Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

Copyright © 2012–2017 DiscipleMakers, except guest articles (copyright author). Used by permission.

Bible Study and Board Games

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My wife Erin and I just returned from a lovely 4-day trip to celebrate our anniversary. Our favorite thing to do together is get some peace and quiet to play board games. So in honor of 13 years of marriage, we played 13 board games.

Since the trip leaves me with less time than usual to write, I’ll link you to another, more edifying, post. We did a similar trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary, after which I reflected on what board games taught me about Bible study. The lessons from that post remain just as pertinent to me today. However, I respectfully decline to divulge who won this year’s series.

For those interested in the board gaming hobby, here is what we played:

  1. Bruges
  2. The Castles of Burgundy
  3. Firefly
  4. Innovation
  5. Freedom: The Underground Railroad
  6. Innovation (again)
  7. Lost Cities
  8. Lords of Waterdeep (with the Scoundrels of Skullport expansion)
  9. Love Letter
  10. Alhambra
  11. A Feast for Odin
  12. Pandemic (with the State of Emergency expansion)
  13. Through the Ages

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. So if you click them and buy stuff, you’ll help to support our campaign for “50 games on the 50th” to celebrate our golden milestone in 2054. And this at no extra cost to yourself. Technology is amazing.

Questions to Avoid in Small Group Discussions

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Melissa Kruger has some helpful thoughts on the types of questions that tend to stifle conversation in small group settings:

  1. Questions with an obvious answer
  2. Questions with a one-word answer
  3. Questions only researchers could answer
  4. Application questions that get too personal too quickly

My co-blogger Ryan has written helpful posts on how to ask good observation, interpretation, and application questions—right along these lines Kruger hopes to avoid.

Kruger has some helpful explanation. Check it out!

HT: Jake Swink

Big Bible Words: Righteousness

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Silvia & Frank (2017), public domain

Righteousness is among the most important words in the Bible. It’s essential for understanding who God is, who he loves, and how we pursue and obey him.

  • “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:11)
  • “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.” (Psalm 146:8)
  • “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
  • “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

A Simple Definition

We can understand righteousness by way of contrast. The Scriptures consistently use “righteous” and “wicked” as opposites.

  • “…for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6)
  • “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)
  • “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.” (Proverbs 3:33)
  • “The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.” (Proverbs 10:30)

The word righteousness contains the word “right,” and that’s no accident. The ideas of right-ness and justice are wrapped up in this big word.

Justice always has a standard in mind. Right—according to whom? Just—by what definition? The concept of justice immediately invokes a law.

So to be righteous is to be conformed to all the demands of the law. To have righteousness is to have right standing with respect to the law.

God is righteous because he meets his own standards. He is the chief example of fulfilling the demands of the law. And those who want to be blessed by God must also be righteous.

Righteousness From Another

The Bible often speaks of righteousness from another. A law-breaker receives righteousness from a law-keeper.

  • “And [Abram] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
  • “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…” (Romans 4:3–5)
  • “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
  • “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” (Phil 3:8–9)

As we explore the meaning of righteousness, we dive to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ! God gives the righteousness he requires. He makes many righteous. Through faith, the righteousness of Jesus is given to God’s people.

For the Kids

Because the Bible is for all of God’s people, we should be able to explain every concept to the youngest in our churches and families. How should we explain righteousness?

Since children understand obedience and disobedience from their earliest years, I take this approach. Righteousness is when someone loves and obeys perfectly.

When we read the Bible with our children and talk about righteousness, the doors are open wide to talk about sin, substitution, and salvation.

(Note: I’m aware that many books have been written trying to define “righteousness” in the Bible. Meaning always depends on context, and I’m not trying to be comprehensive. I hope this brief post can serve as a starting point.)

Exodus 26: A Paradise Better Than Eden

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Moses has already received blueprints for three key pieces of furniture—box, table, and lampstand—but he doesn’t yet know what to do with them. As God delivers the plans for his tabernacle, he now provides an architectural structure and directions for where to place each piece of furniture.

Observation of Exodus 26:1-37

Most repeated words: curtain (24 times) frame (23x), make (22), tabernacle (16), side (13), base (12), one (11), two (11)

  • The structure is made primarily of curtains and wood frames

Though I often call the entire structure the “tabernacle,” I notice that the word “tabernacle” is reserved here for only the first layer of curtains (Ex 26:1-6).

  • Ten curtains, made of linen and blue, purple, and red yarn.
  • Cherubim shapes are embroidered into it.
  • Sewn together into two sets of 5 curtains.
  • The two sets are connected by 50 golden clasps put through loops sewn into the edge of each set.
  • If laid flat, the whole “tabernacle” would be a rectangle, measuring 28 cubits by 40 cubits, with a 40-cubit line of gold clasps across the middle.

The “tabernacle” is covered by a “tent” made of goatskins (Ex 26:7-13).

  • The formation of this tent is similar to the tabernacle, in that it has a bunch of smaller pieces sewn or clasped together.
  • Except it has 11 starter pieces instead of 10.
  • This gives it an extra 2-cubit swath of cloth to tuck over in front (Ex 26:9), and an extra 2-cubit swath to trail off the back (Ex 26:13).
  • Also, the starter pieces are 2 cubits wider than the tabernacle starter pieces (30 cubits vs. 28 cubits), so they will have an extra cubit on each side to hang over the sides to cover it (Ex 26:13).

The “tent” is covered by two more layers of cloth made from hides (Ex 26:14).

The bones of the structure consist of 48 boards (“frames”), 10 cubits long, held upright by silver bases (Ex 26:15-30).

  • Each board is not merely a plank of lumber, but more like a ladder shape, such that it has two feet (called “tenons” in the ESV) to fit into its two bases.
    • Incidentally (and I didn’t realize this on my own, I saw it in the IVP New Bible Dictionary when I needed help visualizing everything), this open shape to the frames would enable someone inside the structure to see the beautiful embroidery of the tabernacle curtains.
  • The boards are overlaid with gold and placed side-by-side, with 5 gold-covered wooden bars running horizontally across them to hold them together.
  • There are 20 boards each on the north and south sides. At 1.5 cubits per board, that makes those sides 30 cubits long.
  • There are 6 boards to make the west side, with two extra boards at the corners for support. This back side will be ~9 cubits long, perhaps adding a little for the corner supports.
  • So the entrance will be on the east side.

When the “tabernacle” curtains are draped over the wooden frame, the line of golden clasps will go across the ceiling, exactly two-thirds of the way in (20 cubits from the entry way).

A veil is to be woven and embroidered just like the tabernacle curtains, hung on four pillars, and attached to the golden clasps in the ceiling (Ex 26:31-33).

  • This veil divides the structure into two rooms (Ex 26:33).
  • The mercy seat covers the box with the testimony in the inner room, the “Most Holy Place” (Ex 26:34)—a room that measures 10 cubits by 10 cubits by ~9+ cubits. It’s pretty much a cube.
  • In the outer room, the table goes on the north side, and the lampstand goes on the south side (Ex 26:35).

The entrance gets a screen, woven to look like the tabernacle curtains, and hung on 5 gold-covered wood pillars (Ex 26:36-37).

The chapter’s structure:

  • Curtains
    • Tabernacle
    • Tent
    • Outer two layers
  • Vertical frames and horizontal bars
  • Inside veil
  • Where to place the three furniture pieces
  • Entryway

Interpretation of Exodus 26

Some possible questions:

  1. Why is this here?
  2. How many of the details have symbolic meaning?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. The obvious answer may not be ultra-satisfying, but we must at least start there: This is here so these people can build a tent of meeting for Yahweh. Before considering any potential symbols or religious meaning, we need to acknowledge the historical character of this text. This was a real thing that real people built in real time, because God told them to. Why are there so many details? So they can actually build the thing. Why must they build the thing? So Yahweh their God can dwell in their midst (Ex 25:8).
  2. That said, we know these things were written to teach both them and us about the Lord who dwells with his people. So what do we learn? I’m not comfortable giving symbolic meaning to every detail—such as the colors of the yarns or the number or length of the boards—because the text itself does not do that. But what the text does do is give clear echoes of what’s gone before. With embroidered cherubim (something like sphinxes?), a tree-shaped lampstand, a place to eat, and a place to meet and speak with Yahweh God (Ex 25:22), they and we think of Eden (Genesis 2-3). And the whole thing is covered with animal skins, just as Yahweh covered his ashamed people in Gen 3:21. This structure provides a return to paradise, a place to meet with God and live with him. But it’s even better than Eden, in that the good gold of Havilah (Gen 2:11-12) has already been brought in to make it all shine.

Train of thought: Weave fabric to cover a frame, all so Eden can shine.

Main point: When God dwells with his people, it’s a paradise better than Eden.

Connection to Christ: The connection remains that Jesus is the full and final Immanuel, God with us. But the angle this chapter takes is that, when Jesus returns what we lost, he multiplies it and makes it even better (Rev 19:6-8, Rev 21:1-4, Mark 10:29-30). 

King Coyote (2004), CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

My Application of Exodus 26

Paradise is not sitting alone, sipping lemonade on a beach with a gripping book (this is what I imagine). It is not even for me to go back to the innocence of Eden. What Jesus has given me—the knowledge of God through him—is even better. I need to believe this.

And when I believe it, I won’t be so prone to waste as much time on pathetic attempts to re-create paradise in my image, through obsessions with simple pleasures like video games or movies or social media surfing.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

God’s Subtle Work in Your Bible Reading

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Erik Raymond reflects briefly yet gloriously on “God’s Subtle Work in Your Bible Reading.” With a personal anecdote, he models how important Bible reading is, even when it doesn’t rock your world every day. The persistent work of God over time is worth the effort we put in.

Here is a taste:

Here’s the thing: God uses your regular exposure to the Word of God to mold you into the image of his Son. Your faithful reading of and meditation upon the Bible makes grooves. And the wheels of your life ride along in these tracks. You might think, What’s the big deal if I don’t read my Bible and pray today? The big deal is this, you are missing out. You are missing out on being exposed to the gloriously infinite treasure of the Scripture. And you are missing out on the privilege of God pressing down the mortar of his Word into your life with all of the force of your current circumstances and emotions. You are missing out on the supernatural compound effect of Bible reading in sanctification.

Check it out!

Exodus 25: Immanuel’s Mercy, Bread, and Light

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The covenant between Yahweh and Israel has been written down (Exodus 20-23) and enacted with blood (Exodus 24). Moses went back up on the mountain (Ex 24:18) to receive the next phase of instructions from the Creator of heaven and earth. A series of seven speeches will outline plans for a sanctuary-tent in which Yahweh will dwell among his people. With last week’s guidelines, we’re ready to dive in.

Observation of Exodus 25:1-40

Most repeated words: make (20 times), gold (17x), one (11), two (9), ark (8), branches (8), cubit (8), pure (8), rings (8)

  • The clear focus of Yahweh’s speech is on what the people are to “make.”
  • This first chapter describes a few items made primarily of gold.

The first paragraph introduces the construction project:

  • Take a contribution from people with willing hearts – Ex 25:2
  • List of materials to be contributed – Ex 25:3-7
  • But what are all these materials for? A “sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex 25:8)
  • Deep concern that they follow the blueprint for both tabernacle and furniture – Ex 25:9

James Tissot, Public Domain

The second and third paragraphs describe the first furniture piece, the ark:

  • The ark itself
    • Though we’re probably stuck forever with the unfortunate word “ark,” this thing is nothing more than a wood box covered with a layer of gold – Ex 25:10-11
    • The box has rings attached to its feet so they can carry it with poles – Ex 25:12-15
    • The purpose of the box is to hold “the testimony” – all the stuff written in Ex 20-23 about the treaty between Yahweh and Israel
  • The box’s lid
    • Another whole paragraph is dedicated to the lid that covers the box
    • The lid is called a “mercy seat” (ESV) or “atonement cover” (NIV), and its dimensions match the length and width of the box – Ex 25:17
    • Twin statues of cherubim face each other, attached to the lid, overshadowing the lid with their wings – Ex 25:18-20
    • Again, we’re told the purpose of the box: to hold the testimony – Ex 25:21
    • But there’s another purpose when the lid is in place: from above the mercy seat, God will meet with them and speak his commandments – Ex 25:22

Ori229, CC Attribution-ShareAlike

The last two paragraphs describe two more furniture pieces:

  • The table
    • Made of wood, covered in gold, slightly smaller than the box (but same height), with a rim and molding around it – Ex 25:23-25
    • The table has rings attached to its legs so they can carry it with poles – Ex 25:26-28
    • On the table go plates, dishes, flagons, bowls, and “regular” bread “of the Presence” – Ex 25:29-30
  • The lampstand
    • Pure gold (no wood), all of one piece – Ex 25:31
    • This lampstand is an artificial almond tree, with stem, branches, calyxes, and flowers – Ex 25:32-36
      • Note: This is not the traditional “menorah” we see in symbols and drawings, which won’t come along for a few more centuries. This lamp looks more like a tree.
    • The purpose of the lampstand is to cast light on the space in front of it – Ex 25:37
    • It has tongs, trays, and utensils, all made from pure gold according to the mountain-top blueprint – Ex 25:38-40

Dnalor_01, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 3.0

It’s worth also observing what’s NOT in this chapter:

  • We know they’re building a tent (Ex 25:8-9), but we don’t yet know the floor plan. So we don’t know where these furniture pieces will go.
  • We don’t know what cherubim look like. The passage assumes they knew.
  • We don’t know who will use these things.
  • We don’t know how these things will be used, other than:
    • The box holds the treaty;
    • Yahweh meets with them above the mercy seat that covers the law treaty;
    • The table gets bread on it “regularly”; and
    • The lamp casts light onto the space in front of it

Interpretation of Exodus 25

I already did much interpretation (especially the “what” questions) above under observation. So I’ll keep this section short. Some possible questions:

  1. Why does the tabernacle section begin with the list of materials?
  2. Why these materials?
  3. Why are the box, table, and lampstand the first items in the instructions?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Perhaps this is self-evident, but isn’t the first step in a building project (besides generating the plan itself) to collect the materials?
  2. Perhaps, on the surface, these are simply what they had available from their spoiling of Egypt (Ex 12:35-36). But the list of materials will be repeated (Ex 35:5-9), over (Ex 35:22-29), and over (Ex 35:30-35), and over again (Ex 38:24-31). If we are not familiar with this list of items (gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine twisted linen, onyx stones, etc.), we might miss the many allusions to them in the rest of Scripture. For example, the lovers in Solomon’s Song describe one another in tabernacle-material imagery (Song 4:1-16, 5:10-16). The merchants weep over the destruction of “Babylon” using tabernacle-material imagery (Rev 18:11-13).
  3. At this point, I don’t know. But I’ll keep in mind this question of structure as I work through the tabernacle instructions and eventually pull it all together.

Train of thought:

  • Gather the materials for a place where Yahweh can dwell with his people
  • Begin by building a box for the treaty, a place of mercy for God to meet with you, a surface for regular bread, and an implement to cast light on the operation.

Main point: For God to dwell with his people, mercy must cover the law, bread must be provided, and light must shine.

Connection to Christ: Jesus is Immanuel, God with us (as we keep the tabernacle’s big picture in mind, this idea will come up a lot, though with many facets). He provides atonement (mercy to cover the law). He is our daily bread of life. He is the light of the world.

My Application of Exodus 25

I don’t know if James had the box of the covenant in mind when he wrote “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13), but the application connects. God spoke all 10 commandments, not just one or two (James 2:10-11). The law judges and condemns us when we break it (James 2:12), especially by showing favoritism based on appearances (James 2:8-9). So “judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy,”, but “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

All these ideas are pictured in that box, housing the law treaty, but covered with a mercy seat where the people can meet with God. It’s possible to meet with God only if his mercy trumps the judgment of the law.

And if this is so in my relationship with God, so also in my relationships with others. James goes in this direction when he commands mercy toward people who are different, lowly, etc. I’m especially struck by this principle in my parenting. I respond to my children’s failures (especially when they reflect negatively on me) too often with quick judgment. But when I trust in Jesus as Immanuel (God with us), I will be much more prone to extend mercy so we can dwell together without hostility.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

5 Benefits to Reading Entire Books of the Bible in One Sitting

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Crossway recently posted 5 benefits to reading entire books of the Bible in one sitting:

  1. You’ll gain unique perspective.
  2. You’ll let Scripture speak for itself.
  3. You’ll read like a writer.
  4. You’ll read more.
  5. You’ll broaden your understanding.

Under that first point, they explain, “By taking in a larger swath of Scripture uninterrupted, you can more easily see themes or patterns in the writing, the narrative’s flow, and the context of each verse. Reading this way can be likened to getting an aerial perspective on a city as compared to your viewpoint from a single address on the map.”

Have you experienced such benefits? Have you ever tried reading the Bible at length? Crossway offers some welcome motivation.

Check it out!

Bible Study Leaders: Watch the Clock!

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watch

Jiyeon Park (2017), public domain

One of the most practical—but least expected—pieces of advice I give to Bible study leaders is to wear a watch.

I know it’s easy to keep track of time on your phone. And maybe you can consult your phone in a way that isn’t obvious or distracting. But a Bible study leader needs to monitor the time, and there’s nothing quite like a watch.

Love Each Other

As a Bible study leader, I’ve far too often lost track of time. I’ve ended the study late, put a strain on the parents in the room, and inconvenienced those for whom driving later at night is difficult.

We don’t often consider time management when leading a Bible study, but it has much to do with how well our friends learn from and apply the Bible. When we rush, we can miss the supporting truths and observations on which a solid interpretation rests. When we proceed too slowly, we risk boring our friends and ruining the interaction that is so vital to a good Bible study.

The way we structure the time within our group study can have a huge effect on the way we engage with the Scriptures. Let’s take a look at six different time-related ways we can love our group members.

1. Start on time.

Try to arrive a few minutes early and begin at the agreed-upon hour. I’m not advocating you cancel any built-in mingling and conversation time. But when it’s time for the Bible study portion of the meeting, be faithful to that committment.

2. End on time.

This is even more important than the previous point. When you’re setting up the group and inviting folks to join, make sure you allow enough time for your intended purposes. Then honor the committment your friends make to the group by ending on time.

3. Manage the other parts of the meeting.

Most small group meetings include other aspects of fellowship besides Bible study. Perhaps it’s a meal, a time for prayer, singing, or door-to-door evangelism. Try to stick to a rough schedule that everyone knows so that no one is surprised and the gathering flows as expected.

4. Plan the pacing of your study.

As you get to know your group, you’ll have a sense of their interests, their strengths, and their weaknesses. You’ll learn roughly how long it will take to discuss certain passages. As you prepare your Bible study, in addition to the questions you will ask and the applications you will raise, plan out the time. Divide your study into well-defined sections so you can press the accelerator or the brake as needed.

5. Plan time for application.

Application often comes last in our Bible studies. This makes sense, since good observation and interpretation are critical before we can engage in honest application.

But application is hard. It involves a raw look at ourselves, our group, and our church or organization, confessing our failures and pressing the truth of Scripture into those areas for obedience. It takes time.

We have to do better than tacking on a half-hearted two minutes of application to the end of our studies. To nurture application-focused discussion during which real transformation can happen, set aside at least 10 minutes for this part of the conversation.

6. Be flexible and gracious.

In advocating an eye to the clock, I’m not arguing for cold schedule-keeping. All that we do as Christians, and especially as leaders, needs to flow out of love for God and neighbor.

Sometimes love—and a sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit—demands flexibility. On a few occasions I’ve ditched my Bible study plans entirely in favor of encouraging, praying for, and lamenting with a brother or sister with a tremendous spiritual burden. People are more important than plans.

Additionally, sometimes the Spirit is at work during a group discussion when the meeting time ends. I suggest announcing to the group that the meeting is over and acknowledging that some people may need to leave. Offer to stay and continue the conversation with those who are able and interested.

Mind the Time

By keeing an eye on the time, we love and serve those in our small groups. This isn’t easy, and it is a skill we develop with experience. As you pray for your group, ask God to help you use and manage the group’s time for the group’s good and God’s glory.

How to Read the Tabernacle Narratives in Exodus

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Exodus 37:1-9, the crafting of the ark of the covenant, was the text for one of the most unusual Bible studies I’ve ever participated in. This Bible study was unusual for two reasons. First, it was attended only by pastors. And second, we had no idea what to do with the text.

While this group discussed the ark of the covenant at length, we almost completely avoided discussing the text of Exodus. We went to 2 Samuel and discussed Uzzah touching the ark. We went to the Talmud and discussed rabbinic traditions for the high priest (tying a rope to his ankle, etc.). We went to the gospels and discussed the torn veil when Jesus died. I’m sure Indiana Jones even came up.

But when it came to having a Bible study on chapter 37 of Exodus, all the standard skills went out the window. We didn’t observe the grammar or structure. We didn’t consider repeated words, connector words, or the flow of thought. We never assaulted the text with our questions, nor did we wring it for answers. Instead of studying the passage, we theologized on the theme of “ark of the covenant” and what we thought that theme meant for Christians. And our theologizing had little to do with what Exodus actually said.

If Bible-believing pastors, committed to expositional preaching, are prone to read the Exodus tabernacle narratives this way, how much more the average Christian? So before I dive into the tabernacle instructions in my study of Exodus, let me begin with a few principles to guide our reading.

1. Don’t neglect your OIA skills

You’ve learned to observe, interpret, and apply the Scripture. Though the tabernacle narratives feel alien and overwhelming, don’t let those feelings drive you to neglect what you know how to do. Your skills are even more important when the text feels unfamiliar. Don’t jump too quickly to theological rationalization, or to sloppy cross-references. Work first to understand the passage in context for its original audience; then move forward to connect it with the rest of God’s revelation.

2. Guard the main idea

Yahweh says to Moses, right near the beginning of the instructions, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex 25:8). Here is the driving motive behind the commission to build: Yahweh wants to dwell in the midst of his people. He rescued them and brought them to himself (Ex 19:4). He’s given them himself in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:20-22). Now he wants to live with them forever.

They are desert nomads, living in tents; so he will be a desert nomad, living in a tent. They will be moving around, so he will be moving around. Wherever he leads, they will follow. But he won’t lead them from afar. He wants to be right in the middle of their camp.

These tabernacle narratives give us one of the clearest pictures of Immanuel, God with us, in all the Scripture. As you read, don’t lose your wonder at the fact that a holy God would make it possible for himself to live among sinful people.

3. Visualize the details

The tabernacle was meant to be built and interacted with. It was the first “Please Touch Museum,” after a fashion—at least the outside parts of it. The original audience would have been intimately familiar with the tabernacle’s floor plan, fire escape route, and standard operating procedures. We are not, so we’re at a disadvantage.

But we have computers and study Bibles and graphic designers, which puts us at an advantage.

Don’t be afraid to look at pictures of the furniture, architecture, and garments while you read. The more you can visualize the detail while you read, the more sense it will make to you. And there’s no shame in having to look up terms like calyx, carbuncle, galbanum, or ephod.

Ruk7, Creative Commons

4. Notice the order of things

Here’s where your observation skills really come in handy. Most of the details in Exodus 25-31 (instruction) will be repeated in Exodus 35-39 (construction), but in a different order. That’s on purpose, and much of the fun is figuring out why. Why do the priest’s garments come at the center of the instruction, but the end of the construction? Why does the instruction begin with the ark, but the construction begins with the tent curtains? Why, in the instruction, is the golden altar of incense separate from the other inside furniture pieces, but in the construction they’re all together? All these observations give us clues to what the narrator wants to communicate.

5. Observe the narrative frame

I’ve seen readers and students so numbed by the voluminous detail of chapters 25-29 that they miss an obvious observation when they hit chapter 30. Right in Exodus 30:11: “Yahweh said to Moses.” And again in Exodus 30:17. And also Exodus 30:22, 30:34, 31:1, and 31:12. Combine that with Exodus 25:1, and you get seven speeches. This is a narrative about seven speeches from Yahweh to Moses.

And not only that, but the seventh speech is all about the sabbath. And the sixth speech is all about men filled with Spirit of God for the service of God. These things, in this order, should remind us of the creation of the world in Genesis 1. I’m not going to push this parallel (between specific speeches and their corresponding “days” in Genesis 1) any further now, but it’s at least a clue. And we’ll see many more clues in these chapters that connect the tabernacle with the creation of the world—suggesting that this tabernacle is a new creation. Here is God remaking the world in his image so he can live with his people in paradise.

6. Behold Immanuel

In point #1, I said that the main idea is for God to live with his people. Our reading will be incomplete if we don’t eventually get to the fulfillment of “God with us” in the person of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:22-23, 28:20, Rev 21:3, etc.).

So as we read, we want to see Jesus in the tabernacle. We won’t necessarily look for him in every socket, board, gemstone, or tent peg. But we should see him all throughout as God dwelling among his people.

The Gospel of John will be our best guide, as it begins with Jesus dwelling among us (John 1:14), it commandeers the tabernacle’s imagery to explain Jesus’ identity (light, bread, water, Lamb of God, door), it shows Jesus interceding for his people like a high priest (John 17), and it climaxes with a veritable mercy seat, the place where Jesus’ body had lain, with one angel at the head and another at the foot (John 20:12).

Armed with these guidelines, we’re ready to begin studying the tabernacle narratives.

The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed

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In “The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed,” Mark Ward shows how to observe connector words, how to ask interpretive questions, and how to follow the author’s train of thought. His study leads into rich application dealing with anger and reconciliation. This is great Bible study.

I’m about to make the greatest understatement of all time: Jesus is brilliant. By focusing my attention on my own sins, he not only helps me defuse others’ anger against me, he also defuses my anger against others. It is in remembering that I am a sinner, and a sometimes mean one, that I can have pity on others. It is in remembering that I am a forgiven sinner that I can find the strength to forgive other sinners—just like the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Check it out!