Exodus 27:9 says, And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:  This is a continuation of the instructions for the court of the tabernacle.  Verse ten states,  And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.  The pillars and sockets were to be made of brass, or more for strength, and the hooks and fillets were to be of silver, or more ornate.  I believe that today the church building should be functional, but it should also be made as beautiful as possible to reflect honor to God.  We should never put more money and effort into maintaining the building than we do into maintaining the function of the church, which is to reach the lost and to edify one another.  Verse eleven adds, And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.  This was to be a duplication of the south side.  Verse twelve says, And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.  Moses is now given the specifics for the west side of the tabernacle.  Verse thirteen states, And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.  The east side of the tabernacle was to contain the gate.  Verse fourteen adds, The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.  Then verse fifteen continues,  And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.  The hangings at the gate were to cover thirty of the fifty Curtis.  Verse sixteen concludes, And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.  The other twenty cubits of the gate  were to be of blue, purple and scarlet.  This would be the access point.  Just as there was but one way into the tabernacle then, there is but one way into a saving relationship with God today, and that is through Christ.  Verse seventeen says, All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.  Verse eighteen adds, The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.  Verse nineteen concludes. All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.  This concluded the instructions for building and furnishing the tabernacle.  Verse twenty proclaims, And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.  Moses was to instruct the people of Israel to bring pure olive oil to keep the lamps burning always.  We today as followers of Christ have the command to keep the gospel light shinning in the world always.  Just as providing the oil then was not just a one time thing, but an ongoing one, so is our command to share the gospel today.  Verse twenty-one concludes, In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.  Aaron and his sons were given the responsibility of keeping the areas outside the veil in order.  We today are given the responsibility of keeping the church in order in the world.  This is not the building, but the fellowship of believers.

Exodus 27:1 says, And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.  There was to be an altar in the tabernacle.  I believe that today we could say that our heart is the altar of our tabernacle, where we should place everything as a sacrifice to God.  Verse two states,  And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.  There were to be horns of brass on the four corners of the altar.  The brass would keep the wood from being burned up when the fire came down from heaven.  The altar was not a place of beauty, but of sacrifice, just as it should be today.  Verse three adds, And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.  As just stated, this was to be a place of death, not beauty.  When we come to the altar today, it should be to die to self.  Verse four continues, And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.  There was to be a brass net under the altar.  Verse five says, And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.  The net was to be placed under the altar in the middle of it.  Verse six states, And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.  Verse seven adds, And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.  Then verse eight concludes, Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.  These staves were to be made to fit into the net, just as God had instructed Moses to make it.  Just like the altar, the cross was not a place of beauty, but a place of death.  We today must sacrifice everything to God at the cross when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

Exodus 26:31 says,And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:   The veils were to separate the holy place from the most holy place.  Only priest were allowed to go beyond the first veil.  There was limited access to God's holiest place.  This is the veil that was wrent in two when Jesus died for our sins, and as follows of Christ, we are all a part of the priesthood of believers.  Through our faith in Christ, nothing stands between God and us.  Verse thirty-two states, And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.  Then verse thirty-three adds, And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.  The ark of testimony was to be behind the veil, which separated the holy place from the most holy place.  Verse thirty-four says, And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.  The mercy seat was to be placed on the ark of the covenant,in the most holy place.  When we come to God through His mercy shown to us through the death of Christ on the cross, we see God at His most holiest.  Verse thirty-five states, And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.  Verse thirty-six says, And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.  Then verse thirty-seven adds, And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.  There was to be an ornate covering for the door.

Exodus 26:15 says, And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.  These next few verse give the specifications for the boards of the tabernacle.  Verse sixteen states, Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.  Verse seventeen adds, Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.  Verse eighteen continues, And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.  This was not to be a small tabernacle, yet it was still designed to be mobile.  Verse nineteen says, And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.  Verse twenty states, And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:  Verse twenty-one adds, And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.  Verse twenty-two continues, And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.  The tabernacle was to be rectangular in shape, with the north and south sides being longer.  Verse twenty-three says, And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.  Verse twenty-four states, And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.  Verse twenty-five adds, And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. Then verse twenty-six continues, And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,  I believe the main thing that we can learn from this is that God has specific instructions for those who follow Him, and He expects us to obey His instructions.  Verse twenty seven says, And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.  Verse twenty-eight states, And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.  Verse thirty concludes,And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.  We today as followers of Christ do not have a tabernacle made by hands, but a tabernacle made by faith in Him.  The Holy Spirit indwells us, and we become a living tabernacle of God.

Exodus 26:1 says, Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.  This verse and the next several are details of how the tabernacle was to be built.  There was to be an inner curtain and an outer one.  The tabernacle was to be mobile, since God's people had no permanent home, and we as God's people have no permanent home in the world today, so we should be mobile as a church.  There were to be cherubim made in the curtains to overlook the mercy seat.  Verse two states, The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.  Verse three adds, The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.  This gives the dimensions of the curtains and how they were to be fastened together.  This was not Moses' design but God's design.  When we are building God's church today, and I don't mean the buildings but the people who are God's church, we must follow His design.  Verse four says, And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.  Then verse five adds, Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.  Then verse six continues, And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.  The curtains were to be made so that they would fit together and be one tabernacle.  We today, as God's people, are to fit together as one church.  God wants His people to be one people, no matter how they may in separated by the world.  Verse seven says, And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.  These were to be the outer curtains, and they were to be more durable.  Verse eight states, The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. The dimensions of the outer curtain are given.  Verse nine adds, And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.  Verse ten continues, And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.  Verse eleven concludes, And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.  This outer curtain was not to be as pretty as the inner curtain, and it was to fit together as one curtain.  We, as followers of Christ should be more beautiful, on the inside, in our soul, than we are on the outside, or our physical being.  It doesn't matter what we look like physically, as long as we are dedicated to following God's will.  We should never put more emphasis on how a church building looks than on how the people inside function in God's kingdom.  We must also fit together as one church.  Verse twelve says, And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.  Verse thirteen adds, And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. Then verse fourteen concludes, And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.  The tabernacle was to be ornate on the inside and durable on the outside and it was to be mobile.  We as the church should be ornate on the inside, filled with God's presence, and durable on the outside, not giving in to the pressures that the world may place on us.  Also, we must be mobile, going into the world as God sends us to share the gospel with the lost world.

Exodus 25:31 says  And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.  God begins to give Moses the instructions for making the candlesticks.  Verse thirty-two states,  And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:  The candlesticks were to have three branches out each side, for a total of six.  These candlesticks were to be to shine light in the tabernacle which had no windows.  God alone can provide us with spiritual light in the world filled with the darkness of sin.  Verse thirty three adds, Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.  The six branches were not to be identical, but they were to be both ornate and functional.  All were to have their own bowl for oil and a knop, or ornamental loop.  Matthew Henry says that he churches are the golden candlesticks today, shining spiritual light into the dark world.  The branches of the candlesticks represents the spreading of the gospel in all directions.  Verse thirty-four states, And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.  Verse thirty-five adds, And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.  Two branches were to share a knop.  Verse thirty-six says, Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.  Verse  thirty-seven adds, And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.  There were to be seven lamps made of pure gold to shed light in God's tabernacle.  Their were to be seven of these lamps.  We today as followers of  Christ are called to shed God's light in the world, and we can only do this by allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with God's strength and knowledge.  Verse thirty-eight continues,  And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.  Then verse thirty-nine concludes, Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.  God gave Moses specific instructions about the candlesticks and lamps, just as he gives us a specific task today, and that is to spread the gospel, the only spiritual light in the world.  They were to make them out of the finest gold, which God had supplied them with to start with.  Today, we are to give the best we have to God, because He has provided it for us to start with.  Verse forty declares, And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. Moses was warned to make them according to the pattern that God had given Him.  We today must share the gospel exactly as God has given it to us.  We cannot add nor take anything away from it.

Exodus 25:17 says, And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.  Moses was next told to build a mercy seat and what its dimensions were to be  We certainly need to come to the mercy seat of God today, and the only way to do so is through the cross of Jesus.  We no longer have a physical mercy seat that we carry around with us, but we have the Holy Spirit with us if we have accepted God's mercy through our faith in Christ.  Verse eighteen states,  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.  There were to be two golden cherubim in the two ends of the mercy seat.  Verse nineteen adds, And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.  The cherubim were to be seated on each end of the mercy seat.  Then verse twenty concludes, And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.  The cherubim were to have their wings spread out covering the mercy seat, their faces toward each other and looking down at the mercy seat.  Matthew Henry said these cherubim, which represented God's holy angels, also represented God's mercy which was covered by the law.  God's mercy to us today is only covered by the blood of Christ, and once we accept this merciful gift, then His mercy is no longer covered by anything.  Verse twenty-one says, And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.  The mercy seat was to be on the ark, and the testimony, or law, that God was to give to Moses was to be in the ark.  This was to be a representation of God's law and mercy being with the people of Israel at all times.  We today have God with us at all times through the Holy Spirit, but and if we have accepted the mercy of God, we are also subjected to the law of God.  We are not saved by the law, but we are still to obey it.  Verse twenty-two states, And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.  God said He would meet and commune with them from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim.  God was to teach them about His law, which he was going to give to Moses.  God today will speak to us from his mercy seat of we are a follower of Christ.  If we aren't, then He will speak to us strictly from His judgment seat.  Verse twenty-three says, Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.  Verse twenty-four states, And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.  Verse twenty-five adds, And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.  Verse twenty six continues, And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.  Verse twenty-seven says, Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.  Then verse twenty-eight concludes, And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.  The table was to be made according to God's design and was to be made so it could be easily transported.  Verse twenty-nine states, And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.  Verse thirty adds, And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.  The people of Israel were to make dishes to contain the shew bread, which would always be before God.  The table and dishes were not to go into the holy of holies as we shall see.