How does the tabernacle's design in Exodus 38:11 connect to New Testament teachings? “For the north side there were a hundred cubits, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the posts and their bands were of silver.” Key Details in the Verse • Length: 100 cubits (≈150 ft) • Structure: 20 posts (pillars) • Foundations: 20 bronze bases • Connectors: hooks and bands of silver Materials that Preach the Gospel • Bronze – Scripture pictures bronze with judgment: the bronze serpent (Numbers 21:9; cf. John 3:14), the bronze altar (Exodus 27:1–2), and Christ’s “feet like polished bronze refined in a furnace” (Revelation 1:15). The tabernacle posts stood on bronze sockets, pointing ahead to Christ bearing divine judgment in our place (Romans 8:3). • Silver – Silver is tied to redemption: every male Israelite paid the redemption “ransom” in silver (Exodus 30:11-16). New Testament fulfillment shines in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “You were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ.” The bands and hooks that held the fence together announce that redeemed people are forever secured by Christ’s finished work. Patterns Fulfilled in Christ • Copy and Shadow → Substance – Hebrews 8:5: “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” – Hebrews 9:11-12: Christ entered “the greater and more perfect tabernacle … by His own blood.” • Separation → Access – The 100-cubit fence marked a clear boundary; only one gate on the east allowed entry. – Ephesians 2:14: Christ “has broken down the dividing wall of hostility,” giving free access (Hebrews 10:19-20). • Pillars on Bronze → Living Pillars on Christ – Twenty posts stood firm on bronze; believers now stand on the once-for-all judgment poured out on Jesus. – 1 Peter 2:5: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” – Ephesians 2:20-22: We are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.” Numbers with Purpose • 100 = 10 × 10: fullness of the Law, perfectly kept and fulfilled by Christ (Matthew 5:17). • 20 pillars: two is the number of witness (Deuteronomy 17:6); ten speaks of completeness. Together they hint at a complete, unified testimony that God’s dwelling is established on righteous judgment and sure redemption. Implications for the Church Today • Assurance: Our footing is as secure as bronze bases—Christ has already borne judgment (Romans 8:1). • Unity: Silver bands hold the posts; redemption binds believers together (Ephesians 4:3-6). • Mission: The north side was part of an enclosure that pointed outsiders to one door; we now point to Christ alone as the Door (John 10:9). |
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