Moses - Servant of God - The Meekest Man in All the Earth
12 - The Tabernacle
We are coming towards the end of this series discovering the life of Moses, a man described as "the meekest man in all the earth." We have followed his story from the time when as a baby he was saved from an untimely death at the hand of Pharaoh of Egypt by the care of his parents and sister. In the overruling providence of God he was taken into the household of Pharaoh's daughter and brought up in the royal palace and educated in all the wisdom of that land. Later he was to spend forty years as a shepherd, before God eventually called and appointed him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and towards the land promised to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For Moses, leading these people was no easy task. They were rebellious and ungrateful and slow to recognise the hand of God in their deliverance from Egypt.
In their journey the people have arrived at Mount Sinai and we discovered last time that it was on that mountain that God revealed himself to Moses and gave to him and to the people His Law - the Law that we know as The Ten Commandments. These commandments set out God's requirements for their relationship with Him and with one another. It is in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers that we are given the details of all that God required of the Israelites for their daily routine, health and well-being and, most importantly, for their approach to and worship of the Lord their God.
It was during the forty days that Moses spent in the presence of God on Sinai that he was given special instructions on the construction of what was to be a portable worship centre or sanctuary where God would meet with his people. It was to be known as the Tabernacle or the Tent of Meeting. You will find all the significant details concerning this in Exodus chapters 35 to 40. Note also that Moses was instructed to follow these instructions to the letter.
The Tabernacle was to be a tented structure that could be carried with the people on their journey to the Promised Land. Someone has called it "a prefabricated shrine" where God would live among his people and show that He was at the very centre of their national life. It was called the Tent of Meeting because this was where God would meet with them. It was also called the Tent of Testimony because within, in a beautiful box called the Ark of the Covenant, would be placed the stones on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed.
Moses was given detailed instructions for the making of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. The pattern given by God was to be followed exactly; nothing was to be left to chance or to human ingenuity. The divine plan extended down to the smallest details. It was not necessary that Moses should understand all their meaning, although each part was significant. To him the important thing was implicit obedience to all that God showed him. So, "He did all that the Lord commanded him." Here is a lesson for God's servants today. When He calls us to a work we cannot pick and choose what we would like to do, or decide the way in which we will do it. Like Moses, we must do just as the Lord commands us, even though at times we may not fully understand the significance of what we are doing. When it was all completed, the purpose and meaning of the Tabernacle and its furnishings became clear to Moses as God revealed it to him, and it became the place where God's presence among his people was evident. Moses was learning as his leadership continued, that "loyalty to the Highest brings life to the lowliest." Because of his obedience in every detail he had the joy of seeing God's project come to completion under his direction.
The Lord told Moses that the materials required for the building of this Tabernacle should be provided by his people. Each was required to bring an offering to the Lord as their hearts prompted them. In Exodus 35 verses 4 to 9 we are told what they were required to bring items including gold, silver and bronze; various kinds of fabrics and animal skins; acacia wood, olive oil and precious stones. Note that the Lord laid out exactly what was needed for the building of the Tabernacle, but there was no compulsion on the people to give. They were to bring these items willingly, each man as his heart prompted him.
Here we see the principle of the freewill offering. As Christians we have the privilege of bringing our offerings to the Lord so that his work might prosper and not be hindered through lack of resources. The Lord loves those who give cheerfully, that is willingly from the heart, just as the children of Israel did. Some brought small things, some larger things. Some brought things that of themselves were of little value, but which may have cost the giver much; others brought costly, precious things like gold or silver. The controlling motive in their bringing was their willingness out of appreciation for what the Lord had done for them. God had been gracious and merciful and loving towards them in spite of their often waywardness and disobedience.
The wonderful result of this giving can be summed up in one word - abundance. In commenting on this someone has said, "Not often in the history of God's people has it been necessary to restrain further giving because every need has been met". Such was the position here that we are told in Exodus chapter 36 verses 5 to 7 that Moses gave an order that no one was to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary because what they had brought was already more than enough to do all the work.
What an example was set here by the people of God for Christians today in this matter of our bringing our offerings to the Lord. The apostle Paul in his second letter to the believers in Corinth, at chapter 9 verses 6 to 8, says: "Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." The Lord is no man's debtor and will honour those who honour Him in giving from a willing, generous heart for the work of his kingdom.
In Exodus chapter 35 verses 30 to 36 we read that Moses said to the Israelites "See, the Lord has chosen Bezaliel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah and He has filled him with the Spirit of God with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.... and he has given both him and Oholiab of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. At the beginning of chapter 36 we are told that these two men and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given skill and ability were to carry out the work of building the Tabernacle just as the Lord commanded. Not only were the materials for the job provided, but the Lord also provided the men with the necessary skills so that the work could be completed competently and to a high standard that would honour Him. The men who would oversee this important work were chosen and gifted with the necessary skills by the Lord Himself.
This principle is the same among God's people today. To the church the Lord has, by his Holy Spirit, given gifts of those who are able to lead, able to teach, able to care for his people. He has given those who are able to administer and to look after practical things, all so that his work may be conducted in a manner worthy of Him. Moses gained great respect for the way in which he responded to God's requirement of him to ensure that the work of building the Tabernacle was carried out and ultimately completed. The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses then inspected the work and blessed the people. This surely is a lesson for us in our service for the Lord. Moses' total obedience and faithfulness was exemplary.
In Exodus chapters 36 to 39 we have the details of all the work that was carried out and then, in chapter 40 verses 33 and 34, we have these unforgettable words, "And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." As the people journeyed on, the cloud of the Lord remained above the tabernacle by day, and by night the fire was in the cloud to remind them constantly of the presence of God with them. If the cloud did not move, the people made camp and stayed there until it moved on. Moses continued to be leader of God's people in all their travels through the wilderness, but it was God who, by the cloud was their guide on their journey to the Promised Land.