251 God spoke to Moses: 2 "Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. 3 These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats' hair; 5 tanned rams' skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; 6 lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; 7 onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. 8 Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. 9 You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings. The Chest
10 "First let them make a Chest using acacia wood: make it three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide and deep 11 . Cover it with a veneer of pure gold inside and out and make a molding of gold all around it. 12 Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Make poles from acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold 14 and insert them into the rings on the sides of the Chest for carrying the Chest. 15 The poles are to stay in the rings; they must not be removed. 16 "Place The Testimony that I give you in the Chest. 17 "Now make a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide. 18 "Sculpt two winged angels out of hammered gold for either end of the Atonement-Cover, 19 one angel at one end, one angel at the other. Make them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. 20 Make the angels with their wings spread, hovering over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on it. 21 Set the Atonement-Cover as a lid over the Chest and place in the Chest The Testimony that I will give you. 22 I will meet you there at set times and speak with you from above the Atonement-Cover and from between the angel-figures that are on it, speaking the commands that I have for the Israelites. The Table
23 "Next make a Table from acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one and one-half feet wide and two and one-quarter feet high. 24 Cover it with a veneer of pure gold. Make a molding all around it of gold. 25 Make the border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. 26 Make four rings of gold and attach the rings to the four legs 27 parallel to the table top. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table. 29 "Make plates, bowls, jars, and jugs for pouring out offerings. Make them of pure gold. 30 "Always keep fresh Bread of the Presence on the Table before me. The Lampstand
31 "Make a Lampstand of pure hammered gold. Make its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. 32 Give it six branches, three from one side and three from the other; 33 put three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, three on the next, and so on - the same for all six branches. 34 On the main stem of the Lampstand, make four cups shaped like almonds, with calyx and petals, 35 a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches, 36 the entire Lampstand fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold. 37 "Make seven of these lamps for the Table. Arrange the lamps so they throw their light out in front. 38 Make the candle snuffers and trays out of pure gold. 39 "Use a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories. 40 Study the design you were given on the mountain and make everything accordingly.
261 "Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it. 2 The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide. 3 Join five of the panels together, and then the other five together. 4 Make loops of blue along the edge of the outside panel of the first set and the same on the outside panel of the second set. 5 Make fifty loops on each panel. 6 Then make fifty gold clasps and join the tapestries together so that The Dwelling is one whole.
7 "Next make tapestries of goat hair for a tent that will cover The Dwelling. Make eleven panels of these tapestries. 8 The length of each panel will be forty-five feet long and six feet wide. 9 Join five of the panels together, and then the other six. Fold the sixth panel double at the front of the tent. 10 Now make fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel. 11 Make fifty clasps of bronze and connect the clasps with the loops, bringing the tent together. 12 "Hang half of the overlap of the tapestry panels over the rear of The Dwelling. 13 The eighteen inches of overlap on either side will cover the sides of the tent. 14 Finally, make a covering for the tapestries of tanned rams' skins dyed red and over that a covering of dolphin skins.
15 "Frame The Dwelling with planks of acacia wood, 16 each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide, 17 with two pegs for securing them. Make all the frames identical: 18 twenty frames for the south side 19 with forty silver sockets to receive the two pegs from each of the twenty frames; 22 for the rear of The Dwelling, which faces west, make six frames 23 with two additional frames for the rear corners. 24 Both of the two corner frames need to be double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring 25 - eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame. 26 "Now make crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, 27 five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. 28 The center crossbar runs from end to end halfway up the frames. 29 Cover the frames with a veneer of gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. And cover the crossbars with a veneer of gold. 30 Then put The Dwelling together, following the design you were shown on the mountain.
31 "Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman. 32 Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases. 33 After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies. 34 Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies. 35 Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side. 36 "Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 37 Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.
17 Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, 18 "Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. 19 They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive."
20 It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request. 21 "What do you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand." 22 Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?" They said, "Sure, why not?" 23 Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that." 24 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. 25 So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. 26 It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. 27 Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. 28 That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served - and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. 30 Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" 31 The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" 32 Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?" 33 They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!" 34 Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.
(Read Matthew 20:17-19)
Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the need of the humiliation and sufferings of the Son of God, in order to the salvation of perishing sinners, surely we must be aware of the freeness and richness of Divine grace in our salvation.
(Read Matthew 20:20-28)
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is but a cup, it is but a draught, bitter perhaps, but soon emptied; it is a cup in the hand of a Father, Philippians 1:29. But they knew not what Christ's cup was, nor what his baptism. Those are commonly most confident, who are least acquainted with the cross. Nothing makes more mischief among brethren, than desire of greatness. And we never find Christ's disciples quarrelling, but something of this was at the bottom of it. That man who labours most diligently, and suffers most patiently, seeking to do good to his brethren, and to promote the salvation of souls, most resembles Christ, and will be most honoured by him to all eternity. Our Lord speaks of his death in the terms applied to the sacrifices of old. It is a sacrifice for the sins of men, and is that true and substantial sacrifice, which those of the law faintly and imperfectly represented. It was a ransom for many, enough for all, working upon many; and, if for many, then the poor trembling soul may say, Why not for me?
(Read Matthew 20:29-34)
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves cheerfully to, the Mediator's mercy. They showed faith in prayer, by the title they gave to Christ. Surely it was by the Holy Ghost that they called Jesus, Lord. They persevered in prayer. When they were in pursuit of such mercy, it was no time for timidity or hesitation: they cried earnestly. Christ encouraged them. The wants and burdens of the body we are soon sensible of, and can readily relate. Oh that we did as feelingly complain of our spiritual maladies, especially our spiritual blindness! Many are spiritually blind, yet say they see. Jesus cured these blind men; and when they had received sight, they followed him. None follow Christ blindly. He first by his grace opens men's eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. These miracles are our call to Jesus; may we hear it, and make it our daily prayer to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
