Exodus 38
Main Highlights
Bezalel constructs the altar of burnt offering, the bronze basin from the women's mirrors, and the hangings for the tabernacle courtyard. The chapter concludes with a detailed and precise inventory of the gold, silver, and bronze used in the construction of the sanctuary.
Key Verses
He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.— Exodus 38:1
He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.— Exodus 38:8
All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.— Exodus 38:24
Scholar Insight
“The inventory of the metals used in the tabernacle not only demonstrates the historical reality of the structure but also the immense devotion and sacrificial giving of the Israelites.” - Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus
Questions
What do we learn about God?
We learn that God requires precise obedience and values the willing offerings of His people. The detailed inventory shows God cares about exactly what is dedicated to Him, as the text carefully records "All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary" (Exodus 38:24).
How is Christ Connected?
Jesus is foreshadowed through the "altar of burnt offering" (Exodus 38:1). Just as sacrifices were made daily on this altar to atone for sin, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, offered once and for all on the cross to secure eternal redemption.
What Theology concept is taught?
The doctrines of Atonement and Sanctification are present. The altar points to the need for a blood sacrifice for sins, while the bronze basin made "from the mirrors of the ministering women" (Exodus 38:8) signifies the daily cleansing and sanctification required to approach God.
Do we see Law or Grace?
The Law required strict adherence to the pattern for the tabernacle and a ransom for life, seen in the "silver from those of the congregation who were recorded" (Exodus 38:25). Grace is seen in God providing a physical place of mediation and accepting the free-will offerings of His people to dwell among them.
Personal Application
We should respond with generous giving and a desire for purity. Just as the women surrendered their mirrors for the bronze basin "at the entrance of the tent of meeting" (Exodus 38:8), we should surrender our vanity and seek the spiritual cleansing God provides.
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