, witches to be killed, bestiality, worship of false gods, afflicting widows or fatherless children, lending money, disrespect for God or rulers, offering of first fruits and first born, and forbidding eating meat from beasts found torn in the field. (They could use the fat for other purposes, but not for eating. Lev. 7:24)  They are all pretty self explanatory.
Eating something that had died of itself was specified, Deut. 14:21, as giving the meat to the sojourner among them, or selling that which was torn to Gentiles. Ex. 22:31 commands that meat torn be thrown to the dogs. This would seem to indicate literal dogs, but the Deut. portion indicates actual Gentiles.
(This section continues in chapter 23.

Exodus 23

This is a continuation of :
(5. Miscellaneous Laws Ex. 22:16-23:19.)
23:1-9 is a variety of humane issues and kindnesses that are self explanatory. Included is a warning not to take bribes or oppress foreigners.
Verse 2 illustrates how the Pharisees abused the Torah in the Talmud (If not stated otherwise it is the Babylonian Talmud) by taking words out of context. By saying not to decline after many, verses 1-3 clearly indicate that you are to give honest testimony regardless of what the majority may say. However, the rabbis isolated three words, “decline after many”. This gives them the authority to change and add to the Torah if the majority decides to do it. For instance, saying a specified prayer while pouring water from one hand to another before a meal. Jesus upheld the Torah, but rebuked their tradition of men in doing this, Mk. 5:5-7.
Verses 10-13 involve the sabbath year rest of the land and seventh day rest. These things should all be done circumspectly or prudently, and an additional warning to not even mention false gods.
Verses 14-19 deal with the three national feasts, three times in the year.
The feast of unleavened bread which lasts seven days and immediately follows the feast of the passover. This is about the beginning of barley harvest, and sheaves of new grain were offered.
The feast of harvest, at which two loaves made from the new grain, wheat, was offered at the completion of harvest. Also called Feast of Weeks, because it was seven weeks (50 days) after the feast of unleavened bread. In the New Testament it is called Pentecost (fifty days).
The feast of ingathering, or tabernacles, at the end all agricultural harvest. Booths were set up to sleep in, reminder of the days leaving Egypt.
There is additional instruction regarding sacrifices, and a separate instruction not to boil a kid in it’s mother’s milk. Boiling a kid in it’s mother’s milk was common among the Canaanites as a fertility rite, and the milk was sprinkled over their fields. God didn’t want his people involved in anything related to idolatry. The prohibition may also have involved not taking what was given to promote life, milk, to destroy the young life of the kid which should have been left with it’s mother.
Verses 20-33 are instructions and promises concerning conquest of the land:
v 20-23. This may have been a special guardian angel, but more likely the pre incarnate Christ. The oral instruction would come from Moses. 
v 24. They were not to worship the false gods but destroy them.
v 25-27. God enumerates blessings the people will receive if they serve the Lord. Their enemies were more powerful and could have overcome them at various times had not the Lord put fear in them.
v 28 A reminder of the little song that God didn’t force them out, He just sent hornets and made them willing to go.
v 29,30. Such a wise plan, driving out the enemies only as fast as the Israelites could satisfactorily inhabit the land without it growing up to weeds and wild animals.
v 31. Israel never achieved these boundaries except briefly in Solomon’s reign.
Red Sea = Gulf of Aquaba, the southeastern border.
Sea of the Philistines = the Mediterranean Sea.
The desert = the southern boundary.
The river = the River Euphrates.
v 32,33. Another reminder not to make a treaty with the enemies or their idolatry would be a snare to Israel. This proved so true.

Exodus 24

v 1,2. Moses was to come near to God, the three future priests and the seventy elders were to be on the mountain, but far off. It is not stated how the seventy were selected, but they were no doubt esteemed. Others weren’t to even touch the mount.
v 3. Before going up, Moses told the people everything God had told him in the previous three chapters,including the “ten words” of chapter 20. In order to have a permanent record he also recorded all this in writing (Maybe while with God) as a condition of the national covenant with God. They quickly promised obedience.
v 4-8. This has been described as a marriage ceremony between Israel and the Lord, the altar to represent God and the pillars to represent Israel. The priesthood had not yet been established, so these young men were probably firstborn sons from each tribe. It is not to be supposed that Moses sprinkled blood on three million people. It may have been just on the young men or the twelve pillars, but it was a solemn vow. To make it an official ceremony, Moses read to them all he had written and they not only promised to do it but be obedient. How soon they forgot!
v 9-11. They did not see God as the Spirit He is, but they saw His glory. The most humble thing, the pavement was like a sapphire stone. They ate and drank before Him some remnants of the peace offering as an indication God would dwell with them.
v 12. The addition of the words “be there” means he would be expected to stay for some time. This was to be the first giving of the ten commandments on stone.
v 13-18. . Joshua went farther along with Moses, but not all the way. “Preparing for prayer is as important as praying.” The Lord kept Moses waiting a week before He spoke to him. Perhaps by now, certainly before the end of the forty days, the elders went back down instead of tarrying as commanded. They may have thought Moses had been consumed by the fire of the Lord. Meanwhile the people were also getting restless, perhaps fearful of the fire of the Lord, v 17. Since Aaron was left in charge, they persuaded him to build the golden calf found in chapter 32.
Exodus 25

v 1,2. This was to be a free will offering from items that had been given to them by the Egyptians when they left.
v 3-10. This lists some very precious items to be donated. The tabernacle which Moses was to have made would be precisely according to a pattern God showed him on the mountain, nothing left to his own ingenuity. This tabernacle was to be typical in three ways.  a. The Church as a habitation of God through the Spirit, v 8 and Eph. 2:19-22.  b. The indwelt believer, 2 Cor. 6:16.  c. A figure of things in the heavens, Heb. 9:23,24. Every thing in it speaks of Christ in some way.
v 10-22. The ark was of wood overlaid with gold, speaking of the humanity and deity of Christ. The staves were across the ends, not the front and back, so the cherubim would both be carried somewhat forward. The staves were left in place in the tabernacle so it could be readily moved without being touched.  In 1 Kings 8:8 the staves were partially drawn out visibly, because the ark was at rest in the temple.
v 23-30. The table of showbread was also wood overlaid with gold. It had a rim to keep the bread from sliding off during transport. The utensils were pure gold. The showbread is typical of Christ, the bread of life. The showbread typifies Christ as the grain of wheat, Jn. 12:24, ground in the mill of suffering, Jn. 12:27, and brought into the fire of judgment, Jn. 12:31-33. As priests, we feed upon Him.
v 31-40. The lamp stand was solid gold, speaking of Christ’s deity. The utensils that went along with it were also pure gold. It was beautifully designed and speaks of Christ the light of the world, Jn 1:4-9; 8:12; 9:5. A talent of gold is 60 - 100 pounds. Gold is figured different, but at 75 pounds, this would be 1200 ounces. Multiplied by today's price per ounce, you can see the tremendous monetary value. The seven lamps represent the sevenfold Spirit, Isa. 11:2; Heb. 1:9; Rev. 1:4.

Exodus 26

v 1-6. These describe the first curtain of blue, signifying Christ’s heavenly origin, which covered the tent of the tabernacle. They were fit together as described to make one curtain.
v 7-13. The goat’s hair speak of atonement. This was also fastened together as one curtain, and it was a little larger. Verse 13, this next layer of the tent hung over the sides of the tabernacle a cubit to make a good cover.
v 14. The next covering was ram’s skins tanned red, speaking of blood sacrifice. The final outer tent covering was badger skins, or as some think, skin of goat, dolphin,   porpoise or seal skin. At any rate a durable weather proof covering which was not much to look at on the outside, the beauty was in the first blue curtain.
v 15-30. See also 36:20-34. The acacia wood was practically indestructible and not bothered by insects. The wood of the boards represented the humanity of Christ, and the gold overlay, His deity. Silver is from the one half shekel redemption money of the male first born, and is typical of redemption. As pertaining individual believers, the forty sockets of silver, two under each board, is a picture of the believer being in the world, but separated from it (earth) by redemption. Of course the true redemption was paid by Christ with His blood. The middle bar of verse 28 ties the building together, with the thought of Eph. 2:21. “All the building, fitly joined together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. God had shown this in detail to Moses in the mount.

v 31-35. This is the veil that separated the portion which held the ark of the covenant and where was the presence of God. It was beautifully woven with cherubim. Again notice the type represented in the materials and colors. Specific location for each of the furnishings is given. The larger room was the holy place, the smaller, most holy. This inner veil was a type of Christ’s body and indicated that by the deeds of the law, no flesh could be justified, Rom. 3:20. This veil was about three fourths to one inch thick and was rent by God from top to bottom at the death of Christ. This put an end to legality, and everyone must come to God by Christ. The Jews no doubt repaired this, just as they attempted to put believers back under the law.

v 36,37. Where the inner curtain rested on sockets of silver, redemption, the outer curtain rests on sockets of brass, judgment.
It has been said of the three entrances that they all represent one way through Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
The gate -The Way. Access at the gate was by bringing a sacrifice to the brazen altar and appropriating it to self. Christ and the cross is our way of salvation.
The door - The Truth. It revealed the truths within the tabernacle symbolizing God’s grace redemption and glory. Christ is the revelation of God’s love, grace, glory.
The veil - The Life. The veil was the entrance to the Most Holy Place. We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ...veil .. His flesh”, Heb. 10:19,20.

  Exodus 27

v 1-8. Brass in KJV is actually bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, whereas  brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. The brazen altar is a type of the cross where Christ offered Himself as our whole burnt offering to God, Heb. 9:14 and 10:5-7. That bronze is typical of judgment is verified by comparing Num. 21:9 with Jn. 3:14 and 12:31-33. Thus we see the wood overlaid with bronze, Christ’s humanity judged in our place.  Horns on the altar provided a place to tie the animals while they were being killed and the blood caught in a basin. They may also have been decoration, but horns in Scripture represent power, and here may represent the power of the gospel, Rom. 1:16 going to the four corners of the world, Mk. 16:15.  It was sensibly built with a hollow opening and grate, and staves for carrying. All it’s utensils were bronze.

v 9-15. The 7 and one half foot tall screen of fine twined linen kept out curious viewers, though they could see part of the tabernacle. Just as the righteousness of God keeps out unbelievers, but they have a glimpse that salvation awaits inside. The pillars and sockets for holding up the screen were also of bronze, but those in the tabernacle were silver - redemption. However the hooks and rods were silver. It is best to think of the fillets v 10, as curtain rods which fastened into the hooks on the pillars, stabilizing the whole. The linen screen was apparently fastened to the curtain rod with hooks. The brass pillars were apparently capped with silver. The screen was 150’ on each side, 75” in the rear, and 22 1/2’  each side of the gate.

v 16-19. The curtain for the gate is 30’ completing the 75’ for the east end. It was not white linen,as the sides, but blue, purple and scarlet and fine twined linen (white). The three colors were embroidered upon the white linen. The linen screen is the righteousness God expects of man, which bars us from entering, but the colorful gate represents Christ, and it is through Him that we can enter. The same is true of the door, 26:36 and the veil, 26:31. As in the sides, the hooks and rods were silver but the pillars and socket bases were bronze. Either pins to hold the curtain down at the bottom or tent pegs and other things connected with it were also bronze. Some feel the four pillars of the gate represent the four gospels and how Christ is represented in each of them.
1. Matthew to Jews -------- Purple --- Royalty -------------King
2. Mark to Romans -------- Scarlet --- Blood sacrifice --Servant
3. Luke to Greeks ----------White------ Perfect man ------Humanity
4. John to “whosoever” --- Blue ------ Heaven sent -----Deity

v 20,21. Oil is a type of the Holy Spirit. Beaten oil is that from bruising and is purer  than that obtained by heating. Our Savior was bruised for us, Isa. 53:5. Priests would remember to keep oil supplied and the light burning in the day time, this is to remind them to keep it burning at night. Josephus says only three were burning in the day time so they lit the others in the evening. See also notes on 30:7,8.
Much more could be said of all these things about the tabernacle and the things connected with it, but might best be researched by those interested. Moses had seen the pattern in the mount and knew exactly what the Lord wanted. The descriptions left for us may not be completely understood, but the Lord was not supplying information to satisfy our curiosity. It was to symbolize salvation through Christ and the Christian walk.

Exodus 28

v 1,2. Aaron had been a prophet under Moses, now he is to be a priest. The sons have equal privilege and responsibility, but we see in Lev. 10:1 how Nadab and Abihu transgressed. Glory here could be translated honor and set Aaron apart from the other people. The garments were very beautiful.

v 3-5. It is not likely these Egyptian slaves had previous training, the Lord granted special wisdom to workers to perform this work. These six pieces of the garment are detailed in the rest of the chapter. They are of the same material as the curtains of the tabernacle. The colors and materials in the tabernacle and garments represented:
Blue - Heavenly nature
Purple - Royalty
Scarlet - Sacrifice
Gold - Deity             
Silver  - Redemption                   
Brass - Judgment 
Fine Linen - Righteousness    (Could see the tent, but could not enter court of God’s righteousness except through the one door, Jesus Christ, Jn. 10:7,9.)
Oil - Holy Spirit       
Wood (Acacia, an “incorruptible” wood) - Humanity of Christ
Wood overlaid with gold, each were distinct as were Christ’s deity and humanity                          
Ram’s skins  and Goats hair - Atonement
Badger’s skins - Humanity or outward appearance of Christ

v 6-14, Cp. Deut. 39:1-7. The ephod was a sleeveless outer garment covering upper body to below the waist, and to which the breastplate was to be attached. Front and back pieces were fastened at the shoulders with an onyx stone like a button. These mounted on each shoulder piece had names of the 12 tribes, 6 on a side, as a memorial to show the high priest was bearing the burden of all of them before the Lord. Christ also bears us. It had an opening in the chest the size to admit the breastplate, and was to be fastened at the waist with a girdle or belt.

v 15-29, Cp. Deut. 39:8-21. The breast piece was doubled so as to make a pocket of a span or up to 9 inches square in which were placed the Urim and Thummim, which were some how used to determine God’s will. The twelve precious stones in gold settings were in four rows of three. A name of each tribe was on each, probably in the same order as on the shoulders. Some question whether the name of Levi was used, or Joseph was omitted with Ephraim and Manasseh in his place, but Josephus  confirms the Biblical implication that the twelve sons of Jacob are listed in order of their birth. It was over the heart, as Christ loves us and has us on His heart.
Because of the weight of the stones, two gold chains in large upper rings attached the breastplate securely to the shoulder pieces, but according to Josephus, the chains did not attach to the lower rings as most scholars picture it. Cords of blue secure all the rings to the rings of the ephod, and blue cord was used to fill  the opening in the ephod, according to Josephus. The rings were on both the breastplate and the ephod and were  hidden on the underside of each.

v 30. The names of the tribes were thus upon Aaron’s heart when he went before the Lord. They were over the priest’s heart, as Christ loves us and has us engraved upon His hear, not just His hands, as in Isa. 49:16. The breastplate is called the breastplate of judgment because of the Urim and Thummim. Even Josephus did not know how the unspecified articles, Urim and Thummim worked. Some think they were just direct illumination from the Lord to the mind of the chief priest, but they were definite stone or other objects placed in the pocket according to Lev. 8:8. There was no priest with them in Ezra 2:63 and Neh. 7:65. They mean Lights and Perfection, a definite reference to God, but any explanations are pure speculation.

v 31-35, Cp. Deut. 39:22-26. The robe was a long sleeveless garment of blue coming below the knees, and with an opening for the head and binding to keep it from tearing. Josephus says that the opening was slit for a ways down the chest and the back, and being born into the priest family, he should know. As in verse 43, they are to be properly attired when they go in before the Lord or they will die. Some say that a rope was tied to the high priest, and when he went into the Most Holy Place annually, if the bells stopped ringing, they would know he was dead and drag him out. This is totally incorrect as he did not wear this garment when he went in there. He took it off and put on a white linen garment before he entered Lev. 16:4, 23, 24. The bells between the pomegranates would ring when he walked so those outside would know he was performing his duties. The book of Josephus says that he shook the garment so the bells rang when he went to burn incense and offer prayers to the Lord. At that sound, those outside would drop to their knees and pray.  Some have even said the clappers of the bells were the pomegranates, but this is not only unscriptural because of their placement, but the bells were pure gold and the pomegranates were of blue, purple and scarlet and twined linen, 39:24,25.

v 36-38, Cp. Deut. 39:30,31. The miter, or turban, is made of linen and shaped like the inverted calyx of a flower. Fastened on the front with a blue cord was a gold plate engraved, Holiness To The Lord. It expressed the need of purity before God, and as a representative of the people, he bore their guilt when he appeared before the Lord. He was constantly reminded, Be ye holy for I am holy, Lev. 20:7; 1 Pet. 1:16.

v 39-43, Cp. Deut. 39:27-29. To the other garments is added the coat, or tunic. It was white linen reaching nearly to the feet, but they were barefoot as they ministered before the Lord, as Moses was told to take off his shoes because he was on holy ground, Ex. 3:5. The girdle, v 40 is described in 39:29, These are given in reverse order from that which they were actually put on, see 29:5, but this is the order in which they are most important to God. Also of great importance was the breeches, or as we might say short trousers, or underwear, to cover the private area. Even this unseen garment was so important to the Lord, that it’s omission would result in death of the high priest. Verse 40 gives the simplicity of the garments of the other priests, being merely the first garment put on by the high priest. The garments of any of the priests was to be worn only when they were ministering, not at other times. None of these were of wool to cause them to sweat, Ezek. 44:18.
The tabernacle is a picture of the tabernacle in heaven, the  colors and materials in the garments point to Christ, and the high priest himself is a picture of Christ. See Heb. 7-9. As we consider these garments, remind ourselves how we should be clothed in order to serve the Lord, Eph. 6:13-18.
(Josephus was a priest himself for many years, knew some things first hand, and he merely confirms that which the Scriptures do not clearly state.)

Exodus 29

v 1-3. This is what is to be done to consecrate, set aside these men for service as priests. The cakes tempered with oil are mixed with oil, while those anointed with oil have it on top as a spread. All three bread items are to be brought in one basket, along with the bullock and rams.

v 4. Aaron needed washing as a symbol of regeneration. This is in contrast to Christ, who was baptized by John to identify Himself with sinners and fulfill Aaron’s type. In both cases, the anointing follows the washing, v 4,7 and Mt. 3:14-16. These instructions will be carried out in Ex. 40; Lev. 8. This washing typifies regeneration, but the washing at the laver is for daily cleansing,1 Jn. 1:9. Both are involved in Jn. 13:10.
Here and Lev. 8 tell that this washing was done in front of the congregation, but was at the door of the tabernacle, that is, by the laver. The court was much too small for 2-3 million people, so they would have been represented by elders and other leaders, see Lev. 9:1. They were not soap and water washed behind the ears, neither were they naked against God’s order. This was a baptism (which those of us who practice immersion hate to accept, but it was not picturing the burial and resurrection of Christ) but they were too big to be immersed in the foot of the laver. Moses would have taken a receptacle and poured  a liberal amount of water over the heads of Aaron and his sons as they stood there in their shorts. They would still have been dripping some when the other garments were placed upon them. 

v 5-9. After being clothed in the garments described in chapter 28, Aaron has oil poured over his head and clothing in an anointing ceremony described in Ps. 133:2. The priesthood would remain with this family line only.

v 10-14. Here and in all future cases, the offerers were to place their hands on the head of the animal, thus identifying themselves with it in a personal way. We must receive Christ as our Savior in the same personal way as if we were putting our hands upon Him, placing our sins upon Him as He died in our place. Our sins are completely taken away by the washing of regeneration, Titus 3:5, but we need daily cleansing. Here the details are given for what is to be done with the blood and the other parts of the bullock. The blood on the horns of the altar and the rest poured beside it. The fat of the insides and kidneys to be burned upon the altar, but the remainder burned outside the camp because it was a sin offering.

v 15-18. The same hands on head of the first ram, but the blood was to be tossed or scattered upon the altar. The ram was to be then cut up, the entrails and legs washed, and the whole ram burned on the altar as a burnt, sweet savor offering.  Early offerings were probably totally burnt offerings. In some cases the Lord may have sent fire from heaven, but at least by Gen. 22:6, Abram took fire along.  

v 19-21. Again hands on head, but the blood of the second ram was to be put on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, the remainder scattered on the altar. This is a ram of consecration, v 22, and placing on the tip of extremities showed that this was total consecration to the Lord. Some of the blood on the altar and some anointing oil was to be scattered on Aaron, his sons and their garments. [Contrast, when I had a cow mutilated by Satan worshipers, in opposition to God they cut off the left eye, left ear, left front shoulder as well as the teats and sex organs.]

v 22-25. The rump is the fat tail, which in the East was considered a delicacy. It could weigh 12 to 40 pounds and was sometimes carried behind the animals on wheels. (Clarke shows and engraving of this cart.)  It, the caul, which is the top love of the liver, all the inner fat and kidneys along with the three kinds of bread of v 2 were to be placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons and they were to wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. This is lifted high in a side to side motion or some think to the four corners of the earth, compared to the uplifted tossing motion of heave offerings discussed later. Then Moses was to take the items and burn them on the altar for a  burnt, sweet savor offering.

26-28. The breast of this ram of consecration was also to be waved. Sacrificial shoulder is actually the thigh or rear quarter. Apparently the left rear quarter was to be food for Aaron and his sons and it was heaved as offering to the Lord and was to be a wave - peace offering of fellowship. The breast went to Moses, but from this point on,  the breast and  the left rear quarter was to be food for priests. The Lord’s portion was burned, their portion was eaten.

v 29,30. The order of succession of high priest as stated in verse 9 is to be to one of Aaron’s sons, and the consecration period was to be seven days, just like for him. He had already been anointed, but he was to be anointed & to be consecrated again.

v 31-34. The meat was to be boiled, not roasted, and bread of consecration were to be eaten in the holy place, the court, and if any was left till morning it was to be burned rather than allowed to decompose, and not be used in a noon meal. Strangers were not to eat of it, and rules for family members are given in Lev. 22:10-14.

v 35-37. At this beginning the altar was also to be cleansed, anointed and sanctified by offering a bullock every day for seven days to make atonement for the altar. The altar was to be so sacred that even the offerer thereon would be set apart for the Lord.

v 38-42. No matter what other offerings were being offered, a lamb of the first year was to be offered every morning and every evening without fail. This was to continue on without end as their communion with God. It reminds us that we should always have our morning and evening devotions as a time of communion with the Lord. Along with each lamb was to be a meal offering of one tenth hin of flour mixed with one fourth hin of beaten oil and a drink offering of one fourth hin of wine for a sweet savor offering. A hin can be figured as a little under six pints. Over a month’s time this amounted to quite a bit, so perhaps some of these things were replaced by purchasing from outlying areas or passing Midianite traders.

v 43--46. When the Israelites did their part, the Lord promised to sanctify the tabernacle and the priests, and he would dwell among them and be their God. We have an even greater relationship, as He now dwells in the heart of every believer.
Summary of offerings:
Sin Offering - This expressed acknowledgment of personal sin and acceptance of the sacrifice as a substitute.
Burnt Offering - Wholly burnt in token of total dedication to God and His service. (The Sin Offering had to come first.)
Wave Offering - This was a peace offering showing mutual benefits for God and priests. Blood placed on both priests and altar. Part was consumed by priests and part on the altar. Communion and fellowship are indicated. More detail on sacrifices in the first chapters of Leviticus.

Exodus 30

v 1-6. The altar of incense is described here instead of with the other furniture earlier because of the worship service that was to be performed in connection with it.  It was made of wood overlaid with gold and was a type of Chris, our intercessor, through whom our prayers ascend to God, just as that sweet fragrance ascends and is pleasing to God. It is just outside the veil that separates from the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place. That is where God would be dwelling, and just as we can not see Him, the prayers would go to Him.

v 7-10. About half a pound of incense was burned each morning and evening. The light was to be kept burning continuously, but each morning and evening the wicks would be individually trimmed and re-lighted. It represents our paryers, and we should pray without cceasing, 1Thes. 5:17.  (Or, Josephus says only three left  burning in daytime.) They were to offer only the incense  and no other incense on the incense altar except that which the Lord prescribed, v 34-38, and no other fire than that which He commanded. (Kindled on the brazen altar) Lev. 10:1. Annually Aaron was to make blood atonement on it before entering the Most Holy.

v 11-16. Paying this ransom protected the men from a plague which took many in 2 Sam. 24:15, because David had done contrary to God in ordering the numbering. Each male 20 years and older was to give one half shekel weight of silver (less than a dollar). It was atonement for them, so rich and poor gave alike. This typifies Christ’s atonement, the same for rich and poor. The foundation sockets of the court fence were made from this silver, showing we can’t come into God’s presence without redemption.

v 17-21. Laver is a basin. Foot can mean base or well. It was the well or trough under the laver to catch the water after it ran over their hands or feet from the laver. No spigots are mentioned, but they are an obvious necessity, because if they had washed any thing even one time in the laver, it would have been polluted. It is still the practice in many of the oriental lands to wash hands by pouring over them. It was placed between the altar of sacrifice and the tabernacle and if the priest failed to wash, he would die, as an indication that we must be cleansed before we come into the presence of God. The laver was made from the brass mirrors of the women, and so was reflective. This pictures that we are to examine ourselves, 1 Cor. 11:28, confess sins 1 Jn. 1:9, & be cleansed by the washing of water by the Word, Eph. 5:26. No size was given for the laver or it’s contents, showing God gives unlimited cleansing.

v 22-33. The holy anointing oil was about 12 1/2 pounds of myrrh, 6 1/4 pound of cinnamon, 6 1/4 pounds of cane, 12 1/2 pounds of cassia (a fragrant tree bark), and  almost 6 quarts of olive oil, making a fragrant blend. It was to anoint the tabernacle, the ark of testimony, the table and it’s utensils, the lamp stand and it’s utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and it’s utensils, the laver and it’s foot, as well as Aaron and his sons. It was holy because declared it holy, to be a type of the Holy Spirit, and if anyone used it or made any like it, he was to be cut off, apparently death.

v 34-38. This special perfume was equal parts of Astarte (gum of the storax tree, a sweet spice), onycha (lid of a shell mollusk which made perfume when burned), galbanum (a fragrant white gum from a tree in S. Arabia) and frankincense ( a yellow, aromatic gum from under the bark of a tree in Arabia). The mixture was to be seasoned with salt and beaten small before use on the altar of incense. Anyone using it for personal use would be cut off, apparently death.

Exodus 31

v 1-11. Whether or not there he had some experience in Egypt, God filled Bezalel with special wisdom in both manual skill and artistic talent to execute the pattern of all the things that God had shown to Moses. God gave gave Bezalel Oholiab as his very able assistant, and to all others who were inclined in those skills, God gave special wisdom to be able to perform their responsibilities. Whether metal work, wood work, cloth work, jeweler or blending perfumes, each performed precisely and efficiently.

v 12-17. It is emphasized in this portion that God had given the sabbaths as a sign between Himself and Israel forever. This was a sign of recognition that God had done all of creation in six days, and though not tired, He rested, or ceased, on the seventh, and was refreshed, or paused to observe the results. The sign identified them as His special people, and anyone who failed to observe the sabbath was to be killed. It seems that Noah, and perhaps others, had observed seven day cycles, but they were not appointed a sign until given to Israel. The Lord allowed seven days to pass after Moses smote the river until he was told to go to Pharaoh Ex 7:25. From Ex 12:15 - 13:7 seven days are mentioned seven times in relation to the Passover. Even Israel was observing a sabbath before it was given as a sign, as we see in Ex 16:26 concerning manna. “Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.” This is repeated in various ways through 16:30, but it was not made a part of the law of the commandments until Ex. 20:8-11. Then not till 30:13-17 does God designate it a sign.
We observe the Lord’s resurrection day. We have a day of service instead of rest, but even though Sunday may be one of our busiest days, the Lord provides rest to a degree. We used to farm with horses, and even for their sakes, a day of rest was needed.

v 18. After all these instructions had been given to Moses, God gave him the two tables of stone, written with the finger of God. The same term is used in Deut. 9:10. We should not think in terms of God scratching along with a finger like we would, but possibly by speaking the word, and the letters were carved out. For evidence that “finger”  is figuratively speaking, see Ex. 8:19; Ps. 8:3; and Lk. 11:20.

Exodus 32

v 1. Moses went up on the mount with Joshua, 24:13 and after six days, the Lord called Moses up farther, 24:16. Scholars  disagree whether It was another 40 day before they came down,or 40 total, 32:17. Compare also Deut. 9:7-25, which seems to indicate each time was just forty days and forty nights. The people had not seen Moses for weeks,, and wanted a replica of gods to lead them. Compare them with the patience of Joshua, who was up there all this time without food and water also. Their angry mood in v 33. 

v 2-4. It is sad that Aaron, the one to be their high priest, cowardly gave in to their request. For more of his defense see my comments on v 24. He had a calf fashioned from their gold earrings, whether overlaying a wood frame or solid, which he called it the gods that had delivered them. The idea of a calf may have come from seeing the Egyptian bull god Apis. They could not have been so stupid as to think this gold image led them out of Egypt, but that they would worship the unseen God through a god they could see. The same is done in the churches which have graven images, but claim they are worshiping God through the image.
This altar has been found and surrounded by a ten foot chain link fence in Saudi Arabia. A like fence extends around the mountain. There is a hieroglyphic of the golden calf and many hieroglyphics of the cattle gods on the surrounding rocks. There are also over 40,000 hieroglyphics of different size sandals. This may have been to claim land which they mistakenly thought every place their feet trod would be theirs. Hundreds of Egyptian style arrow heads in the area would be what washed up on the shore after  Egyptians drowned 

v 5,6. Aaron compounded the problem by setting aside the next day as a feast day allegedly to the Lord and offering sacrifices on an altar before the calf. The next day was like a heathen orgy, with the eating, drinking and naked, v 25, dancing.

v 7-10. The Lord calls them Moses’ people that he had led, then told Moses how the people had broken their covenant with Him and corrupted themselves. Then He suggested that He would kill them and make a great nation from Moses. This was not a real option, but a test of Moses’ reaction of whether to seek power for himself or intercede for the people.

v 11-14. Moses pleads with the Lord that the people are His people, and other nations will be watching what he does. He also reminds the Lord of His covenant with their forefathers. The Lord had not changed His mind, but Moses proved true in the test, as the Lord knew he would. This was for Moses’ benefit, not the Lord’s.

v 15-18. Some scholars say the tables of stone were not the large size usually pictured, but were from the shale in the area, and he carried them in both hands, Deut. 9” like a couple of books. As notes on 31:18 indicate, God did this engraving by simply speaking or even just thinking the action. Joshua had not heard what God told Moses, so he assumed the noise meant that Israel was being attacked. Being fore warned, Moses knew this was neither the sound of the victorious or the defeated, but a sound of raucous excitement.

v  19-21. When Moses saw this orgy of naked, v 25, dancing like the heathen did, he angrily threw down the tablets (which he carried in his two hands, Deut. 9:15) and broke them in front of the people, demonstrating that they had already broken their covenant with God. The fact that he burned the calf may infer that it was wood overlaid with gold, but more likely it was to cast it into ingots which could be pulverized. Powder of malleable metals can be ground so fine they will float on the water for hours. Moses surely enlisted helpers who got it to this fineness before he made the people to drink the product of their own wickedness. Perhaps Moses knew that gold of this concentration in water would cause severe diarrhea. (Perhaps they were reminded of this in Num. 5:24, when bitter water tested moral purity.) Then he confronts Aaron, who was in charge of them, “What...” (What do church, family, friends do to leaders to sway us from what we know we should do?)
The water was put in the brook that came out of the mount, Deut. 9:21. Mount Horeb and Sinai were in the same range, so this could be the stream from the rock in Horeb in 17:6.. 

v 22-24. Aaron begins his defense by reminding Moses of the attitude of the people,  probably thinking of how they had turned violently against Moses several times. They would have been quite restless after waiting about six weeks with no word from Moses. Jewish tradition says Hur protested and they stoned him, so Aaron was too scared to protest. But Aaron’s excuse is ludicrous, that a calf automatically formed.

v 25-29. Some think that enemy spies were observing their activities, and though this was done in Canaanite culture, even they were shocked at Israel’s behavior. Moses did not try to accommodate the people like Aaron may have or like the Roman Catholics did in the early days by incorporating pagan religion with their Christian beliefs. When Moses called on those who were on the Lord’s side, only the Levites, his own tribe, came to him. A possible implication of these verses is that Levites had not participated in this orgy, or at least they quickly responded to Moses.  He was Divinely inspired to order the executions, which no doubt started with the ring leaders and continued until some 3000 of the revelers were killed and the others probably fled. Moses words to the Levites indicated that by their zeal for the Lord, they had set themselves in the position of being the priestly tribe. See Phinehas’ similar zeal in Num 25:10-13.

v 30-32. Moses had already interceded with the Lord on the mount and had felt assured. Now, after seeing the terrible corruption, he is sure they will still come under severe wrath from God, and tells them he will try to make an atonement for their sin. He now goes up on the mountain again for  forty days and nights as he did at the first, according to this same event, Deut. 9:7-21. (He is back down by

33:3) He confesses their terrible sin to the Lord, and in magnanimous sincerity, pleads for the people that his own name be blotted out instead of theirs.

v 33-35. Moses was willing to do for them what Christ did for us, but man could not make atonement for fellow man. Only Christ could do that, and God makes it clear that everyone is responsible for their own sin. The Lord is a good book keeper, and the book referred to in verses 32 and 33 is the same mentioned in Ps. 69:28, the book of the living. The wording there seems to indicate that every one who ever lived is written in this book, but the wicked will be blotted out, leaving only the names of the righteous. See extended comment on this in Rev. 20:15 notes. There is no indication if this plague caused greater loss of life immediately, but there was a terrible spiritual loss. The Lord’s immediate presence would not now be in the camp, but would send His angel to lead. See 33:2. We don’t know how many people died in this plague.

Exodus  33 Missing

Exodus 34

v 1-4. The Lord does not rebuke Moses for breaking the first tablets, but simply tells him to hew out two more like them, bring them to the top of Mount Sinai, and God would write on them as before.  They were probably thin shale, prominent in that area, and easy to shape. Moses was to come alone with them next morning after making sure no people or their animals came onto the holy mount. Moses obeyed.

v 5-7. The Lord descended to Moses in a cloud and repeated His name, “Lord, or Jehovah, the  self existent One, the I Am,” for emphasis. God revealed Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loving kindness, truth and forgiving, but just, requiring the penalty of sin to be paid. God extends mercy to thousands of generations, but will not extend the effects of sin beyond the third or forth generation.

v 8,9. After this awesome revelation of God’s nature, Moses humbly recognizes the depravity of the people and again pleads for God’s forgiveness and presence. 

v 10-17. God renews His covenant with Israel and promises even greater things, but He gives a condition. They must not make a covenant with the nations they defeat, but are to break down their places of false worship. They are not to intermarry with them or they will turn to their gods, and again the command not to make false gods. This emphasis may be because of the people’s lapse by making a golden calf.
The following verses having to do with feasts see also in Lev. 23 and Deut. 16.

v 18-20. The first annual feast, the Passover is commanded along with the redemption of firstborn males. They are mentioned together due to the importance of the redemption factor of each.

v 21. This is another reminder to observe the sabbath.

v 22. Here is the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Ingathering  or Tabernacles. Definite  command in Ex. 23:15, Deut 16:16 etc., many more details given in Lev. 23.  

v 23-26. This is further enjoiner and reminder concerning the three feasts. The Lord promised to protect their lands from enemies while they were attending them. They were not to offer with leaven, but destroy leftovers before morning, and bring the first fruits of the land. Boiling a kid in it’s mother’s milk was common among the Canaanites as a fertility rite, and the milk was sprinkled over their fields. God didn’t want his people involved in anything related to idolatry. The prohibition may also have involved not taking what was given to promote life, milk, to destroy the young life of the kid which should have been left with it’s mother.

v 27,28. The third time the commandments are given, the tables are made by Moses and the law is again written by the hand of the Lord, 34:1 and Deut 10:1-4. Confusion exists because in Ex. 34:27 the Lord says to Moses, “Write thou” and verse 28 “he wrote”. This is not a conflict with verse 1 and Deut. 10:1-4. It is simply that God wrote the ten commandments and Moses wrote the ceremonial parts given in Ex 34:11-26 as he did in Ex. 24:4 and read them in 24:7.

v 29-35. It is well established that face, hand etc. are figurative, so 33:23 refers to a mere part of God’s glory. This was even more than the people could bear, as they could not look on Moses’ face as it shone, 34”29.  This time instead of coming down in anger, Moses face shines from the glory of the Lord. It literally sent out rays. Others have to tell him, and others should honor us, and not we ourselves. The people know of their guilt and fear him, so he veils himself when talking to them and removes it before God. (Compare 2 Cor. 3:16.) This may have lasted until Aaron took office.
See Chap 35 for trips up and down the mountain.

Exodus 35

v 1-3. The Sabbath was the sign of the covenant which the people had recently disobeyed. No matter how busy they were in preparing the tabernacle, they were not even to gather sticks on the Sabbath or face death.  We must not get so busy in “serving” the Lord that we actually neglect Him or our families or our devotions.
v 4-9. The most important thing about this list of materials is that they were to be given from a willing heart, and not as the woman who put a quarter into the plate and said, “I don’t give much but I give willingly!”  Cheerful, liberal giving, 2 Cor. 9:6,7. 
v 10-19 Those to whom God has given ability are to work on what will be these finished products, from perfumes to garments, curtains, tent pegs. The furnishings all have staves for carrying except the lamp stand, which Josephus says was bagged and carried on a pole. Everything was to be complete, the brazen altar with it’s grate, staves and vessels, and both the laver and the foot for catching the used water.
v 20-24. The people left and as soon as they could, all who were willing brought all the kinds of things requested. These would be things given by the Egyptians the night of the Exodus. Even the big planks must have been carried out, maybe as litters.
v 25-29. Probably most of the people gave. The women were especially efficient with the yarns and cloth, and the rulers contributed some of the most expensive items.
v 30-35. Bezalel and Oholiab had been announced to Moses in 31:1. Now Moses tells the people that God has given those men special wisdom in all workmanship and teaching, so the people will be willing to learn and work under them.

Moses went up the mountain alone in Ex. 19:3 - Down between 19:6 and 7.
God proposed the law and would make Israel a peculiar people.
Up alone between 19:8 and 9 - Down 19:14.
Told to sanctify the people, set bounds about the mount, be ready for Lord day 3.
Up alone 19:20 - Down 19:25.
Told to warn the people to stay off mount, and to bring Aaron next time.
Moses drew near but not up without Aaron 20:21 - Returned to the people 24:3.
Gave instructions about laws, Sabbath, 3 national feasts and conquest of land. 
Up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, 70 elders, (Joshua & Hur v 13,14) - Down 32:15
Joshua went higher with Moses and the others were to wait, v 14, but didn’t. They went back and made golden calf while Moses received stone tables and instructions for priests garments and for building the tabernacle after a pattern shown him. Gone 40 days and nights alone plus 6 with all of them.
Moses went up alone 32:31 - Down between 33:3 and 4.
He interceded for the people and was told to prepare to journey. This was another 40 days and nights, Deut. 9:18. While he was down the Lord put him in a cleft of the rock and passed before him, 33:18-23.
Up alone 34:4 - Down 34”29.
God renewed the commission, again enjoined feasts and Sabbath, and wrote the commandments on stones Moses brought. Moses face shone from being with God.

Exodus 36

v 1-3. Bezalel and his associates did not preach, teach or have any ministry in the sanctuary, but they are vitally important in the over all  operation, 1 Cor. 12. Whatever their own skills, God gave special wisdom to follow and carry out the plan Moses had seen on the mountain. There were many volunteer laborers as well as the free will offerings that poured in every morning.
v 4-7. Apparently there was an over supply of every kind of item needed, so the workers reported to Moses and the people were commanded to stop giving.
v 8-13. This is the curtain that made the beautiful ceiling of the sanctuary. It was white linen with cherubim and other designs woven or embroidered in with blue, purple and scarlet. The eleven curtains ran lengthwise, all coupled together as one. It is not told how they were supported, but there were 500 gold clasps to fasten.
v 14-18. The second cover was goats hair, again eleven curtains with the sixth one being in the center over the supports. The 500 clasps are brass, or bronze.
v 19. The third cover was ram skins dyed red, and the outer cover exposed to the weather and weighting the others down was badgers skins, which we consider to actually be dolphin or porpoise skins. This made the tabernacle unlovely on the outside, but beautiful on the inside.
v 20-30. The upright boards for the sides were about 15 feet high. The two silver sockets, or bases, under the tenons of each board would raise them a few inches, and would be an equal distance apart. Twenty boards on each side, 6 on the west end and 2 for the corners, a total of 48 boards. The corners were fastened at the top with a ring.
v 31-33. Lengthwise bars held the frame work in place. (mid. bar 30’ acacia rare)
v 34. All bars and boards were overlaid with gold, a picture of Christ being both God and man. Gold rings held the bars in place.
v 35,36. The veil that separated the Holy place from the Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies, was beautiful with the blue, purple and scarlet woven into the white linen along with the Cherubim, like the ceiling. The four pillars have no caps but are cut off, just as Christ was “cut off” at Calvary. Some say they represent the four gospels, others that they are four pillars of the believer’s strength in 1 Cor. 1:30:  (See also next page)
We are made wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3:15
Righteous in Him, 2 Cor. 1:30
Sanctification in Christ’s name, 1 Cor. 6:11
Redemption - He paid our debt permanently, Rom. 8:33,34
v 37,38. The outer hanging or screen was of similar material but without the cherubim. There were five pillars whose bases were brass for judgment, but they were capped and joined with gold for deity.
Just a reminder that blue shows the heavenly nature of Christ, purple His royalty, scarlet His sacrifice, and white His perfection.  This chart cp. Ezek. 1:10 with Rev. 4:7.
Camp      - Banner - Represents    - Banner - Represents - Gospel - Written   - Concerns
Color                                 Figure                                              To                Christ’s
Judah     -  Purple  - Royalty           - Lion      -  King              -  Matt.    - Jews      -       Reign
Ephraim -  Scarlet -Sacrifice          - Ox        - Servant          -  Mark   - Romans -      Death
Reuben  -  White    -Perfect (Man) - Man     - Son of Man   -  Luke    -Greeks    -Humanity
Dan        -   Blue     - Heaven Sent - Eagle  - Son of God   -  John     -Believers -      Deity
There were three sets of pillars, Way, Truth and Life.
The Way - Court gate. Brazen altar relates to this gate as cross relates to Christ.
The Truth - Tabernacle Door. Reveals truth of God - Christ reveals God of Truth.
The Life - The Veil - “His flesh” Heb. 10:19,20.
When we get to chapter 38:19 we see there were four pillars at the Court Gate. They have been spoken of as representing the fourfold Sonship of Christ.
a. Son of David -Throne Mt. 1:1; Lk. 1:32
b. Son of Abraham - Land Mt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16; Gen. 15:18
c. Son of Man - Judge  Jn. 5:26; Acts 17:31
d. Son of God - Father’s heir  Heb. 1:2 and 8

As we study types we must bear in mind that they are not man’s invention, scheme of guessing, or imagination, but a key of truth and the revelation and illumination of it. Never found or build a doctrine on type. Find the doctrine in the N.T. and look in the O.T. for the matching type, they supplement one another. The type is prophecy of doctrine, the doctrine is demonstration and proof of the inspiration of type.
For instance, the fence compares to the law, it demanded perfect obedience and could not save, so the only way of entrance was the one gate, we can only enter into salvation through Christ, Jn. 10:7-9. Also consider colors.
Color type                                    Color fulfilled in Phil. 2:6-11
Blue - Heavenly nature             Form of God        v 6
White -  Perfection                      Equal with God   v 6
Scarlet - Sacrifice                      Death of Cross    v 8
Purple - Royalty                          Every knee bow  v 9-11                        
The pins of bronze spoken of in Ex. 27:19 and 35:18 were driven into the ground to secure the tent and the fence. Some say the buried portion shows Christ’s death and the part above ground shows His resurrection, so we are secure in Him.  That is a good thought and true, but maybe it pushes type too far.

Exodus 37

v 1-5. Bezalel no doubt had help. The rim would have held the Mercy Seat in place. The rings and staves are self explanatory. Wood overlaid with gold inside and out represented Christ in His Deity and humanity.
v 6-9. The mercy seat with cherubim facing each other was one solid gold piece. This represented Deity and was to be the place for the presence of God. The Lord showed Moses on the mount what the cherubim look like.
v 10-16. Being wood overlaid with gold this was another representation of Christ in Deity and humanity. The first rim was to keep the bread in place and the border with the second rim would have held the solid gold utensils in place.
v 17--24. The lamp stand was beaten gold but only weighed around 100 pounds, so it would not have been very large. It represented Christ in His Deity, the light of the world, Jn. 8:12. It is not as some think, representation of believers being light or it would have been outside the tabernacle. The seven lamps of oil represent the sevenfold Spirit, Isa. 11:2. The gold snuff dishes and snuffers were for the priests to use when trimming the lamps. According to Josephus it was bagged along with it’s utensils and suspended from one pole.
v 25-28. The altar of incense was wood overlaid with gold representing Christ in His Deity and humanity. The rim would have kept the censer for burning incense in place. Corners should have been translated “sides” or “rib board”. Since it was light weight,  a ring in the center of each side would allow it to swing and be carried upright.
v 29. The holy anointing oil was beaten, crushed, as our Savior was beaten, and was of purer quality than that derived by heating. It was about 12 1/2 pounds of myrrh, 6 1/4 pound of cinnamon, 6 1/4 pounds of cane, 12 1/2 pounds of cassia (a fragrant tree bark), and  almost 6 quarts of olive oil, making a fragrant blend. It was to anoint the tabernacle, the ark of testimony, the table and it’s utensils, the lamp stand and it’s utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and it’s utensils, the laver and it’s foot, as well as Aaron and his sons. It was holy only because God declared it holy, to be a type of the Holy Spirit, and if anyone used it or made any like it, he was to be cut off, apparently meaning death.
This special perfume was equal parts of stacte (gum of the storax tree, a sweet spice), onycha (lid of a shell mollusk which made perfume when burned), galbanum (a fragrant white gum from a tree in S. Arabia) and frankincense ( a yellow, aromatic gum from under the bark of a tree in Arabia). The mixture was to be seasoned with salt and beaten small before use on the altar of incense. Anyone using it for personal use would be cut off, apparently meaning death. 

Exodus 38

v 1-7. The altar of burnt offering was of the same insect resistant long lasting acacia wood from the desert tree as used in other construction, and was seven and one half feet square and four and one half feet high. It was overlaid with bronze to show the judgment brought upon Christ. The fire burning in it also spoke of judgment. It was hollow for air current and for the ashes to fall into the ash pans of 27:3, so it was not filled with earth or rocks as some think. The grate was in the midst of the altar, probably in some type of slots rather than at the top. I reject the view that the grate is a network on the sides with rings fastened to it, because 35:16 lists the grate separate from the altar. Also 39:39 and 38:4 indicate the grate is separate from the altar. The rings are fastened to the grate for carrying while it was in the altar. The altar would have been very heavy, over 500 pounds, and the four staves were probably strong enough for eight men to carry. The brass utensils were also piled on the grate for carrying. By rings and staves the entire grate could be removed, possibly to carry the “whole bullock” of Lev. 4:12 outside the camp. The fire pans were to carry the fire when they were moving, and possibly when the grate was removed. The four horns were essential to tie the sacrificial animal while it was killed and the blood caught, Ps. 118:27. Horns in Scripture represented power, and showed that the power of the gospel of Christ’s sacrifice reached out to every one in the four corners of the world, Jn. 3:16. The sacrifice had to be lifted up on the altar, and Christ said if He was lifted up He would draw all men to Him, Jn. 12:32. Later some people fled to the altar in the hope of receiving mercy, and unsaved who flee to the cross will obtain mercy.
v 8. It was a real act of separation for the women to part with their mirrors, their most valued possession brought from Egypt. The laver and the foot are two separate items and are listed so seven times, but must be used together. Water defiled from washing went into the foot. Being reflective, the priest could see himself every one of the dozens of times a day he came to wash. They could not come to the laver until they had been first to the altar. After we are saved, we need to see ourselves as God’s sees us through His Word, 1 Cor. 11:28, and ask for forgiveness and cleansing, 1 Jn. 1:9. Both for salvation and after we need the washing of water by the Word, Eph. 5:26. The laver was useless without the water, and the Word is useless to us without the washing action of the Holy Spirit. There were no measurements given for the laver, which indicates there is no limit to the forgiveness of God.
v 9-20. The court and court gate are handled in detail in my notes on 27:9-16.
v 21-23. These men gave account for the materials used in constructing the tabernacle, it’s furnishings, and all things connected with it.
v 24-31. The measurements of that day are not precise to us, and the value of precious metals and stones is not such that we can come up with a true picture of the monetary value of all the things. Roughly, some feel that there was at least a ton of gold used, perhaps four tons of silver, and three ton’s of bronze. All the materials were offered willingly till there was too much, and the people were told to stop giving.

Exodus 39

v 1-7, Cp. 28:6-14. Verse 3 gives the added information on how they cut the gold plates into wires to weave it into the cloth.
v 8-21, Cp. 28:15-29. See that portion for detailed explanation.
v 22-26, Cp. 28:31-35. See the explanation there. It is specific here that the gold bells were pure gold, which was assumed in 28, and pomegranates of twined linen.
v 27-29, Cp. 28:39-43. Again the explanation is there, the girdle being described better here in verse 29.
v 30,31, Cp. 28:36-38. Again, see 28 for the explanation.
v 32-43. The previous chapters were God’s command how things should be made. This chapter tells that the things were completed exactly as God commanded Moses. This portion of this chapter summarizes the completion not only of Aaron’s garments, but the tabernacle and all the furnishings in connection with it. With God’s training and willing hearts, this precision work had been done in a little over five months. Though Moses’ training in Egypt may not have taught him how to do those things, he had seen the pattern, knew what had been commanded, and he inspected them.

Exodus 40  Summary

KEY EVENT: The building of the tabernacle Ex 40

A span is roughly the distance between little finger and thumb spread. 7 inches
A cubit is roughly the distance from the elbow to end of middle finger. 18 inches
A long cubit in Ezek. 43:13 is a cubit and a handbreadth. About 21 inches
Court = City lot & alley 75x150’; Tabernacle = Mobile home 15x45’ + furnishings.
Silver  represents redemption. Half shekel redeemed each male over 20, later all firstborn males, Ex. 13:13, a lamb was sacrificed for a donkey or it’s neck was broken.
Brass represents judgment, the brass serpent was a type of Christ judged for us.
Gold represents deity, Wood for humanity, Gold overlaying wood - Christ is both.
Our goal here is to show how anyone can get to the presence of God
The white curtain fence of the court  = law & righteousness, keeps sinners out
The silver bases under the fence showed the only way in was by redemption.
The brass tent pegs to hold it up shows Christ was judged for our redemption. Some see the part driven in ground His death, the part above ground His resurrection. 
The one gate, one curtain, one veil  shows Christ the only door, Jn. 10:7,9.
The four pillars may represent the fourfold Sonship of Christ.
a. Son of David -Throne Mt. 1:1; Lk. 1:32
b. Son of Abraham - Land Mt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16; Gen. 15:18
c. Son of Man - Judge  Jn. 5:26,27; Acts 17:31
d. Son of God - Father’s heir  Heb. 1:2 and 8
The three only entrances show Christ the way, the truth and the life,Jn. 14:6.
The Way - Court gate. Brazen altar relates to this gate as cross relates to Christ.
The Truth - Tabernacle Door. Reveals truth of God - Christ reveals God of Truth.
The Life - The Veil - “His flesh” Heb. 10:19,20.
The first item, brazen altar, show we must have our sins judged on Christ to enter.
The four horns of the altar show that salvation is available to all parts of the earth.
The brass ”mirror” laver for water shows after we are saved we must examine 1 Co 11:28 ourselves and confess sins, 1 Jn. 1:9, be cleansed by water of Word, Eph. 5:26.
The five pillars =  Gal. 2:9 pillars?  N.T. writers, Paul, Peter, James, John, Jude.
The golden lamp stand represents Christ as the light of the world, Jn. 8:12
The pure beaten gold represent Christ bruised for our iniquities, Isa. 53:5.
The seven lamps of oil represent the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord, Isa. 11:2. 
The table of show bread represents Christ as the bread of life, Jn. 6:35.
The altar of incense with it’s vapors represents our prayers going up to God.
The mercy seat  and between the cherubim was the dwelling place of God, but  if we pray with sins forgiven, we can come boldly unto the throne of grace, Heb. 4:16. When Christ died, the veil was torn in two for our access to God’s presence.
The four pillars may represent the four gospels or they may be four pillars of the believer’s strength in 1 Cor. 1:30     The following chart cp. Ezek. 1:10 with Rev. 4:7.
Camp      - Banner - Represents    - Banner - Represents - Gospel - Written   - Concerns
Color                                 Figure                                              To                Christ’s
Judah     -  Purple  - Royalty           - Lion      -  King             -   Matt.    - Jews      -       Reign
Ephraim -  Scarlet -Sacrifice          - Ox        - Servant         -   Mark   - Romans -      Death
Reuben  -  White    -Perfect (Man) - Man     - Son of Man   -  Luke    -Greeks    -Humanity
Dan        -   Blue     - Heaven Sent - Eagle  - Son of God   -  John      -Believers-      Deity
The materials all came from free will offering and we are to do so too, 2 Cor. 9:7.
(Maybe a ton of gold, 4 tons silver, 3 tons bronze, other materials till told to stop.)
7 times in 39, 7 in 40,  “As the Lord commanded Moses”, “It is finished” Jn. 19:30.
The coverings represent Christ, the outer, or fourth, covering of porpoise skins which could be seen outside the court fence showed him as Isa. 53:2  No beauty that we should desire Him. You have to come inside to see His beauty.
The third cover of rams skins died red represents His substitute for us by death.
The second cover, goats hair, remind of two goats we will study Lev. 16. One slain as sacrifice, the other sent to wilderness, as our sins are removed forever, Ps. 103.12.
The first cover, linen, beautiful colors and cherubim, show Christ in His beauty that we might desire him,  not as the outer cover. Phil. 3:10, That I may know Him etc.
As the tabernacle is set up, people are gradually shut out, but the presence of God came into their midst.

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In the early 90's I started studing the bible by taking colleger courses, because I believe the Lord wanted me to become a pastor in a Nazarne Church. My goal has changed with all my studies. I have read and compared numerous translations and commentaries in my many years of studying the bible. Some of these authorities disagree with each other. I come across information on studies and classes that I have taken 15 to 20 years before and I have no documentation of where it came from. Plus I have given away or returned many books for college classes that I have taken. So if I have failed to give someone the credit that is due them I ask for their forgiveness. The following is a list of translations and commentaries that I still have and use.

1. Apocrypha
2. Confessions of St Augustine
3. Divine Comedy of Dante (Henery Carytr)
4. King James Bible
5. LDS (Mormons)
6. Martin Luther
7. St John of the Cross
8. Budhist
9. Christian-King James
10. Hindu
11. Islam
12. Judaism
13. Sikh
14. Tao
15. Zoroastrian

OUR ETERNAL HOME by Richard W. Dehaan,
PROPHECY STUDY BIBLE by Tim Lahaye
READER'S DIGEST JESUS AND HIS TIMES by the Readers Digest Association Inc,
REFLECTING GOD STUDY BIBLE By Zondervan Corporation;
SAINT JOSEPH EDITION OF THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by Catholic Book Publishing Co.
SEVEN KEYS TO FAMILY POWER by Billy Joe Daugherty,
SIX HOURS ONE FRIDAY by Max Lacado,
THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE by the Zondervan Corporation;
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD by Jocyce Meyer,
THE BIBLE PROMISE BOOK by Babbour Publishing Inc,
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER by Charles Mortimer Guilbert
THE BOOK OF HOPE by Tyndale House Publishiers, Inc,
THE BORN AGAIN CATHOLIC by Albert H. Boudreau,
THE CASE FOR CHRIST by Lee Strobel,
THE CATHOLIC ANSWER BOOK by Peter MJ Stravinsiasi
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BIBLE KNOWLEDGE by Mark D. Taylor;
THE DAY CHRIST DIED by Jim Bishop,
THE GREAT BIBLE QUESTION AND ANWERS BOOK by Playmore Inc
THE HOME BIBLE STUDY COURSE by Dr. Harold L. Wilmington;
THE KING JAMES BIBLE ARCHAIE WORDS DEFIND by David W. Daniel
THE KING JAMES BIBLE COMPANION by David W. Daniels;
THE KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE by Thomas Nelson Publishers,
THE LAYMAN’S BIBLE  DICTIONARY by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray;
THE LAYMAN’S PARALLEL NEW TESTAMENT by Zondervan Bible Publisher
THE LAYMAN'S LIST by Calance Stucup
THE MESSAGE BIBLE by Eugone H. Peterson,
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by World Catholic Press;
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE Saint Joseph Edition;
THE NEW STRONG’S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE by James Strong LL. D S.T.D.;
THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE by Cardinal Francis Arinze
THE TRINITY by Rose Publish
THE VERY FIRST ESTER by Paul L. Maier,
THE WAY CATHOLIC LIVING BIBLE by Tyndale House Publishers;
UNCHRISTIAN by David Kennan and Gabe Lyon
UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE by Ronald Greib
VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS By W. E. Vine;
WHAT’S SO SECRET ABOUT THE RAPTURRE? By Christian Record Services, INC
WHEN GOD WINKS AT YOU by Tomas Nelson
WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE by Dr. H.L. Willmington,
WOMAN OF FAITH STUDY BIBLE by Zschech/Heillsong
YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER by New Leaf Press
YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS by Anthony Wilhen

08/19/2011