Sermon Notes

25 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. 3 This is the offering that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, fine leather, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And they shall make me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among them. 9 In accordance with all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
26 1 “The tabernacle itself you shall make with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and crimson yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them……31 “You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. 33 You shall hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the covenant in there, within the curtain, and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy place. 34 You shall put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. 35 You shall set the table outside the curtain and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side. 36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework.37 You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)

25 1-9 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned rams’ skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I’ve given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.
26 1 “Make the dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it……31-35 “Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman. Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases. After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies. Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies. Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side. 36-37 “Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.”
(The Message, MSG)

Christianity is similar to other world religions in its concern for ethics, morality, and a thirst for exploring the mysterious “other” that is the Divine. However it is unmistakably distinctive in its theological assertation that God became human through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John asserts, Jesus as the pre-existing Word of God, “moved into our neighborhood” to become one with humanity. God’s unfathomable love for the world necessitated an in-person, up-front, and personal relationship that resulted in the Divine “becoming flesh” so that God could abide with us, settle down with us, dwell among us.
John’s claim of God’s abiding presence with humanity is not without ancient scriptural parallels. In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the book of Exodus also asserts that God desired to dwell among the Israelites. This week’s lesson explores instructions that Moses received from God concerning the building of a suitable dwelling place for the Divine. Because the Israelites were a people constantly on the move, the tabernacle or tent sanctuary needed to be constructed with portability in mind, so that it could be assembled and disassembled as the people navigated through the wilderness on their way to Canaan. Further, the tabernacle—with its specific architectural, design, and material requirements—also highlights the importance of identifying the worship of God as the crucial component of their covenantal relationship with the LORD. By obediently constructing the tabernacle, the Israelites demonstrate they are wholeheartedly committed to making a space for God at the center of their community and the center of their entire lives.

Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the second book of the Pentateuch—the first five books of the bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The name Exodus comes from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Exodus is organized around two central themes: God’s liberation of the Israelite people from bondage in Egypt—literally an exodus from Egypt—and God’s abiding presence with those same people as they sojourn from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. While Jewish and Christian tradition historically ascribed Exodus and the entire Pentateuch to Moses, contemporary biblical scholarship reveals Exodus was written by anonymous authors from different theological perspectives over an extended time period spanning hundreds of years.
This week’s lesson scripture (Exodus 25:1-8; 26:1, 31-37), is drawn from thirteen chapters of Exodus that describe in detail planning to build the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1 – 31:18) and the act of actually building the tabernacle (35:1 – 40:38). Immediately preceding this, God has made a covenant with the Israelites and given the Decalogue and other law codes to the people on Mount Sinai. In chapters 25 through 31, God provides Moses with detailed instructions concerning how God’s presence will become a permanent fixture within the Israelite camp. Whereas Moses and the people have needed to ascend to God on the Mount Sinai, now, God will descend to them. While God’s sanctuary will not be a permanent structure, God will permanently abide with the Israelites, communing with them from the center of their traveling camp site. As the people journey, God journeys with them, as the nucleus of their walking, working and worship in the wilderness. The lesson is divided into two parts, Exodus 25:1-9 and Exodus 26:1, 31-37.

25 1-9 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned rams’ skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I’ve given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.
In the first part of this lesson, the writers of Exodus reveal detailed instructions that God gives Moses concerning offerings the people are to bring for the construction of a sanctuary for God. This temporary dwelling will provide a place for God to dwell within the midst of the Israelite people. Up until this point in the wilderness journey, God has gone before the people in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Cloud and Pillar have been a provided a visible sign that God was with the people. However, that demonstration of Divine presence has been somewhat removed from the people. Now, the LORD says there will be a change in proximity. Instead of being in front of the people to illuminate their wilderness path, or behind them to provide protection from predatory Egyptians, God will sit down in the midst of the people and tabernacle with them.
These verses also provide a number of other important theological observations:
1. The Initiative of God. Verses 1 and 2 outline that the process of building the sanctuary for God begins with God’s instructions to Moses, not Moses request to God (like King David requesting to build the temple.) God provides both the initiative and the designated assignment. This reminds us that God always initiates Divine plans for us. We must be willing to hear and obey these commands.
2. The Centrality of Worship. In verse 8, God tells Moses that the people are to set aside offerings to give to God for the purpose of building a sanctuary. The world for sanctuary in Hebrew is “miqdash” which means a consecrated thing, place, sanctuary, or asylum, or any specified holy place where God's presence dwells. This word comes from the root word “qadash,” which means to be holy or to set apart. Therefore, the sanctuary is an invitation for a person, place, or thing be sanctified—literally made holy—for the purpose of worshipping God and being used for God’s purpose.
3. The Importance of Willing Givers. In verses 2-8 God tells Moses that Israelites must set aside offerings for God and outlines all of the different offerings that will be necessary for constructing the sanctuary. However, Moses should only collect them from those who willingly offer them to the LORD. God will not command them to give, they must do so because they are stirred in their hearts to do so. Further, everything that is needed for the sanctuary will not come from God, it will come from the people’s heartfelt gifts. This reminds contemporary Christians that everything that is needed for preparing for worship, and constructing sacred space, comes from believers and those gifts are sanctified by God. Anything that we have, and then willingly offer to God, is sanctified for God’s purposes.
4. Worship can happen any place that is consecrated to God. While these verse make it clear that having a specified place for the sanctuary is important, a specific geographical location is not. Because the tabernacle is portable, it means that God can be everywhere and anywhere. The tent sanctuary is a metaphor for the abiding presence of God, but it does not mean that God can be contained. Further, because the tabernacle will always be on the move, then God’s presence can show up anywhere and anytime the people of God are on the move; sojourning towards promise. Worship should occur at all times, and in any place, if the people of God have a mind to offer themselves in worship.
26 1 “Make the dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it……31-35 “Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman. Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases. After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies. Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies. Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side. 36-37 “Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.”
In the second part of the lesson, the instructions for the sanctuary become even more detailed. The LORD makes it clear that specific materials, in specific colors, with a specific design, should be executed by one who is skilled—literally one who has wisdom in these things—in craftmanship. There is care and precision in outlining the architectural plans, building materials, and interior design so the crafts persons and builders know exactly what they are doing. The authors of Exodus employ a dictionary of terms from the world of professional construction and design (curtains, clasps, bases, frames, pegs, pillars) to get even the smallest detail outlined.
Further, the overall feel of the building materials is that of the finest, most luxurious, accommodations. Even the colors—blue, purple, scarlet—denote luxury. Only the finest and most costly will be employed in constructing the sanctuary of God. Right when this detailed list becomes almost overwhelming, the authors reveal a theologically significant element. The Hebrew word used to describe the curtain that will hang in the Holy-of-Holies is “aroket.” The previously mentioned curtains in verses 33 and 34 were “yuri”—a regular curtain. However, the aroket was specifically uses to separate the outer sanctuary from the place that would house the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. This would be the place where God’s actual presence would rest. Liturgically speaking, this would be the place where Moses and the priests would see God face to face. Even in their period of wilderness uncertainty, the Israelite people will be able to see the “face” of God. In fact, one might say that it is in the wilderness, where God’s holy presence is best found and best appreciated.

i. Eugene Peterson, “John 1:14,” The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, (NavPress, 1993, 2002, 2018).