Exodus 36:8-40:38
Recap:
Crossing the Red Sea Exodus 14
Bread From Heaven Exodus 16:4-35
Water From the Rock Exodus 17:1-6
The Ten Commandments Exodus 19:20-20:17
The Golden Calf Exodus 32
Moses Talks With God Exodus 33:7-34:35
MEMORY VERSE
PSALM 84:1 “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts!”
LESSON TIME!
Exodus chapters 35-39 record for us the making of the tabernacle.
The tabernacle is just a fancy word for tent or house.
God told Moses to build this tent in a very special way. It was to be the place where God would dwell or live among His people.
God wanted to dwell among His people—
He loves to be with us.
The tabernacle would be the center for worship for the nation of Israel.
In chapter 40, we see the final preparations of the tabernacle; and we see the glory of the Lord filling His house.
God gave very specific instructions to Moses on what His house should be like.
The tabernacle is a type (a picture or example) of our Lord Jesus Christ and His work on our behalf and where He dwells now.
The tabernacle was an oblong structure about 45 feet long and 15 feet wide and high (about the size of a very small house).
It was made out of wood, covered with gold, and put together with sockets of silver and brass.
It was covered with three layers of animal skin.
Inside, it had very costly curtains adorned with different beautiful symbols that had a lot of spiritual meaning.
The outside of the tabernacle was made out of rough badgers' skins to protect it from bad weather.
The Tabernacle itself was divided into two unequal chambers by large and thick curtains called the veil.
The Holy of Holies was in the inner chamber and held the Ark of the Covenant.
The other chamber, which was twice as large, was called the Holy Place.
Surrounding the Tabernacle was another court, with an opening on the eastern side called the gate.
Outside the gate was the camp of Israel, forming a square around the Tabernacle, with three tribes on each side.
This was a simple structure, yet beautiful. Every aspect of it in some way teaches us about Jesus.
Today God does not dwell in a tent-like He did in Moses’ day. Today, when we ask Jesus to come into our lives, He comes to live inside of our hearts.
The Bible refers to the physical body of a Christian as being like a tent with the Spirit of God dwelling inside in
(2 Corinthians 5).
Exodus 36:8 The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim.
God chose and called “gifted” artisans to work on the tabernacle.
God desires to use us for His glory.
He will “gift” us (enable us) to do whatever He has called us to do.
Notice how particular God was in His instructions, right down to the colors and the type of thread that they were supposed to use.
The colors were important because each color represented something about the nature of the Lord.
Blue usually represents heaven in scripture; as one would enter the tabernacle, one would think of the dwelling place of God.
Next, one would see purple, a picture of the royalty of God.
Then, scarlet, the color of blood represents the suffering of Jesus as He shed His blood for our sins.
The white curtains represented His purity and holiness.
Exo 36:19 He completed the tent covering with a layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.
The inside of the tabernacle was beautiful; however, the outside was not so pretty.
Why do you think that is?
It was covered in ram skin (dyed red) and badger skins!
Imagine that!
God does not seek out fancy places for His dwelling place.
In the New Testament, we read that His Holy Spirit dwells in us!
You cannot get much plainer than that!
The Bible says we who believe in Jesus carry a treasure in our “earthen vessels.” Though unattractive on the outside, we, are the tabernacle, the house of the very presence of God.
(See 2 Corinthians 4:7).
Where does God dwell?
Exo 37:1 Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood—
a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
This is the Ark of the Covenant.
It was a wooden chest about 4 feet long and 2 1/2 feet wide and high.
The wood was covered in gold on the inside and outside so that you could only see gold.
The ark was kept in the Holy of Holies.
Inside of the ark was kept the Ten Commandments, a pot filled with manna, and Aaron’s rod, which budded.
Exo 37:6 Then he made the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.
The priest would sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice once per year onto the mercy seat for the forgiveness of sins for the people of Israel.
It was a picture of what Jesus did once and for all on the cross when He shed His blood for our sins.
Exo 37:10 Then Bezalel made the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
There was a table in the Holy Place called the Table of Showbread.
Every Sabbath (Saturday), they would put 12 fresh loaves of bread to represent the twelve tribes of Israel dwelling in God’s presence.
This bread pictures Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:33).
It also symbolized the total reliance and dependency of the nation of Israel on God to provide for their physical and spiritual needs.
Exo 37:17 Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals.
The lampstand had seven branches, and it was filled with oil daily and never allowed to go out except for when the ark was moved.
The Bible says Jesus is the light of the world, shining in the darkness. It also represents God’s people staying plugged into Jesus. As we abide in Him, staying connected, the Holy Spirit fills us with light and life.
What are some ways Christians stay connected to Jesus?
Exo 37:25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.
The altar of incense was composed of acacia wood, again overlaid with pure gold.
The priests would burn incense on the altar every morning and evening.
Psalm 141:2 compares incense to prayer.
In the New Testament, we see that Jesus is forever making intercession (continually praying) for us.
Exo 38:1 Next Bezalel used acacia wood to construct the square altar of burnt offerings. It was 7½ feet wide, 7½ feet long, and 4½ feet high.
The altar of burnt offerings was where the people brought their sacrifices.
It had a horn on each of the 4 corners and was covered in brass.
Being the place where sacrifices were continually offered to God, it spoke of the cross of Christ.
Jesus became the complete and perfect sacrifice for our sins. Once and for all, the Bible says, by the shedding of His blood, Jesus Christ purchased our salvation.
Hebrews 10:10 states: “…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Exo 38:8 Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
The laver was a big tub made of brass.
It was filled with water. The priests were required to wash their hands and feet before entering the tent.
The laver was made out of bronze it mirrors, a picture of God’s Word.
In James, chapter 1, he speaks of the Word of God is like a mirror that will help us to see our imperfections and then be able to line up our lives according to His Word.
The laver also speaks to us of our need to be continually cleansed by God’s Word.
Exo 38:9 Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side, the curtains were 150 feet long.
The courtyard was a picture of Jesus on earth “tabernacling” (or living) among men.
Just as anyone could come into the court, Jesus is always available to anyone who seeks Him.
Exo 38:21 This is an inventory of the materials used in building the Tabernacle of the Covenant. The Levites compiled the figures, as Moses directed, and Ithamar son of Aaron the priest served as recorder. Now that the building was complete, they took an inventory of everything used for the tabernacle.
The people had donated gold in worship to the Lord.
As they took inventory, they found all of the gold used was over a TON (2,000 pounds).
That’s a lot of gold!
The Lord gave a lot of attention to detail.
Everything was counted, weighed, or numbered.
God is blessed as we give and sacrifice to Him. Nothing we give goes unnoticed by Him.
Exo 39:1 The craftsmen made beautiful sacred garments of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth—clothing for Aaron to wear while ministering in the Holy Place, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
In chapter 39, the work of the tabernacle is finished.
Notice how many times we read that all was done “as the Lord commanded Moses."
The people were obedient, responding in worship to the great God who loved them.
May our response to God be worship and obedience.
The rest of chapter 39 explains the priests’ garments.
The priest’s garments have much symbolism as well. Every aspect of the priestly garments represented an aspect of the nature of Christ and His work in His people.
When the people finished the work on the tabernacle, Moses reviewed all of the work and gave his blessing.
So many had helped and worked well together that the tabernacle was complete in about five or six months.
The LORD’s Glory Fills the Tabernacle
Exd.40:34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. 35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. 36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.
The work was complete, and the people dedicated the tabernacle to the Lord.
Then, God came and filled the tabernacle with His presence. The cloud was a symbol of the Lord's presence.
As the cloud lifted, the people would travel.
If it stayed over the tabernacle and was not lifted from above it, the people did not travel.
There is so much that we can learn from the building of the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself.
We see God’s desire to dwell with His people.
Now, He dwells inside us who believe in Jesus Christ.
As we consider the “gifted” artisans, we are reminded that God has gifted and called each one of us.
He desires to use us for His glory. May our love for Him cause us to use our gifts for His glory and follow His instructions completely.
And, we are reminded, as we study the tabernacle and the beautiful picture it creates, of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
PRAYER
Pray for snacks and each request.
SNACK
BIBLE GAME
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