A New Year and a New Worship

Exodus 40

Here at Harvest we are in the midst of a building project. We are having a gym built with a youth room which will be awesome to use. There is also going to be a Children’s Ministry building that is huge and I know they are excited about this. There is also an extra parking lot being built (which we need) and a baptismal. All of these are in the process and it is exciting to see the progress every day. I know I, as well as many others, will be glad when it is all done and ready to be used. Sometimes it is hard to be patient for something that is needed and you may want so bad. It is good to wait and know that God is in control and in the timing of everything. Israel now gets to erect the tabernacle and it will be ready to be used and to show God’s glory and purpose for Israel.

As we saw the details of how the furniture and clothing of the priest came to be and how they were handled with care. We also see how everything was meant something and was important. Each piece served a purpose and was a reminder to Israel in what God has done for them. The timing of the tabernacle being erected was New Year’s day, two weeks short of the anniversary of the exodus. 

Everything was consecrated

 After Moses set up the tent and put up the fence he put all the pieces in the proper place, he was told by God to consecrate everything. This means that he sprinkled oil to anoint it. When oil was used to anoint a person or thing it usually mean that it was anointed with the Holy Spirit. Everything was anointed and I mean everything. The utensils, the bowls, the altars, the people who would be touching these objects, everything.

Glory in the Highest

As the people watched and Moses was finishing up by placing everything in the proper place, God covered the tent of meeting with a cloud. The glory of the Lord filled the temple. How amazing this sight might have been, this glory is called the Skekinah glory, the manifestation of God where the people would see. It was amazing indeed, where there was an awestruck silence in reverence but also words could not express the glory that was shown. We see in other places where the Skekinah glory was shown. It was shown to Isaiah in the temple (Isaiah 6). It was shown to Solomon and the people of Israel after the Temple was built (2nd Chronicles 7). It was revealed in Jesus as he was on the Mt. of transfiguration (Luke 9). God has shown himself to his people and to us. If we could see a glimpse of this glory it would bring us to our knees. We should have the proper respect in knowing that our God is awesome, holy, sovereign, glorious, and worthy of true undefiled worship. May we come to the place and realize we are not worthy but God is so gracious to allow us to serve him, we are loved, and he knows our names.  

We do not have the tabernacle like Israel but we do have our bodies which we are told is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 6:19). We should have our bodies consecrated like Moses consecrated the tabernacle. We should have the respect to know that God is glorious and we should serve him. May we keep our bodies and actions pure before the Lord as we are a living temple for him.