God prepares His people for His tasks.
Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for Exodus 25 and 31
In this fascinating passage about the instructions for the Tabernacle, we learn that God set the design for the Tabernacle and its furnishings and also gave the people the skills they would need to craft and construct it all. Every detail mattered. Church buildings might be different today, but churches (people) are still gifted to accomplish God's tasks.
They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them. (25:8)
When We Studied Exodus in 2017
Guess what? We covered the exact same verses from chapters 25 and 31. Yes, I am disappointed by that decision; there are quite a few interesting and valuable verses in this section of Exodus!
I packed a lot into that post:
Charitable giving in the US
An incomplete assembly kit
The tools used to build the Tabernacle*
The ark of the covenant
Acacia wood
Bezalel
Spiritual gifts vs. God-given talents*
My overall point was that God didn't just give the people a structure -- the entire process of creating, building, and transporting the Tabernacle was itself part of the "object lesson".
Getting Started: Things to Think About
Who Is the Creative One in Your Family?
These three ideas are variations of things I read in my Serendipity Bible. I use them (1) because they're fun, and (2) to show you that even if you don't think of yourself as creative, you can find resources to help you come up with ideas that will help you in your Bible study groups.
As always, the point is not to follow my ideas exactly but rather to spark ideas that will work well with your unique Bible study group.
This week, we are introduced to God's instructions for the Tabernacle, one of the most beautiful and inspiring settings in the ancient world. Importantly, God gave very detailed and specific instructions for construction; we don't have those kinds of instructions in what we build today, so we rely on the creativity, imagination, and training of talented people to build our homes, churches, etc.
To keep the discussion manageable, let's just focus on families. Who is the creative one in your family, and how does that express itself?
And if you don't want to go with "creative", then maybe try one of these alternatives:
Which family member tends to organize family events or vacations?
Which family member tends to do the decorating?
Which family member tends to do the cooking?
Which family member tends to handle the family photos?
The point would be that somebody in your family tends to take on the creative roles. And that's good! We see in this week's passage that God has put it into humanity to be creative -- but we are to use our creativity to reflect God's glory. That said, how can/done your family seek to honor God in your creative endeavors?
What Family Heirlooms Do You Keep?
A very important function of the Tabernacle was to house some key furnishings that the Israelites were to pass down from generation to generation (more on these below). What are the things that your family has passed down, and why?
Unfortunately, shows like American Pickers have convinced a bunch of people that the best thing to do with your heirlooms is try to make a buck off of them. Setting that aside, what is the value of keeping and passing down your heirlooms?
A related topic would be to find out what "heirlooms" your church has kept and why. This, of course, has the potential to go off the rails -- one man's heirloom is another man's junk. But my guess is that your church has things of historic value somewhere. At First Baptist, my initial thought is that our sanctuary is itself our "heirloom". What do you think?
[Current Event Connection: A repeated theme in the interviews with people who lost their homes in the California wildfires is the loss of their keepsakes -- many tears shed over the pictures of grandparents destroyed, etc. How would you handle losing your keepsake heirloom? What can you do to keep the value of these things in perspective?]
The Most Inspiring Church Buildings?
I don't think it would be possible to recreate the Tabernacle in any real sense. We could build a recreation following the instructions in the Bible (and don't worry, people have -- Walk-through tabernacle replica in Israel reflects atonement), and it would be cool, but it wouldn't have the tangible evidence of the presence of God.
So, what church buildings have you been in that have most inspired you and what was it about them that was so inspiring?
There is no shortage of websites related to this idea, like this one:
I like to read webpages like this one and try to determine what makes that author think of those buildings as "beautiful" (a little armchair psychology). (I do agree with their take on this church on an island in Slovenia.)
In nothing short of a serious flex for Paris, there's an entire page devoted only to the most beautiful churches in Paris.
What Makes Something Important?
I'm still trying to work this idea out, but you might be able to put the finishing touches on it. What makes us think of something as important?
Bring in something that's really important to you, and bring in something else that's a lot like it. Like, for example, your house key and a key you found in your house but can't remember what it's for but you're afraid to throw it away. Or, say, the power cord for a medical device you use and another cord that's easily replaced at Walmart. Which of those is more important and why?
This idea is that an object's purpose gives it a great deal of importance.
Here's another approach you might take to this: Can we take an everyday item and make it seem more important?
Bring in two common items, like two jars or two pieces of jewelry. But put one in a display case, or wrap it in a very special way, and ask your group to identify which of the two items is "more important" or "more special". And most importantly, ask why?
Your point will be that the two items are identical, but because we treat one as more important, it becomes more important.
The things God told the Israelites to put in the Tabernacle were "normal" things (no matter how well-crafted) -- an altar, a lamp, a table. But the purpose for which they existed made them essentially priceless, and the way God told the people to treat those things continuously reinforced their value and importance.
Where We Are in Exodus
Chapter 25 marks the final section of the book of Exodus. The people arrived at Mt. Sinai in chapter 19, and God gave them the basic obligations of the covenant He was offering them in chapters 20-23, and in chapter 24 that covenant was confirmed.
The rest of Exodus answers a very specific (and critical!) question:
If the Israelites aren't to have any other gods, and if they aren't to make any idols, then how are they supposed to relate to this One True God? What does worship look like in God's true religion, not the false religions found in the rest of the world?
That leads to a very simple outline for the rest of the book:
God's Instructions for Worship -- Chapters 25-31
[The Golden Calf -- Chapters 32-34]
Moses Follows God's Instructions -- Chapters 35-40
Framed like that, I hope you can see the dissonance of that Golden Calf episode. Knowing the Ten Commandments, the people still choose to break them and worship according to the pagan patterns around them.
This episode is very carefully included to help the reader immediately see the danger in God's presence in the midst of a sinful people, and how important it would be for that people to carefully follow every rule God gives.
We have two lessons left in the book of Exodus -- this week's on chapter 25 and 31, and next week's on chapter 40. That gives you a logical choice of two weeks to talk about the Tabernacle; I'm choosing to do that this week.
This Week's Big Idea: The Tabernacle!
The Tabernacle is short-lived compared with its successor the Temple. (The Tabernacle was used for 40 years in the wilderness, and then 400 years in the Promised Land until Solomon built the Temple. Solomon's Temple survived for about 470 years, and the Second Temple survived for about 600 years.) And Christians tend to prioritize the Temple rather than the Tabernacle because it was so connected with Jesus.
But really, Christians should appreciate the Tabernacle as the first, portable Temple. They served the same purpose and enjoyed the same symbolism.
Here are some pictures from my previous posts on the Tabernacle.
Both the Tabernacle and the Temple symbolized God's presence with the Israelites (as well as His blessing upon them). But the details of the construction symbolized a whole lot more than that.
I found these images on Pinterest; there are many, many ideas of how the camp would have looked. And in reality, the camp would have been significantly larger than any of these suggest.
The Tabernacle was in the middle of the Israelite camp -- God was quite literally in the midst of His people.
But there was a wall separating the Tabernacle from the people -- that wall exists for the people's good, to protect them (in their sin) from God's wrath against sin.
However, God put a gate allowing some people (the priests who were called and qualified) to enter into the courtyard of the Tabernacle.
Inside the gate, the priest would first encounter an altar of burnt offerings where innocent animals would be sacrificed to atone for the people sin.
Then, on his way to the Tabernacle, he would pass by a bronze basin filled with water where he would wash himself from the gruesomeness of sacrifice.
Finally, he would come to the curtain that separated him from the "Holy Place" containing three furnishings:
a golden lampstand (menorah), which they were required to keep lit at all times, symbolizing God's presence and guidance;
a wooden table, on which they kept twelve fresh loaves of bread, symbolizing God's provision for all of His people (and their consecration);
an altar of incense, on which they kept a specific incense burning, whose sweet aroma symbolized their prayers of repentance and God's acceptance thereof.
Beyond that was the "Most Holy Place" which the high priest alone was allowed to enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. The only thing in the Most Holy Place was the ark of the covenant.
I found this simple video, and I think it does a good job of establishing the simplicity of the Tabernacle -- what you would see if you walked in it. Realize that the artist used a lot of personal license to create the final appearance:
And here's a super-handy summary from my NIV Study Bible.
The Tabernacle and Jesus
I hope you can already see the gospel presented in the setup of the Tabernacle. And I also hope you were thinking about some of the things Jesus called Himself --
I am the gate / door (John 10:9)
I am the ransom (Mark 10:45)
I am the living water (John 4:10-14)
I am the light of the world (John 8:12)
I am the bread of life (John 6:35)
Take a few minutes and think about the ways the Tabernacle helps us understand the gospel and points us to Jesus.
See? This is a valuable topic for Christians to study!
The Tabernacle and Heaven
God says two important things to Moses in Exodus 25:
You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings. (25:9)
Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain. (25:40)
God showed Moses a vision of what Moses was to lead the people to build. What exactly did Moses see? Was it a schematic? A mock-up? The word for "pattern" is related to the word for "build", which some scholars have taken to refer to a model. I.e., Moses saw a model of what God wanted Him to build.
But there's another possibility that's really intriguing -- consider Hebrews 8,
1 Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. 6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.
What if Moses saw a glimpse into heaven like John did (Revelation)? What if the Tabernacle (and the Temple) are "through a glass darkly" approximations of the heavenly temple which God allowed Moses to see for the purpose of creating a heaven-like space on earth where His people could worship?
Moses would not have fully understood how all of that pointed to Jesus -- Jesus' sacrifice was a plan instituted by the Triune God before creation itself and known only to Him -- but he might have learned the significance of everything God placed in the Tabernacle.
At the end of the post, I link the new Bible Project video on the importance of mountains to God's self-revelation. For now, consider that the Tabernacle might have been an earthly approximation of God's heavenly sanctuary. After all, what was the Ark of the Covenant? It was the mercy seat of God's judgment, and its location was "God's footstool" (1 Chron 28:2). The imagery is that of God's very throne touching earth.
The Tabernacle and the Temple
Finally (and briefly), let me make the connection between the Tabernacle and the Temple clear -- easily seen in this artistic comparison.
With that in mind, this Bible Project video on the Temple is helpful to us today in trying to wrap our minds around what God did by giving the Tabernacle.
Part 1: The People Willingly Give for the Construction (Exodus 25:1-7)
The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me. You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give. 3 This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; 6 oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.
Exodus 25 is the first "church capital campaign".
It was a "free will offering" -- the people were not compelled to give. (And God knew their hearts anyway.) But it was also not an offering for the faint of heart! Look at that collection list -- not a lot of "spare change" on it. These were valuable items, things that would have taken a sacrifice to give up.
But ... where did those things come from in the first place? The Israelites had been slaves! They had no wealth of their own. No, everything they had was "plundered" from the Egyptians (12:36), and that only because of God's intervention.
I'm not going to go into detail about the items on the "donation list". Rather, I would like you to read the following few chapters of Exodus and look for where those items would be used. Note that they would need a lot of some things but few little/few of others.
It was a free-will offering, and it was also a test of the people's understanding of what God had already done for them. Everything they had came from God, and they should be willing to give it back to God for God's purposes. I shouldn't have to spell out the implications for Christians today giving to church causes, be it tithes or campaigns. The two Lifeway questions cut to the chase: "How does our giving reflect what we believe about God?" and "How does our giving connect us to God's kingdom?" But if you've talked a lot about that recently, try this thought exercise: What would have happened if the people had not given what God wanted for His Tabernacle? I really don't know, and it's kind of a silly question because God would not have allowed that situation to arise. But I think it would have been catastrophic for the people. Everything in the Tabernacle was either (1) a direct illustration of the gospel of Jesus Christ or (2) a direct reflection of God's glory. Neither of those things can be incomplete.
But I want to be very clear about one thing -- especially for anyone who reads this post and thinks of your church's sanctuary as "modest", maybe not a lot of gold and fine linen in your sanctuary. Realize that the Tabernacle (and the Temple) existed for a season of history that is no more. Jesus Christ "tore the curtain in two", so to speak, demonstrating that God's people no longer need to go to a "location" to be with Him, or to an "event" to commune with Him. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit; the "church" rightly refers to God's people gathered, not the place they gather.
It is every church's decision what kind of a space they want to gather in for worship. And that space will be an intersection of your theology and your ability/willingness to give. I don't have time to explain the former (this week, at least), but I have a cautionary tale about the latter.
Aside on My Personal Experience with This Passage and a Capital Campaign
The first church that Shelly and I joined -- the church that licensed me to ministry and sent us to seminary -- was Metropolitan Baptist Church in Wichita KS. They were in the middle of a controversial capital campaign called "Worthy of Worship" which was to renovate their sanctuary. Shelly and I were both pretty new to the Christian/church thing, so we didn't understand a lot of what was going on, but I can piece it together from our memories:
No one in the church argued that God was worthy of worship. But the campaign was about making the sanctuary "worthy" of housing worship. And how do you measure that? At what point do you say that you have made your sanctuary worthy? And what were you saying about the sanctuary (and every other sanctuary) before the campaign? It was not well-received by a lot of people. (And it was mainly cosmetic.) (And that sanctuary is going to be torn down any week now for a shopping development. Seriously.)
Fast-forward 25 years. Members of FBC know that we are soon to be starting our own capital campaign. What separates our campaign from that campaign at Metro Baptist? Really, they're night and day. Our capital campaign is about improving the functionality of our facility as well as extending its lifespan -- but you guys can hear about that when we roll out the campaign next month. And know this: our project will only go as far as our people are willing to give. Anyway, you'll hear more about that soon enough!
Part 2: God Reminds Them of the Purpose (Exodus 25:8-9)
They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them. 9 You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.
I've already talked about the meaning of the word "pattern" and its connection with Hebrews 8. But the purpose of the structure was to be "God's dwelling place".
Did God need a place to live? Of course not. We talked about Paul's thoughts on the subject a few months ago:
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. (Acts 17)
So, why did God have the Israelites build this tabernacle? Because the Israelites needed a place for God to dwell. They had an immature faith -- they needed to "see" where God dwelled. They needed to "see" the separation between themselves and God's Tabernacle. They needed to "see" the ritual preparation for a sinful human meeting with God according to God's express instructions.
And that's the key to this passage -- all of these things were according to God's pattern. If God's people were not allowed to make an image/idol of Him to worship, neither could they create their own idea of a tabernacle/temple/sanctuary for God's dwelling. The people did not have that kind of power over God.
You might react, "But wait, don't we design our own church buildings however we want?" Very true -- but what is the difference between the ancient Tabernacle and a Christian church facility? To answer that, it would be helpful if you could answer an important question:
Aside: What Is the "Purpose" of a Church Facility?
The purpose of the Tabernacle was to be a location where God could "dwell" among His people. In Bible Project speak, it was an intersection of heaven and earth.
But as I said above, we don't need that anymore. The people of God are God's temple now; the church / sanctuary isn't any more "sacred" than anywhere else.
But is a church facility "holy" -- in the sense that it is "set apart"? I would argue that it is, or at least it should be. But what is it set apart for? What is the purpose of a church building? And before you answer that, answer this: does a church need a building to be a church?
The simple answer must be this: a church's facility is what that church builds to help it be a church. And the purpose of a church is to make and build disciples of Jesus Christ. If a church emphasizes its responsibility in lavish worship, then the sanctuary will receive the bulk of attention and resources. If a church emphasizes its teaching ministry, then education space will receive that bulk. If community outreach and ministry, then the church might put less resource into the facility and more into the cost of outreach projects. This is why every church's facility looks different.
But let's remember that a church building is not like the Tabernacle. The sanctuary is no "holier" than the bathrooms or the education space. Churches should maintain and consider all of the parts of their facility.
And I believe very strongly that God will hold individual churches accountable for what they did with their resources and facilities. That is why I am a Baptist. It is our decision and our responsibility what we do with our campus and facility -- and God will hold us to account for it. Just as He will for your church, if you're not a part of FBC.
Part 3: God Equips His People for the Task (Exodus 31:1-6)
The Lord also spoke to Moses: 2 “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft 4 to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. 6 I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with him. I have put wisdom in the heart of every skilled artisan in order to make all that I have commanded you:
The Israelites had been slaves their whole lives. They worked fields. They fired bricks. They did not have any of the skills necessary for creating the finest space known to the earth.
Or did they?
This is the first time God sends His Spirit to fill a human. The Lifeway material says it's the second time, mentioning 28:3, but they are probably mistaken. "Spirit of wisdom" in that verse is different from "God's Spirit and wisdom" in this verse, which opens an important discussion that you probably don't have a lot of time for:
What is the difference between "filling of the Spirit" and "God-given wisdom/talent"?
To me, it's the difference between a Spiritual gift and a natural talent. (Realize that if a talent is "natural", that actually means it was given by God.) We all know people who are very talented at certain things -- perhaps it might even seem like they are supernaturally talented, they're so good. Even if that's not a "spiritual gift" per se, it's still a gift given by God that can be used for His purpose.
Think about it this way -- "woodworking" is not listed as a spiritual gift anywhere in the Bible. But some people are clearly more gifted at it than others, and God will give those people opportunities to use that gift for His glory. The same thing with metalworking or embroidery. And those are the very skills needed to build the Tabernacle.
No disrespect to pastors (of which I am one), but there are some decisions and projects we are not qualified to be responsible for. That's why God puts us in a church -- a body.
4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. (Rom 12)
God puts different people in a church, and I believe He puts the people that church needs. If God calls a church to a task, He also puts the skills and gifts necessary to complete that task.
Think of it this way -- did the Israelites have confidence in their gold-working ability? Did they even realize they had those gifts? Definitely not. And so God told them that He had given some of them the very skills He now asked them to use. [Consequence: just because no one in your church says they have the ability to work with children doesn't mean they don't! It just means they haven't tried.]
But then there's Bezalel and Oholiab. Those two men are the reasons why "craftsmanship" is sometimes considered a spiritual gift. The Tabernacle was a crucial building -- the first of its kind in human history. And any mistakes would result in people dying (from being too close to God or not properly shielded from God's presence). And so God sent His Spirit to give those two men the exact help they would need to be the "construction manager / contractor / trainer / inspector" for this incredible complex project.
Simple conclusion: God gave the people a difficult task, and He also gave them the resources and skills necessary to complete the task.
Do you feel like your church is outmatched for a task? It means one of two things:
God has not given that specific task to your church at that time, or
church members are not contributing their resources or talents as they should.
The same God who set the Israelites about building the Tabernacle is the same God who leads and guides Christians churches today. If there is something God wants you to do, He has made it possible for you to do it.
First Closing Thought: The Golden Calf
In 2017, Lifeway set aside a lesson to talk about the Golden Calf episode. It does some really important foreshadowing, If you want to learn more, here are my notes:
Second Closing Thought: Mountains
The Bible Project just released this wonderful short video, and I think it might be useful to you as you think about this week's passage.
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