Doing Things God's Way

Doing Things God’s Way

Exodus 36:8-39:31(NIV)

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters!

What a joy to come together to worship God and to study His word.

I would like to begin with a question this morning: What is the hardest thing about being a Christian? Could you please, ask your seatmate? How many of you said obedience? For many Christians, if not all, one of the hardest things of the Christian life is obedience. By nature, we don’t want to be told what to do. Because we always know what is best! Besides, why should someone else dictate what I should or should not do? Since, I know what is best for me; So, I will do it My Way! My Way is the Highway!

Brothers and sisters, this desire in us to do things ‘My Way’ is not something new. It has its root in the Garden of Eden when our great great grandparents (Adam and Eve) Did It Their Way. But the Good News is; we don’t have to continue that way. We can learn to do things God’s Way. So, this morning we want to learn how to do things God’s Way.

Our topic is “Doing Things God’s Way.” And our text is Exodus 36:8-39:31, which is almost identical to the previous chapters. In Exodus 25-31 we read about God’s command to Moses to build the Tabernacle and to make the Priestly Garments. In this passage, we see how the Israelites built the Tabernacle and made the Priestly Garments according to that command. The details of the tabernacle and the priestly garments are crucial because they foreshadow the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

So, lets begin with how the Israelites built the Tabernacle, and what we can learn from it…

1. Building the Tabernacle God’s Way (36:8-38:31)

Tabernacle means a "place of meeting" or a "tent of meeting" where God dwelt among the Israelites. Though God cannot be confined in a tent, but it was a visual reminder of His Presence. God knew that the Israelites needed visual evidence of His presence. We see that in Exodus 32 when Moses was in Mt. Sinai, the Israelites made a golden calf and started worshipping it. That's why He commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle and provided the pattern for it. In Exodus 25:9 God said, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”

God was very particular that every part of the tabernacle should be made exactly according to His pattern. That's why He reminded Moses about it, not only once or twice, but five times (Ex. 25:9, 40, 26:30, 27:8, 31:11). There was no room for the builders to make any changes in building the Tabernacle and its furnishings. God was very specific about the materials and their sizes. That's why; the Israelites built the Tabernacle according to God’s command and followed His pattern precisely.

Here are the different parts of the tabernacle:

The Ark (The Ark of the Covenant)

The Ark was the first thing Bezalel built, and it was the most important part of the Tabernacle. It was made of acacia wood and was coated with pure gold, inside and out. It was a sign of God’s covenant and His presence with His people. And it was in the Ark that the high priest could enter only once a year to atone for his sins and for the sins of the Israelites. The Ark foreshadowed Jesus Christ and the cross. Today, Christ is with us and His sacrifice on the cross was a complete atonement for our sins. So, we no longer go to the Ark, but to the Lord Jesus for the atonement for our sins.

The Table

The table of showbread was a small table made of acacia wood and was coated with pure gold. Twelve loaves of bread were placed on the table to show that the twelve tribes were constantly in the presence of God, and God provides for their needs. The Showbread actually pointed to the Bread of Life. In John 6:51, Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” God is inviting us to fellowship with Him over a meal, and this invitation is open to all. Have you responded to God’s invitation? Another object in the Holy Place of the tabernacle is…

The Lampstand

The lampstand, also known as Menorah, was made of about 75 pounds of one-piece solid pure gold. The priests were to keep this lamp burning continually as it was the only source of light inside the Holy Place. The lampstand symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world.

In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” And He calls us to be the light to the world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Therefore, we need to tell the world that Jesus is the light of the world. And we also need to shine our light in this dark world continually.