Why is this called the Dwelling Place? Go back to this episode to be reminded why it fits so perfectly with motherhood: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dwelling-place-bible-plan-for-busy-moms/id1863449227?i=1000742766299

Today's episode confirms that the God of The Bible longs to dwell with His people. Listen to find out exactly what verbs "tabernacle" was formed from. We'll also talk about how our Lord cares about beauty and function, and He leads us to create places to bless and serve others.

Today's Reading: Exodus 25-28

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Exodus 25:1-22

Exodus 28:2,3

John 1:14

John 15:5

2 Corinthians 9:7

Welcome back to The Dwelling

Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox.

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If you've been on the fence at all about

the fact that God longs to dwell with

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his people, today's reading will erase

any shadow of doubt from your mind.

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This has been God's intention

since he created us.

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If you've committed to this along the

way, I'm gonna link back to one of our

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prep episodes that explains exactly

why I chose this name dwelling place.

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And why it's so special for me,

particularly in my motherhood.

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In today's reading, we'll focus

on Exodus chapters 25 through

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28, and in every episode, I don't

just want you to hear my words.

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I truly want you to hear the word of God.

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So I'll begin reading in

chapter 25, verse one.

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The Lord said to Moses, speak to the

people of Israel that they take from me.

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A contribution from every

man whose heart moves him.

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You shall receive the contribution

from me, and this is the contribution

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you shall receive from them.

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Gold, silver, and bronze.

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Blue and purple, and scarlet yarns

and fine twined linen, goat's, hair.

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Tanned Rams skins, goat skins,

acacia wood oil for the lamps,

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spices for the anointing oil,

and for the fragrant incense.

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Onyx stones and stones are a setting

for the EFA and for the breast piece,

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and let them make me a sanctuary that I

may dwell in their midst exactly as I

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show you concerning the pattern of the

tabernacle and of all its furniture.

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So you shall make it.

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They shall make an arc of acacia wood.

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Two qubits and a half shall be

its length, a qubit and a half.

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Its breadth and a qubit

and a half its height.

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You shall overlay it with pure

gold inside and outside shall you

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overlay it, and you shall make on

it a molding of gold around it.

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You shall cast four rings of gold

for it and put them on its four feet,

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two rings on the one side of it, and

two rings on the other side of it.

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You shall make poles of acacia wood and

overlay them with gold, and you shall

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put the poles into the rings on the sides

of the ark to carry the arc by them.

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The poles shall remain

in the rings of the ark.

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They shall not be taken from it, and you

shall put into the ark of the testimony

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that I shall give you.

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You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold.

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Two cubits and a half shall be its

length and a cubit and a half its breath.

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And you shall make two cherubim

of gold of hammered work.

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You shall make them on the

two ends of the mercy seat.

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Make one cherub on the one end

and one cherub on the other.

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End of one piece with a mercy seat shall

you make the cherubim on its two ends.

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The cherubim shall spread out their wings

above overshadowing the mercy seat with

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their wings, their faces one to another.

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Toward the mercy seat shall

the faces of the cherin be.

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And you shall put the mercy seat

on the top of the arc and in the

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arc you shall put the testimony

that I shall give you there.

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I will meet with you and from above the

mercy seat, from between the two cherin

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that are on the arc of the testimony.

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I will speak with you about

all that I will give you in

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commandment for the people of Israel

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In these chapters, we enter a very

lengthy speech from the Lord about

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exactly how he wants his home to be built.

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I love it because we

get to continually hold

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these two aspects of God.

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His nearness also known as his

imminence and his transcendence.

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He's saying, I'm going to draw

near Teal, but you need to be

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careful with how you approach me.

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not only are his directions for

beauty, they're also for function as

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this tent will move with the people.

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It is fascinating to think that

in the Book of Exodus, there

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are about two chapters covering

the actual exit from Egypt.

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Then not even a chapter

for the 10 Commandments,

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and then 13 chapters filled

with directions about how God

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wanted his tabernacle built.

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It may seem lengthy, but if God is going

to be so clear, we should pay attention.

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In a world where networks like HGTV

Thrive, we should certainly have

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the attention span to enter in with

the Lord when he tells us how his

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dwelling place is to be decorated.

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Perhaps you can imagine one of

your best friends telling you

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she's about to remodel her kitchen.

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And if you're anything like me, you wanna

hear exactly about the whole process and

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the cabinet color, and the backsplash,

and the sink, and the countertops.

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And don't forget about the

light fixtures and the knobs.

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Let's look to God's Word with the same

level of anticipation and excitement.

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The Lord is a creator of gold and silver

and bronze, and the creator of color.

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So it's neat to read about how he wants

these elements to be brought together

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As women, God often uses us to make

homes for our families, and to think

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through the details of how they'll use

this space and what would bless them.

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How can we work with our budget

and our resources and the space

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that we have to make it beautiful?

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And if you've ever felt that that wasn't

a holy thing to do, I think these chapters

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of scripture are going to give you a new

perspective and some freedom that that's

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part of the way that God created us.

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When we make beautiful places

and we long to serve others,

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I really think that we're living

out part of the character of God.

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He loves it when things are

done well and beauty is created,

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instead of feeling shame.

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If that's a hobby of yours, invite him in

and let prayer be a part of the process.

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Once I was setting my table for

Easter and I was trying so diligently

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to stay within a budget, I found

some beautiful ous blooms for

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only 6 99, and I was so excited.

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But when I placed them on my table

and little vo of glasses, it was

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so obvious something was lacking

and a centerpiece was required.

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Eventually I just surrendered But

on Easter morning my dear friend

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came with a small bouquet of flowers

that perfectly match my table scape.

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I've had things like this happen

way too many times to think that

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this was just a coincidence.

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God knew that I wanted to celebrate

his resurrection and his kindness

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was so evident to me in that.

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As we begin reading these

chapters about the tabernacle,

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we see that God values creativity and

things work to skillfully onto him.

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That word skillfully is

repeated over and over.

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God clearly reveals to Moses

the pattern for the tabernacle

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that he wants to be built.

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This isn't just a copycat version

of something they had seen.

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My moody commentary explains that

there are five terms that were

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used to designate the tabernacle.

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Initially.

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It's the term sanctuary indicating

that this is a place to be

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holy and set apart to the Lord.

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Distinct and sacred.

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The profane and unclean

are to be kept out.

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Everything about it and in it was

devoted to the worship of the Lord,

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and it should be used for nothing else.

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Secondly, the term tabernacle comes

from the term to dwell or to abide.

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This was a place for God

to dwell among his people.

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Isn't it beautiful that tabernacle

is actually a noun that comes from

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that verb to dwell or to abide?

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It makes me think of John chapter

15 when Jesus said, I am the

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vine and you are the branches.

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Apart from me, you can do nothing.

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And he calls us to abide in him.

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The third term is tent.

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this was a temporary

and portable structure.

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Throughout these chapters, God describes

how it will be easily packed up and moved,

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and that's beautiful because his presence

isn't just limited to a geographical

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location, it goes with his people.

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Fourthly, this is a attentive

meeting and the purpose of

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these meetings is for worship.

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And finally, God uses the term

tabernacle of the testimony.

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This place was to serve as a

testimony to the Lord's power promise

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and provision for relationship.

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It was to bless and build up the

nation's relationship with him, and

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this tabernacle or dwelling place

would set the nation of Israel apart.

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It's a focal point for them.

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And it reveals the entire purpose

that God called them out of Egypt.

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For

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in John one 14 we're told, and the

word became flesh and dwelt among

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us, and we have seen His glory.

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Glory as of the only son from the

Father full of grace and truth.

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That word dwelt among us

is literally to tabernacle.

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Jesus is the fulfillment.

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So many elements of the

tabernacle will point to Jesus,

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and that's why worthy of our

worship and our devotion, and it's

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beautiful to see that the people.

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When God calls them to bring a

contribution, that their sacrifices

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actually exceeded what was needed.

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They had to be asked to

stop donating so much.

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I bet every pastor has prayed that that

would also happen in his congregation.

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some estimates predict it could

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of gold, about 7,500 pounds of

silver and 5,300 pounds of bronze.

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And where did this come from?

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Largely from what the Egyptians

gave them on their way out.

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I love that they're giving it back

to the Lord so willingly, and that's

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our New Testament guide as well.

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God loves a cheerful giver.

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It's not a reason to hoard your

money if you're not tearful about it.

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It's a reason to pray that God

would give you a heart to give

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we're gonna get more into these tabernacle

elements in the next couple episodes,

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but In chapter 25, 26 and 27,

God repeatedly tells Moses, you

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shall build, you shall make.

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And then finally, in 28, 3, I am

breathing a sigh of relief with Moses.

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When I read, You shall speak to

all the skillful whom I have filled

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with the spirit of skill that

they may make Aaron's garments to

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consecrate him for the priesthood.

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And then God keeps using the word they.

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I don't know if it was clear to Moses from

the start that God wasn't asking him to

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do all of this, but considering all of

the roles he has fulfilled for the people

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thus far, I can just imagine him feeling

overwhelmed as God gave these directions.

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But the Lord even has a beautiful

plan for how his dwelling

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place is going to be built.

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Right before that in 28, 2, God says,

you shall make holy garments for Aaron,

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your brother, for glory and for beauty.

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It's woven throughout these

chapters that our God is a God of

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purpose, creativity, and beauty.

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He is worthy of our full

pursuit and our worship.

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Let's pray.

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Heavenly Father, we praise you for

the opportunity to come before you.

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I pray for humility in our hearts that

we would be abundantly grateful for

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what Jesus purchased for us, that we

can approach your throne of grace with

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confidence because of his sacrifice.

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As we read about your beautiful and

intentional plans for the Israelites,

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we're grateful you made a way then and

we're grateful that we were born after

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the cross, but I pray that we would

never take this privilege for granted.

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And I particularly pray that you

would guide us in how to parent

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our children, that we could model

that this is our greatest honor

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and that it would also be theirs.

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I pray that the availability of

your word not lead us to neglect it.

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Teach us to guide our children

into treasuring your words.

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I ask That even at young ages, they would

serve you with regular devotion, that

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you would refine their character so that

they would have consistent walks with

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you that stem from an understanding that

nothing satisfies like your presence.

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It is in the name of the one

that lives to intercede for us.

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Jesus Christ that we pray.

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Amen.