Leviticus 23-25 Holy days and holidays

Leviticus 23 and 25

These chapters are an outline of the different festivals through the year, I know that I tend to be a tad outspoken on my views on secular takes on religious festivals (like Christmas, Easter and Halloween (or all saints eve), but the idea of holidays is quite clearly in the Bible.

For starters, one day in 7 is a day off for all people (52 days a year). the Sabbath or  7th day is a day of holiday.

Passover and unleavened bread- this is a week long celebration of the events we have looked at in Exodus, there are 2 additional days off in this week.This is in March/April

First fruits  is the ceremonial first sheaf of harvest and early summer (May/June), time off is not mandatory on this one as there is a lot of work to be done

Weeks (this is 7 weeks after first fruit) is the mid/end of harvest - we are probably around the end of July, we have a day of no work and a celebration of the end of harvest with an injunction not to go back and glean, harvest the edges, pick up anything dropped it is to be left as social security for the poor and destitute.

Festival of turmpets is in September and has a day of no working - these days it is celebrated as Jewish New Year, The name comes from an injunction to blow on horns around the land in celebration.

Day of atonement - this is another day of no work (or eating) this is in September or October (The Jewish calender is lunar based and does not always follow the Gregorian calendar that we use.

Festival of Shelters starts 5 days after the day of atonement and lasts for 8 days.
In this festival Jews remember the time living in the desert and live in temporary shelters and there are 2 additional days off in this festival.

Chapter 25 has a couple of more, non annual events - every 7th year is to be a year where no agriculture is carried out - no planting, tending or harvesting, the land is to be left fallow for the year, you can only eat what is stored or what grows wild this year.
In Medieval times in the UK they had a 4 year cycle in the fields and one year was always a year of rest for that field.

Every 50 years is a Jubilee, this time the land is to be returned to the family that owned it before the last Jubilee. This only applies to land, and houses in the country, houses in a walled city can be bought back for a year, then the sale is final.

There is a question from the open letter to Dr Laura here - in Leviticus it says that Israelites can own slaves but not from their own people - the question is asked (by an American) "Why can't I own Canadians?"

For me the whole issue of slavery needs to be looked at with the benefit of hindsight - slavery has been illegal in the UK for more than 200 years and the church has preached against slavery as long ago as 1435 (and probably before) - slavery was common in the ancient world, but slaves were not to be harmed or maimed and if they were they were to be given their liberty in compensation. and a slave was still regarded as a person and killing a slave was murder in the Bible. 

Chapter 24 seems a bit misplaced here - Some of the duties of the priests are outlined, tending the lamps would be a 24 hour job and every day fresh bread is presented (and eaten by the priests)   

The next bit is a man who used God's name in a curse during an argument, interestingly they do not do anything immediately but ask God.

God's judgement seems a bit harsh to me, the last human touch the guy has is the people who heard him blaspheme put their hands on his head, and he is then executed by stoning

We then get the famous "Lex Talionis" An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life.
In any person is harmed by your deliberate action, the same happens to you.

Leviticus 21-22 Organised religion

Leviticus 21 and 22 cover rules for priests

Because the priests job is to present the offerings of the people to God and as such their duty to God has to come first 

A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for anybody apart from a close family member (immediate family only, family by marriage is not allowed)

Priests are not allowed to shave their heads or beards nor cut themselves, or profane in the name of God.

They are restricted on who they can marry (Catholic priests must mostly abstain from marriage to this day)

A priest's daughter may not become a prostitute - children of clergy who are married often either follow into faith or the totally rebel and turn completely against religion - but burning them seems a bit extreme, hopefully this is not burning alive, which is really horrific.

The High priest (Who alone is allowed to go into the most holy areas of the temple) has to remain ceremonially clean even if an immediate relative dies - this seems extreme to me.

One question in the open letter to Dr Laura is covered at the end of chapter 21 - Does God require that only able bodied priests are allowed to offer sacrifices at the alter?
His particular question is does a priest have to have 20:20 vision?

According to the Bible bodily deformity (damaged hand, foot, lame, blindness deafness) mean that a priest may not offer sacrifices - note these unfortunate people may still eat the meat of the sacrifice along with everybody else so they have a means of support.

Chapter 22 starts with respect for the sacrificial animals, any priest who is ritually unclean who comes to make a sacrifice will lose his job.

The rules on leprosy, and other things that make one ceremonially unlean also applies to the priest, who must bathe and remain unclean for the rest of the day. This could be a big deal as he is not allowed to eat any of the sacrificial meat or bread.

There are rules regarding who is allowed to eat the holy food, If somebody who is not allowed eats by accident he must add 20% to what he eat.

The rest of the chapter basically says that God demands the best, unblemished animals for sacrifice, lame, blind and deformed are not allowed as the regular sacrifice.
However a freewill offering is allowed to be deformed, but if you promise to sacrifice an animal you are not allowed to substitute another animal , if you do God will expect both.

Leviticus 20 crime and punishment

Leviticus 20

This chapter contains a lot of penalties covering quite a few offences that carried the death penalty - 

In the UK (along with most of the EU) does not actually have the death penalty and it seems to me that the death penalty is barbaric and it seems to me that we cannot return life if there is a miscarriage of justice, so we should not be too hasty to take life in pursuit of justice.

Among the things that are forbidden are 

Killing your children or sacrificing them to Molech.

Anybody who curses their parents 

Adulterers (of both genders)

Incest 

Homosexuals

bestiality

Mediums and sourcerers.

Now, as mentioned we do not have the death penalty but at least 3 of this list are illegal, (Killing your children, incest, and bestiality) at least one is socially unacceptable, and I personally do not believe in communication with the dead or witchraft.

Take a tip, if you want to consult the stars, or bits of card etc to tell your future, what the heck, why not talk to the maker!

Leviticus 19 Various laws

Leviticus 19

This chapter has a number of laws regarding different things.

Many of them are in the 10 commandments 
The rule about mixed crops and mixed fibres and cross breeding are in this chapter, which reminds me - another of the question to Dr Laura was on this.
Reading the letter it seems that the writer thinks that they should be put to death for this, but when I read the Bible there is no penalty for planting two crops, or mixed fibres.

I guess having 2 crops in the field will make pests more likely and be difficult to harvest.

There are some odd rules that orthodox Jews still obey - about trimming the edges of their beard and the hair at the sides of the head, not sure when the edges of my beard are.

Tattoos are not permitted - is this perhaps why the Nazis tattooed Jewish concentration camp inmates?

The question from the letter to Dr Laura where the writer wants to sell his daughter is not really answered here but selling your family members into prostitution is strictly forbidden.

There are some welfare laws too - do not curse the deaf, or make obstacles for the blind, don't harbour a grudge - get it out of you system, do not oppress strangers or foreigners. Use fair, honest and accurate measures in your business.

Also justice must be impartial favouring neither the rich nor the poor.

The rules of the harvest are interesting - leave gleanings for the poor and needy. This would have been important to the poor.

Leviticus 18 Sex

Leviticus 18 

There are a number of sexual couplings that are forbidden in the Bible, most of them are to do with Incest and relations within the family.
For example the comedy song "I'm my own Grandpa" they break verse 15!

The close family taboos are still current to this day by the way.
The injunction in verse 21 is interesting - Do not sacrifice your children. I believe that child sacrifice in the ancient near east was extremely common as was leaving unwanted babies to die. This is strictly forbidden in the old Testament with a philosophy that life is sacred.

Verse 22 is the injunction to to lie with a man as one does with a woman. 

There was a case in the news a couple of years ago where tribal elders made a man caught in a compromising position with a goat marry the animal.
sex with animals is forbidden in this chapter.

It is slightly telling that Leviticus spends the first 7 chapters on how to make offerings at the alter, but less than a chapter on forbidden sexual practices. 
Whatever else it may be, so far the Bible does not seem to be obsessed with sex.

Leviticus 17 Blood

Leviticus 17

In this chapter it says that any sacrifice of animals must be at the at the designated place at the entrance of the tabernacle, and that it must be carried out by the ordained priest.
The reason for this is to stop random people heading off and making sacrifices to any old god in the fields.
In fact anybody slaughtering an animal is guilty of bloodshed.
This is hard to relate to in the modern world but was obviously quite important at the time.

Eating blood is forbidden, which means that Black pudding is not allowed (though given that this particular dish is made from pork, it probably does not matter!). But in fact, non Jews are not constrained by the Jewish food laws, so my full English breakfast is safe (apart from the calories and fat! - everything is relative!)

There is an interesting dichotomy here, where blood is strictly forbidden and the Christian communion service where wine is drunk to represent the blood of Christ. I will re-visit this when we get to the gospels (promise)

Also it seems that animals that are attacked by wild animals or die of natural causes are forbidden, I suspect road kill may fall under this category? I don't know on that. If anybody knows a Rabbi who can answer this, feel free to leave a comment, I would like to know (not that I am going to eat road kill)

Leviticus 16 Atonement and scapegoats

Leviticus 16

Yom Kipur (the day of atenement) is set up in this chapter.

Basically once a year nobody is to do any work and the priest makes an offering to atone for the sins of the people (and the priest) they also re-consecrate the alters, and it is the one day in the year that anybody (The high priest) is allowed into the most holy part of the temple or tabernacle.

Another thing in this chapter is the origin of the scapegoat – in the ritual the priests lay hands on a goat and confess all the sins of the people. The goat Is then taken out to the wilderness and released carrying all the sins of the people with it.

It is interesting that nobody is allowed to work this day – even slaves and foreigners.

Leviticus 12-15 of mildew, fungus and skin disease

Leviticus 12-15

Cleanliness is next to impossible it seems, there are many rules here about clean and unclean in these few chapters,

Among the rules are purification after childbirth chapter 12 – which I decline to comment on.

Skin disease covers most of chapter 13 – Leprosy is a highly contagious disease which is a real danger that humanity has had to face for centuries .

Being a bit thin on top I like verse 40 – If a man loses his hair, he is still clean though he is bald.

The rest of chapter 13 is concerned with mildew and fungal infection in clothes – perhaps this is connected with the theory that the death of the first born in Egypt may have been connected to eating damaged food as there was not good food left.

Chapter 14 concerns what happens if one is cured of leprosy – Jesus instructs lepers to follow these instructions when he healed them.

Chapter 15 is about bodily discharges. Given that these are usually quite icky I think I’ll ignore this. A.J Jacobs in his book “My year of living Biblically” got into rather hot water when he tried to follow verse 19! 

Verse 19 is referred to in another question in the open letter to Dr Laura. 

I have to say that I honestly don't know, but since I am single it does not bother me. I don't actually suppose that this law ever really applied to strangers in any case. 

Leviticus 11 is it kosher?

Leviticus 11

Clean and unclean animals are defined in this chapter – which makes me wonder how Noah knew which was which way back in Genesis?

Basically Jews are allowed to eat the following –

Animals with a split hoof and chew the cud, fish with fins and scales, Birds (with exceptions of birds of prey, the hoopoe and bats), Limited insects (Grasshoppers, locusts and crickets)

By the way, before the critics jump in with "Bats are not birds" and "Spiders are not insects" observation, we are fully aware that bats are mammals not birds, perhaps “flying creatures” would be a better translation and Spiders are not insects, perhaps "Crawling creatures" would be a better tranlation

.

Note – animals with paws are not allowed as food, nor are lizards ,reptiles, rats etc.

Pork is forbidden as they are not ruminants , camels are forbidden as they do not have a split hoof.

Basically if it is not clean, touching a dead body will pass unclean to anything it touches.

The Kosher rules are not necessarily applicable to non-Jews, and there may not be any particular reason for these rules, observant Jews believe that God gave the Kosher laws to set Jews apart from the surrounding cultures.

While I think on this chapter there are 2 questions from the letter to Dr Laura asked in this chapter - let us look at them

Question - are shellfish as much an abomination as homosexuality? 

My answer would be - what is the penalty for eating unclean food compared to the penalty for homosexuality? Also I notice that ANY violation of God's law is wrong and nobody has ever lived up to the whole law, except (Christians believe) Jesus Christ.

The early church (As well as Jewish scholars) had a debate about what Jewish Laws are univerally applicable and which are only for the Jewish nation, in the end the came up with very few universal laws that are actually illegal in most countries anyway! One set of laws that were deemed to not be applicable to non-Jews are the food laws. The advice to new non-Jewish Christians was don't eat food sacrificed to Idols, which is a relief as I quite like a bacon buttie!

The other question refers to touching unclean animals and football.

My answer is yes, football should be banned and thank you for the opportunity to say this, however this is due to my extreme prejudice against the game of football. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, "I find football very educational, if it on the TV I go into another room and read a book!" 

However I know that I am in a minority whose soft spot for football is actually quicksand. But if you insist on playing, you will be pleased to know that most footballs now are made of synthetic materials which are are not unclean, besides which, unless you are playing some approximation to the British game the only person to handle the ball in play is the goalkeeper and he wears gloves! The rest of the players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands- there is a clue in the name here FOOT BALL!

Leviticus 10 Fire!

Leviticus 10

How quickly things go wrong – newly ordained priests Nadab and Abihu decide that they can improve on the special incense recipe that God instructed them to use, and that is only to be used in the tabernacle for the worship of God.

This "strange fire" being burned is a breaking of God's command and demonstrates a lack of respect for God.

Again fire blazes forth from God’s presence but this time both Nadab and Abihu are burned alive.

Aaron, the father of Nadab and Abihu has been set apart as Holy to God and is not allowed to touch the bodies, mourn outwardly, or leave the precints of the Tabernacle.

To my mind this is rather unfair, on Aaron the man, more than that, I am from a protestant tradition of Christianity that does not believe that we must approach God through the mediation of a priest, or rather Jesus is our "high priest" and his followers form a priesthood of all believers.

This means that I don’t believe in a human priest who has to intercede with God for me, which is really what Aaron and his sons were there to do.

The brilliant book “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett has a major character, Prior Philip, who in my mind comes across as the kind of guy I would like to know. 

Anyway Philip explains that, as monks, they are supported by the community and one of their duties is to hold services and pray for souls, and that is effectively their job.

I have to say I can understand, and appreciate, this. 

I am glad that there are communities of Monks and Nuns and priests around who do still pray for the world and the care of souls. 

The unfortunate priests bodies are carried out of the tabernacle by uncles, and cousins of the dead priests

There are other things that are expected from priests – do not drink wine before service, they are to recognise what is clean and unclean and teach the people as spiritual leaders.

On this day the regular sin offering is completely burned up, while the instruction were that part of it was to be used to sustain the priests. 

Moses was angry but Aaron explains that it simply did not feel right to eat from the people’s offering on the day that his sons died for not keeping the commandments by offering “Strange fire” to God.

Leviticus 9 Priestly duties

Leviticus Chapter 9

Aaron and sons are now fully ordained and set apart as priests, and the chapter describes the 5 animals sacrificed - a calf for Aaron and sons, a lamb as a burnt offering and goat for a people's sin offering, an ox and a ram as fellowship offerings along with a grain offering.

The sacrifice of animals like this seems very odd today, though even today orthodox Jews will ensure their meat is kosher, which means that it is slaughtered in a ritual manner by a rabbi. 
I guess as a meat eater I don't think I can take any kind of moral high ground on the subject of animal sacrifice, though I prefer free range and humanely slaughtered over factory farmed to whom death may have been a relief.

On their first day on the job, fire comes out from God’s presence and burns up the offerings on the alter, which elicits celebration and worship from the general populous.

Leviticus 8 ordination

Leviticus Chapter 8

I’ve been to a few ordination and induction services and many of them last several hours, but this takes it to a whole new level – it takes 7 days to ordain Aaron and his sons.

They are dressed in the special priestly garments (described in detail in Exodus) anointed with oil, offer sacrifices to God on their own behalf a bull as a sin offering, a ram as an ordination offering and a ram as a burnt offering and ordination offering, and offerings for the people.

Leviticus 1-7 burnt offerings

Leviticus 1-7

These chapters deal with giving animals or grain to God in sacrifice 7 chapters on burning things! (which is why I don't really want to spend a week on these chapters.)

The First question in the open letter to Dr Laura is from this chapter - "When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?"

There appears to be an answer to this question in these chapters – A person must bring a sacrifice to the designated alter of God and the descendants of Aaron must make the offering to God. it is strictly forbidden for anybody apart from an ordained priest from the family of Aaron to sacrifice at any place that is not the tabernacle or temple in Jerusalem. Neither of which exist any more.

Sorry letter writer, but I think the smiting may come your way!

These days we do not really approve of animal sacrifice, though the long history of bloodsports that only fairly recently have become illegal in the UK would seem to indicate that some people are not totally averse to animal sacrifice in the name of entertainment or sport. 

There are various type of ceremony dealt with – burned offerings, peace offering, sin offering, guilt offering and ordination offering.

A sin offering is designed to make a person right with God if they refuse to give testimony, touching something unclean, or make a foolish promise that you cannot fulfil.

A guilt offering seems to be for slightly more serious crimes, such as dishonest trading, taking lost property and lying in court

In all these cases the priest is given some of the offering as his payment but with instruction that the offering must be treated as holy.

Exodus 35-40 building projects.

Exodus 35-40

These chapters describe the fabrication of everything in chapters 25-31, roll on Leviticus.

The materials used included 

Nearly a tonne of gold (that is about a family saloon car weight)

Nearly 3.5 tonnes of silver (small ltruck)

2.4 Tonnes of bronze 

Plus several hundred square metres of cloths, wood precious gems, incense, olive oil and so on.

It is also notable that anybody who felt moved to donate was able to do so, men and women, rich and poor - it was a real community project.

The description at the end of the book is that when God moved from the tabernacle, the camp broke up and followed him, when he stayed, they did too.

Well, dear readers, we are now 2 books down with 64 to go.

The next 3 books form the remainder of the Torah or Law

Biblical law has been rather attacked from certain quarters over the years, I'd like to share the following  

Dr Laura Schlessenger converted to Orthadox Judaism and earned the ire and censure of the Canadian media when she announced on her TV show that she believed that homosexual lifestyle is wrong.

The following is an open letter to Dr Laura and it appeared on the web and went viral in about 2000

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.

I plan to note these laws as we come to them and perhaps include an open response to this letter once I've studied the law in a bit more detail.

Stay tuned, Leviticus tomorrow!

Exodus 34 Reflected Glory

Exodus 34

New stone tablets are prepared and God shows himself to Moses with the introduction of “The LORD , the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Which is a bit long for a passport in my opinion.

God gives instruction not to enter into treaties with the inhabitants of the promised land, re-iterates some of the commandments and required assemblies.

This time when Moses comes down from the mountain the people are still being well behaved but also his face is shining from the presence of God.

From this time, it seems that Moses wore a veil most of the time as his face reflected God, which tended to dazzle the ordinary people.

Exodus 33 Known by name

Exodus 33

Following on from the unholy mess that the Israelites made in the last chapter, God tells Moses and the Israelites to move on, he will give them the land as promised but he will not travel with them as they are likely to provoke him to anger and God might wind up killing them.

This rather upsets the Israeilites who go into mourning and stop wearing all their jewellery (at least all that is left after the golden calf).

Moses has set up a tent of meeting outside the camp where he meets with God and people seeking guidance or justice can go. 

There was a custom associated with this - when Moses went out of the camp they would all stand at the door of their tents until Moses went into the tent of meeting.

God would show up as a pillar of cloud to meet with Moses.

It is a bit interesting that Moses actually lives in the camp and is part of the community, but Joshua son of Nun (Moses Padawan*) lives full time in the tent of meeting.

The second half of the chapter is a bit more bargaining with God - God has told Moses that to lead the people to the promised land, but you have not told me any details Moses understands that God has called him by name and looks with favour on him. Moses also reminds God that he has chosen all the people 

God tells Moses that he will go with him, 

Moses responds basically If you don't come with all of us, we don't want to go.

God replies that he will go with Moses. I assume that if the Israelites wish to tag along that will be acceptable as well.

Moses then asks God to show him his full glorious presence.

God says that he will cause his glorious presence to pass by Moses, but no mortal can see the full Glory of God and live. God hides Moses in a cleft in the rocks protects Moses by covering the cleft with his hand and Moses is allowed to see God from the back

As a Christian I believe that God does call people by name. There are references in the Bible to names being written in the "Book of life" 

*Padawan - Jedi for Apprentice from Star Wars.

Exodus 32 Golden livestock

Exodus 32

Moses is up the mountain receiving the laws of God, written in stone by God’s own hand.

Meanwhile the people of Israel have got bored and decide the 10 commandments they heard with their own ears really don’t apply and they encourage Moses brother, Aaron, to make them some alternative gods.

Aaron takes their gold and melts it down into a golden calf. Breaking the first 2 of the 10 commandments right off, oh well, 2 down 8 to go!

Once they start ignoring God, it seems that morality goes out of the window as well as “they indulge in eating, drinking and revelry”

I think it is quite funny that God then tells Moses in verse 7-8 that the people that he (Moses) bought out of Egypt have become corrupt. 

God then tells Moses to leave him alone and he will destroy all the Israelites and form a new nation from Moses

Moses, it turns out, is another of the people in the Bible who can negotiate with God on the basis of his relationship. Moses pleads with God that in the eyes of Egypt it would look like God was not able to carry through on his promise, and also the promises God made to Abraham and Isaac.

In this case Moses actually persuades God to spare all the people, though trouble will still happen.

Moses heads down the mountain, meets up with Joshua and they hear the sounds coming from the Israelite camp. Joshua thinks it sounds like war, Moses says it is not victory or defeat, but singing.

Moses sees the calf and the dancing and he throws the tablets (hand written by God no less) to the floor smashing them to pieces.

He then melted the golden calf in the fire, throws the ashes into water and made the people drink it.

Aaron then shows his iron will and nerves of steel – “I threw the gold into the fire and a calf came out” sorry that should be jelly will and nerves of soft cheese!

Moses then calls out for volunteers to serve God. His relatives (the Levites) rally and go through the camp with swords and kill about 3000 people.

Exodus 25-31 - What to talk about up a mountain for 40 days

Exodus 25-31

These chapters I am not going to go into detail about – they are detailed instructions on how the “tabernacle” or Tent of meeting and all furnishings for God’s dwelling with his people.

It is often a lot easier to draw a picture of the items being discussed.

Fortunately there are a few websites where they have actively modelled the items described in these chapters.

http://berean-to-berean.com/virtual-tabernacle-tour/

and http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/default.htm 

If you have these on the screen and read the chapter you can see what the writer is trying to get at.

All this stuff takes 40 days to discuss

This structure and the contents really are stunning

The chapters describe the tabernacle, everything in it, materials of construction, dimensions, basically all that is needed.

It describes the priestly garments – what the heck is an “Ephod?”

It also tells us who will make all this stuff, how to ordain a Jewish priest, and how to make sacred anointing oil and incense.