Corporate Worship, Eyes Off Self, Genuine Worship Involves Sacrifice. Series

Corporate worship, eyes off self, genuine worship involves sacrifice.

Last week Elana spoke on the ten commandments. The majority six of ten commandments relate to living well together as family and community.

Today I’m going to talk about the tabernacle, Holy place and the Holy of Holies were made to become a meeting place where the people could worship God. A tent of meeting, a precursor to the temple in Jerusalem. Then gatherings like this where people meet corporately, worshipping our God.

Moses addressed the people, this was just after the Sabbath Regulations were given in Exodus chapter 35. So, from verse 4 to 29 we read......! Bible Reading

They came with all that was required to build the tent of meeting, this was not a small thing. 50 cubits is around 23 metres. So, the tent was about 23 by 46 metres. So roughly twice the width and length of this hall, that would be about 4 times as bigger area.

As we read through Exodus 35, we saw that the people contributed to the LORD. Moses speech started with the words; “Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution etc” Then the skilled craftsmen were asked to make all that was required for the tent of meeting. This was eyes of self and making sacrifices so that the nation could worship corporately as a group.

If we look at verse 20 we see that everyone left Mose’s presence; “and they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him” These people contributed to the things needed to build the Tabernacle. Skilled craftsmen and skillful women spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen. Willing people brought brooches and ear-rings all sorts of gold objects. Leaders brought precious stones, spices and oils for lighting, anointing oil and fragrant incense. Whoever's heart was moved brought what they had to do the work Moses commanded them to do and it was brought as a free will offering to the LORD. This contribution was a gift of material wealth to God from and for the whole community.

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? Yes, it came together.

Do you remember in your reading through Exodus that God had sort of made provision for this way back in Egypt? If we look at Chapter 12 in verse 35, we read; “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewellery and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.” However, it was some time after the initial leaving of Egypt that Moses asked for those whose hearts were moved to contribute to the making of the Tabernacle.

Chapter 35 concludes with a short description of two men.

Bezalel from the tribe of Judah, who God fills with his Spirit, with skill, intelligence, knowledge and all craftsmanship. This man was a hyper-gifted site manager This is a Biblical interaction where God abides with a person for a specific reason, and

Oholiab from the tribe of Dan. Site supervisor, skills director and trainer. Again, massively gifted by The Holy Spirit, these men could engrave, design, embroider, weave, do whatever it took to get the job done.

Then all those whose hearts were moved got stuck into getting the build done, my Bible says, “whose heart stirred him up to come and do the work.” This was eyes of self and making sacrifices so that the nation could worship corporately as a group.

They had more than enough material, they got the tabernacle built.

Reading the account of the build is a description of the growth of an amazing thing, a spectacle of finery that would delight the senses of those present. Gold, silver, polished bronze, brightly coloured cloth, leathers and skins fine needlework, high grade woods with an overlay of gold. Spices, jewels, water and fire with burnt offerings. This was a thing of splendour. A sight to behold a witness to all who would see it.

The materials gifted by the people, to build a place to honour God, a place of value and the presence of God’s Shekina glory that would hover between two golden cherubim on The Ark of the Covenant.

After this two things were built in the courtyard, reading from?Exodus 38: 1-9.

So what were these things for?

Before the priests could go past the courtyard into the holy place, they had to do two things they had to make a sacrifice for sins committed, this had to be made on the Alter of Burnt Offering. They didn’t just sacrifice any old dog tucker ewe or ram this had to be an animal in perfect condition.