Bird's-eye view
In this section of Exodus, we are not reading a mere inventory or a set of architectural blueprints. We are witnessing the obedient and tangible construction of God's house among men. After the great sin with the golden calf and the subsequent renewal of the covenant, the people have brought their offerings with willing hearts, and now Bezalel and the other craftsmen get to work. These verses detail the construction of the outer court, the boundary fence that separated the holy ground of the tabernacle from the common ground of the wilderness. This is the first thing an Israelite would encounter. Before you could get to the bronze altar, before the laver, and certainly before the Holy Place, you had to pass through this perimeter. It was a visible, textile declaration that God is holy and that man is not. The court established a necessary and gracious separation, defining the space where a holy God would meet with a sinful, yet redeemed, people. The materials used, the dimensions, and the very existence of this court are all preaching the gospel in advance.
The structure is a rectangle of white linen, held up by pillars of bronze and silver, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding desert. It creates an enclosure, a sacred space. This is not just about keeping stray animals out; it is about teaching Israel, and us, that one does not simply wander into the presence of the Almighty. An approach must be made, and it must be on God's terms. The court itself is a type, a pattern of a greater reality. It is the initial step in the great drama of redemption, a picture of the Church in the world, and a foreshadowing of the person of Christ, who is the only way to the Father.
Outline
- 1. The Construction of God's Perimeter (Ex 38:9-20)
- a. The Southern and Northern Walls (Ex 38:9-11)
- b. The Western and Eastern Walls (Ex 38:12-15)
- c. The Materials of Separation (Ex 38:16-17)
- d. The Gate of Approach (Ex 38:18-19)
- e. The Foundation Pegs (Ex 38:20)
Context In Exodus
Exodus 38 comes in the final section of the book, which is dedicated to the actual construction of the tabernacle. Chapters 25 through 31 gave the divine instructions, the heavenly blueprint that Moses received on the mountain. Then, in chapters 32 through 34, we had the disastrous episode of the golden calf, a rebellion that threatened to nullify the entire project. But God, in His mercy, renewed the covenant. In chapters 35 and 36, the people responded with overwhelming generosity, bringing the materials for the work. Now, from chapter 36 through 39, we see the obedient execution of God's commands. The craftsmen, filled with the Spirit, are building exactly what God told them to build. This chapter, then, is a demonstration of covenant faithfulness. God gave the pattern, and the people are following it. This obedience is the necessary backdrop for the glorious entry of God's presence that will fill the completed tabernacle in chapter 40.
Key Issues
- The Principle of Sacred Space
- The Symbolism of the Materials (Linen, Bronze, Silver)
- The Court as a Type of Christ and the Church
- The Relationship Between Divine Command and Human Obedience
- The Importance of the Gate
The White Fence of Holiness
When God sets up His house in the middle of a fallen world, the first thing He does is put up a fence. We live in an egalitarian age that despises boundaries and distinctions. Our modern impulse is to tear down all the fences. But the God of the Bible is a God who makes distinctions. He separates light from darkness, land from sea, clean from unclean, and the holy from the profane. The court of the tabernacle is a massive, visible statement of this foundational truth. The fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits long on the north and south sides, fifty on the west and east, formed a brilliant white barrier against the grimy wilderness. This linen speaks of righteousness. From the outside, the first thing you saw of God's dwelling place was a wall of pure righteousness. This was not a "come as you are and stay as you are" invitation. It was a declaration that the God who dwells within is perfectly righteous, and any approach to Him must deal with that fact.
This fence was not hostile. It had a gate. But it did establish the terms. You don't get to God on your own terms. You don't get to define holiness for yourself. God defines it, and He graciously provides the way in. The court is therefore a picture of the visible church. It is the gathered community, separated from the world, defined by the righteousness of Christ. It is not a perfect community, just as the court contained the bronze altar where sin was dealt with. But it is a defined community, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, called out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Verse by Verse Commentary
9 Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits;
The work begins. Bezalel, the Spirit-filled craftsman, gets down to the task of making the court. The first element mentioned is the hangings, the curtains that form the wall. They are made of "fine twisted linen." This material, in Scripture, consistently points to righteousness and purity (Rev 19:8). The wall surrounding God's presence is a wall of righteousness. The dimensions are significant, a hundred cubits long. This is not a small, private chapel; it is a substantial enclosure, establishing a large perimeter for the service of God.
10 their twenty pillars, and their twenty bases, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
This wall of righteousness does not just float in the air. It is held up by a solid structure. There are twenty pillars, and these pillars stand in twenty bases made of bronze. Bronze in the tabernacle speaks of judgment. It is the metal of the earth, the metal that can withstand fire. The altar where sin is judged is made of bronze. So here we have the foundation of the court, the part that connects to the ground, made of the metal of judgment. The righteousness of God, represented by the linen, is upheld by pillars that are grounded in the reality of divine judgment against sin. You cannot have God's righteousness without God's justice. But then notice the progression. The hooks and bands on the pillars, the points of connection for the linen, are made of silver. Silver is the metal of redemption, the price of a life (Ex 30:11-16). So we have a structure founded on judgment (bronze), pointing to redemption (silver), which upholds the standard of righteousness (linen).
11 For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
The north side is a mirror image of the south side. This is not a haphazard construction. It is orderly, symmetrical, and precise. God is not the author of confusion. His dwelling place, and by extension His church, is to be characterized by order and design. The repetition emphasizes the stability and completeness of the enclosure. The message of righteousness upheld by judgment and redemption is declared on both sides of the court.
12 For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.
The west side, the back of the tabernacle enclosure, is fifty cubits wide, half the length of the sides. The number of pillars and bases is correspondingly halved to ten. The pattern of bronze bases and silver hooks and bands remains consistent. The entire perimeter is constructed according to this same theological grammar. Behind the Holy of Holies, this wall stands as a solid, unbroken barrier of righteousness.
13 For the east side toward the sunrise fifty cubits.
The east side is where the entrance is located. This is significant. The entrance to Eden was on the east, guarded by cherubim after the fall. The entrance to the tabernacle, and later the temple, is always from the east, "toward the sunrise." This looks forward to Christ, the rising sun, the dayspring from on high who comes to give light to those who sit in darkness (Luke 1:78-79). The way back to God's presence is from the east, reversing the direction of Adam's exile.
14-15 The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases, and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.
The fifty cubits of the eastern side are not a solid wall. They are broken up to accommodate the gate. On either side of the gate, there is a section of linen curtain fifteen cubits long, supported by three pillars in three bases. This totals thirty cubits of curtain and leaves a twenty-cubit opening for the gate itself. The structure is symmetrical and balanced, drawing attention to the central importance of the entrance.
16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen.
This verse serves as a summary statement, reinforcing the dominant visual feature of the court. From every angle, what one saw was this uniform wall of white linen. The righteousness it represents is comprehensive, surrounding the entire dwelling place of God. There are no gaps, no back doors, no sections made of a lesser material. The standard of holiness is consistent and absolute.
17 The bases for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver; and the overlaying of their tops were of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands.
Here again, the materials are summarized and a new detail is added. Not only were the hooks and bands silver, but the tops of the pillars were also overlaid with silver. This means that from a distance, an Israelite would see a wall of white linen, and gleaming above it would be the silver capitals of the pillars. Redemption is the crowning reality of this structure. While it is founded on the bronze of judgment, it is crowned with the silver of redemption. This is the gospel in architecture. We are saved from judgment by a redemptive price, and this is what makes a righteous standing before God possible.
18 The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court.
Now we come to the entrance. Unlike the plain white walls, the gate is a colorful screen, a work of artistry. It incorporates blue (the heavens, divinity), purple (royalty), and scarlet (blood, sacrifice), woven into the same fine linen (righteousness). These are the same materials used for the curtain into the Holy Place and the veil before the Holy of Holies. This tells us that the gate is not just a hole in the fence; it is part of the tabernacle's essential nature. The way in is through a provision that speaks of heaven, kingship, and sacrifice, all grounded in righteousness. This is a magnificent portrait of Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way." He is the divine King who shed His blood to give us His righteousness.
19 Their four pillars and their four bases were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver.
The beautiful gate is held up by four pillars. The structure is consistent with the rest of the court: bronze bases, silver hooks, and silver overlays. Even this glorious, colorful entrance is grounded in the same truths of judgment and redemption. There is no other way into God's presence. The way of the cross is beautiful and glorious, but it does not bypass the justice of God; it satisfies it.
20 All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.
Finally, we have the pegs. These were the tent stakes that secured the entire structure to the ground. They held the tabernacle and the court firm against the desert winds. And they were all made of bronze. The entire dwelling of God, this portable Eden, was staked to the earth with the metal of judgment. This reminds us that God's holiness is not an abstract, floating concept. It is firmly grounded in the reality of His righteous judgment. The security and stability of our entire system of worship rests on the fact that God has dealt with sin justly. Because of the cross, where judgment was poured out on Christ, the church is immovably secured in the world.
Application
It is easy for modern Christians to read a passage like this and see only a collection of tedious details about an obsolete religious tent. But to do so is to miss the point entirely. Every detail here is preaching the gospel. The court of the tabernacle teaches us that God is holy and we are not, and that a boundary exists between us and Him because of our sin. This is a truth our culture desperately needs to hear. We cannot just saunter into a relationship with God. The fence is real.
But the good news is that there is a gate. The gate is beautiful, woven with the colors of deity, royalty, and blood. That gate is Jesus Christ. There is one way to the Father, and it is through Him. His righteousness is the fine linen that clothes us. His blood is the scarlet thread of our redemption. His kingship is the royal purple that defines our new identity. His divinity is the blue of heaven brought down to earth.
And the structure of our salvation is secure. It is founded on bronze bases, meaning that God's judgment on sin has been fully satisfied at the cross. It is crowned with the silver of redemption, the price Christ paid for us. And it is held fast by bronze pegs, meaning our security is not in our own strength, but in the unshakeable reality of God's justice met and satisfied. We are to live as a court people, a community separated from the world not by our own righteousness, but by the brilliant white righteousness of Christ that surrounds us. We are to be a holy enclosure in the midst of the wilderness, pointing all to the one glorious Gate through which they may find life.