The Torah reading Terumah (“heave offering”) covers Exodus 25–27.
What’s so important about the meticulous detail in the instructions for the Tabernacle? These pictures are like the résumé for the Mashiakh, the Christ. This week’s Torah reading, Terumah (“heave offering”), covering Ex. 25:1-27:19, foreshadows the work of Yeshua (Jesus).
The exacting details of Israel’s Tabernacle, God’s embassy on earth, are not recorded in Torah reading תְּרוּמָה Terumah (“contribution,” Exodus 25:1–27:19) just as a feature for Architectural Digest. Rather, they are part of a testimony that God wants to live in the middle of His people.
This is the “big tent” testimony about the Creator through Israel’s history. In the Bible, His house grows from an easily portable tent to Solomon’s “wonder of the world” temple to the final temple that will be so large it covers most of the Middle East.
God wants to accommodate all who want to meet Him. But only those who are “on fire” for God — who are eager for His eternal kingdom — will be there.
The tablets in the Ark of the Covenant represents the heart of God, with His law (the Ten Commandments) written on them. In the Torah reading תְּרוּמָה Terumah (“contribution,” Exodus 25:1–27:19), we explore the detailed instructions from Heaven on how to build that precious container.
The high priest, the Ark of the Covenant and the Messiah are synonymous. They have God’s law written on their hearts, and God’s words are at the core of who and what they are.
The focus of the Tabernacle/Temple of Israel is the Ark of the Testimony, aka the Ark of the Covenant. That’s a key lesson of the Torah reading תְּרוּמָה Terumah (“contribution,” Exodus 25:1-27:19). The Ark protected the founding documents, the constitution of the People of God. This document binds all the people of God together, just as the people of the United States are bound by the U.S. Constitution, honor that document and work to put it into practice.
Heaven put the Word of God into action in the midst of the people of God with the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Messiah/Christ).
If the people of God don’t put the 10 Commandments into practice, we run a real risk of losing our first love and going astray from God. We can end up in a very bad place. When we realize we have gone astray, the first thing we do is to turn back to the foundation.
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution.” (Exodus 25:1–2 NASB)
Are we offering the Creator of Heaven and Earth — and by extension, those around us — the best of our time and resources? After Heaven gave the best to Earth to remove from memory sin, transgression and iniquity, in the birth, death and resurrection of the Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ).
How thankful are we our Savior freed us from our old way of life far off from the Kingdom of Heaven? After generations of bondage in Egypt, ancient Israel was sent into freedom with all kinds of material wealth. In the Torah reading תרומה Terumah (“heave offering,” Exodus 25:1-27:19), the Holy One Who freed the people asks for contributions to build the Tabernacle, a special embassy between Heaven and Earth. Through these lessons of returning some of the blessings we receive, we get clued into the great gift we’ve been given through Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ).
In this reading, we also learn about cherubim, which we also see in Ezekiel and Revelation, and explore whether images of them in the Tabernacle are idolatry.