Exodus 25:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

EXODUS CHAPTER 25 Moses is commanded to take a free-will offering to set up the tabernacle, and of what, Exodus 25:1-7. God commands him to make a sanctuary, Exodus 25:8; chargeth him how and whereof to make a tabernacle, Exodus 25:9. The form of the ark, Exodus 25:10-16. The mercy-seat, Exodus 25:17-22. The table for the shew-bread, with other utensils, Exodus 25:23-30. Of the candlestick, with its employment, and other furnitures for the tabernacle, Exodus 25:31-39. Moses is commanded to make it answerable to the pattern which he saw in the mount, Exodus 25:40. Having delivered the moral and judicial laws, he now comes to the ceremonial law, wherein he sets down all things very minutely and particularly, whereas in the other laws he was content to lay down general rules, and leaveth many other things to be by analogy deduced from them. The reason of the difference seems to be this, that the light of reason implanted in all men, gives him greater help in the discovery of moral and judicial things than in ceremonial matters, or in the external way and manner of God's worship; which is a thing depending wholly upon God's institution, and not left to man's invention, which is a very incompetent judge of those things, as appears from hence, because the wittiest men, destitute of God's revelation, have been guilty of most foolery in their devices of God's worship.