The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  23:19 not boil a young goat. Canaanite ritual, according to excavations at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), called for sacrificial kids to be boiled in milk, but the damaged Ugaritic text does not clearly specify mother’s milk. If it were so, then it is understandable that Israel was being prevented from copying pagan idolatrous ritualism. Another option suggests that the dead kid was being boiled in the very substance which had sustained its life; hence the prohibition. Until more archeological information comes to light, the specific religious or cultural reason remains as supposition.

  23:23 My Angel. Usually taken to be a reference to the Angel of Yahweh, who is distinguished from the Lord who talks about Him as another person. See note on 3:2. Yet, He is identified with Him by reason of His forgiving sin and the Lord’s name being in Him (v. 21). Neither Moses nor some other messenger or guide qualify for such descriptions. The key to victory in the upcoming takeover of the Land would not be Israel’s military skill but the presence of this Angel, who is the pre-incarnate Christ.

  23:24 sacred pillars. Stone markers of pagan shrines were absolutely intolerable once the Land had been taken from the tribes just mentioned in the previous verse.

  23:25, 26 Proper worship brought with it due rewards, not only good harvests and a good water supply, but also physical health, including fertility and safe pregnancies.

  23:28 hornets. This figurative expression of the panic-producing power of God parallels “My fear” (v. 27), which was the obvious effect of “My Angel” having been the advance guard to the conquest (v. 23). In anticipation of the conquest of their Land, Israel was being given another reminder that victory depended on God and not their own efforts alone. Fear and panic did play a strategic role in the victories in Transjordan and Canaan (Num. 22:3; Josh. 2:9, 11; 5:1; 9:24). An alternative non-figurative view is based upon the bee or wasp being a heraldic symbol of Egyptian pharaohs whose steady succession of military strikes into Canaan year after year God providentially used to weaken Canaan prior to the invasion by Israel.

  23:29, 30 The occupation would be a gradual but effective process taking longer than a year to accomplish, but ensuring full control of a land in good condition and not left desolate by a sweeping and destructive warfare. The reference to the multiplication of wild beasts if the land was desolated underscores the fertility of the land and its ability to support life.

  23:31 I will set your bounds. God gave both broad and more detailed geographic descriptions of the Land. Even limited demarcation of borders was sufficient to lay out the extent of their possession. It would extend from the Gulf of Aqabah to the Mediterranean and from the desert in the Negev to the river of the northern boundary.

  23:32 make no covenant. International diplomacy, with its parity or suzerainty treaties, was not an option open to Israel in dealing with the tribes living within the designated borders of the Promised Land (Deut. 7:1, 2). All these treaties were accompanied by the names of the nations’ gods, so it was fitting to deliver a charge not to make a treaty (covenant) with them, nor to serve their pagan gods. The situation with other nations outside the land being given to Israel was different (cf. Deut. 20:10–18).

  Exodus 24

  24:4 twelve pillars. Unlike pagan stone markers (23:24), these were built to represent the 12 tribes and were placed alongside the altar Moses had erected in preparation for a covenant ratification ceremony. They did not mark the worship site of a pagan deity.

  24:5 young men. Most probably a reference to firstborn children who officiated until the law appointed the Levites in their place.

  24:7 the Book of the Covenant. Civil, social, and religious laws were received by Moses on Mt. Sinai, orally presented (v. 3), then written down (v. 4), and read to the people. This Book contained not only this detailed enlargement of the Decalogue (20:22—23:33), but also the Ten Commandments themselves (20:1–17) and the preliminary abbreviated presentation of the treaty (19:3–6). See notes on 19:3–8; 20:3–17.

  24:8 sprinkled it on the people. By this act, Moses, in response to the positive acceptance and assertion of obedience by the people after hearing the Book of the Covenant read to them, officially sealed the treaty with blood; a not uncommon custom (cf. Gen. 15:9–13, 17). Half of the blood used had been sprinkled on the altar as part of the consecration ceremony. The representatives of Israel were thereby qualified to ascend the mountain and participate in the covenant meal with Yahweh (24:11; cf. Heb. 9:20).

  24:9, 11 they saw God. The representatives accompanying Moses up the mountain, as per God’s instructions, were privileged to have seen God without being consumed by His holiness. Precisely what they saw must remain a moot point and must stay within the description given, which focuses only on what was under His feet. This perhaps indicates that only a partial manifestation took place such as would occur before Moses (33:20), or that the elders, in the presence of divine majesty, beauty, and strength (cf. Ps. 96:6), did not dare raise their eyes above His footstool.

  24:10 paved work of sapphire stone. The description sounds like a comparison with lapis lazuli, an opaque blue precious stone much used in Mesopotamia and Egypt at that time.

  24:12 tablets of stone. For the first time, mention is made of what form the revelation of the law would take: tablets of stone. They were also called the “tablets of the Testimony” (31:18) and the “tablets of the covenant” (Deut. 9:9).

  24:14 Hur. See note on 17:10.

  24:16–18 This was the first (ending in 32:6) of two (40 days and 40 nights each) trips to Sinai (cf. 34:2–28). The awe-inspiring sight of God’s glory cloud, the Shekinah, resting on the mountain and into which Moses disappeared for 40 days and nights, impressed everyone with the singular importance of this event in Israel’s history. During these days Moses received all the instructions on the tabernacle and its furnishings and accoutrements (chaps. 25–31). The settling of the Shekinah upon the tabernacle at its completion impressed the Israelites with the singular importance of this structure in Israel’s worship of and relationship to Yahweh (40:34–38).

  Exodus 25

  25:1—40:38 The primary focus of attention in the closing chapters is upon the design and construction of the central place of worship for the nation. In preparation for occupation of their Land, they had been given a system of law to regulate individual and national life, to prevent exploitation of the poor and the stranger, and to safeguard against polytheism and idolatry. That these safeguards were needed was confirmed by the idolatrous golden calf incident (32:1–35). The very detailed and divinely given blueprint of the tabernacle removes all speculation about whether it has any comparison with, or was somehow derived from, the little portable sanctuaries belonging to various tribal deities. The origin of the tabernacle was found in God and delivered to Moses by special revelation (cf. 25:9, 40; 26:30; Heb. 8:5).

  25:2 an offering…willingly. Voluntarily and freely the people were given opportunity to personally contribute to the nation’s worship center from the list of 14 components and materials needed to build the tabernacle. One wonders how much of their contribution came originally from Egyptian homes and had been thrust into the hands of the Israelites right before the Exodus (cf. 12:35, 36). The people so responded with joy and enthusiasm that they finally had to be restrained from bringing any more gifts (35:21–29; 36:3–7). A similar response occurred centuries later, when King David requested gifts to build the temple (1 Chr. 29:1–9).

  25:4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread. These colors were produced by dying the thread: blue from a shellfish, purple from the secretion of a murex snail, and crimson from powdered eggs and bodies of certain worms, which attached themselves to holly plants. Deriving different colored dyes from different natural sources demonstrates a substantial degree of technical sophistication with textiles and fabrics. fine linen. Egypt had a reputation for excellence in producing finely twined linens.

  25:5 ram skins dyed red. With all the wool removed and then dyed, it resembled moroccan leather. acacia wood. A hard, durable, close-gra
ined, and aromatic desert wood avoided by wood-eating insects. It was considered good for cabinet making, and could also be found in sufficient quantities in the Sinai peninsula.

  25:6 spices. For the many years of Bible history, Arabia was highly respected for the variety of balsams she exported.

  25:7 onyx stones. Sometimes thought to be chrysoprase quartz, a product known to the Egyptians and with which Israel was no doubt familiar. The LXX translated it as beryl.

  25:8 I may dwell. The tabernacle, a noun derived from the verb “to dwell,” was an appropriate designation for that which was to be the place of God’s presence with His people. His presence would be between the cherubim and from there He would meet with Moses (v. 22).

  25:9 tabernacle. The Pentateuch records 5 different names for the tabernacle: 1) “sanctuary,” denoting a sacred place or set apart, i.e., holy, place; 2) “tent,” denoting a temporary or collapsible dwelling; 3) “tabernacle,” from “to dwell,” denoting the place of God’s presence (as well as other titles); 4) “tabernacle of the congregation, or meeting”; and 5) “tabernacle of the testimony.”

  25:11 pure gold. The technology of the day was sufficient to refine gold.

  25:16 the Testimony. This designation for the two tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments which were placed inside the ark explains why it was also called “the ark of the Testimony” (v. 22), and shows why it was appropriate to call the whole structure “the tabernacle” or “the Tent of the Testimony.” “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” (Josh. 3:11) and “the holy ark” (2 Chr. 35:3) were alternative designations.

  25:17 mercy seat. The lid or cover of the ark was the “mercy seat” or the place at which atonement took place. Between the Shekinah glory cloud above the ark and the tablets of law inside the ark was the blood-sprinkled cover. Blood from the sacrifices stood between God and the broken law of God!

  25:18 cherubim. Forged as one with the golden cover of the ark were two angelic beings rising up on each end and facing one another, their wings stretching up and over forming an arch. Cherubim, associated with the majestic glory and presence of God (cf. Ezek. 10:1–22), were appropriately woven into the tabernacle curtains and the veil for the Holy of Holies (26:1, 31), for this place was where God was present with His people. Scripture reveals them as the bearers of God’s throne (1 Sam. 4:4; Is. 37:16) and the guardians of the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:24).

  25:30 showbread. Each week a new batch of 12 loaves of bread was laid on a table on the N side of the Holy Place. The utensils for this table were also made of refined gold (v. 29). This “Bread of His Presence” was not set out in order to feed Israel’s God, unlike food placed in pagan shrines and temples, but to acknowledge that the 12 tribes were sustained constantly under the watchful eye and care of their Lord. The bread was eaten in the Holy Place each Sabbath by the priests on duty (Lev. 24:5–9). The showbread is understood to typify the Lord Jesus Christ as the Bread which came from heaven (John 6:32–35).

  25:31 lampstand. Situated opposite the table of showbread on the S side of the Holy Place stood an ornate lampstand, or menorah, patterned after a flowering almond tree. It provided light for the priests serving in the Holy Place. Care was taken, according to God’s instructions (27:20, 21; 30:7, 8; Lev. 24:1–4), to keep it well supplied with pure olive oil so that it would not be extinguished. The lampstand is seen as typifying the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the true Light which came into the world (John 1:6–9; 8:12).

  25:39 talent. Approximately 75 pounds.

  25:40 Cf. Heb. 8:5.

  Exodus 26

  26:1 ten curtains. The beauty of these curtains could be seen only from the inside, the thick outer protective covering of goats’ hair drapes, and ram and badger skins (v. 14) hiding them from the view of anyone except the priests who entered.

  Ex. 26:1

  The Plan of the Tabernacle

  26:7 eleven curtains. The extra length of the outer drapes doubled as a covering for the front and back of the tabernacle structure (vv. 9–13).

  26:15–29 The frame or trellis work, on which the curtains and outer coverings were draped also received precise instructions. The portability of the whole structure was obvious. Throughout the wilderness wanderings, it could be quickly dismantled and readied for transport, and just as rapidly re-erected.

  26:30 pattern. Again (cf. 25:40) the warning was sounded that the blueprint must be carefully followed. Nothing was to be left to human guesswork, no matter how skilled the craftsmen might have been.

  26:31–34 A veil, similar in design to the inner curtains (see note on 26:1), divided the tabernacle into the Holy Place and the Most Holy, or lit. the Holy of Holies.

  26:36 screen. Another curtain or veil, without the embroidered cherubim motif, was made to cover the entrance way into the Holy Place.

  Exodus 27

  27:1 altar. The largest piece of equipment, also known as the “altar of burnt offering” (Lev. 4:7, 10, 18), was situated in the courtyard of the tabernacle. It was covered, not in gold as the items inside the Holy Place, but in bronze. Like the other pieces of furniture and equipment, it was also built to be carried by poles (vv. 6, 7).

  27:3 All the altar’s utensils and accessories were also made of bronze, not gold.

  27:9 the court of the tabernacle. The dimensions of the rectangular courtyard space, bordered by curtains and poles around the tabernacle were also precisely given (vv. 9–19; 150 ft. by 75 ft.). The outer hangings were high enough, 5 cubits or 7.5 ft., to block all view of the interior of the courtyard (v. 18). Entry into the courtyard of God’s dwelling place was not gained just generally and freely from all quarters.

  27:16 gate of the court. The curtain forming the covering for the entrance way into the courtyard was colored differently from that which surrounded the oblong courtyard. Clearly there was only one way to enter this very special place where God had chosen to place the evidence of His dwelling with His people.

  27:20, 21 pure oil of pressed olives. The clear oil from crushed unripened olives granted almost a smoke-free light. The people were to provide the fuel to maintain the light needed by the High-Priest and his priestly staff in the Holy Place.

  Exodus 28

  28:1 minister to Me as priest. The 3-fold repetition of this phrase in the opening words about Aaron’s priestly wardrobe would appear to stress the importance of his role in the religious life of the nation. Aaron’s sons were part of the priesthood being set up. The Heb. text groups the sons in two pairs, the first pair being Nadab and Abihu, both of whom died because of wanton disregard of God’s instructions (Lev. 10:1, 2). Aaron and his descendants, as well as the tribe of Levi, were selected by God to be Israel’s priests—they did not appoint themselves to the position. The law clearly defined their duties for worship and the sacrifices in the tabernacle and for the individual worshiper and the nation’s covenantal relationship to God.

  28:2 for glory and for beauty. The garments were designed to exalt the office and function of the priesthood, vividly marking out Aaron as a special person playing a special mediatorial role—they were “holy” vestments. In the OT priestly system for the nation of Israel, such dress maintained the priest-laity distinction.

  28:3 gifted artisans. This was the first reference in God’s instructions to Moses that certain men would be especially empowered by Him to work skillfully on this construction project.

  28:5–13 ephod. Whenever Aaron entered the sanctuary, he carried with him on his shoulders the badge and the engraved stones that were representative of the 12 tribes.

  28:15–30 the breastplate of judgment. The 12 precious stones, each engraved with a tribe’s name, colorfully and ornately displayed Aaron’s representative role of intercession for the tribes before the Lord. The breastplate was to be securely fastened to the ephod so as not to come loose from it (v. 28 and 39:21). Thus, to speak of the ephod after this was done would be to speak of the whole ensemble.

  28:30 Urim and th
e Thummim. The etymological source of these two terms, as well as the material nature of the objects represented by them, cannot be established with any degree of finality. Clearly two separate objects were inserted into the breastplate and became thereby an essential part of the High-Priest’s official regalia. Aaron and his successors bore over their heart “the judgment of the children of Israel,” i.e., “judgment” in the sense of giving a verdict or decision. The passages in which the terms appear (Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65) and those which record inquiries of the Lord when a High-Priest with the ephod was present (Josh. 9:14; Judg. 1:1, 2; 20:18; 1 Sam. 10:22; 23:2, 4, 10–12; 1 Chr. 10:14) allow for the following conclusions: 1) that these two objects represented the right of the High-Priest to request guidance for the acknowledged leader who could not approach God directly, as Moses had done, but had to come via the God-ordained priestly structure, and 2) that the revelation then received gave specific direction for an immediate problem or crisis, and went beyond what could be associated with some sort of sacred lots providing merely a wordless “yes” and “no” response.

  28:31–35 robe. The priest’s outer garment.

  28:32 coat of mail. A flexible metal covering used by the Egyptians for protection in battle.