God is with Us

KEY VERSE: “I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.” —Exodus 29:45

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Exodus 25:1-8; 40:33-38

BEFORE THE ISRAELITES left Mt. Sinai to resume their journey to the Promised Land, the Lord spoke the words of our Key Verse to Moses. Since the Israelites led a nomadic life journeying to Canaan, a building constructed in the ordinary sense would have been unsuitable, when God directed them to make him “a sanctuary that I may dwell among” you. Therefore, God designed a portable structure to fill the need. (Exod. 25:8) It is this Tabernacle, with its priesthood and its offerings, along with other features of the Law, which the Apostle Paul described centuries later as “a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of those things.”—Heb. 10:1

Jesus explained many of these ‘shadows’ to two of his perplexed disciples, walking together along the road to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection; and repeated that evening when he appeared to a surprised gathering at Jerusalem. Later on, Luke recorded Jesus’ words as he opened the Scriptures to them on those occasions: “Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory: and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded [explained] unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”—Luke 24:25-27

We find these few words of Jesus ample authority to delve into a study of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, in order that we might come to a better understanding of its lessons—especially those which pertain to us in our day.

God gave Moses complete instructions regarding the size, materials, construction, contents, and all the ceremonies of the Sanctuary—even to the formula for compounding the anointing oil, and embroidery on the priests’ robes, and what role it was all to play. That is why Paul said that Moses was admonished of God when he was about to construct the Tabernacle, “See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.”—Heb. 8:5; Exod. 25:40

Briefly, the Tabernacle can be described as an enclosed Court, formed by a white linen curtain, in the midst of which was located a portable structure that was divided into two rooms—the Holy and the Most Holy—separated by a beautifully adorned curtain. The latter room, Paul said, was a figure of heaven itself. The Ark of the Testimony was a chest covered with gold inside and out, having a solid gold cover called the Mercy Seat. Upon either end of the Mercy Seat was located a cherubim. The cherubims faced one toward the other, with outstretched wings. Between the cherubim, and above the Mercy Seat, was the ‘Shekinah Glory’. It was here that God dwelt and met with Israel through the High Priest whenever they rested in camp.

This arrangement is described in Exodus 25:22: “There, I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” Only the High Priest had access, and was privileged to enter into the Most Holy.

But God’s presence was manifested to the children of Israel in quite a different way. When Israel was encamped, a ‘cloud’ rested upon the Tabernacle. The account tells us that “the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”—Exod. 13:21,11

Those who love God are promised his watchcare over them in their desert pilgrimage if they are faithful to his leadings. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”—II Chron. 16:9

And we note the encouraging promise which Jesus gives to all those who love and follow in his steps. He said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. … If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”—John 14:21,23

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