God then came to the tabernacle itself starting with the curtains for the tent (v1-6). The tabernacle was a tent with a frame and coverings. It was to have ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple and scarlet thread. They were to have design of cherubim weaved into them. Each curtain was to be 28 cubits in length and 4 cubits wide. Five curtains were to be fastened together and the other five together. They were to make loops of blue yarn, fifty for each of the two combined curtains so that they could be fastened together and fifty clasps of gold to fasten them to make one tabernacle.
To go over the tabernacle they were to make curtains of goat’s hair (v 7-13). Goat’s hair is very coarse, dark and thick. Eleven curtains each thirty cubits in length and four cubits wide. Five coupled together and six coupled together. The sixth curtain was to be doubled over. Fifty loops and fifty bronze clasps were to be made to fasten the tent together as one. Note this was with bronze clasps and not gold. The goat’s hair covering was longer than the linen one, so the overhang was to be at the back of the tabernacle.
They were also to make a covering of ram skins died red and badger skins to cover that (v14). These would be water resistant and keep the whole place dry, but very dark.
We come to the infrastructure of the tabernacle (v15-30) and they were to make the upright boards out of acacia wood overlaid with gold, each board to cubits (15ft) in length and a cubit and a half (2ft 3in) in width. Each board to have two tenons so that they could be bound to each other, twenty boards for the north side and twenty for the south side. On the west side six boards with two corner boards making eight in all. Each board was to have two sockets of silver and coupled together at the bottom and at the top by one ring. Each board sat on two sockets of silver and a system of tenons or tabs with rings through which ran bars.
That dealt with three sides and fourth side was made up of a screen, woven of blue, purple and scarlet thread and fine woven linen. Five pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold with hooks of gold and five sockets of bronze for them (v36,37). This was the entrance to the tabernacle.
The silver foundations are said to represent redemption, pointing to Jesus Christ’s redeeming work and being betrayed for silver. The bars were also acacia wood overlaid with gold. The phrase – “And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain” comes three times in chapters 25 and 26 and indicates that God had shown Moses how the tabernacle was to look, and he was to keep exactly to the pattern.
Our pattern is laid down in God’s Word and failure to carry out His instructions in total obedience leads to failure and disappointment and disaster.
In verses 31-33 the instruction was to make a veil, woven of blue, purple and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, with an artistic design of cherubim. It was to be hung on four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. There were to be hooks of gold upon four sockets of silver. The veil was to be hung from clasps. The Ark of the Covenant was to be put behind the veil which would be the divider between the holy place and the Most Holy place. It separated the tent into two parts, the holy place, which was as one first entered, the larger room which contained the altar of incense, the table of showbread and the lamp stand. The Most Holy place was much smaller and only the High Priest could enter it once a year on the Day of Atonement.
You may remember that this veil was torn from top to bottom at the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:51). Jesus made full atonement for our sins, thus removing the barrier for us to approach God Himself. “With His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12) and now,
“…. brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, which is His flesh.” (Hebrews 10:19,20)
The mercy seat, which was actually the lid for the Ark of the Covenant, which was to be placed in the Most Holy place or The Holy of Holies. The table was to be placed outside the veil on the north side, and the lamp stand across from the table toward the south side (v34,35).
