Approaching The Tabernacle Series

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness

#9 Approaching the Tabernacle

The Curtains and Coverings

By Pastor Jim May

Exodus 26:1-6, "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle."

We have now come into the place where God dwells, passing through the white outer walls of the Outer Court at the Gate where the only entrance can be made. Coming inside, we see that the activities, lifestyle and duties of those who live inside the walls of the Tabernacle are vastly different from those who lived outside the walls.

Inside those walls, everything was done according to a specific plan that was designed by God but for one purpose – to allow men to approach him after having their sins covered by the blood of a living sacrifice.

Life on the outside of the white Lenin walls of the Tabernacle was so different. On the outside, there was filth, dirt and sin, along with all of the problems of everyday life. Men, women and children went about their daily work of cleaning, cooking, hunting and making a living for their families. Sin reigned supreme on the outside. That’s why God chose to build a Tabernacle in the first place. Man, on the outside of God’s provision for sin and death, has no hope. God came down, in mercy and grace, to give us hope.

But on the inside, there was a constant cleansing, constant sacrifice and an ever-present knowledge that God expected more out of those who served as Priests than he did of those who lived outside Wall of Separation. He expected perfection in the performance of their duties and anything less than perfection could very well mean sudden death. There was a constant washing in the Laver, constant pouring and sprinkling of blood for the cleansing of sin, the ever-rising incense from the Holy Place that we shall study later, and a reverence for the holiness and power of Almighty God that dwelled upon the Mercy Seat. You just didn’t go into the Tabernacle with a “happy-go-lucky”, or “whatever feels good do it”, attitude. You either chose to enter in and serve God with a sober attitude, or you stayed out, and there was no compromise in God’s instruction.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-9, "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Let that be an example to all of us of just what God expects of those who enter into this walk with Christ as their Lord and Savior. Our lives are not to be like those who live outside the walls of Salvation. Our whole thought process must change to take on the Mind of Christ and think of things that are holy, pure and righteous, just like we are instructed to do in Philippians 4:8. Our concern must be for the eternal things of God. We can’t be focused on what lies out there in the world. We can’t be friends with the world and claim to be God’s people. Our focus has to be set upon the will, purpose and commandments of Almighty God. We have been blessed and privileged and allowed to enter into a different realm of living; totally separated and sold out to doing the perfect will of God. We cannot fail in our duties. We must fulfill the call of God upon our lives.