Terumah “Offering”

Exodus 25:1 - 27:19

We left off last week, with Moses spending 40 days and nights with The Lord. During this time, Moses carved the commandments on stone tablets.

In this portion, we get the name associated with this reading. Moses is going to ask the Isrealites to make an Terumah “offering” to God. Just as we today, make an offering usually of monetary value for a fundraiser of sorts. Maybe your church is raising money for a new building, land or something that is needed for the existing building. It is amazing when we all pitch in and help, how easy it is to cover those needs. We read how God wants His people to have a willing heart when offering up something. God doesn’t want us to make Terumah an offering begrudgingly. We also read how God is specific in the things He is asking Moses to collect from the people. Moses soon comes to understand that God wants a place that he can dwell with the people. Today, we would call it a church, synagogue or place of worship. One main difference then, versus now, is that God would have His presence literally, in this place. Maybe when you walk into a place of worship, you feel the presence of God and that is a beautiful feeling. We also understand today, we can call on our Heavenly Father from anywhere. We see in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I with them”.

In the special place in the tabernacle called, the Holy of Holies, the majority of the people could not get close to God in the same sense we would feel His presence today. God continues to show us how important it is to have a relationship. Remember, God wants to dwell with His people. He spent time with Adam back in the garden; they walked together and talked together. But sin ultimately ruined that intimacy. In the Israelites journey, we now see, our perfect Father is wanting a tabernacle that He could be there, amongst His people. Only a select people will be able to get close to Him when the time was right.

God instructs Moses to build an “Ark” and He gives all the details of the size, the materials to use and even what to put inside it. We learn about the beautiful cherubim made of hammered gold and the mercy seat in which the Father would hover over. There will be an inner chamber that will hold the ark, as well as a menorah and some show bread. The 10-commandments that Moses carved on stone, are to go inside of the ark. God had also given Moses a pattern when he was on the mountain and God expected it to be exactly as He had instructed.

We continue to read about the intricate design of the inside of the tabernacle even down to the colors to be used. Utensils and parts made out of pure bronze, the tapestries made out of fine woven linens. The details of how long and wide this is supposed to be. A cubit is a measurement that God gives, we come to understand this as about 18 inches. This is no small tabernacle they are building. And the most interesting part is, this entire tabernacle is not a permanent structure. It will move along with the people as they continue on their journey. I have to imagine, the blues, reds and purples were just so magnificent to look at. The gold overlays that were hammered to conform to the shape of something had to have been like none other.

I have included a picture, obviously, this is a representation of the tabernacle, but wanted you to have an idea in your mind, to what it looked like.

Tabernacle from the time of Moses.

What a beautiful sight it had to have been on the inside. You might be wondering like me, “where did the people get all the gold, silver, bronze, etc.”? Remember, Moses had instructed the people to request such items from the Egyptians before they left and the Egyptians gladly gave the people what they asked for.

We conclude this reading at the end of chapter 27 in verse 19, we now understand how intricate and detailed our Heavenly Father is…. everything down to what the pegs were made of and what was to go inside this dwelling place. We will pick up next week with only a few verses left in chapter 27, and we will see God giving instructions to the Israelites for having a light that will continuously burn. Then we come to understand the order of what God expects of this beautiful tabernacle.