Focal Passage: Exodus 25:1-9; 31:1-6
You have heard it said countless times, “The devil is in the details.” Yet, when we read the Bible we learn that Satan’s ultimate concern is the end (deception), not the means. On the other hand, God is in the details.
My father was a furniture builder and clearly not a carpenter. He could do much of the work carpenters do, but he demanded much more precision. Whereas a carpenter might be okay to be within a quarter inch on measurements, Daddy said it had to be exact. He read the Bible the same way, and expected moral precision from his children.
God never asks His people to get close; He calls us to obey. It should not surprise us then to learn that God dictated a detailed pattern for every aspect of the tabernacle. He did not ask Moses to host a yard sale where the children of Israel could collect whatever they wanted to bring to God. God gave Moses an exact list of materials and construction details with no room for adjustment.
The tabernacle had an exact design because it was built on the pattern of heaven. In Exodus 25:9, 40 and 26:30 God exhorts the people of Israel to make the items in the tabernacle after His pattern.
According to the writer of Hebrews, the Old Testament priests served a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). The tabernacle reflected heaven because it served as a meeting place for the God of heaven and His earthly leaders.
Rust
To fulfill the pattern for the tabernacle God provided the necessary workers. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God “with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft” (Exodus 31:3b). He further placed “wisdom in the heart of every skilled artisan” (Exodus 31:6b). We learn here, if I might challenge another popular saying, God BOTH calls the equipped and equips the called!
The writer of Hebrews focused on the theme Jesus is better. Jesus is a “minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man” (Hebrews 8:2).
When He took on flesh to dwell among man, Jesus was giving people an experience that far exceeded the tabernacle. In fact, John 1:14a literally says, “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” Much greater than the Old Testament shekinah glory, the incarnation placed God the Son in human flesh to walk among us, face all our temptations, and ultimately go to the cross as a perfect sacrifice for sinners.
Man not only heard the commands of God, he also saw them fulfilled perfectly in living color. After Jesus finished His earthly ministry and ascended back to heaven, God sent His Holy Spirit to live inside every believer. The law started with a temporary dwelling place for God’s presence and revealed our inability to keep the law because of sin. Thankfully, it pointed to the need for a Savior who would exchange His righteousness for our sin, and give us His permanent indwelling. B&R
