What is the meaning of Exodus 36:26? setting the scene Exodus 36 records the craftsmen faithfully carrying out the Lord’s detailed blueprint for the tabernacle. Verse 26 reads, “and forty silver bases—two bases under each frame”. These understated words reveal God’s order, provision, and foreshadowing. and forty silver bases “Forty” often marks a significant, God-ordained period or measure (Genesis 7:12; Exodus 24:18; Numbers 14:34). Here it fixes the exact count of sockets supporting the north side of the sanctuary. • The bases were hammered from the silver collected through the atonement money (Exodus 30:11–16; 38:25–27), reminding Israel that every socket rested on redemption price. • Silver pictures ransom and purity (Leviticus 5:15; Matthew 26:15). Each board could stand only because a costly payment was made—anticipating the “silver” of Christ’s saving blood (1 Peter 1:18–19). two bases The Lord commanded “two bases” per frame (Exodus 26:19–21). • Double sockets stabilized every board, preventing wobble in the desert winds—a vivid lesson that redemption gives believers firm footing (Psalm 40:2; Colossians 2:6–7). • The paired bases hint at the twofold witness God often provides (Deuteronomy 19:15; Luke 10:1), underscoring that His dwelling rests on sure testimony. under each frame The phrase “under each frame” shows personal application. • No frame was left unsupported; each had its own silver foundation (Exodus 26:25). Likewise, every believer is individually upheld by Christ’s finished work (John 10:28; Romans 8:38–39). • The sockets were hidden beneath the boards, stressing that what secures us is God’s grace, not outward display (Ephesians 2:8–9; 2 Timothy 2:19). Christ-centered significance • The tabernacle foreshadows Jesus, “the Word who tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). • The silver bases prefigure His redemptive payment, grounding the entire structure just as His sacrifice anchors the household of God (Hebrews 3:6; 1 Corinthians 3:11). • Forty bases outline a complete, sufficient foundation—“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). practical takeaways for today • Stand confidently: your stability rests on Christ’s unchanging ransom, not personal achievement (Galatians 2:20). • Value every believer: God invested the same costly silver under each frame, calling us to mutual honor and unity (Romans 12:10). • Follow God’s pattern: the craftsmen obeyed down to every socket; wholehearted obedience still matters (John 14:15; James 1:22). summary Exodus 36:26 shows forty individual silver sockets—two beneath every frame—supporting the sanctuary’s boards. Each detail highlights God’s precise care, the necessity of redemption, and the unshakable foundation Christ supplies to His people. |
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