2026 Bible Study Thread

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 25

[17] Also thou shalt make a Mercy seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad. [18] And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold; of work beaten out with the hammer shalt thou make them at the two ends of the Mercy seat. [19] And the one Cherub shalt thou make at the one end, and the other Cherub at the other end; of the matter of the Mercy seat shall ye make the Cherubims, on the two ends thereof. [20] And the Cherubims shall stretch their wings on high, covering the Mercy seat with their wings, and their faces one to another; to the Mercy seat ward shall the faces of the Cherubims be.

Here begins the crafting of the holy hardware. The Ark of the Covenant, the Golden Lampstand. Ordinances about the Bread of the Presence. Each one of these are rich with spiritual and symbolic meaning. Above all, these are foreshadows of the spiritual realities to come in the New Covenant. Since Israel had not yet attained to the full spiritual reality that was to come in the New Covenant, they were able to use these symbols to put their faith in things to come, namely Christ. Now that Christ has come, holy hardware like this has become obsolete. The Ark of the Covenant was made to have two angels facing each other on each end with outstretched wings reflecting the glory of God like the way mirrors reflect light. John picks up on this imagery in his Gospel; when Christ had risen from the tomb, two angels were waiting at his stone, one at the head and one at the feet.

[37] And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof; and the lamps thereof shalt thou put thereon, to give light toward that which is before it.

The Golden Lampstand, that is the Menorah, and the Bread of the Presence both symbolize God's people and His dwelling with them. In the New Testament, the Church is described as the Lampstand. The Bread is a symbol of Christ always being in God's presence, thus the people of God (12 loaves) also being in God's presence through Christ.

 

[Thomas More]

Exodus 25


Here begins the crafting of the holy hardware. The Ark of the Covenant, the Golden Lampstand. Ordinances about the Bread of the Presence. Each one of these are rich with spiritual and symbolic meaning. Above all, these are foreshadows of the spiritual realities to come in the New Covenant. Since Israel had not yet attained to the full spiritual reality that was to come in the New Covenant, they were able to use these symbols to put their faith in things to come, namely Christ. Now that Christ has come, holy hardware like this has become obsolete. The Ark of the Covenant was made to have two angels facing each other on each end with outstretched wings reflecting the glory of God like the way mirrors reflect light. John picks up on this imagery in his Gospel; when Christ had risen from the tomb, two angels were waiting at his stone, one at the head and one at the feet.


The Golden Lampstand, that is the Menorah, and the Bread of the Presence both symbolize God's people and His dwelling with them. In the New Testament, the Church is described as the Lampstand. The Bread is a symbol of Christ always being in God's presence, thus the people of God (12 loaves) also being in God's presence through Christ.

The Holy Hardware! That has a nice ring to it.

 

[Tippy]

Exodus 25


Here begins the crafting of the holy hardware. The Ark of the Covenant, the Golden Lampstand. Ordinances about the Bread of the Presence. Each one of these are rich with spiritual and symbolic meaning. Above all, these are foreshadows of the spiritual realities to come in the New Covenant. Since Israel had not yet attained to the full spiritual reality that was to come in the New Covenant, they were able to use these symbols to put their faith in things to come, namely Christ. Now that Christ has come, holy hardware like this has become obsolete. The Ark of the Covenant was made to have two angels facing each other on each end with outstretched wings reflecting the glory of God like the way mirrors reflect light. John picks up on this imagery in his Gospel; when Christ had risen from the tomb, two angels were waiting at his stone, one at the head and one at the feet.


The Golden Lampstand, that is the Menorah, and the Bread of the Presence both symbolize God's people and His dwelling with them. In the New Testament, the Church is described as the Lampstand. The Bread is a symbol of Christ always being in God's presence, thus the people of God (12 loaves) also being in God's presence through Christ.

Exodus 25:

Have to admit, this wins the award for the most boring book in Exodus and possibly the whole Bible so far.

31“Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32;Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34;And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35;One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36;The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.​

In all seriousness, I don't really get this obsession with the rituals and rules and I feel like Paul wrote against stuff like this later in the New Testament for example:

Galatians 2:16 -“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Just seems like a massive shift to have these endless 'important' details and then have the whole idea of such stuff being important reversed later in the same book.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 26

[1] Afterward thou shalt make the Tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue silk, and purple, and scarlet; and in them thou shalt make Cherubims of broidered work.

The Tabernacle was a large tent that would store the religious artifacts. The Hebrews would carry it around as they sojourned through the desert wilderness. Think of Abraham moving from place to place, living in a tent. The symbolism is that God lives in the tent, and would move with His people. The Tabernacle was always supposed to be in the center of the congregation. It was eventually stored away when Solomon had built the Temple. Even though it would seem that the Tabernacle was temporary and the Temple was permanent, both were in fact temporary since they both foreshadowed the body of Christ. The Gospel of John says that the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us, that is Christ took on a human body and lived with His people. Jesus Christ is the true Tabernacle and the true Temple.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 27

[9] Also thou shalt make the court of the Tabernacle in the Southside, even full South. The court shall have curtains of fine twined linen, of a hundred cubits long, for one side,

The Tabernacle had an outer court. This same design would be carried over to the Temple. The inner part of the Temple was called the Sanctuary, or the holy place. The outer part was called the court, or even the Gentile's court. There was a clear division between the sacred and the profane. Fast forward to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christ has abolished this dividing line. Both Jews and Gentiles are holy in God's sight under the New Covenant.

 

[Tippy]

You are touching on why Calvinism is the bleakest of worldviews (and incorrect). Godfather will have his say but understand that it is merely his/Calvinist perspective and not that of traditional Christianity.



Everyone has a guardian angel assigned to them.



The prohibition is against idol worship. Not literally against any visual depiction of things in heaven / earth / in the water. Otherwise drawing paintings of animals would be violating the commandment. God Himself in Exodus 25 commands that gold cherubim be fashioned on the Ark. Joshua 7:6, Joshua prostrates and bows before the Ark. In Numbers, Moses fashions a bronze serpent according to God's instructions which is raised up on a pole and heals those who are bitten by poisonous snakes. This was Godly and correct. However in 2 Kings 18:4 the bronze serpent is now worshipped as an idol (offered incense), and thus King Hezekiah righteously destroys it.

The fact that Orthodox are prone to kisssing the icons looks suggestive of idol worship to me although I understand that's not the intent.

Exodus 26


The Tabernacle was a large tent that would store the religious artifacts. The Hebrews would carry it around as they sojourned through the desert wilderness. Think of Abraham moving from place to place, living in a tent. The symbolism is that God lives in the tent, and would move with His people. The Tabernacle was always supposed to be in the center of the congregation. It was eventually stored away when Solomon had built the Temple. Even though it would seem that the Tabernacle was temporary and the Temple was permanent, both were in fact temporary since they both foreshadowed the body of Christ. The Gospel of John says that the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us, that is Christ took on a human body and lived with His people. Jesus Christ is the true Tabernacle and the true Temple.

Exodus 26:

This is certainly a treat for those on the spectrum

26 “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker. 2;All the curtains are to be the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. 3;Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. 4;Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. 5;Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 6;Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.'

I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to take away from this.

I guess my question is do all these details really matter? Is God communicating directly these specific details?

I've said this before but mang, I'd love if God could give me such precise directions as he gives on how to built this tabernacle on how to live life itself!

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

In all seriousness, I don't really get this obsession with the rituals and rules and I feel like Paul wrote against stuff like this later in the New Testament for example:

I guess my question is do all these details really matter? Is God communicating directly these specific details?

These chapters are not directly relevant to you. They were relevant to the hearers in the original context who had the job to make these. In Hebrews, the text says that these were modeled after the pattern in heaven, that these are earthly copies of heavenly realities. That's why the text goes into such precise detail over them. It's the closest thing in the Bible you'll get to sacred geometry.

Hebrews 9
[22] And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. [23] It was then necessary, that the copies of heavenly things should be purified with blood, but the heavenly things themselves are purified with better sacrifices than are these. [24] For Christ has not entered into the holy places that are made with hands, which are copies of the true Sanctuary, but is entered into the very heaven, to appear now in the sight of God for us

 

[Tippy]

Exodus 27


The Tabernacle had an outer court. This same design would be carried over to the Temple. The inner part of the Temple was called the Sanctuary, or the holy place. The outer part was called the court, or even the Gentile's court. There was a clear division between the sacred and the profane. Fast forward to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christ has abolished this dividing line. Both Jews and Gentiles are holy in God's sight under the New Covenant.

Exodus 27

Not much to say about this one. More instructions and rules.

Exodus 27:9 – “Make the courtyard of the tabernacle… twenty cubits wide and a hundred cubits long, with curtains of fine twisted linen.”

This is the outer court or the accessible part of it.

Then we have the main place of sacrifice:

Exodus 27:1–2 – “Make an altar of acacia wood… square; its length shall be five cubits, and its width five cubits; and its height three cubits… you shall make all its utensils, the pots, shovels, basins, forks, and firepans, of bronze.”

Though I thought God got mad at people making sacrifices for him while living as abject sinners? If so, why even have this part?

Exodus 27:16 – “And for the gate of the court there shall be a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen; the work of a weaver; and it shall have four pillars with four sockets.”

In this section it appears this place has particular significance but not sure what or why exactly. It seems kinda fancy with the 'finely twisted linen' what about Jesus with his whole 'the last will be first' - why do we need this rich seeming tabernacle?

 

[Northumber]

In Hebrews, the text says that these were modeled after the pattern in heaven, that these are earthly copies of heavenly realities.

It's symbolic. This is the function of the temple too. The pattern in heaven is connected to earth.

I've said this before but mang, I'd love if God could give me such precise directions as he gives on how to built this tabernacle on how to live life itself!

We don't often see because it seems so banal. The directions are there, we naturally "do them" all the time. We connect immaterial patterns (thoughts, abstract ideas, etc.) to physical things to give them meaning. Very basic. The temple is showing this reality in a full way. Like what @GodfatherPartTwo says, it's not directly related to us now because we now have a very real connection (the most real, and most meaningful connection) between the heavens and the earth in Christ.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 28

[29] So Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth into the holy place, for a remembrance continually before the LORD.

The High Priestly garment is also symbolic. The breastplate had 12 precious stones, corresponding to the people of God. The High Priest was to wear this as he entered into the sanctuary. He represents the people to God, their mediator.

[33] And beneath upon the skirts thereof thou shalt make pomegranates of blue silk, and purple, and scarlet, round about the skirts thereof, and bells of gold between them round about; [34] That is, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate round about upon the skirts of the robe.

The pomegranates invoke the Garden. The High Priest is trying to bring the people back into God's presence, back into Paradise.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 29

[10] After, thou shalt present the calf before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the calf. [11] So thou shalt kill the calf before the LORD, at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

The priests had to be from the tribe of Levi and descended from Aaron. Before they could consecrate, they must first be consecrated. This was done through the sacrificial offerings of bulls and goats. When they laid hands on the heads of the sacrificial animals, they would press in towards the animal. This symbolized the transfer of sin and guilt to the victim. The animals were a substitute for the priests.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 30

[9] Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor offering, neither pour any drink offering thereon.

God commissions the ark of incense. Strange incense refers to kinds of incense that haven't been prescribed by the Law. Later, God destroys Aaron's sons for offering strange fire to the Lord. This is what is called the regulative principle of worship in Reformed circles. We may worship God, but we may only worship Him in ways that He lays out for us in Scripture. We cannot just invent our own ways of worshiping Him. This is why skittles communion and all such clownery is off the table. Non-Biblical forms of worship are not worship at all.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 31

[18] Thus (when the LORD had made an end of communing with Moses upon mount Sinai) he gave him two Tablets of the Testimony, even tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

God reinforces the Sabbath Law once more to Moses, then gives him the original Bible, the Ten Commandments written on two tablets of stone by God Himself. God inspires a man in the camp by the Holy Spirit to craft the holy hardware according to the specifications that He spoke to Moses. The Sabbath Law prohibits the Hebrews from doing works on the Sabbath rest. Given that all their works were evil, they would've done well to heed the Sabbath Law.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

Exodus 32

[4] Who received them at their hands, and fashioned it with the graving tool, and made of it a molten calf; then they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. [5] When Aaron saw that, he made an Altar before it; and Aaron proclaimed, saying, Tomorrow shall be the holy day of the LORD. [6] So they rose up the next day in the morning, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; also the people sat them down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

The Hebrews became impatient and demanded that Aaron would make them an idol. Scripture speaks much about the value of "waiting on the Lord." This golden calf was their attempt at bringing God down to them, forcing God's hand, trying to rush His plan. The Golden calf did not represent other pagan gods (the word gods is the same Hebrew word for God, it can be plural or singular). Nothing in the text suggests that. It was meant to be an image of YHWH. This is why they say it brought them out of Egypt and Aaron declares a feast for YHWH upon making the calf.

[9] Again the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked people. [10] Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, for I will consume them; but I will make of thee a mighty people. [11] But Moses prayed unto the LORD his God, and said, O LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power and with a mighty hand? [12] Wherefore shall the Egyptians speak, and say, He hath brought them out maliciously for to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and change thy mind from this evil toward thy people. [13] Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thy own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of heaven, and all this land, that I have spoken of, will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever. [14] Then the LORD changed his mind from the evil, which he threatened to do unto his people.

God is ready to destroy the Hebrews, but He relents due to Moses' intercession. Does this make Moses better or wiser than God? No, but this happened to demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of a good mediator. Moses was a good mediator, but even he was not as good of a Mediator as Jesus, who is able to save every single one of God's people, save them to the uttermost as Hebrews says.

[19] Now, as soon as he came near unto the host, he saw the calf and the dancing; so Moses’ wrath waxed hot, and he cast the Tablets out of his hands, and brake them in pieces beneath the mountain.

The text says that the tablets were "the work" of God. When Moses saw the idolatry, he became angry and broke the tablets. He perfectly exhibits the character of the Law, God's wrath against sin. The Didache picks up on this, the Mosaic Covenant was broken, literally, even before it had begun, showing the need for a new and better covenant.

[31] Moses therefore went again unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. [32] Therefore now if thou pardon their sin, thy mercy shall appear, but if thou wilt not, I pray thee, erase me out of thy book, which thou hast written. [33] Then the LORD said to Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, I will put him out of my book. [34] Go now therefore, bring the people unto the place which I commanded thee. Behold, my Angel shall go before thee; but yet in the day of my visitation I will visit their sin upon them. [35] So the LORD plagued the people, because they caused Aaron to make the calf which he made.

A division is made between the people. Moses sets before them "two ways" in the words of the Didache, the way of life and the way of death. Fidelity to God or rebellion against Him. Moses asks God to forgive the people, but if not, to blot his name out of the Book, that is the Book of Life. He was willing to give up his own salvation for the Hebrews, much like Paul was willing to do for the Jews, and even as Christ gave up His life for the Elect on the cross. In my opinion, this chapter is really the climax of the book and much more could be said about it.

 

[Wutang]

I always assumed the calf was supposed to be a pagan god. The opening of the chapter refers to the Israelites asking Aaron to make a god for them which does seem very pagan like. Modern pagan LARPers will openly say sometimes that their gods are their own creations. I also thought this was another example of the Israelites longing to go back to the "old ways" such as when they were grumbling for the melons and other foods they had to eat back in Egypt. Do you have anything I could read about this topic?

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

I always assumed the calf was supposed to be a pagan god. The opening of the chapter refers to the Israelites asking Aaron to make a god for them which does seem very pagan like. Modern pagan LARPers will openly say sometimes that their gods are their own creations. I also thought this was another example of the Israelites longing to go back to the "old ways" such as when they were grumbling for the melons and other foods they had to eat back in Egypt. Do you have anything I could read about this topic?

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/golden-calf-false-worship/

https://revmarple.com/blog/teaching/the-image-of-god-and-the-golden-calf-exodus-32-34/