The Price of God’s Presence

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” – Exodus 25:1-9 ESV

With the giving of the Law, God provided His people with clear guidelines for how they were to live their lives before Him. Now, beginning with chapter 25, God will give them His plan that will ensure His ongoing presence among them.

Ever since leaving Egypt, the people of Israel had grown accustomed to God’s presence in the form of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. These two manifestations of God’s glory had led them from the Red Sea all the way to Mount Sinai. Then, upon their arrival in the wilderness of Sinai, God’s glory had taken up residence at the top of the mountain, in the form of a storm cloud. This atmospheric display of God’s glory, with its crashing thunder and flashes of lightning, had so intimidated the Israelites that they refused to draw near the mountain.

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. – Exodus 19:16 ESV

Moses makes it clear that God was in the midst of the cloud.

The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain… – Exodus 19:20 ESV

And God had explained to Moses why He had chosen to reveal Himself in this way.

“I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” – Exodus 19:9 ESV

And God had Moses place boundaries around the base of the mountain, to prevent them from coming anywhere near His divine presence, upon pain of death.

“…you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’” – Exodus 19:12-13 ESV

It was this holy, majestic, and all-powerful God who had just given them His Law. He was not to be trifled with. Rather, He was to be feared and obeyed. His glory was so great that it caused an entire mountain to tremble. His presence was so awesome that it could only be displayed by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Smoke and fire rose from the top of Mount Sinai as if it was an active volcano, but these fear-inducing displays of power were visual manifestations of God’s glorious presence.

The Israelite’s concept of God had been dramatically influenced by these supernatural climatic phenomena. God had been in the mobile pillar of cloud that had led them through the wilderness. He had been in the static storm cloud that for days had darkened the peak of Mount Sinai. But at this point in the narrative, God announces His plan to create a new place for His glory to dwell.

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.” – Exodus 19:8-9 NLT

For the next seven chapters, God will His detailed plans for the construction of the Tabernacle. This new structure was to be a “sanctuary” (מִקְדָּשׁ – miqdāš), a sacred or holy place, reserved solely for God’s use and to serve as His temporary dwelling place on earth. This unique structure was designed to be transportable so that the people of Israel could move it from place to place as they made their way to Canaan. It was to be the “tabernacle” ( מִשְׁכָּן – miškān) or dwelling place of God. In a sense, it was a large tent designed to accommodate the presence of Yahweh. When the Israelites broke camp, they were to dismantle God’s “tent” and move it to the next location. Once they arrived at their new camp, the first thing they were to do was to erect God’s tent and then place their own tents around it. It would become the focal point of their community.

But for now, God was giving His plans for its construction, and it would begin with each Israelite making a personal sacrifice to see that the Tabernacle became a reality. God was giving the details for its design, but the people would provide the resources for its construction.

“Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them.” – Exodus 25:2 NLT

These gifts were to be given voluntarily and not under some sense of obligation. They were to be heartfelt and not guilt-driven. It was important that the gifts reflect the attitude of the giver, demonstrating their willingness to place a higher priority on God’s glory than on their own financial security.

God was asking for a lot. The cost to construct this “tent” for God was going to be high and it would require a great deal of sacrifice on the part of God’s people. They were going to have to dig deep and give away the very best of what they had. Even by today’s standards, the list is staggering.

“…this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting…” – Exodus 25:3-7 ESV  

It’s important to remember that these people were former slaves who had left Egypt in a hurry. During their more than 400-year stay in Egypt, the Israelites had not been wealthy landowners and successful merchants, but they had made their living as shepherds. In the latter years of their Egyptian exile, they had been little more than indentured servants, working as an unpaid labor force for the Pharaoh. So, how were they supposed to come up with this formidable list of building materials? Where did God expect them to get these kinds of luxury items in the middle of the wilderness?

The truth is, God had already provided all the resources they would need. Years earlier, at the very same spot in the wilderness of Sinai, God had called Moses to be the deliverer of His people, and He had given His servant the following promise.

“I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” – Exodus 3:21-22 ESV

And God kept that promise. Just before leaving the land of Egypt, Moses passed along God’s instructions to the Israelites.

The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. – Exodus 12:35-36 ESV

They literally stripped the Egyptians of their wealth – just by asking. And it seems that the Egyptians had been compelled to give up far more than just their silver, gold, and clothing. In their desperation to see the Israelites leave so that the deadly plagues would end, the Egyptians handed over everything of value. And this was all in keeping with the promise that God had made to Abraham hundreds of years earlier.

“Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” – Genesis 15:13-14 ESV

So, when Moses unveiled the list of building materials required to construct God’s tent, the people didn’t panic or express disbelief. They gave – willingly and sacrificially.

All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the Lord. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.

All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord. – Exodus 35:21-29 NLT

The people responded with eagerness and unselfishness. They freely gave up their most valued possessions so that God might dwell in their midst. The very materials they had been transporting through the wilderness in hopes of constructing their own future homes in Canaan, would become the resources for building the dwelling place of Yahweh. And little did they know at the time, that this “temporary” tent would serve as God’s house for nearly 500 years. It would not be until the reign of Solomon that a permanent Temple would be constructed to house the presence of God. Their gracious gifts of gold, silver, cloth, oil, and wood, all plundered from the Egyptians, would be transformed into a sacred structure to house the glory of their sovereign God and ensure His presence among them.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God's Provision.

Nehemiah 7-8, Hebrews 9

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:16 ESV

The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt – in just 52 days. The temple had already been restored under the leadership of Ezra. But the city was a virtual ghost town. The majority of the people who had returned to the land were living in the towns outside the walls of the city. But Nehemiah knew that his work was incomplete. While he had done what he had set out to do, the rebuilding of the walls, he chose not to return to Susa. He stayed because he knew that rebuilt walls did not make a city. It had to be repopulated. And the people who would repopulate that city would have to be made right with God. So he assembled the congregation of Judah and arranged for Ezra to read from the book of the law. This could have been the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, or it could have been just the book of Deuteronomy along with portions of Leviticus. But whatever it was that Ezra read, it took hours for him to do so, and the people stood the entire time. The law was read and it was explained in detail so that the people could understand it. And the result was that the people were convicted of their sins. They wept and mourned as they heard how they had violated the commands of God. But Nehemiah told them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep” (Nehemiah 8:9 ESV). He encouraged them focus their attention on God. While the law had reminded them of their sin, he wanted them to remember their gracious, merciful God. It was time to celebrate because God was their strength. He had provided a means for them to receive forgiveness for their sins. All of this would have taken place in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Part of what was read to them out of the law was the command to keep the festivals of God. They were to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Booths and the Day of Atonement. These festivals were designed to remind them of all that God had done for them in the past. And they were to culminate with the once-a-year sacrifice made on their behalf by the high priest, when he entered into the Holy of Holies and made atonement for the unintentional sins they had committed that year. This was to be a celebration. While they stood guilty before God, He had provided a means of receiving forgiveness and pardon.

What does this passage reveal about God?

When God had given the people of Israel His plans for the tabernacle and His commands for observing the sacrificial system, it was all a foreshadowing of things to come. It was an earthly picture of a heavenly reality. It was designed to be temporary and incomplete. The author of Hebrews says, “They serve as a copy and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5 ESV). The law, associated with the Old Covenant, was not intended to be lasting. It was not a permanent fix to man's persistent sin problem. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second” (Hebrews 8:7 ESV). God had told the people of Israel, “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Hebrews 8:8 ESV). He had a plan for a new and improved covenant that would be permanent and complete. Everything that the people of Israel had done in association with the tabernacle and later, with the temple, had been intended to point toward something greater to come. One of the key elements involved in man's atonement under the law was the shedding of blood. “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV). Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins before he could intercede for the people. Why? Because he was a sinner just like to whom he ministered. Then he had to offer a sacrifice and take the blood, mixed with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkle it on the book of the law and the people, declaring, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you” (Hebrews 9:20 ESV). At that moment, the covenant between God and His people was ratified and renewed. But again, it was just a foreshadowing of things to come. Because that event had to take place every single year, because their atonement was only temporary. It was incomplete. In the next chapter, we will read, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 ESV). Complete, permanent forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of bulls and goats could never happen. But God had a better solution.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Our sin is an ever-present reality. It follows us wherever we go. It is a permanent part of our experience as we live on this planet. When we read God's Word, we are reminded of our sin. It convicts us of sin and reveals to us our unfaithfulness and consistent rebellion against a faithful, loving God. But rather than weep and mourn over our sin, we must learn to rejoice in our Savior. God has provided a solution to our sin problem. And this solution is far better than the one the Israelites had. “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (Hebrews 9:24 ESV). Christ didn't enter into an earthly tabernacle or temple. As our high priest, He took His sacrifice right into the presence of God the Father. And the sacrifice he made was once and for all. “But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrew 9:26 ESV). He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins and, unlike the animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant, His sacrifice was a permanent solution to man's sin problem. His death provided complete atonement for man's sins – past, present and future. He has secured an “eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

So what should our reaction be to this news? We should rejoice and celebrate. We should recognize that the joy of the Lord is our strength. He has provided for our salvation. He has made a way for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him that is not based on human effort. God has done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him” (1 John 4:9 NLT). “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). That is cause for celebration. That is reason for rejoicing. Our God is great. His love is unimaginable and His grace is immeasurable. Yes, our sin is real. But so is our salvation. Those of us who have placed our faith and hope in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can celebrate because our redemption is eternal, our atonement is complete. And the truly great news is, “so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 NLT). Now that's cause for celebration.

Father, never let me lose sight of the staggering implications of the salvation that You have provided through Your Son. Rather than wallow in my sins, let me rejoice in the fact that my sins are forgiven, my future is secure, and Your Son is some day coming back for me. Thank You for the new covenant made available through the death, burial and resurrection of Your Son. He died, but He rose again. He left, but He is coming again. I have plenty to rejoice about. Amen

God Provides.

Exodus 35-36, Mark 15

And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. – Exodus 35:21 ESV

In chapters 35-36 of Exodus we have the beginning of the construction of the Tabernacle that God had commanded the people to build. But before the work could begin, the construction materials had to be gathered. It's interesting to note that the Israelites were a group of people who had spent over 400 years in exile in Egypt. They had been shepherds and farmers by trade. Now they found themselves living in the wilderness and given the task of building a portable temple for God, that could be set up, taken down, and carted with them wherever God should lead them to go. And it was not to be just some ordinary structure. It was to be made of the finest materials and crafted with care and precision. So where was all this gold, silver, wood, and fabric to come from? How in the world was a group of freed slaves going to pull this off this formidable task? God had already taken care of it. When they left the land of Egypt, God had caused the Egyptians to weigh them down with all kinds of gifts. After suffering through the ten plagues, they basically paid the Israelites to get out of their land. Moses records, "The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in hast. For they say said, 'We shall all be dead'…And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked for. Thus they plundered the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:33, 36 ESV). So when the people of Israel left Egypt, God had loaded them down with Egyptian treasure. Little did they know that there was a divine purpose behind this surprising blessing. God was simply providing in advance all the materials necessary to build the Tabernacle. God had told Moses this would happen. "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians" (Exodus 3:21 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

Everything they would need for the construction of the Tabernacle had been given to them by God. Not only that, God had supernaturally endowed two men with "with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft" (Exodus 35:31-33 ESV). These men had been filled with the Spirit of God so that they might do the work of God. And they were also given the ability to teach and train these ordinary farmers and shepherds to do the work that had to be done. Everything about the Tabernacle, from the design and construction to the material, was the work of God. When it came time to collect all the gold, silver, wood, jewels, fabric, and thread needed to begin construction, God would ask the people to give – out of the treasure given to them by the Egyptians. But even the giving was God-inspired and motivated. "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments" (Exodus 35:21 ESV). God knew exactly what treasures were necessary and who held them in their possession, so He caused His Spirit to stir the hearts of each individual to give what was needed. And they gave and they gave, to the point that Moses had to command them to stop giving. Rather than having to scrimp and scrounge for the materials, God ensured that they would have more than enough. All so the people of God could build a dwelling place for God, where His presence could exist among them.

What does this passage reveal about man?

The text doesn't say it, but knowing human nature like I do, I have to believe that each and every one of the Israelites had long since decided that the treasure they walked out of Egypt with belonged to them. God had given it to them for their own use. But they were going to find out that God had blessed them for a much more significant reason. The treasure was not for their individual use, but to minister to the body, the corporate community of Israel, by providing for the presence of God in their midst. The Tabernacle would become the place where God would meet with them. It was where their sins would be atoned for and forgiveness would be offered. They would find mercy and grace there. That structure would become the focal point of their community and the most important part of their lives as the people of God. Those gifts they had carted out of Egypt, given to them by God, were never intended for their own selfish purposes, but had been intended to accomplish God's will in providing for Himself a dwelling place among them.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Ultimately, both the Tabernacle and the Temple were symbols of something much greater and more significant to come. They would provide a foreshadowing of the coming work of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV). Once again, God was going to provide everything necessary to ensure that sinful mankind could have access into His presence and a means by which they could find forgiveness for their sins. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17 ESV). "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ESV).

God provided all that was necessary for me to have a restored relationship with Him. He sent His Son in the form of a man. He sacrificed His Son on a cruel Roman cross. He provided the "resources" necessary for man to have access into His presence. Jesus was the ultimate Temple or Tabernacle. He Himself declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days 'I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise t up in three days?' But he was speaking about the temple of his body" (John 2:19-21 ESV). The earthly Tabernacle was provided for by God. It was made up of expensive materials that had great earthly value. But Jesus was also of great value, the very Son of God, sacrificed for the sins of man. It is fascinating to think about the fact that, at His trial, Jesus was covered in fine linen too, just like the Tabernacle. He was clothed in an expensive purple cloak and a crown of wood was placed on His head. He was to be God's ultimate provision for forgiveness of sin, providing access into His presence. Mark 15 records the death of Jesus and he writes, "And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (Mark 15:37-38 ESV). At the death of Jesus, the veil that had long separated the people of God from the presence of God was ripped in two. And it was God's doing. With the death of His Son, He removed once and for all the barrier that had long kept men out of His divine presence. Jesus told His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 ESV). God has provided me with all I need to have access into His presence. It is all His doing, not mine. It is His plan, not mine. It is based on His effort, not mine. Like the Israelites, I don't deserve access into God's presence, but it is by the death of Christ that I can "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).

Father, You have provided everything. I bring nothing to the table. You gave the most precious thing You had to offer, Your Son. You sacrificed Him on my behalf, all so that I might enjoy the pleasure of Your presence in my life. I find grace, mercy and forgiveness for sins, all because You provided the ultimate sacrifice. Thank You. Amen

Holy to the Lord.

Exodus 27-28, Mark 11

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. – Mark 11:15-16 ESV

The descriptions given to Moses by God for the construction of the Tabernacle and all of the elements associated with it can be a bit overwhelming and confusing. There is so much detail given by God as to the materials and the precise fabrication of the various pieces associated with the Tabernacle. If we're not careful, we can get lost in the details and miss the main point. The Tabernacle was to be God's dwelling place among the people of Israel. In the Holy of Holies, His presence would hover over the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. So everything about this structure was to be dedicated to and set apart for God. It was intended for the worship of God. So God made it painfully clear that each and every item was to be made in a specific manner and manufactured from the finest materials. Even the priests had to be consecrated to Him and for His use only. In the days of Jeremiah, when the Temple had long since replaced the Tabernacle as the dwelling place of God among the people, they seemed to have forgotten that this place was to be holy to the Lord. Jeremiah writes, "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in the deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord'" (Jeremiah 7:2-4 ESV). The people had made an idol out of the Temple, falsely assuming that because the Temple existed, God's presence among them was assured. But they had failed to keep the Temple holy to the Lord. Jesus would quote from this very passage when He cleansed the Temple in His day, saying, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers" (Mark 11:17, Jeremiah 7:11 ESV). What God had set apart as holy to Himself had been desecrated by men. They had profaned what was holy by using it for their own selfish desires.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God is obsessed about His holiness. His holiness refers to His otherness – there is nothing and no one else like Him. He is the God of the universe; completely righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing and the creator of all that exists. He has no competition and is incomparable in every way. The Tabernacle, like the Temple constructed by Solomon, was to be a reflection of His very nature and character. It was to be made of the finest materials. It was to be designed to exacting specifications, given to Moses by God Himself on the top of Mount Sinai. God left nothing to Moses' imagination. And God expected every aspect of His plan to be followed and His word to be obeyed. What made each of the elements "holy" was not the materials or plans used to make them. The priests were not considered holy by God because of the robes, breastplates and turbans they wore. What made everything holy was that God had set each and everything apart to Himself. They were "holy to the Lord." They had been consecrated or dedicated to God. This place and the people who worked in it were God's possession, just as the people of Israel had been set apart to God. Moses and the people were to take the Tabernacle seriously.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Everything we have read up to this point in the books of Genesis and Exodus has reflected God's sovereign choosing of the people of Israel as His possession. He had chosen them as His own. He had redeemed them slavery in Egypt and was in the process of leading them into the Promised Land, where He would fulfill His covenant promises made to Abraham. He had set them apart. He had dedicated them for His purposes. The Tabernacle was a concrete and practical confirmation of His abiding presence among them. And God was incredibly specific because He knew the nature of man. Without clear directions, they would tend to do things their way. Left to their own devices, they would have constructed a Tabernacle that met their needs. They would have built a monument to man, not a place to worship God. Even in Jesus' day, the Temple had become a national icon, a point of pride. At one point, during the last week of His life on earth, as He and the disciples were walking past the Temple, several of them pointed out how majestic it was, making special note of the "noble stones" (Luke 21:5). But Jesus told them, "the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down" (Luke 21:6 ESV). The Temple that bore God's name and was supposed to be His dwelling place, would be destroyed, just as it had been in the Old Testament. Why? Because they had profaned His name. God had warned the people, "And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you" (Leviticus 22:32 ESV). They had taken what was to be holy and set apart and made it common. They had used what was intended for God's use for their own personal use. The Temple had become an icon, not a place of worship. Rather than living lives that were set apart and distinctively different among the nations, they had become just like all the other nations – and in the process, they had profaned God's name.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God has set me apart for His use. I belong to Him. I am holy because He bought me with the blood of His Son and made me His own. I no longer belong to me. I am His. But I can live my life in such a way that I profane His name by attempting to use what is His – my life – for my own selfish purposes. Paul reminds us, "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24 ESV). But it is so easy to take back ownership of my life. It is so tempting to want to make it all about me, and not about God. But to do so is to profane His name. It is to take what is holy and make it common place. When I use my life for my own selfish purposes, it is no different than if one of the priests had taken the golden lampstand which had been dedicated for God's use and taken it home for personal use. It would have taken what was holy and made it common place. And that is exactly what I do when I attempt to use my life for my own selfish desires. Paul would remind me, "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV). I am holy. I belong to God. I have been set apart by Him and for Him. The Tabernacle would remain holy only as long as the people of God treated it so. The Temple would remain holy only as long as the people of God treated it so. It was a dangerous thing for the people of God to place their faith in the existence of the Temple and assume that God was there with them. It is equally as dangerous for me to take my salvation and the promise of His presence in my life for granted by taking my body – His temple – and using it in ways that are inappropriate and unintended by God.

Father, I want to live a life that is set apart to You. I don't want it to be in word only, but in my actions. I want my life to reflect that I belong to You and not me. Forgive me for the many ways in which I profane Your name by using what You have set apart for Your use for my own selfish purposes. Help me to remain totally dedicated to Your glory and not my own. Help me to see my life as belonging to You and not to me. I want to holy to the Lord. Amen