Exodus 39-40

The Tabernacle was completed in five months. All the pieces fit, and it must have been quite a sight. The sparkling gold and silver, the royal blues and purples must have made a stark contrast against the backdrop of the wilderness.

Aaron and sons were dressed in their new priestly garments, complete with precious jewels. It must have inspired awe in everyone fortunate enough to have been a witness to it all.

But the most important, most impressive thing about the tabernacle didn’t happen until 40:34. The tabernacle was just an empty, albeit beautiful, tent until God showed up. What made this tent stand out from all the other ornate structures in the world was God Himself.

Matthew Henry tells us that everything concerning the tabernacle, and the priestly garments were merely shadows of what was to come. The substance, Henry says, is Christ and the grace of the Gospel. “When therefore the substance has come, it is a jest to be fond of the shadow.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary In One Volume, Zondervan Publishing House, 1961, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 114)

Let’s never be so concerned about what worship looks and feels like that we forget WHO we worship. Let’s not be as concerned about what our church buildings look like, as we are about why we gather there. Let’s not get caught up in the history of the Bible, or theological details about insignificant differences, and neglect the God of the Bible. Henry says it’s a joke to get caught up in the shadow.

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. Let’s celebrate the fact that when our sins are covered by His blood…

God is in the house!