Exodus 39:5
And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
The curious band that fastened the ephod was made as one piece with it, of the same skilled work in gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. It belongs to the building and setting up of the wilderness tabernacle, the earthly sanctuary and center of Israel's worship, which was erected on the first day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus according to the instruction first given to Moses in the mount. That sanctuary was made to be God's dwelling among His people after their deliverance from Egypt, to reveal His love more fully and to carry forward the plan of redemption in a great object-lesson of salvation beyond the simple family altar service from Eden to the Exodus. Its furnishings, dimensions, materials, and priestly garments were wrought by divinely endowed workmen exactly after the pattern shown to Moses, and when examined it was found to have been done as the Lord commanded. When the work was finished as directed, blessing and glory rested upon the congregation and the house, showing God's acceptance, and its ceremonial types remain to be remembered that the substance of the new dispensation may be traced through the shadows of the old.
Wording and Historical Setting
The band that fastened the ephod was made of the same stuff and in the same manner as the ephod itself, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. Such careful detail agrees with the high skill of ancient workers in gold and in linen. The statement stands inside the long account of the building of the wilderness tabernacle given in Exodus 25-40 and running to the end of the book. That tabernacle was the worldly sanctuary first pitched in the wilderness as a dwelling place that God might dwell among His people, and as the earthly center of Israel's worship, centering on the holy of holies where God's law rested beneath the mercy seat, with its dimensions, material, furnishings, and all made exactly according to the directions given to Moses in the mount.
The instruction about the sanctuary given to Moses in the mount in Exodus 25-31 was followed in chronological order by the building and setting up of the sanctuary in Exodus 33-40, continuing the sequence from Exodus 19 until the tabernacle was set up. This places the verse in the preparation and fitting of the tabernacle. That tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus.
Purpose and Faithful Obedience
The sanctuary to which the curious girdle belonged was made as God's dwelling place among His people, and the same pattern continued from the wilderness sanctuary to the temple built by Solomon. It was asked of Israel after He had led them out of Egypt so that He could dwell among them to reveal His great love more fully. In this it carried forward the unfolding plan of redemption beyond the simple service that reached from Eden to the Exodus, when a lamb was offered for sin on an altar of rough stones with the father of each family acting as priest and mediator.
Given after Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the marvelously beautiful sanctuary structure was a great, multiple object-lesson comprehending the great plan of salvation. It was built by workmen specially endowed by God according to the divine pattern given to Moses in the mount. The verse belongs to the laws God gave through Moses, which include ceremonial laws and types as well as moral laws and other statutes and judgments. These laws are to be remembered so that the substance of the new dispensation can be traced through the shadows of the old.
The sanctuary with its furnishings, dimensions, and materials was made according to the pattern God showed Moses, so that the Lord's directions were explicitly carried out. The completed work was submitted to Moses, who confirmed that it had been made as the Lord commanded and according to the true pattern. The girdle of the ephod, with all the furniture, equipment, and service garments, was made just as God directed.
When the building was completed, wonderful blessing and glory came down upon the congregation and the building. The manifestation of God's glory at the inauguration of the sanctuary and its services, made according to His instructions, showed His acceptance of the people's repentance.