Tuesday: The Tabernacle Built
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 23rd of September 2025
Skim through Exodus 36:8-38; Exodus 37:1-29; Exodus 38:1-31; Exodus 39:1-31. Why do you think such explicit instructions were given? What does this teach us about how God cares about every detail?
Moses carefully constructed the tabernacle, and the instructions he had received on Mount Sinai were diligently implemented. The biblical text enumerates the following: (1) the tabernacle with its different fabrics, curtains, and parts (Exodus 36:8-38); (2) the ark (Exodus 37:1-9); (3) the table for the showbread (Exodus 37:10-16); (4) the lampstand (Exodus 37:17-24); (5) the altar of incense (Exodus 37:25-29); (6) the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 38:1-7); (7) the basin for washing (Exodus 38:8); (8) the courtyard (Exodus 38:9-20); and (9) the material used for the tabernacle (Exodus 38:21-31). Exodus 39:1-43 continues with the descriptions of the ephod, breastplate, and other priestly garment pieces.
Image © Justinen Creative Collection at Goodsalt.com
The tabernacle’s services were visual object lessons of the gospel, demonstrating God’s entire plan of redemption. The various ceremonies depicted (1) how God abhors and deals with sin, (2) how He saves repentant people, (3) what is the fate of the wicked, and (4) how He will secure a glorious future that will be without evil.
Two different but closely related services were performed in the sanctuary during the year: the daily and the yearly. This two-phase ministry illustrated how God treats sin and saves sinners. Through the daily sanctuary services, God assured those who repented that He forgave their sins and graciously offered them salvation. To receive this gift of salvation, a sacrifice had to be made, and these sacrifices pointed to the death of the Messiah, whose blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NKJV). Confession of sin and accepting the robe of Christ’s righteousness was at the center of this gift (Psalms 32:1-2). In this way, the repentant sinner was assured forgiveness and could rejoice in salvation.
The yearly service, performed on the Day of the Atonement, demonstrated how God eradicates sin, solves the sin problem, and secures the sinless future (Leviticus 16:1-34, John 1:29). Presently, Christ’s twofold ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is another expression of God’s work for us (Hebrews 7:25) and will bring the final solution to the problem of evil (Daniel 7:13-14,22,27; Daniel 8:14; Revelation 21:4).
The sanctuary was a place for worshiping God, praising Him, and giving thanks. Worship is about maintaining one’s relationship with God, who invites believers into that fellowship.
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The larger chamber of the Temple was furnished with three items, The Menorah (candlesticks), the table of showbread, and the alter of incense. These three items were rich in symbolism, even before seen through the lens of Christ’s ministry. They represented various aspects of God’s character and our interaction with Him.
Have you ever thought about the logistics of running these furnishings. There were not just decorations but required supplies. Now, I live on the edge of a city of over 500,000 people and if I want olive oil, I just nick over to the supermarket and I have a choice of a dozen different types of olive oil. Likewise, flour for making bread is only two shelves further away, And judging by what I smell at the local market on Sundays, I reckon I could buy the ingredients for incense there. We take it for granted that these things are readily available.
But nomads do not have supermarkets to buy supplies from. Nor do they stop and grow grain crops. Olive oil grows on trees but it’s not as easy as turning on a tap. Typically, you have to grow an orchard and wait for years for them to come to fruition – something that was unlikely to happen for a nomadic people.
Those supplies would have been provided by trade with the nations around them. And if you think about it, there is a connection between God, us, and others. The Hebrews, in their worship rituals had to interact with others to obtain the symbols of oil, flour, and incense. God had provided them with an opportunity to share with others.
You wrote:
This, just makes me smile! Has made my day! Praise God always!
Thank you!
It is sad indeed to note that many Israelites who donated the materials for the construction of the tabernacle, worshipped and offered their sacrifices in it did not reach the Promised Land. They did all the “right” things but missed the prize. It is a sobering thought that we too can do all the “right” stuff and yet miss the ultimate prize when Jesus comes. As God provided specific instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, He has also provided specific instructions for our salvation.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
God provided the tabernacle as the only teaching object to reveal the way the Israelites were to reach Him. Now God has also provided clear, specific instructions for our salvation that is only found in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate tabernacle ((Hebrews 8:1–2).
“Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”( John 14:6 )
Omwenga, you wrote,
Some people may not understand these "clear, specific instructions." Maybe you could share how you introduce someone to Christ?
Mmmh! Come to think of it! Thank you!
You wrote:
Maybe that's where the problem lies – the entitlement! Let me explain. Have you ever noticed that the way we coin our requests to or reminders or the statements or references we make to the congregation during "offering or worship in giving" sounds like our offering deserves some "reciprocal" effect? That because we have given, then God owes us; that because we have come to church, then God owes us a "golden crown with stars"; that for some reason God is desperately in need of our materiality.
This attitude of entitlement has even stretched into the psyche or thought process of the church. Today, 😳 we hear churches boast of being the largest tithe givers in the conferences – from the pulpit – or local conference officers – from the pulpit – heaping praise on a local church for how important their "tithe" has been, more than other churches. This introduces a "front-row (VIP) seat" mentality of entitlement leading to self-exaltation – a name for ourselves – at the end, "we have other gods – the self – before God."
Once we measure our relationship with God by what we give or what we do for God or how we serve God, it becomes showboating to God, in expectation of some reward from God, and we quickly forget that we are the ones who need salvation. Remember Cain? His demand for validation was anchored on this same thought process. Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 actually highlights this spirit of entitlement which kills the candid and willing surrender to God; appreciating that we are sinners and we need the Lord (see also Luke 18:9-14).
We have lost the point – God does not need salvation, but we do. Israel quickly forgot that too, resulting in them not reaching the promise land at the end.
All leading religions globally acknowledge that something is fundementaly wrong with humanity, unfortunately their answers fall short of the true problem. Buddhism and Hinduism say the issue is desire get rid of it, and you’ll find freedom. Islam says the issue is a lack of good deeds be good enough and perhaps you’ll earn eternal life. Secular culture says the problem is lack of opportunity thus need to live a life to the fullest while you can. But Scripture tells us the heart of the problem is much deeper: sin (Romans 3:23). Like the veil that stood in the tabernacle, separating the Holy of Holies from the people (Exodus 26:33), sin is a barrier that keeps us from God’s presence.
Unfortunately there is no sacrifice, no effort, no ritual, no “good life” of our own can tear that veil down (Hebrews 10:4). We stand guilty before a holy and perfect King. Yet the tabernacle points us to the greatest news of all that God Himself made a way. When Jesus died, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51), showing that the barrier of sin had been broken.
Christ entered the true heavenly tabernacle, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). Where every religion says do, the Gospel says done. The bad news is that our best will never be enough, but the good news is that Jesus has given us His best and that is more than enough (Hebrews 10:10–12). In Him, we are welcomed into the very presence of God, not as strangers, but as beloved children.
Your last paragraph is beautiful!
I found a hidden gem of symbolism tucked in amongst all these building and sewing instructions. It's in Ex.38:8. The bronze ceremonial washing bowl was made from the polished mirrors offered by the women who were regularly drawn to the tent of meeting. To say it another way, the women who went deeper into spending time in prayer gave up the tools they owned that allowed them to see themselves and gaze at their own beauty...and work on improving their own beauty.... in trade for the opportunity to be washed by Jesus and to be covered by His perfect shining beauty...and to help others do the same. So powerful!
We get minutely caught up in outward appearances. I think of how Jesus told the proud Pharisees that they were using even the ceremonial washings incorrectly. Instead of focusing on the symbolism of being washed in Christ's good works, they tried to keep up outward appearances of holiness while inside they were "full of greed and self-indulgence" (Matt. 23:25-27).
Today's lesson says, "Confession of sin and accepting the robe of Christ's righteousness was at the center of this gift (of salvation)." It then references Ps. 32:1-2. I love how verse 2 says, "Blessed (or happy) is the person in whose spirit there is no deceit". When we focus on ourselves there is something always dishonest about that... it is full of...yes, like the Pharisees, greed and self-indulgence. I have experienced that internal tug-of-war between wanting to be self-sacrificing and loving to others, but holding on to the gaze on self, picturing myself from a bird's-eye view as I talk and move about, and defending myself when I don't like what I see, or what I imagine others must see. Only in Jesus do I find relief from this dizzying hypervigilance on self. Only by focusing on Jesus and praying to Him in the midst of every interaction and every activity do I feel at peace because the self-image is replaced by Jesus-image. I want to surrender my mirror in which I look at myself to Jesus...to be washed by His Word (Eph. 5:26) and to metamorphose into the truly beautiful creature He intends me to be... to His honor and glory and joy which will also be my own, to trade my broken reflection and imperfection for His righteousness or right relationship with God (2 Cor. 3:18; 5:17, 21).
Powerful, and yes, beautiful!
What a profound insight of the bronze mirrors! I am going to share this with our Sabbath school class.
The descriptions of the sanctuary in Exodus - both the blueprint in Exodus 25-30 and the process of building the sanctuary in Exodus 36-40 - take up a large percentage of Exodus. That should suggest they are important, but in reality we spend very little time studying them. I have seen studies on what each part of the sanctuary represents, but I have never seen a study on the significance of the dimensions or the different cloth used. Even the most sanctuary-focused among us basically ignore this.
These details must have been important to the Israelite culture as there are other parts of the Bible that are similar (Ezekiel's description of the temple, Solomon's building of the temple), but are they important to us?
I hope I don't sound irreverent asking this question, but the question in the lesson asks about explicit instructions and God caring about every detail and it seems that suggests we should care about every detail. But we don't! So what do we make of this as believers living after the cross? I am curious what others think.
I guess in my mind, it makes sense that God would give particular instructions as we use blueprints when we build houses and patterns when we sew clothes. If we do this for the ordinary, surely God's house would be just as particularly outlined. But I think we are correct in not focusing too much on the details which don't have the same meaning now that Jesus has fulfilled the services. I don't feel there is spiritual significance that the ark is 2.5 cubits long and the table is 2 cubits long.
Also, God being particular about the sanctuary does not mean He is particular about every detail of everything. That may sound heretical, but hear me out. I don't think God cares about the dimensions of our places of worship or how wide the platform is. He is particular about holiness, but if we take His particularness too far, the sensitive among us can go crazy. I know, because well-meaning people in my life have used the "Don't you think Jesus would want you to..." to get me to conform in different ways. (They did this because they knew sensitive me would feel guilty hearing that) And to be honest, they were right about some things, but not everything. Some things didn't matter at all, and for others there might be an ideal, but not everyone can live up to that ideal. And I think that's okay. I'm not talking about the Ten Commandments or moral issues, but other things.
Possible reasons:
To shape obedience: God teaches that obedience matters even in the small details.
To teach holiness: The tabernacle was a holy place, and the fine details helped emphasize its holiness and uniqueness.
To reflect His character: God’s perfection and order are reflected in the care and precision with which everything was built.
To show appreciation for work and offering: The Israelites’ care and obedience in every small task demonstrated their reverence and love for God.
What does this teach us?
God pays attention to the small details and values precision and integrity.
Our work and worship are valuable when done with care, love, and obedience, even in things that may seem small to others.
God’s heart is not only focused on the big deeds but also on the fine details carried out by His children in faith and dedication.
Maybe God also wanted to further nurture the unity that had developed among the Israelites, as He knew the gifts they had received from Him and that some of them would only be equipped to do the smaller jobs and perhaps He also intended, through this, to involve everyone in the work of the temple so that no one would feel excluded from this important task that God expected of His people.
Do we realize that it would have only taken God to say a word, and the entire Tabernacle would just have formed? But God opts to involve Israel in the planning and even sharing the design – knowledge and details – with the people of Israel (Exodus 25-31). God would further involve Israel – all young and old; all who were in the place; all willing in heart – in the implementation, formation, and construction of the Tabernacle to meet the specifications that God had provided (Exodus 35-39).
He even consecrates priests to serve in the Tabernacle, while He could have placed Gabriel, the angel, or any other divine angel to take the role of the High Priest and care for the maintenance of the Tabernacle. The size, length, and composition of every material were specific from God's instruction. Every detail was crucial, and even the precise position of every item in the Tabernacle was exact – not longer, nor shorter; not thinner nor wider – just exact!.
The Tabernacle presented a physical or practical sample or symbolism of God's determination to return His people back to Him. The involvement of the "willing from the heart" also symbolized or communicated the free will that it would require to choose God; admit or accept or own up to our transgression; confess; repent; and accept God's salvation through Christ (Romans 10:9-10). In other words, God involving man meant God wants us to acknowledge that we have a role to play and a choice to make, and whereas all things come through Him, the matter of choice is vested squarely on us.
The involvement of the people was about the first step of choosing and accepting that we need the Lord. The offering, though material, represents the individual quality of the spirit of our surrender to God. However, as we shall see, there is a process ahead – a journey of its own – and the Tabernacle processes – daily or yearly – just tell us about that journey of faith – of justification; of sanctification; and, when all goes well, of glorification in Christ's name (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
After Jesus had died, the earthly Tabernacle became meaningless. Jesus had accomplished every single detail. His body was the real Temple of the Holy Spirit, but the Israelites were not ready to make that trade. Are you prepared for it? Which material temple have you built, only to find out that the most important thing is spiritual and within your own body? We are the temple of the Holy Spirit!