3 posts tagged “tabernacle”
Exodus 40
“Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. The Tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month. Moses set up the Tabernacle: he laid its bases, positioned its planks, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts. Then he spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Exodus 40: 16-19
In most Christian circles, “tent making” is synonymous with not charging a fee for preaching the gospel. The reason for this saying is because the apostle Paul chose to support himself by making tents. Acts 18: 2. He didn’t want anyone to accuse him of preaching for profit.
“So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way . . . And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.’ 2 Corinthians 11: 7-12
We also know that Paul was also a highly trained and qualified religious teacher.
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.” Acts 22: 3 “I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees…” Acts 18: 2
Of all occupations to support his ministry, why would Paul choose “tent making”? For that matter, why would God call a “tent maker” to expand His church by preaching to the Gentiles? I don’t believe Paul’s occupation was an arbitrary coincidence. In a similar way, God chose a shepherd to “shepherd” His people, Israel.
If you look at a map of Paul’s missionary journeys, you’ll notice that Paul was planting churches like tent panels, radiating around Jerusalem. In the days of Moses, all of the tent panels came together to form a single unit, called the Tabernacle. Today, millions of congregations, built on Paul’s foundational teaching of Jesus, fit together as a single unit called “the Church”.
Blessings.
Steve Wiggins
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations so that you will know that I am the Lord who sets you apart. Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people.’” Exodus 31: 12-14
Several years ago, my wife and I went on a mission trip to Mexico. On the Mexican border of Texas, many “squatters” had formed “colonias”, shantytowns. Our mission was to build 9x12 houses for these severely impoverished people. It was over 100 degrees and incredibly humid…no easy task!
One of the men on my team was a fireman. Ever since we had met in Texas, this guy was talking about heat exhaustion, “Gotta stop every 15 minutes, and drink water…” On & on he droned. I had been a college athlete, a long distance runner. I could run for miles, and nobody was there to give me a single drop of water. This fireman obviously was talking to the “lightweights”.
1/2 way through our second day on the job, our construction wasn’t nearly as far along as we should have been. Fireman called for a break, and I kept working. Thirty minutes later, another break. I kept working. Two hours later, I started feeling dizzy. You get the point. The next thing I knew, the fireman was treating my heat exhaustion. I should have trusted the expert.
The work of constructing the Tabernacle was of the highest importance, and was work in the service to God. But it was not of greater importance than the Divinely-ordered rest. Nothing was permitted to supercede it.
To profane the Sabbath resulted in death. It was the equivalent of breaking the third commandment, “Do not receive the Lord’s name in vain”. That is, you should not call yourself “God’s child”, yet deny God’s authority over your life.
To ignore the “rest” resulted in being cut-off from your people.
Try thinking of it this way: Kingdom work has a mandatory “union” break.
Blessings.
Exodus 26
“You are to set up the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you have been shown on the mountain.” Exodus 26: 30
A tabernacle is a tent. In biblical imagery, “tabernacle” describes several things.
The tabernacle was a portable tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus. This is where Moses would go to meet with the Lord. After Moses’ death, only the high priest could enter the inner most “Holy of Holies”.
Another tabernacle is the “sukkah”, a temporary light shelter with a roof of branches built in Jewish homes, yards, or temples for the “festival of Tabernacles”. AKA, “booth”, God commands every Jew to build a sukkah and live in it for 7 days each year. This is to remember God’s provision and guidance during their 40 years of wandering in the Desert. In fact, the Lord desires that all nations celebrate “Sukkoth” Zech 14: 16-19
Another “tabernacle” is your own body. “I consider it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to wake you up with this reminder, knowing I will soon lay aside my tent, as the Lord Jesus, Messiah has shown me. 2nd Peter 1: 13-14
Three things come to mind when I consider the tabernacle.
The first is the transient nature of tent dwelling. One who lives in a tent should not become too attached to one location. We should be willing to follow wherever Adonai leads. Our love should be only for the Lord, and our desire consumed with wherever He is.
Second, God’s standard and directions for setting up a tabernacle are very specific. Those who say they are the Lord’s, yet build their lives by their own design, are fooling themselves. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14: 15 That is to say, we should set up our lives by His plan.
Lastly, God’s presence dwells in the midst of His tabernacle. “Do you not know that your bodies are the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, Whom you have from God?” 1 Cor 6: 19
Blessings.
Steve Wiggins
