You Shall Have No Other Gods:
The Book of Exodus

Lesson 27 The Tabernacle Is Completed
the book of Exodus 37:10—38:31

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the book of Exodus
cross references in the book of Exodus
next lesson: The Glory of the LORD

This material coordinates with Lesson 27 on pages 134–138 in the study book You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus.

And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”—the book of Exodus 20:1–6

welcome to our in-depth study of the book of Exodus
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson video overviews, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus has been granted an imprimatur and can be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the book of Exodus 35:4—37:9
Lesson 26 The People Begin Constructing the Tabernacle describes how the Israelites quickly agree to construct a tabernacle in order for the LORD to travel with Moses—and so to accompany them—on their way to the land of Canaan. Their eagerness certainly is related to the recent incident with the golden calf, after which 3,000 people paid with their lives for their disobedience. This didn’t leave a lot of room for doubt about the LORD’s power. The Israelites apparently have decided that it’s desirable to have God on their side. This seems wise, since the promise of land in Canaan originally was made by the LORD to Abraham, and it stands to reason that only the LORD can guarantee success in the Israelites’ endeavor to claim that territory. What’s new is the generosity with which the people respond to God’s request that they donate valuable materials and skill to constructing a tabernacle for worship of the LORD. That the tabernacle is mobile is an essential feature that allows the LORD to travel and remain adjacent to his people. The biblical text is repetitive when it describes construction of the tabernacle and its appointments. Earlier descriptions about how the tabernacle was to be built now are replaced by a record of the actual construction.

pay attention when Scripture repeats something (43:44)
It can be tempting to gloss over the final repetitive chapters in the book of Exodus since they continue to focus on details about the tabernacle and its accoutrements. Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at the value of the materials used to construct the tabernacle and compares that with materials used to construct the golden calf. It’s no accident that the Israelites appear far more generous in contributing materials for the tabernacle than they were for providing gold for the calf. The primary relevance for present-day readers isn’t the need to use costly materials when constructing churches—although this certainly is a laudable practice. If we wish for the LORD to travel with us as we journey through life, we need to set aside space for God—and this space should consist of the most valuable things we can offer to the LORD.


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study from Turning to God’s Word match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 27, “The Tabernacle Is Completed,” on pages 134–138 in the study book.

WHAT DO YOU THINK is most important about the tabernacle?
It can be easy to miss what matters most to the LORD about the tabernacle in the wilderness.

?  Consider what value the costly materials used to construct the tabernacle and its accoutrements have to the LORD.
?  If God desires gold, what is the logical expectation about how he might obtain some?
? Consider why the LORD doesn’t just provide materials for the tabernacle and its appointments.
?  What’s the point of gold plating covering the ark of the covenant, which is essentially a box fitted with poles for carrying?
?  What’s the point of the various animal sacrifices that the LORD requires of the Israelites?
?  Of what value are these animal sacrifices to the LORD, and what might explain his edict that his people make such offerings?
?  Why is it necessary for the LORD to have a tent-sanctuary in order to travel with his people? Does God really need the tabernacle?
?  How do present-day Christian churches differ from the tabernacle in the wilderness?
?  What elements of present-day Christian churches are similar to or patterned after the tabernacle built by the Israelites?
?  What does this suggest about Old Testament worship practices?

tabernacle—you could look it up in our archives
The tabernacle in the wilderness is modeled on heaven itself, with instructions for its construction given to Moses by God. To learn how the idea of a “tabernacle,” a word that means “tent,” has evolved over the centuries, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week. Click on the illustration of the tabernacle to enlarge it. The illustration by Tami Palladino is on page 138 in You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus; it also is on page 23 in Lesson 5 Who May Abide in the LORD’s Tent? in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.

repetition is an aid to memory & learning
Going into the tabernacle is meant to be like going up the mountain. The closer a person gets to God, the more valuable the experience becomes. This also is reflected in the value of the things inside the tabernacle. The most valuable things are those that are located in the center of what’s called in the book of Exodus “the most holy place.” The tabernacle itself is referred to as “the holy place.” Later, when the Temple is built in Jerusalem, it’s patterned after the tabernacle built by the Israelites in the wilderness. “The most holy place” becomes known as the Holy of Holies. The details of tabernacle construction matter because they describe how the LORD decrees the tabernacle to be built. It isn’t an accident that it’s designed to serve as a substitute for the mountain of God.

the golden lamp stand serves two functions
The book of Exodus 37:17–24 goes to some length to describe the lamp stand that’s to be made and placed inside the tabernacle. By providing light inside the tent, the lamp stand fulfills a very obvious practical function. Symbolically, the seven lamps also point to the seven days of Creation described in the book of Genesis 1:1—2:3‚ and in so doing they act as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Because the number seven appears in the first account of Creation at the beginning of the Old Testament, it’s more or less “baked into” Hebrew and Christian worship practices and can be understood as pointing to some future eighth event that will bring about completion (perfection) for humanity. In the case of the seven lamps on the lamp stand, they point to an eighth and more complete source of light. In the book of Exodus, when God is in the tabernacle, the LORD himself is that light. Later, when Jesus institutes the New Covenant, his Resurrection takes place on what the Church refers to at Easter as “the ancient first and eighth of days.” In the Gospel According to John 8:12, Jesus describes himself as “the light of the world.” You can learn more about the seven days of Creation and how they’re part of our present-day world in Lesson 1 And God Said, Let There Be Light in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis. Learn more about Jesus’ I Am statements in Lesson 11 I Am the Light of the World in the Turning to God’s Word study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the book of Exodus 37:10—38:31.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out when a person or place is mentioned in the biblical text under more than one name or more than one spelling. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the biblical text for every lesson in You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page accompanying this study, and it includes links to each of the cross references in the primary biblical text for You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open the link and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the book of Exodus 37:10—38:31 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following short prayer based on this lesson’s text from the book of Exodus.

O God, your holiness is your most important attribute.
Help us to be ever-mindful of the sacredness of your merciful love
and of the sacred nature of our designated worship spaces.
Enable us to hear your voice calling us to holiness
in all the circumstances of our own lives.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who always aligned his human will with your divine will. Amen.

Lesson 28 The Glory of the LORD, the book of Exodus 39:1—40:38
Lesson 26 The People Begin Constructing the Tabernacle, the book of Exodus 35:4—37:9

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer your questions and to offer support. You may use this email to contact us directly if you’re interested in starting a Turning to God study or in having your study schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.