Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Exodus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
God’s Identity and Power
Redemption and Deliverance
The Covenant
Mediators and the Priesthood
Summary
Analysis
The LORD tells Moses to tell the Israelites—all those “whose hearts prompt them”—to bring an offering. The offering should be of gold, silver, and bronze; of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen; leather, acacia wood, oil, spices, and gems. With these items, the people are to build God a sanctuary, so that he can dwell among them.
Chapter 25 is the beginning of a long section in which God gives Moses detailed instructions for worship. The end result will be a sanctuary, or tabernacle, where the people can meet with God even in the midst of their desert journey. The materials for God’s tabernacle will be voluntarily given by the people themselves. Presumably, some of these materials were those “plundered” from the Egyptians before the exodus.
Themes
God gives Moses specific instructions for the building of the tabernacle. First, they should build an ark out of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. They should also make golden rings and poles by which the ark may be carried. The covenant will be placed inside the ark.
The sanctuary, or tabernacle, should first include an “ark,” or a throne for God. This will be the holiest part of the tabernacle. Eventually, the ark will contain the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written (hence the better-known phrase Ark of the Covenant). The ark should be portable for the journey.
Themes
They must also make a mercy seat of gold. At its two ends should be golden cherubim, their wings overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim should be facing each other. The mercy seat should be on top of the ark. God will meet with the people, speaking to them from above the mercy seat and between the two cherubim on the ark of the covenant.
The “mercy seat” is essentially a cover for the ark. Cherubim were depicted in ancient art as winged, lion-like angels with human faces, often guarding sacred places. Their presence on the ark indicates the great holiness of this location: the spot from which God will address humanity.
Themes
They should also build a table out of acacia wood. It, too, should be overlaid with gold and carried by means of golden poles. They should also make dishes for incense and bowls for drink offerings, all these out of gold. The bread of the presence should always be set on the table before God.
The “holy place” (outside the most holy place that houses the ark of the covenant) contains several golden items. One of them is the table for the bread of the presence. The following book of the Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, stipulates that 12 flat loaves of bread (representing Israel’s 12 tribes) should always be kept on this table.
Themes
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Finally, they should make a lampstand of gold. The lampstand should have six branches going out of it, three on each side. The cups on the branches should be shaped like almond blossoms. There should be seven lamps on the lampstand, throwing light in front of the lampstand. All of these things should be made according to the pattern God shows to Moses on the mountain.
The golden lampstand, the second gold item in the holy place, serves to light the tabernacle while the priests minister there. Its treelike shape is probably meant to symbolize the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 3).
Themes
