|
For Week #1 and Week #2 Study Guide Information
For Week #3 and Week #4 Study Guide Information
For Week #5 and Week #6 Study Guide Information
Week # 8
Day 1 – Laws of Justice and Mercy, Annual Festivals, and the
Covenant Reaffirmed.
(Exodus 23:1—24:18; Proverbs 9:1--6)
23:1—9 These laws specifically relate to commandments 8 – 10. They also speak to how to live
a life of integrity and honor:
q Do not spread false reports
q Do give malicious/false witnesses to aid someone evil
q Do not give in to peer pressure especially in a court of law
q Do not show favoritism
q Help your enemy by coming to his aide and returning things that are lost
q Support the poor in courts of law
q Promote justice but do not put a honest person to death
q Do not accept bribes because who twists justice
q Do not oppress foreigners who are living amongst you
23:10 – 12 These laws relate on how to honor to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. It
also establishes a Sabbath rest every seventh year for the land and animals.
23:13 “Do not invoke the names of other gods” – Here the LORD reiterates the Second
commandment and how we don’t misuse the name of the LORD.
23:15 “Feast of Unleavened Bread” – Celebrated from the 15th through the 21st days of the
first month (usually about mid-March to mid-April) at the beginning of the barely harvest;
it commemorated the Exodus.
23:16 “Feast of the Harvest” – Also called the “Feast of Weeks” because it was held seven weeks
after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was celebrated on the sixth day of the third month
during the wheat harvest. In later Judaism it came to commemorate the giving of the law on
Mount Sinai, though there is no evidence of this significance in the OT. In NT times it was
called “the day of Pentecost” which means “50”.
23:16 “Feast of Ingathering” – Also called the “Feast of Tabernacles or Booths” because the
Israelites lived in temporary shelters when God brought them out of Egypt. It was
Celebrated from the 15th through the 22nd days of the seventh month when the
produce of the orchards and vines had been harvested; it commemorated the desert
wanderings after the exodus.
23:19 “firstfruits” – used to represent the blessing of the whole harvest. The offering of firstfruits
was an acknowledgment that the harvest was from the LORD and belonged wholly to him.
23:19 “do not cook…” – perhaps a protest against a Canaanite pagan ritual
23:20 – 33 Once again God establishes his relationship with people based on a simple premise “If
you… then as your God I will.” It is important to realize that the God is the one
establishing this relationship, not the Israelites. Here is a summary of this relationship:
If you (The Israelites)…
q Pay attention to the Angel who will guide your way
q Do not rebel against him
q Listen carefully to what he says
q Do all that I say
q Do not bow down before their god, worship them, or follow their practices
q Demolish their idols and break their sacred stones to pieces
q Worship the LORD alone
q Do not make a covenant with them or their gods
q Do not let them live in your land
The I (the LORD) will….
q Be an enemy to your enemies
q Oppose those who oppose you
q Bring you into the land I have promised you
q Bring defeat to your enemies
q Bless you with food and water
q Rid all sickness and infertility from your community
q Make your enemies afraid and throw them into confusion
q Drive out your enemies over time and establish your borders
23:28 “hornet” – the meaning the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. The Septuagint (the
Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) renders it “wasp”. What the LORD is promising is
to send some agent to disable or frighten the peoples of Canaan so that they will not be able
to resist Israel’s invasion. But probably the word involves concrete imagery and the focus of
the statement is on the effects of God’s power.
24 – The action at Sinai picks up after a brief interlude (20:22 – 23:33). Chapter 24 picks up where
20:21 leaves off with Moses at the base of Mt. Sinai. The LORD is going to invite Moses to join
him on the mountain.
24:1 “Nadab and Abihu” – Aaron’s two oldest sons. Nadab would have succeeded Aaron as high priest,
but he and his brother died because the offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.
24:2 "Moses alone" -- at this point in time Moses is serving as the Mediator (the go between
guy) for Israel and God.
24:6 "Moses took half the blood...and the other half" -- This division of the blood points to the
twofold aspect of the "blood of the covenant" (v.8): The blood on the altar symoblizes
God's forgiveness and his acceptance fo the offering; the blood on the people points to an
oath that binds them in obedience (see vv 3,7)
24:7 -- "The Book of the Covenant" refers to what Moses just wrote down in (v.4) and includes
the Ten Commandments and the conents of chapter 20--23.
24:8 -- "blood of the covenant" -- blood represents life and sacrfice, therefore God is making a
covenant with His people that gives life built on sacrifice.
Day 2 – Instructions for building the Tabernacle
(Exodus 25:1 – 27:21; Proverbs 9:7—8)
25 “bring me an offering” – God shows that true offerings are given from the heart. He wants
people to have their “hearts prompted” to give the following:
q Gold
q Silver
q Bronze
q Blue, purple, and scarlet yarn
q Fine linen
q Goat hair
q Ram skinks dyed red
q Hides of sea cows
q Acacia wood
q Olive oil for the light
q Spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense
q Onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breast-piece
25:4 The colors blue, purple, and scarlet are royal colors. These dyes are gathered from various
shellfish that reside in the waters of the northeast Mediterranean. This industry was
important for the local economy which is symbolized by the name Canaan (the “land of
purple”). The color scarlet was derived from the eggs and carcasses of the worm, coccus
lilicis, which attaches itself to the leaves of the holly plant.
“fine linen” – A very high quality cloth made from thread spun from the fibers of flax straw.
Excellent examples of unusually white, tightly woven linen have been found in
ancient Egyptian tombs. Some are so finely woven that they cannot be
distinguished from silk without the use of a magnifying glass.
“goat hair” – from long-haired goats. A coarse, black material, it was often used to weave
cloth for tents
25:5 “ram skins dyed red” – after all the wool have been removed from the skins. The final
products was similar to present-day morocco leather.
“sea cows” – native to the Red Sea
“acacia” – the wood is darker and harder than oak and is avoided by wood-eating insects.
25:6 “spices” – those used in the anointing oil are identified in 30:23-24:
q Myrrh (balsam sap)
q Cinnamon (bark of the cinnamon tree, a species of laurel)
q Cane (pith from the root of a reed plant)
q Cassia (made from the dried flowers of the cinnamon tree)
Those used in the fragrant incense are identified in 30:34
q Gum resin (a powder taken from the middle of hardened drops of myrrh-rare and
valuable),
q Onycha (made from mollusk shells)
q Galbaanum (a rubbery resin taken from the roots of a flowering pant that thrives in Syria
and Persia)
25:8 “sanctuary” – the “holy dwelling place of God” which is set apart for the work of the LORD
25:9 “tabernacle” – “dwelling place,” The word is rarely used of human dwellings; it almost
always signifies the place where God dwells among his people.
The Description of the Ark
25:10 “chest” – The Hebrew for this word is translated by the more traditional term “ark”
throughout the rest of Exodus. Of all the tabernacle furnishings, the ark is
mentioned first probably because it symbolized the throne of the Lord, the great
King, who chose to dwell among his people.
25:16 “Testimony” The two tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments as the
basic stipulations of the Sinai covenant.
25:17 “atonement cover” – Atonement refers to the divine act of reconciliation, whereby God
through His grace draws to himself and make “at one” with him those who were once
alienated from him. In the OT, the shed blood of sacrificial offerings signified atonement;
in the NT, the blood of Jesus, shed once for all time, effects it.
25:18 “cherubim” – probably similar to the carvings of winged sphinxes that adorned the
armrests of the royal thrones in many parts of the ancient Near East. In the OT the
cherubim were symbolic attendants that marked the place of the Lord’s enthronement” in
his earthly kingdom. From the cover of the ark the Lord gave directions to Moses. Later
the ark’s presence in the temple at Jerusalem would designate it as God’s earthly royal
city.
 
The Description of the Table
25:23 “table” – the table taken from the second (Zerubbael’s) temple by Antiochus Epiphanes is
depicted on the Arch of Titus among the items the Romans took back to Rome after
conquering Jerusalem in AD. 70.
The Description of the Lampstand
25:31 "flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms" -- The desing is patterned after an almond tree, the
first of teh trees in the Near East to blossom in spring. The cups of the lampstand
resemble either the calyx (outer covering othe flower) or the almond nut.
25:37 -- "seven" -- signifies completenes
"lamps" --The lamps were to burn all night in the tabernacel, tended by the priests. Oil for
the lamps was to be supplied by the people; the light from the lamps represented the
glory of the Lord refelcted in the consecrated lives of the Israelites.
26 Moses recieves from the LORD exact instructions on how to build the tabernacle. Its
basic structure was to be 15 feet wide by 45 feet long by 15 feet high. It was to be
the tent or dwelling place of God.
26:31--35 A curtain was to divide the tabernacle into two rooms, the Holy Place and the Most
Holy Place. The Most Holy Place probably formed a perfect cube, 15ft by 15ft by
15ft. Enclosed with linen curtains embroidered with cherubim and containing only
the ark of the Testimony, it symbolized God’s throne room. The Holy Place
represented his royal guest chamber where his people symbolically came before
him in the bread of the Presence, the light from the lampstand and the incense
from the altar of incense. The curtain was called the “shielding curtain” because
it shielded the ark. At the moment Christ died, the curtain of Herod’s temple was
torn, thereby giving the believer direct access to the presence of God.
The Description of the Altar of Burnt Offering
27:2 "horns" -- projections of the four corner posts. They were symbols of help and refuge. They
also symoblized the atoning power of the altar: Some of the blood was put on the horns of the altar
before the rest was poured out at the base.
27:3 "meat forks" -- Three-pronged forks for arranging the sacrifice or removing the priests' portion
from the container in which it was being boiled.
"firepans" -- probably for carrying fire from the altar of burnt offering to the altar of incense
inside the Holy Place.
27:4 "grating" -- placed midway between the top and bottom of the boxlike structure. Since the intense
heat of the fire built inside the upper half of the altar would have eventually destroyed it, perhaps
the hollow altar was designed to be filled with earth when it was in use.
The Design of the Courtyard
27:13-14 The entrance tot he tabernacel courtyard faced east, as did that of Solomon's temple and of
Herod's temple.
27:18 "five cubits" -- high enough to block the view of people standing outside the courtyard, thus
protecting the sanctity and privacy of the worship taking place inside.
The Oil for the Lampstand
27:20 "clear oil of pressed olives" -- Unripe olives were crushed in a mortar. The puply mass was then
placed in a cloth basket through the bottom of which the oil dripped, producing a clear fuel that
burned with little or no smoke.
Day 3 – The Priestly Garments and Consectration of Priests
(Exodus 28:1 -- 29:46; Proverbs 9:9--10)
28:1 “serve me as priests” – In order “to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” and “to deal gently
28:2 "to give him dignity and honor" -- These garments are give to Aaron to exalt the office and
functions of lesser priests as well as the high priest. The following garments are to
be used by the priestly family:
q A breastpiece (see 28:15—30) 
q An ephod (see 28:6—14)
q A robe
q A woven tunic
q A turban
q A sash
Description of an Ephod
28:6 “ephod” -- a sleeveless vestment worn by the high priest. The ephod was to be designed
by a skilled craftsman to honor the LORD.
28:8 “waistband” – apparently to hold the front and the back of the ephod to the priest’s body.
28:9 “onyx stones” – The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were to be engraved upon the
stones. The nams on Aaron’s shoulder will bear as a memorial before the
Lord. By having the names upon his shoulders will represent all Israel when
he ministers in the tabernacle.
 
A Description of the Breastpiece
28:15 “breastpiece” – the breastpiece was to be designed by skilled craftsmen for Aaron. As
Aaron enters the Holy Place he will bear the names of the sons of Israel.
He will wear them over heart as he makes decisions before the LORD.
28:30 “The Urim and Thummim” – The Hebrew for this phrase probably means “the curses and
the perfections.” The Hebrew word Urim begins with the first letter of the Hebrew
alphabet (aleph) and Thummim begins with the last letter (tawI). They were scared lots
and were often used in time of crisis to determine the will of God. It has been suggested
that if Urim (“curses”) dominated when the lots were cast the answer was “no,” but if
Thummim (“perfections”) dominated it was “yes.” In any event, their “every decision”
was “from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33)
A Description of the Robe
28:31 “robe” – worn under the ephod and made entirely of blue cloth with an opening for the head in its
center.
28:34—35 “bells” – The robe was to be lined with robes as he ministers in the Tabernacle. According to Jewish tradition, one end of a length of rope was tied to the high Priest’s ankle and the other end remained outside the tabernacle. If the bells on his robe stopped tinkling while he was in the Holy Place, the assumption that he died could be tested by pulling gently on the rope.
A Description of the Turban
28:36—38 The turban was to have a plate of pure gold attached to it by a blue chord. The gold
plate was to have a seal on it with the words written “Holy to the Lord”. The turban
was to symbolize that “he will bear the guilt” involved in the sacrificial offerings
being offered by the Israelites.
A Description of Other Garments
All the garments (turban, tunic, sash) were to be made of fine linen and given to symbols of dignity
and honor. The priests were to be consecrated for service and serve in the Tent of Meeting and the
Holy Place.
The Consecration of the Priests (Chapter 29:1—28)
The consecration of the priests to serve God in the temple is one of the most detailed processes in
all of Scripture:
q Select a young bull and two rams without defect to be presented to the LORD
q Make bread and cakes with fine wheat flour (w/o yeast) and mixed with oil
q Put the bread and cakes in a basket and present it to the LORD
q Bring Aaron and his two sons to the Tent of Meeting and was them water
q Aaron is to have the priestly garments placed upon him
q Aaron’s head is to be anointed with oil
q His sons are to be dressed in tunics and have headbands placed upon them
q The bull is to be brought to the Tent of Meeting
q Aaron and his son’s shall place their hands upon it (an act of transferring sins)
q The bull is to be then slaughtered with the blood being placed on the horns of the altar and the
rest poured on the base of the altar.
q The inner organs are to be burned on the altar
q The bull’s flesh, its hide, and its offal are to be burned outside of the camp. This will serve as a
sin offering for the tribe of Israel.
q Now they take one of the two rams, hands will be laid upon it, and then it will be slaughtered.
q The blood of the ram will be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.
q The ram is cut into pieces, washed, and then the entire carcass is burnt on the altar as an
offering. This burnt offering will be a pleasing sacrifice unto the Lord.
q The other ram will the have hands laid upon it and it will be slaughtered
q Some of the blood will be placed on the lobes of the right ears (symbolize sensitivity to God
and his Word), the thumbs of the right hands and the big toes of the right feet (symbolize a lif
of service to others on God’s behalf) of Aaron and his sons.
q Then take some of the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar
q The some blood and anointing oil are to be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons garments to consecrate the garments.
q Aaron and his sons are to take the fat found throughout the ram, the covering of the liver, both
kidneys, and the right thigh, a loaf of bread made without yeasts, a cake made with oil, and a
wafer; they then wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.
q These parts are then to be burnt upon the altar as a burnt offering
q The breast of the ram will be used as a wave offering and then given to the priests along with the thigh. These parts will be consecrated and given to Aaron and his sons as a fellowship offering.
The Service and Ordination of the Priests (Chapter 29:29—37)
As part of the consecration and ordination of the priests the LORD provides instructions on how they are to carryout their succession and daily duties.
29:30 “succeeds” – The sacred garments of Aaron are to be passed down from generation to generation
and worn for seven days for the those who come to the Tent of Meeting to minister.
29:31—33 Aaron and his sons are to eat the remaining meat from the ram used in the ordination at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
29:36 “sacrifice” – A bull was to be sacrificed each day for seven days as a sin offering to make
atonement at the altar. Then the altar and all who touch it will be holy.
The Daily Offerings to be Made (v 38--41)
q A offering to be made each day on the altar
q Two lambs a year old (one in the morning and one at night)
q To the first lamb you are to add a 1/10of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quart of oil and
wine
q The same with the one in the evening
29:42—46 The purpose of the offerings and the consecrations is to create a sacred place were
God and his people could meet, serve, and speak to one another.
Day 4 – Other Objects, and Bezalel and Oholiab
(Exodus 30:1—31:18; Proverbs 9:11—12)
The Altar of Incense
The altar of incense was to be placed in front of the curtain that stands before the ark of the Covenant. Aaron was to burn incense both in the morning and at night to symbolize the prayers of the Israelites rising to heaven.
| 
