Read Exodus 25:1-22 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Exo 25:1-9 {s} The offering commanded to build the Tabernacle
Exo 25:10-22 {p} The pattern for the ark of the covenant
Exo 25:1-22 {s+p} chiastic structure
Strong theme
The commandment to make YHVH’s sanctuary according to its pattern.
As I was meditating on why the pattern for the ark is included in the same strong theme as the general commandment to make the sanctuary, but the pattern for none of the other furniture; I was taken back to the Hebrew root meaning of “sanctuary.” It comes from the primitive root meaning, “to be holy” or set apart. But what is it that makes the sanctuary holy and set apart? It is the place where the presence of YHVH dwells. And what is it that makes the ark and its mercy seat set apart from the rest of the tabernacle furniture? The ark, above the mercy seat, is the place of the presence of YHVH.
The ark is a natural picture of a spiritual truth. We saw that the Hebrew root meaning of “heart,” is from the primitive root meaning, “to be hollow.” The heart is an empty box (ark) to be filled with the word of God, as the two tablets of the testimony fill the ark of the covenant. And covering the Law of God, is the Mercy of God, making atonement for our transgressions of the Law. And above that Law and that Mercy, the presence of God rests to speak with us, both according to the pattern that Moses was shown, and the spiritual truth the pattern teaches, of YHVH’s mercy, in Messiah Yeshua, covering over the Law of God in our hearts, where His presence dwells to speak with us, i.e., to have relationship with us.
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