Exodus 26:7
You are to make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle--eleven curtains in all.
You are to make curtains of goat hair

Goat hair provided a strong, weather-resistant covering suitable for Israel’s wilderness dwelling. The material also recalls the goats used in Israel’s sacrificial system, especially the Day of Atonement, when sin was confessed over the scapegoat and carried away from the camp (Leviticus 16:10). The covering pointed to the need for sin to be dealt with before a holy God could dwell among His people.

Exo 36:14 He then made curtains of goat hair for the tent…
Exo 35:26 And all the skilled women whose hearts were stirred…
Exo 35:23 Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn…

for the tent over the tabernacle—

This outer tent covered the finely woven linen curtains beneath it, guarding the sanctuary from sun, wind, and rain. Its layered construction marked the tabernacle as a protected and holy place, distinct from the common tents of Israel’s camp. God dwelt in the midst of His people, yet His holiness required boundaries and appointed access. Christ fulfilled this purpose as God dwelling among men and as the One through whom sinners may draw near to God (John 1:14; Hebrews 10:19–22).

Exo 40:19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle…
Exo 36:19 Additionally, he made for the tent a covering…
Num 4:25 They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle…

eleven curtains in all.

The eleven curtains supplied sufficient coverage for the larger outer layer and extended beyond the inner curtains. Every measurement and material was given by God, showing that worship was not left to human preference. The ordered design of the tabernacle anticipated God’s complete provision for redemption, accomplished perfectly through Christ.

Exo 36:15 Each of the eleven curtains was the same size—…
Exo 36:16 He joined five of the curtains into one set.…
Exo 36:17 He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who received the instructions for the tabernacle from God on Mount Sinai.

2. Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the presence of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.

3. Goat Hair Curtains
These were used as a covering for the tabernacle, signifying protection and separation from the outside world.

4. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were commanded to construct the tabernacle as a place of worship and meeting with God.

5. Mount Sinai
The place where God gave Moses the instructions for the tabernacle and the Ten Commandments.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Instructions
The detailed instructions for the tabernacle remind us of the importance of obedience to God's commands. Just as the Israelites were to follow God's design precisely, we are called to live according to His Word.

Symbolism of the Tabernacle
The tabernacle and its elements symbolize deeper spiritual truths. The goat hair curtains, for instance, represent protection and separation, reminding us of the need for spiritual covering and holiness in our lives.

God's Presence
The tabernacle was a physical representation of God's presence among His people. Today, we are reminded that through Christ, God dwells within us, and we are called to be His living tabernacles.

Community and Worship
The construction of the tabernacle required the collective effort of the Israelites, teaching us the value of community and cooperation in worship and service to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the use of goat hair for the tabernacle's curtains teach us about the nature of God's provision and protection?

2. How can the detailed instructions for the tabernacle's construction inspire us to pay attention to the details in our spiritual lives?

3. In what ways does the concept of the tabernacle as God's dwelling place among His people find fulfillment in the New Testament?

4. How can we, as a community of believers, work together to create spaces where God's presence is honored and experienced?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's presence in a tangible way. How did that experience shape your understanding of His desire to dwell with His people?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 25-31
These chapters provide the detailed instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priestly garments, emphasizing the importance of following God's precise directions.

Hebrews 9
This chapter in the New Testament discusses the significance of the tabernacle and its elements as a foreshadowing of Christ's work and the heavenly sanctuary.

John 1:14
The concept of God dwelling among His people is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who "tabernacled" among us, highlighting the continuity of God's desire to be present with His people.
AnalogiesW. Brown.Exodus 26:1-14
The Beauty of Holiness WithinA. Nevin, D. D.Exodus 26:1-14
The Coverings of the TabernacleG. Rodgers.Exodus 26:1-14
The CurtainsH. W. Soltau.Exodus 26:1-14
The Curtains and the CoveringsR. E. Sears.Exodus 26:1-14
The Curtains of the TabernacleW. L. Watkinson.Exodus 26:1-14
The Goats'-Hair CoveringG. Rodgers.Exodus 26:1-14
The Golden and Brazen TachesH. W. Soltau.Exodus 26:1-14
The Rams' skins Dyed RedG. Rodgers.Exodus 26:1-14
Jehovah's DwellingJ. Orr Exodus 26:1-37
The Tabernacle ItselfD. Young Exodus 26:1-37
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Altogether, Covering, Curtains, Eleven, Goat, Goats, Hair, Hast, Tabernacle, Tent
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 26:7

     4651   goat
     5155   hair
     7459   tabernacle, in OT

Exodus 26:1-13

     7344   curtain

Exodus 26:1-37

     5207   architecture
     5578   tents

Library
Brief Directions How to Read the Holy Scriptures once Every Year Over, with Ease, Profit, and Reverence.
But forasmuch, that as faith is the soul, so reading and meditating on the word of God, are the parent's of prayer, therefore, before thou prayest in the morning, first read a chapter in the word of God; then meditate awhile with thyself, how many excellent things thou canst remember out of it. As--First, what good counsels or exhortations to good works and to holy life. Secondly, what threatenings of judgments against such and such a sin; and what fearful examples of God's punishment or vengeance
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Sunday after Ascension Day
Text: First Peter 4, 7-11.[1] 7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: 8 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves: for love covereth a multitude of sins: 9 using hospitality one to another without murmuring: 10 according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision F. Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. ^C Luke XVI. 19-31. [The parable we are about to study is a direct advance upon the thoughts in the previous section. We may say generally that if the parable of the unjust steward teaches how riches are to be used, this parable sets forth the terrible consequences of a failure to so use them. Each point of the previous discourse is covered in detail, as will be shown by the references in the discussion of the parable.]
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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