When the House of Commons was bombed in World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Parliament they must rebuild it according to its original design. It must be small, so debates would remain face-to-face. It must be oblong rather than semicircular, allowing politicians to “move around the centre”. This preserved the party system, where Left and Right faced each other across the room, requiring careful thought before switching sides. Churchill concluded, “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”
God seems to agree. Eight chapters in Exodus (chs. 24-31) give instructions on building the tabernacle, and six more (chs. 35-40) describe how Israel did it. God cared about their worship. When the people entered the courtyard, the gleaming gold and the tabernacle’s colourful curtains (26:1, 31-37) dazzled them. The altar of burnt offering (27:1-8) and water basin ( 30:17-21) reminded them of the cost of their forgiveness. The tabernacle contained a lampstand (25:31-40), bread table (25:23-30), altar of incense (30:1-6) and ark of the covenant (25:10-22). Each item held great significance.
God doesn’t give us detailed instructions for our worship space as He did with Israel, yet our worship is no less vital. Our very being is to be a tabernacle set apart for Him to dwell in. May everything we do remind us of who He is and what He does.
By Mike Wittmer
REFLECT & PRAY
What does your worship teach you about God and His love for you? What changes might you want to make?
Father, You’re worthy of my best worship.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The curtain described here (Exodus 26:31-33) separated the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle from the Holy Place. This is crucial because the Most Holy Place was only for the high priest (Aaron) to enter, and only under particular circumstances (Leviticus 16). Any violation would result in death. The letter to the Hebrews gives us remarkable insight into Jesus’ role as our high priest (see chs. 7-9). We may now “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” ( 4:16). The curtain to the Most Holy Place was “torn in two” when Christ was crucified (Matthew 27:51).
Tim Gustafson
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