God With Us

God With Us

In his book Faith, Hope, and Hilarity, Dick Van Dyke told about a Sunday school teacher who asked her students to talk about how they felt about their church. The students responded in the usual ways: some said something silly to get the rest of the class to laugh, while others tried to be more serious. One of the girls was new to the class, and she felt uncomfortable about entering into class discussions, so she never raised her hand or volunteered an answer. That Sunday, however, she did have an answer for her Sunday school teacher, and it was unforgettable. She said that going to church was “like walking into the heart of God.”

We are about to walk into the heart of God by walking into the study of the tabernacle in Exodus chapters 25–31. For the next several weeks, we are going to examine a blueprint for the tabernacle just as God gave it to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then we will watch the actual building of this masterpiece in chapters 35–40. The fascinating thing about this last section of Exodus, in chapters 25-40, is that God is preparing to give the people what they need even before they realize they need it. God understood what His covenant people needed. They needed a visible representation of God’s presence and power; concrete ways to live out their relationship with Him; to worship Him in a place of beauty, majesty and mystery; a way to be put back in a right relationship with Himself, and an opportunity to feel they had significant contributions to make. In the tabernacle, God would reveal His heart to His people by fulfilling these needs inside of them.

The tabernacle was an actual building not only for the meeting of God with his people but also where the priest would offer sacrifices for the sins of the people to bring about complete fellowship with God. In the first fifteen chapters of Exodus, we have seen God’s leading of Moses and the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. The next nine chapters revealed God’s sovereignty in leading His people through the wilderness and right up to the borders of the land they had only dreamed about. Now we are going to learn about the tabernacle where God was to make his holy habitation and speak to man. We learned a couple of Sundays ago that God desires to dwell with His people and that big idea could easily be used again and again in our study of the Tabernacle. But today as we start to study these scriptures, we want to see how God reveals His heart through the Tabernacle and that brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires to reveal His heart to His people. We will see God revealing His heart to us as we look at our three points, Offering, Overview and Obedience.

Let’s pray: Lord, we thank you for the opportunity and privilege to be in your house this morning. We thank you for your desire to reveal your heart to us. Help us to be willing to put our hearts in tune with yours. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us as we learn from your Word today. Open up our hearts and minds to what you want us to glean and share with those we come in contact with this week.

Our first point is Offering found in Exodus 25:1-2. Follow along as I read. This is what God’s Word says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.”

Before we look at the first two verses I want to give some background about the Tabernacle. One reason for the tabernacle was because the Israelites would not remain at Mt. Sinai forever. God had promised His people an inheritance of the land of Canaan. As God’s covenant people traveled to Canaan, the Lord wanted to dwell among them, and so they would need a visible reminder of His presence with them. This visible reminder was the Tabernacle. Wherever they went, they would know they weren’t alone, because their Lord and God, Yahweh, was dwelling in their midst. The tabernacle would be a portable structure moving from place to place as they wandered in the wilderness. The tabernacle was not only God’s house or palace, but it was also His temple. There would be barriers, and the people would only be allowed to approach God to a certain point. So, the tabernacle was not only a visible reminder of God’s presence with them but a constant reminder that God was holy, and they were sinful people, and it was no simple or trivial matter to approach a holy God.

A study of the tabernacle is vital for our spiritual maturity. More space in the scriptures is given to the account of the tabernacle than any other single object or subject. There are two chapters devoted to God’s creation of the world, people and animals and fifty chapters total devoted to a discussion of the tabernacle. In Exodus alone, thirteen chapters are devoted to this subject and only two are devoted to the Exodus and only two-thirds devoted to the Ten Commandments. This highlights the importance of the presence of God among His people, the importance of His people meeting with God and the importance of worship in the life of the covenant community. God’s presence would bring both reassurance and a holy fear. God's presence would set them apart from all other nations. Almighty God would dwell among them; they would be his people, and he would be their God.

We also see the importance of the tabernacle in that the instructions for it are given twice, once in chapters 25-31 and again in chapters 35-40. First, God gives Moses instructions on how to build it and later on we will see the actual building of it. The only difference between the two accounts is the given order of the items for construction. In the first account the items are described from the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, outwards. The place where God’s presence, His shekinah glory, would dwell, would give the structure meaning and significance, and as such, is described first.

The tabernacle revealed God’s heart by the way he chose to dwell with his people. 2 Samuel 7:6 says, “For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place.” The Lord wanted to dwell in a tent just like His people did. He wanted to live in the center of the covenant community. He was committed to the journey with them and for the long haul not just for the mountaintop experiences but the ones in the wilderness as well. Leviticus 26:11-13 says, “I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” God promised to be with His people and actually walk among them. And God dwelling in their midst was entirely at his own initiative.

In verse 1, “And the Lord said to Moses” starts an uninterrupted divine speech that goes to chapter 30. This is the longest divine speech in Exodus highlighting the importance of these instructions on the tabernacle. There is no greater event recorded in the OT. Alexander says, “Exodus moves from ‘service’ (slavery) to Pharaoh in Egypt, to the ‘service’ (worship) of Yahweh at Sinai.” This was the reason why Moses was to go to Pharoah in Exodus 4 asking him to let God’s people go. It was so they could worship Him and Him alone.

The first thing God told Moses was to have the Israelites bring Him an offering; an offering from everyone whose heart prompted them to give. God revealed His heart by wanting to reveal the hearts of His people. God is a giving God, and he does so unconditionally, and he wants His people to be giving as well (Big Idea). We can notice a few things here. One, Moses was asking for these items on God’s authority and behalf, not his own. Two, God did not just miraculously supply the materials to construct the tabernacle. It was to be a voluntary, willing offering, not given grudgingly but joyfully. It was to be an act of worship for God’s glory. Giving in this way revealed the hearts of his people. Their giving reflected their gratitude to the Lord for saving them from slavery in Egypt and providing for them in the wilderness. Who God is and what he had done and would do for them would prompt the people to give. Their giving would show their generosity and self-sacrifice and would give them ownership in their ongoing relationship with the Lord. This was accomplished as later on they had to be told to stop giving because they had given so much. The Hebrew for “whose heart prompts them to give” is “whose heart makes him vow” meaning they wouldn’t be able to help themselves; they would have to give. And it would be dedicated to God’s use as a freewill offering. God gave his people an opportunity to contribute to the construction of his tent that would dwell in the midst of his covenant people.

Giving to God is a sign of our commitment to Christ. Our willingness to give back to God a portion of what he has given to us already is a sign of our spiritual health and our relationship with Him. It reveals our hearts. When we dwell on who God is and what he has done for us, individually and as a church, it should prompt us to give voluntarily, willingly and joyfully as an act of worship. It also reveals God’s heart as He is more concerned with the attitude of our giving than the amount of our giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” That brings us to our first next step this morning on the back of your communication card which is to voluntarily, willingly, and joyfully, give my offerings to the Lord as an act of worship.

That brings us to our second point, Overview, found in Exodus 25:3-7. This is what God’s Word says, “And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.”

We see an overview of the materials that God specifically and precisely commanded Moses to collect from the people as offerings. Nothing was to be left to chance in the construction of the tabernacle. These were valuable materials and are mentioned according to type and costliness. There are metals, fabrics, skins, wood, oil and incense and precious stones. The metals mentioned are gold, silver and bronze or better translated as “copper.” They would be used for covering the wooden framework of the tabernacle structure, the altars and tables inside the tabernacle and the ark. They would also be used in pure form for pieces within the tabernacle such as the lampstand, dishes, bowls, plates, etc. There were mines in the areas of the Dead Sea, Midian and Sinai so these materials would have been close by. Next mentioned are threads or yarns dyed with three different colors: blue, purple and scarlet. These dyes were very costly to make. The blue and purple dyes came from the various shellfish found on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea near Phoenicia and Palestine. It is believed that twelve thousand murex shells needed to be opened, and its liquid extracted to produce 1.4 grams of pure dye. The scarlet or crimson dye was obtained from the eggs and bodies of the cochineal insect or worm. Woolen cloth would be dyed these colors to make the curtains and other hangings for inside the tabernacle.

Next on the list of offerings are fine linen which would have come from Egypt. The Hebrew word for “linen” is an Egyptian word for “twining together many strands of the finest flax.” This material would have been white and would have been a cool fabric making it preferable for the priests in the tabernacle. Next on the list is goat hair. It was considered the least expensive material on the list, but it was a durable fabric that would have repelled rain making it perfect to be used for the outside walls of the tabernacle. The next materials mentioned would have already been prepared for use, ram skins dyed red and leather from badger or sea cow hides, depending on your version. Badger skins are self-explanatory. And sea cows were a seal-like animal found in the coral rocks of the Red Sea. The badger or sea cow hides would have been made into a durable leather and also used for the outside walls of the tabernacle.

The next material listed is acacia wood. This would have been easy to find locally. It reached 15-25 feet in height and would have been sawn and planed into suitable construction materials. It was good for woodworking, supposedly resisted insects and was very durable. Acacia wood would be used for the framework of the tabernacle, the tables and altars, etc. Next we see materials mentioned that also state their purpose. Olive oil would be used for light and spices would be used for anointing oil and fragrant incense. Olive trees were common in the Mediterranean and the oil could be used for light, cooking and lotions. Precious stones, such as onyx, are mentioned next and were to be mounted on the ephod and the breastplate worn by the high priests. These precious stones could be found in the Sinai area.

We may wonder where the Israelites would have gotten some of these materials to give as an offering to the Lord. Some probably came from their forefathers, some were obtained when they “plundered” the Egyptians, some probably came from the spoils of the battle against the Amalekites, some probably came from trading with the caravans they came in contact with in the wilderness and some were local to the wilderness they were traveling through. These materials indicate how costly the tabernacle was. Dewitt says, “In the proportion of the finished tabernacle the present-day value of the materials total more than $13,000,000. Their combined weight would be almost 19,000 lbs. God was going to dwell in a “tent” among the “tents” of His people, but His tent would be different. It would be “glorious, majestic” and costly. It would be the place where God met with His people, their sins would be cleansed and fellowship restored with their God (Big Idea).

God provided everything they would need in order to give back to Him the materials to build His “tent.” These materials were costly and the very best of what they had been given and would be used for his glory and his holy work. The same is also true for us today. We need to give our very best to God, the first fruits of what He has already given to us. We also need to give from the heart because this shows that our hearts align with God’s heart. And lastly, we give to do the Lord’s holy work. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 right after it says the Lord desires a cheerful giver, we see these words, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” At Idaville Church we want to be about doing God’s holy work and abound in every good work that he has for us. And we participate in his work by giving tithes and offerings. Our first next step was to voluntarily, willingly, and joyfully, give my offerings to the Lord as an act of worship. This list of materials that were to be given as an offering to the Lord, the costliness and what they were to be used for, I believe offers us an opportunity for another next step that goes along with the first. Which brings us to our second next step to Give my very best, from my heart, for God’s kingdom work.

That brings us to our third point, Obedience, found in Exodus 25:8-9. This is what God’s Word says, “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”

Interestingly, God doesn’t tell the Israelites what the materials were for before asking for the materials. It didn’t matter what the offering was going to be used for, he wanted them to show Him their hearts. Would they give without knowing what it was to be used for? That’s hard for us, isn’t it? It is also interesting that it wasn’t until he redeemed His people to himself that he came to dwell in their midst on earth. This was proof of God’s grace in wanting to bring them into a relationship with himself, again, revealing the heart of God to His people. Now the Lord reveals the reason for the offerings. It was to construct a sanctuary for Himself so that he could dwell amongst them in the midst of their community. Stuart says, “he (God) desired that the people make a home for him and then locate their houses/tents around his house/tent and join him regularly at his courtyard for covenant meals, confirming their ongoing relationship and receiving the blessings inherent therein.”

The word “sanctuary” is connected with the idea of something being “holy” or set apart for God. This “sanctuary” would be where the Lord would make himself known to His people. The word “dwell” also means “tabernacled.” The dwelling presence of the Lord or the “shekinah” glory of the Lord, the cloud that would come down, would reside amongst His people in the tabernacle. The English word for “dwelling-place” is derived from the Latin word for “tent.” The Lord would literally “tent” among His people showing them his heart in how much He wanted to identify with them and their circumstances. He wanted them to be His people and be their God. The tabernacle would be a constant witness to the Lord’s presence amongst his people.

The word “show” may mean that God’s instructions went beyond spoken details. Moses may have also been given a vision of what the completed tabernacle was to look like. The tabernacle was not an idea or design of Moses or the people. It was not what they thought a proper house for God should be. It was God’s idea and design and the pattern of the Tabernacle, and its furnishings had to be strictly obeyed to the letter. Moses and the builders couldn’t deviate from the instructions given to them by the Lord. Moses is commanded no less than seven times to make the tabernacle after the pattern he is shown on Mt. Sinai. The word “pattern” suggests an architect’s model. The pattern of the earthly tabernacle was a copy of the true dwelling place of God in heaven. Hebrews 8:5 says, “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.” And Hebrews 9:24 says, “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” One of the purposes for being patterned after heaven was to give the people the hope of heaven in their hearts. The tabernacle was to be a symbolic representation of the realities of heaven. God’s heart revealed his desire for his people to live with Him in heaven forever (Big Idea).

You know God’s presence is right here in this place right at this moment. This is a holy place because God is holy, and he is here. And He now tabernacles in us through the Holy Spirit. Do you ever sit back and ponder this reality? God is with us every Sunday that we come together as God’s people in worship. More so God is with us, inside of us, everywhere we go. How would we live differently if we took these realities seriously? How would we worship differently? I hope it would have a profound effect on how we live and worship and so much more. Let us be people who take seriously the fact that God is with us here this morning and every Sunday and that God is with us everywhere we go as Christians. Let us live holy and set apart lives for God’s honor and glory. Let’s live in an awe that God would even want to dwell inside us and be our God. That brings us to our last next step which is to take seriously the presence of God with me in worship and in my everyday living.

What started as “tenting” among His people, in the wilderness, on the way to Canaan, was perpetuated when Jesus came to earth as a baby, dwelled among His people, and died on a cross for their sins and our sins. Today, we still have God with us in the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. This is why He is called Emmanuel meaning “God with us.” God as Jesus again wanted to identify with His people and their circumstances. I think it is so cool that today is the first Sunday of Advent, and the sermon title is “God With Us.” That could only be orchestrated by God himself.

Today, as we start the celebration of Advent, we anticipate that glorious, promised incarnation. During Advent, we celebrate the Messiah coming to earth, we reflect on the Word made flesh and it points us all to the hope we have only in and through Christ. We light candles as a reminder that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness” (Isaiah 9:2). Today we lit the hope candle and in the coming weeks we will light the candles of peace, joy, and love and the Christ candle. Without Jesus we have no hope, without Jesus we have no peace, without Jesus we have no joy and without Jesus we have no love. So, as we approach Christmas, let’s take the opportunity to remember and wait, to celebrate and anticipate. In doing so, we are participating with other believers of old and around the world, with our church family, and in our own hearts and homes, in the hope, peace, joy, and love of our Savior.

As Gene and Roxey lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. Thank you for showing us your heart. May we truly give our offerings as an act of worship pleasing to you. Help us to give our very best from our hearts for your kingdom work. Lord, give us a sense of awe and seriousness as we come into your presence to worship you and as you dwell in our hearts daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.