What connections exist between 1 Chronicles 28:18 and Exodus 25 regarding temple furnishings? Setting the Scene • Exodus 25 sketches the original tabernacle furniture Moses received on Sinai. • 1 Chronicles 28 records David handing Solomon the Spirit-given blueprint for the permanent Temple. • Verse 18 of 1 Chronicles 28 expressly recalls details first revealed in Exodus 25, showing an unbroken line between wilderness worship and the Jerusalem sanctuary. Key Texts, Side by Side “and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the LORD.” “Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat, one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other; … The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat…” Shared Design Elements • Gold cherubim – Both passages command cherubim “of gold.” – Exodus calls for “hammered gold”; Chronicles assumes the same precious material for the Temple’s larger-scale figures. • Outstretched wings, overshadowing the ark – Exodus: wings “spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat.” – Chronicles: wings “spread … and overshadow the ark.” – The language of shelter and protection is carried forward unchanged. • Central location: above the ark of the covenant – In both structures, the cherubim guard the most sacred object—the ark—affirming God’s enthronement there (Psalm 99:1). Continuity of Worship 1. Tabernacle to Temple • Exodus presents a portable sanctuary; Chronicles records a permanent house. • The core furnishings remain identical, underscoring that the God who met Israel in the wilderness still meets them in Zion (1 Kings 8:10-11). 2. Spirit-given plans • Exodus 25:40—“See that you make them after the pattern shown you on the mountain.” • 1 Chronicles 28:19—David says, “All this I have in writing as the LORD’s hand was upon me, and He gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.” • Both leaders receive a divine pattern; human creativity submits to revealed specifications. 3. Golden altar of incense connection • Exodus 30:1-10 gives its dimensions and daily use. • 1 Chronicles 28:18 mentions “the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense,” showing the altar passes intact from tabernacle service to Temple liturgy (cf. Revelation 8:3-4). Symbolic Echoes • Holiness: Solid gold signifies the unmatched worth of God’s presence (1 Peter 1:7). • Protection: Overshadowing wings picture the Lord’s covering care (Psalm 91:4). • Continuity: Repetition of design elements affirms the unchanging character of God and His prescribed worship (Malachi 3:6). Practical Takeaways • God’s patterns are timeless; obedience in one generation guides the next. • Worship flourishes when Scripture, not human innovation, sets the agenda. • The same holy God who filled the tabernacle and Temple now indwells believers (1 Corinthians 3:16), calling us to the same reverent precision in honoring His presence. |
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