Year 1, Week 10, Day 5 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 10, Day 5

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Exodus 26-27.

Today’s reading continues describing the building plans of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is a portable facility for the LORD to dwell near His people. Israel will take the experience of Mt. Sinai with them as they travel. Thus, this mobile Mt. Sinai unit will travel with the nation of Israel. Will have the opportunity to fellowship with the LORD. Exodus 26 describes the curtains, along with the supporting posts and beams,  which enclose the Tabernacle and divide the Tabernacle areas.  Exodus 27 describes a bronze altar where the Israelites will offer sacrifices through the agency of the priests. The bronze altar is located in the Tabernacle courtyard, whose dimensions are provided.

What I was struck by in today’s reading was the tension between the LORD’s desire to dwell near His people and the barriers that the LORD put in place that limited His people’s access to Him: “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Psalm 15:1-2a). The LORD, in providing the Tabernacle, is providing Israel an opportunity to reenter His presence. The Tabernacle recalls the presence of the LORD in the garden. In fact, elements of the garden are reflected in the details of the Tabernacle. And yet, things have changed since the garden. Adam and Eve were moved out because of their sin. The Tabernacle plans will make provision for human sinfulness by concealing aspects of God’s presence by establishing barriers to prevent full access to God’s presence: “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). Like the garden, the Tabernacle was entered through from the east side. Thus, to move toward the presence of the LORD, Israel would enter by heading west.

The curtains and the supports to held up the curtains served to divide the Tabernacle sections, limiting access primarily to the Holy Place and the Most Holy (or Holy of Holy) Place: “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it…and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.” (Exodus 26:31-33). The curtains would separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, as portraits of cherubim would guard the entrance into the Most Holy Place. This depicted what occurred as Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden: “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24). There would be limited access to the Most Holy Place due to the presence of God: “You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.” (Exodus 26:34). We will later learn that the Most Holy Place would be accessed only once a year and then only by the High Priest. It will be this curtain limiting access to the presence of God that will be torn down at the death of Christ: “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38).

Surrounding the structure consisting of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, was the courtyard for the Tabernacle. This courtyard too was defined by a curtain wall. Interestingly, the structures and furnishings closer to the presence of the LORD were constructed with more precious metals and fabrics, and were more finely crafted, then the structures furnishings moving further away. For instance, an altar was outside the structure housing the Holy Place and Most Holy Place, but within the confines of the courtyard was made of bronze: “You shall make the altar of acacia wood…and you shall overlay it with bronze.” (Exodus 27:1-3). The significance of using more costly and more intricately made furnishings the closer they were to the presence of God was meant to teach Israel the preciousness of being near to the LORD. The courtyard, with the bronze altar would be a busy place as this is where the Israelites would bring their sacrifices to the priests. The bare minimum for Israelites is that they would need to visit the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) at least three times a year, but the activity of sacrifices would occur daily. A sacrifice would be required for access to the presence of God. The Tabernacle looked back to the days when God dwelt with His people in the garden; but the Tabernacle would also point forward to the time that God would replace the temporary solution of the sacrifice of animals in order to enter the LORD’s presence to a permanent solution: “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:11-12,19-22).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe