Exodus 27:9-21

Oil for the Lamp

Read the passage

9You are also to make a courtyard for the tabernacle. On the south side of the courtyard make curtains of finely spun linen, a hundred cubits long on one side,

10with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and silver hooks and bands on the posts.

11Likewise there are to be curtains on the north side, a hundred cubits long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12The curtains on the west side of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide, with ten posts and ten bases.

13The east side of the courtyard, toward the sunrise, is to be fifty cubits wide.

14Make the curtains on one side fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases,

15and the curtains on the other side fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases.

16The gate of the courtyard shall be twenty cubits long, with a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It shall have four posts and four bases.

17All the posts around the courtyard shall have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases.

18The entire courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely spun linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases.

19All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, including all its tent pegs and the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be made of bronze.

20And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.

21In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites for the generations to come.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

God describes the courtyard around the tabernacle: a rectangle a hundred cubits long and fifty wide, enclosed by linen curtains. A broad embroidered curtain marks its entrance on the east. Posts, bases, hooks, and even tent pegs are included in the instructions. The sanctuary will have a defined place within Israel's camp.

Then God turns from construction to continuing care. The Israelites must bring pure pressed olive oil, and Aaron and his sons must tend the lamps in the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil, from evening until morning. This work is to continue through the generations.

Building the sanctuary will not finish Israel's responsibility. The people who supply the oil and the priests who tend the lamps have different tasks, but both are needed. God makes worship part of their continuing life together, with responsibilities that return after the excitement of building is over.

Questions

1 What surrounds the tabernacle, and where is its entrance?

AnswerA courtyard enclosed by linen curtains surrounds it. The entrance is on the east side and has an embroidered curtain of colored yarn and fine linen.

2 Who supplies the oil, and who tends the lamps?

AnswerThe Israelites bring pure pressed olive oil. Aaron and his sons tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning, outside the veil in the Tent of Meeting.

3 Does the work end when the sanctuary is built?

AnswerNo. God establishes the care of the lamps as a lasting responsibility. Worship requires ongoing provision and service, as well as the initial building work.

4 What could help our family continue reading Scripture after a busy week interrupts us?

AnswerWe can choose a workable time, keep the reading within reach, and begin again without treating a missed day as failure. A shared habit is easier to sustain when everyone can help.

What This Means for Us

The lamps teach that worship includes the work of sustaining a community's attention to God. A light that remains burning is the result of people accepting ordinary responsibility.

God sustains His people, and regular prayer and Scripture help us attend to Him. When family routines are disrupted, return to those gifts without expecting a perfect schedule.

Prayer

We pray: God of light, sustain the faithful care that often goes unseen. Teach our household to return to prayer, Scripture, and service with steady hearts, even when no one notices the work. Amen.

Your reading

Keep your place.

Save this passage to your private reading history.