10-12-15. Exodus 25:1-40. God Made A Way To Dwell Among His People-my devotional

Exodus 25:1-40                                                                               Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 25:8                                                                              10-12-15

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”

       The Lord promised Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) God promised to go with them. He would dwell in the midst of his people in hopes that they would become, for him, a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. Through them he would bring the Gospel to the whole world.

God revealed his desire to be with his people through the tabernacle. The tabernacle would be designed by God and built under Moses’ leadership. The purpose of the sanctuary is stated in the key verse, verse 8, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”

Chapters 25-31 record God’s directions for building the tabernacle. Chapters 35-39 tell how these instructions were carried out. (That will be the discussion of future devotionals.) We see in this passage a detailed description of the tabernacle, its structures, furniture and the priesthood. More space in the Bible is devoted to the description of the tabernacle than with other object of subject in the Bible. This is because everything in the tabernacle is pointing to Christ and was a reflection of Christ. What can all of these complicated ancient instructions tell us today? Let’s see.

Part 1: Inviting The Lord To Dwell Among Us (1-8)

Verses 1-8, “The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breast piece. 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.”

One if the most appealing characteristics of God is his desire to dwell with his people. That is why Jesus is called Immanuel, which means God with us. Since the Fall, God has been working diligently to bring mankind back to himself.

When Moses climbed the mountain and met God to receive the instructions about building the sanctuary, the first thing he was told to do was to ask the people to make a freewill offering (Exodus 25:1-5).

Here, we are also introduced to the topic of freewill offerings. Verse 2 reads, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.”  This is a free will offering. They were made when a person’s hearts was promoted to give. They were to welcome God. The purpose of this offering was to gather the necessary materials for building the sanctuary and express their faith and thankfulness in the God who had delivered them. God was confident that, in light of his grace, the people would step up and make offerings so that that tabernacle could be built.

Not all offerings are free will offerings. They are made according to a schedule of giving that does not require the prompting of one’s heart. Tithing is a kind of mechanical offering. It is scheduled. However, it can be like a free will offering. It all depends on the person’s heart. But the free will offering requires a passion to give. It is given in response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Free will offerings are what the majority of offerings should be in this New Testament era

Part 2: The Temple Furnishings Point to God And His Character (9-40)

God wanted Moses and the Israelites to build this holy place according to his plans. Look at verses 9 and 40, “9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”…”See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”  God gave Moses the pattern for building the sanctuary. Everything had to be exactly according to God’s pattern, strictly on God’s terms. Mankind could not come to God in his own way. God himself must prepare the way. And that is what he did in this passage.

God began his instructions by giving patterns for four objects which represent God’s personal presence.

First, The Ark…

Look at verses 10-22, “Have them make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you. 17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

First and most important, are the ark and its lid, called the atonement cover. The ark was a small chest or box. The Ten Commandments was to be placed in the ark. The atonement cover is called the “mercy seat” in the RSV and KJV. Actually, it is the lid of the ark. The golden cherubim were part of the mercy seat. They were all one piece of Gold. The two cherubim looked down on the mercy seat. They looked down on the blood which was placed there once a year by the High Priest.  The priests would bring in the ark of the covenant and place it under the giant cherubim (Mighty angels). (1 Kings  8:6-8) Between the two golden cherubim, the presence of God would be to dwell in the middle of their outreached wings.

Poles were inserted into the rings of the ark. The tabernacle was moved at times, until the first temple was build some 500 years later. The portable nature of the tabernacle shows God’s desire to be with his people as they traveled.

Once a year the high priest sprinkled the blood of an animal sacrifice on the atonement cover (Lev 16:15). On it was sprinkled the atoning blood, which the High Priest did once a year, on the Great Day of Atonement. This blood soaked space is the only place that God can meet with sinners. It was on this blood sprinkled Mercy Seat that God spoke when he said, “There will I meet with you”. The ark with its atonement cover was the throne of God. It is where righteousness and peace met. The atonement cover, the lid of the ark, covers the justice and righteousness of the law with God’s mercy and forgiveness. It was here that God’s righteousness and God’s mercy met. God accepted this blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. He forgave the sins of the people. Here is where God met with sinners. Now, the sacrificial system provided a way for sinful man to be forgiven and live in God’s presence.

God longs to dwell with us. But our sins separate us from God, for he is holy and righteous. In the Old Testament, God has made it possible through the blood sacrifice. In this New Testament times, he has made this possible now through the cross of Christ. But God has always been focused on drawing all people unto himself and he accomplishes this through the shedding of a blood sacrifice.  This looks forward to the cross of Jesus, where sinners may meet the Holy God and find mercy and forgiveness. (Ro 3:25)  We are sinners and God is righteous and holy. The shedding of blood is the only way that God can meet with us and not malign his holiness. This perfectly glorifies God and brings eternal salvation to those who have faith in God and in his way of salvation.

Second, the table and furnishings…

Look at verses 23-30,

 “Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. 29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. 30 Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.”

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Much of the tabernacle and its furniture were made of acacia wood. Acacia trees were fairly common in the Old Testament times. The wood was brownish orange and very hard, making it an excellent material for furniture. The high quality of the precious materials making up the tabernacle shows God’s greatness and transcendence.

The table held the bread. Look at verse 25, “Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.”  The rim around the table was meant to keep the bread in place, especially when Israel as instructed by the Lord to move. The dishes were used by the priests when they ate the bread. The bowls were used as cups during the drink offering which were poured out before the Lord. (Num 28:7) Verse 30 reads, “30 Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.”  “At all times”. This means vigilance. It means at all times and maintained daily. It helps us to understand the nature of our faith, which is a daily walk with the Lord. Twelve loaves of bread were baked fresh each week and placed on the table. The old bread was eaten by the priests (Lev 24:1-5). Eating this meal together would be symbolic of  friendship and fellowship. The table and the bread symbolize the peace and the new relationship which forgiven sinners have with God. (Ro 5:1) and with one another. It also represented God’s life-giving presence among his people.

Third, the lampstand…

Look at verses 31-40,“Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35 One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36 The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. 37 “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38 Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. 39 A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (NIV)

The lampstand was like a candelabra, with seven lamps. It was made of one piece of gold. It was the only source of light in the entire holy place. The lamps were lit twice a day, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices 9 am and 3 pm. It was comprised of a talent of pure gold which would cost, at 2004 prices, $750,000! The lamp stand was beautiful.

The lampstand also represented God’s living presence as the light of the world. It was so meaningful in its symbolism. The darkness is forced to flee in the presence of light. Then we are left with only the beauty of the Lord. It all points to Jesus. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (1Jn 1:5) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12).

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for making a way for us to dwell in your presence and have sweet fellowship with you. We are eternally grateful. Work through us to glorify your name in all the earth.”

One Word: God’s desire is dwell among us and he made a way.