Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Exodus 28:31-43 NKJV

³¹ “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. ³² There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. ³³ And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: ³⁴ a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. ³⁵ And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

³⁶ “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

³⁷ And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. ³⁸ So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

³⁹ “You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

⁴⁰ “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty. ⁴¹ So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. ⁴² And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs. ⁴³ They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

A divine connection exists between the priestly garments and the tabernacle, both being from the Lord. The ephod (v 6), breastplate (v15), robe (v 31), turban (v 37), and the plate of pure gold (v 36) were made with the same materials used for the tabernacle (Ex. 26:1), inner veil (26:31), outer veil (26:36), and court veil (26:16). The attire of the priests had a direct association with the holy presence of the Lord.

Something very comforting to keep in mind when being drawn by God’s Gospel to partake of what He has to give in His beloved Divine Service is that from the very beginning of the Service — the Invocation (or calling down) of God’s name among us — we are, ever-importantly, being reminded of how we are to approach the One, true, and holy Lord. Namely, it is only by God’s doing through Holy baptism.

Hear how Valerious Herberger (a Lutheran theologian from the late 16th & early 17th centuries) draws out a deeper understanding of the garments given to us by God:

“Aaron had many beautiful, holy, and glorious garments. Only the garments of Your innocence cover and around me in the sight of Your heavenly Father. “You are clothed with majesty” (Ps. 93:1). You clothe us with the lambskins of Your merit (Gen. 3:21), that is, the garments of majesty, as they are called in the Chaldean Bible. Oh, divide Your clock with me, Lord Jesus, as St. Martin did with the poor man! “You are rich unto all who call upon You” (Rom. 10:12). Give me also the true, spiritual Sunday clothes and solemn garments, as Samson did his wedding guests (Judg. 14:19). I only have unclean, filthy garments. I confess the clock of my sins. You, however, have holy and majestic garments. I will take off the ugly coat of my sins. Cover me in Your beautiful garments; for You can cover and preserve every repentant heart unto eternal life. (The Great Works of God, Trans. Carver, pg. 465-6, Emmanuel Press)

Let us pray: O Lord, praise to You for perfectly covering us with Christ’s righteousness not just for Your divine service of us, but throughout our life within this new year. Amen.

Exodus 28:15-30 NKJV

28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. ³ So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. ⁴ And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

⁵ “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, ⁶ and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. ⁷ It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. ⁸ And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

⁹ “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. ¹¹ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. ¹² And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. ¹³ You shall also make settings of gold, ¹⁴ and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

Such an intricate design, at the instruction of God — the breastplate, with its 12 specific stones, was meant not for God to remember, but for His chosen nation to never forget their heritage. God could not forget His covenant with His people. In His “remembrance of them” (so to speak), He actively works to keep His promise to protect and save them. There is no stronger protection and salvation than that which comes through the Word of the Lord, which ever-points to Christ! The Israelites lineage would produce the world’s Messiah, Jesus. It’s all at God’s doing, for He formed the nation of Israel for Himself, so that they might proclaim His praise (Is. 43:21) and lead other people to the Lord.

Just as the yesterday’s devotion revealed a right understanding of vestments reflecting (or conveying) a purposeful meaning, that same understanding continues in today’s reading. The breastplate with its 12 precious stones is purposefully meant to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Yes, they were God’s chosen children. But, as said above, they were meant to produce the world’s Messiah — they were not meant to lose that focus and praise their own bloodline. In doing so, their trust would be false and wrong, making themselves an idol and breaking the very first Commandment. The breastplate was positioned over the heart for a reason.

Take note of the location of trust & belief as Luther states: “What does it mean to have a god? Or what is God? Answer: A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart. I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust is right, then your god is also true. If your trust is false and wrong, then you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God (Heb. 11:6). Whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in is truly your god.” (LC 11-3)

Let us pray: O Lord, set our hearts ever-on You. Amen.

Exodus 28:1-14 NKJV

28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. ³ So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. ⁴ And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

⁵ “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, ⁶ and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. ⁷ It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. ⁸ And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

⁹ “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. ¹¹ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. ¹² And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. ¹³ You shall also make settings of gold, ¹⁴ and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

Within confessional Lutheran congregations, men that hold the Office of the Holy Ministry — which Christ instituted — can be seen wearing what are called liturgical vestments (i.e. Cassock, Surplus, Alb, Chasuble, & Stole). It is always said that these vestments fall under the area of adiaphora (that’s a Greek work that means “indifference”). In other words, God’s Word neither commands, nor forbids, the wearing of such vestments for New Testament pastors rightly Called into Christ’s ministry.

When it comes to carrying out the liturgy of ‘God’s Divine Service,’ it’s ever-important to remember why confessional Lutherans give it ‘that name’ — because it’s confessed as being just that, God’s Divine Service! Even though the structure of the liturgy was put together by man, it is meant to reflect and convey not only the truth of God’s Word but His very presence as He works through His Word and Word-empowered Sacraments.

On that basis alone one should, at the very least, understand why God’s Divine Service would have a sense of reverence to it. With God being represented, why wouldn’t His Service convey the finest of materials? All persons should remember this, lest through reckless behavior, they cause reverence to be forgotten during His Divine Service!

Yet, look at what’s happened? Those who claim a freedom of practice have, indeed, lost the reverence and have become reckless. They have thrown away the customary, permanent fixtures that, rightly understood, represent the orderliness and unchangingness of God (i.e. the lectern, the pulpit, and the centerpiece being the Altar). They’ve replaced them with band equipment, so that an entertaining ‘performance’ takes place.

Sadly, such practices only fix people on themselves and their emotions or enthusiasm. But who is it that confessional Lutheran parishioners are focused on when their pastors wear reverent vestments? Ans: Christ and the image of His holiness!

Let us pray: O Lord, keep us ever fixed upon You. Amen.

Psalm 73:1-14 NKJV

73 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
² But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
³ For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
⁵ They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
⁷ Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
¹¹ And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
¹² Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
¹³ Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.

While many of the psalms can be viewed as composed for public worship, Psalm 73 is one of those showing signs of a more personal origin, taking its rise in the intimate reflections of the pondering heart. This psalm reflects the same struggles in the conscious as Job and Habakkuk: “With God being almighty and just, why does so much injustice seem to prevail?”

Psalm 72 stands radically at odds with much of our present popular philosophy which has a basic sentiment of hope, expecting goodness and justice to prevail over evil and injustices. Many thinkers today, not viewing the universe in fixed (God-created) moral terms, would find no reason for surprise at the apparent prevalence of evil. For modern man, justice is only what a given culture determines justice to be. Thus, there is no way for injustice for prevail, for if a society approves or prefers a certain kind of behavior, then the latter conduct automatically becomes just. Can you sense the danger in that?

Psalm 73, however, identifies the world’s Creator and Author of the moral law, which then reveals how the prevalence of evil in the world is the stuff of crisis. First, the moral problem — the prosperity of the wicked, in contrast to the suffering of the just. Second, there’s the temptation to envy the wicked. Third, the believer becomes aware of being tempted. Forth, the believer takes stock of his thoughts by entering into a deeper presence of God. Fifth, the believer reflects on the judgments of God, who knows how to deal with the unjust, and will, on the Last Day. And finally, the believer commits his own destiny to God, who will never abandon him, ever-be with him, and, at the end, receive him into glory!

Let us pray: O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us. Amen.

Psalm 72:16-20 NKJV

¹⁶ There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷ His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
¹⁹ And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.

²⁰ The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

The Messiah’s kingdom will be unlike any earthly kingdom, but so that we might begin to understand its blessedness—and look forward to it all the more—the Lord describes His kingdom in earthly terms. Abundant grain, fruit waving like Lebanon, and those of the city flourishing like grass are pictures of prosperity and security. St. Paul says it another way in Romans 14:17 that reminds us that the Messiah’s kingdom is not of this world. He writes, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In this kingdom God richly and daily forgives the sins of believers and gives them His Son’s perfect righteousness. All who believe the gospel have peace with God which surpasses understanding. The Holy Spirit dwells in believers’ hearts by faith (Eph 3:17). Believers have the abundance of God’s blessings, though during this life we have them by faith.

Those who live in the Messiah’s kingdom of grace now, by faith, look forward to fully enjoying these blessings when Christ returns in glory. On that day He will bring them into eternal blessedness. The pictures of abundant grain, fruit waving like Lebanon, and those of the city flourishing like grass show us, in earthly terms, the blessings of everlasting life. But these are still only earthly images that encourage anticipation of the heavenly prosperity and security we will experience in His kingdom of glory. In this life we have sin in our flesh that daily attempts to lead us away from God’s word and faith. In this life we are surrounded by the effects of sin, so that in the very midst of life we are in death. But when Christ takes us into His eternal kingdom, these will be gone forever. There will be an abundance and security which we cannot begin to imagine while we are in this life. “As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Cor 2:9).

Let us pray: O LORD God, who alone does wondrous things, grant us persevering faith so that, remaining safely in Your kingdom of grace, we may enter Your kingdom of glory with its eternal abundance and security on the Last Day. Amen.

Exodus 27:1-21 NKJV

27 “You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide—the altar shall be square—and its height shall be three cubits. ² You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. ³ Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. ⁴ You shall make a grate for it, a network of bronze; and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. ⁵ You shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be midway up the altar. ⁶ And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. ⁷ The poles shall be put in the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar to bear it. ⁸ You shall make it hollow with boards; as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it.

⁹ “You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side. ¹⁰ And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be silver. ¹¹ Likewise along the length of the north side there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, with its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.

¹² “And along the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with their ten pillars and their ten sockets. ¹³ The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits. ¹⁴ The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. ¹⁵ And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets.

¹⁶ “For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. It shall have four pillars and four sockets. ¹⁷ All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze. ¹⁸ The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, made of fine woven linen, and its sockets of bronze. ¹⁹ All the utensils of the tabernacle for all its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

²⁰ “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. ²¹ In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.

The LORD continues to instruct Israel in how He is to be worshiped under the Old Testament, specifically with the bronze altar, the courtyard of the tabernacle, and the continual burning of the lamp in the Holy Place. The LORD also provides those in the New Testament period a picture of their life in the Church.

Upon entering the courtyard of the tabernacle, the first thing one would see is the bronze altar. The altar—as well as its position front and center—signifies the centrality of blood sacrifice for Israel. Their sacrifices atoned for their sins so they would be righteous according to the law and able to remain in the commonwealth of Israel. Their sacrifices—if accompanied by faith in the once-for-all sacrifice God would one day provide—would also justify them before God. This means every sacrifice offered for sins on this altar prefigured, and looked forward to, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.

The court of the tabernacle signifies the church and our life in it. Just as the altar was the focal point of the courtyard, so Christ’s sacrifice for our sins is the focal point for our life with God, for in His church God daily and richly forgives all our sins. With David, we can say, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand” (Ps 84:10). Just as those in the court of the tabernacle were separated from everyone outside, so the Christian is separated from the world. By faith in Christ’s sacrifice, we live in the world but are not of the world.

Finally, the Israelites were to supply oil for the lamp so that it would continually burn and give its light to the priests ministering in the Holy Place. Christians, dwelling in the courts of the Lord, receiving the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice by faith, are to be “the light of the world” (Matt 5:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we continually burn with zeal for good works, so that those who are of the world may see our good works and glorify God, and might desire to dwell in the courts of the LORD as well, and enjoy the benefits Jesus earned for all.

Let us pray: Grant, O Lord, that we may dwell in Your courts all the days of our life, focusing on Christ’s sacrifice for us as our lamps burn bright for all to see. Amen.

Exodus 26:15-37 NKJV

¹⁵ “And for the tabernacle you shall make the boards of acacia wood, standing upright. ¹⁶ Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the width of each board. ¹⁷ Two tenons shall be in each board for binding one to another. Thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle. ¹⁸ And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. ¹⁹ You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. ²⁰ And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there shall be twenty boards ²¹ and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards. ²² For the far side of the tabernacle, westward, you shall make six boards. ²³ And you shall also make two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle. ²⁴ They shall be coupled together at the bottom and they shall be coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus it shall be for both of them. They shall be for the two corners. ²⁵ So there shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver—sixteen sockets—two sockets under each of the boards.

²⁶ “And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, ²⁷ five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward. ²⁸ The middle bar shall pass through the midst of the boards from end to end. ²⁹ You shall overlay the boards with gold, make their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold. ³⁰ And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.

³¹ “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. ³² You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. ³³ And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy. ³⁴ You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy. ³⁵ You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.

³⁶ “You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. ³⁷ And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.

Even though the Lord is everywhere, He boxes Himself in, so to speak. The tabernacle is framed and covered. The Lord does not want Israel seeking Him anywhere except there, where He has promised to be found by them.

Even within the tabernacle the Lord is not readily accessible. The Lord commands Moses to make a veil that matches the curtains hanging over the tabernacle’s frame, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and with an artistic design of cherubim. This veil served as a boundary between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The Holy Place contained the showbread table, the candlestick, and the incense altar. The priest went in the Holy Place each day. The Most Holy Place, however, contained only the ark of the testimony. The priest only entered this place on the Day of Atonement each year. Even though the Lord only wanted to be found by Israel in the tabernacle, He also made it clear that Israel could only come to Him through the mediation of the High Priest, who brought the blood of sacrifice with him to make atonement for Israel’s sins.

Since the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, Jesus is the dwelling of God with man. Christ Jesus is the place—or rather the person—where we are to seek God for forgiveness, righteousness, and holiness. Although God is everywhere, He promises to be found only in the person of His Son. Just as Israel sought God, His mercy, and His holiness in the tabernacle, sinners find in Jesus a merciful God who forgives sins and gives holiness to those who believe His death atoned for their sins. His death tore the veil from the top to bottom (Matt 27:51). This signified that all who believe in Him may approach God directly because Christ has made full atonement for their sins by His blood. Because Christ has torn the veil in two by His death, we can come before God the Father in boldness, confidently praying for everything we need, fully assured that He will grant it to us for Jesus’ sake.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, grant us confidence to seek You in Jesus, where You have promised to graciously meet us to forgive our sins, give us Your holiness, and strengthen us to live holy lives according to Your word. Amen.

  Exodus 26:1-14 NKJV

26 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. ² The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. And every one of the curtains shall have the same measurements. ³ Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. ⁴ And you shall make loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set, and likewise you shall do on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. ⁵ Fifty loops you shall make in the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is on the end of the second set, that the loops may be clasped to one another. ⁶ And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, so that it may be one tabernacle.

⁷ “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains. ⁸ The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; and the eleven curtains shall all have the same measurements. ⁹ And you shall couple five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the forefront of the tent. ¹⁰ You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain of the second set. ¹¹ And you shall make fifty bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. ¹² The remnant that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. ¹³ And a cubit on one side and a cubit on the other side, of what remains of the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and on that side, to cover it.

¹⁴ “You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that.

The Tabernacle—the place where God dwelt with Israel to meet with them—was not very pretty from the outside. The outermost layers consisted of “a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that” (14). Underneath the dyed ram’s skin covering was a curtain of goat hair, probably for waterproofing. Underneath the goatshair curtain were “ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread;with artistic designs of cherubim” (1). These beautiful curtains could only be seen from inside the Tabernacle. This reminds us not to judge things by their outward appearance.

Today we celebrate the birth of the eternal Son of God in human flesh. St. John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). The word translated “dwelt” comes from the word for tent/tabernacle. Jesus “tabernalces” among us. Just as Moses’ tabernacle did not have an outward beauty to it that would make us think it was the dwelling place of God with man, neither does our Lord Jesus Christ. He is born in lowly circumstances. During His ministry He will say, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air havenests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay Hishead” (Matt 8:20). Isaiah prophesied, “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Is 53:2). Instead, at His crucifixion He will be red with His own blood, similar in outward appearance to the tabernacle’s ram skins dyed red.

But from the inside—from what God has revealed in His Word—Christ’s poverty makes us rich. His lowliness atones for our presumption. His suffering and death reveal God’s grace and truth: that He wants all people be saved and come to repentance, so that they might dwell with Him in eternal joy, peace, and rest. Though He may not look like much to the eyes of the world, the eyes of faith see the most beautiful things—the grace and truth of God—in the lowliness of Christ.

Let us pray: Dear Father, grant us eyes to see the great beauty of Christ’s birth, lowliness, suffering, and death for our sakes, that we may always give You hearty thanks and praise. Amen.

Exodus 25:23-40 NKJV

After the ark, which resided in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle, Moses was commanded to make a table and a lampstand. These holy objects would reside in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. The table—made of the same lumber as the ark and overlaid with gold—was for the showbread, or “the Bread of the Presence,” since it was set in God’s presence in the Holy Place. The showbread consisted of twelve loaves of bread, one for each tribe of Israel. These loaves served as a perpetual offering to the Lord, not to eaten by the Lord, but by the priests on the Sabbath when new loaves were presented. The lampstand was for giving light to the Holy Place. Three branches came out of both sides of the lampstand so that the lampstand consisted of seven lights. These lamps were to burn and give light continually (Lev 24:2), even at night when the priest did not enter.

Like the Tabernacle and the Ark, these appointments signified the coming Christ and His ministry. Christ presented Himself as the bread of life. “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). We eat of Christ’s flesh when we believe His gospel. His forgiveness and the promise of everlasting life nourishes our souls. He also gives us His very flesh to eat in the bread of the Lord’s Supper, where believers eat Christ’s body and drink His blood sacramentally for the forgiveness of sins.

Christ also says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ illuminates our hearts and minds through His teaching. His light shows us our sins so that we repent them and believe His gospel. Walking in the light of Christ, “we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). His light also guides our steps so that we walk in the newness of life and willfully live according to God’s commandments.

Let us pray: We give You thanks, O Bread of Life and Light of the Word, for the nourishment and illumination You bring to us through Your gospel. Grant that we may ever feast on You and walk in Your light by faith. Amen.

Exodus 25:1-22 NKJV

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. ³ And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; ⁶ oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; ⁷ onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. ⁸ 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.

¹⁰ “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹ And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. ¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. ¹³ And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. ¹⁵ The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

¹⁷ “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. ¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. ²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Everything the Lord commands Israel to build for worship is a type or foreshadowing of Christ Jesus and His ministry. The Lord commanded Israel to build a tabernacle—a tent—so that He might dwell among His people in a specific place. This looked ahead to the incarnation of the Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). We will hear more about this in the days to come.

The focal point of the sanctuary was the ark of the testimony. The ark was a small box, about three and three quarters feet long and two and one quarter feet deep. It was to be overlaid with gold inside and out. Rings were installed on the sides so that the Levites could insert poles and make the ark mobile. Moses would put the testimony—the ten commandments—into the ark and make a lid to cover the ark. The lid was made of pure gold with two cherubim on top, facing towards each other and the lid. The golden lid was called the “mercy seat.” The word translated “mercy seat” means “covering,” and a “means of appeasing” or “propitiation.” God would speak with Moses from above the mercy seat (22). This was also the place where the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sin offering each year on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:14-15). The mercy seat was the place to which Israel looked for God’s mercy for their sins.

The mercy seat Moses was commanded to build for the ark was a foreshadowing of our Lord Jesus Christ as well. Christ is the “place” where God reveals Himself and His will to mankind. Not only that, but St. Paul writes in Romans 3:25 that God set forth Christ asa propitiation by His blood. Christ is the mercy seat because He is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). Christ’s sufferings and death appeased God’s wrath against us for our sins, so that all who place their trust in Him receive the forgiveness He earned by His blood. As Israel looked to the mercy seat, we look to Christ, the one whom the mercy seat of gold foreshadowed.

Let us pray: We give You thanks, heavenly Father, for setting Your Son forth as the propitiation for our sins against Your law. Grant us faith to flee to Christ as our mercy seat whenever our sins oppress us. Amen.