What significance do the "five crossbars" hold in the tabernacle's construction? Opening Scripture “Make five crossbars of acacia wood for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the rear of the tabernacle. The center crossbar is to run through the middle of the frames from one end to the other.” (Exodus 26:26-28) Observing the Blueprint • Three walls (north, south, west) each received five crossbars. • Four bars were visible—two near the top, two near the bottom. • A fifth, the center bar, was threaded “from one end to the other,” unseen except at the ends. • All bars were acacia wood overlaid with gold (Exodus 26:29). Practical Function: Holding Everything Together • The tabernacle’s forty-eight upright boards (each 15 ft tall) required bracing against desert winds. • The crossbars joined the boards into a single, rigid wall, preventing sway or separation. • In that literal sense, the five crossbars were indispensable to the sanctuary’s stability. The Number Five: Repeated Echo of Grace • Throughout Scripture, five often highlights God’s gracious provision: – Five primary offerings (Leviticus 1-5) covering every aspect of sin and fellowship. – Five books of Moses, delivering the Law by grace (John 1:17). – Jesus fed thousands with five loaves (Matthew 14:17-21). • By assigning precisely five crossbars to every wall, the Lord stamped the structure with a numeric reminder that the dwelling of God among His people rests on grace, not human merit. The Central Crossbar: Picture of Christ Within • Hidden inside the rings, the middle bar united all boards “from one end to the other.” • Acacia wood (incorruptible) overlaid with gold (divine glory) beautifully prefigures the incarnate Son—true humanity and full deity in one Person (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3). • As that bar ran through every frame, so Christ now indwells and unifies every believer: – “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Ephesians 4:4-5) – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Unified Boards, Unified People • Each board rested in its own silver sockets (redemption), yet none stood alone; the crossbars bound them together. • The tabernacle thus foreshadows the church—redeemed individuals uniquely placed, yet joined as “living stones” in one holy habitation (1 Peter 2:5). • The visible bars portray the outward bonds of fellowship and shared confession; the hidden bar portrays the inward bond of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Taking It Home • God’s dwelling place has always required both redemption (silver sockets) and unifying grace (five crossbars). • The Lord who bound acacia boards into a sanctuary still binds redeemed hearts into one body—secure, stable, and filled with His glory. |
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