The Tabernacle: The Sign of God’s Presence

After God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he called them to be holy, just as he is holy (Leviticus 11:44a). But for the people to pursue holiness, God had to teach them what was right and wrong. So he gave them the Old Testament law, which we looked at here. 

As part of the law, God gave specific instructions on building a “tabernacle.” Read Exodus chapters 25-27 and the whole second half of Exodus to learn more about the tabernacle. The tabernacle was not only placed physically in the middle of the nation as they camped; it was also at the heart of who they were and everything they did.

The tabernacle represented God’s presence with his people, so they were constantly reminded that God was with them. It was here that God would meet with his people through Moses. The tabernacle was a mobile structure that traveled with the people everywhere they went, and wherever they were, whatever they faced, they could look at it and say, “God is with us.”

Do you live with a constant awareness of God’s presence with you? Would you behave differently if Jesus was physically standing beside you all day? Would your words and actions be the same if Jesus was standing right there, listening to everything you said, watching everything you did? He is with you always, of course, but sometimes we forget that.

Surrounding the tabernacle was a large outer courtyard that was 75 feet wide and 150 feet long, about half the length of a football field. There were two items in the courtyard. 

First, there was the basin, a brass sink that held water with which the priests ceremonially cleaned themselves. It was a reminder that we all need to be cleansed of our sins, and that it is God, not the water, who cleanses us. 

Then there was the bronze altar. Picture a giant grill. Not a Big Green Egg, but a giant bronze grill where sacrifices were placed and burned. People offered sacrifices because of guilt over sin, as a way to thank God, and to show God the seriousness of a commitment made by the individual. 

All day long, the priests would slaughter, cut up, and burn animals as offerings. There was a constant smell of burning meat in the camp. That smell was an ongoing reminder to the people of the seriousness of sin. Sin always results in death.

The tabernacle proper was inside the courtyard. It was a movable tent that was 45 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 15 feet high, and it consisted of two rooms. The front room was the Holy Place, which measured 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. 

In the Holy Place, there were three pieces of furniture.

First, there was the Golden Lampstand. The lamp stand was always lit so that even at night, people would see they weren’t alone, God was with them. He was still there and in charge. Just like the pillar of light they followed at night, the lamp stand reminded them of their God who promised them his presence. 

Then there was the Altar of Incense, and the burning incense brought some relief from the smell of burning animals out on the altar. Throughout the Bible incense represents the prayers of his people, so the smell of this incense reminded everyone of their loving God who was there to listen to their prayers. Notice, though, that this altar was in the Holy Place, not in the next room, the Most Holy Place. Sin still separated the people from God, and they only had access to him through the sacrificial system. He heard their prayers, but only on the basis of the sacrifices.

The third item in the Holy Place was the Table of the Bread of the Presence. On this table were placed 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The bread was a reminder that God had provided and would continue to provide for his people. Facing the lamp stand, the loaves were always bathed in the light of God’s presence.

Just behind the Holy Place was the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies. This was a 15 feet by 15 feet room separated from the Holy Place by a curtain or veil made of blue, purple, and scarlet thread. The Most Holy Place was the throne room of God. Of all places that were considered holy, this was the holiest. 

Within the Most Holy Place was the thing that Indiana Jones was after, the Ark of the Covenant. The ark was kept hidden from view at all times, and it was not to be touched by human hands. It represented God’s throne as king of his people Israel. The lid of the ark was called the Mercy Seat, and on the mercy seat were two cherubim of solid gold with overarching wings. It was there that the very presence of God rested (Exodus 25:22).

The ark contained three things: first, a golden pot of manna (Exodus 16:33), which reminded the people of God’s care and provision; second, Aaron’s rod that budded (Numbers 17), which was a reminder that God had chosen Aaron and his descendants as the priests and mediators between the people and God; and, finally, the tablets containing the Ten Commandments, highlighting the centrality of the law and the importance of obedience as the way to draw near to God. The ark was made of acacia wood sheathed inside and out in pure gold, and it was 3 feet, 9 inches long, 2 feet, 3 inches wide, and 2 feet, 3 inches high.

The only person in the world who could enter the Most Holy Place was the High Priest, and he could only go in once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The entire tabernacle was a reminder of both the immanence, or closeness, of God, and the transcendence or “otherness” and “holiness” of God. God was welcoming his people to himself in love, while at the same time the Most Holy Place, and the curtain that closed it off, were reminders of how sinful the people were and how holy God is. As long as the ritual system was in place, there was a separation that was only bridged periodically and temporarily.

I wonder how often we sit and ponder the holiness of God, the perfection of God. If we did, we would recognize just how far from that we are. We’d see our sin for what it is. Compared to other people, we may be doing alright. But compared to God, we are simply sinners in need of grace and forgiveness.

One day each year, the Day of Atonement, the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place (Leviticus 16). First, he had to make a sacrifice for himself. After all, he’d sinned just like everyone else. Then he made a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Blood from both sacrifices was sprinkled on the mercy seat on top of the ark. When this was done, the sins of the people were forgiven for another year. Year after year, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place on Yom Kippur, offering the blood of sacrifice to cover the sins of himself and the people for the next year. The people were reminded each year of the seriousness of their sin and the holiness and graciousness of their God.

One day, however, this entire system became obsolete…

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