BOOK 2 OF 66 · LAW · KING JAMES BIBLE

Exodus 25

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Exodus 25 Overview

Exodus 25 begins the tabernacle instructions with a willing offering from Israel. God says the purpose plainly: “let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” The chapter then gives the pattern for the ark of the testimony and mercy seat with cherubims, the table for shewbread, and the golden candlestick with its branches, bowls, knops, and flowers. Moses is repeatedly told to make these things according to the pattern shown on the mountain.

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Before you read Exodus 25

Coming from

Exodus 24 ends with Moses entering the cloud on Sinai for forty days and nights to receive God’s commands.

In this chapter

The covenant God now provides a sanctuary pattern centered on his dwelling among Israel and carefully specified holy furnishings.

Leads into

Exodus 26 continues with the curtains, coverings, boards, veil, and spatial structure of the tabernacle itself.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

The sanctuary begins with willing offerings, not forced contributions from unwilling hearts.

Truth 2

The purpose of the tabernacle is God dwelling among his redeemed covenant people.

Truth 3

The ark contains the testimony and is covered by the mercy seat, placing covenant revelation and atoning-access imagery at the center.

Truth 4

The table and lampstand belong to the ordered holy space of God’s dwelling.

Truth 5

Moses must follow the revealed pattern rather than design worship according to personal creativity.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Hebrews 8:5 explicitly cites the command to make the sanctuary according to the pattern shown in the mount.

Connection 2

Hebrews 9 discusses the tabernacle furnishings and their role in old-covenant worship.

Connection 3

John 1:14 uses dwelling/tabernacle imagery when describing the Word made flesh dwelling among us.

Connection 4

Revelation closes with God dwelling with redeemed people and contains throne, lampstand, and temple imagery that resonates with Exodus.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The furnishings have theological significance, but interpretations should begin with what Scripture itself later says rather than assigning invented meanings to every measurement or material.

Keep this clear 2

The tabernacle is not a human attempt to contain God; it is a sanctuary God himself commands as the place of covenant presence among Israel.

Keep this clear 3

The command to follow the pattern limits worship innovation in this covenant setting.

Keep this clear 4

Christian application should be guided by Hebrews and other inspired New Testament interpretation rather than speculative tabernacle symbolism.

Read Exodus 25 watching for…

The phrase “that I may dwell among them.”

The willing-heart offering.

The ark, testimony, mercy seat, and cherubims.

The table and golden lampstand.

The repeated command to follow the heavenly pattern.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-9Israel is invited to bring an offering for the sanctuary 10-22Instructions for the ark and mercy seat 23-30Instructions for the table of shewbread 31-40Instructions for the candlestick

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

STUDY THIS VERSE

Exodus 25:40

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