To Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 


The book of Exodus was written by Moses.  The word "exodus" means to "go out" or "leave".  This book is about the Israelites leaving Egypt and going back to Canaan. Exodus begins about 350 after Joseph died.  The date that the Israelites leave Egypt is about  1445 B.C. (1, 445 years before Jesus Christ was born).

Exodus 38 - 40
The Israelites finish building the items for the tabernacle.
Moses puts the tabernacle together. 

Exodus 38

The altar for burning sacrifices

They made the altar for burning sacrifices. This altar was outside, and it was made of wood.  The altar was 7 and 1/2 feet wide and 7 and 1/2 feet long. It was 4 and 1/2 feet tall. 
[1] And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.


here were horns on the corners of the altar. The altar and the horns were covered with brass (a brown-colored metal).
[2] And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.


They made tools to use at the altar. The tools were made of brass. The tools were:  pans to put ashes in, shovels, bowls, pans for fire, and meat forks.

[3] And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.


A grate is a flat metal square with holes in it.  When something burns, the ashes drop down through the grate. They made a grate with brass and put it in the top of the altar a little below the rim of the altar. They also made 4 brass rings for the corners and 4 wood poles covered with brass to go through the rings. This was how they would carry the altar.

[4] And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
[5] And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
[6] And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
[7] And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.


The laver (large bronze bowl)

Bezaleel made a large brass laver.  He used the brass from mirrors.  The mirrors came from the women who helped at the door of the tabernacle
[8] And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.


The curtain around the courtyard

Bezaleel made a courtyard like a rectangle around the tent.  On 2 sides, the courtyard measured 150 feet. On 
the other 2 sides, the courtyard measured 75 feet.  He made walls around the courtyard. He made the walls with bronze posts with linen curtains on them. On the long side, he used 20 bronze posts. On the shorter side, he used 10 bronze posts. He hung the curtains on the posts with silver hooks and rods.
[9] And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
[10] Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
[11] And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of 0brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
[12] And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
[13] And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.


He made 3 posts for each side of the gate.  The 3 posts were in holders. There was a curtain on each group of posts. The curtains were 7 and 1/2 yards wide.
[14] The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
[15] And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.


All of the curtains around the courtyard were made of linen.

[16] All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.


The holders for the posts were brass.  The hooks, rods, and tops of the posts were silver. There were silver rods between the posts that connected the posts together. 

[17] And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.


The curtain for the gate was blue, purple, and red linen. It was 10 yards long. The curtain hung on 4 bronze posts. The posts set on brass holders. The hooks and the tops of the posts were silver.  
[18] And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
[19] And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.


The pegs for the tent and for the curtains around the courtyard were brass.

[20] And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.


Totals of the materials used

Aaron's son, Ithamar, counted everything used to make the tabernacle. Bezaleel and Aholiab made everything that God told Moses to make. Aholiab did the engraving, weaving, and embroidery.
[21] This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
[22] And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
[23] And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.


The total of the gold was 2,209 pounds. The total of the silver was 7,550 pounds. The silver and gold came from ransom that was paid. The ransom came from the census. The census counted 603,550 men who were 20 years old or older. Each person paid a bekah--(half a shekel, about 1/4 of an ounce of silver or gold). This money was called a ransom.  
[24] All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
[25] And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
[26] A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.


7,500 pounds of the silver were used to make the holders for the tent and curtains. There were a total of 100 holders. Each holder used 75 pounds of silver. 
[27] And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.


The rest of the silver (50 pounds) was used to make rods, hooks, and tops for the posts where the curtains hung. 
[28] And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

The Israelites donated a total of 5,300 pounds of brass. The brass was used to make the holders for the door, the altar for sacrifices, the grate for the altar, and the equipment for the altar. It was also used for the holders of the curtain around the courtyard, the holders of the gate, and the pegs in the tabernacle and the curtain around the courtyard. 
[29] And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
[30] And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
[31] And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.


Exodus 39

The clothes for the priests

The ephod (vest)

The workers made the special clothes for the priests to wear. They used blue, purple, and red cloth. They made the clothes that the priests will wear when they are working in the tabernacle. They made the clothes exactly how God told Moses to make them.
[1] And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.


They made the vest with linen. The colors were gold, blue, purple, and red. They also made gold threads. They made the gold threads by hammering gold very, very small and thin. Then they cut the thin gold into wires, then made the gold thread.  
[2] And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
[3] And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.


The vest had 2 straps that met at the shoulders. It also had a sash (wide belt) around the waist. The sash was made with gold, blue, purple, and red linen. 

[4] They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
[5] And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.


They took 2 onyx (a pretty black rock) stones and engraved (wrote) on them. They wrote the names of the 12 sons of Jacob. 6 names were on one stone, and 6 names were on the other stone. They wrote the names by the birth order--who was born first, who was born second, etc. The two black onyx stones were set in gold holders. One stone should be put on one of the priest's shoulders. The other stone should be put on the other shoulder. When Aaron wore the vest and went into the holy place, he would always have the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders. God would see the names.

[6] And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
[7] And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.


The breastplate

The High Priest (Aaron) would wear a special piece called a breastplate. He would wear this when he was asking God what the Israelites should do. The breastplate was made the same as the vest--with gold, blue, purple, and red linen. The breastplate was square and was 9 inches wide and 9 inches long.
[8] And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
[9] It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

 

Tabernacle model in Timna Park, Israel
Photo from BiblePlaces.com



The breastplate had 4 rows of valuable stones. The first row had these stones: sardius, topaz, carbuncle.

[10] And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.


The second row had an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
The third row had a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
The fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. All of the 12 stones were in gold settings.

[11] And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
[12] And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
[13] And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.


Each stone had a name on it. The names were the names of Jacob's sons (also the names of the 12 tribes of Israel).

[14] And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.


This was to make the breastplate hold onto the vest. The breastplate had 2 rings of gold on each side of the top. There were 2 braided or twisted gold chains going from these rings to the gold settings on the shoulders. The breastplate had 2 more gold rings on the bottom. These rings were on the back of the bottom of the breastplate so that the rings were next to the ephod (vest). They put 2 more gold rings on the bottom of the vest just above the belt. They would tie the breastplate to the vest using blue cord going through the gold rings. 

[15] And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of  wreathen work of pure gold.
[16] And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put  the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
[17] And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
[18] And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
[19] And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
[20] And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
[21] And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.


The priest's robe

The ephod (vest) would go over a blue robe. In the top of the robe, there was a hole for the priest's head to go through. There was special weaving around the neck so that the robe wouldn't tear.
[22] And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
[23] And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.


A pomegranate is a kind of round fruit. A pomegranate can also be a round ball made with yarn. It is in the same shape as the pomegranate fruit . The hem of the priest's robe had yarn pomegranates around the bottom. The pomegranates were blue, purple, and red. Gold bells hung on the hem. The gold bells were in between the pomegranates. 

[24] And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
[25] And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
[26] A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.


The turban (hat)

All of the clothes for Aaron and his sons were made with blue, purple and red linen and wool.  The clothes included shirts, robes, underwear, sashes (belts), and turbans (hats). All of the clothes had embroidery on them. 
[27] And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
[28] And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
[29] And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.


They made a gold strip. They engraved (wrote) on it, "HOLINESS TO THE LORD". They tied the gold strip to the turban  with a blue string.

[30] And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
[31] And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.


The Israelites bring the tabernacle items to Moses.

The work to make the tabernacle was finished. They made it exactly the way God told Moses to make it.
[32] Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.


The Israelites brought everything they made to Moses.  They brought the tent, the furniture, the hooks, the boards, the crossbars, the pillars, and the holders.

[33] And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,


They also brought the rams' skins, badgers' skins, curtain, ark, the statues on the ark, the mercy seat, the table and the showbread, and the equipment for the table. 

[34] And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
[35] The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
[36] The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,


They also brought the candlestick with the lamps, the oil, and the equipment for the lamp.  They brought the altar for incense, the anointing oil,  the incense, and the tabernacle curtain.

[37] The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
[38] And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,

They also brought the altar for sacrifices, the grate for the altar, the poles for carrying the altar, the bronze bowl, and the equipment to be used with the altar.  They brought the curtains to make the wall around the courtyard, the pillars, the holders, the cords, the pins, and everything needed for the tabernacle.
[39] The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
[40] The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,


They brought the clothes for Aaron and his sons to wear when they worked as priests. 

[41] The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.


The Israelites made everything exactly the way God told Moses.  Moses was happy with their work because they had followed the instructions. Moses blessed the Israelites.

[42] According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
[43] And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they have done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.


Exodus 40

God tells Moses how to put the tabernacle together.

God told Moses to put up the tabernacle on the first day of the year. He told Moses how to put the tabernacle together. He should put the ark in the tabernacle and put the curtain in front of it. He should bring in the table. God told Moses how to put the things on the table. Moses should bring in the candlestick and light the lamps.
[1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[2] On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
[3] And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
[4] And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.

 

The diagram above was adapted from the printed version of "Christ in the Tabernacle", by W.W. Rugh.
From
TheBookWurm.com


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He should put the altar for burning incense in front of the ark.  He should hang the curtain at the door of the tabernacle.
[5] And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.


Outside, he should put the altar for burnt offerings. He should put the bronze bowl between the tent and the altar. He should put water in the bronze bowl.

[6] And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
[7] And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.


He should set up the curtain around the courtyard and hang up the curtain walls.
[8] And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.


He should take the special anointing oil and put it on the tabernacle and everything that is in it. The oil makes everything holy.

[9] And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.


Then he should put the anointing oil on the altar of burnt offering, the altar equipment, and the bronze bowl and its stand. The oil makes everything holy.
[10] And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
[11] And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.


He should bring Aaron and his sons to the tabernacle door. He should wash them with water.  He should put oil on Aaron to anoint him and put the priest's clothes on him.  He should dedicate him to God so he can do God's work. 
[12] And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
[13] And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.


He should put the special clothes on Aaron's sons.  He should put oil on them to anoint them, the same way he anointed Aaron.  Aaron's sons would help Aaron do the work of the priest. They and their descendants would be priests for many generations to come.
[14] And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
[15] And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.


Moses sets up the tabernacle

Moses did everything that God told him to do. On the first day of the second year (2 years after they left Egypt), the tabernacle was built.
[16] Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
[17] And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.


Moses put the tabernacle up. He put up the walls and made the holders tight. He put up the pillars and crossbars. He put up the tent and the coverings over the tent. He did everything that God told him to do.

[18] And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
[19] And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.


He put the Ten Commandments into the ark (box). He put the rings and poles on the sides of the box. Then he put the mercy seat on top of the ark. He took the ark into the tabernacle and hung up the curtain that divided the holy place from the most holy place. Then he closed the curtain so that the ark was behind the curtain.

[20] And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
[21] And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.


On the other side of the curtain, Moses put up the table for the showbread and put the bread on it. 

[22] And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
[23] And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.


Moses put up the candlestick next to the other wall. Then he lit the candles in God's presence the way God told him to. 
[24] And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
[25] And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses put the altar for incense in the tabernacle.  He burned some incense on the altar as God told him to do. Then he hung the curtain to make the door of the tabernacle.
[26] And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
[27] And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
[28] And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.


Outside, Moses put the altar for burnt offerings near the tabernacle door. He burned some meat on the altar to make an offering.  God told Moses to do this.
[29] And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.


He set the bronze bowl between the tent and the altar for burnt offerings.  He put water in the bowl. Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet in the bowl. They washed in the bowl every time they went into the tent and every time they went to the altar. God told Moses that they should do this.
 

[30] And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
[31] And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
[32] When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses put up the wall around the tabernacle courtyard.  Then the tabernacle was finished.
[33] And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.


Then a cloud covered the tent, and God's bright glory light filled up the tabernacle. Moses could not go into the tabernacle when the cloud covered it because God's bright glory light filled it up.

[34] Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
[35] And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

The Illustrated Parallel Bible (1872) by Jones
From
Blue Letter Bible.com

When the cloud went up off the tabernacle, the Israelites started to travel again. When the cloud covered the tabernacle, they stayed in that place. 
[36] And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
[37] But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

Every where they traveled, the Israelites could see the cloud during the day.  At night, they saw a fire in the cloud. 
[38] For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.





 

 Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents