（出25）圣所里的“家具” The “Furnishings” in the Sanctuary (Exodus 25)

(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）

Exodus 25:8 – “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”

Chapters 25 to 40 of Exodus mainly discuss the construction of the sanctuary. Many Christians may find this uninteresting, perhaps because these things seem unrelated to modern life. However, Paul said in 2 Timothy 3 that all Scripture is beneficial and instructive. This should include the chapters about the sanctuary, and it should hold true even for modern people.

So, what is the educational significance of the four “furnishings” in the sanctuary for modern Christians?

1. The Ark of the Covenant

Related Verses:

Exodus 25:16 – “And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.”
Deuteronomy 10:1-2 – “At that time, the Lord said to me: ‘Carve two tablets of stone like the first ones, and come up to me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’”
Deuteronomy 31:26 – “Take this book of the law and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.”

We can see that inside the Ark of the Covenant were the words written by the Creator, and beside it was the book of the law revealed by the Lord. Therefore, the Ark is related to the words of the Creator—the Bible.

On the cover of the Ark were two cherubim. In Hebrew, “che” means “like,” and with Aramaic, “rubim” is related to “children.” “Cherubim” has the meaning of “like children.” The faces of the cherubim resemble a boy and a girl. I think this signifies that learning the Bible requires the earnestness of children.

Thus, the educational significance of the Ark of the Covenant for Christians is the importance of studying the Bible.

2. The Table

Related Verses:

Exodus 25:30 – “And you shall set the showbread on the table before me always.”
2 Samuel 9:7 – “And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall always eat bread at my table.’”

According to Jewish tradition, the table represents kingship. The ideal Christian should also serve in kingship with the Lord.

A king administers the blessings of the Creator in material life, including managing the nation’s economy, providing for the elderly, ensuring security, etc. A Christian father works outside the home, earns money to support his family, donates to support church ministries, and helps the poor through charitable acts. All these actions serve the Lord as a king and represent the significance of the showbread table for modern Christians.

3. The Lampstand

Related Verses:

Exodus 26:35 – “And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle.”
Exodus 25:37 – “Then you shall make its lamps seven in number, and they shall light the lamps so that they give light in front of it.”
Proverbs 6:23 – “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

The lampstand and the table were placed opposite each other. Since the table’s significance involves administering the Creator’s blessings in material life, the lampstand’s significance involves administering the Creator’s blessings in spiritual life.

The lampstand was used to light lamps, and both “lamp” and “light” symbolize the teachings of the Creator—the Bible. So how does this differ from the first “furnishing”—the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the “handwritten words” of the Creator?

My understanding is that the Ark and cherubim represent *learning* the Bible, which means facing the Creator. The lampstand represents *teaching* the Bible, which means facing people, sharing the gospel with others. This also includes being a good testimony to others, as stated in Matthew 5:15-16:

“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl; instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

4. The Altar of Incense

Related Verses:

Exodus 30:1 – “And you shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.”
Exodus 40:5 – “You shall set the golden altar of incense before the Ark of the Testimony and put up the screen for the entrance to the tabernacle.”
Psalm 141:2 – “Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Revelation 8:3-4 – “Another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.”

Jews believe the altar of incense represents the priest who burns incense on it. The ideal Christian should also serve the L-rd like a priest.

We see that in both the Old and New Testaments, the priest’s incense-burning on the altar symbolizes prayer. This includes supplication, worship and praise, thanksgiving, and intercession for others. Thus, the educational significance of the altar of incense is that Christians should pray daily, just as priests burned incense on the altar daily, morning and evening.

If we compare the church to the sanctuary, then:

Sunday worship and prayer meetings in Christian fellowships resemble the altar of incense.
The church’s mission work resembles the lampstand.
The church’s logistical work resembles the table with the showbread.
Sunday school and Bible study groups resemble the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubim.

5 & 6. In addition to these four indoor “furnishings,” there were also the bronze altar and laver in the courtyard outside the sanctuary entrance.

Related Verses:

Exodus 27:1-2 – “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. You shall make horns on its four corners, and you shall overlay it with bronze.”
Exodus 40:29 – “He set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
Exodus 30:18 – “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.”
Exodus 40:32 – “Whenever they went into the tent of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

The sanctuary had only one entrance, located on the *east*, where the laver and the bronze altar were placed. The *bronze altar* was for offering sacrificed animals, and the *laver* was for washing away uncleanness.

I believe these signify that Christians must *deny their self-centered old life and live for the Creator who gave them life*. They must *repent before the Lord* and *ask for His cleansing*. Only after passing through these can they truly “enter the sanctuary” and serve the Creator properly.

相关经节：

出埃及记 – 第 25 章第 16 节

必将我所要赐给你的法版放在柜里。

申命记 – 第 10 章第 1-2 节

那时，耶和华吩咐我说，你要凿出两块石版，和先前的一样，上山到我这里来，又要作一木柜。你先前摔碎的那版，其上的字我要写在这版上。你要将这版放在柜中。

申命记 – 第 31 章第 26 节

将这律法书放在耶和华你们神的约柜旁，可以在那里见证以色列人的不是。

我们可以看到，约柜里放着造物主写的字，旁边有主启示的律法书，所以约柜与造物主的话语—圣经有关。约柜的盖子上有两个基路伯，希伯来语”基”是像的意思，联系亚兰文，“路伯”与孩子们有关。基路伯，有“像孩子们”的意思，基路伯的脸像男孩和女孩，我觉得表示学习圣经要像孩子们一样认真。所以约柜对基督徒的教育意义，是要学习圣经。

二。桌子

相关经节：

出埃及记 – 第 25 章第 30 节

又要在桌子上，在我面前，常摆陈设饼。

撒母耳记下 – 第 9 章第 7 节

大卫说，你不要惧怕，我必因你父亲约拿单的缘故施恩与你，将你祖父扫罗的一切田地都归还你。你也可以常与我同席吃饭。

（注：在希伯来语，“席”=桌子，“饭”=饼）

按犹太传统，桌子代表王权。理想的基督徒也应该与主一起作王。王在物质生活上传递造物主的祝福，包括管理国民的经济，养老，安全，等等。一个基督徒的父亲在外工作，赚钱养家，也用奉献支持教会事工，另外行善救济穷人，这些都是在为主作王，都是放饼的桌子对现代基督徒的教育意义。

三。灯台

相关经节：

出埃及记 – 第 26 章第 35 节

把桌子安在幔子外帐幕的北面，把灯台安在帐幕的南面，彼此相对。