What is the significance of the "two tenons" in the tabernacle's construction? Context: Two Tenons in Exodus 26:17 “Each plank must have two tenons for joining them to one another. You must do the same for all the tabernacle planks.” (Exodus 26:17) Purpose in Construction • Structural stability—two pegs kept each board square and immovable. • Uniformity—every plank, great or small, followed the same pattern, underscoring God’s order. • Ease of assembly and disassembly—Israel could break camp quickly without damaging the sacred framework (Numbers 10:17). Spiritual Picture of Unity and Strength • The tabernacle was “one” dwelling (Exodus 26:6); the twin tenons ensured the boards acted as a single wall. • In Christ the “whole body, joined and held together” grows (Ephesians 4:16); believers, like boards, stand secure when properly connected. • “Rooted and built up in Him” (Colossians 2:7) echoes the image of a firmly-pegged structure. Dual Tenons as a Witness • “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). • Two pegs on every board silently testified that all Israel’s worship rested on God’s confirmed word—never on speculation. Foreshadowing Christ • Two natures—fully God and fully man—united in one Person, inseparable as the paired tenons in each board (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-8). • At the cross, two nails secured each wrist, picturing the same dual fastening that held the boards, yet here holding the true Tabernacle’s frame—His body (John 2:19-21). Application for Believers Today • Seek dual anchoring: Word and Spirit (John 4:24). One without the other leaves faith unstable. • Practice mutual support—believers “fitly framed” stand when trials shake them (1 Corinthians 12:26). • Maintain doctrinal precision and practical obedience; both “tenons” are required for a life that carries God’s presence. |
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