EXODUS 26:1-14 THE BUILDING Looking at the Tabernacle as a building, we would see it as wide as it is high; 15 feet wide, 15 feet high and 45 feet long. Inside, the Tabernacle was divided into two parts. The Holy Place was where the table of shewbread was on the south side, the lampstand on the north side and the golden altar of incense on the west in front of the beautifully woven veil with cherubim woven into the cloth. That room was 30 feet by 15 feet. The Holy of holies or "Most Holy" where the ark and mercy seat were, was a cube shaped room 15 feet high, wide and long. Covering the whole building were two curtains made by the hands of skillful people and two coverings of animal skins. Looking at the ceiling from inside one would see a curtain made of linen with blue, purple and scarlet woven into it. The white linen here is mentioned first, different from the gate, door and veil where the colors were dominate and given in a different order. In a practical way, it would reflect more light than the darker colors. In a spiritual way it teaches us of the necessity of righteousness that is essential in the worship of God. Respect, reverence and holiness are to characterize every priest who enters to eat of the Living Bread and approach God to worship in Spirit and in truth. Only the priests would see that beautiful ceiling which was made of 10 curtains joined together with 50 gold clasps. These curtains would not touch the ground at each end reminding us of Him who was not defiled in any way by the world when He was here. We worship One who is "holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners."
Placed above that beautiful ceiling made of 10 curtains of color, was 11 curtains made by the labor of skilled hands who wove the long dark hair of goats into a set of two curtains two cubits longer than the linen curtain. One part was made of five and the other of six joined by brass clasps. This curtain was large enough to cover the top of the walls of the Tabernacle in front and covered the linen curtain on each side. This particular covering would teach us of Christ as the sin-bearer as the two goats on the day of atonement. In this way He was the true type of the sin-offering. Prophets and Nazarites also wore garments of goats' hair. The Lord Jesus was the True Prophet whose character was smooth and fine as would the curtain made of goats' hair be made distinguishing them from goats' skins. This curtain was not seen by the eyes of men either on the inside or outside. God alone knows the true worth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the perfections of His character.
Little is said of the two coverings in this passage so the teaching relates to God coming out to man rather than man going in to God. The glories of Christ are presented first as to Him being the One from heaven (blue - the Gospel of John), the King of kings (purple - the Gospel of Matthew), the Perfect Servant (scarlet - the Gospel of Mark), and the Perfect Man (white linen - the Gospel of Luke) depicted in the visible inner curtain. Then as God comes further out to us, we learn of the evenness and fineness of the character of our Lord as the One observed and trusted by God. "I do always those things that please the Father." Then as God comes closer to where we were "in our want and shame," we see the rams' skins dyed red. The shedding of blood to provide these skins would remind us of the One who voluntarily laid down His life in an act of unsurpassed consecration to the will of God. He was devoted to God completely in death even as He was in His life. There is no mention made as to how these skins were joined together. This covering would be considered one complete whole that shelters everything under it. The sacrifice Christ made was for God's legal satisfaction primarily. God was satisfied with what He accomplished in His work of redemption. The need of a suitable sacrifice was found in Christ alone which was typified in the rams' skins as they pointed to the One who God accepted on our behalf.
The darker leather of the badgers' skin covering was not something of beauty. It probably was similar in color to all the tents around the Tabernacle. What stood out was the size and shape of the building under it. The beauty of Christ's moral glory was not just His uniqueness as a man that could not be mistaken by those who looked on Him from the outside, but by "the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth. The things He did that brought blessings to many, the miracles proving His deity even though "there is no beauty that we should desire Him, would have the earnest seeker raising his eyes above the fence surrounding the Tabernacle and see "there is more here than meets the eyes."
The foundation of the building was solid silver - probably about five tons in total. Silver sockets with two mortises in each to place the tenons of the upright boards in, separated the Tabernacle boards from the ground. The sockets were able to bear the weight of large gold covered boards, plus the weight of the curtains and coverings. The silver all around the bottom of the Tabernacle speaks to us of redemption that has "delivered us from this present evil world." The floor of the Tabernacle was the earth. There was nothing on the floor that would be allowed to speak of Christ, because to walk on anything that would reflect on His Person or dignity, is totally and in every way, forbidden. His redemptive work has separated us from the world. "He has redeemed us."
The wide boards had to be separated from their original roots and natural form as a large tree, and shaped to reveal the divine pattern God intended. Each one was cut, shaped and covered with gold and looked identical to the ones placed side by side to make the wall. The character traits of the Lord Jesus are many and are all linked to form the one dwelling place of glory and beauty. The boards can speak to us of each aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Person. It can also speak to us of the saints of God who have been made partakers of the divine nature and are linked together by the hidden bar that goes the whole 45 feet in length. The unseen Holy Spirit makes is all one in Christ, "one Body in the Lord." The other four bars also remind us of the doctrines of truth as they relate to the Person of Christ uniting the whole structure into one whole that gives strength to every part of the building. In this particular portion of scripture unfolding Tabernacle teaching, God is coming out to man with each board, each bar and each socket revealing characteristics of God that provide a whole composite picture of Divine Persons.
To look at that Tabernacle only externally Would be to overlook lessons learned spiritually. The shape of the building was unusual it is true Eliciting interest that makes us want to see through Those coverings and curtains to learn what God teaches As from His dwelling place out to His people reaches To give instructions and help us understand What is normally hidden to the eyes of man.
Each covering and each curtain have something to tell Of the Lord Jesus Christ who pleased the Father well. So out to us in spiritual lessons God comes To teach us more of the nature and worth of His Son. The boards covered with gold standing upright on sockets of silver Instruct us regarding His deity and the redemption that's forever. Whether looking up at the curtain of beautiful color Or learning from hidden things; He is One of a kind, there is no other.
The Person of Christ to the world view is not attractive. They want something that to them seems more active. Red rams' skins don't mean much to them because they can't see The on-going value of Christ's blood that was shed on the tree. Even the smoothness and balanced character of Christ from human eyes is hidden And the glory of His Person is valued only by worshippers within. To all who believe, our Lord Jesus is truly "The Preciousness," And we glory in Him alone who is our Life and our Righteousness.
"O God of all glory, my Father: in this meditation upon the form of the Tabernacle, I have been impressed with how much is revealed to those who come into Thy presence in priestly worship. I am also made aware of my limitations when it comes to understanding Your fullness seen in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am glad for the types and what they open to the understanding of my dim eyesight. May heavenly eye-salve give me a greater understanding of my Lord and Savior. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."