Key Text: Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them (Exodus 25:8).
God knows the need of believers even before they begin to realize their need or understand it. Each sequence of events at Sinai shows that the Law that they received was never a way of salvation. Instead, the Law was given first to bring Israel awareness of sin. Then a sacrificial system with a priesthood and a worship center were established so that sinful humans could approach a holy God. The tabernacle was a tent where God chose to meet with Israel’s high priest alone and then only once a year. God asked His people for specific, voluntary gifts because He wanted gifts that would be given freely and gladly, not under compulsion. So, the people gave to the Lord to express their desire to worship Him in spirit and in truth. They gave bronze, textile, fabrics, fine twined linens, ram skins dyed red, spices, and onyx stones. The sanctuary would be “holy” because of the presence of God that overshadowed the structure and dwelled in its symbols. The most important religious symbol associated with the tabernacle was the holy ark v 10 containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandment and other symbols of God’s mercy. Acacia wood was durable and resistant to disease and insects, making it the most suitable materials for constructing the ark. The ark was about four feet long and two and one quarter feet wide and high. Rings of gold allowed the ark to be carried on poles and the ark was not to be picked up by hands or carted about.
An inside view of the tabernacle was hidden from public view. Five of ten curtains inside the tabernacle were made of delicate fabric with exquisite design. A veil separated the holy place from the Most Holy Place. Only the ark with its mercy seat would stay in the Most Holy Place. Each object was purposely placed to reflect the pattern, order, and design given to Moses.
By divine design, the tabernacle foreshadows something in the future. As God meets our need for deliverance from sin’s power. The tabernacle always stood in the middle of the camp, and God chose to dwell in the center of His people. And, today, He is to be the center of our lives. AMEN!
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