Exodus 26:1
“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The instructions specify that the cherubim are "skillfully worked into" the curtains, not embroidered on afterwards, meaning the figures were woven directly into the fabric itself. This "cunning work" highlights an intricate artistry meant to be seen and appreciated as part of God's dwelling.
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, His dwelling place among the Israelites. This begins with the inner covering, a series of ten intricately woven curtains made of fine linen and colored threads, adorned with figures of cherubim. These curtains would be joined together to form a single, magnificent inner tent that covered the sacred space.
God's presence is not confined to heaven, but He desired a dwelling place among His people. This wasn't a simple tent, but a masterpiece reflecting heavenly realities.
The instructions for the Tabernacle reveal a profound truth: God, who dwells in unapproachable light, desired to dwell with His people. The Hebrew word for Tabernacle, 'mishkan,' directly means 'dwelling place.'
Divine Design
This wasn't a building constructed from random materials; it was a deliberate, divinely orchestrated masterpiece, a physical manifestation of God's desire to be near His people.
Beyond the beauty, every thread and figure in the Tabernacle's curtains held deep significance. What truths were woven into this sacred fabric?
The specific colors and the imagery of cherubim were not accidental. They served as visual aids, teaching profound theological truths to those who encountered them.
Symbolism in the Threads
Understand the original words
mishkan · Hebrew Noun
A portable sanctuary where God manifested His presence among His people in the Old Testament; it symbolizes God's dwelling with humanity.
yeriyah · Hebrew Noun
A decorative fabric or textile used in the construction of the tabernacle; represents the beauty and holiness of God’s dwelling place.
shesh · Hebrew Noun
High-quality, white linen, often associated with purity, righteousness, and the holiness required to enter God's presence.
keruv · Hebrew Noun
Celestial beings attendant to God, symbolizing His holiness, glory, and protective presence; their presence in the tabernacle signifies it as the throne room of God on earth.
This passage describes the cherubim directly, showing their likeness and their role in God's heavenly throne room, mirroring the cherubim woven into the Tabernacle's curtains.
1 Kings 6:29This verse describes the interior walls of Solomon's Temple, also adorned with carved cherubim, linking the Tabernacle's design to the later, more permanent dwelling place of God.
Hebrews 9:23The New Testament author explicitly states that the earthly Tabernacle was a 'copy and shadow of the heavenly things,' highlighting that the intricate design, including the cherubim, pointed to a greater reality in heaven.
Exodus 25:18This earlier verse introduces the cherubim for the Ark of the Covenant, establishing their significance before they are incorporated into the curtains, emphasizing their connection to God's presence and mercy seat.
John 1:14The concept of God dwelling among His people is beautifully fulfilled in Jesus, the Word made flesh, echoing the Tabernacle's purpose as God's dwelling place, but in a far more intimate and personal way.
clarkeExodus 26:1: "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them."
Thou shalt make the tabernacle - משכן mischan, from שכן shachan, to dwell, means simply a dwelling place or habitation of any kind, but here it means the dwelling place of Jehovah, who, as a king in his camp, had his dwelling or pavilion among his people, his table always spread, his lamps lighted, and the priest…
calvinExodus 26:1-37: "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them."
And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Facies quoque, laqueolos hya cinthinos in ora cortinae unius in extremo in conjunetione: et sic facies…
The instructions specify that the cherubim are "skillfully worked into" the curtains, not embroidered on afterwards, meaning the figures were woven directly into the fabric itself. This "cunning work" highlights an intricate artistry meant to be seen and appreciated as part of God's dwelling.
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, His dwelling place among the Israelites. This begins with the inner covering, a series of ten intricately woven curtains made of fine linen and colored threads, adorned with figures of cherubim. These curtains would be joined together to form a single, magnificent inner tent that covered the sacred space.
God is giving Moses detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, His dwelling place among the Israelites. This begins with the inner covering, a series of ten intricately woven curtains made of fine linen and colored threads, adorned with figures of cherubim. These curtains would be joined together to form a single, magnificent inner tent that covered the sacred space.
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These elements combined to create a tapestry of God's character and His plan for His people—His holiness, His royalty, His sacrifice, and His presence.
"“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them." — The instructions specify that the cherubim are "skillfully worked into" the curtains, not embroidered on afterwards, meaning the figures were woven directly into the fabric itself. This "cunning work…
