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Sermon Outline

Exodus

The Covenant and the Blueprint

Lesson #10 for September 6, 2025

Scriptures:Exodus 24:1-18; 25:1-9; 31:1-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Leviticus 10:1-2; Ezekiel 36:26-28.

  1. We have previously discussed the covenant. What is the blueprint? For the sanctuary?

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] As their God, Creator, and Redeemer, the Lord desired to be with His people and to dwell in their midst. He created us to be in close fellowship with Him. Yet, if meaningful relationships with other people can be built only with time and effort, the same is true with our vertical relationship with God. It can be an uplifting and growth-filled experience, but only if we spend time with Him. In practical terms, this means studying His Word (God speaking to us), praying (opening our hearts to God), and witnessing to others about Christ’s death, resurrection, and return (engaging in God’s mission). As God blesses us, we will be a channel of blessings to others.

The focus should be on God, not on ourselves (Heb. 12:1, 2). By our connecting with Him, God can empower us to follow His teachings, which means obedience to His Word. No wonder the end-time generation of Christ’s followers are described as people “who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NKJV).―BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, August 30.†‡§

  1. We must never forget that no one is going to glide into heaven. The Devil will do everything he can to make sure that does not happen!

Hebrews 12:1-2: 1 As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. [See Hebrews 11.] So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. 2Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition,Hebrews 12:1-2). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].‡ [CompareRevelation 14:12.]‡

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] The Lord saved His people from the power of Egypt, gave them freedom, brought them through the wilderness to Himself at Sinai, and established His covenant of love with them (Exod. 19:3–6;Deut. 7:9, 12; Neh. 9:32). His grace and care for His people were astounding. In a powerful display of His glory at Sinai, He spoke the Ten Promises (the gift of the Decalogue, pronounced in Exodus 20) and explained them in more detail in the Covenant Code (Exod. 20:22–23:19). Now the Lord ratifies this covenant with Israel in an important ceremony that is rooted in animal sacrifice, which points to Christ’s sacrifice, and is sealed with blood.―T-BSG* 132.†‡§ [Is the covenant “rooted in animal sacrifice” and “sealed with blood”?]‡

  1. This covenant is unique in that it is an agreement between two very unequal partners! (SeeExodus 19:3-16; Deuteronomy 7:9,12; Nehemiah 9:32.)

Exodus 24:1-8: 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up the mountain to me, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel; and while you are still some distance away, bow down in worship. 2You alone, and none of the others, are to come near me. The people are not even to come up the mountain.”

3Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s commands and all the ordinances, and all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the Lord has said.” 4Moses wrote down all the Lord’s commands. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent young men, and they burnt sacrifices to the Lord and sacrificed some cattle as fellowship offerings. 6Moses took half the blood of the animals and put it in bowls; and the other half he threw against the altar. 7Then he took the book of the Covenant, in which the Lord’s commands were written, and read it aloud to the people. They said, “We will obey the Lord and do everything that he has commanded.”

8 Then Moses took the blood in the bowls and threw it on the people. He said, “This is the blood that seals the covenant which the Lord made with you when he gave all these commands.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*† [What kept that blood from clotting during all that time?]‡

  1. It is easy for us to understand why it is important to read God’s Word again and again. But, what was the purpose of the blood being thrown on the people?

[T-BSG:] The ratification of the covenant involved several important elements:

  • Moses’ oral presentation of the Lord’s words and laws (Exod. 24:3);
  • Moses’ writing of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:4a);
  • building an altar (Exod. 24:4b);
  • setting up 12 stone pillars, representing the 12 tribes of Israel (Exod. 24:4c);
  • burnt and peace offerings (Exod. 24:5);
  • Moses’ sprinkling half of the sacrificial blood on the altar (Exod. 24:6);
  • his reading of the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 24:7a);
  • the people’s affirmative responses (Exod. 24:3, 7b);
  • Moses’ sprinkling another half of the sacrificial blood on the people (Exod. 24:8a);
  • Moses’ pronunciation: “ ‘This is the blood of the covenant [phrase occurring only here in the Hebrew Bible; compare withZech. 9:11,Matt. 26:28,Mark 14:24] that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words’ ” (Exod. 24:8b, NIV);
  • a covenantal meal, with 74 leaders, on Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:9–11).―T-BSG*†‡Ω§
  1. Remember that when God first made an agreement with Abram, Abram was asked to kill several animals and cut them in half in order to seal that agreement. The idea was that if either side violated the agreement, they were to be killed just as the animals had been killed! Among the ancestors of Abram, this was a life-or-death commitment between partners. (Genesis 15:9-21)

Disobedience Meant Death!

Joshua 1:16-18: 16 They answered Joshua, “We will do everything you have told us and will go wherever you send us. 17We will obey you, just as we always obeyed Moses, and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses! 18Whoever questions your authority or disobeys any of your orders will be put to death. Be determined and confident!”—GNB-TEV.*†

  1. In the Bible there is much talk about the sprinkling of blood causing people to be sealed. What does that mean? SeeZechariah 9:11 andMatthew 26:28. There is no mention of blood in the new covenant as given by God and recorded in Jeremiah 31.

Jeremiah 31:33-34: 33 “The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34None of them will have to teach a neighbor to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs. I, the Lord, have spoken.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. Are we capable of making a lasting agreement with God without being threatened with death? Getting to know God should be the most wonderful and exciting thing that we can do!

[T-BSG:] In the setting of the covenant, God’s people responded three times in the same way to God’s gracious words: “ ‘We will do everything the Lord has said’ ” (Exod. 19:8, NIV; see alsoExod. 24:3, 7, NIV). What was wrong with such a promise? Namely, their self-confidence, their shallow understanding of the power of sin and of their own sinful nature, and their failure to acknowledge the need for God’s assistance. In reality, just a few weeks later, many of them were dancing [drunk and naked] around the golden calf. The proper answer would be: “With the help of the Lord and by the power of His grace, we will do everything the Lord has said.”

Joshua, a very faithful servant of Moses and later an excellent leader of God’s people, personally heard these well-meant promises and knew how fragile, weak, and easily broken they were. Several times he witnessed the apostasy of the Israelites. When they again repeated at a later time, “ ‘We too will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:18, NIV), Joshua decisively told them that they were “not able to serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:19, NIV) because their decision was not firm, as they still cherished some pagan idols (seeJosh. 24:14, 23) and were not depending upon God’s help but on their own strong will. However, Joshua personally declared: “ ‘But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:15, NIV).―T-BSG* 132-133.†‡§

[BSG:] The living God of the Bible is the God of relationships. The important element for our Lord is not a thing or an agenda but the person. Thus, God pays close attention to people, and the primary purpose of His activities is to build a personal relationship with humans. After all, a God who “is love” would have to be a God who did care about relationships, for how can there be love without relationships?...

Both Creation institutions (Genesis 1, 2) are about relationship: the first about the vertical relationship with God (the Sabbath) and the second about the horizontal relationship between humans (marriage).―BSG* for Sunday, August 31.†‡§

  1. The God who came down to this earth to confirm a covenant with the human race was none other than the Creator of the universe. (John 12:32; Genesis 1-2)
  2. The fact that this was a covenant of blood meant that each side agreed that if they did not, or were not able to, keep their side of the covenant, they would die!
  3. And you know, of course, what the people said: “We will do everything that the Lord has said.” (Exodus 24:3, GNB-TEV*)

[BSG:] We do not want to accept that our human nature is fragile, weak, and thoroughly sinful. We have an inherent tendency toward evil. [We are egocentric, selfish, and covetous!] To be able to do good, we must have help from outside ourselves. This help comes only from above, from the power of God’s grace, from His Word, and from the Holy Spirit. And even with all this at our disposal, evil still comes so easily to us, does it not?

That’s why a close personal relationship with God was as essential to the people then, at Sinai, as it is to us today.

“Everything the Lord has said we will do” (Exod. 24:3, NIV). How many times have you said the same thing, only to fail? What is the only solution?―BSG* for Sunday, August 31.‡§

  1. Why did the Israelites have so much trouble obeying God’s directions? Do we have trouble as well? Why do we continue to sin?

Seeing God

  1. As part of the sealing of the covenant, God instructed Moses and Aaron and seventy of the elders to come up to see Him on the mountain. ReadExodus 24:14-18, describing Moses on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 24:14-18: 14Moses said to the leaders, “Wait here in the camp for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you; and so whoever has a dispute to settle can go to them.”

15 Moses went up Mount Sinai, and a cloud covered it. 16–17The dazzling light of the Lord’s presence came down on the mountain. To the Israelites the light looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud. 18Moses went on up the mountain into the cloud. There he stayed for forty days and nights.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. After Moses and the others had gone up to “see God,” Moses came down and gave instructions about how to prepare.

[BSG:] After the firm reestablishment of the covenant with God, Moses again climbed Sinai….

In the Middle East during biblical times (and to a certain extent today), eating together was a high experience, great honor, and privilege. It offered forgiveness and formed a bond of friendship. It implied being there for each other and staying together in times of crisis and problems. By eating together, they promised each other, without words, that if something should happen to one party, the other would be obliged to come and help. To be invited to a meal was a special treat that was not extended to everyone.

Meanwhile, to refuse an invitation was one of the worst kinds of insults. This insight helps us to understand the stories in the New Testament in which Jesus Christ was heavily criticized for eating with sinners (Luke 5:30). When believers celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they also establish this close bond with other believers who are sinners like themselves. During this meal, we celebrate the forgiveness and salvation that we have in Jesus (seeMatt. 26:26–30,Mark 14:22–25,1 Cor. 11:23–29).―BSG* for Monday, September 1.†‡§

  1. As Christians, we do not sacrifice animals or sprinkle blood. Instead, we have a communion service which involves drinking non-fermented grape juice and eating bread without yeast.

Matthew 26:26-30: 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take and eat it,” he said; “this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. “Drink it, all of you,” he said; 28 “this is my blood, which seals God’s covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” [People have fought/died over these symbols and what they mean and if or when they change into being Christ’s body or blood!]

30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡ [See alsoMark 14:22-25 and1 Corinthians 11:23-29.]‡

[BSG:] Tragically, some of the men who had gone up with Moses later fell into sin and lost their lives (seeLev. 10:1, 2, 9). Even though they had such a deep experience with God there, they were not transformed or converted by that experience. What a powerful lesson about how possession of truth and sacred privileges does not automatically mean conversion. Having experienced what they did, these men should have been the last ones to have done what they would later tragically do.―BSG* for Monday, September 1.†‡§ [ReadLeviticus 10:1-2,9.]‡

  1. Is this a warning that we either obey God or we will die? If we come to really understand God’s plan for us, we will agree with Abram that it is a life-or-death choice!
  2. Why would the sons of Aaron who had access to the sacred fire in the tent or tabernacle take into the tent fire from some other source and also take in “strange” incense? Why did they?
  3. Obviously, the children of Israel did not find it easy to obey God.

Power to Obey

  1. ReadEzekiel 36:26-28.

Ezekiel 36:24-30: 24 “I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. 26I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. 27I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. 28Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. 30I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Did you notice the 12 times “I” was used in this passage? Do we believe that God is capable of doing what He says? (CompareJeremiah 31:31-34.) He can if we let Him!

[BSG:] Notice the divine “I” inEzekiel 36:24–30: God gathers, cleanses, removes, gives, puts, and moves you to carefully keep His law. What He is doing, you will do. He identifies with you, and if you associate closely with Him, His doing will be your doing. The unity between God and you will be dynamic, powerful, and lively.―BSG* for Tuesday, September 2.‡

[BSG:] Again, the emphasis in this passage is on God’s doing. The literal translation reads: “I will give my Spirit in you, and I will do that you will walk in my statutes and keep my laws, and you will do.” God commands people to obey and then gives the power to obey. What God requires of His people, He always helps them to do. Obedience is God’s gift (not just our performance or achievement), just as justification and salvation are His gifts too (Phil. 2:13).―BSG* for Tuesday, September 2.‡§

  1. If we do not take advantage of this offer, it will prove to be deadly! Notice that on at least four occasions the children of Israel promised God that they would obey everything He had said: (1) Before God had even spoken from Sinai; (2) After their experience with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:3); and (3&4) Twice more after Moses read the covenant to them.
  2. We must not forget what the people said to Joshua as he took over the role from Moses as recorded inJoshua 1:18: “Whoever questions your authority or disobeys any of your orders will be put to death.” (GNB-TEV*)
  3. We know that behavior against our covenant with God will prove to be deadly. But, remember that God is loving and is very forgiving. However, that is only if we are determined with the help of the Holy Spirit to live lives following the example of Jesus, even if we often fail.

[BSG:] How, then, are we enabled to follow God faithfully?

The good news is that what God commands, He empowers us to do. The help that is not inside of us comes from outside, enabling us to do what God requires. It is His work. In the core of his theological summary inEzekiel 36:26, 27, the prophet Ezekiel makes this point very clear. Only God can perform a heart transplant, and He does so by removing our heart of stone and replacing it with a sensitive heart of flesh. As Joshua reminded his audience: “ ‘You are not able to serve the Lord’ ” (Josh. 24:19, NIV).―BSG* for Tuesday, September 2.†‡§

  1. So, what can we do?

[BSG:] We can decide to follow God; that is our role. We have to make the choice, the moment-by-moment choice to surrender to Him. And that is because we do not have the power to fulfill even our conscious choice to serve Him. But when we give our weakness to God, He will make us strong. Paul says: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10, NKJV).―BSG* for Tuesday, September 2.‡§

God Is in the Midst of His People

  1. One of the ways in which God intended to teach His people was through the establishment of the sanctuary services.

Exodus 25:1-9: 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to make an offering to me. Receive whatever offerings anyone wishes to give. 3These offerings are to be: gold, silver, and bronze; 4fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; cloth made of goats’ hair; 5rams’ skin dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood; 6oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet-smelling incense; 7carnelians and other jewels to be set in the ephod of the High Priest and in his breastpiece. 8The people must make a sacred Tent for me, so that I may live among them. 9Make it and all its furnishings according to the plan that I will show you.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] The command was communicated to Moses while in the mount with God, “Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them;” and full directions were given for the construction of the tabernacle. By their apostasy the Israelites forfeited the blessing of the divine Presence, and for the time rendered impossible the erection of a sanctuary for God among them. But after they were again taken into favor with Heaven, the great leader proceeded to execute the divine command.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 343.1.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p84.1539&index=0]‡

[BSG:] The Bible assures us that God does not live in human-made temples and buildings (Acts 7:47–50) because He is bigger than the heaven of heavens, and heaven cannot contain Him. Paul at Areopagus in Athens states: “ ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands’ ” (Acts 17:24, NIV). Also, King Solomon states: “ ‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!’ ” (1 Kings 8:27, ESV). The sanctuary was to be where God would manifest His presence to them.―BSG* for Wednesday, September 3.‡§

  1. But, notice what Dr. Luke said in Acts as he was quoting Paul about sanctuaries.

Acts 17:24: “God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.”—GNB-TEV.*

[BSG:] Moses had to build the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed him (Exod. 25:9, 40; Exod. 26:30), which was a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:1, 2; Heb. 9:11). [What does the term a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary mean?] The earthly sanctuary had served a crucial function until the death of Jesus and His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, which rendered the earthly sanctuary null and void, a truth symbolized by the rending of the curtain before the Most Holy Place at Christ’s death (Matt. 27:51,Mark 15:38).―BSG* for Wednesday, September 3.‡§

  1. How was the tent in the wilderness a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary? The entire earthly sanctuary was designed and built around the process of animal sacrifices. However, there will be no death in heaven. So, how does that wilderness sanctuary model the heavenly sanctuary? For example, does the heavenly sanctuary have an altar of burnt offering? Will anybody in heaven be throwing blood? If that is heaven’s perfect plan, should we be offering sacrifices today? Why? Or, why not?

Filled with the Spirit of God

  1. Try to imagine the challenge that faced the Israelites with this assignment of making a Tent/Tabernacle. What skills did those former slaves have for developing and producing all those beautiful things?

[BSG:] God instructed Moses on every detail in preparation for the tabernacle’s services. Priests were to have priestly garments, but the high priest wore a special ephod, which contained the names of the sons of Israel. He also wore a breastplate, which contained the Urim and Thummim and was to be on his heart (Exodus 28). All priests were to be consecrated (Exodus 29). Other items to be carefully prepared were the altar of incense, the basin for washing, the anointing oil, and the incense (Exodus 30).―BSG* for Thursday, September 4.‡§ [Did Moses remember all these details for that wilderness sanctuary?]‡

  1. SeeExodus 31:1-11.

Sabbath, the Day of Rest

Exodus 31:12-18: 12 The Lord commanded Moses 13to tell the people of Israel, “Keep the Sabbath, my day of rest, because it is a sign between you and me for all time to come, to show that I, the Lord, have made you my own people. 14You must keep the day of rest, because it is sacred. Whoever does not keep it, but works on that day, is to be put to death. 15You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a solemn day of rest dedicated to me. Whoever does any work on that day is to be put to death. 16The people of Israel are to keep this day as a sign of the covenant. 17It is a permanent sign between the people of Israel and me, because I, the Lord, made heaven and earth in six days, and on the seventh day I stopped working and rested.”

18 When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets on which God himself had written the commandments.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. Was God saying there, “Obey me, or die”?
  2. In the midst of all this creativity, God said:

Ezekiel 20:12: “I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[BSG:] The Sabbath is a reminder that the Lord is not only our Creator (Gen. 2:2, 3), Redeemer, and God (Deut. 5:15; Mark 2:27, 28) but also the Holy One. He transforms people by His presence; through His Spirit and Word, they grow to reflect a loving, kind, unselfish, and forgiving character.―BSG* for Thursday, September 4.‡§

  1. Moses had been with God up in the mountain for 40 days. As He was finished with Moses, God gave him those two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them.
  2. Why did God instruct Moses to put the two tables of stone with the “Ten Commandments” inside the covenant box where no one would ever be able to see them? (SeeExodus 25:21.) They must have made copies for people to see and maybe even read!

[BSG:] The phrase “mercy seat” comes from one Hebrew word, whose root meaning is “to atone.” Why, then, would this “mercy seat” be set right over God’s law? What hope should we see in this fact?―BSG* for Thursday, September 4.‡ [These ideas come from Romans and not from Exodus.]‡

  1. There is nothing in the Hebrew that says anything about atone or mercy seat. The term mercy seat was made up by Martin Luther. The word simply means a cover.

[BSG:] Every animal sacrifice pointed to the death of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, and, eventually, the blotting out of sins. And, too, along with the sacrifices was the presence of God’s law, the standard of righteousness.―BSG* for Friday, September 5.‡ [The death of the sacrificed animal showed the Israelites that sin leads to death! They knew nothing about Jesus! (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23)]‡

  1. What happens when sins are “blotted out”? Does that mean that we cannot remember them? Or, does it mean that our guardian angels cannot remember them? Or, God cannot remember them?

Zechariah 3:1-4: 1 In another vision the Lord showed me the High Priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord. And there beside Joshua stood Satan, ready to bring an accusation against him. 2The angel of the Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord condemn you, Satan! May the Lord, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire.”

3 Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. 4The angel said to his heavenly attendants, “Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.” Then he said to Joshua, “I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[EGW:] Satan has an accurate knowledge of the sins that he has tempted God’s people to commit, and he urges his accusations against them, declaring, that by their sins they have forfeited divine protection, and claiming that he has the right to destroy them.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings* 588.3.†‡ [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p88.2625&index=0]‡

  1. Only the sins of God’s faithful people will be “blotted out.” And what does that mean? (SeeJeremiah 31:33-34 in #6 above.)
  2. Let me assure you that Satan does not know something that God does not know! So, how are we to put these statements together? God is omniscient; that means that He remembers everything!

[EGW:] …. The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven. Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss. All who wish for security in earth or heaven must look to the Lamb of God. The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.—Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times,* December 30, 1889, par. 4.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p820.9834&index=0]‡

  1. The record of the great controversy will be preserved forever! And that includes the record of the sins that caused the great controversy. Will the names of the faithful will be “blotted out”?
  2. Does that mean that as we enter heaven there will be giant Bible-burning ceremony because the Bible is full of the records of the sins of the saints!
  3. When we get to heaven, no one will even want to talk about past sins, and God will certainly not do so. So, in effect, the sins of God’s faithful people will be forgotten!

[BSG:] What does it mean that through the blood all their sins were brought to the sanctuary, God’s house? How does this amazing truth reflect, even if dimly, what Jesus did on the cross for us and what He is doing for us now in the heavenly sanctuary?―BSG* for Friday, September 5.‡

The Tabernacle or Tent of God

[T-BSG:] Almost one-third of the book of Exodus deals with the tabernacle [tent], thus indicating its importance. Exodus 25 to 31 provides the detailed blueprint, instructions about its design, and the materials used, while Exodus 35 to 40 narrate how to build it and the actual consecration of the sanctuary for its holy functions. What is the significance of this narrative?

The most important thing in the sanctuary is not the furniture, even though it cannot be overlooked because it set the stage for what was to take place in the tabernacle. The crucial thing is the drama, the actual play that takes place there.

It is like going to the theater to see a play with different scenes…. We need to understand the meaning of all of it. The tabernacle is a monumental object lesson of God’s plan of redemption….

This drama demonstrates, ultimately, that peace, reconciliation, and harmony will be reestablished.

God wanted to dwell with His people. The tabernacle was His earthly dwelling place, not that He was not already with them, or could be contained by it, but because He wanted to demonstrate His actual tangible presence to His people, showing that they were not alone, abandoned, or forsaken, and that He was taking care of them.―T-BSG* 133-134.†‡

  1. God wanted to live among and even “be” in the hearts of Israel, and He was hoping that His presence there in the tabernacle would constantly remind them to do what was right. However, we all know that, as beautiful as it must have been, it could not contain God!

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Brackets and content in brackets are added.. ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the source. §Italic type is in the source.

Last Modified: August 4, 2025                                                                                          Email: Info@theox.org