Exodus 38 & 39 Finishing

It is time for finishing up the construction of all that the Lord had given them. This is where the Lord would dwell with His people and where they would meet with Him.

I have to start out by saying that I’m a little frustrated right now. My computer rebooted unexpectedly and lost everything I was working on; even though AutoSave was enabled. I pray that I can recreate what I had before. Or not. If God allowed to crash because of my direction, I DON’T want to go there again. I trust that He will bring me what I need for this story.

Work is winding down. The priestly garments and the outer court are all that we have left to cover. I’m certain that these tasks were going on simultaneously with all the other work. It would have been an even longer process if they weren’t. Let’s rejoin our ‘construction crew’ as they complete the work.

♥ ♦ ♥

The sounds of the looms can be heard throughout the camp. The loudest sound being that of the weavers themselves. They quite often break out in songs of praise as they work. The passing of the shuttle, the beating of the threads into place, and the shifting of the heddles create a natural rhythm. This rhythm meter and tempo to the songs. One weaver will start, and before long, everyone is working in time to the music.

The weaving has been going on for nearly seven months. The other craftsmen have finished their work. The carpenters final work was the structure for the tabernacle furnishings. They are available to do any repairs that might arise with the looms. A shuttle, or heddle, or beater that break with such prolonged use. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, the carpenters are ready to correct the problem. The hardest repairs to make are in the Warp reel or the cloth reel. Breakage in one of these can easily spoil a whole piece. Fortunately, the Lord has seen to it that these haven’t had any problems.

The metal workers final contributions were the bronze fittings that are hammered into the outer courtyard curtains. These curtains are not sewn together as the ones for the tent were. They will hang individually from the columns to create the perimeter of the outer courtyard. The fittings have to be securely affixed to the curtains so that they endure the test of time; and the elements.

Weaving this many projects would have been FAR harder if it were not for the women’s contribution. They provided spun gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white twisted threads for the weavers. These were donated in the beginning, along with all the other contributions. It amazes even the weavers that the supply has not run out. The Lord must surely be blessing their gifts!

The weavers started their portion of the Tabernacle with the intricate weavings; those needing more than one color. The hangings for the tent were first. Every loom was strung with blue, purple, and scarlet yarns. The shuttles held the white weft yarn. The doorway to outer courtyard was made at the same time, as it was constructed with the same colors and main design.

There was one loom set aside for Oholiab. On this loom, gold yarn was added to the palate of colors. This is where Oholiab would personally weave the ephods and breastpieces for the priests. Added to his supplies was pure gold threads that he would weave into the ephods to cerate intricate designs. These gold threads were products of the metalsmiths. They hammered gold until it was paper thin. Then they cut it in single thread widths for Oholiab’s use.

When the curtains for the tent began coming off the looms, the emborders were called into action. They worked cherubim into the curtains, as the Lord had instructed. Each piece was 45 cubits long and five cubits wide (22.5 yards x 90 inches; 20.574 meters x 228.6 centimeters). They were MASSIVE and took time to work form end to end. Praise songs helped them with their work too, as sewing has its own rhythm and meter too.

The final step for these curtains was sewing them together into two groups of five. Oholiab performed this work himself. He made 50 loops on the outermost edge of each of the two groupings. These were fastened together with gold clasps, provided by the metalsmiths. This made one continuous piece that would be stretched over the frames, made of acacia wood and covered in gold. The joint of the curtains would run across the width of the structure.

All eyes were on Oholiab as he completed this process. Blankets and skins were laid on the ground to keep this work from becoming soiled. This would be the norm for all the pieces, after they were removed from the looms.

“Finished” declared Oholiab. He stood up to inspect the seam. Once he was satisfied, he called four runners over to fold the piece and take it to be stored. He then returned to his work on the ephods. The initial weaving was finished, but there was still a lot of work to do. And it would require help from the metalsmiths.

After the curtains left the looms, one was filled with blue yarn only. This one would produce the fabric for the tunics of the priests. There were a LOT less tunics than curtains to be produced. The length of the weaving would be much shorter too. The other looms were filled with white yarn. These would make the 5 cubits by 5 cubits curtains. There were to be 56 of these curtains created. When Oholiab’s loom was empty, and the one with the blue, they were put into productions of the white curtains too.

During the construction of these curtains, the work was so repetitive that conversation was easy. Hands moved in rhythm and by muscle memory.

“How many have you made” asked one weaver.

“I don’t even know! I’ve lost count. I’m sure the runners will tell us when we reach the count.”

“I’m glad someone is keeping count.”

“If it weren’t for the purpose these are intended for, I would have quit a long time ago.”

“I know what you mean. I’m glad the Lord insisted on resting on the Sabbath.”

“He knew we would need it.”

While the work continues on the curtains, Oholiab turns his full attention to completing the priests’ garments. This would actually be a joint effort. Oholiab filled his team with those skilled with the needle, metal workers and those skilled in engraving. “He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Exodus 39:2-21)

The priest’s robe was made of blue with embellishments on the hem. “On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Exodus 39:24-26)

The remaining pieces of the priests garments were made of white finely twisted linen. These were their coats, turban, caps, and under garments. A sash made of blue, purple and scarlet would tie everything together. It was worked with fine embroidery to match the colorful ephods.

The final steps in creating the garments for the priest was completing the embellishments for the turban. “They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above.” (Exodus 39:30-31)

As the last curtain is ready to be removed from the loom, the camp is alerted. The people begin to gather. They want to bear witness to this moment. The weaver holds the shuttle aloft until everyone is silent. The shuttle and beater are used to work the final threads into the piece. The Warp threads are untied from their bar and held carefully as the final edging is secured. The runners approach and help unspool the cloth reel. The piece easily comes off the loom. There is only one last task to do before the entire project is complete. Oholiab comes over with the fittings. These will be pounded into place for the curtains to hand from the hooks on the pillars. Oholiab brings out the pattern indicating the placement for the fittings. They must all be expertly placed for it to hang correctly.

“Finished” Oholiab announces as he sets aside the hammer and tool.

To please the crowd, he holds that final piece aloft. Shouts of praise rise from the crowd gathered around. “The Lord is good and His mercies endure forever!” “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” “Praise the Lord who has allowed our hands to do His work.” “He has endowed us with great skills for His purposes.” ALL praise for the work completed over the last seven months was directed to the Lord.

“One last piece of business I would like to conduct, before we bring it all before Moses, is to give you an accounting of what was donated, and how it was used” Bezalel says before the people. “Bring the accounting before the people” he commands one of the runners.

The ones tasked with keeping track of all that was donated and what was produced quickly appear with the scrolls.

“Read them before the people, so that they may know of our faithfulness. And of the Lord’s blessings of our resources.”

“This is an accounting of what was contributed in gold. ‘All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.” (Exodus 38:24) The man looked sheepishly at Bezalel before continuing. “I don’t have an accounting of the gold that was used, beyond what was used for the lampstand. Gold was used in so many different pieces, including weaving some of it into the ephods. The lampstand, however, used a FULL talent of gold. It and the Mercy Seat are the only items made purely of gold.”

“I have a feeling that the Lord doesn’t want us to know the Mercy Seat’s exact weight. I can tell you that it is heavy. I know this from personally working it” commented Bezalel.

“For the silver” continued the one holding the accounts. “The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base. And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.” (Exodus 38:25-28)

The one holding the accounts turned the scroll to bring the next item into view. It was the bronze contributions and its uses. “The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels; with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar, the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.” (Exodus 38:29-31)

“Of the spun blue, gold, purple, scarlet and white finely twisted yarns, there were too many spools to count. What I can say is that each and every spool was used, and there was no lack. The mirrors of bronze from the ministering women in the Tent of Meeting were sufficient to create the bronze basin.”

As the scroll was closed, praise once again rang out. They KNEW that the Lord had blessed their contributions as much as He had blessed their work.

Bezalel handed the last curtain to a runner. “Put this with the others.” To the one in accounting, he said, “Mark this final piece down.”

Bezalel followed the runner and the accountant to the tent where the pieces were all held. The people followed him.

“It is time to present this to Moses. He is at the current Tent of Meeting. We will go there and await his presence. We will then escort him here to receive the work that the Lord has allowed us to do.”

All the people followed Bezalel outside of the camp. They waited a respectful distance form the Tent of Meeting. While they waited, they remained silent, so as not to disturb Moses.”

Inside the tent, the Lord spoke to Moses.

“The people have something to show you. Go to them and receive from their hands the gift of their work.”

Moses rose immediately and went outside the tent. His face still glowed with the glory of the Lord. He quickly covered his face with his veil. “You have something to show me” Moses said. It was a statement; not a question.

Bezalel smiled at Moses’ knowledge. “We do my lord. If you will accompany us to the place where the items for the Tabernacle are stored, we would like to present to the Lord our work.”

“Lead on.”

At the door of the tent, Bezalel pulled back the door. Inside were all the pieces, ready for use. Moses was taken by the accountant to each item, given the count of it, and moved to the next. Everything was EXACTLY as the Lord had commanded.

“Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; ³⁴ the covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen; ³⁵ the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; ³⁶ the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; ³⁸ the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; ⁴⁰ the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; ⁴¹ the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests.” (Exodus 39:33-41)

When Moses had seen all the work the people had done, and that it was exactly as the Lord had commanded him, he blessed them. “You are indeed a blessed people. The Lord has forgiven your sin of chasing after other gods and consented to go among us as He leads us to His Promised Land. He has used you individually, and corporately, to create a holy place where He will dwell among His people. May we NEVER forget this honor. May all glory for the skillful work done be directed to Him. For HE endowed us each with the skills necessary for this work. Bezalel and Oholiab, I want to bless you especially for taking the visions the Lord provided and bringing them to life. Only through your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord is this possible. These are EXACTLY as the Lord showed them to me on the mountain.”

“When will they be put into use” is shouted from the back of the crowd.

“A good question. One that only the Lord can answer. When He shares that answer with me, I will make it known to you.”

There was a feeling of celebration in the air, and anticipation. They would wait on the Lord though before indulging in celebration. It would happen when the Tabernacle was finally erected.

(to be continued)

I had no idea the size of pieces coming off the looms in the beginning. As a seamstress, I couldn’t help looking it up. I was surprised by what I found. I had to put it into the body of the story, for others to see. Those looms must have been VERY big! When the two pieces of just the inner layer of the Tabernacle are joined it is 25 yards by 22.5 yards. That is one MASSIVE piece of material to carry and maneuver around!

Father God, thank You for bringing me through Your story; twice. I don’t know if it was in order for it to be told better or not. I know it changed a bit in the telling’s. Nothing serious, but enough that I noticed it. I was already going to change it a bit anyway. Thank You for helping me do that the second time around.

I trust I am being used by You in Your work too. I’m not weaving, building out of wood, or working with metal, but am blessed to be using words to express the images You have shown me. I pray that I am doing justice to Your stories and bringing them to life.

Thank You for all the talents You gave to Your people for the work. And for their faithfulness to see it through. It’s not an easy thing to do; sticking with a project that takes that long. I know the feeling of tackling LONG projects. Give me the energy, desire, inspiration, and ability to finish the ones I have started; both for You and for my own enjoyment.