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Free Will Offering
Exodus 25:2 “Speak to the children of Yisrael, that they take up a contribution for Me. From everyone whose heart moves him you shall take up My contribution”. Another translation says “You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give”. This is called a Free Will Offering. Remember the Israelites just came out of Egypt and has been freely given all the spoils of Egypt. They don’t have to give anything, except what in their heart “moves them”.
For our cultures today we do not necessarily understand the meaning of offering, and that is mostly because we do not have a Temple or Tabernacle to do them. But for YHVH the main thing is not the sacrifices! It is the HEART. Hosea 6:6 “For I delight in kindness/mercy and not slaughtering, and in the knowledge of Elohim (to know YHVH) more than burnt offerings.” And in Hosea 14:2 “Take away all crookedness, and accept what is good, and we render the bulls (offerings) of our lips“. If you have nothing to give, you always have the offerings of your lips (praises) to give.
Hosea 14:9 “Who is wise and understands these words, discerning and knows them? For the ways of יהוה are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors/rebellious stumble in them.”
Atonement Lid vs. Mercy Seat
Exodus 25:17 “And you shall make a lid of atonement of clean gold”. Some translations say “mercy seat” – but nowhere in the original hebrew does those two words exist together. Instead, the original hebrew word is “KAPORET” H3727 – kapōreṯ – which translates to an “atonement covering“. It is a cover over for sin. It is not something to “sit” on.. but rather something to cover. The word “Atonement” immediately points to the Day of Atonement (Lev 16).
The root word for Kaporet is KAPAR H3722 – kāp̄ar, which means : make atonement for, reconciliation, forgive, cleanse, to cover over.
Cherubs of gold
Exodus 25:18 “And you shall make two keruḇim of gold, make them of beaten work, at the two ends of the lid of atonement”. Perhaps one might question immediately, what about the 2nd commandment, that we are not allowed to make carved idols or statues? So the answer is, this is first of all a command from YHVH Himself, and the Cherubim are for Him. The Israelites didn’t decide for themselves to make the Cherubim. And secondly, the people are certainly not to worship the gold statues.
The Ark
WHAT IS IN THE ARK?
Exodus 25:16 “And into the ark you shall put the Witness which I (will) give you”. The WITNESS is the Laws/Instructions/Tablets with commandments on.
Some translations use Testimony. It is YHVHs’ Testimony. It is the witness of the covenant in writing.
Now in the new testament, the book of Hebrews we have been taught the following: in the ark is the rod of Aaron, the manna and the tablets. Hebrews 9:4 “and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that held the manna, and the rod of Aharon that budded, and the tablets of the covenant”. However, according to the Scriptures, Exodus 25:16, which we just read, as well as 1 Kings 8:9 & 2 Chronicles 5:10 “There was naught in the ark, only the two tablets of stone which Mosheh put there at Ḥorĕḇ, where YHVH made a covenant with the children of Yisrael, when they came out of the land of Mitsrayim”. First of all, it is unknown who wrote the book of Hebrews, but if you read the original scripts, it is not clear if it is meant where it says “in which” – if it is in the room or in the ark. But Scripture cannot disagree with each other, therefor it can only mean all those objects were there (but not “in” the ark).
WHERE IS THE ARK TODAY?
Just like the Tabernacle that was destroyed, and no more offerings can take place, so also the Ark mysteriously disappeared. But consider this prophecy from Jeremiah 3:16 “And it shall be, when you have increased, and shall bear fruit in the land in those days,” declares YHVH, “that they no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of YHVH.’ Neither would it come to heart, nor would they remember it, nor would they visit it, nor would it be made again.”
Table and Lampstand
THE BREAD:
Exodus 25:30 “And you shall put the showbread on the table before Me, continually”. The original word for “showbread” is Bread (H3899 – leḥem) of Presence (H6440 – pānîm). Bread represents Life, like the Manna He provided, and Yeshua is also the Bread of Life, and the Scriptures are also the Bread of Life. So YHVHs’ life giving Presence is continually with us.
THE LAMPSTAND / MENORAH:
The main purpose of a lampstand is to give Light. The Hebrew word is Menorah H4501 – mᵊnôrâ. The root word for menora is MANOR, which is a type of beam or yoke (like used for animals in plowing). Immediately this reminds me of Yeshuas’ words on His Yoke. The other root word in NIR, which means a glistening/sparkling light.
The Menorah is the most ancient symbol of the Israelites, and was used for depictions to recognize or symbolize the Israelites. (Not the star of David, which only first appeared after the Resurrection of Yeshua, and was only adopted by the Jews in the 19th century. Nowhere in scripture is there a mention of the star of David).
IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES / PROPHECIES:
Levitical Priests Duties:
| Exo 24-27 Setting up of Tabernacle, free willofferings |
| Exo 25:30 Daily bread |
| Exo 27:21 Menorah daily lit with virgin olive oil, from evening until morning |
