There are plenty of books one could read to see a number of the patterns in the Tabernacle (replicated in the Temple). As some of you know, I do a daily Bible reading at our church’s building. We just finished up Exodus, and there were a few patterns I was drawing out as we made our way through that book (e.g., early on I made comments on the connection of Moses to Noah, Jacob, and Joseph). One point I made was that the “forming and filling” of Gen 1 is seen in the construction of the tabernacle at the end of Exodus. I wanted to put these down, if only for my own reference later on; it might be helpful for you as well.
Gen 1: The Lord forms creation, fills it, culminates with man. It’s been well attested that the statement that “the earth was without form and void” sets the stage for the forming (Days 1–3) and filling (Days 4–6) of the earth. This culminates in the creation of man, and then, on day 7 (2:1–3), the glorification of God who rests.
Gen 2: The Lord forms the man, fills him; he forms a garden, fills it with all kinds of trees, & there he places the man he had formed. In some ways, the pattern of forming and filling is followed in chapter 2, though on a smaller scale, with the formation and filling of man (he’s filled with the breath of life), and with the formation (planting) and filling (causing trees to grow) of the garden in Eden.
Exodus 35-36: The tabernacle’s formed. While the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle are given earlier (Exodus 25 and following), the actual construction of it occurs in Exodus 35–36.
Exodus 37-38: The tabernacle’s filled. Technically, these chapters record the construction of the objects that will fill the tabernacle, which is recorded at the end of 39 and into 40.
Exodus 39: The priest is prepared. This chapter records the priest’s clothing.
Exodus 40: The sanctification and glory. Here, having formed everything, it is sanctified by oil, the glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle. In many ways, this is like what is recorded in Gen 1:31–2:3.
(We might say, then, that Leviticus records the rules for working and keeping [Gen 2:15] the tabernacle/temple)
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