How does the tabernacle's construction in Exodus 36 connect to New Testament teachings? Setting the Scene: Exodus 36:11 “Then he made loops of blue material on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and he did the same on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set.” • Literal craftsmanship: forty‐two loops—precise, intentional, no wasted detail. • Blue color: the hue of sky and sea, repeatedly tied to what is heavenly (cf. Numbers 15:38–39). • Purpose: to fasten the ten curtains into one seamless covering over the tabernacle. Loops of Blue: Heavenly Threads Pointing to Christ • Blue reminds Israel to “remember all the commandments of the LORD” (Numbers 15:39). • Jesus perfectly kept every command, embodying the heavenly ideal (Matthew 5:17). • These loops visually drew eyes upward, hinting that worship must be anchored in heaven—fulfilled when “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). Joined Curtains: A Preview of Church Unity • Exodus 36:11 shows two separate sets fused into one. • Parallel: Ephesians 2:14–16—Christ “has made both one… having abolished in His flesh the hostility.” • Like loops of blue uniting diverse fabrics, the cross binds Jew and Gentile into a single household of faith (Ephesians 2:19). “Joined Together” Language Carried Forward • Exodus 36:18 “to make the tabernacle one.” • Ephesians 2:21–22 “In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” • Colossians 2:19 “the whole body, supported and knit together… grows with growth from God.” Curtain Imagery Fulfilled in the Veil of Christ’s Flesh • Cherubim-woven curtains protected access to God’s presence (Exodus 26:31). • Hebrews 10:19–20 “through the curtain, that is, His flesh” — Christ’s body became the opening. • At His death “the veil of the temple was torn in two” (Matthew 27:51), ending the barrier the earlier curtains symbolized. Earthly Copy, Heavenly Reality • Hebrews 8:5 “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” • Every loop, clasp, and board literally crafted in Exodus points to the true sanctuary where Jesus now ministers (Hebrews 9:24). Living Stones, Woven People • 1 Peter 2:5 “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” • The tabernacle’s unified covering foreshadows believers being “knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2), displaying God’s glory collectively. Take-Home Reflections • God values details; His salvation plan was pictured in fabric before it was seen in flesh. • Heavenly blue threads invite believers to keep their minds “set on things above” (Colossians 3:1–2). • Unity is not optional—loops, clasps, and Christ’s cross all preach togetherness. • Access to God is now open; the One the tabernacle anticipated has arrived and abides within His people (2 Corinthians 6:16). The loops of blue in Exodus 36:11 literally held curtains; spiritually they point to a Savior who holds heaven and earth, Jew and Gentile, God and man together in one eternal dwelling. |
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