45.m. “Wilderness” – 9.s. The Tabernacle for service and reverence to God

 

Exodus 36:8  And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked.

Exodus 37:1  Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it.

Exodus 37:10  He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it.

Exodus 37:17  He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. And there were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;

Exodus 37:25  He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it,

Exodus 38:1  He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.  He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.

Exodus 38:8  He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Exodus 38:9  And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

Exodus 38:21  These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.  Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses; and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

Exodus 39:1  From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle,…. Did the part assigned him, what he was fittest for, and most skilful in: particularly some

made ten curtains, &c. which were properly the tabernacle, and were made first, and then the several things appertaining to it;  is only an account of the making of the tabernacle, its curtains, coverings, boards, sockets, and bars, the vail for the most holy place, and the hangings for the tabernacle, exactly as they are ordered to be made. The furniture is next made for it. The several articles and ornaments of this the people were not admitted to see, but the priests only; and therefore it was requisite that they should be largely described, as they are in this chapter, particularly to them. And Moses would thus show the great care which he and his workmen took to make every thing exactly according to the pattern showed him in the mount. The ark, with its glorious appurtenances, the mercy-seat and the cherubim, was the principal part of the furniture of the tabernacle. It was placed in the most sacred apartment of the house, and was the great symbol of the divine presence and protection. “It represented,” says Henry, “the glory of a holy God, the sincerity of a holy heart, and the communion that is between them by a Mediator. It is the glory of a holy God. The tabernacle and its court being now fitted for divine service, the next things to be wrought were the robes of the high-priest and priests, to be put on when they did service in the holy place. (Benson)

The priests’ garments were rich and splendid. The church in its infancy was thus taught by shadows of good things to come; but the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel. Christ is our great High Priest. When he undertook the work of our redemption, he put on the clothes of service, he arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, girded himself with resolution to go through the undertaking, took charge of all God’s spiritual Israel, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his hands, and presented them to his Father. And he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father’s holiness. True believers are spiritual priests. (Henry)

1.b. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

 

1 Chronicles 9:1  So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith.

1 Chronicles 10:13  So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

1 Samuel 13:13    And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you.

1 Samuel 15:23    For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Judges 10:11-16    And the LORD said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines?  The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand.  Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more.  Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

Note the actions God took when He was not listened to or followed after.  We too often listen to the lies of Satan who would have us believe in everything other than God.  Satan would have us listen to anything be the word of God.  Satan would have us occupy our time with anything other than that which would honor God.  Satan would have us remain shallow in our walk and deceive us into believing we are good enough, doing enough, right enough, following enough, reading God’s word enough, know enough, and all the time we are doing this busyness of life in neglect of following God we are sliding further and further away from God.  We are actually on a path that could deafen our ears, blind our eyes, harden our heart, and stiffen our neck to the point we don’t even recognize we are rejecting God.

Nothing should be more important than giving our whole heart, mind, and soul with a desire to seek each day with how to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey Him more and more.

People yet to be created

Psa 102:18  Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:  that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,  to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die,  that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,  when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

Psalms 71:18    So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Psalms 78:4-6    We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

John 20:31     but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Romans 15:4     For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11     Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction

2 Timothy 3:16-17     All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Write it down so that there is a record for future generations.  These generations then can be told and read of the Awesome Power, Love, Promises, Might, Saving Grace, Mercy and Holiness of God.  This scripture is not something from the mind and thought of mankind, but from God,  and speaks of that which brings purpose and direction to our lives this side of eternity.  It shines light into the darkness of lost hearts and souls.  It brings hope to the lost.  It brings the good news of salvation.  It brings praise, joy, and humbleness to those who choose to serve, honor, follow and obey the Creator and Author of all there is and will be.  Scripture has been given to us so that we can grow in our knowledge and understanding of the one and only true God.  It has also be given so that we are able to share it with others.  Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news.

The next generation

“Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.”

Psalms 78:5  He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,   that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,   so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Psalms 71:18   So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Psalms 102:18    Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

Psalms 145:4   One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

Esther 9:28    that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation,

Deuteronomy 4:10   how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’  

Joel 1:3    Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Our responsibility is clear to tell the next generation about God and His glorious mighty power and steadfast love.  Do you ever stop to think about all the acts of blessing, mercy, love, and power God has done in your life?  We ought to record these and share them with our children, families and friends.  We are not only to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God, but also to tell others of what He has done in the past, what He has done in our lifetime, and the hope of our salvation.