Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 08 February 2020

Another quiet day here.  We're still mostly in recovery mode, I'm pretty well "there" and she seems to be headed in that direction.  So we shall see.  I guess.
Lots of thoughts and meditations on the state of the world, the state of our area, and, our own conditions and direction.  Not all of it is terribly encouraging.

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I put this here using the Holman CSB version, primarily because of its use of dimensional terms familiar to most readers: few of us measure in cubits for example.  Note the very specific directions given.  These constructions were to be performed precisely as directed, not any which way, no room for "creative approaches".


Exodus 27

The Altar of Burnt Offering

1“You  are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, 7 1/2 feet long, and 7 1/2 feet wide;  it must be 4 1/2 feet high.  2Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns are to be of one piece.  Overlay it with bronze.  3Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze. 4Construct a grate for it of bronze mesh, and make four bronze rings on the mesh at its four corners. 5Set it below, under the altar’s ledge,  so that the mesh comes halfway up  the altar. 6Then make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain. 

The Courtyard

9“You  are to make the courtyard for the tabernacle. Make the hangings on the south of the courtyard out of finely spun linen, 150 feet  long on that side. 10There are to be 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands  of the posts must be silver. 11Then make the hangings on the north side 150 feet  long. There are to be 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands  of the posts must be silver. 12Make the hangings of the courtyard on the west side 75 feet  long, including their 10 posts and 10 bases. 13Make the hangings of the courtyard on the east side toward the sunrise 75 feet.  14Make the hangings on one side of the gate 22 1/2 feet,  including their three posts and their three bases. 15And make the hangings on the other side 22 1/2 feet,  including their three posts and their three bases. 16The gate of the courtyard is to have a thirty-foot  screen  embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts including their four bases.

17“All the posts around the courtyard are to be banded with silver and have silver hooks and bronze bases. 18The length of the courtyard is to be 150 feet, the width 75 feet at each end, and the height 7 1/2 feet,  all of it made of finely spun linen. The bases of the posts must be bronze. 19All the tools of the tabernacle for every use and all its tent pegs as well as all the tent pegs of the courtyard are to be made of bronze.

The Lampstand Oil

20“You are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning continually. 21In the tent of meeting outside the veil that is in front of the testimony,  Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp  from evening until morning before the Lord. This is to be a permanent statute  for the Israelites throughout their generations.

Exodus 28

The Priestly Garments

1“Have your brother Aaron, with his sons, come to you from the Israelites to serve Me as priest — Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.  2Make holy garments  for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty. 3You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen,   whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron’s garments for consecrating him to serve Me as priest. 4These are the garments that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a specially woven tunic,  a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests. 5They should use  gold; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; and fine linen.

The Ephod

6“They  are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. 7It must have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges so that it can be joined together. 8The artistically woven waistband that is on the ephod  must be of one piece,  according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen.

9“Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of Israel’s sons: 10six of their names on the first stone and the remaining six names on the second stone, in the order of their birth. 11Engrave the two stones with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them, surrounded with gold filigree settings. 12Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder.  13Fashion gold filigree settings 14and two chains of pure gold; you will make them of braided cord work, and attach the cord chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece

15“You  are to make an embroidered breastpiece for making decisions.  Make it with the same workmanship as the ephod; make it of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. 16It must be square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.  17Place a setting of gemstones  on it, four rows of stones:

The first row should be a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald; 

18the second row, a turquoise,  a sapphire,  and a diamond; 

19the third row, a jacinth,  an agate, and an amethyst;

20and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.

They should be adorned with gold filigree in their settings. 21The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

22“You are to make braided chains  of pure gold cord work for the breastpiece. 23Fashion two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two corners. 24Then attach the two gold cords to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece. 25Attach the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings, and in this way attach them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in the front. 26Make two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. 27Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,  and above the ephod’s woven waistband. 28The craftsmen are to tie the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the ephod’s waistband and does not come loose from the ephod.

29“Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. 30Place the Urim and Thummim  in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

The Robe

31“You  are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. 32There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that of body armor  so that it does not tear. 33Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn  on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around, 34so that gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe. 35The robe must be worn by Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exits, so that he does not die.

The Turban

36“You are to make a pure gold medallion and engrave it, like the engraving of a seal: 

HOLY TO THE LORD.

37Fasten it to a cord of blue yarn so it can be placed on the turban; the medallion is to be on the front of the turban. 38It will be on Aaron’s forehead so that Aaron may bear the guilt  connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate as all their holy gifts. It is always to be on his forehead, so that they may find acceptance with the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments

39“You are to weave the tunic from fine linen, make a turban of fine linen, and make an embroidered sash. 40Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons to give them glory and beauty.  41Put these on your brother Aaron and his sons; then anoint,  ordain,  and consecrate  them, so that they may serve Me as priests. 42Make them linen undergarments  to cover their naked bodies; they must extend from the waist  to the thighs. 43These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt  and die. This is to be a permanent statute  for Aaron and for his future descendants.