Sunday, April 12, 2009

Exodus 37-38

These two chapters at first glance seem a little repetitive. Just a few chapters back in Exodus, we read about the Lord giving Moses all the instructions for the tabernacle and now we are reading about the actual construction of the tabernacle. They sound almost exactly the same. That is what is amazing to me! They sound exactly the same because the people who were building the tabernacle followed God's instructions exactly the way He gave them. I love that! The focus of these chapters is all about the obedience of Bezalel and his crew carrying out the important task of the construction of such an important thing. I imagine that the job seemed pretty daunting at times, and yet these men and women did what they knew the Lord wanted, using the talents that He gave them to accomplish it.

In light of Easter, I think about this passage along side the story of Jesus dying on the cross for us and our sins. In Exodus 25:8, God is explaining to Moses that He wants them to build the tabernacle so that He can "dwell among" the people. He desired close fellowship with the Israelites and by having a tabernacle in which He could dwell and the people could present their sacrifices, that was possible. So of course, the Israelites built the tabernacle just as the Lord had said. They desired that close fellowship with Him too. Thankfully for us, we do not have to rely on the tabernacle and offering system anymore! By sending Jesus to the earth to die on the cross, God is letting us know loud and clear that He desires close fellowship with us. It is now by believing in Him and relying on the saving blood of Jesus shed on the cross to wash us clean of our sins. Also, Jesus of course did not stay dead, in the grave. He is very much risen and alive! That is how was have true fellowship with the God of Creation. We should be thankful beyond words that Jesus was obedient to His Father and took the weight of our sins upon Himself so that we can enjoy that close fellowship and relationship with God that was not possible before. Have you really thought about that? Have you stopped to think about how much God loves you and desires to "dwell among" you? Perhaps today we should take some time to sit with the Lord and thank Him for dwelling among us, not in a tabernacle, but in our hearts and lives because of the sacrifice of His Son, that we celebrate today.