Question 1

What is the altar of burnt offering in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The altar of burnt offering is the large square altar made of acacia wood and covered with brass that stood in the courtyard of the tabernacle. Sacrifices were burned there. It had horns on its four corners, a brass grate inside about halfway up, rings and poles so it could be carried, and it was made hollow with boards. This altar was the place where the people’s offerings were laid, so it pictured coming to God through sacrifice and pointed ahead to the need for a better, final sacrifice for sin.

Question 2

Why was the laver made from the women’s lookingglasses?

Accepted Answer

The laver was a large brass basin where the priests washed before serving. It was made from the polished metal mirrors that women brought who met at the entrance of the tent. By giving up their mirrors, these women laid aside tools of personal appearance for the sake of God’s house. Their gift became a vessel for cleansing, which fits the picture of turning from self-focus and uncleanness toward purity before God. The bright metal also suited a wash basin, reminding priests that they must be clean when they serve.

Question 3

What does the court of the tabernacle show about worship?

Accepted Answer

The court was an open rectangle around the tabernacle, marked off by linen hangings, pillars, and brass sockets. It held the altar and the laver. The court shows that worship was not random but set apart. There was a clear boundary between common space and holy space. People could come near, but only in the way God set out, through sacrifice and cleansing. The fine linen and ordered layout point to purity and order in worship, and also hint that access to God, once limited, would one day be opened more widely.

Question 4

Why are the amounts of gold, silver, and brass listed in detail?

Accepted Answer

The long list of weights shows careful accounting of all that was given and how it was used. Gold, silver, and brass were not handled loosely but counted and assigned to specific parts, like sockets, hooks, and the altar. This teaches that God’s people should be honest and orderly when they handle gifts for worship. It also shows how generous the people had been, even though they had once been slaves. Both freewill gifts and required silver from each man were gathered and then rightly used for God’s house.

Question 5

Who are Bezaleel and Aholiab in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Bezaleel and Aholiab are the main craftsmen named in this chapter. Bezaleel, from the tribe of Judah, led the work and made what the Lord had commanded through Moses. Aholiab, from the tribe of Dan, worked with him as an engraver and skillful worker, doing carving and embroidery in blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. Their work shows that practical skills and art can be gifts from God, meant to be used in faithful service. They did not design their own worship, but carefully followed the pattern God had given.

Question 6

What is the silver "half shekel" mentioned here for?

Accepted Answer

The silver came from a set amount each man over twenty years old paid when counted. Each gave a half shekel, also called a bekah, so everyone had the same share, rich or poor. That money was used mainly to cast the silver sockets for the boards of the holy place and for the veil. These sockets literally held up the tabernacle. This shows that each person in the community helped support God’s dwelling among them, and that the same price for each life pointed to equal worth before God and the need of all for atonement.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

The care in this chapter shows that God is holy, orderly, and attentive to details. He did not leave worship to guesswork but gave clear measures, materials, and uses. The presence of an altar for sacrifice and a laver for washing shows that God makes a way for sinful people to draw near, but that way involves cleansing and cost. The record of gifts and workers shows that God uses the willing giving and skilled hands of His people, yet all under His command. He is both pure and gracious, both exact and patient.

Question 8

How can a modern reader apply this passage about the tabernacle?

Accepted Answer

Even though we do not build a tabernacle today, the patterns here still speak. The altar and laver remind us that we need forgiveness and cleansing, not just outward religion. The careful building and counting of materials encourage us to handle church resources with honesty and care. The women giving their mirrors and the people giving gold, silver, and brass call us to hold our own possessions loosely and offer our best to God. The skilled work of Bezaleel and Aholiab shows that everyday talents can be used in God’s service.

Exodus 38:1

And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

The Bronze Altar

The Bronze Basin

The Courtyard

An Inventory of Materials

The Bronze Altar

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Exodus 38:1

And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

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The Bronze Altar

The Bronze Basin

The Courtyard

An Inventory of Materials

The Bronze Altar

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