Biblical Tabernacle

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study looking into the Tabernacle in the Wilderness story and how it affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study Lesson
What is the Tabernacle in the Wilderness

It's nice to have you with us today to share another story from the book of Exodus here at Daily Bread. Last time, we read about when Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory. What exactly does that mean ... glory? In this case, it was God's magnificence, it was the splendor and blissful happiness of the Lord, it was God's beauty. It was a spiritual experience, not something that could be seen or touched. And Moses wanted to feel that indescribable presence of the Lord with him and the people as they proceeded on to the Promised Land.

The Lord said to Moses, Cut two tablets of stone, like the first and write the words on these that were in the first tablets that you broke. You can almost imagine Moses cringe at those words and the feeling of, I wish I hadn't have done that. God continued, Be ready in the morning and come up to mount Sinai. Don't bring anyone with you or let anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain. Don't let the flocks or herds feed by the mountain either.

Moses cut the two tablets of stone like the first two, got up early in the morning and took them with him up into mount Sinai. The Lord came down in the cloud, stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord, as He said He would do the day before. The Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering (long and patient tolerance of offense), and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Moses quickly bowed his head to the earth and worshiped. Then Moses said, If now I've found grace in your sight, O Lord, I beg you, go with us; for they are a haughty people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance. Moses so badly wanted to be assured that the comfort and protection of God would be with them.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study Warning
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Danger

God said, Listen, and I will make a covenant. I will do marvels for all the people. Such things have not been done in all the earth, and all the people will see the work of the Lord. It is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Remember what I command you today. I will chase out from before you, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.

Be careful not to make promises with the inhabitants of the land where you're going. It will be a trap to you. But you will destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves. You will worship no other god. The Lord, whose name is Jealous is a jealous God, for fear that you will make a promise with the inhabitants of the land and go loving other gods and do sacrifice to them. And for fear that they'll invite you, and you'll eat their sacrifices let their daughters marry your sons and their daughters will bring your sons to their gods.

Time for a little Daily Bread crumb again. This one is about the words "graven" and "grove." The word graven means - carved. So, a graven image, is a carved image, which is also an idol, or a strange god. The word grove sounds like a forest area with no underbrush, however, in the context of the Bible, it is referring to graven images. To cut down their groves would mean to destroy their carved images, idols or strange gods. You may not find the definition in your dictionary, because it is an irregular inflectional form of the word used in medieval times when many Bible versions were translated into English. Thee, thou, thy, unto, shalt, art, spake, behold, lest, saith, goeth, doeth ... these are all examples of words used commonly in that Renaissance period. Now back to our story.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study Discussion
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Covenant

God reviewed with Moses the laws that He had given him the first time he went up into the mount for forty days and forty nights. If you would like to refresh your memory about them, they are in this chapter of Exodus as well. Exodus 34:17-26.

The Lord said to Moses, Write these words because according to these words I have made a covenant with you and Israel. Moses was again there with the Lord another forty days and forty nights and he didn't eat bread nor drink water in that time. He wrote on the tables of stone, the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

When Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in his hand, he didn't know that the skin of his face shone while he talked to God. When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw him, his face still glowed and they were afraid to come near him.

Moses put a veil on his face and called to Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation and they came near. Moses talked with them and afterward the rest of the children of Israel came close and Moses gave them in commandment all that the Lord had told him in mount Sinai. When Moses finished talking with them, he took the veil off his face.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study Research
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness With the Israelites

When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speak with God, he took the veil off until he came out. When he came out, he told God's people all that he was commanded. The children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, and Moses put the veil over his face again, until he went back in to speak with God.

The Apostle Paul talks about the veil over Moses' face in a very interesting way in 2 Corinthians. Remember that the Lord found that His people could not abide by the laws of the Old Testament that were engraved in stone and it would result in death for them. Even so, the Old Testament was so glorious that they couldn't look at Moses face, when he received it. Now here's the good news. If the Old Testament (of the letter, or the law) which is no longer valid, was so glorious (and it resulted in death), how much more glorious is the New Testament (of the Spirit, which gives life) that is engraved in our hearts? The veil is taken away with Christ (the New Testament) because we are changed into the image of God and with His law carved in our hearts by His Spirit we can see the glory of God without a veil. In other words, the glory of God was shining on Moses face and the veil was the law, which kept the people from seeing the glory of God. The law was not in their hearts.

Moses gathered all the children of Israel together and said, These are the words the Lord commanded that you should do. He repeated the laws and the plans that God had given him in the mount. These are all repeated again throughout Chapters 35-40 if you would like to do further study on them. But, we will not revisit the laws in this study.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study on Laws
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Adventure

There were two people that the Lord blessed with wisdom to understand how He wanted everything made. In other words, God gave them the gift of understanding in building. These were Bezaleel (Caleb's great grandson) from the tribe of Judah and Aholiab from the tribe of Dan. Moses delegated the Lord's work to everyone who was moved in their heart to do it.

The people brought their offerings to give for the work and it was more than enough. Moses had to announce that they should stop bringing. The people did all the work just as the Lord ordered. Remember that the Tabernacle was to go with them, wherever God led them on their way to the Promised Land, so all the parts were made separately, but it hadn't been put together yet. So it had to be assembled and reassembled as they traveled from one place to another. They brought it to Moses and he blessed them.

The Lord told Moses, On the first day of the first month you will set up the Tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. He told Moses how to set everything up and to anoint the Tabernacle and all the things that the children of Israel made for it. He told Moses to sanctify Aaron and his sons and their garments and that their anointing will be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. The tribe of Levi was deemed as the tribe priests would come from. Did ya know John the Baptist will come from this tribe? He too would be an awesome preacher.

Exactly one year after the Passover, the Tabernacle was set up. Moses raised the Tabernacle and fastened its sockets, set up the boards, put in the bars and lifted its pillars. He spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering of the tent above it. He put the testimony in the ark, put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat on top. He brought the ark into the Tabernacle and set up the veil to cover it as God commanded. He put the table in the tent of the congregation and set the bread in order on it before the Lord.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study on Instructions
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Courthouse

He put the candlestick in the tent and lit the lamps of it. He put the golden altar in the tent in front of the veil and burnt sweet incense on it. He set up the hanging at the door and put the altar of burnt offering by the door, then offered the burnt offering and the meat offering on it. He set the laver (wash basin) between the tent and the alter and put water in it. When Moses and Aaron and his sons went into the tent of the congregation and near the altar, they washed their hands and feet there. Moses set up the court around the Tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate.

So Moses finished the work. It must have been a relief to Moses, to know that the Lord had a place to dwell among them now. It was the temporary house of the Lord, while they were sojourning, and was built to His specifications. A cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses wasn't able to go into the tent because the cloud remained on it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

When the cloud was lifted from over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in their journeys, but if the cloud remained, they stayed where they were until it was lifted. The cloud of the Lord was on the Tabernacle by day and fire was on it by night, so all of Israel could see, throughout all their journeys. Imagine if you will, how sometimes when you enter into a church and you can feel the presence of God there. The children of Israel could see the presence of God over the Tabernacle. How breathtaking it must have been.

Biblical Tabernacle Bible Study Summary
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Conclusion

Daily Bread would like to bid you congratulations on completing the study of the book of Exodus with us! We've enjoyed your sharing it with us and we look forward to your joining us next time as we begin our study of the Third Book of Moses called Leviticus here at Daily Bread.

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