God's Great, Guiding, and Guarding Glory [2023.07.09 Evening Sermon in Exodus 40:34–38]

The Lord is restoring His presence to His people, but the full and ultimate restoration can come only in Christ

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Glory Dwelling in the Midst of God's People [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 40:34–38]

What does the Lord do when the tabernacle is finally set up? Exodus 40:34–38 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that without compromising His glory, the Lord dwells with His people, leads His people, and protects His people.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.07.07 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 40:34–38

Read Exodus 40:34–38

Questions from the Scripture text: When the tabernacle was set up, what covered it (Exodus 40:34)? And what filled it? Who couldn’t do what (Exodus 40:35)? Why? What would happen sometimes (Exodus 40:36)? What would the children of Israel do at that point? And what would they do if the cloud wasn’t taken up (Exodus 40:37)? What happened, day and night (Exodus 40:38)? In whose sight? For how long? 

What does the Lord do when the tabernacle is finally set up? Exodus 40:34–38 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that without compromising His glory, the Lord dwells with His people, leads His people, and protects His people.

The Lord dwells with His people, Exodus 40:34-35. This passage reminds us of Israel’s initial experience of the Lord at Sinai. The cloud covers the tabernacle with glory, as it had covered the top of the mountain before (cf. Exodus 24:15–16). And when God’s glory comes in great effulgence, Moses is unable to enter or endure it (cf. Exodus 34:18–23). But the Lord has made a proper way for Him to display His dwelling among His people without compromising His glory.

The Lord leads His people, Exodus 40:36-37. The great question after the incident of the calf was not only whether God would dwell among His people, but especially whether God would go with them (cf. Exodus 33:12–17). Now, we see that it’s not that God would go with them, but rather they will go with God. When He stays, they stay. When He goes, they go. They have not just His presence but His leadership, His guidance. His wisdom, and His plan, leading them is literally visible.

The Lord protects His people, Exodus 40:38. The cloud protects by day, and the fire by night. The Lord’s dwelling with His people and leading them is continual, day and night. Numbers 9:15–23 expands upon this passage, and Isaiah 4:5–6 looks forward to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. There, the cloud by day and fire by night identify the tabernacle as a shade and a refuge. 

Because Israel end up in the land, which was promised to their fathers, we often think of Exodus as the story of Israel coming out of Egypt to go to Canaan. But from its beginning, Exodus has been a story of Israel coming out of Egypt to come to Yahweh. The nation is about to depart upon its journey, but as Exodus ends they have reached their true destination. 

Even so, believers have a glorious new heavens and new earth promised to us, but we have already come to know the Lord Jesus as God tabernacling with us, and His Spirit with us and in us as Spirit and fire from the Lord. He is already our primary destination, and wherever further we go, He will lead us.

And He has given us the pouring of water to communicate to us the pouring of His Spirit, and the sharing (fellowship/communion) of His life at the table to communicate to us our union with Him. He intends for us to live in constant awareness of His presence, guidance, and protection. 

How/when/where does the Lord most communicate to you His presence with you? His leading/taking you to Your reward? His protecting you from all harm and overruling all things for your good?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You for becoming flesh and tabernacling among us in the Person of the Word. Grant unto us to behold Him not with fleshly mind but by faith, so that we may behold His glory as the only-begotten of the Father, full of covenant love and faithfulness. Make us to know You as the One Who is continually with us, Who takes us by the hand, Who guides us by Your counsel, and Who afterward will receive us unto glory. Make us to know You in Christ, in Whose Name we ask it, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP73C “Yet Constantly I Am with You” or TPH73C “In Sweet Communion, Lord, with Thee”

Moses, the Servant Who Was Faithful in All Christ's House [2023.07.02 Evening Sermon in Exodus 40:1–33]

In the setting up of the tabernacle, Moses was a faithful servant in all of Christ’s house.

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God Finishes, Observes, and Blesses His Work [2023.06.25 Evening Sermon in Exodus 39:32–43]

Here—as at creation, the cross, and the last day—God approves of the work that He has done and blesses His people by His pleasure in His Son.

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Moses as the Servant Who Was Faithful in All Christ's House [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 40:1–33]

What does the Lord emphasize to us in the setup of the tabernacle? Exodus 40:1–33 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that in the setup of the tabernacle, Moses was a faithful servant in all Christ’s house. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.06.30 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 40:1-33

Read Exodus 40:1-33

Questions from the Scripture text: Who spoke to whom in Exodus 40:1? To what day does He refer (Exodus 40:2)? What is Moses to do on that day? Where is he to put what (Exodus 40:3-8)? Then what is he to do to everything (Exodus 40:9-11)? Then what is he to do to whom (Exodus 40:12-15)? For how long are they to be priests (Exodus 40:15)? What is Exodus 40:16’s summary of Moses’s response to this (verse 16)? How does Exodus 40:17 start showing this (cf. Exodus 40:2)? How many times is the end of Exodus 40:19 repeated (cf. Exodus 40:21, Exodus 40:22, Exodus 40:25, Exodus 40:27, Exodus 40:29, Exodus 40:32)? How does the end of Exodus 40:33 conclude the chapter?

What does the Lord emphasize to us in the setup of the tabernacle? Exodus 40:1–33 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that in the setup of the tabernacle, Moses was a faithful servant in all Christ’s house. 

As the Holy Spirit took us through the construction of the tabernacle items (Exodus 36:1–39:31), some details from chapters 25–30 had been left out, especially details about setup and usage. Those details hadn’t  been necessary for construction, and now God’s commands about them are repeated in the first half of our passage today. This puts the commands about setup and usage (Exodus 40:1-15) in immediate juxtaposition to Moses’s obedience to those commands.

Moses’s obedience. The obedience itself is strongly highlighted. Not only do statements of the obedience bookend the second half in Exodus 40:16 and the end of Exodus 40:33, but the refrain “as Yahweh had commanded Moses” appears seven times. We’re familiar with that as the number of completeness and finishing, ever since the creation. In order for it to appear that many times in such a small space, it reads as if the point of the listing isn’t so much all of the individual pieces and their positions as the emphasis upon how God’s Word was fulfilled, and God’s servant was faithful. 

And he was faithful. This is highlighted in another place, when Hebrews 3:1–6  talks about Christ’s faithfulness over His own house as a Son. Until He came as the Son, the administration of the house had been in Moses’s hands, and Moses had been faithful in all God’s house as a servant.

Christ’s greater obedience to come. The fact that Hebrews refers to Israel as Christ’s house is important, especially in light of Exodus 40:15’s statement about Aaron’s house, “that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” The book of Hebrews teaches that there was a day coming when those generations would be fulfilled, and the priesthood of Aaron’s house and Levi’s tribe would be superseded with the eternal, Melchizedekian priesthood of Christ (chapters 5–10). Now that day has come. The infinitely greater obedience of the infinitely greater Son takes what we see here in our passage and multiplies it by… well, infinity (!) … in our behalf.

A greater (and greatest) Passover. Speaking of days, the day that all of this is done is very important. A year prior, it was the day that the Lord came upon Egypt in a night of dreadful visitation of His presence, and the firstborn died in every home that was not covered by the blood of the lamb. Now, God is about to come not in a moment of visitation but in a persistent presence. The anniversary of the Passover comes with an even greater one—not just the blood of the lamb on one house for one night, but a tent-house with God’s presence and the blood sacrifices that would continually look forward to the once-for all blood of the Lamb Himself. The erection of the tabernacle is a greater Passover, looking forward to God’s tabernacling among us in Christ, and the shedding of His own blood to make us safe in that tabernacling. 

Because God’s plan was to tabernacle among His people in favor and blessing, an atonement and safety as big as God Himself was needed. Moses the servant in the house was not that, but his faithfulness was a picture of that of the Son over the house, Who is God Himself. The tabernacle was not as big as God Himself, but its persistent and favorable presence among God’s people was a picture of Him Who is the tabernacling of God among us. 

Why is it dangerous for you to be in the presence of God? But in Whose intense presence will you be for unending ages? How can you be safe in His communicated presence now? How can you be safe in His presence then? How faithful did Christ have to be for His people?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You and praise You for the Lord Jesus’s obedience in our behalf as a Son over His own house. Give us to rest upon Him, rejoice in Him, and always to come to You through Him, just as we shall dwell in Your intense presence in Him forever, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH354 “Not All the Blood of Beasts” 

God Finishes, Approves, and Blesses His Work [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 39:32-43]

What does the inspection of the tabernacle construction work teach us? Exodus 39:32–43 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God completes, reviews, and blesses the work that He does—even the work that He does in and by His people.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.06.23 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 39:32–43

Read Exodus 39:32–43

Questions from the Scripture text: How much of what work was finished (Exodus 39:32)? According to what specifications had they done this? To whom did they bring it (Exodus 39:33)? How many of its parts? Which 33 parts are specifically named in Exodus 39:33-40? And what other things in Exodus 39:41? According to what specifications had who done how much of what (Exodus 39:42)? Who looks it over in Exodus 39:43? What did he behold? How had they done it? How does Moses respond?

What does the inspection of the tabernacle construction work teach us? Exodus 39:32–43 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God completes, reviews, and blesses the work that He does—even the work that He does in and by His people.

The Lord finishes His work (even through His people). The Lord had given very specific commandments for the design of the tabernacle. “According to all that Yahweh had commanded” (Exodus 39:32), “According to all that Yahweh had commanded” (Exodus 39:42), “as Yahweh had commanded” (Exodus 39:43). In between the giving of the design and the construction according to that design, we had seen how necessary such detailed commandment was. The incident with the golden calf showed just how dangerous it is for sinners to be in the presence of God. 

How could they be in His presence safely? The ultimate answer is that it will be through Jesus Christ! And the very specific, very detailed commandments for worship are all ultimately bound up in who Christ is, what He would accomplish in His atoning work, and what He would accomplish in His intercession/mediation that continues upon the basis of that work.

So, the “was finished” of Exodus 39:32 finds echoes backward and forward in Scripture. “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished” (Genesis 2:1). “He said, ‘It is finished!’” (John 19:30). “It is done!” (Revelation 21:6). God finishes what He starts—in this case, what He was doing through His people, in anticipation of the work of Christ to make the tabernacling of God with man: “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). 

Israel desperately needed atonement, intercession, and mediation in order to have the presence of God safely and blessedly. And God had provided not only commandments, but the merciful and powerful sustaining work of His Spirit for the keeping of His commandments and the finishing of His work. For us today, who have a conscious union with Christ, we may be all the more sure that His Spirit is sustaining us in the part of God’s plan that is being carried out in our lives.

The Lord reviews His work. In Exodus 39:33, they begin presenting everything to Moses. What a list it is of things that were to be presented! And Moses, as God’s emissary to them, “looked over all the work.” This too is reminiscent of the creation account: Genesis 1:31, immediately preceding the “thus it was finished” of Genesis 2:1, says, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” 

God is a continual reviewer and approver of His work—particularly as it connects to His Son. It was the Son Who created all things, and through Whom they were created (cf. John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–16; Hebrews 1:2); and, God reviews the work and says, “very good!” At the beginning and end of Jesus’s public ministry, at His baptism and transfiguration, God declares His revies: “This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well-pleased!” And the resurrection itself was a special declaration that Jesus is the well-pleasing, eternally-begotten Son (cf. Romans 1:3; Acts 13:33).

This should warn us off of doing anything in ourselves, anything from our flesh, anything at all apart from faith in Jesus Christ and dependence upon His Spirit. He is reviewing the work!

The Lord approves His work. Here we come to our passage’s parallels to “indeed it was very good” (cf. Genesis 2:1) and “with Whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5; cf. Isaiah 42:1). “So they did” (Exodus 39:32). “So the children of Israel did all the work” (Exodus 39:42). “indeed they had done it… just so the had done it” (Exodus 39:43). And the ultimate, with Moses standing and speaking as God’s emissary, “And Moses blessed them” (verse 43). Here is a great motivator to coming to the Lord in the way that He has commanded, in dependence upon His Spirit. When we come this way, we come through the Son, and the Lord is well pleased with Him and blesses us for His sake. What a glorious thing is the public worship of God’s people, with which God is well-pleased in Jesus and blesses them for His sake!

What should we do in public worship? How should you approach your part in it? What joy does this passage teach you to take in it?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You for bringing us near to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Help us, to come to You in detailed, diligent obedience to Your Word, and depending upon Your Spirit, knowing that to come this way is to come through Christ. Please review and approve us in Him, and our worship in Him, and be well pleased with us and bless us, we ask in Jesus’s Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH354 “Not All the Blood of Beasts”

Dressed in Treasure to Treasure God as Those Treasured by God [2023.06.18 Evening Sermon in Exodus 39:1–31]

The priestly garments were themselves a treasure trove that communicated Who God is, who His people are, how He brings them near, and what worship is.

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Dressed in Treasure in Order to Treasure God as Those Treasured by God [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 39:1–31]

What does God teach us in the recounting of the actual making of the priestly garments? Exodus 39:1–31 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-one verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God gives us all sorts of wisdom for serving Him: obedience to His Word, skill in His world, faith to trust in His provision, and love to value Him above all.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.06.16 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 39:1–31

Read Exodus 39:1–31

Questions from the Scripture text: How do Exodus 39:1-7 compare to Exodus 28:6–12? What interesting addition does Exodus 39:3 make? Why would they need to do this (end of Exodus 39:7)? How do Exodus 39:8-21 compare to Exodus 28:15–28? What was this breastplate called (cf. Exodus 28:15)? What had Exodus 28:29–30 added about how this breastplate would be used? How do Exodus 39:22-26 compare to Exodus 28:31–34? What had Exodus 28:35 added? How do Exodus 39:27-29 compare to Exodus 28:39–42? What is left out this time? How do Exodus 39:30-31 compare to Exodus 28:36–37? How does Exodus 39:30 “cap” the entire description of the priestly garments?

What does God teach us in the recounting of the actual making of the priestly garments? Exodus 39:1–31 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-one verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God gives us all sorts of wisdom for serving Him: obedience to His Word, skill in His world, faith to trust in His provision, and love to value Him above all.

This is the last section of the actual constructing of the tabernacle: the garments of the high priest and the rest of the priesthood. There is a climax of sorts here because of how personal these items are. They are worn by the priest himself, and the people are represented all over the high priest. And in this climax, we see four types of wisdom provision from God.

Word wisdom: obedience. The first part of wisdom is recognizing that God is God, and we are not. Submission to God’s Word, obedience to God’s commands, is the heartbeat of true wisdom. This passage is marked by seven instances of “as Yahweh had commanded Moses.” Here is the greatness of the wisdom in constructing the tabernacle: obedience. Our greatest wisdom is simply to believe and obey the Word of God.

World wisdom: employed in obedience. Comparing this chapter to chapter 28, Exodus 39:3 is an unique addition. It is an ingenious process for the production of thread made out of actual gold to work into the garments. It is just one example of a multitude of skills and processes that had to have been employed in the making of all of these things. In the service of obedience, which is wisdom from the Word, God gave them also artistic skill—wisdom in His world, in service of that obedience. We, too, must seek from God to give us increased knowledge and skill that can be used in service of obedience to Him.

Spiritual wisdom: trusting in grace. How could man be safe in the presence of God? Man’s representative stands as holy before God, having atoned for our sin. And man’s representative is outfitted by God Himself for that work. “Holiness to Yahweh” (Exodus 39:30). God’s mercy and strength have displaced our guilt and weakness. This is spiritual wisdom: to trust in God’s provision of atonement and strength instead of our own.

Eternal wisdom: God Himself in the gospel. This is the great wisdom: to treasure God Himself above all else. And this is what God teaches us by the “uniform” in which he stands before the Lord. All of these precious metals and gemstones… what are they good for? They are merely the clothing that is necessary to stand before God. And the value is infinitely greater at the last, when we are dressed in Christ Himself and His righteousness. He appears in our behalf dressed in His Sonship and His Perfect Obedience.

How are you actively learning what the Bible teaches and commands? How do the approach of your heart and practice of your habits foster submission to His Word? In what fields of knowledge and skill are you proficient and/or increasing? How are you aiming at obedience to God’s Word with this knowledge? How are you trusting God’s provision for righteousness? What shows that God Himself is your greatest treasure?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You for giving us Yourself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank You for giving Him to be our Great High Priest. Grant that we would know the greatness of the riches that have been provided to us in Him. Give us Your Spirit to work in us faith and obedience to Your Word. Give us increasing knowledge of the world that You created and skill with which to serve and obey You in it. And give us always to know that the Lord Jesus intercedes for us, we ask in His Name, AMEN! 

ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH508 “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”

Worshiping As Those Who Must Give Account [2023.06.11 Evening Sermon in Exodus 38:21–31]

God provides resources, responsibility, and reliability for the earthly carrying out of the work and worship of His church.

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Counting the Cost of Truly Divine Worship [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 38:21–31]

What does the Spirit teach us by the numbering out of the gold, silver, and bronze for the tabernacle construction? Exodus 38:21–31 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God provides resources, responsibility, and reliability for the earthly carrying out of the work and worship of His church.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.06.09 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 38:21-31

Read Exodus 38:21–31

Questions from the Scripture text: What do these verses detail (Exodus 38:21)? What is this tent called? Why did they count this inventory? Who took the inventory? Who oversaw all of the work (Exodus 38:22)? How is the work described/summed up? Who was with him in this (Exodus 38:23)? What skills did Aholiab have? What is inventoried first (Exodus 38:24)? How much total gold was used? How much total silver was used (Exodus 38:25)? How was this exact amount produced (Exodus 38:26)? What did this silver primarily produce (Exodus 38:27)? What did the remaining silver produce (Exodus 38:28)? How much bronze was inventoried (Exodus 38:29)? What was made with it (Exodus 38:30-31)? 

What does the Spirit teach us by the numbering out of the gold, silver, and bronze for the tabernacle construction? Exodus 38:21–31 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God provides resources, responsibility, and reliability for the earthly carrying out of the work and worship of His church.

The numbering of this inventory is by the commandment of Moses (Exodus 38:21), just as the construction of the tabernacle was just as Yahweh had commanded Moses (Exodus 38:22). What does the Spirit intend for us to see by this God-commanded numbering?

Riches. At the time of writing, the amount of gold used in the parts of this tent (!) is worth approximately $70 Million. And the silver used is currently worth around $3 Million. But even that doesn’t do justice to the proportional amount of the wealth of the entire world that was invested in this tent. God generously gave the people the wealth of materials that they needed for the most valuable thing a people can have: the presence of God in His public worship. 

Responsibility. The first thing that we see is that Bezalel (Exodus 38:22), together with assistant Aholiab (Exodus 38:23), completed their task. Not only is there the summary statement that it was all according to the commandment of Moses, but there is also the confirmation that the sockets were made as commanded (Exodus 38:27), the hooks were made as commanded (Exodus 38:28), and all of the various bronze items were made as commanded (Exodus 38:30-31). God generously gave the people the wealth of skill that they needed for the most valuable thing a people can have: the presence of God in His public worship.

Reliability. Another word for this is integrity. Integrity in the use of the wealth that God’s people give for His work is important (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:19–21). Here, the inventory records the amount given down to the shekel of each: gold, silver, and bronze. The Levites were receiving all of this precious metal, and a son of the high priest was required to account for every bit of it (Exodus 38:21). Many churches’ ministries have been greatly harmed either by the negligent use of funds and property, or even the intentional abuse or pilfering of funds and property. But God’s Word establishes it as a requirement from God that there be accountability in this matter. God generously gave the people the wealth of integrity that they needed for the most valuable thing a people can have: the presence of God in His public worship.

For Israel, the skill and the honesty were greater provisions than the materials from which the public worship was composed. For us, the common grace of skill, and the special grace of integrity are marvelous provisions indeed. But the presence of God in public worship has now been facilitated not by the provision of the treasures of earth, but by the provision of Him Who is the great Treasure of heaven!

How does your congregation account for what is given for the worship and work of the church? What has God given for that worship and work? How is the value of these things reflected in your level of gratitude? How is the value reflected in the preciousness of public worship to you?

Sample prayer:  Our generous Triune God, we thank You for Your indescribable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we might be welcome and blessed in Your presence for worship. Grant that whatever is needed for the church’s worship and work on earth would be given with generosity, employed with responsibility, and accounted for with integrity. And make us to treasure You in Your worship, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH185 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”

Priceless Provision for Interfacing with God [2023.06.04 Evening Sermon in Exodus 37:1–38:20]

The richness of the provision for constructing the furnishings and hangings corresponded to the richest provision: interaction with the living God Himself.

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Provision for Worship that Interacts with God in Christ [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 37:1–38:20]

What does this passage show about the construction of the tabernacle’s furnishings and utensils? Exodus 37:1–38:20 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the construction of the tabernacle’s furnishings and utensils shows that God mercifully provided all that was necessary for the carrying out of His worship.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2023.06.02 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 37:1–38:20

Read Exodus 37:1–38:20

Questions from the Scripture text: Which items are made in this passage? How does Exodus 37:1-24 compare to Exodus 25:10–40? How does Exodus 37:25-28 compare to Exodus 30:1–5? How does Exodus 37:29 relate to Exodus 30:22–37? How does Exodus 38:1–7 compare to Exodus 27:1–8? What information does Exodus 38:8 add to Exodus 30:17–21? How does Exodus 38:9–20 compare to Exodus 27:9–19? 

What does this passage show about the construction of the tabernacle’s furnishings and utensils? Exodus 37:1–38:20 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the construction of the tabernacle’s furnishings and utensils shows that God mercifully provided all that was necessary for the carrying out of His worship.

In the previous passage (Exodus 36:8–38), we considered the construction of the place of worship. Exodus 37:1–38:8 details for us the construction of the furniture and utensils of the worship, before returning to the construction of the place, this time with respect to the court.

Then, we had learned that the Lord’s provision for our worship is not only a provision of His presence in a place where we can be present. Now, we learn that the Lord’s provision for worship is also a provision of His acting upon us in worship, in conjunction with enabling us also to act upon Him.

Again, as you look up the passages for the questions above, you realize how exactly all of the Lord’s instructions were followed. The passage gives us the joy of knowing that it was He Himself Who has devised how we will act upon Him (and He upon us) and has then supplied what He devised. 

Specifically, we remember that these furnishings and utensils indicated:

• God gives us to act upon Him by having at the heart of our worship His glory, His covenant, His atonement, and His authority (Exodus 37:1–9).
• God gives us to act upon Him by engaging in table-fellowship with Him (Exodus 37:10–16).
• God gives us to act upon Him by enjoying His light and life (Exodus 37:17–24).
• God gives us to act upon Him by calling upon Him in prayer (Exodus 37:25–29).
• God gives us to act upon Him by pleading the atonement that He has provided (Exodus 38:1–7).
• God gives us to act upon Him by coming as those prepared and cleansed (Exodus 38:8).

And God impresses His glory upon us by the greatness of the size and the costliness of the materials even of the tabernacle court. For us, God Himself in Christ is the material of worship, making the size and costliness infinite. Since we must enter heaven to worship, worship must now be done in Spirit. But, as we gather Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day in His commanded assemblies, we realize an amazing thing. God has spread out the courts of heaven to gather in the nations!

In our public worship, how do we have table fellowship with God? When does He especially smile His light and life upon us? When do we call upon Him in prayer? How do we plead the atonement that He has provided? How do we come to worship prepared and cleansed.

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You for providing us the way of acting upon You in Your public worship. Otherwise, how would we the creature presume to come and act upon You, the Creator? And we see, by how You furnished the tabernacle that You have now given Christ not only as the way by which You have come near us, but the way by which You give us to come near You. So, receive us in Him, week by week, as well as for all eternity, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH152 “Safely through Another Week”

A V̶a̶i̶n̶ Significant Repetition: God's Word, Grace, and Purpose for Public Worship [2023.05.28 Evening Sermon in Exodus 36:8–38]

The public worship of God must be constructed according to the Word of the Lord, as sustained by the grace of the Lord, to fulfill the purposes of the Lord

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Tabernacle Construction Lessons [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 36:8–38]

What does this passage show about the construction of the tabernacle? Exodus 36:8–38 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-one verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the construction of the tabernacle was according to the Word of the Lord, because it was sustained by the grace of the Lord, to fulfill the purposes of the Lord. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)