‏ Exodus 26

Exodus 26:1-6: The Tabernacle and Its Curtains

This section explains how to make the main structure of the tabernacle, which was a large tent made of beautiful and expensive materials. The tabernacle was meant to be a movable home for God’s presence among the Israelites while they traveled in the wilderness. The design of the tabernacle also teaches us about the church today, reminding us that God’s people are always moving towards heaven and that God’s presence can go with us anywhere.

v. 1: The tabernacle was to be made with ten curtains of fine linen, colored blue, purple, and scarlet, and decorated with cherubim. This made the tabernacle beautiful and showed the presence of angels around God’s people .

v. 2: Each curtain was to be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. All the curtains were to be the same size. This shows how orderly God’s house should be .

v. 3: The ten curtains were to be joined into two groups of five. Each group was sewn together, making two large pieces .

v. 4-5: Blue loops were made on the edges of the curtains, fifty loops on each set. These loops were used to connect the curtains together, making the tabernacle one united piece (Exodus 26:4-5 ^a).

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v. 6: Fifty gold clasps (called taches) were used to join the two sets of curtains together, so the whole tabernacle would be one. This unity reminds us that, though God’s people are many, they are joined together by love and the Spirit (Exodus 26:6; Ephesians 2:21-22 ^b).

Exodus 26:7-14: The Coverings of the Tabernacle

These verses explain how to make the coverings that protected the tabernacle. The coverings were made of different materials and provided both beauty and protection. The inner curtains were beautiful, but the outer coverings looked plain and rough. This design reminds us that God often values what is inside more than what people see on the outside. The coverings also show that God protects what is holy with His care.

v. 7-11: The first covering over the tabernacle was made of eleven curtains of goats’ hair. These curtains were larger than the inner ones and were joined together with fifty loops and fifty bronze clasps. Even though the material was simple, the curtains were joined strongly and covered the beautiful inner curtains to protect them (Exodus 26:7-11 ^c).

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v. 12-13: The extra length of the goats’ hair curtains hung over the back and the sides of the tabernacle. This made sure the whole inside was protected from the weather (Exodus 26:12-13 ^d).

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v. 14: On top of the goats’ hair curtains were two more coverings—one of rams’ skins dyed red, and another of strong leather (sometimes called badgers’ skins). These outside coverings were tough and practical, showing that God’s true beauty is often hidden from the world, but protected by His care (Exodus 26:14; Psalm 45:13 ^e; 1 Peter 3:4 ^f).

Exodus 26:15-30: The Boards and Structure of the Tabernacle

These verses give detailed instructions for making the wooden boards that formed the walls of the tabernacle. The boards supported the beautiful curtains and coverings, making the whole structure strong and stable. God wanted everything in His house to be both strong and beautiful. The design also shows how the church and our faith need a solid foundation to stand firm.

v. 15-17: The boards for the tabernacle were made from shittim wood and made to stand upright. Each board was ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. Each board had two tenons (projections) to fit into sockets, making the structure stable (Exodus 26:15-17 ^g).

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v. 18-21: On the south and north sides of the tabernacle, there were twenty boards each, set into forty silver sockets—two sockets for each board. This made the sides strong and secure (Exodus 26:18-21 ^h).

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v. 22-25: The west side of the tabernacle had six boards, plus two extra boards for the corners. These eight boards also had sixteen silver sockets, two for each board, and the corners were joined carefully to keep the structure firm (Exodus 26:22-25 ⁱ).

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v. 26-28: Five bars of shittim wood were made for each side of the tabernacle. The middle bar ran from end to end, helping to hold all the boards together securely (Exodus 26:26-28 ^j).

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v. 29: The boards and bars were all covered with gold, and the rings for the bars were also gold. This made the inside of the tabernacle both strong and beautiful .

v. 30: Moses was told to set up the tabernacle exactly as God had shown him on the mountain. Every detail had to follow God’s pattern, reminding us to follow God’s instructions fully in our lives .

Exodus 26:31-37: The Veils of the Tabernacle

This section describes God’s command to make two veils for the tabernacle. The first veil separated the holy place from the most holy place, hiding the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat. The second veil was for the entrance to the tabernacle. These veils had special spiritual meaning under the old covenant, showing that access to God was limited and that divine grace was hidden until Christ. The veils were richly made, showing the importance of the worship and the separation between God and the people (Exodus 26:31-37 ^k).

v. 31: God ordered a special veil to be made from blue, purple, and scarlet thread, along with fine linen. It was to be carefully designed with cherubim woven into it. This veil marked a clear boundary between the holy place and the most holy place, showing that people could not just enter God’s presence whenever they wanted .

v. 32: The veil was to hang on four pillars made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with gold hooks and silver bases. This showed the great value and honor given to God’s house .

v. 33: The veil was to be hung in such a way that the ark of the testimony would be placed behind it. The veil separated the holy place from the most holy, teaching that under the law, people could not enter freely into God’s presence. The apostle Paul explains that this veil meant that the law could not make people perfect or bring them to heaven (Hebrews 9:8-9 ^l). The way to God was hidden until Jesus came. When Jesus died, the veil was torn, showing that the way to God was now open (Matthew 27:51 ^m).

v. 34: The mercy seat was to be placed upon the ark in the most holy place. This spot was the center of God’s presence and the place where sins were forgiven .

v. 35: Outside the veil, the table and the lampstand were set up in the holy place. The table was on the north side and the lampstand on the south side. Only the priests could enter this area to serve God (Exodus 26:35; Hebrews 9:6 ⁿ).

v. 36: God also commanded a curtain for the entrance of the tent, made of the same colored threads and fine linen, decorated with needlework. This was the outer veil that separated the tabernacle from the outside world .

v. 37: The outer hanging was to be supported by five pillars of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with gold hooks and bronze bases. This entrance had no locks or bars, making the tabernacle seem easy to enter. But God protected His house, teaching the priests and Levites to be careful, and showing that God can keep His people safe even without strong defenses (Exodus 26:37 ^o).