The thousands of freed Hebrew slaves have been in the desert for months. It has been a time of testing.  The people complained on missing the luscious food of Egypt; they complained about lack of water, it was a dry and barren land, and it was boring!

But each time God had supplied their needs.  Moses goes up and down the mountain where he receives the various commands, rules, and instructions from God.  Now it’s time for something even greater.

In the last few chapters of Exodus, the Lord commands Moses to build a tent, called a tabernacle.  It isn’t just any tent but built to specific requirements and instructions that Moses received from God.  It travels with them as they make their way back to the land that their forefathers left 400 years ago.

This tent was to provide a dwelling place for God to meet with the priests . A place to interact with humanity. It was a place of worship.  It was a creative act! .

Why did God need a special place of worship?  Why did He need a specific dwelling place?  Isn’t God everywhere and why did He instruct Moses on building this moveable worship tent?

As I studied these last few chapters of Exodus I also did a bit of research.  I found one particular study which impressed me and which I will share with you. 

The message of the tabernacle is a reminder of the Creation account that we read in Genesis.  The universe had become disordered. The Divine Presence is not with His creation as before. So God provides a model of the Creation where He can now meet with the representative of Humankind, in the person of the Priesthood. 

The tabernacle now becomes a repeat of the Gensis story. ”And God said……..Let there be light.”  There were candlesticks which provided light in the tabernacle.

The Garden of Eden was a meeting place where God  interacted with the first humans.  Adam and Eve lost contact with God due to their disobedience but now God has restored some of the contact. 

When God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden, He placed Cherubim guarding the entrance.  In the tabernacle He had Moses put Cherubim as guardians over the Ark! “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the Ark of Testimony…….” Exodus 25:22)

Finally at the conclusion of the building of the tabernacle, the Torah says, “And Moses finished the work” (Ex 40:33)

When our Messiah comes on the scene the tabernacle has been replaced by the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. 

But wait, the Lord did once again “tabernacle” with us in the form of the Messiah!

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying…..Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with the, and they shall be His people.  God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away.  (Rev. 21:2-4)

                                    A new Creation Awaits Us!!