Commentary - Exodus 26:31-35

Bird's-eye view

This passage details the construction and placement of the great veil, the central divider within the Tabernacle. This is not just interior decorating; it is applied theology in fabric and gold. The veil establishes the most fundamental distinction in the old covenant system of worship: the separation between a holy God and sinful man. It cordons off the Holy of Holies, the throne room of Yahweh on earth, from the Holy Place. This separation is not arbitrary but is a vivid, physical sermon on the impassable gulf created by sin. The veil itself, with its rich materials and embroidered cherubim, speaks of the glory and unapproachability of Heaven. The subsequent arrangement of the furniture, the Ark within and the Table and Lampstand without, further defines the nature of worship under the old covenant. Access to God's immediate presence was barred, guarded by angelic figures, and could only be approached on the strictest of terms. The entire setup cries out for a solution, a mediator, a High Priest who can finally tear this barrier down.

The New Testament reveals that this veil was a magnificent foreshadowing of the body of Jesus Christ. Its tearing at the moment of His death was not a random act of vandalism but a world-altering announcement that the way into the true Holy of Holies, the presence of God in Heaven, was now thrown open for all who come by faith in Him. This passage, therefore, is essential for understanding both the problem of sin and the glorious, all-sufficient solution found in the gospel.

Outline

Context In Exodus

These instructions come in the heart of the second major section of Exodus. The first half of the book deals with God's mighty redemption of Israel from Egypt, a historical deliverance. This second half, beginning on Mount Sinai, details the establishment of Israel as a worshipping nation. God has saved them, and now He is teaching them how to live with Him in their midst. The Tabernacle is the central piece of this instruction. It is God's tent, pitched in the center of Israel's camp, signifying His covenant presence with His people. The preceding chapters have laid out the plans for the Ark, the Table, the Lampstand, and the overall structure of the Tabernacle. This passage comes at a crucial point, defining the internal geography of this sacred space. It establishes the gradient of holiness that will govern all of Israel's worship until the coming of Christ.

Key Issues

The Torn Curtain

When we read these detailed instructions, it is easy to get lost in the threads and acacia wood and miss the thunderous theological point being made. This veil is a barrier. It is a "Do Not Enter" sign hung by God Himself. Its primary message is one of separation. Sin has created a chasm between man and God, and in the old covenant, that chasm was represented by a ten-cubit-high curtain. The Holy of Holies was where God's presence dwelt, symbolized by the Ark of the Testimony, and no ordinary person could ever enter it. Even the High Priest could only pass through this veil once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and then only with the blood of a sacrifice and the smoke of incense, lest he die.

But for us, who live on this side of the cross, the most important thing about this veil is that it was torn. When Jesus cried out "It is finished!" and gave up His spirit, the veil in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matt 27:51). The tearing was from top to bottom, signifying that this was an act of God, not of man. Man could never claw his way into God's presence. God had to rip the barrier away Himself. The book of Hebrews tells us plainly that the veil represented Christ's flesh (Heb 10:20). Through the tearing of His body on the cross, He opened up a new and living way for us to enter boldly into the very presence of God. This passage in Exodus, then, shows us the majesty of the problem, so that we can appreciate the even greater majesty of the solution.

Verse by Verse Commentary

31 “You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful designer.

The construction of the veil is described first. The materials are precious and significant. Blue speaks of the heavens, the sky, the transcendent realm of God. Purple was the color of royalty, befitting the court of the Great King. Scarlet points to blood, sacrifice, and life. And the fine twisted linen speaks of purity and righteousness. These are the very elements of the gospel woven together. But the most striking feature is the cherubim. These are not chubby babies with wings. Cherubim in Scripture are awesome, powerful angelic beings who guard the holy presence of God. They were stationed at the entrance to Eden to bar Adam and Eve from the tree of life (Gen 3:24). Their presence here on the veil serves the same function: they are guardians of the divine glory. This is not a welcoming curtain; it is a formidable barrier, a wall of angelic power, skillfully designed to communicate the unapproachability of a holy God.

32 You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also being of gold, on four bases of silver.

The magnificent veil is not self-supporting. It hangs on four pillars. The number four often signifies the earth, or the created order. The pillars are made of acacia wood, a durable wood from the wilderness, speaking of Christ's incorruptible humanity. But they are overlaid with gold, signifying His divinity. These pillars stand on bases of silver, the metal of redemption, likely made from the atonement money of the people (Exod 30:16). So you have a picture of the work of Christ. The separation between God and man is upheld by a structure that speaks of redemption and the divine-human person of the Mediator. Even the barrier points to the one who will ultimately remove it.

33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and you shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the holy place and the Holy of Holies.

Here is the explicit function. The veil is a divider. It creates two distinct rooms within the one Tabernacle. The inner room is the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place. The outer room is the holy place. The veil is the boundary. Inside the veil is the ark of the testimony. The testimony refers to the two tablets of the law kept inside the ark. The ark is God's footstool, His throne on earth. So the veil separates the throne room of God from the place of priestly service. It creates a gradient of holiness, teaching Israel that while God is with them, His immediate, unfiltered presence is too holy for sinful people to endure.

34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies.

Inside the most holy room, on top of the ark which contained the law, was the mercy seat. This was the solid gold lid of the ark, with two cherubim facing each other, their wings overshadowing it. This was the place of atonement. The law within the ark testified to Israel's sin and demanded justice. But once a year, the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat, and God's wrath against sin would be propitiated. God would look down upon His law through the blood of the substitute. The throne of judgment became a throne of mercy. This is the heart of the entire system, the holiest object in the holiest place, hidden behind a guarded veil.

35 You shall set the table outside the veil and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.

Now we move back outside the veil, into the Holy Place. Here, the priests would conduct their daily service. On the north side was the table of showbread, holding twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel living in fellowship with God. On the south side was the golden lampstand, providing light for the sanctuary, a picture of the light of God's Word and Spirit. These two pieces of furniture speak of the life of the people of God: fellowship and illumination. But notice their location. They are outside the veil. The priests could minister in the light of the lamp and before the bread of the presence, but they could not go past the curtain. Their service was always performed at a distance from the immediate presence of God's glory.

Application

The modern Christian often has a tragically casual view of God. We talk about waltzing into His presence as if it were a coffee shop. This passage is a strong corrective. It teaches us the profound holiness of God and the gravity of our sin. We should not read this and thank God that we are not like those poor Israelites, kept at a distance. We should read this and realize that this is what our sin deserves: absolute separation, guarded by cherubim. Without Christ, that veil is still there for us.

But the application is not to cower in fear, but to rejoice in Christ. Because of His death, that veil has been torn to shreds. The way is not just cracked open; it is wide open. Hebrews tells us to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb 10:22). We are not priests serving in an outer court. We are sons and daughters invited to come boldly to the very throne of grace. The cherubim are not there to block our way, but are now fellow worshipers with us. We have access to the very mercy seat, not once a year, but at any moment. This is the radical, world-changing reality of the new covenant. We should therefore approach God with reverence and awe for His holiness, but also with profound gratitude and confidence because the veil of His Son's flesh was torn for us.