the tabernacle

"They are to make a sanctuary for me so I may dwell among them." - Exodus 25:8

I love this verse. It shows that God, who used to come down to the garden of Eden to walk in the cool of the day, is still working on the same project - getting back to earth so he can be with people. Sin has disrupted the original relationship between God and humankind in such a way that God's holiness - his set-apart-ness - has become a danger to them. It was sad to read in Exodus 20 how the people are afraid of God and don't want to approach him - understandably so, but it is evidence of just how far we've come from Eden. God is still intent, however, on restoring this relationship, as 25:8 illustrates. Throughout Scripture we will see this refrain over and over - I will dwell with them as their God, and they will be my people. That is the ultimate goal of God's mission - not to have little human underlings to do his every bidding, but to share fellowship with his creation.

Exodus takes several chapters to outline extremely detailed instructions about how to build the tabernacle. It is helpful to have a visual of what they are building so we don't get lost in all those details. The mission group I worked with in high school, Teen Missions, has built a life-sized replica of the Old Testament Tabernacle. They did a spectacular job. There are a few pictures of it here: http://www.oldtestamenttabernacle.org/

My dear Teen Missions friend, Jessi Mitchell, and I went back and visited boot camp a couple of years ago and stopped by the tabernacle. They have the actual tabernacle as well as the "furniture" that was in it. Perhaps this helps you to visualize what the tabernacle would have looked like.

The tabernacle itself; the lavabo and the altar were covered in white sheets when we visited; you can see the white fence around the whole thing; the tabernacle is stored in a huge open barn so ignore the wooden ceiling overhead

The inside of the tabernacle. To the left you can see the golden lampstand, to the right the table of the showbread, and at the back the incense altar.

The lampstand up close.

The Holy of Holies with the Ark of the Covenant. Yes, we made it back out alive without tying a cord around our ankles!

Whether you are back in Exodus like me or up in Leviticus, remember that this part of the Bible can be tough going. Leviticus is the classic place that people's intentions to read the whole Bible get bogged down and clogged up and eventually ended. Keep up the good work, and I'll post more on how to keep the bigger picture in mind as you read these books so the details don't wear us down.