TODAY’S MESSAGE

Exodus 25:1-22 The LORD’s Communion

After Moses sprinkled the altar with the blood of the sacrifice, he read to the people the Book of the Covenant that was given to him by YeHoVaH, then he sprinkled the blood of the covenant on the people. Afterwards, Moses once again ascended up the mountain of YeHoVaH to receive further instructions. 

Father had summoned Moses to come up the mountain to receive the Tables of Stone, a Law, and Commandments which He had written. These three items were for Moses to teach to the people of Israel and those who had joined themselves with them. For forty days and nights, Moses communed with YeHoVaH. Contrary to popular belief, Moses received much more than two Tables of Stone during his forty days and nights of meeting with YeHoVaH!

The modern idea of communion was conceptualized by the Catholic Church and passed down to the Protestant church.

The concept of communion is believed to have been born in the Greek New Testament at the last supper or evening meal Yeshua shared with His disciples before His crucifixion.

The Biblical concept of communion is not Greek but Hebrew.

YeHoVaH’s will and the will of the people:

YeHoVaH made His will known to the people in Exodus 19.

Ex 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 

Ex 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Ex 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

Ex 19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. 

Ex 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

The people made their will known in Exodus 20.  

Ex 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Speak – 01696 דִּבֵּר dabar {daw-bar'} 

Meaning:  1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight 

Usage:  AV - speak 840, say 118, talk 46, promise 31, tell 25, commune 20, pronounce 14, utter 7, command 4 misc 38; 1143

The relationship between YeHoVaH and His people became complicated when they said they did not want YeHoVaH speaking to them.

The people did not want to commune with YeHoVaH, but instead decided they would commune with Moses.

Ex 25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Spake – 01696 דִּבֵּר dabar {daw-bar'} 

Meaning:  1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight 

Usage:  AV - speak 840, say 118, talk 46, promise 31, tell 25, commune 20, pronounce 14, utter 7, command 4 misc 38; 1143

There can be no communion, without communication.

A Freewill Offering

Ex 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 

These were General Instructions

Specifics for the Offering: “What?”

Ex 25:3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 

These articles would have come from the Egyptians. 

Ex 11:2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

Ex 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,  

Ex 25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 

Ex 25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, shittim wood, (HNV)

Ex 25:5 ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; (NIV)

Ex 25:5 Rams’ skins tanned red, goatskins, dolphin or porpoise skins, acacia wood,(AMP)

EX 25:5 rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, (NASB)

Ex 25:5 and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood, (ASB)

Ex 25:5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; (NLT) 

The blue and scarlet are derived from a worm and a shellfish. Both were considered unclean and not to be eaten.

 The badger skin is called a sea cow or dugong in other translations.

Badger – 08476 תַּחַשׁ tachash {takh'-ash} 

Meaning:  1) a kind of leather, skin, or animal hide 1a) perhaps the animal yielding the skin 1a1) perhaps the badger or dugong, dolphin, or sheep 

Usage:  AV - badger 14; 14

Blue – 08504 תְּכֵלֶת tekeleth {tek-ay'-leth} 

Meaning:  1) violet, violet stuff 1a) violet thread 1b) violet stuff or fabric 2) (TWOT) blue (covering spectrum from brilliant red through deep purple) 

Usage:  AV - blue 50; 50

Scarlet – 08438 תּוֹלָע  towla` {to-law'} and (fem) תּוֹלֵעָה towle`ah {to-lay-aw'} or towla`ath {to-lah'-ath}; or tola`ath {to-lah'-ath} 

Meaning:  1) worm, scarlet stuff, crimson 1a) worm - the female 'coccus ilicis' 1b) scarlet stuff, crimson, scarlet 1b1) the dye made from the dried body of the female of the worm "coccus ilicis" 2) worm, maggot 2a) worm, grub 2b) the worm "coccus ilicis" 

The first time this word is used in Scripture was during the giving of the manna.

Ex 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

Fine linen

Goats’ hair- Cashmere

Ex 25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 

Ex 25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

• Precious metals

• Gold, silver, brass

• Blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair

• Rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, shittim wood

• Oil, Spice

• Onyx stones and stones.

All of these items would have been native to the area they sojourned and lived in.  

Ex 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 

Just as YeHoVaH wanted to meet with the people, He wanted to dwell in the midst of them. He wanted to be there for them and with them!

Specific Instructions: “How?”

The pattern was given to Moses to construct the Tabernacle.

Ex 25:9 According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 

Pattern – 08403 תַּבְנִית tabniyth {tab-neeth'} 

Meaning:  1) pattern, plan, form, construction, figure 1a) construction, structure 1a1) meaning dubious 1b) pattern 1c) figure, image (of idols) 

Origin:  from 01129; TWOT - 255d; n f

Usage:  AV - pattern 9, likeness 5, form 3, similitude 2, figure 1; 20

Moses did not develop the pattern for the Tabernacle. The pattern was given to him by YeHoVaH.

Ex 25:10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 

Shittim – 07848 שִׁטָּה shittah {shit-taw'} fem. of a derivative ] שִׁטִּיםonly in the pl.[ shittiym {shit-teem'} 

Meaning:  1) acacia tree, acacia wood 

Usage:  AV - shittim 27, shittah tree 1; 28

Specific Instructions: “They?”

They were Bezaleel, Aholiab, (Exodus 36:1 KJV) and others.

Ex 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 

Ex 25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 

Ex 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 

at shall the faces of the cherubims be. 

Ex 25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 

Ex 25:15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 

Ex 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 

Ex 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 

Ex 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 

Ex 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 

Ex 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

Ex 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.  

Ex 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Other places communion is found:

Ge 34:6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him. 

1Sa 18:22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law. 

1Sa 19:3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. 

Job 4:2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? 

YeHoVaH met with Moses in the Tabernacle before the ark.