UNROLL
Inside a dim workshop tent at dawn, the finished priestly garments laid out on clean white linen in the lower part of the frame: the blue robe with its hem of pomegranates and gold bells, the gold-worked ephod folded beside it, and folded white linen tunics.

The Book of

Exodus 39

The garments are finished, the work is carried to Moses, and everything is just as God said.

43 verses≈ 7 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–6Slaves in EgyptOppression and a deliverer
  2. 7–13The plaguesThe LORD against Pharaoh
  3. 14–18Through the seaRescued and led
  4. 19–24At SinaiThe covenant and the law
  5. 25–31A place to dwellThe tabernacle planned
  6. 32–40Broken and renewedThe calf, mercy, the gloryChapter 39

The Ephod

From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

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The Breastpiece

The square breastpiece of gold-worked linen lying on dark cloth, twelve different gemstones set in gold in four rows of three, gold rings at its corners and braided gold chains.

What they made

The breastpiece

  1. Weaving

    The same work as the ephod

    He made the breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod, with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

  2. Size

    A span square, folded double

    It was square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.

  3. First row

    Ruby, topaz, emerald

    And they mounted on it four rows of gemstones:

    The first row had a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald;

  4. Second row

    Turquoise, sapphire, diamond

    the second row had a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

  5. Third row

    Jacinth, agate, amethyst

    the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

  6. Fourth row

    Beryl, onyx, jasper

    and the fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.

  7. Set in gold filigree

    These stones were mounted in gold filigree settings.

  8. Tribes

    Twelve stones, twelve names

    The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone was engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

  9. Fastening

    Gold chains to the shoulders

    For the breastpiece they made braided chains like cords of pure gold. They also made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the two rings to the two corners of the breastpiece. Then they fastened the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece, and they fastened the other ends of the two chains to the two filigree settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

  10. Tied with a blue cord

    They made two more gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.

    They made two additional gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near the seam just above its woven waistband. Then they tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the waistband of the ephod and would not swing out from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Reflect

Down to the last cord

Seven times, as the priests’ garments are made, the work ends the same way: “just as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Not most of it, not the parts they liked; down to “a cord of blue yarn.” Not long before, these same people had made a calf of gold. Where has God been clear with you, and where are you tempted to obey only in part? Write down one small thing you could do this week exactly as He says.

Additional Priestly Garments

They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, the work of a weaver, with an opening in the center of the robe like that of a garment, with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear.

They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely spun linen on the lower hem of the robe. They also made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates, alternating the bells and pomegranates around the lower hem of the robe to be worn for ministry, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, as well as the turban of fine linen, the ornate headbands and undergarments of finely spun linen, and the sash of finely spun linen, embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

They also made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and they engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

Then they fastened to it a blue cord to mount it on the turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Question

Quick question

The last piece made for Aaron was a small plate of pure gold, tied to his turban.

What was engraved on the gold plate?

Moses Approves the Work

So all the work for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

So all the work for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed.

Exodus 39:32

At morning in the desert camp, a line of workmen carries finished pieces toward a plain tent: gold-covered planks on their shoulders, bundles of folded colored linen, a bronze basin between two men, and the ark under a cloth on its poles.

As the LORD commanded

Brought to Moses

  1. The tent

    The tent and its frames

    Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses:

    the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, and its posts and bases;

  2. The coverings and the veil

    the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering;

  3. Most Holy Place

    The ark and the mercy seat

    the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the mercy seat;

  4. Holy Place

    The table and the bread

    the table with all its utensils and the Bread of the Presence;

  5. The lampstand and its oil

    the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light;

  6. Gold altar, oil, incense, curtain

    the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent;

  7. Courtyard

    Bronze altar and basin

    the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils;

    the basin with its stand;

  8. The courtyard and its gate

    the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases;

    the curtain for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting;

  9. Priests

    The priests’ garments

    and the woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.

Courtyard · 100 × 50 cubitsNGate · EastTent of MeetingBronze altarBasinThe tent, enlarged · 30 × 10 cubitsArkTableLampstandIncense altarVeilScreenMost Holy PlaceHoly Place

Plan to scale in cubits · north at the top

The tabernacle

Every piece, finished

Everything God had shown Moses on the mountain, now made and carried to him piece by piece: the ark, the table, the lampstand and the gold altar for the tent; the bronze altar and basin for the court; the linen hangings and the gate. Not yet set up. That comes in chapter 40.

The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

An old, white-bearded man seen from behind, his arms raised in blessing over a crowd of craftsmen and women standing among the finished pieces of the tabernacle in early evening light.

And Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had accomplished it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

0:08

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Work worth blessing

Moses “inspected all the work and saw that they had accomplished it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.” Thank God for the work He has given you to do, at home, at work, in His church. Ask Him for a willing heart and careful hands. And thank Him that in Christ your work done for Him is never wasted.

You’ve experienced

Exodus 39

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A verse to carry with you

And Moses inspected all the work and saw that they had accomplished it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Exodus 39:43

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