Please turn with me in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 25.
We are entering the final section in the book of Exodus
where it talks about the building,
the instructions for the tabernacle
and the actual construction of the tabernacle.
And it takes extended time to describe
the specific dimensions of and the furnishings
within the tabernacle.
And then it spends more chapters later on
describing almost in identical words,
verbatim, that they did exactly what they were told to do.
And so we're gonna actually cover those two parts together
and I'm gonna explain why it's repeated in the text
as we go through this final section together.
So we're gonna look at Exodus 25 verses one to nine
and then Exodus 35 verses four to 29.
And then lastly, we're gonna look at Exodus 38
verses 21 to 31.
So please have your Bibles open
and ready to kind of flip through and follow along.
And let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Heavenly Father, we want to lay aside our distractions.
This morning, some of us are distracted
by things that happen this week.
Some of us are distracted by what's gonna happen later today
or later this week.
And some of us are distracted with service here
during our worship.
But Lord, right now,
as we come to your word,
we want to sit at your feet
and we want to listen.
We want to hear from you.
So help us
to incline our ears and our hearts
as you speak to us from your word
that we might stand in awe of you
and your glory,
that we might rejoice
and delight in
the great grace you have shown us
in coming to dwell among us.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
If you are able,
please stand for the reading of God's word.
I'm gonna first read Exodus 25,
1 to 9.
The Lord said to Moses,
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.
And this is the contribution
that you shall receive from them,
gold, silver, and bronze,
blue and purple and scarlet yarns
and fine twined linen,
goat's hair,
tanned ram skins,
goat skins,
acacia wood,
oil for the lamps,
spices for the anointing oil
and for the fragrant incense,
onyx stones
and stones for setting
for the ephod
and for the breast piece.
And let them make me a sanctuary
that I may dwell in their midst.
Exactly as I show you
concerning the pattern
of the tabernacle
and of all its furniture,
so you shall make it.
Going ahead to Exodus 35, 4 to 29.
Moses said to all the congregation
of the people of Israel,
This is the thing
that the Lord has commended.
Take from among you
a contribution to the Lord.
Whoever is of a generous heart,
let him bring the Lord's contribution,
gold, silver, and bronze,
blue and purple
and scarlet yarns
and fine twined linen,
goat's hair,
tanned ram skins
and goat skins,
acacia wood,
oil for the light,
spices for the anointing oil
and for the fragrant incense,
and onyx stones
and stones for setting
for the ephod
and for the breast piece.
Let every skillful craftsman among you
come and make all
that the Lord has commanded.
The tabernacle,
its tent and its covering,
its hooks and its frames,
its bars,
its pillars and its bases.
The ark with its poles,
the mercy seat
and the veil of the screen.
The table with its poles
and all its utensils
and the bread of the presence.
The lampstand also for the light
with its utensils and its lamps
and the oil for the light
and the altar of incense
with its poles
and the anointing oil
and the fragrant incense
and the screen for the door
at the door of the tabernacle.
The altar of burnt offering
and with its grating of bronze,
its poles and all its utensils,
the basin and its stand,
the hangings of the court,
its pillars and its bases
and the screen for the gate of the court.
The pegs of the tabernacle
and the pegs of the court
and their cords.
The finely worked garments
for ministering in the holy place,
the holy garments
for Aaron the priest
and the garments of his sons
for their service as priests.
Then all the congregation
of the people of Israel
departed from the presence of Moses
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.
So they came,
both man and woman,
all who were of a willing heart
brought brooches and earrings
and signet rings and armlets,
all sorts of gold objects,
every man dedicating an offering
of gold to the Lord.
And everyone who possessed blue
or purple or scarlet yarns
or fine linen or goat's hair
or tanned ram skins
or goat skins brought them.
Everyone who could make a contribution
of silver or bronze
brought it as the Lord's contribution.
And everyone who possessed acacia wood
of any use in the work brought it.
And every skillful woman spun with her hands
and they all brought what they had spun
in blue and purple and scarlet yarns
and fine twined linen.
All the women whose heart stirred them
to use their skill
spun the goat's hair.
And the leaders brought onyx stones
and stones to be set
for the ephod and for the breast piece
and spices and oil for the light
and for the anointing oil
and for the fragrant incense.
All the men and women,
the people of Israel,
whose heart moved them
to bring anything for the work
that the Lord had commanded
by Moses to be done,
brought it as a freewill offering
to the Lord.
And finally, chapter 38,
verses 21 to 31.
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 Ethamar,
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 Ahisamak of the tribe of Dan,
an engraver and designer
and embroiderer in blue and purple
and scarlet yarns
and fine twisted linen.
All the gold that was used for the work
in all the construction of the sanctuary,
the gold from the offering
was 29 talents and 730 shekels
by the shekel of the sanctuary.
The silver from those of the congregation
who were recorded
was 100 talents
and 1,775 shekels
by the shekel of the sanctuary.
A becca, a head,
that is half a shekel
by the shekel of the sanctuary
for everyone who was listed in the records
from 20 years old and upward
for 603,550 men.
The 100 talents of silver
were forecasting the basis of the sanctuary
and the basis of the veil.
A hundred basis for the 100 talents,
a talent, a base.
And of the 1,775 shekels,
he made hooks for the pillars
and overlaid their capitals
and made fillets for them.
The bronze that was offered
was 70 talents
and 2,400 shekels.
With it, he made the basis
for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
the bronze altar
and the bronze grating for it
and all the utensils of the altar,
the bases around the court
and the basis of the gate of the court,
all the pegs of the tabernacle
and all the pegs around the court.
This is God's holy
and authoritative word.
You may be seated.
You guys were very patient
through a longer reading.
We've been in our sermon series
in the book of Exodus
for exactly a year
as of last week.
And of course,
we took some breaks here and there
for a sermon series
through Advent and Christmas
and with guest preachers
and whatnot.
And when we first began the series,
I'd mentioned to you
that chapters 1 to 18
tell us about the salvation of the Lord,
the deliverance of the Israelites,
the Exodus.
And then chapters 19 to 24
tell us about the law of the Lord,
the 10 commandments
and the book of the covenant
that we've been going through
over the last two months or so,
a few months or so.
And then finally,
chapters 25 to 40,
which is where we're at,
tell us about the presence of the Lord,
where Israel follows
God's detailed instructions
for the construction of the tabernacle
so that God may dwell in their midst.
This last section of Exodus
is the part that preachers
are often tempted to skip
for, I think, reasons
that are probably apparent to you.
They worry that the repetitive section
with its seemingly tedious details
about the tabernacle
would bore their listeners.
But the final section of Exodus
is actually an indispensable
and fitting conclusion
to the book as a whole.
Throughout the narratives
of the Exodus in chapters 7 to 10,
the Lord repeatedly said,
let my people go.
And there was a purpose for that,
that they may serve me.
And that's why the Lord
freed the Israelites from slavery
so that they might serve him.
That's why some theologians
prefer to call this
not emancipation,
but repatriation.
They're taking one master,
a cruel, harsh master in Egypt,
to a gracious and benevolent master
in Yahweh, the Lord.
And so God,
the serving God
and worshiping God
is the direction
in which the all of Exodus
has been pointing.
And now that's where we are.
Finally, the people
are now getting to serve the Lord,
to worship the Lord.
This is really not an afterthought
or an appendix.
It's the climax
of the book of Exodus.
And the theological significance
of the tabernacle
is highlighted
by just how many chapters
in the book
are dedicated to this subject.
By comparison,
it took only one chapter
to tell us about 80 years
of Moses' life.
It took only one chapter
to give us the Decalogue,
the Ten Commandments.
Even when you count
the subsequent book
of the covenant,
that's still only five chapters.
The entire Exodus narrative
from the time Moses and Aaron
first confront Pharaoh
to the crossing of the Red Sea
took nine chapters.
That climactic event
of divine deliverance
in the Old Testament
is told in nine chapters.
But this book
devotes 13 chapters
for the construction
of the tabernacle.
Chapters 25 to 31
is the blueprint,
seven chapters.
And then there's a break
in chapters 32 to 34
due to Israel's idolatry
and the worship
of the golden calf.
And then in the chapters
35 to 40
is the actual building
of the tabernacle
over six more chapters.
So 13 chapters in total.
And that makes us ask,
why so much emphasis
on all these hooks
and frames
and bars
and poles
and pegs
and cords
and linens
and curtains?
Well, because
it's not just a tent.
The word tabernacle
comes from the Latin word
that means tent.
So it is a tent.
But when the word
in the Hebrew Bible
is translated
as tabernacle,
it actually means
the dwelling place.
That's what the word
is translating.
Every time it says tabernacle,
it's not just saying tent.
It's saying the dwelling.
The dwelling place
of God.
And so it's called
sometimes the tent
of meeting
because it's where
the Israelites
would convene with God,
meet with Him.
And so this is
a significant development
in the biblical narrative
because we know
from Genesis
that Adam and Eve
had enjoyed
communion with God
in the garden.
And it says
in Genesis chapter 3
that God sometimes
even walked in the garden.
They enjoyed fellowship
with Him.
But because they
sinned against God
and ate from the tree
of knowledge of good
and evil
that they were forbidden
to eat from,
they were cut off
from the tree of life
in the midst of the garden
and then expelled
from the garden.
Ever since then,
humanity has been
living in exile
from the presence of God.
And this question
has hung over
all of Scripture
up to this point.
can God's people
ever be reconciled to God?
Can we ever be restored
to His presence again?
Will God ever dwell
with us again?
And the tabernacle
is God's temporary
but gracious yes
to that question.
And it points to
God's ultimate answer
to that question
in Jesus Christ.
That God does intend
to dwell with His people again.
And remarkably,
we learn from this passage
that not only does He
intend to do that,
the Lord invites us
to give to
and work for
the construction
of His very dwelling place
among us.
And we're going to explore
that in three phases.
First, we're going to look
at the loftiness
of God's dwelling.
Secondly,
the lowliness
of God's dwelling.
And third,
the costliness
of the people's offering.
So let's first look
at the loftiness
of God's dwelling.
Exodus 25,
verses 8 to 9
clearly tell us
what the tabernacle
is meant to be.
The Lord says,
And let them make me
a sanctuary
that I might dwell
in their midst,
exactly as I show you
concerning the pattern
of the tabernacle
and of all its furniture,
so you shall make it.
This tent
that they are to build
for the Lord
is a sanctuary,
which is derived
from the Latin word
that means holy.
It's a consecrated place.
That's why
the inner tent
of the tabernacle
is called
the holy place.
It's divided
into two rooms,
the holy place
and the most holy place.
In the Old Testament,
sometimes a guilty fugitive
ran to the sanctuary
or the temple
in order to kind of
plead guilty
and seek clemency.
It was their way
of seeking asylum.
And it's because
of that association
with the sanctuary
that the word sanctuary
is nowadays often used
to mean a refuge
or a shelter.
But its original meaning
is simply a holy place,
a place that is set apart.
It's not an ordinary place,
a place that is uncommon,
a special place
that's unlike any other.
And the tabernacle
is one such place.
It's set apart
by its design
and by its building material.
So before starting
the construction,
of course,
you need to gather
all the required materials.
And that's what God
instructs Moses to do.
So in chapter 25,
verses 3 to 7,
we see this list.
It says,
this is the contribution
that you shall receive
from them,
gold,
silver,
and bronze.
So again,
those are precious metals
that have been prized
through centuries,
through millennia,
because of their luster
and because of their rarity.
And even now,
even nowadays,
during financial downturns,
investors often
put their money in gold
because gold is more likely
to retain its value
than dollar.
And so the gold
will be used
for the furnishings
within the tabernacle proper,
the holy place
and the most holy place.
The ark,
the mercy seat,
the cover for the ark,
the cherubim
attached to that,
as well as the altar
of incense
and the pillars
inside the tabernacle
will be all overlaid
with gold.
And then,
according to Exodus 38
to 27, 31,
which we read earlier,
silver will be used
for the bases
of the pillars
in the tabernacle
and for the capitals
and the fillets
and hooks
of the pillars
in the courtyard.
And then bronze
will be used
for the bases
and for the bronze altar
and the bronze basin
in the courtyard
of the tabernacle.
Why is this relevant?
There are levels,
there's a gradation
within the tabernacle structure
which sets God apart
as holy.
It's almost like
the tabernacle
has three stories.
The land outside
the courtyard
is just dirt,
but the courtyard
is made up
of bronze materials.
And the top tip
of the courtyard
is made of silver.
The rest of it
underneath
is made of bronze.
So if you go further in,
then the bottom
of the pillars
surrounding
the actual
tabernacle
of the tent
is made of silver.
And then the rest of it
above it
is gold.
And then once you step
into the tabernacle,
everything you see
is gold.
So there's a gradation.
You should get closer
to the most holy place,
to the holy place,
the more royal
and exquisite
and beautiful it gets.
And the further away
you get
from that place,
the more common
and ordinary
it gets.
the idea
is reinforcing
the important fact
that God
is holy,
set apart.
He is the sovereign
ruler of the universe
before whom
we should stand
in awe
and pay homage.
Let's return
to 2537
and look at
the rest of the
building materials.
In addition to gold,
silver,
and bronze,
which was given
in order of descending
significance or value,
we also get
blue and purple
and scarlet yarns
and fine twine linen,
which is again
listed in descending
order of value.
The colored yarns
were very expensive
and rare in those days
because this is
before the invention
of synthetic dyes.
So dyes had to be
extracted from
natural sources
and in this
region of the world
they would have to
rely on sea mollusks
like clams
and they would have
to get plant barks
and leaves
and berries
or precious minerals
to get the color
that they want.
So think about
the long
and painstaking
labor that would
be required
to extract
even modest
amounts of dye,
let alone
enough to dye,
enough to color
an entire skin
of yarn.
Skin of yarn.
So the next items
listed are
goat's hair,
tanned ram skins
and goat skins,
which I'll talk more
about when we get
to them.
And these are
the next three layers
of coverings
for the tabernacle.
So first the colored
yarns and the
fine twine linen
and then goat's hair,
tanned ram skin
and then what this
translation says
goat skins.
I won't go into
these details for now
but it's sufficient
to note that this
tabernacle doesn't
have a single
flimsy rain fly
like my tent.
It has three
hefty, durable
covers over the
blue and purple
and scarlet yarn.
So four total layers
of covering.
The next few items
are acacia wood
which is known
for its hardiness
and durability.
It's even stronger
than oak.
And then the oil
for the lamb,
spices for the
anointing oil
and for the
fragrant incense.
The spices
are specifically
described in Exodus
30 as the
finest spices
including myrrh,
sweet smelling
cinnamon,
aromatic cane,
acacia and
olive oil.
These are
ingredients that
are still used
nowadays in perfumes
and so it would
fill the tabernacle
with sweet
aromas that
are perhaps
even therapeutic
as you would
smell it
that would set
the tabernacle
apart from the
common orders
of life
that you're used
to smelling
with your animals
and with your
sweaty self.
So it's being
set apart
not only visually
but also in
your olfactory sense
it's being set apart
as a holy place
like no other.
And finally
verse 7 adds
onyx stones
and stones
for setting
for the ephod
and for the
breast piece.
I won't get
into this now
but these are
precious stones
of great value
that will be used
as attached
to the garb
of the priests
and of the high priest.
And so
all that to say
the rare
and costly materials
used for the
construction
of the tabernacle
show that it was
designed
to be beautiful,
designed to be
glorious,
so that it might
be a sanctuary,
a holy place
for Yahweh
so that the
Lord is not
cheapened
before the eyes
of his people.
Everything about
this place
screams royalty,
it screams
sovereignty,
majesty,
and according
to Numbers 2
the entire
Israelite camp
was arranged
around the
tabernacle,
the tabernacle
at the center,
three tribes
to the north,
three to the south,
three to the east,
three to the west.
The king
residing
at the center
of his people,
of his loyal subjects,
reigning over them.
And this is a lesson
for the Israelites.
God is not
to be regarded
lightly.
He is among you,
but he is not
like you.
He is holy.
He is set apart.
Listen to him.
Obey him.
The specific instructions
for the tabernacle
also tell us
the importance
of strict adherence
to God's commands.
Notice what God
says to Moses
in chapter 25,
verse 9.
Exactly as I show you
concerning the pattern
of the tabernacle
and of all its furniture,
so you shall make it.
The tabernacle
is supposed to be built
exactly the way
the instruction says.
The same thing
is repeated
in Exodus 25,
40,
and quoting that verse,
Hebrews 8, 5 says this,
the priests serve
a copy
and shadow
of the heavenly things.
For when Moses
was about to erect
the tent,
he was instructed
by God saying,
see that you make
everything according
to the pattern
that was shown you
on the mountain.
The tabernacle,
God's earthly dwelling place,
is a copy.
It's a shadow
of the reality,
which is God's
heavenly dwelling.
For example,
Psalm 11, 4 speaks
of how the Lord
is in his holy temple
and the Lord's throne
is in heaven.
And in John's vision
of God's throne
in Revelation 11, 19,
it says,
then God's temple
in heaven was opened
and the ark
of his covenant
was seen
within his temple.
There is in heaven itself
a temple for the Lord
and it's complete
with its own ark
of the covenant
of which the earthly temple
and its ark
is merely a copy,
a shadow.
So Moses
on the top
of Mount Sinai
got to see
this,
glimpse this temple
of God,
this heavenly temple.
He saw the archetype
of God's dwelling place
and now he's commissioned
to build
an earthly copy
according to that pattern.
So you can think
of the tabernacle
in a way
like almost
like a miniature,
a scale model,
representative replica
of the heavenly reality.
The temple
that Solomon built
for God
in Jerusalem
is no longer standing,
it's been destroyed
but in Jerusalem
they do have
a scale model
of the temple
which is helpful
for letting people
see what it would
have looked like.
I mean,
it's a lot smaller
but what would it have looked like
in this day and time
and also to show them
that this is a real thing,
it really used to exist,
this is a copy
of the original
and that's the purpose
of the tabernacle.
It tells us that
there's a real thing
out there.
This is just a copy.
It's a shadow
of reality
and this is why
it's so important
for that the Israelites
follow the blueprint
to a T.
That's why there are
seven chapters
of painstaking instructions
and then another
six chapters
to tell us
that they did exactly
according to the pattern
shown to Moses
on the mountain.
There is no room
for creative license here
because God's people
must know
that God's dwelling place
is real
and that it is not
a figment
of Moses' imagination.
The tabernacle
is a replication
not an innovation
and that's why
it is beautiful
and glorious.
It resembles God's
heavenly temple,
dwelling place.
So in this way
the loftiness
of God's dwelling
place communicates
His glory
but the relative
lowliness
of God's dwelling
communicates
His grace.
The tabernacle
was a splendid tent
but it was still
a tent.
It was merely
a copy
of the heavenly reality.
How can
the Lord God
Yahweh
stoop to such a level
to inhabit
that?
the Lord
commissioned
the building
of the tabernacle
in Exodus 25
8 saying
that I may
dwell
in their midst.
That's an amazing
statement.
God is not
merely visiting
or stopping
by
the Israelites.
He is moving
into the neighborhood.
As I mentioned
earlier
the word
tabernacle
is a translation
of the word
that literally
means the dwelling.
It's where
God will
take residence.
But think
about that
for a moment.
Last time
I went camping
my tent
collapsed twice
before I was able
to actually
put it up properly.
It was
pretty flimsy.
When we think
of the most
royal and glamorous
accommodations
we do not
think of tents.
No matter
how glorious
it is
the tabernacle
is still
a portable
shelter
used for
camping
in the wilderness.
That's why
later in 2 Samuel 7
2 David
laments to
Nathan the prophet
see now
I dwell
in a house
of cedar
but the ark
of God
dwells
in a tent.
So he
realized that
there is
a gross
incongruity
there and
he sets out
right away
to make
preparations
for the
building
of God's
temple
and it's
his son
Solomon
that
completes
that
task
and
even
Solomon
after
finishing
building
the temple
which is
grander than
the tabernacle
and twice
as big
in all its
proportions
1 Kings 8
27 he says
this
but will
God
indeed
dwell
on the
earth
behold
heaven
and the
highest
heaven
cannot
contain
you
how much
less
this
house
that I
have
built
if
even
the
temple
is
inadequate
accommodation
for the
Lord God
then how
can
this
tent
possibly
be
a
fitting
dwelling
place
for
almighty
God
remember
the last
time we
heard of
God
dwelling
somewhere
it was in
the previous
chapter
when it
said
that
the
cloud
covered
a
mountain
the
glory
of
the
Lord
dwelt
on
Mount
Sinai
and
the
cloud
covered
it
six
days
and
on
the
seventh
day
he
called
to
Moses
out
of
the
cloud
now
the
appearance
of
the
glory
of
the
Lord
was
like
a
devouring
fire
on
the
top
of
the
mountain
in
the
side
of
the
people
of
Israel
use
your
imagination
for a
bit
eruption
I'm
not
saying
that
it
was
a
volcanic
eruption
I
think
it
would
look
similar
there's
a
devouring
fire
atop
Mount
Sinai
consuming
everything
that
dares
to
cross
its
paths
and
the
clouds
with
billowing
crowds
with
the
massive
cauliflower
like
shape
just
ballooning
everywhere
and
covering
so you
can't
see
anything
around
you
how
does
God
whose
glory
is
like
a
devouring
fire
dwell
inside
a
tent
it's
an
absolutely
mind
boggling
proposition
can
you
catch
a
lightning
bolt
in
a
bottle
can
you
pour
a
tsunami
into
a
mug
how
can
the
glorious
creator
of
the
universe
dwell
inside
a
man
made
tent
the
level
of
condescension
required
even
the
level
of
humiliation
required
for
this
is
staggering
God
our
heavenly
father
comes
down
to
our
level
condescends
to dwell
in
our
midst
the
king
of
kings
the
lord
of
lords
the
one
god
overall
takes
residence
among
a group
of
stateless
refugees
nomads
wandering
through
the
wilderness
he's
not
offering
emotional
support
from
a
long
distance
phone
call
he is
coming
into
their
midst
to
live
among
them
to
let
his
people
know
once
and
for
all
I
am
with
you
and
I
am
for
you
and
I
am
going
to
lead
you
personally
into
the
promised
land
that's
what's
happening
with
the
building
of
the
tabernacle
and
this
gracious
condescension
of
God's
dwelling
in
the
tabernacle
points
to
God's
ultimate
condescension
to
his
people
in
Jesus
Christ
the
tabernacle
is a
symbol
of
Jesus
in
the
Old
Testament
in
John
2
19
to
21
Jesus
says
that
his
body
is
the
new
temple
of
God
and
that
and
that's
because
Colossians
2
9
tells
us
that
of
deity
dwells
bodily
the
word
we use
for that
to
describe
it
is
the
incarnation
the
divine
son
of
God
taking
on
human
flesh
and
dwelling
among
us
John
1
14
says
of
Jesus
the
eternal
word
of
God
and
the
word
became
flesh
and
dwelt
among
us
the
word
translated
dwelt
there
literally
means
he
pitched
a
tent
among
us
there
is an
intentional
allusion
to
the
tabernacle
in
the
gospel
of
John
Jesus
tabernacled
among
us
to
show
us
that
God
is
with
us
that
God
is
for
us
Jesus
it
tells
us
in
Philippians
2
6
to
8
that
though
he
was
in
the
form
of
God
he
did
not
consider
equality
with
God
a
thing
to
grasp
but
instead
he
humbled
himself
and
took
on
the
form
of
a
servant
by
taking
on
human
flesh
and
Adam
and
Eve
though
they
were
not
in
the
form
of
God
they
were
only
in
the
form
of
man
sought
to
become
like
God
and
to
grasp
for
equality
with
God
by
taking
from
the
tree
of
the
knowledge
of
good
and
evil
but
Jesus
who
was
in
the
form
of
God
did
not
seek
equality
with
God
but
instead
he
humbled
himself
by
becoming
a
man
and
dying
on
the
tree
of
God
summarizes
this way
in this
book
the
cross
of
Christ
man
asserts
himself
against
God
and
puts
himself
where
only
God
deserves
to
be
God
sacrifices
himself
for
man
and
puts
himself
where
only
man
deserves
to
be
man
claims
prerogatives
that belong
to God
alone
God
accepts
penalties
that belong
to man
alone
Adam's
sin
brought
humanity's
exile
and
it's
Jesus'
sacrifice
that
brings
humanity's
homecoming
bring
his
people's
homecoming
more
specifically
the
priests
in the
old
testament
went
into
the
tabernacle
or
to
the
temple
to
offer
atoning
sacrifices
for
the
sins
of
God's
people
but
their
sacrifices
along
with
the
tabernacle
and
the
temple
were
mere
copies
shadows
that
pointed
to a
greater
reality
but
Jesus
our
great
high
priest
he
says
in
Hebrews
9
he
did
not
make
a
shadow
sacrifice
he
made
the
actual
sacrifice
by
going
into
the
tabernacle
the
tent
in
the
heavenly
places
and
offering
a
one
central
sacrifice
at
his
own
blood
his
own
life
so
that
we
might
live
so
that
we
might
be
reconciled
to
God
so
that
now
it
is
true
that
it
is
on
earth
it
is
so
on
earth
as
it
is
in
heaven
what
Jesus
has
accomplished
in
that
heavenly
temple
and
heavenly
tabernacle
is
the
reality
that
we
get
to
live
in
as
God's
people
and
we
are
now
indwelled
by
the
spirit
of
God
and
that's
why
we
ourselves
are
called
by
God's
word
in
1
Corinthians
3
16
as
God's
temple
God's
dwelling
place
this
is
the
ultimate
condescension
of
God
how
can
the
son
of
God
become
a
son
of
man
how
can
the
one
by
whom
all
things
were
created
become
a
creature
how
can
the
consuming
fire
dwell
among
us
how
can
the
holy
one
ever
dwell
within
you
and
within
me
because
of
God's
mercy
because
Jesus
tabernacled
among
us
and
sanctified
us
by
his
blood
some
of
you
here
still
do
not
know
Jesus
you
have
not
yet
entrusted
your
life
to
him
you
have
not
believed
in
his
death
and
resurrection
and
God
is
still
foreign
to
you
he's
alien
to
you
he
does
not
dwell
with
you
but
here
is
Jesus
invitation
in
Revelation
3
20
behold
I
stand
at
the
door
and
knock
if
anyone
hears
my
voice
and
opens
the
door
I
will
come
in
to
him
and
eat
with
him
and
he
with
me
Jesus
this
is
his
invitation
he
wants
to
dwell
with
you
he
wants
to
dwell
within
you
will
you
renounce
your
idols
and
pledge
allegiance
to
Jesus
will
you
surrender
your
life
to
him
consecrate
yourself
to
him
say
take
my
life
and
let
it
be
consecrated
Lord
to
thee
he
wants
to
tabernacle
within
you
and
make
you
his
dwelling
place
God's
grace
here
is so
amazing
but
that's
not
the
end
of
it
let's
return
to
the
tabernacle
in
Exodus
25
just
once
more
here
God's
gracious
condescension
continues
in that
he invites
us
to
give
to
and
work
for
the
construction
of
his
dwelling
place
among
us
he
says
in
Exodus
25
verse
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
that
means
the
contribution
the
people
are
to
make
is
voluntary
chapter
35
is
even
more
emphatic
about
this
it
says
in
verse
5
take
from
among
you
a
contribution
to
the
Lord
whoever
is
of
a
generous
heart
let
him
bring
the
Lord's
contribution
this
voluntary
aspect
of
the
contribution
frames
the
entire
section
of
verses
21
to
29
it
begins
by
saying
this
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
tenth
of
meeting
and
for
all
its
service
and
for
the
holy
garments
then
that
same
section
ends
by
saying
this
all
the
men
and
women
the
people
of
Israel
whose
heart
moved
them
to
bring
anything
for
the
work
that
the
Lord
had
commanded
by
Moses
to
be
done
brought
it
as
a
free
will
offering
to
the
Lord
this
is
not
a
mandatory
tithe
the
10%
that
God's
people
were
required
to
give
commanded
to
give
this
is
a
free
will
offering
that
goes
above
and
beyond
the
requirements
this
is
a
voluntary
gift
and
this
voluntary
aspect
of the
collection
is
intentionally
contrasted
with
the
narrative
of the
golden
calf
that
we'll
get
to
later
when
the
Israelites
rebel
against
the
Lord
during
Moses
absence
and
demand
that
Aaron
produce
for
them
gods
who
shall
go
before
them
idols
Aaron
says
this
in
chapter
32
verse
2
take
off
the
rings
of
gold
that
are
in
the
ears
of
your
wives
your
sons
and
your
daughters
and
bring
them
to
me
it's
not
voluntary
it's
forced
when
it comes
to
building
an
idol
Aaron
demands
the
gold
but
when
it
comes
to
building
the
tabernacle
God
commands
Moses
to
ask
for
it
why
because
as it
says
in
2nd
Corinthians
9
7
each
one
must
give
as he
has
decided
in
his
heart
not
reluctantly
or
under
compulsion
for
God
loves
a
cheerful
giver
God
has
every
authority
every
right
to
demand
everything
we
have
of
us
but
instead
he
asks
of
it
he
wants
us
willingly
to
give
to
him
and
serve
him
this
is
amazing
think
about
it
God
you
want
me
to
give
something
to
you
the
king
would
ask
something
of
me
a
pauper
do
you
really
mean
that
there's
something
I
can
actually
do
for
you
that
there's
something
I
can
actually
give
to
you
what
greater
honor
can
a
human
being
have
than
this
to
bring
willingly
a
contribution
to
the
Lord
to
be
able
to
give
to
him
from
what
he
has
given
to
us
to
be
able
to
serve
him
with
what
he
has
enabled
us
to
do
so
the
men
and
women
of
Israel
donated
valuables
precious
commodities
and they
volunteered
their time
and skill
for the
construction
of the
tabernacle
not because
they had
to
but because
they wanted
to
because
their hearts
stirred
them to
and their
spirit
moved
them to
my
gold
earring
can
become a
part
of the
ark
of the
covenant
the
linens
that I
weave
with my
hands
and the
leather
that I
tan
with my
hands
can
become
the
covering
for
God's
holy
dwelling
place
by all
means
take
it
what
else
can I
do
what
else
can I
give
to my
Lord
my
king
in
Exodus
38
21
to
31
which
we
read
earlier
there's
a
careful
accounting
of the
contribution
that the
people
brought
recorded
by
Ithamar
the son
of Aaron
the priest
every time
people give
money they want
to know how
their money is
being used
that it's
being stewarded
wisely
that's why we as a church
also take particular care
to make sure every
offering and every expense
is noted
and cataloged
and maybe
one day we too
will get a chance
to use
some of the money
for a sanctuary
to worship God
in
because it's
hard-earned money
that God's people
have generously
given
and if you look
at Ithamar's
bookkeeping
in chapter 38
it says
that the people's
offerings amounted
to 29 talents
and 730
shekels of gold
that's a total
of 2,210.65 pounds
of gold
the current gold
price per pound
is said to be
22,103 dollars
so that's nearly
50 million dollars
worth of gold
that God's people
willingly brought
as an offering
to him
I did the math
for the silver
and the bronze too
but I won't get
into that
it's just total
it's 52 million
or so
dollars
not counting
the value
of all the
precious stones
the jewels
the dyed yarn
this is a massive
financial undertaking
but where in the world
did the Israelites
get all these
after all
they're
but former
Egyptian slaves
fleeing captivity
and wandering
in the wilderness
where in the world
did they get
these precious
commodities
we see a clue
in Exodus 35
22-23
it says
men and women
brought brooches
and earrings
and signet rings
and armlets
and all sorts
of gold objects
and everyone
who possessed
blue or purple
or scarlet yarns
or fine linen
or goat's hair
or tanned rammed skin
or goat skins
brought them
in other words
they're not going
mining somewhere
for gold
they're bringing
the gold
gold and silver
and bronze
and precious stones
that they already
have
they're not
engaging in any
kind of maritime
trade
for these expensive
dyed yarn
they're bringing
what they already
had
or what they
could make
with what they
already have
and if you look
back at Exodus
12-35-36
when the Israelites
were leaving Egypt
it says that
they asked the
Egyptians for
what?
silver and gold
jewelry and clothing
and the Lord
had given the people
favor in the side
of the Egyptians
so that they let
them have what
they asked
thus they plunder
the Egyptians
they are building
the tabernacle
with materials
from their plunder
their peaceful
plunder
of the Egyptians
which by the way
they had
only because
the Lord
had already
disposed the Egyptians
to be favorable
and generous
toward them
so in essence
the Israelites
are giving back
to God
a portion of
what he has
given to them
in fact
that's the case
with everything
we bring to God
David captures
this sentiment
in 1 Chronicles
29-14
he gathers
all the supplies
for the construction
of the temple
and then he thanks
God
and then he says
this
but who am I
and what is
my people
that we should
be able thus
to offer
willingly
for all things
come from you
and of your own
have we given you
how can we be credited
with bringing contribution
for the Lord's temple
when all that we have
is actually from him
in the first place
but that's the privilege
that God gives us
he counts that
the same truth
applies to us
in our new covenant context
I mentioned earlier
of how God's people
we the church
are God's temple
and that God's spirit
dwells in us
God is still
in the business
of building a dwelling
place for himself
1 Peter 2 5
says that we ourselves
like living stones
are being built up
as a spiritual house
as the house
of the spirit
of God
we ourselves
are the tabernacle
that God is building
as a dwelling place
for himself
and the Lord
invites us
to contribute to it
to give to it
to work for it
Ephesians 4 12
uses that same metaphor
of construction again
to say that we are
building up the body
of Christ
when we use our gifts
when each part
is working properly
we make the body grow
and it builds itself
up in love
we are being joined
together
as God's dwelling place
brick by brick
and each time
we bear with one another
each time
we forgive
one another
each time
we serve
one another
each time
we speak the truth
in love
to one another
each time
we encourage
one another
exhort one another
from the scriptures
each time
we sing
to one another
the truths
of the gospel
we are contributing
to the building up
of God's
very dwelling place
that's the privilege
we have
in serving
one another
we
even though
we are so weak
and so deficient
and so frail
we get to contribute
to the building up
of God's dwelling place
I've noticed
recently that
some of the children
in our church
have been
putting in
their own offerings
into our offering box
during worship
Jen
counts
and records
and deposits
the offerings
as our church
administrator
and she's been
telling me
that she's been
finding offering envelopes
with a dollar in it
and one of the children's
names on it
and she's also been
finding loose change
in the offering boxes
without any name
and of course
our children
don't work jobs
so they're
giving their parents
money
money that they got
from her
or maybe from an uncle
or something like that
and yet
when I see them
doing it
when I catch them
doing it sometimes
they do it
with such joy
and eagerness
that they get
to be part of this
that they get
to give something
of their own
and that's what
we get to do
what God's
graciously provided
to us
we can use that
to give to him
what God has
graciously gifted us
with
we get to
serve him
render service
to him
the health
that God
has given us
the energy
that God
has given us
the resources
God has given us
the money
that God
has given us
the experience
that God
has given us
the skills
that God
has given us
the gifts
that God
has given us
let us all
eagerly
and cheerfully
give back
to God
for the building
up of his
dwelling place
among us
and
that building
will one day
be completed
and when it's
completed
this is what's
going to happen
in Revelation
21
verses 2 to 4
and I saw
the holy city
new Jerusalem
this is the
dwelling place
of God
coming down
out of heaven
from God
prepared as a
bride
adorned for
her husband
that's us
we are that
dwelling place
and I heard
a loud voice
from the throne
saying
behold
the dwelling
place of God
is with man
he will dwell
with them
and they
will be
his people
and God
himself
will be
with them
as
their God
so let's look
forward to that
day
and keep building
let's pray together
Father we love
you
you are so
glorious
so grand
majestic
beyond our
comprehension
and yet
you
sent your
only son
Jesus
so that
in his
condescension
in his
humiliation
we might
get to know
you
that we
might
be saved
that we
might be
consecrated
as your
dwelling place
Father thank
you
for this
grace
Lord let
this truth
transform
the way
we live
as we
remember
that we
are the
temple
of the
Holy
Spirit
and that
in every
interaction
with one
another
we are
building
up
your
home
and as
we do
that
Lord fill
us more
and more
with your
Spirit
give us
a greater
foretaste
of that
eternal
dwelling
in the new
heavens and the
new earth
when you will be
with us
forever
we look
forward to
that
come Lord
soon
Lord
in Jesus
name we
pray
amen