Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Yesterday we heard about the preparation for the building of the tabernacle and we also
heard about how Moses had to tell the people to stop giving donations and offerings because
they had too much material.
People donated too much for the building of the tabernacle.
And today we're going to hear about the completion of the building of the tabernacle and how
the glory of God filled the tabernacle and this cloud of glory rested upon the tabernacle
and how the children of Israel would only be able to continue with their journey towards
the promised land when the cloud of the glory of God is taken up from above the tabernacle.
Alright, let's begin.
Today's reading is from chapters 37 to 40.
Chapter 37
Then Bezalel made the ark of Acacia wood.
Two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half
its height.
He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and made a molding of gold all around it.
And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners, two rings on one
side and two rings on the other side of it.
He made poles of Acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark to bear the ark.
He also made the mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits was its length and a
cubit and a half its width.
He made two sherabim of beaten gold.
He made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat, one sherab at one end on
this side and the other sherab at the other end on that side.
He made the sherabim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.
The sherabim spread out their wings above and covered the mercy seat with their wings.
They faced one another.
The faces of the sherabim were toward the mercy seat.
He made the table of Acacia wood, two cubits was its length, a cubit its width and a cubit
and a half its height.
And he overlaid it with pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it.
Also he made a frame of a hand breadth all around it and made a molding of gold for the
frame all around it.
And he cast for it four rings of gold and put the rings on the four corners that were
at its four legs.
The rings were close to the frame as holders for the poles to bear the table.
And he made the poles of Acacia wood to bear the table and overlaid them with gold.
He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table, its dishes, its cups, its bowls
and its pitchers for pouring.
He also made the lampstand of pure gold.
Of hammered work he made the lampstand.
Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs and its flowers were of the same piece.
And six branches came out of its sides.
Three branches of the lampstand out of one side and three branches of the lampstand out
of the other side.
There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch with an ornamental knob and
a flower.
And three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch with an ornamental knob
and a flower.
And so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.
And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms each with its ornamental
knob and flower.
There was a knob under the first two branches of the same.
a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches
of the same, according to the six branches extending from it.
Their knobs and their branches were of one piece, all of it was one hammered piece of
pure gold, and he made its seven lamps, its wick trimmers, and its trays of pure gold.
Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.
He made the incense altar of acacia wood, its length was a cubit and its width a cubit,
it was square, and two cubits was its height, its horns were of one piece with it, and he
overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around, and its horns.
He also made for it a molding of gold all around it.
He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides,
as holders for the poles with which to bear it.
And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices according to
the work of the perfumer.
Chapter 38 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia
wood, five cubits was its length and five cubits its width, it was square and its height
was three cubits.
He made its horns on its four corners, the horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid
it with bronze.
He made all the utensils for the altar, the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks and
the firepans, all its utensils he made of bronze.
And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim midway from the bottom.
He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles.
And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.
Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it.
He made the altar hollow with boards.
He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving
women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Then he made the court on the south side, the hangings of the court were of fine woven
linen, one hundred cubits long.
There were twenty pillars for them, with twenty bronze sockets.
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.
On the north side the hangings were one hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and their
twenty bronze sockets.
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.
And on the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and their ten
sockets.
The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.
For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits.
The hangings of one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with their three pillars
and their three sockets.
And the same for the other side of the court gate.
On this side and that were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their
three sockets.
All the hangings of the court all around were of fine woven linen.
The sockets for the pillars were bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were
silver and the overlay of their capitals was silver.
And all the pillars of the court had bands of silver.
The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue, purple and scarlet thread and of
fine woven linen.
The length was twenty cubits and the height along its width was five cubits, corresponding
to the hangings of the court.
And there were four pillars with their four sockets of bronze.
Their hooks were silver and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver.
All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were bronze.
This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted
according to the commandment of Moses for the service of the Levites by the hand of
Ethamar son of air and the priest.
Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hor, of the tribe of Judah made all that the Lord
had commanded Moses.
And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer,
a weaver of blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine linen.
All the gold that was used in all the work of the Holy Place, that is the gold of the
offering was twenty-nine talons and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary.
And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talons
and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
Abeka for each man, that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary,
for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above, for six hundred
and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.
And from the hundred talons of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the
bases of the veil.
One hundred sockets from the hundred talons, one talon for each socket.
Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the
pillars, overlaid their capitals and made bands for them.
The offering of bronze was seventy talons and two thousand four hundred shekels.
And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the bronze altar,
the bronze grating for it and all the utensils for the altar, the sockets for the court all
around, the bases for the court gate, all the pegs for the tabernacle and all the pegs
for the court all around.
Chapter 39
Of the blue, purple and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering
in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He made the ephed of gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen.
And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the
blue, purple and scarlet thread and the fine linen into artistic designs.
They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together.
It was coupled together at its two edges.
And the intricately woven band of his ephed that was on it was of the same workmanship,
woven of gold, blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen as the Lord had commanded
Moses.
And they set six onyx stones enclosed in settings of gold.
They were engraved as signets are engraved with the names of the sons of Israel.
He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel
as the Lord had commanded Moses.
And he made the breastplate artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod of gold,
blue, purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen.
They made the breastplate square by doubling it.
A span was its length and a span its width when doubled.
And they set in it four rows of stones, a row of sardius, a topaz and an emerald was
the first row.
The second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond.
The third row a jasynth and a gate and an amethyst.
The fourth row a beryl, an onyx and a jasper.
They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings.
There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel, according to
their names engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve
tribes.
And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold.
They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two
ends of the breastplate.
And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings and put them
on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate on the
edge of it which was on the inward side of the ephod.
They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps underneath the
ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod.
And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a
blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate
would not come loose from the ephod as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He made the robe of the ephod of woven work all of blue, and there was an opening in the
middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around
the opening, so that it would not tear.
They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and a fine woven
linen.
And they made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem
of the robe all around between the pomegranates, a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate,
all around the hem of the robe to minister in, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
They made tunics artistically woven of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, a turban of
fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, and a
sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver as the
Lord had commanded Moses.
Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription
like the engraving of a signet, holiness to the Lord.
And they tied to it a blue cord to fasten it above on the turban, as the Lord had commanded
Moses.
Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the children
of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did.
And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps,
its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets, the covering of ram skins dyed red,
the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering, the Ark of the Testimony
with its poles and the mercy seat, the table, all its utensils, and the showbread, the pure
gold lampstand with its lamps, the lamps set in order, all its utensils, and the oil for
light, the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, the screen for the
tabernacle door, the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils,
the laver with its base, the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its sockets, the screen
for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs, all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle,
for the tent of meeting, and the garments of ministry to minister in the holy place,
the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his son's garments to minister as priests.
According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses so that children of Israel did all the
work.
Then Moses looked over all the work and indeed they had done it, as the Lord had commanded
just so they had done it, and Moses blessed them.
Chapter 40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, On the
first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
You shall put in it the Ark of the Testimony, and partition off the Ark with the veil.
You shall bring in a table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it.
And you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps.
You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the Ark of the Testimony, and
put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle
of the tent of meeting.
And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in
it.
Then you shall set up the court all around and hang up the screen at the court gate.
And you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it.
And you shall hallow it in all its utensils, and it shall be holy.
You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering in all its utensils, and consecrate the altar.
The altar shall be most holy, and you shall anoint the laver and its base and consecrate
it.
Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and
wash them with water.
You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may
minister to me as priest.
And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics.
You shall anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me as priests.
For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
Thus Moses did according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.
And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month,
that the tabernacle was raised up.
So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its
bars and raised up its pillars.
And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of
it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He took the testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings
of the ark, and put the mercy seed on top of the ark.
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering and partitioned
off the ark of the testimony as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle,
outside the veil, and set the bread in order upon it before the Lord,
as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He put the lamp stand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south
side of the tabernacle, and He lit the lamps before the Lord as the
Lord had commanded Moses.
He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil and burnt sweet
incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle, and he put the altar of burnt offering before
the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering
and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there
for washing.
And Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from
it.
Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar
they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar and hung up the screen
of the court gate, so Moses finished the work.
Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of God filled the tabernacle,
and Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested above
it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would
go onward in all their journeys.
But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken
up.
For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in
the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
This marks the end of the book of Exodus, and with this we have just completed two of
the biggest books of the Old Testament, and I want to congratulate you if you've made
it this far, or if you just started recently, keep going, you're doing great, and I'm proud
of you, and I'm really glad we're taking this journey together.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you, and have a great day.