Studies

In Exodus 25:8, YHWH told Moses to have the children of Israel make a set-apart place so that He could dwell amount them. 

     And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 

He showed Moses how to go about making this portable sanctuary. First, they were to make a chest of acacia wood. This chest was to house the two stone tablets that contained the Ten Words YHWH had spoken to them from the mountain. 

Next, they were to make a table, upon which they were to store special bread—baked by the Kohathites every Sabbath to be before YHWH at all times. 

They were then instructed to make a golden lampstand, holding seven oil lamps to burn continually. After this, YHWH showed Moses how to have the people make a tent of linen, goat’s hair, dyes, acacia wood, and gold. 

Finally, they were to make a wooden altar, overlayed with copper, and copper utensils: pots, shovels, pails, hooks, and firepans. 

Surrounding this set-apart place where He would dwell among His people, He instructed Moses to have them designate a courtyard. 

For the entire duration of the Israelite’s sojourning in the desert, YHWH would meet with Moses from within this set-apart place. Specifically, He would speak with him from atop the chest—called the Ark of the Covenant. 

Exo. 25:22 

     And there I will meet with you, and I will commune with you from above the ark-cover, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony… 

This is consistent with what is further revealed in Exo. 30:6, 36; 29:42; Lev. 1:1; Num. 7:89; 17:14; 1 Sa. 4:4; 2 Sa. 6:2; 2 Ki. 19:15; Psa. 80:1; 99:1; & Isa. 37:16. 

Four hundred and eighteen years after the children of Israel encamped at the mountain, Solomon began to build a permanent structure to house the set-apart place and the ark of the covenant. 

1 Ki. 6:1 

     And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt,…Solomon…began to build the house of YHWH. 

From this time, until the Babylonian captivity, YHWH’s name and presence would dwell here. Foreseeing this captivity, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of a time when this would no longer be the case. 

Jer. 7:12, 14 

     But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 

     Therefore, will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.  

Exo. 25:16, 21 

     And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you. 

     And you shall place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark, you shall place the testimony, which I will give you. 

YHWH told Moses to have the people make a rectangular box out of acacia wood. The box was to measure approximately a yard long by two feet wide by two feet high. 

The box was to be gold plated, inside and out and had a lid to cover it, made of solid gold. On top of the lid were two cherubim, both center-facing and fashioned in pure gold. 

Inside this box, Moses was to place two stone tablets. These stone tablets, Scripture tells us, were called the “testimony”. Exo. 31:18 

     And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of the Mighty One. 

What YHWH had written on the stone tablets were the Ten Words He spoke in the presence of the entire nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. Exo. 34:28; Deu. 4:13; 5:22; 9:10 cf. Exo. 20:1-18. 

These ten “words of the covenant” (Exo. 34:18) made the stone tablets, on which they were inscribed, be referred to as the “tablets of the covenant” (Deu. 9:9, 11, 15). These tablets, in turn, made the box, in which they were placed, be referred to as the “ark of the covenant” (Num. 10:33; 14:44; Deu. 10:8, etc.).

However, Scripture also makes it clear that the Ten Words were not the entirety of the words of the covenant. Exo. 24:4, 7 

     And Moses wrote all the words of YHWH. 

     Then he took the book of the covenant and read in the hearing of the people. 

Forty years later, Moses added to this book additional instruction YHWH had taught His people along the way. This book also came to be known as the Book of the Teaching (Deu. 31:24, 6; 2 Ch. 34:14, 30). 

It must be noted that the Hebrew word Torah means instruction or teaching. 

YHWH later revealed through His prophet Jeremiah that His instruction would no longer be in some box (Jer. 3:16) but inside His people. Jer. 31:31, 33 

     Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that I will make a renewed covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 

     But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says YHWH, I will put my teaching in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. 

The covenant YHWH had previously made with Abraham (Gen. 17) was promised to be made new with the two houses (Jer. 31:31) becoming one (31:33). Instead of His instruction being written on hearts of stone, it was said that YHWH would write it on hearts of flesh. Jer. 31:33; Eze 36:26; 2 Co. 3:3. 

Instead of stone tablets representing the testimony (Exo. 25:16, 21; 31:18), YHWH’s people become His witness (Isa. 49:6; Act. 13:47). Instead of two stone tablets, there are two witnesses. 

After giving Moses righteous judgments to deliver to the judges and to the people, YHWH gave him the following instructions: 

• Give Him offerings from your harvests and olive oil, and your firstborn sons. Exo. 22:28 
• Give Him the firstborn of your livestock. 22:29  
• Do not eat the carcasses of animals found in the plains. 22:30 
• Do not pervert justice. 23:1-3, 6-8 
• Show favor to one’s enemy. 23:4-5  
• Again, do not oppress foreign residents. 23:9 cf. 22:20 
• Let the land rest every seventh year, so that the needy can glean it and eat. 23:10-11  
• Remember the Sabbath to benefit indentured servants and foreign residents. 23:12 
• Guard all His words and do not vocalize the names of false deities. 23:13. 

He then taught Moses about making pilgrimages three times a year—during the feast of unleavened bread in the first month, during the feast of harvest in the third month, and during the feast of ingathering in the seventh month. Exo. 23:14-17. 

Instructions are given about the Passover being slaughtered without leaven and not leaving any of its fat overnight. 23:18. 

YHWH then gave instructions to bring the best of the firstfuits to their harvest His house. He also forbids them from cooking a young goat in its mother’s milk. 23:19. 

He instructed Moses to tell His people to listen to His heavenly Messiah. Exo. 23:20-33. He also tells them to completely destroy the inhabitants of the Land because they will cause them to sin against Him.
After giving Moses these instructions, YHWH called Moses up to the base of the mountain along with Aaron, his sons, and seventy elders of the people. Here, they were to worship while Moses alone was called further up the mountain to approach YHWH. 24:1-2. 

Moses then came back down and delivered YHWH’s instructions to the people. Once again, they shouted in unison: “All the Words which YHWH has spoken we will do.” 

At this, Moses wrote down all the Words YHWH had spoken. Early the next morning, Moses built an altar at the mountain’s base and set up twelve stone pillars –to correspond to the twelve tribes. 24:4. 

Moses then sent some young men to slaughter bulls and goats for burnt offerings and peace offerings. 24:5. Moses then took half of the blood and put it in containers. The other half he sprinkled on the altar. 24:6.  

Next, Moses took the book of the covenant—containing the Ten Words (Exo. 20:1-14), the supplemental Words (Exo. 20:19-23), the Judgements (Exo. 21:1-22:27), and the Instructions (Exo. 22:28-23:33)—and read it aloud to the people. Exo. 24:7 cf. 24:4. 

For the third time, the people replied: “All that YHWH has spoken we will do, and we will listen.”  

At this, Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant which YHWH has made with you in the agreement with all these Words.” 

Sealing the covenant, Moses, Aaron, his two eldest sons, and the seventy elders then ate and drank with YHWH’s Messiah. Exo. 24:9-11. 

Exo. 22:27 

     You shall not mock a judge, nor curse a ruler of your people. 

Foreseeing a need to maintain order for the people, He established a legal code for the newly appointed judges to enforce. Called civil law, judicial law, or common law, this law was to govern the people with YHWH righteous judgment. 

The first matter of law concerned cases of male and female indentured servants. Exo. 21:1-11. 

• In cases where sons and daughters were sold by their fathers, the sons had the right to emancipation after seven years, while the daughters did not. 21:2, 7 
• If the daughter was rejected by the man who bought her, she had the right to be redeemed. 21:8 
• If the daughter was given to the son of the man who bought her, she was to be treated as his daughter-in-law, and not a slave. 21:9 
• If she became the buyer’s supplemental wife, she would have all the rights a wife would have. Otherwise, she has the right to emancipation. 21:10-21 

The second matter of law involved cases of manslaughter and murder. Exo. 21:12-15. 

• In the case of murder, the convicted party would be put to death. 21:12, 14 
• In the case of manslaughter, the guilty party would have to go to a designated place of sanctuary. 21:13 
• In cases where someone kills either of his parents—intentionally or otherwise, there would be no mercy given to that individual. They must be put to death. 21:15 

Further crimes are given the death penalty, including: 

• Kidnapping. 21:16 
• Cursing one’s parent. 21:17 

More judgments are given concerning various types of controversy, including: 

• Personal injury. 21:18-32 
• Injury of livestock. 21:33-36 
• Theft of livestock. 21:37-22:3 
• Injury to agricultural land. 22:4-5 
• Loss of personal property or livestock. 22:6-14 

In cases where a man finds a virgin, not betrothed to another, and sleeps with her, he must pay her father a dowry for her, regardless of if the father allows him to take her as his wife. Exo. 22:15-16. 

More death-worthy crimes are then given: 

• Black magic. 22:17 
• Bestiality. 22:18 
• Idolatry. 22:19 

Finally, protections are given for vulnerable people groups, including: 

• Foreign residents. 22:20 
• Widows and orphans. 22:21-23 
• The poor. 22:24-26 

Exo. 20:20  

     And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, for the Mighty One has come to test you, and that His fear may be before your faces –that you do not sin.” 

From Rephidim, the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp in front of the mountain where YHWH had appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Exo. 3:1-2, 12; 19:2. They would spend nearly a year at this location. Exo. 19:1; Num. 10:11. 

YHWH called Moses from the mountain and said to him, “Say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel: 

     ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and I brought you to Me. And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a set-apart nation.’” -Exo. 19:4-6. 

Next, Moses called the elders of the people and related to them these words. At this point, the people all answered in unison: 

     “Everything YHWH has said we will do.” 

At this, Moses returned to the Messager of YHWH on the mountain to relate their words. Exo. 19:7-8. YHWH told Moses that He will appear before them in a thick cloud to firmly establish their trust in him. Moses then told Him what the people had said. 

Next, YHWH told Moses to tell the people to sanctify themselves for the next two days and prepare themselves for His arrival on the third day. Exo. 19:10-11. This statement has dual application as the prophet Hoshea later tells the people of His return on the “third day”. Hos. 5:15-6:2. The washing of clothes can also be understood as accepting His redemption. Rev. 1:5; 5:9; 7:14. 

Three days after Moses delivered these words to the people, there came to be thunder and lightning and a thick cloud came over the mountain. At this time, a shofar was blasted so loud and powerful that the entire camp trembled. 

Moses then took the people to the foot of the mountain, which then began to violently shake. Fire descended from heaven and was so intense that the whole mountain was covered in smoke. The sound of the shofar got increasingly louder and Moses spoke with YHWH, who was in the midst of the fire. 

The Messenger of YHWH, who had previously spoken with Moses here from the midst of the burning bush, then delivered to him the words of the covenant—the Ten Words. Exo. 20:1-17; Deu. 4:11-13; Act. 7:38; Isa. 63:9; Exo. 19:4. 

The entire nation heard the Voice speaking with Moses and were terrified. They told Moses to speak to Him on their behalf so that they would not hear His Voice again and die from fright. Exo. 20:18-19. 

Moses then told the people not to be frightened. This display was so that the fear of YHWH would be with them and their descendants forever. This honor would lead them to obey Him.