Exodus 63 - Exod. 25:10-16 - the Ark of the Covenant

As we enter our "journey" studying the details of the Mishkan KaKodesh Yahvay, the Holy Dwelling of the LORD,  known as the Tabernacle, we find just reading the details is not inspiring or exciting reading.  All this detail, however, must have its purpose.  We again recall Jesus' words ...

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (Joh 5:39)

So for us, as aspiring disciples of Adonai Yeshua, would conclude these chapters related to the Holy Dwelling Place of the Lord will testify of Jesus.  Just like He said.   Thus, we need to pay attention to the words carefully and get help.  We need access to excellent and credible Christian Bible scholars or Messianic Jewish Bible scholars to help us "see" Jesus in these texts.  We need to make sure that what they present is solid and Biblically based and simply not their imagination or opinions of crazy flights of fancy. 

For me, I will put the Bible back into its historical context and seek the help of archaeology, geography, history, the customs and the cultures of the ancient Middle East (in the case Egypt), and even the languages of the ancient Middle East to help us see the connections between the specific aspects of the Tabernacle.  I will access key scholars like Dr. John Currid or Dr. Craig Keener and his, "Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible," or such resources as the "Archaeological Study Bible" from either Zondervan or Crossway publishers.  I too want to "see" Jesus but I want to do it in such as way that it makes sense and connects us with the earthly dwelling tent of the Lord and all its rituals to give us a picture so we can be better able to understand the hidden spiritual concepts of the Lord and His redemption plan.

I mentioned several links I would provide.  The first is a very special video podcast I did entitled, "The Chiasm of the Light."  It is a Bible study of a concept called CHIASMS.  It is a literary structure used again and again in the Bible.  It is amazing that this literary structure seems to be used by God to show us absolutely that from Genesis 1:1 (the 1st verse in the Bible) to Revelation 22:21 (the last verse in the Bible), that it is all about Yeshua HaMaschiack, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  Tis implies as we read on into Exodus and the details the Lord provides on His Holy Dwelling Tent, then we are trusting these verses will testify of Jesus as He said, as God said, in John 5:39.  Check it out.

Link -

https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nugget-18-the-chiasm-of-the-light/

Another fun resource is from the website "Free Bible Images."  This link will provide you with amazing pictures of the Ark of the Covenant of the Dwelling Tent of Adonai (the Tabernacle).  I will be using this link again and again as we focus our study on a specific item in God's Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Dwelling of the Lord.   

Link (pictures - look for with box on the upper right that says VIDEO LINK to also access an awesome video)) -

https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bs-tabernacle-ark-covenant/

I study and rely on professional archaeological journals.  One is "Bible and Spade," a publication from the Christian archaeological group called,"Associates for Bible Research."  The second is the journal called, "Biblical Archaeology Review," from "The Biblical Archaeology Society."  If you are serious about Bible study, if you are serious about getting the best resources available to help you go deeper, these two journals are a must.  A few pastors who have attended my classes now subscribe and have told me it has changed their sermon prep immensely. 

In this podcast I access an awesome article from "Biblical Archaeology Review" addressing the Ark of the Covenant.  It is clear tha archaeology shows us that the Lord told Moses of specific things Moses was familiar with in Egypt to use as a model or a pattern for what the Lord wanted in the Beit HaMikdash, His Holy Dwelling.  In this way the people, the Hebrews would be able to easily make the connection as to God's purposes since they are seeing things that resemble things they saw in their 400 some years in Egypt.  Here's the link to the article.

Link - https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/ark-of-the-covenant-in-egyptian-context/

In this podcast we dealt with CANOPIC JARS.  The jars contained specific body organs of a pharaoh that are removed from the pharaoh's body before mummification.  These organs are put in the canopic jars and are buried with the pharaoh in his tomb. 

Below is a picture of canopic jars I bought in Egypt on one of my several study and research trips.   

Many of us are familiar with King Tut.  His actual name is Too-tank-ham-moon.  Canopic jars were found in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings across from Luxor Egypt.  His jars were put in a special box, a special "ark" if you will, called the chest of Annubis.  This was found in King Tut's tomb along with the canopic jars.  

Annubis is the Egyptian god of the underworld.  Annubis is to guard the four body organs of the deceased, the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines as they are removed from the body of the deceased so the body can be mummified or preserved to meet with the gods after death.  Supposedly then the four organs, the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines will be replaced into the body when the body is resurrected to live forever with the gods.   The Hebrews in the days of Exodus would have known this.  They would have understood the special nature of this box, the chest of Annubis.

Here is a link to an awesome video about Canopic Jars.  It is made for kids but, for me, it is done so well I think you'll enjoy this wonderful scholarly video about these jars and the ancient Egyptian culture.

Link to video - https://www.historyforkids.net/canopic-jars.html

 So archaeology and history gives us added insight into what those Hebrews coming out of Egypt probably understood.  Yahvay, the Lord, God, wanted to give them something concrete, something they knew and understood, something physical that they could then be able to begin to grasp the Spiritual concepts of what God is teaching or things in the heavens.  God does not need box like the Ark of the Covenant.  He dies not need a tent or a Holy Dwelling Place where He is beyond the heavens and the earth.  But, His people need them.  Moses neds them.  We need them.  We'll see in this lesson the Spiritual aspects of God wanting to "camp out" with His people.  He needed a "TENT," that we call a tabernacle, to give His people a concrete object to grasp that the Lord was with them.  And, Yahvay used it again in John 1:14 in that He came to "camp out" with us again in His human tent.  

God creates physical things for us to picture those difficult Spiritual concepts or things that are in heaven, or the places above.  He did this right from the get go in His Torah in the first verse of Genesis.  If you haven't studied these podcast Bible study lessons now is the time before you go on in these chapters on the "Beit HaMikdash" (בית המקדש), the Holy Dwelling Place.  Here's the links to these awesome lessons ...

LINKS TO GENESIS LSS5 – CHOAS TO ORDER –

PART 1 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/genesis-5-part-1-gen-11-2-god-creates-the-heavens-and-the-earth/

PART 2 – video - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/genesis-5-special-gen-11-2-polemic-theology-from-chaos-to-order/

Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret? 

Ferret someplace near the Jordan River

What's his background?  Why should we take time to listen to him?  Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0