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.
The other object in the Holy Place is…
The Altar of Incense
The Altar of Incense was also made of acacia wood and coated with pure gold. It was placed before the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The priests were to burn sweet-smelling incense continually in the Altar of Incense. The Altar of Incense symbolizes Christ, who is our intercessor before the Father. And the incense represents prayers and intercessions of the people going up to God as a sweet aroma. Brothers and sisters, how often do you send your sweet-smelling aroma to God?
The other object in the tabernacle is…
The Altar of Burnt Offering
It is also called the Brazen Altar or Bronze Altar because it was made of acacia wood and was coated with bronze. This is where the animals were sacrificed to atone for the sins of the Israelites. When they entered through the court gate of the tabernacle, the first thing they would see is the Altar of Burnt Offering. It was to remind them that they were not worthy to approach Holy God without first offering a blood sacrifice for their sins.
The Altar of Burnt Offering symbolizes the cross. When Jesus, the perfect Lamb, died on the cross, our sins were paid for in full. No more sacrifices were needed ever again. Today, we can freely avail of that Gift of God by faith. Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If not, now is the best time to do so. If you have, then join the “Gift of God Adventure” and start sharing this gift with others. Another object is…
The Basin for Washing
It was also called the Bronze laver, and was made entirely of bronze. It was a large bowl filled with water. Priests would wash their hands and feet here to prepare for service. It was a reminder for the priests that they needed cleansing before approaching God. And it reminds us today that we need to confess our sins before the Lord to be cleansed. We need to be washed daily in His Word to cleanse ourselves, so that we can serve Him.
The outermost section of the Tabernacle is…
The Courtyard
It was 75 feet wide and 150 feet long. It had a curtain fence going around it, made of finely twisted linen. The rest of the materials used in the fence were made of bronze and silver. The fine linen of the courtyard fence represents the righteousness of God. And there was only one entrance to the courtyard, which symbolizes that Jesus is the only way to heaven. So, anyone can enter the courtyard of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, the Israelites built the Tabernacle and all its furnishings “Just as the Lord had commanded!” They were able to build the Tabernacle God’s way because they knew that …
Doing Things God’s Way Requires Obedience to God’s Command!
Cost of the Tabernacle
Now, I’m sure many of you are thinking… how much did it cost for them to build the Tabernacle and all its furnishings?
Bible scholars have estimated that the total cost to complete the tabernacle in today’s value would be about 57 Million Dollars. We can’t be exact about the cost but the point is, it was really an expensive construction project. The Tabernacle and its furnishings were designed to reflect the beauty, the excellence and the glory of God. So, the builders followed God’s pattern precisely regardless of the cost, because they knew that …
Doing Things God’s Way Requires Obedience to God’s Command!
Now, lets look at how the Israelites made the Priestly Garments, and what can we learn from it…
2. Making the Priestly Garments God’s Way (39:1-31)
It's interesting that this comes after the summary of the cost of the Tabernacle. That’s probably because the materials that go into the priestly garments are nothing compared to the many talents of gold and silver that went into the Tabernacle. Again, the detailed description of the priestly garments is virtually identical to Exodus chapter 28. Here in chapter 39:1-31, we see how the Israelites actually made the Priestly Garments.
So, how did they make all the Priestly Garments? They made, “As the Lord commanded Moses.” This quality-control phrase is repeated not only once or twice, but seven times just in this passage (verses 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31). It clearly shows that the workers followed every single detail provided by God in making the Priestly Garments because they knew that…
Doing Things God’s Way Requires Obedience to God’s Command!
The Priestly Garments they made are:
The Ephod
The Ephod was an apron-like garment, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen. It was fastened at each shoulder to hold the breastplate. It also had a strap to fasten it around the waist. For us, the Ephod symbolizes that Christ holds and binds us to Himself. We can’t keep ourselves fastened to Christ; He is the One binding us together.
The Breastpiece
The Breastpiece was made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen. It was attached to the Ephod and contained 12 precious stones. Each of the stones had the name of a tribe of Israel engraved on it. It symbolizes that the high priest represented all the 12 tribes of Israel before God. Today, Christ represents all of us before God.
Other Priestly Garments
And there were several other garments commanded by God to be made. And they were made especially for the priests while serving in the Holy Place to reveal God’s glory and His beauty. That's why God was very particular about the details of the Priestly Garments.
Brothers and sisters, the Israelites followed God’s pattern precisely in building the Tabernacle and making the Priestly Garments. How do we know that? Exodus 39:42-43 says, “According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had
commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.”
They were able to do everything as the Lord had commanded because they knew that…
Doing Things God’s Way Requires Obedience to God’s Command!
Illustration: Abraham’s Obedience to God
We are familiar with the story of Abraham’s obedience to God. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. This was the son that God had given to Abraham and Sarah after they were well beyond child-bearing years. It was not easy for Abraham to follow God’s command, but trusted God. Even though he did not understand God’s ways, he obeyed God. So, he was ready to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac because he knew that …
Doing Things God’s Way Requires Obedience to God’s Command!
Brothers and sisters, obedience is not easy. You may have to be obedient to your boss, your parent, your pastor, and definitely to God, but they are all very hard to do. Our natural instinct is to do what we feel and think is right. But, we must be obedient to God’s command to do things God’s Way. And its not the “Selective Obedience,” God wants our “Complete Obedience.”
So, let us Do Everything in Complete Obedience to God’s Command.
Let us Pray!
