And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
Exodus 39:15 records the skilled fashioning of twisted, wreath-like chains of pure gold for the ends of the breastplate of the priestly garments. It belongs to the account of the movable wilderness sanctuary built after the Exodus from freewill offerings exactly according to the pattern God showed Moses on Sinai. Those chains fastened the high priest's most sacred vestment, the breastplate of judgment set with twelve stones bearing the names of the tribes of Israel. That breastplate represents Christ the great High Priest bearing every repentant believing soul upon His heart. The earthly sanctuary and its service were a type and object lesson of the true heavenly tabernacle and Christ's priestly work to forgive sin, with the wearing of the breastplate in the atonement shadowing the investigative judgment of the house of God.
Sanctuary Setting and Construction
Exodus 39:15 stands in the chiefly legislative second division of Exodus, chapters 19-40, in which the ransomed people were bound to Jehovah by solemn covenant and given a system of legal ordinances for guidance. More particularly it belongs to the building and setting up of the sanctuary in chapters 33-40, and to chapters 35-40 which relate the preparation and fitting of the Tabernacle. That work came immediately after the events of chapters 19-32 in chronological order and carried out the sanctuary instruction given to Moses on the mount in chapters 25-31. The Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year from the Exodus.
The verse belongs to the detailed account of the worldly, wilderness sanctuary built in Moses' time after Israel came out of Egypt at God's command. It was a movable dwelling-place built from free-will offerings so that He might dwell among His people. It was made exactly and explicitly according to the pattern and directions God showed Moses on the mountain at Sinai. The instructions given in Exodus 25-31 were carried out in Exodus 35-40 in the record of the sanctuary's construction and furnishings, to which verse 15 belongs.
The verse gives one detail of those furnishings in the skilled making of the priestly garments, that chains for the breastplate were made at its ends of pure gold in twisted, wreath-like form. Its account of such fine goldwork is consistent with evidence that sophisticated goldworking and jewelry-making existed in the ancient world long before the Exodus. The verse belongs to the completed work upon which wonderful blessing and glory came down upon the congregation and the building. The completed work and inauguration of the sanctuary were accompanied by God's glory, showing His acceptance of the people's repentance.
The wilderness tabernacle described in Exodus 39 was later replaced by Solomon's temple. In both buildings worship centered on the holy of holies, where the law of God rested beneath the mercy seat. The sanctuary was the dwelling place God asked Israel to make after leading them out of Egypt so He might dwell among them and reveal more fully His great love. In it He unfolded the plan of redemption first shown from Eden to the Exodus in the simple offering of a lamb for sin upon an altar of rough stones with the father of each family acting as priest and mediator.
The verse falls within the laws given through Moses, which include moral, ceremonial, civil, health, and other laws, not only the Ten Commandments. These laws also include the offerings, sacrifices, and types through which the substance of the new dispensation is traced from the shadows of the old.
Breastplate Meaning and Ministry
The chains of twisted pure gold were fastened at the ends of the high priest's breastplate. That breastplate was his most sacred vestment, the breastplate of judgment set with twelve stones carrying the names of the tribes. It signifies Christ as the great High Priest bearing every repentant and believing soul upon His heart. Its wearing to bear Israel in the tenth-day atonement of the house of Israel foreshadowed the investigative judgment of the house of God, so that atonement was in a certain sense a day of judgment.
The making here recorded belongs to the earthly sanctuary and its service, which were a pattern and object lesson of the heavenly sanctuary and Christ's priestly work. That worldly tabernacle served as a type and shadow of the true heavenly tabernacle. It pointed to Christ and His power to forgive sin, though earthly things could not represent heavenly things perfectly.
Exodus 39:15 records the skilled fashioning of twisted, wreath-like chains of pure gold for the ends of the breastplate of the priestly garments. It belongs to the account of the movable wilderness sanctuary built after the Exodus from freewill offerings exactly according to the pattern God showed Moses on Sinai. Those chains fastened the high priest's most sacred vestment, the breastplate of judgment set with twelve stones bearing the names of the tribes of Israel. That breastplate represents Christ the great High Priest bearing every repentant believing soul upon His heart. The earthly sanctuary and its service were a type and object lesson of the true heavenly tabernacle and Christ's priestly work to forgive sin, with the wearing of the breastplate in the atonement shadowing the investigative judgment of the house of God.
Sanctuary Setting and Construction
Exodus 39:15 stands in the chiefly legislative second division of Exodus, chapters 19-40, in which the ransomed people were bound to Jehovah by solemn covenant and given a system of legal ordinances for guidance. More particularly it belongs to the building and setting up of the sanctuary in chapters 33-40, and to chapters 35-40 which relate the preparation and fitting of the Tabernacle. That work came immediately after the events of chapters 19-32 in chronological order and carried out the sanctuary instruction given to Moses on the mount in chapters 25-31. The Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year from the Exodus.
The verse belongs to the detailed account of the worldly, wilderness sanctuary built in Moses' time after Israel came out of Egypt at God's command. It was a movable dwelling-place built from free-will offerings so that He might dwell among His people. It was made exactly and explicitly according to the pattern and directions God showed Moses on the mountain at Sinai. The instructions given in Exodus 25-31 were carried out in Exodus 35-40 in the record of the sanctuary's construction and furnishings, to which verse 15 belongs.
The verse gives one detail of those furnishings in the skilled making of the priestly garments, that chains for the breastplate were made at its ends of pure gold in twisted, wreath-like form. Its account of such fine goldwork is consistent with evidence that sophisticated goldworking and jewelry-making existed in the ancient world long before the Exodus. The verse belongs to the completed work upon which wonderful blessing and glory came down upon the congregation and the building. The completed work and inauguration of the sanctuary were accompanied by God's glory, showing His acceptance of the people's repentance.
The wilderness tabernacle described in Exodus 39 was later replaced by Solomon's temple. In both buildings worship centered on the holy of holies, where the law of God rested beneath the mercy seat. The sanctuary was the dwelling place God asked Israel to make after leading them out of Egypt so He might dwell among them and reveal more fully His great love. In it He unfolded the plan of redemption first shown from Eden to the Exodus in the simple offering of a lamb for sin upon an altar of rough stones with the father of each family acting as priest and mediator.
The verse falls within the laws given through Moses, which include moral, ceremonial, civil, health, and other laws, not only the Ten Commandments. These laws also include the offerings, sacrifices, and types through which the substance of the new dispensation is traced from the shadows of the old.
Breastplate Meaning and Ministry
The chains of twisted pure gold were fastened at the ends of the high priest's breastplate. That breastplate was his most sacred vestment, the breastplate of judgment set with twelve stones carrying the names of the tribes. It signifies Christ as the great High Priest bearing every repentant and believing soul upon His heart. Its wearing to bear Israel in the tenth-day atonement of the house of Israel foreshadowed the investigative judgment of the house of God, so that atonement was in a certain sense a day of judgment.
The making here recorded belongs to the earthly sanctuary and its service, which were a pattern and object lesson of the heavenly sanctuary and Christ's priestly work. That worldly tabernacle served as a type and shadow of the true heavenly tabernacle. It pointed to Christ and His power to forgive sin, though earthly things could not represent heavenly things perfectly.