We are in chapter thirty-nine of Exodus with our word for today. שָׁנִי crimson, scarlet, a color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge. It is used 42 times in the Old Testament, 7 times in our chapter. Our word is used in the sense of a garment that has been dyed crimson. Proverbs 31:21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in שָׁנִֽים scarlet. The overwhelming way our word is used with 28 uses referring to setting up the tabernacle worship as wool yarn that has been dyed red. Exodus 35:23, 25 Every one who possessed blue or purple וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י [Literally worm red or red red. We have two words that can both mean red but translated just once as scarlet] or scarlet yarns ... they had spun in blue and purple תּוֹלַ֥עַת הַשָּׁנִ֖י and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. This is how our word is used 7 times in our chapter to describe the color of the yarn used to make the priests garments. Exodus 39:1-3 From the blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֣עַת הַשָּׁנִ֔י and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place ... He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י and scarlet yarns. And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple תּוֹלַ֥עַת הַשָּׁנִ֖י and the scarlet yarns. It is also identified specifically as part of the shirt or ephod. Exodus 39:4-5 They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י and scarlet yarns. And another reference as part of the breastpiece. Exodus 39:8 He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י and scarlet yarns. We also see it used as the color of the hem of the robe. Exodus 39:24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֑י and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. And our word is used to describe the color of the sash of the coats for the priests. Exodus 39:27, 29 The sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י and scarlet yarns. The significance of the color red with the tabernacle worship definitely has meaning when we look at the sacrifices that involved blood. This definitely points to Christ sacrifice. Hebrews 9:19-22 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins … For Christ has entered … into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own … But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. I’ll close with this great passage that shows God’s heart where our word is used as a symbol for sin that God would do away with through Jesus work on the cross. God accomplishes salvation so that we can be connected back to himself. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are כַּשָּׁנִים֙ like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ [this is a different word for red that we have looked at before with Esau who was also called red or Edom] are red כַתּוֹלָ֖ע [this is our word yesterday for worm or red which it can also be translated] like crimson, they shall become like wool. So because of Jesus we can be clean and pure like white snow and wool.
