By Pastor Shana Wise
Exodus Chapters 25-40 are about the instructions for the Tabernacle and the building of it. There are also other stories about Moses and the Israelite's journey.
Week 9
Read Exodus Chapters 25-31
Exodus Chapter 25-27 Instructions for The Tabernacle
o Exodus 25:8-9 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it. God wants to be present with his people. Since he is a holy God, he needs a holy place to abide. Worship is a vital part of our lives and God doesn’t want his children to worship him in any kind of way. He sets the expectation of what he wants to happen in the place of worship. How do you worship God?
o Exodus 25:40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. God was very specific with the instructions for building the ark, the table, and the lampstand. It is important to follow the instructions of the Lord exactly as they are given. What is something God has told you to do? Did you do it your way or his? How did it turn out?
o Study the enclosed diagram of the tabernacle. Before this was constructed, the blueprint for it had to be written. Why is it important to get specific instructions from God before you start a major project?
o What else is being revealed from these passages of scripture?
Exodus Chapter 28-29 The Priest Clothing and Their Dedication
o Read and study the enclosed diagram for the priest's clothing.
o Only the Levities could serve as priests. Aaron and his sons were the first priests to serve in the Tabernacle and only his descendants could serve in the future. God set up the priesthood for the Tabernacle because he needed to teach the children of Israel how to worship Him. Priests served as ministers to the people, they were the only ones allowed in the Tabernacle.
o The priest's duties in the temple were daily sacrifices, upkeep of the Tabernacle, and counseling people in the way of God. The priest represented God and they had to live a life dedicated to him.
o For details about the priest’s garments go to https://www.thetorah.com/article/garments-of-the-high-priest-anthropomorphism-in-the-worship-of-god.
o Christians no longer need priests because of what Jesus did on the cross. Yet what they did for the children of Israel is not irrelevant to us, because they teach us how we should come into God’s presence. We must reverence Him as holy, just, and righteous.
o Exodus 28:36 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. This scripture means to be set apart for God’s use. How are we set apart for God’s use through his son Jesus Christ?
o Exodus chapter 29 details the ceremony of Aaron and his sons being dedicated to serving as priests. In what ways have you dedicated yourself to the Lord?
o Exodus 29:45-46 I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. God delivered his children so that they could worship him. Worship leads to relationship and fellowship with God. God loves us so much that He does not want to be without us. It is His desire to dwell amongst His people.
Exodus Chapters 30-31 More Instructions for the Tabernacle and the Sabbath
o Exodus chapter 30 gives more details concerning the priest's responsibility in the Tabernacle as it relates to the incense altar, money, washbasin, the anointing oil, and the incense. The incense, anointing oil, and washbasin would play a role in the ceremony of The Day of Atonement, which the priest had to do once a year in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Read Leviticus chapter 16 for more details about The Day of Atonement.
o When we worship God, it’s like a sweet fragrance to his nostrils. The next time you worship God make sure, like the priest, you are doing what is pleasing to Him.
o Exodus 31:1-6 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. 6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: God gives people special abilities to get his will to accomplish in the earth. These men were artisans, and they used their gifts to glorify God. What gifts has God given you? Are you using them to glorify God and bless his people? What else can we learn from this passage of scripture?
o Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
o Exodus 31: 15-17 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
o The Sabbath day is important to the Lord, and it should be important to us as well. God did not create us to work every day seven days a week. God himself rested and He expects us to rest too. Many people go to church on Sunday or Saturday and are still not getting their rest on these days. God wants us to be able to break away from our daily activities and rest. God knows that working constantly and not resting in not good for our physical and spiritual beings. What do you do on your Sabbaths? How can you incorporate more rest on these days?
o Exodus 31:18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. The God we serve is a supernatural God! What are some supernatural things that you have experienced with God?
Week 10
Read Exodus Chapters 32-34
Exodus Chapters 32-33 The Golden Calf, Moses’ Intercession, Moses See’s the Lord’s Glory
o During this time, Moses was at the top of the mountain getting instructions from the Lord. The children of Israel thought that he was gone for too long and they reverted backwards. Exodus 32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” After all that God had done for them, this is what they chose to do. We cannot judge them because we often time do the same thing through our actions.
o In Exodus 32:2-5 Aaron gave into the people, even encouraging them to disobey God by building a golden calf and an altar to worship it. In Exodus 32:6 the people made offerings at the altar and did ungodly practices afterwards.
o The Israelites did what was familiar to them in Egypt. They reverted to what was comfortable and fleshly when they thought Moses had abandoned them.
o A false god is anything that competes for your attention with the True and Living God. It can be an object, people, ideology, doctrine, and so on. Idol worship is when you worship these things over God. We have the choice to indulge in idol worship or not. Do you have anything competing with your time, worship, and relationship with God (idols)?
o In Exodus 32:7-14 God knew what the children of Israel were doing, and he was going to punish (destroy) them, Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites and God withdrew his threat. Moses reminded God of his word in Exodus 32: 13, and that what we must do when we are interceding and praying for others. When was the last time you prayed for someone else who was in sin?
o In Exodus 32:15-29 Moses and Joshua came down from the mountain and he responded to the children and their idol worship. He broke the tablets. He confronted Aaron about his actions. Moses and the Levites ended up killing 3,000 Israelites because of what happened that day. In Exodus 32:29 Moses reaffirms the Levites' position in the service of the Lord.
o Read Exodus 32:30-35. What else can we learn about the nature and character of God? What more can we learn about the power of prayer and intercession?
o What other lessons can we learn from this passage of scripture as it relates to how God felt about idol worship, about how Aaron and Moses responded to the people, and the children of Israel and their response to Moses being gone for a period?
o Read Exodus 33:7-11. What can we learn about the Tent of Meeting? What is different about that meeting and the way we meet God now?
o Exodus 33:12-14 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Moses asked God a personal question and God responded with a personal answer. Has this ever happened to you? Do you need a specific personal word from God? Meditate and believe Jerimiah 29: 12, Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
o Exodus 15-33 continues with Moses’ request to God. Moses wanted to see God’s glory and he did! Is that your desire? Do you want to see the glory of God? Continue to walk in fellowship with Him and he will show you great and mighty things!
Chapter 34 The Covenant’s New Copy
o Read Exodus 34:1-11. God gave Moses specific instructions again. He reaffirmed his commitment to Moses and the children of Israel.
o Exodus 34:5-7 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” What comes to mind when you read this scripture?
o Exodus 34:12-27 detailed the covenant agreement between God and his children. What can we learn from the terms of the agreement?
o Exodus 28-35 explains how Moses came back down from the mountain and gave the children the instructions of the Lord again. Moses’ face was shining so bright from being in the presence of the Lord that it scared the people. He wore a veil over his face when he was around the people and took it off when he was in the presence of God. What is the significance of this?
Week 11
Read Exodus 35-37
Exodus Chapter 35-37 Building the Tabernacle
o It was time for the Tabernacle to be constructed. Moses asked all the children to donate to this effort. The children of Israel left Eygpt with many valuable things given to them by the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35-36) and these things were to be used for the Tabernacle.
o Exodus 35:20-21 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.
o Exodus 35:29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
o Amazing things can take place when a community comes together for a common cause. Notice the people who gave were willing to give. When we are willing to support efforts for the sake of God, we will be blessed.
o Why is it important for us to give to the Lord from our hearts? Why is it important to support your local church and the body of Christ?
o Read Exodus 36:1-7. The children of Israel gave so much that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. The Israelites had an overflow of blessings from God. We too are blessed and we should always be willing to give. When we give from our hearts, God will turn around and bless us with more. We are blessed to be a blessing to others.
o The craftsmen constructed the Tabernacle just as the Lord had instructed them to. When we follow God’s exact directions we are obeying and trusting His Word. Has God ever told you to do something that required you to put in a lot of work, time, and effort? Have you done it? What were the results?
Week 12
Read Exodus 38-40
Exodus Chapter 38-39 Building of the Tabernacle and the Priest Garments
o Exodus chapter 38 continues with the construction of the Tabernacle and an account of the inventory that it took to construct it. When you look back at some of the major projects that were accomplished in your personal life, church, and community how do you see the working of God in it?
o Exodus 39:1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses. We see the underlined statement echoed in the following verses of this chapter concerning different parts of the priest's garments. What can we learn from this? How much more different with our lives be if we did things exactly as the lord commanded?
o Exodus 39:42-43 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them. Once again, we see that we are blessed when we participate in Kingdom efforts. What more can you do to help support the work of God?
Exodus Chapter 40 The Tabernacle is Completed and The Lord’s Glory Fills It
o In Exodus 40:1-33 God told Moses to set up the Tabernacle as He had instructed, and Moses did so. Have you ever completed a big project? If so, how did you feel once it was completed? What other projects does the Lord have for you to do?
o Exodus 40:34-38 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
o Have you ever been in a room or place and the presence of the Lord was there? What was that experience like?
o What do you think the cloud of the Lord looks like? What does it represent?
o What else can we learn from this passage of scripture?
All Images from the Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines. They are used for bible study purposes only, not for resale
About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor who founded and oversees Wise Choice Ministries with her husband Pastor Ron Wise. She is also the CEO and founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network. Dr. Wise is the author of Women’s Devotionals Acts of Intercession and Chief Women Arise, The Impact of Your Election, and the Basic Ministry Training Manual (all available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives, and demonstrate it through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist who appears on social media outlets. Shana is married and has four children.
For speaking engagements email: wisechoiceministries512@gmail.com.
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Basic Ministry Training Manual
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