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Sermon Outline

Exodus

The Tabernacle

Lesson #13 for September 27, 2025

Scriptures: Exodus 35:1-39:31; 40:1-38; Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 7:25; John 1:14.

  1. What was God’s purpose for having Moses and Israel set up the Tabernacle and its services?

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] The principal task of God’s people in the Old Testament (as well as for us today) was to live in close relationship with the Lord; to worship and serve Him; and, also, to present the right picture of God to others (Deut. 4:5–8).―BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, September 20.†‡§ [Did the tabernacle and sacrifices do that?]‡

Deuteronomy 4:5-8: 5 “I have taught you all the laws, as the Lord my God told me to do. Obey them in the land that you are about to invade and occupy. 6Obey them faithfully, and this will show the people of other nations how wise you are. When they hear of all these laws, they will say, ‘What wisdom and understanding this great nation has!’

7 “No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the Lord our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help. 8No other nation, no matter how great, has laws so just as those that I have taught you today.”—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition, Deuteronomy 4:5-8). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].†‡

[BSG:] Thus, our primary mission is to present the correct character of God and His loving and righteous acts to those around us. When people are attracted to God and are convinced of His unselfish love toward them, they will give their lives to Him and obey what He tells them to do, knowing that it is for their own good.

The sanctuary demonstrated God’s closeness to humanity and revealed the greatest truths to them, which is how He saves those who come to Him in faith.―BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, September 20.†‡ [Is the greatest truth how God saves us? Or, is it about God’s character?]‡

The Sabbath of the Lord

[BSG:] However much those opposed to the seventh-day Sabbath argue, falsely, that it was for the Jews only (the seventh day was set apart and sanctified in Eden [see Gen. 2:1–3]); or they argue, falsely, that the Jews first heard about it at Sinai (the Jews were keeping the Sabbath before Sinai [see Exod. 16:22–29])—there is no question that the Sabbath was very much a part of the life of the Hebrew people from the start.―BSG* for Sunday.†‡Ω§

  1. God was obviously serious about Sabbath observance.

Exodus 35:1-3: 1 Moses called together the whole community of the people of Israel and said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do: 2You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is to be sacred, a solemn day of rest dedicated to me, the Lord. Anyone who does any work on that day is to be put to death. 3Do not even light a fire in your homes on the Sabbath.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[BSG:] The Sabbath and its message was, is, and always will be about God—who He is and what His mighty works are. The Sabbath reminds us of His creative and salvific acts and focuses our attention on God, who wants to dwell with His people. In this way, the Sabbath and the sanctuary point in the same direction: God’s presence in our lives.

The Sabbath of the Old Testament church conveys a manifold message. One may summarize its essence in five crucial points:

  1. God is the Creator, and the Bible opens with this stunning and cornerstone proclamation (Gen. 1:1). The vivid memorial of God’s creation is the Sabbath (Gen. 2:2, 3; Exod. 20:8–11). From this truth—God as our Creator—all other biblical truths flow.
  2. The Messiah will come, and this hope centers on God’s promise of the Seed, who would overcome the serpent (Satan) and bring victory over evil.
  3. God will establish His kingdom, and the Sabbath is its foretaste.
  4. Salvation comes from the Lord, and God’s people testify that God is their Savior and Redeemer and that salvation comes as a result of His grace and His grace alone.
  5. God is the ultimate Judge of all people. Those who persistently defy and deny Him will have no future, but He freely gives eternal life to those who follow Him.

The Jews have a saying: More than Israel kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath kept Israel. Though we as Adventists probably wouldn’t express it like that, what important role does the Sabbath have in the life of our church family?―BSG* for Sunday, September 21.†‡§

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] Before the Israelites began to work on the tabernacle, specific teachings and reminders were delivered regarding the keeping of the Sabbath (Exod. 35:1–3). Even while working on the sanctuary, people needed to respect and celebrate “a Sabbath of rest to the Lord [sic]” (Exod. 35:2, NKJV).―T-BSG* 171.‡§

Offerings and the Spirit

[T-BSG:] God gave Moses a blueprint of the tabernacle … with instructions on how to construct it (Exodus 25–31). Now the time arrived to actually build it. All material for the tabernacle was first collected (Exod. 35:4–29, Exod. 36:4–7), then craftspeople (including women, see Exod. 35:25, 26) were endowed with the Spirit of God to work on the sanctuary skillfully and artistically (Exod. 35:30–36:4), and the construction began.―T-BSG* 171.‡§

  1. Read Exodus 35:4-36:7. God showed Moses what to build. The children of Israel were very generous, donating for the building of the tent/tabernacle. God inspired craftsman in its construction.

Exodus 35:30-36:3: 30 Moses said to the Israelites, “The Lord has chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah. 31God has filled him with his power and given him skill, ability, and understanding for every kind of artistic work, 32for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver and bronze; 33for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. 34The Lord has given to him and to Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their crafts to others. 35He has given them skill in all kinds of work done by engravers, designers, and weavers of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and other cloth. They are able to do all kinds of work and are skillful designers. [Did those two do most of the work?]

36:1 “Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other workers to whom the Lord has given skill and understanding, who know how to make everything needed to build the sacred Tent, are to make everything just as the Lord has commanded.”

[The People Bring Many Gifts]

2 Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other skilled men to whom the Lord had given ability and who were willing to help, and Moses told them to start working. 3They received from him all the offerings which the Israelites had brought for constructing the sacred Tent. But the people of Israel continued to bring Moses their offerings every morning.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

  1. Even after the people had given gold for the golden calf, they had still more. The people gave so much for the tabernacle that there was more than enough for the construction.

Exodus 36:4-7: 4Then the skilled men who were doing the work went 5and told Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the work which the Lord commanded to be done.” [Has that ever happened in your church?]

6 So Moses sent a command throughout the camp that no one was to make any further contribution for the sacred Tent; so the people did not bring any more. 7What had already been brought was more than enough to finish all the work.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

[BSG:] An abundance of various precious materials was needed to build the tabernacle, and it was accomplished by generous donations from God’s people, who gave from the bottom of their hearts, willingly and with joy. They gave gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, precious stones, unique fabrics, acacia wood, olive oil, spices, and many other needed items. People also donated their labor because many specific objects needed to be crafted through their artistic and diligent work on the tent or its furniture. Also, tailors had to weave garments for the priests, who would be ministering in the tabernacle, and for the high priest, whose very elaborate garments included a breastplate and turban. [Had God inspired the people of Egypt to give what would be needed?]

God had abundantly blessed the Israelites through the gifts that the Egyptians had given them on their departure from Egypt. Now it was their opportunity to give offerings of gratitude for God’s merciful and mighty leadership, and their hearts were moved to accomplish this work to His glory.―BSG* for Monday.‡§

[BSG:] Moses carefully constructed the tabernacle, and the instructions he had received on Mount Sinai were diligently implemented. The biblical text enumerates the following: (1) the tabernacle with its different fabrics, curtains, and parts (Exod. 36:8–38); (2) the ark [covenant box] (Exod. 37:1–9); (3) the table for the showbread (Exod. 37:10–16); (4) the lampstand (Exod. 37:17–24); (5) the altar of incense (Exod. 37:25–29); (6) the altar of burnt offering (Exod. 38:1–7); (7) the basin for washing (Exod. 38:8); (8) the courtyard (Exod. 38:9–20); and (9) the material used for the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21–31). Exodus 39 continues with the descriptions of the ephod, breastplate, and other priestly garment pieces.—BSG* for Tuesday.‡§ [Very different from the idols of Egypt!]‡

  1. Read Exodus 36:8-39:31. In these passages, God gave very clear and detailed instructions about how to build the tabernacle/tent. Under Moses’s supervision, the workers diligently built the tabernacle and its furnishings. God gave them amazing details about all of these things!

[T-BSG:] In Exodus 38:21–31, the material used is enumerated (more than 1 ton of gold, about 3.75 tons of silver, and about 2.5 tons of bronze). Moses inspected all the work on the tabernacle and found that it was done “just as the Lord had commanded” (this phrase is repeated three times to emphasize precision and obedience; Exod. 39:32, 42, 43). Moses was very pleased with the accomplished work, and he blessed all the workers (Exod. 39:43b).―T-BSG* 171.‡§ [They all must have been very proud of the work.]‡

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

  1. The work on the Tabernacle was finally completed.

Exodus 39:32,42-43: 32 All the work on the Tent of the Lord’s presence was finally completed. The Israelites made everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses…. 42The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 43Moses examined everything and saw that they had made it all just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. It is amazing how these people who had been slaves ended up being so skilled at producing that marvelous house for God. Clearly, it involved the work of the Holy Spirit.

[T-BSG:] God not only provided the blueprint for the tabernacle and asked the Israelites to build a sanctuary, but He “filled” people with the Spirit of God (Exod. 31:3, Exod. 35:31), who enabled them to construct it (Exod. 31:1–11, Exod. 35:30–36:1). What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The biblical text provides a clear answer: the people were filled with wisdom and knowledge and were endowed with skills, abilities, and artistic capacities to do all kinds of crafts and designs with precious metals, stone, wood, and fabric in the building of the sanctuary. Thus, nothing magical or mysterious happened. No spirits or powers entered a person; only the Holy Spirit gave spiritual gifts, skills, or artistic abilities, enabling the advancement of God’s work of proclaiming His truth and mission. In the time of Moses, this endowment happened to Bezalel, Oholiab, and other craftspeople. When the Spirit of the Lord fills people, He enables them to do new things for His cause.

The same is true when “the Spirit of God came upon” a person. Such a phrase is mentioned in the Bible for the first time in the case of Balaam (Num. 24:2), which means that the Holy Spirit gave him a special revelation, and he was able to prophesy. In the book of Judges, the sentence “the Spirit of the Lord came upon” is used seven times for different judges (Othniel [Judg. 3:10], Gideon [Judg. 6:34], Jephthah [Judg. 11:29], and Samson [Judg. 13:24, 25; Judg. 14:5, 6, 19; Judg. 15:14]), empowering them to care, protect, and perform God’s work. A similar meaning is contained in the phrase regarding being baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16) or receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).―T-BSG* 172-173.†‡Ω§

[T-BSG:] The tabernacle was to be set up on the first day of the first month, according to God’s instruction (Exod. 40:1, 2), which meant that it was erected almost one year after the Israelites departed from Egypt (Exod. 12:2, 6; Exod. 40:17). When the big tent was ready, particular items were assembled and placed within and without, starting with the Most Holy Place and ending with the courtyard. Every space was divided by a curtain (three different curtains are mentioned: in Exodus 40:3, 5, 8; and, again, in Exodus 40:21, 28, 33).―T-BSG* 171-172.‡§

[BSG:] Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God equipped and empowered the people to accurately build the tabernacle. Bezalel, Aholiab, and others were “filled . . . with the Spirit of God” (Exod. 35:31, NKJV), which means that they were endowed with skills, wisdom, and artistic knowledge to perfectly do all the work. It was an enormous project and had to be created exactly according to the model God showed Moses. [How did Moses receive this information? How did he remember all of it?]

It is significant that the gift of the Holy Spirit was related to people’s different abilities and skills, which needed to be employed in building the tabernacle. To be filled with the Spirit is not a magical process and does not mean that special spiritual forces are within humans. To advance God’s cause and fulfill His mission, God empowers His followers to accomplish His objectives and to do it well. [Could you weave thread out of goat’s hair?]

What spiritual gifts have you received when you were filled with the Holy Spirit? Remember that the spiritual gifts can flourish only when you cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in your life (Gal. 5:22, 23).―BSG* for Monday, September 22.†‡§

Galatians 5:22-23: 22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. It is very interesting to notice that the final gift from the Holy Spirit is self-control. God does not plan to control us; He is waiting for us to learn to do right because it is right and to do so without any external force or command needed. The Holy Spirit’s ultimate plan is to see us free to do what is right! This is not permission to do whatever we want to do!

John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—GNB-TEV.*

  1. What is true obedience? Is it merely doing what we are required to do?

[EGW:] The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons* 97.3.†‡ [Is that freedom?]‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p15.369&index=0]‡

[EGW:] A sullen submission to the will of the Father will develop the character of a rebel. By such a one service is looked upon as drudgery. It is not rendered cheerfully, and in the love of God. It is a mere mechanical performance. If he dared, such a one would disobey. His rebellion is smothered, ready to break out at any time in bitter murmurings and complaints. Such service brings no peace or quietude to the soul.—Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times,* July 22, 1897, par. 11.†‡ [Compare TMK 120.4.]‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p820.14427&index=0]‡

The Tabernacle Services

[BSG:] The tabernacle’s services were visual object lessons of the gospel, demonstrating God’s entire plan of redemption. The various ceremonies depicted (1) how God abhors and deals with sin, (2) how He saves repentant people, (3) what is the fate of the wicked, and (4) how He will secure a glorious future that will be without evil.

Two different but closely related services were performed in the sanctuary during the year: the daily and the yearly. This two-phase ministry illustrated how God treats sin and saves sinners. Through the daily sanctuary services, God assured those who repented that He forgave their sins and graciously offered them salvation. To receive this gift of salvation, a sacrifice had to be made, and these sacrifices pointed to the death of the Messiah, whose blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NKJV). Confession of sin and accepting the robe of Christ’s righteousness was at the center of this gift (Ps. 32:1, 2). In this way, the repentant sinner was assured forgiveness and could rejoice in salvation.―BSG* for Tuesday.†‡§ [From where do these ideas come?]‡

  1. The Tabernacle provided an opportunity to teach the Children of Israel a “sandbox” version of the gospel. One could realize that s/he was a sinner and come with a sacrifice to the tabernacle. It was then necessary to confess one’s sins over the head of the animal; and then, cut its neck while the priest collected the blood and then took the carcass. They were taught that their sins would then pass with the blood into the tent; then, the body was sacrificed. At the end of the year, an elaborate process was carried out and the High Priest carried the sins out of the tent, thus cleansing it and placed all of those sins on the head of the scapegoat which would then be led out of the camp and taken far away to die. Even a child could see the whole process and understand that God had taken his/her sins away.
  2. Ellen G. White described the purpose of the sanctuary services.

[EGW:] In the great day of final award, the dead are to be “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12. Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. Thus the sanctuary will be freed, or cleansed, from the record of sin. In the type, this great work of atonement, or blotting out of sins, was represented by the services of the Day of Atonement—the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary, which was accomplished by the removal, by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, of the sins by which it had been polluted.

As in the final atonement the sins of the truly penitent are to be blotted from the records of heaven, no more to be remembered or come into mind, so in the type they were borne away into the wilderness, forever separated from the congregation.

Since Satan is the originator of sin, the direct instigator of all the sins that caused the death of the Son of God, justice demands that Satan shall suffer the final punishment. Christ’s work for the redemption of men and the purification of the universe from sin will be closed by the removal of sin from the heavenly sanctuary and the placing of these sins upon Satan, who will bear the final penalty. So in the typical service, the yearly round of ministration closed with the purification of the sanctuary, and the confessing of the sins on the head of the scapegoat.

Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day the great truths relative to Christ’s death and ministration, and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 357.6-358.3.†‡ [Could one have guessed that Christ would die?]‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p84.1607&index=0]‡

[BSG:] The yearly service, performed on the Day of the Atonement, demonstrated how God eradicates sin, solves the sin problem, and secures the sinless future (Leviticus 16, John 1:29). Presently, Christ’s twofold ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is another expression of God’s work for us (Heb. 7:25) and will bring the final solution to the problem of evil (Dan. 7:13, 14, 22, 27; Dan. 8:14; Rev. 21:4).―BSG* for Tuesday, September 23.†‡§

  1. Read Leviticus 16 to see the details.

The Earthly Sanctuary and the Heavenly Sanctuary

Exodus 25:9: “Make it and all its furnishings according to the plan that I will show you.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Exodus 26:30: “Set up the Tent according to the plan that I showed you on the mountain.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[T-BSG:] The Lord commanded Moses to build a sanctuary, according to the pattern (Hebrew: tabnit; Exod. 25:9) or plan (Hebrew: mishpat means literal judgment; Exod. 26:30) that He showed him on Mount Sinai. This pattern was a miniature representation of the heavenly sanctuary, adapted to our human situation and condition but modeled after the heavenly original (Heb. 8:1, 2).―T-BSG* 173.†‡§ [How many animals will be killed in the heavenly sanctuary? Then, why were they killed in the earthly sanctuary service?]‡

Hebrews 8:1-2: 1 The whole point of what we are saying is that we have such a High Priest, who sits at the right of the throne of the Divine Majesty in heaven. 2He serves as High Priest in the Most Holy Place, that is, in the real tent which was put up by the Lord, not by human hands.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[T-BSG:] The earthly sanctuary is not constructed according to the heavenly sanctuary on a 1:1 scale. The apostle Paul helps us to understand the vast difference between the heavenly and earthly sanctuaries. He argues that the priests “serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven” (Heb. 8:5, NIV) and explains that it was only a shadow of the heavenly reality. This illustration is very fitting. [Compare Hebrews 10:1-17.]

Let’s make a comparison between a person and his or her shadow. A person’s shadow is as real as he or she is; however, the shadow is a very poor reflection of the man or woman. One can know very little about the person based on his or her shadow. The appearance of his or her shadow will depend on the position of the sun. Best-case scenario, one’s shadow may allow an observer to guess if the person is male or female, tall or short, fat or slim, and to speculate about other external characteristics. A person’s shadow will not reveal to the observer the person’s age or the expressions on his or her face. The shadow will say nothing about a person’s thinking, emotions, goals, knowledge, work, position, dreams, plans, or disappointments. It is sufficient to demonstrate by this example that we need to be careful not to make the heavenly sanctuary fit into our limited thinking, knowledge, and experience.

The original heavenly temple is incomparable in measures, space, and materials. The heavenly sanctuary temple is a place where God resides; it is a palace with His throne (Jer. 17:12). It is a place of assembly and worship for the universe (Isa. 14:13). It is the heavenly command center from which His judgments are issued (Ps. 11:4, 5; Ps. 18:6; Ps. 57:3; Ps. 76:8; Ps. 102:19; Ps. 123:1). As God is real, angels are real, heaven is real, and so is the heavenly sanctuary.―T-BSG* 173-174.†‡§ [See Zechariah 3:1-5 and Daniel 7:9-10.]‡

What Is Jesus’s High Priestly Ministry?

  1. We believe that Christ’s twofold ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is in its final phase in the pre-advent judgment going on right now. (See Daniel 8:14.)
  2. Satan is accusing us before the heavenly court. Jesus is defending us. The onlooking universe is the “jury,” deciding if we are “safe to live next door to for eternity.”

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. He pronounces them just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor of God. “Are these,” he says, “the people who are to take my place in heaven, and the place of the angels who united with me? They profess to obey the law of God; but have they kept its precepts? Have they not been lovers of self more than lovers of God? Have they not placed their own interests above His service? Have they not loved the things of the world? Look at the sins that have marked their lives. Behold their selfishness, their malice, their hatred of one another. Will God banish me and my angels from His presence, and yet reward those who have been guilty of the same sins? Thou canst not do this, O Lord, in justice. Justice demands that sentence be pronounced against them.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings* 588.3.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p88.2625&index=0]‡

Daniel 7:13-14,22,27: 13 During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him. 14He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve him. His authority would last forever, and his kingdom would never end….

22Then the one who had been living forever came and pronounced judgment in favor of the people of the Supreme God. The time had arrived for God’s people to receive royal power….

27 “The power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be given to the people of the Supreme God. Their royal power will never end and all rulers on earth will serve and obey them.”—GNB-TEV.* [See John 3:17-21.]‡

Philippians 2:9-11: 9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above

and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. [Jesus is Lord.]

10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus

all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below [including Satan]

will fall on their knees,

11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

Revelation 15:4: “Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord?

Who will refuse to declare your greatness?

You alone are holy.

All the nations will come

and worship you,

because your just actions are seen by all.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Dedication of the Tabernacle

  1. The children of Israel were able to perceive God’s presence in the holy sanctuary or above the sanctuary in the form of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. Read Exodus 40:1-38.

[BSG:] The final chapter of Exodus (Exodus 40) describes the dedication of the tabernacle and the gift of the Decalogue. The tabernacle’s dedication was the culminating event of Israel at Sinai.

God’s glory is His holiness, His character, and His loving presence, which is goodness itself (Exod. 3:5; Exod. 33:18, 19). His presence filled the tabernacle and was visible as the cloud, the Shekinah glory. The book of Exodus ends with the emphasis on God’s guiding presence, in the cloud of the Lord by day, and in the cloud of fire by night. In a very real and powerful way, the Hebrew people were to experience not just the reality of God but also His close and abiding presence as He led them.

Moses set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month in the second year (Exod. 40:2, 17). He also consecrated everything—including Aaron and his sons to the priesthood (Exod. 40:9, 13–15)—with anointing oil. He went through the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the courtyard, dedicating it all to the Lord. Through this process, he inaugurated the services for the whole sanctuary (also see Num. 7:1). Only during the inauguration of the tabernacle was Moses able to enter the Most Holy Place; thereafter, the high priest alone could minister there each year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:2, 17).―BSG* for Wednesday.†‡§ [Did Caiaphas go into the most holy place?]‡

Exodus 40:34: Then the cloud covered the Tent and the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence filled it.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[BSG:] God’s filling the tabernacle with His presence (Exod. 40:34) was the grand climax to events that began with the birth of Moses and continued with the defeat of the Egyptian gods during the 10 plagues, with the escape from Egypt, with the defeat of the Egyptian army, and, finally, with God’s revelation on Mount Sinai.―BSG* for Wednesday.†‡§

  1. Can you imagine ways in which we can be filled with the Holy Spirit even in our day?
  2. In what other ways has God “tabernacled” or “dwelt” with humanity?

John 1:14: The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[BSG:] The incarnation of Jesus is a mystery as well as an exclusive science that the redeemed will study throughout eternity. The apostle John states that Christ, by taking upon Himself our body, revealed that He dwells with us in a tangible way. Jesus here in the flesh resembles the God of the Old Testament, who dwelt with the Israelites in the tabernacle at Sinai and in the wilderness as they journeyed to the Promised Land.

During His incarnation, Jesus tabernacled with humanity. What an unfathomable concession! The eternal God comes down to us, as one of us, in order to assure us that He truly is “Immanuel, God with us.”

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said that if two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there among them. Christ is with His people through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Christ invites His followers to be in close relationship with Him: “ ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me’ ” (Rev. 3:20, ESV).―BSG* for Thursday, September 25.‡§

  1. We must never forget that all of this is taking place in the context of the great controversy between God and Satan over the government and character of God. Christ’s final work in the great controversy, going on right now in the heavenly sanctuary, is to reveal the truth about the work of Satan and leading to his final condemnation. It is only at that point that the sins of God’s faithful people can be blotted out!
  2. What can we learn from the story of the ancient tabernacle and its services that might help us to understand our position today?

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. *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 6, 2025                                                                                          Email: Info@theox.org