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Tabernacle (Exod 25–31; 35–40). As noted above regarding the narrative of Exod 24, Moses—in the third account of his ascent up Mount Sinai—receives not a law code or covenant, but instructions for constructing the tabernacle, the ark, and the priestly vestments, which are detailed in chapters 25–31.
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Yahweh delivers to Moses the blueprints for the Tabernacle, where Yahweh will reside in the midst of the people.
These chapters contain Yahweh’s instructions (“Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying …,” Exod 25:1; 31:1, et al), while chapters 35–40 contain Moses’ relay of those instructions to “all the assembly/congregation of the Israelites” (Exod 35:1, 4) and their execution in the construction of the tabernacle. The second section duplicates much of what is said in the first, but the point is to demonstrate that “all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished and the Israelites did according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses, thus they did” (Exod 39:32, 42–43; 40:16).
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First, “from each person whose heart is stirred you shall take the contribution for me” (Exod 25:2), that is, the contribution of materials needed for the tabernacle’s construction. Among the items listed are gold and silver, purple yarns, and fine linen. One may wonder how fleeing refugees might have such property, but the exodus narrative notes that on the eve of their departure “they asked from the Egyptians vessels of silver and gold and clothing.… Thus they plundered the Egyptians” (Exod 12:35–36; cf. 3:21–22).
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The opening paragraph makes clear the significance of this structure and the origins of its blueprints: “And they shall make for me a sanctuary (lit. holy place) and I shall tent/dwell in their midst. According to all that I am about to show you of the plan of the tabernacle and the plan of all its implements, thus you shall make it” (Exod 25:8–9).
Fundamental to Yahweh’s plans for his newly liberated people is that he reside in their midst. And the necessary instrument for this spiritual reality will be a physical sanctuary that they construct. It is designated as a holy place because it will be marked, that is, set apart, by divine presence. It is noteworthy that while the tabernacle is wholly at Yahweh’s initiative and with his endorsement, the later temple—conceived by David and constructed by Solomon—does not bear the same endorsement. It is a joint project between Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre.
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Info Box: Blueprints for the Tabernacle and Patterns for the Priesthood (Exod 25–31; 35–40)
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25 Ark of the testimony (Exod 25:22, not “ark of the covenant,” Num 10:33; Deut 10:8), overlaid with gold (Exod 25:11), and overshadowed by the cherubim (Exod 25:20), from which Yahweh speaks and gives commands (contrast Exod 29:42–43)
Table for the “bread of the face/presence” (Exod 25:30)
Lampstand
26 Tabernacle, with cherubim woven into the curtains (Exod 26:1), and with the ark behind the veil separating the “holy place” from the “holy of holies” (Exod 26:33) (identified as “the tabernacle” in Exod 25:9–27:19 and thereafter as a “tent of meeting” in Exod 27:21–31:7)
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27 Horned altar of wood overlaid with bronze (Exod 27:1–2; contrast Exod 20:22–26)
Courtyard
Lamps
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28 Priestly garments (Exod 28:2), with 12 stones signifying the 12 tribes, as a regular memorial before Yahweh (Exod 28:21, 29)
29 Consecration of the priests: by anointing (Exod 29:7; cf. 28:41), by a sin offering of a bull (Exod 29:10–14), by a burnt offering of a ram (Exod 29:15–18), and by a wave offering of a second ram (Exod 29:19–28)—a seven-day ritual, each day of which a sin offering makes atonement for the altar in order to consecrate it (Exod 29:35–37; cf. 30:10) (the Tent of Meeting is sanctified by Yahweh’s “glory,” Exod 29:42–43)
30 Horned altar for incense (Exod 30:1–2)
Bronze basin four ritual cleansing (Exod 30:17–21)
Anointing oil (Exod 30:22–33)
Incense (Exod 30:34–38)
31 Bezalel and Oholiab (whose name means “tent of my father”) are to manufacture “all that I have commanded you,” Exod 31:2–6)
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Rounding off this section of priestly legislation is a separate passage about Sabbath observance (Exod 31:12–17, introduced by the formula, “and Yahweh said to Moses,” instead of the usual, “and Yahweh spoke to Moses,” Exod 25:1; 30:11, 17, 22; 31:1).
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The book of Exodus contains a third covenant, this one marked by Sabbath observance.
There are three covenants (berit) recorded in the book of Exodus: the first Sinai covenant (Exod 19:5; 24:7–8; cf. 34:28, usually attributed to E), the second covenant necessitated by the Golden Calf incident (Exod 34:10, 27, less complete and usually attributed to J), and the third covenant of Sabbath observance (Exod 31:16, attributed to either P or H). It serves as a twofold “sign,” first that Yahweh “sanctifies/consecrates” his people (Exod 31:13) and second that “in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh he ceased/rested and took a breather” (Exod 31:17; the same expression used of working animals and servants in Exod 23:12). According to this passage, Sabbath observance is to be one of the key markers identifying the people of God as distinct from other peoples. The seven-day sequence is explained by the creation account that begins the Bible in Genesis 1.
The punishment for the one who “defiles” the Sabbath is strangely twofold: capital punishment and excommunication. The expression denoting excommunication, “that soul shall be cut off from midst of her/his people,” appears exclusively in passages attributed to either the Priestly source (P) or the Holiness Code (H). Likewise, the only passages that prescribe a particular penalty for Sabbath violation, namely death, appear to be embedded in Priestly texts (Exod 31:14–15; 35:2; Num 15:32–36). Hence, the paragraph (Exod 35:1–3) introducing the second block of Tabernacle material (Exod 35–40) resumes attention on Sabbath observance (along with its violation is a capital crime) as a prerequisite for understanding how the work of constructing the tabernacle should proceed—namely that sacred time takes precedence over the construction of sacred space.
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Concluding this section and indeed the book of Exodus, is Yahweh’s endorsement of the “finished work” of the tabernacle/tent of meeting. “The cloud covered” it and “the glory of Yahweh filled” it, so that “Moses was unable to enter” it (Exod 40:34–35). In anticipation of the wilderness journeys, the narrator indicates that the Israelite’s movements followed the movements of “the cloud” (Exod 40:36–38).
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Canonical and Theological Contribution
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On the one hand, the book of Exodus presents us with wonderfully profound narrative themes: Yahweh liberates his people from bondage to Egypt (JEP narratives) and binds them to himself in covenant (Covenant Code, E), so he may tabernacle among them (P). It is a story line of liberation and belonging that has resonated with Jews and Christians and indeed with anyone who has faced alienation and dislocation. It is, in the very best sense, a truly human story.
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On the other hand, its apparent theology can strike horror and terror among insiders and outsiders alike. Although Yahweh liberates his people, there is considerable collateral damage. It is clearly Pharaoh who is stubborn, yet it is his people, his army, and most notably the firstborn children of Egypt who suffer pain and death. Even his own people repeatedly murmur and question his leadership and plans. Once they meet personally at Mount Sinai, he scares the life out of the Hebrews (literally!). And in the Golden Calf incident he seems intent to “finish them off.”
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So what is meant to be the takeaway from the book of Exodus? To answer this question we need to think more broadly than the book of Exodus. Both prior to its composition and after its reception as Scripture, there was and is the publication of this story line in the ritual and recital of Passover:
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You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children. When you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this observance. And when your children ask you, “What do you mean by this observance?’ you shall say, ‘It is the passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses” (Exod 12:24–26, NRSV)
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You shall tell your child on that day, “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt” (Exod 13:8).
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The principal means by which Israel is to “remember” (zakor, Exod 13:3) the Exodus is the Passover “memorial” (zikaron, Exod 12:14; 13:9). This sacred rite is intended to be observed and celebrated by insiders. The ritual and storyline of Passover is principally about their identity, not events. During its commemoration, focus is given to God’s liberating and choosing a people for himself. Pharaoh and his Egyptian forces are simply a foil and an antagonist to highlight the power and determination of God to set his people free. The Passover regulations repeatedly emphasize that “by a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt” (Exod 13:3, 9, 14, 16). Although an insider might feel hostility towards Egyptians as a result, the book of Deuteronomy later explicitly warns: “You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land” (Deut 23:7). Even the Israelites’ own murmuring, trembling, and the judgment on the rebellious is overshadowed by God’s benevolent persistence.
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Yet, now that this story is part of the Bible, which is read by the wider world, responsible readers must weigh it—critically and theologically—within the wider context of the biblical canon. Jews and Christians today should intentionally read the text “against the grain” by reading it as outsiders, in order to discern how the biblical text should be applied in contemporary living. For too long sacred texts have been employed to support alienation, abuse, and violence.
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