Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance

When a building is under construction, there are times when it seems like it will never be finished. But finally, after all the delays, both avoidable and unavoidable, the thing gets built, and it is time for the inspection. These days the process is fairly thorough. The mechanical systems are tested. The wiring is checked to see if it is up to code. The structure is analyzed for access and safety. Then there is a final walk-through, with a checklist for work that still needs to be completed. The building can only be used after it passes inspection. Something similar happened at the tabernacle in the wilderness. Once Bezalel, Oholiab, and the rest of Israel’s artisans were finished making the various parts of the tabernacle, their work had to be inspected. It needed to be inspected for quality assurance. This was because it was a matter of public safety. The tabernacle was going to be the dwelling place for the living God, who is awesome in holiness and glory. His house had to be made his way, or else the people would be exposed to mortal danger. After all, the last time the Israelites made something for worship, things ended badly.

All the way back in Exodus 25:9, God was very clear the Israelites were to make the tabernacle and its furnishings exactly like the pattern God would show Moses on the mountain. God then reiterated this command in Exodus 25:40 and in Exodus 26:30 emphasizing that the Israelites were to follow God’s precise blueprints for His house with no variation. No less than fourteen times in Exodus 39 and 40 are we told that the Israelites made everything “as the Lord or just as the Lord commanded Moses” emphasizing that the Israelites did follow God’s command to the letter. As the people were going about doing God’s work, He demanded their faithful obedience. God was holy, the tabernacle was to be holy, and their holiness would be seen in their obedience to the Lord. By taking the holiness of God seriously and constructing the tabernacle exactly as the Lord commanded, with faithful obedience and excellence, they would pass Moses’ inspection and be blessed by God. This time the Israelites wanted to make sure they did everything right, so they brought their work piece by piece to Moses for inspection. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God demands His people be about His work with faithful obedience and excellence.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, open our eyes that we may see the truths you have for us in your Word. Open our ears that we may hear that truth and let it sink deep into our hearts, minds and souls. And God let us be your hands and feet as we obey your Word and do the work you have for us to do in this world we live in. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There will be three points this morning and each one will focus on the work the Israelites did, the work Jesus did and the work we are to do. The first point is, Completion, found in Exodus 39:32. This is what God’s Word says, “So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.” We are, first, going to focus on what the Israelites did. They have finally finished all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. Scholars estimate that it took around six months to build the tabernacle, the furnishings inside and out and the courtyard. We see the two most prevalent names for the structure that was to be God’s house. First, the tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling place on earth. As a shadow of heaven, it taught the Israelites that their God was the Creator God and Lord of all. It also taught them about God’s character: He is all-powerful, holy, loving, and wants to provide good things for His people such as light, life, daily bread, answered prayers and the law. Lastly, it taught them that God wanted to forgive their sins and all they needed to do was obey Him. Second, the “tent of meeting” reminds us that it was also the place where the Israelites would be able to approach the Lord on His terms and meet with Him. The word for “finished” means “to bring a process to completion.” The process of building the tabernacle started when God revealed the plans to Moses and he carefully and faithfully recorded them. Then the people committed the “great” sin against God with the golden calf. After Moses interceded, God relented, and the fact they were allowed to build the tabernacle was evidence that the covenant was on track. The people were then commanded to bring an offering for the tabernacle from willing hearts who had been moved. Bezalel and Oholiab were put in charge to oversee all the work that was done. The Israelites overwhelmingly responded out of gratitude for the Lord and there was more than enough to do all the work the Lord commanded. And finally, now the work has been completed.

We see the obedience of the Israelites, as they did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. Notice that it was “the Israelites” who did everything. The entire Israelite community was involved in the Lord’s work. Also notice that “commanded” is in the past tense. God gave his approval before Moses ever got a chance to do his inspection. It was already acceptable to God and He was pleased. It shows the finality and the totality of the work completed and that it was done according to God’s command. It tells us that God is watching how we go about the work He has commanded us to do and that His approval should be our goal. It was important that these blueprints were followed perfectly and precisely so that the people’s purpose for being could also be completed: which was to worship God and to be blessed to be a blessing to the nations. Now we turn our focus to Jesus and the work He completed. The main point of the tabernacle was to point the Israelites to Jesus Christ. Just like Moses could declare “it is finished” when it came to the tabernacle, there came a day when Jesus Christ would also say, “It is finished.” Remember, Jesus came and tabernacled among us in a physical body, and His tabernacle was where God dwelt. Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life in obedience to God’s law. He needed to do this in order to be the spotless lamb that would die to take away the sins of the world. We see the proof that Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will in Philippians 2:8 which says, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Jesus’ life and death were on display for all the world to see, along with Satan and His Father in heaven. And one day the work that Jesus came down to earth to do would be inspected by God.

That brings our focus to us. Just like the Israelites we have been given work from God to do while living on this earth. The work He has given us to do is found in His Word, the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We find the blueprints for the work we are to accomplish in God’s Word, and we are to be obedient to what God has commanded us to do. Proof of our salvation is the transformation seen in how we live our lives in obedience to God. What is this work we should be doing for the Lord after our salvation? We should be purposing to become more like Jesus in our faith and holiness, in following His will through good works, and performing actions that reflect His principles, such as loving others, caring for the poor, and promoting justice.

We should be growing as a disciple of Jesus and working to fulfill the Great Commission: to pursue, grow and multiply disciples. Ultimately, it involves aligning one's life and actions with God's desires. But we must do these things according to His will and His Word. We can’t do His work thinking we can do things our way and not His. We also can’t stop doing His work just because it’s inconvenient or difficult. And we must work looking for His approval and not man’s. Obedience is the ultimate responsibility of the believer, while we are to leave the outcome in God's hands. Pink says, “The quality of service is to be tested not by visible results, but by its conformity to God’s Word.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” So let us be people who are aligning our life and actions with God’s desires. Let us be people who are focused on becoming more like Jesus in our faith and holiness. Let us be people who are disciples who are pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples. And let us be people who are doing all these things with faithful obedience to the Lord. That brings us to our first next step which is to Be about the work God has given me to do on this earth with faithful obedience.

That brings us to our second point, Checked, found in Exodus 39:33-43a. As we focus, again, on the Israelites, we are told that after completing the work on the tabernacle and getting advanced approval from the Lord, they “brought the tabernacle to Moses.” We can make three important observations from verse 33. One, the tabernacle was portable. It could be broken down into parts to be transported. This was important because if it was difficult to bring to Moses, then it would be difficult to transport to the Promised Land. And one of the purposes of the tabernacle was so God could dwell with His people as they moved in the wilderness. Two, Moses was the only one qualified to check their work because He was the one who was on the mountain and received the blueprints for the tabernacle from God himself. Even though God has already given His approval, Moses still needed to examine their work for quality assurance. Three, if the people brought the tabernacle to Moses, it meant they were certain it was done correctly. Their entire work had to be perfect, or Moses would reject it. The fact he did not reject any part of it meant they had been obedient to God’s commands and instructions and had done so with excellence (Big Idea).

Next, we again see the list of what they made. This emphasized that every individual part was manufactured to God’s exact specifications and brought to Moses for inspection. Nothing was left out. We learn something new in verse 37 where it talks about the pure gold lampstand with its “lamps set in order.” The Hebrew word for “set in order” is translated as “array” which is a word most commonly used in terms of a battle array – where an army is lined up for battle. Garrett says, the lamps seem to be set up, “as if a battle of the goodness of light is dispelling the evil of darkness.” This paints a vivid picture of Jesus as the Light of the World “shining in the darkness, and the darkness not able to overcome it,” as John 1:5 says. Verse 40 reminds us again what all these parts were for and that it was the place where God ordained His people to properly meet with Him, to bring their sacrifices to Him and be forgiven of their sins. And Verse 42 again reiterates that “the Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Coming immediately after the list of items brought before Moses, emphasized that beyond a shadow of a doubt all had been done properly and was meticulously carried out exactly as God commanded.

Then in verse 43a we see that “Moses inspected the work and again saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.” This is the third time in twelve verses that we have seen this phrase emphasizing again their obedience and excellence in doing the work of the tabernacle. Moses did not just take a casual glance at the people’s work when he inspected it. He closely scrutinized and checked every piece to make sure they were made properly. He may have even performed some kind of stress test on certain parts to make sure they would stand up to the test of time and the wilderness. What was the outcome of Moses’ quality assurance inspection? The result was that the inspection passed. They had followed God’s commands and instructions and did their very best work. They did everything in obedience and with excellence.

As we turn our focus on Jesus, His work on this earth also had to be checked to see if it passed inspection. First, His work needed to pass His own inspection. Hebrews 10:5 says, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; and verse 7 says, “Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll I have come to do your will, my God.’” Jesus examined himself and recognized that in His physical body, He could do the will of the Father, live a sinless life and do the work of salvation. Second, Jesus’ work had to pass God’s inspection. His work in His physical body had to meet God’s standard and it did. We see this at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:17 which says, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, but He still had to be tempted by the devil, preach the good news of the Kingdom of God and endure the cross and He had to do it perfectly without sinning. This was God’s standard for His son’s work. Of course, Jesus did the work of our salvation perfectly and passed His Father’s inspection. This is seen as Jesus on the cross declared “it is finished” and God tore the temple veil in two from top to bottom.

As we focus on ourselves, we come before God bringing our work as “God’s household”, “a spiritual house” and “a holy temple of the Lord.” God will inspect our work done as God’s holy tabernacle. Have we as a community of believers glorified God in what we say and do? Have we followed the Biblical pattern for God’s house, pleasing Him with our worship, teaching God’s Word faithfully, and bearing each other’s burdens? Have we taken care of the widow, the orphan and the stranger? Have we spoken God’s truth in love, labored in prayer, depended on God in doing the work, and shared His Gospel with the lost in our community and the world? We should desire to pass God’s inspection, and this will happen if we are obedient to all His words, commands and instructions and we do it all with excellence (Big Idea). And we should also desire God’s approval and blessing on the work He has given us.

That brings us to our third point, Commendation, found in Exodus 39:43b. You may have thought Moses would comment more on all the work the Israelites had done but what we get is short and sweet. Those four words, “So Moses blessed them” packed a pretty big punch. The Israelites have followed God’s commands and instructions to a “T”, not adding to what God required or taking anything away. They did everything in obedience and with excellence and Moses blessed them, as was a common practice in biblical times. So, what was this blessing? We don’t know for sure, but it was probably a short prayer asking God to bestow His caring and loving benefits upon the people. One example of a blessing in scripture is the Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:22-26. This blessing could be a clue for us because in verse 22-23 it says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.” God instructed Moses on what a divine blessing consisted of and what followed was a prayer asking God to benefit His people. We see these words in verses 24-26 ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

This blessing to be spoken by Aaron and his sons and Moses’ blessing in Exodus 39, was to be done on God’s behalf. They couldn’t make God bless the Israelites just by saying the words but if they correctly understood God’s will and invoked the prayer in the form of a wish, it would be assumed it would be a true declaration of God’s intention to benefit those being blessed. The proof that the blessing was from God would be if it came true. Since the Aaronic blessing is one we have in scripture I want to break down the benefits of that blessing from the Lord. To “keep” meant that God would be watching over His people, caring for and guiding them through life’s dangers for their good. To “shine His face on you” meant looking out for their general favor and benefit. To “be gracious to you” means that God will give His people what they don’t deserve or have not earned. To “turn His face toward you” means God is paying special and favorable attention toward His people. And to “give you peace” means God will give “shalom” meaning peace to His people which is wellness, wholeness and good fortune toward them. Now this doesn’t mean that nothing negative will ever happen to the person who is blessed but it is a desire for God to bestow His good will on them. The specific blessing itself wasn’t an important part of the chapter, or Moses would have included it but the fact that the people were blessed by God through Moses was important. They had come a long way from building and worshipping the golden calf. Moses blessed them in response to their faithful obedience and excellence in their complete community effort to build God’s holy tabernacle. This was to encourage and reassure them that they had done exactly what the Lord commanded Moses and that they were now in the favor of their covenant Lord and King. ​​ 

As for Jesus, we have seen that He completed His work that the Father gave Him to do on the earth. He willingly went to the cross as the spotless lamb and declared “it is finished.” And Jesus’ work was inspected by the Father and He passed. Jesus had truly lived His earthly life without sin and with and through His blood, the world was saved. The evidence of passing God’s inspection would be God bestowing blessing on His son and this happened when God raised Jesus from the dead. Ryken says, “The resurrection was the Father’s declaration that the Son had finished the work of our salvation perfectly.” And further evidence of blessing was that God took Jesus back up to heaven. Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus completed the work God gave Him to do and He did it in obedience and with excellence (Big Idea).

So, what does this mean for us? We are to work for God on this earth in obedience and with excellence knowing that one day our time of inspection and blessing will come. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” And Revelation 22:12 says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Ryken says, “Just as the Israelites laid out the tabernacle for Moses, so our lives will be laid out before God, who alone knows all our secrets.” The question is: have we offered such perfect obedience and excellence that we will pass inspection and be blessed by God? In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 that Sue read, we see that only that which has been done for God’s glory, on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His redemption, and which stands the test of fire, shall abide and be rewarded. God will test, inspect and bless everything that we have done, according to His perfect standard. But thankfully, before inspecting us God will first inspect the finished work of Jesus Christ. For those who have done his work in his way, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit and not by the flesh, there will be blessing upon blessing.

God will pronounce his blessing on everyone who trusts in Jesus which is the only way to endure the final judgment. When we become one of God’s children, Jesus becomes “our righteousness” and we are able to pass God’s inspection and be blessed. We become a child of God by admitting we are a sinner, believing that Jesus died on a cross for our sins, was buried and rose again, and confessing Jesus as Lord of our life. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you will be saved, pass inspection and be blessed. If you desire to talk more about salvation, please mark the upper right corner of your Comm. Card where it says, “becoming a follower of Jesus” and I will be in touch with you.

In conclusion: Joe Theismann had an amazing career as the quarterback of the Washington Redskins. He led the team to two Super Bowl appearances - winning in 1983 before losing the following year. When a leg injury forced him out of football in 1985, he was entrenched in the record books as Washington’s all-time leading passer. Still, the tail end of Theismann’s career taught him a bitter lesson: “I got stagnant,” He says, “I thought the team revolved around me. I should have known it was time to go when I didn’t care whether a pass hit Art Monk in the 8 or the 1 on his uniform. When we went back to the Super Bowl, my approach had changed. I was griping about the weather, my shoes, practice times, everything. Today I wear my two rings - the winner’s ring from Super Bowl 17 and the loser’s ring from Super Bowl 18. The difference in those two rings lies in applying oneself and not accepting anything but the best.” Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Big Idea) That brings us to our last next step which is to Be about the work God has given me to do on this earth with excellence.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the opportunity to study your Word. Thank you for giving us work to do on this earth. Help us by your HS to be about that work in obedience and with excellence. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Opening: ​​ Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1133–1153.

Closing: https://www.whowillyouempower.com/craigsblog/2013/10/29/4-reasons-why-god-expects-excellence