Joe Mullin points out the inversion in the “thou shalt make” and the “And he made” details of the Tabernacle furniture and the Tabernacle structure, but asks why the altar of burnt offering (27:1 and 38:1) incense altar (30:1 and 37:25) and laver (30:18 and 38:8) do not fit this pattern. Any thoughts?
“Thou shalt make…”
A
- Ark 25:10-16
- Mercy seat 25:6-9
- Table of shewbread 25:23-30
- Lampstand 25:31-39
B
-
- Curtains 26:1-6
- Goats hair covering 26:7-14
- Boards 26:15-25
- Bars 26:26-29
- Vail 26:33-35
- Hanging for door of outer court 26:36,37
“And he made…”
B’
-
- Curtains 36:8-13
- Goats hair covering 36:14-19
- Boards 36:20-30
- Bars 36:31-34
- Vail 36:35,36
- Hanging for door of other court 36:37,38
A’
- Ark 37:1-5
- Mercy seat 37:6-9
- Table of shewbread 37:10-16
- Lampstand 37:16-24
In 1895 Robert Roberts, “pondering whether there can be anything in this apparently needless duplication of details” went on to write
““There is a natural difference between the order in which divine purposes are revealed, and the order in which they are executed. The glorious upshot of the whole work was first revealed to Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”. But before this came a long history of curse and woe. The kernel of the matter first: afterwards, the outer fringe of related matters. This appears to be the order of the “thou-shalt-make” series of specifications, while the “and-he-made” series reverses this order, giving the related matters first, and the kernel last, as the order observed in the fulfilment of the purpose requires … which is in harmony with the fact that in historic evolution, the inside of matters comes last in realisation, though first in promise .”
This is something I have been pondering for a while …
Might this altered order show a shift in the relationship between YHWH and His people after the Golden Calf incident?
In 35:10, after the Golden Calf, the instruction to “make” is again given. Sections A and B from the originals instructions (ch 25) are combined and told in the same order as Section A with the altered order of the incense, altar, and basin appearing in 35:15-16.
Interestingly, these are the elements needed by the Priest to prepare him/cover him before coming into YHWH’s presence.
Consider this possible chiastic:
Altar (27:1)
Incense (30:1)
Basin (30:18)
Oil (30:25)
Sabbath (31:13)
Tablets (31:18)
– Golden Calf (32)
Tablets (34:1)
Sabbath (35:1)
Oil (35:8)
Incense
Altar
Basin