Exodus 26:1 – 6 “You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them. Each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide —all curtains the same size. (Each of the ten curtains was approximately 42 feet long and 6 feet wide (12.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide.)
Five of the curtains are to be joined together, and the other five joined as well. Make loops of blue material on the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and do the same for the end curtain in the second set. Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops line up opposite one another. Make fifty gold clasps as well, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be a unit.”
How can you create a mobile temple and then protect it from the heat and dust of the desert? Everything about the tabernacle must be portable because the Israelites never know when that pillar of cloud and fire is going to move and they will set off for someplace else. God wants the place of His worship to be both beautiful and practical. To that end, the first covering for the tabernacle is fine linen with patterns in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. “The blue represents the heavens and the creation of the world; purple represents royalty (the high cost of purple dye due to its rare source generally meant only the wealthiest individuals, usually royalty, owned purple garments); and crimson represents sin, as reflected in Isaiah’s statement: “Be your sins like crimson, they can turn snow – white:(i.e, if you repent; Isaiah 1:18.) These colors represent the major themes Israelites were supposed to think about during worship: God’s creation, God’s kingship, and God’s acceptance of atonement for sin.” (Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible: Exodus) Again, God is directing the construction of the tabernacle precisely, leaving no room for shortcuts or slip – ups.
The Israelites probably learned about finely spun linen in Egypt; however, it’s doubtful that most of them actually got to wear any of it. Finely spun linen was for royalty; slaves would have made do with coarser material. To make these curtains, the Israelites would either have had to bring flax or linen cloth that had already been woven when they left Egypt.
Exodus 26:7 – 14 “You are to make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven curtains in all. Each of the eleven curtains is to be the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. (Each of the eleven curtains was approximately 45 feet long and 6 feet wide (13.7 meters long and 1.8 meters wide). Join five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. Then fold the sixth curtain over double at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set. Make fifty bronze clasps and put them through the loops to join the tent together as a unit. As for the overlap that remains of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over shall hang down over the back of the tabernacle. And the tent curtains will be a cubit longer on either side, and the excess will hang over the sides of the tabernacle to cover it.
When God mentions goat hair, the Israelites are probably heaving sighs of relief! At last, something familiar! Goat hair tents have been in use for hundreds of years; however, these rolls of goat hair are far larger than anything the weavers have ever attempted before!
Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather. (Some sources suggest these were badger skins and others dolphin skins. At any rate, these skins would be extremely durable. Unless the Israelites collected dolphin skins before leaving Egypt, they probably used badger skins.)
APPLICATION: At first, all these details about the coverings for the tabernacle seem pretty tedious. OK, so God is involved in every detail, but reading these verses somehow feels a bit like looking at a whole album of photos of someone else’s kids on Facebook – B*O*R*I*N*G! But the question these passages raise is this:Is there anything in our lives that we truly consider as holy? How careful are we to protect the images of holiness God has placed in our lives?
One of the problems facing those of us who have grown up in dysfunctional families is the challenge of setting boundaries. If you have been raised by parents or grandparents who routinely violated your emotional boundaries when you were a child, you can find it difficult to set reasonable boundaries as an adult. A lack of boundaries leaves you open to all kinds of exploitation at work or in the community, or even at home. You may find yourself loaded with responsibilities that should have been delegated to others, simply because you don’t know how to say, “No.”
Susanna Wesley was the mother of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist Church. Facing the challenges of caring for nineteen children in a small house, Susanna had a unique way of carving out time for herself. At some point in the day, she would go sit in a corner and throw her apron up over her head. Susanna’s family knew that this action was a signal that Susanna was praying and that they should leave her alone. Once Susanna completed her prayers, she would uncover her head and return to her daily activities.
Time for your family, time for yourself, time to be quiet with God – all these things are vitally important. If you don’t take sufficient time to rest and to pray, you will find yourself exhausted and sick. You can always find some means of carving out time to pray – even if you have to copy Susanna Wesley’s example.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for the care that you took in instructing Moses about the making of the tabernacle. Thank you that you love us and long to meet with us. Help us to create holy spaces in our lives so that we can meet you in the stillness. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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