Month: November 2022

Exodus 39:32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

After a detailed description of the construction of the tabernacle and all its furniture and instruments, it was finally finished according to the Lord’s command. The tabernacle was built according to the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle. Every detail was to be repeated exactly according to God’s Command, for it was designed to be the earthly dwelling place of the heavenly, invisible, eternal God. No detail could be missing, for God lived there.

Israel did the work exactly according to the pattern commanded. This work was no trivial matter, for it was a big thing to know where God lived and how to approach Him. It was important to do according. The God who was so far away, infinitely far, because of man’s sin, has determined in His love to live with His people, and so He created a way to approach Him in a place He could be present on earth. The Invisible will inhabit the Visible; the spiritual touches the physical; the eternal enters the temporal; the heavenly comes into the earthly; the holy cleanses the sinful.

All of this happened when God became a Man and dwelled (tabernacled) among us. Jesus Christ was foreshadowed in the tabernacle. He replaces the tabernacle. He is the meeting place between God and humans. Then the body of Christ, the invisible church of all believers, the gathering of Christians becomes the Tabernacle of God.

The faithful obedience, the doing what God commanded, for NT believers is repentance and faith in the Gospel. The invisible gospel becomes visible to us in the water and bread and wine of the Sacraments. The Spirit makes a holy place in our heart for the indwelling of a holy God. We respond to Grace and construct a tabernacle in the heart by believing in Christ.

Exodus 36:5, 7 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make…For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

God had asked the people to bring offerings of their personal wealth and material goods for the service of the sanctuary. They responded generously to the extravagant grace of God by bringing more than enough and too much. They brought so much in offerings that the people had to be restrained from bringing. This awesome response is truly remarkable. They were slaves and serfs who didn’t have much, yet they gave to the Lord’s service more than enough.

Many churches today would love to have this kind of problem, where the people have to told to stop offering so much. This kind of extravagant response should really be the normal for every Christian congregation. Since God has been extravagant in His Creation and Redemption, mankind’s response would be commensurate with what we have received. After all, how many stars do human really need? Too many? How much abundant and eternal life does God give? Too much! Responding with more than enough is merely appropriate. We remember the saying: “You can’t outgive God!” God is always the biggest giver.

Exodus 36:1-2 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary according to all that the Lord commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it.

The Lord puts wisdom and understanding, ability and know-how, talents and gifts into the hearts of His people for the purpose that they would work for the Lord and serve people. Every wise hearted man (believer) uses the talents and abilities God gave him to respond to God’s commands regarding the work and service of the Church.

The Lord calls each believer to a unique and particular work of service in the Kingdom, according to the natural talents and spiritual gifts that that God gave him. Some are gifted to build, furnish or maintain a building; some are gifted to distribute needs to the needy; some are gifted to help in worship; etc.

God had given Bezaleel the gift to be a master craftsman, and that inner talent responded to the call of God to craft a tabernacle, according to God’s plan. The Lord also moved the hearts of other people to come to the work of service.

Our response to God’s command and promise is to do the work. Our talents and gifts resonate with the call of God for a specific purpose. The Lord orchestrates all of the individuals’ abilities into a united purpose to get His work done. He gives the know-how to many to work all manner of work for the service. We each respond in simple faith and obedience to do what we do well and with ease. The result is a beautiful kingdom of God among us.

Exodus 35:21-22 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.

The people responded to the Gospel of Deliverance at the Exodus, and they responded to the Law of the Covenant by coming and bringing offerings to the Lord for the building of the Tabernacle and its service, it’s furnishings and vestments. This response was generous and abundant, as these nomads offered to the Lord from what they could carry, like gold, silver, jewels and cloth. This offering was excessive as it would seem to have depleted their personal wealth. They literally gave themselves to the Lord. It was really a miraculous massive outpouring of love and trust.

The offering was not forced or taxed, but donated freely from a stirred up heart and a willing spirit. Some foreigners wonder how American churches support themselves without government taxation. They don’t realize that when God touches a heart the free will giving exceeds what taxes demand. Churches and pastors are supported totally by free will donations, just like Israel supplied support for the tabernacle and the priests. God is more generous than human government.

God is extravagant in His gifts and mercies, and the people who receive them repond such extravagance, and give. The free will tithes and offerings of God’s people may only be 10%, but with less waste and abuse the 10% goes further than the government’s coerced 20% or so. Regardless, the church and its believers give more from a willing heart than the forced unwilling taxation of humans. This willing generosity cannot be explained any other way than by a heart stirred up by the Spirit to respond to God’s extravagant love. Jesus is worthy of our generous response.

Exodus 34:29-30 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

The reflected glory from being in very presence of the glory of God is Moses’ response to receiving holiness and love from the living God. The skin of his face shone. This response was not an action that he consciously chose to do. By the grace of God it happened, and the shining was God’s message to the people that something really big and important has taken place.

The principle of reflecting God is the same for us. We also reflect God in our lives and on our faces as the image of God is being restored in baptized believers. It comes out of us after we have heard or read the Gospel, which is like being in the presence of a holy and loving God. We cannot deliberately just decide that our skin is going to shine; we can’t say, “I’m going to reflect God today.” We just do, after we have heard the Gospel, been with Jesus, touched by the Spirit, and strengthened through the Word.

We, like Moses, are not aware of our face glowing and our eyes shining, and we can’t make it happen through human effort or forcing a smile or putting on make-up. It is something that the Spirit works in us and out of us through the Word of Grace. Thank God: “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure [Philippians 2:13].”

So what do we do? We sit back, listen to Jesus, and then go about our day enjoying Him, while Jesus “makes His face shine upon you.”

Exodus 34:28 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

For the second time Moses was in the glory of God’s presence to write the Words of the Covenant (the Ten Commandments). He had broken the first tablets in the golden calf incident. The Lord is showing Moses, and us, how serious and solemn His Covenant is, and how important these Ten Commandments are. By the way, Jesus repeats, explains, and details the practical meaning of the Commandments in the Sermon on the Mount.

In both instances, the keeping of the Law is presented as the response to the Gospel of grace and salvation. The Gospel gives the desire, motivation and the power to keep the Law. When we fail, provisions are made to repent of sin, return to the Lord, and receive forgiveness.

We must not underestimate the serious nature of the Law and its consequences. Moses didn’t. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, neither eating nor drinking. This was a supernatural fast, for a human being can survive, even thrive, not eating for forty days, but he cannot survive not drinking for more than three days. This miracle is a sign of Moses’ inward faith response to God’s Covenant.

Fasting is a response, like prayer; it is not a manipulation of God, like a sacrifice, to show Him serious we are so He answers our prayer. Luther: “Fasting is indeed fine outward training,…but faith in the words.” Moses’ fasting was a faith response to an awesome event of an awesome God. Prayer and fasting can be for us a proper response to the awesome Christ Event.

Exodus 34:12, 14 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee. For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

The thou shalt not commands of God are also responses of the believer to the grace and salvation of God. “Because of what I have done for you, this what you will do for me. And your life will be blessed,” says the Lord. Here the Lord is expounding to Moses the further meaning of the First Commandment. You will worship no other god. The Lord says He is a jealous God, and He loves you so much that He doesn’t want your love, affection, service, trust, and worship to be given to any other being or entity. “Worship Me only.”

This kind of divided loyalty was a problem for Israel all through Biblical history. Symbolically, this issue was posed by Elijah in simple terms: Baal or God? Jesus posed it this way: God and mammon. John posed it like this: Love God or love the world. You can’t have it both ways. Idolatry as such was not the problem; syncretism (blending or mixing) was: Sunday for God; other days for me.

Therefore, the Lord says you will respond to the Gospel by not entering into covenant relationships, obligations, or entanglements with the unbelieving world, or they will become a snare for you and little by little lead you away from pure devotion to the Lord. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. What fellowship has light with darkness? Or Christ with Belial? Or the temple of God with idols? [2 Corinthians 6:14-16].”

We are so easily entangled with the unbelieving world that we daily need the forgiveness earned by Christ. Jesus responded purely for us.

Exodus 34:8-9 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

The Lord had come down and stood before Moses and proclaimed His character of mercy; the Lord passed by before him. In response to this glorious manifestation and gospel proclamation, Moses responded quickly by bowing his head and worshipping God.

Then he was bold to pray: 1) go among us (don’t leave but stay with us); 2) pardon our iniquity and sin (forgive our trespasses); and 3) take us for your inheritance (grant eternal life as sons of God). The Lord had just shown His glory and holiness and declared His love and forgiveness. This manifest appearance frightened him into believing God, and the gospel proclamation comforted him into loving God.

The faith and love moved him to worship. The reassurance emboldened him to pray. Worship and prayer is also our response to the preaching of Law and Gospel. In faith and worship we pray for God’s presence (name, kingdom. will), for provision (daily bread), for pardon (forgive trespasses), and for protection (from temptation and evil). We thank Him for giving us His love, for moving us to pray, and for hearing our prayers.

When the Lord confronts us with His glorious power and His loving mercy, we respond by bowing our head, worshipping Him, and then praying. Actually, His Presence is with us always, so our whole life is worship and prayer.

Exodus 33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

Moses went in to the tabernacle and talked face to face with the Lord. While he was in there the cloudy pillar stood at the door, signifying to all that God was present there. The people saw God in the pillar; this vision of God’s presence brought forth the worship of the people. For what else, really, can a human being do but stand in awe and worship God? This is the natural and God-given response to seeing God and being in His presence.

This seeing happens when we hear and believe the Gospel. Believing is seeing: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John says, “These are written that ye may believe…and have life.” He is referring to the Gospel he wrote, and by extension, to all Scripture. When we hear the Word we believe; when we believe we see; when we see we worship.

Worship is the response of faith. Faith is the response to hearing, seeing, and receiving the Gospel. Since God is always present and the gospel can be seen daily, our whole life becomes a life of worship. Such a life is our response to Grace.

Exodus 33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

The Tabernacle was the visible location of the Presence of the invisible God on the earth. God Himself is present with His people, although outside the camp, and everyone knew where He was and how to find Him. God was present on the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant inside the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. And everyone who sought the Lord for any reason went out unto the tabernacle. The true and proper response to any need is to seek the Lord and go to Him where He said He would be.

We also seek the Lord by going up to and into the Presence of the Lord. The Tabernacle, and then the Temple, prefigured the Presence in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. “The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us.” Jesus said, “Destroy this temple…” Then the Presence moves into the Church as a whole and into the body of each individual believer, as the Temple of the Lord.

Where do we go today to “go out unto” the Presence of the Lord? We go to the church buildings that Christians have set aside for the gathering of the saints to receive the Gospel and Sacraments; we go to other believers “where two or three are gathered in His name”; we go to the Word in our alone time in our quiet place. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ we know where, when, how, and why to go. We may respond to any need in life by going out unto the Presence of the Lord.