#1 The Ark - Plans for the Tabernacle

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The Ark of the Covenant
Bible Study

As modern-day readers of the Bible, we tend to skim over the detailed and often tedious texts of the Old Testament and focus instead on the simpler sections of the New Testament. It is tempting to overlook the significance of the 50 chapters in the Books of Moses devoted to the tabernacle and may think them irrelevant or boring. After all, how were all those detailed plans for a 15th century B.C. comparable to be useful to Christians in the 21st century?

Just like Jesus’ parables served to illustrate and bring His teachings to life, the Old Testament visuals serve to illuminate many spiritual concepts in the New Testament

Many scholars have observed that almost all expressions pictured in describing the significance of the tabernacle are also used in reference to heaven. That is because the earthly tabernacle was patterned after the one in heaven (Exodus 25:9, 40; 26:30; 27:8; Numbers 8:4; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:1-5; 9:11-12).

In order to study the Ark of the Covenant, it is necessary to study the Tabernacle set up in the wilderness by Moses at the instruction of God. If we omit the tabernacle of Moses in our teaching, we are actually neglecting a powerful and necessary tool that God had prepared for us to understand the work of Christ on the cross.

It was in the tabernacle that God pictured what was required for man to become right with Him. The detailed commands that God gave the Israelites for the setting up of the tabernacle demonstrate to us God’s holiness — in order for sinful man to approach a holy God, he must come to God in God’s own prescribed way, and no other way.

It is the Tabernacle of Moses that first housed the Ark of the Covenant.

Exodus 25:1-22
Plans for the tabernacle

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, and said, “Speak to the children of Israel to bring me an offering, but you shall take only from those that give willing from their heart.”

“This is the offering that you shall ask of them: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goat’s hair, ram’s skin dyed red, badger’s skins, and shittim wood. Also oil for light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.”

“Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. And you shall make it according to all that I will show you in the mountain, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments, shall you make it.”

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

Exodus 31
The Craftsmen

The LORD said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezaleel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all manner of workmanship, to devise special talent in working with gold, silver, and brass. He is skilled in the cutting and setting of stones, in carving wood, and all manner of workmanship.

“And with him I have given Aholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. And I have put in the heart of the wise hearted wisdom so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

§  The Tabernacle
§  The Ark of the Covenant
§  The Mercy Seat
§  All the furnishings of the Tabernacle
§  The table and its furniture
§  The pure gold candlestick with all its furniture
§  The altar of incense
§  The Altar of burnt offering with all its furniture
§  The washbasin with its stand
§  The cloths of service, the holy garments for Aaron the priest,
§  and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests
§  The anointing oil;
§  The sweet incense for the Holy Place.

The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”

Exodus 37 (1-9)
Bezaleel made all the things according to Moses’ instructions.

Exodus 39
Moses Inspects the Work

At last all the work on the Tabernacle and all it’s furnishings was finished. The children of Israel had done everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. And they brought the entire Tabernacle to Moses.

Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the LORD had commanded him, he blessed them.

Exodus 40
The Placing of all things in the Tabernacle

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the new year.

·     Place the Ark of the Covenant inside, and cover the Ark with a veil.

·     Then bring in the table, and arrange the utensils on it. And bring in the candlesticks, and light up the lamps.

·     Place the gold incense altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Then hang the curtain at the door of the Tabernacle.

·     Place the altar of burnt offering before the door of the Tabernacle.

·     Set the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. 

·     Then set up the courtyard around the outside of the tent, and hang the curtain for the courtyard entrance.

·     Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle, all its furnishings, and all its vessels to consecrate them, and they shall be holy.

·     Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar, and it shall be an altar most holy.

·     Next anoint the washbasin and its stand, and sanctify it.

·     Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, and sanctify him that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.

·     Then present his sons and dress them in their coats. Anoint them as you did their father, so they may also serve me as priests. With their anointing, Aaron’s descendants are set apart for the priesthood forever, throughout their generations.

Moses proceeded to do everything just as the LORD had commanded him.  So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year.

·     Moses erected the Tabernacle by setting down its bases, inserting the frames, attaching the crossbars, and setting up the posts.

·     Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the protective layers, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     He took the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant (the Ten Commandments) and placed them inside the Ark. Then he attached the carrying poles to the Ark, and he set the Mercy Seat on top of it.

·     Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and hung the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     Next Moses placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side without the veil. And he arranged the Bread on the table before the Lord, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     He set the candlestick in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side. Then he lit the lamps before the Lord, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     He also placed the gold incense altar in the Tabernacle, before the veil. On it he burned the sweet incense, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     He hung the curtain at the door of the Tabernacle, and he placed the altar of burnt offering near the Tabernacle door. On it he offered a burnt offering and the meat offering, just as the LORD had commanded him.

·     Next Moses placed the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could wash themselves. Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons used water from it to wash their hands and feet. Whenever they entered the Tabernacle and approached the altar, they washed themselves, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

· Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard.

So at last Moses finished the work.

The glory of the lord filled the tabernacle

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter into the tent, because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle.

When the cloud was over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel did not move forward, only when the cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle did they move forward in their journeys.

For the cloud of the LORD was upon the Tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night. And it stayed there in their sight throughout all their journeys.

The blood sacrifices — a picture of Christ’s sacrifice

The Tabernacle is a compelling symbol of God’s forgiveness and grace. Through the sacrifices of sheep and goats, God sees the blood and passes over the sins of the people until the coming of Christ, the ultimate sacrifice.


To fully appreciate Christ’s sacrifice for us, we need to be familiar with this tabernacle sacrificial system. Why did John the Baptist declare, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” when he saw Jesus? It is difficult to understand why the Messiah would be associated with a weak and defenseless animal until one considers the sacrificial system. It was no coincidence that Jesus’ death occurred at the very time that sheep were being slaughtered for the evening sacrifice at the Jerusalem temple. Understanding what happened on the brazen altar in the temple is key to understanding what happened on the cross.

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