Costly Sacrifice (March-May 2025)
Unit I: Tabernacle, Sacrifices, and Atonement
Lesson 2/5: A Space for God
Daily Bible Meditations by Beth Brown
Sunday, March 2: Ezekiel 14:1-11
Today's reading presents certain elders in Israel seeking a word from God through a prophet. God looked into their hearts and saw multiple idols-things they had put before God. Then He looked at their actions and saw abominations. God did not leave them in this state with no help; He instructed them to repent of their idols and turn their faces away from the wrong they had been doing. He lovingly showed them the way to be His people. There was still time for these leaders, who doubtless knew better, to turn around. There is still time for us as well.
Monday, March 3: Psalm 26
The writer of this psalm beautifully expressed how much he desired to be in God's presence. "LORD, I love the dwelling of Your house, And the place where Your glory remains" (v.8). He also said, "I hate the assembly of evildoers" (v.5a). Of course we will spend time with people who are not Christians-either running into them in everyday life or seeking them out to point them toward Jesus. This psalm brings to mind for me that first we need to spend time in the Lord's presence, and to desire to be there when we are not.
Tuesday, March 4: Ezekiel 43:1-12
"[T]he glory of the LORD filled the house" (v.5b). God's glory filled the temple. Why is that important to us in the 21st century? Well, 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" And 2 Corinthians 6:16b says, "For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'" If we are the temple of God, then His glory fills us as well. What an awesome reality!
Wednesday, March 5: Ezekiel 44:15-27
The Levitical priests were the only ones who were able to draw near enough to sacrifice to God for the people. They had many restrictions placed on them, from the care of the hair on their heads, the clothes they wore, the people they married, to where they could drink wine. They even had restrictions on whose funerals they could participate in. Praise God those are not the requirements to draw near to Him today. Ephesians 1:7 tells us that, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgive- ness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace."
Thursday, March 6: John 2:12-22
The people of Israel were used to the idea of God dwelling in the temple in Jerusalem. Although, by having money changers in the area of the temple, they showed they still did not treat the building with due reverence. This caused Jesus to react with righteous anger. But the people did not have a reference for a physical body being a temple of God, so when Jesus referred to His body as a temple, they did not understand. His disciples would remember these words again after He was raised from the dead to further prove Jesus' words as true.
Friday, March 7: John 4:13-26
Once the Samaritan woman believed Jesus was a prophet, she asked Him which the correct place was for worship. But Jesus did not respond by identifying either their local mountain or the temple in Jerusalem. He told her instead that the time had come for true worshippers to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He also said that the Father was searching for these types of wor- shippers. Aren't you glad you do not have to travel to Jerusalem to worship God? We do not even have to wait for Sabbath to go to church. We can worship God in spirit and truth from anywhere at any time.
Sabbath, March 8: Exodus 25:1-9; 26:1, 31-37
When the Lord spoke to Moses and told him how to make His dwelling place on earth in Exodus 25 and 26, He instructed Moses to take from willing members many things. Fine metals like gold, costly and rare dyes, animal skins, materials for weav- ing, leather, special wood, fine oils, and incense were required. He even instructed for beautiful gemstones to be used. He would have the most skilled artisans work on each part of the temple. And yet none of that compares to Psalm 139:13-14a, "For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonder- fully made." God is the master builder and has made you to be the perfect dwelling place for His Spirit.
Reading:
Study: Exodus 25:1-9; 26:1, 31-37
Background: Exodus 25-27
Devotional: John 4:13-26
Key Verses:
"Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8).
Heart of the Lesson:
People treasure mountaintop experiences. How can we keep the power of such experiences fresh? Yahweh gave instructions for building a holy tent, a mobile Mount Sinai, that conveyed Yahweh's intention to dwell with His covenant people.
Questions for Studying the Text:
- What are some mountaintop experiences you have had with God? How have you attempted to keep these experiences fresh and in what ways have you attempted to recreate them?
- What materials were the Israelites instructed to bring for the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-7)? What does the detailed description of the tabernacle's construction reveal about God's nature and attention to detail (Exodus 26:1, 31- 37)? How does the design of the tabernacle (especially the veil) reflect the holiness and separateness of God?
- Why was the tabernacle important to the Israelites? Explore the meaning and significance of the word "tabernacle." What did it symbolize in the relationship between God and His people?
- How does God's command to build the tabernacle reflect His desire to dwell among His people? What are the spiritual con- nections between verse 8, "that I may dwell among them" and John 1:14 affirming Jesus "dwelt [tabernacled] among us"?
- Investigate the symbolism of the veil in separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (26:31). How did the tearing of the inner veil at Christ's death show that there was a difference in the way people approached God under the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant?
- How does the concept of God dwelling among His people influ- ence your daily walk with Him? Reflect on how the detailed preparation of the tabernacle parallels the preparation of your heart as a dwelling place for God.
Understanding and Living - Jerry Johnson
A Place for God
Exodus 25-27 contains all of the instructions for the physical tabernacle that would serve as the place of meeting between God and Israel, as well as God's presence in their midst. Chapter 25 contains the instructions for the sanctuary, the ark of testimony, the table for the bread of presence, and the golden lampstand. Chapter 26 contains instructions for the tent of meeting. And chapter 27 details construction of the altar, courtyard, and oil for the lamp. God provided three essential elements to note concerning the offering towards this construction (25:1-9).
Voluntarily
First, this was to be a voluntary offering (v.2). Tony Merida argued, "The instructions for the tabernacle began with a heart-check. God is first and foremost concerned with the heart. He began by requesting a contribution from the people. He asked the people to contribute their resources to make what would be His dwelling place among them. He did not demand compulsory giving" (Exalting Jesus in Exodus, p.166).
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul affirmed a similar concept for New Testament believers, "Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." This offering actually belonged to God, not Moses, and the same holds true today in a local church context.
Specific
Their contributions were to consist of very specific materials, not only to fulfill a physical purpose within the tabernacle, but also to represent what God commanded. A total of 14 materials are listed in the next several verses, including gold, silver, and bronze metals. Walter Kaiser, Jr. summarized other materials. The metals are followed by three colors of yarn/finely spun linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, whose spiri- tual significance has been debated. The "fine linen" perhaps signified purity and righteousness because it was usually white, perhaps from Egyptian origin. Goat hair was similar to modern felt and might have been used to weave the tents. The red ram skins were like today's Moroccan leather. Porpoise skins were from sea cows in the Red Sea. Acacia wood had the quality of being harder and darker than oak and thus not susceptible to insects that could eat wood. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Exodus, p.376-77).
God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt and had also provided these materials from the hands of those who had held them in slavery. He was giving them a chance to once again participate in covenant relationship with the one who had kept His promise.
God's presence
Finally, God commanded Moses, "Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them" (v.8). The spiritual significance is found in John 1:14 where John testified, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt [literally 'taberna- cled'] among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." This tabernacle was where God would be present among the people, as would be the case when the temple was constructed under Solomon. Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of this presence.
The word "miskan" appears 139 times in the Old Testament, and according to the MacArthur Study Bible, "The Pentateuch records five different names for the tabernacle: 1) 'sanctuary,’ denoting a sacred place or set apart, i.e. holy place; 2) ‘tent’ denoting a temporary or collapsible dwelling; 3) 'tabernacle,' from 'to dwell,' denoting the place of God’s presence (as well as other titles); 4 'tabernacle of the congregation, or meeting' and 5) 'tabernacle of the testimony'" (Note on Exodus 25:9).
Each of these uses is rich in meaning when used in harmony with New Testament counter- part passages. Moreover, God told Moses they were to con- struct this tabernacle exactly the way He specified (v.9). The pattern had a purpose. High priests would offer sacrifices here. But the author of Hebrews affirmed, "But now He [Jesus] has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a bet- ter covenant, which has been enacted on better promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
Symbolic
Later, God commanded the details concerning ten curtains of linen that were finely twisted, totaling a modern equivalent of close to forty-two feet by six feet, sewn together in sets of five, and skillfully embroidered with cherubim (26:1-3). Kaiser asserted, "Notice that the curtains were more important than the tabernacle's frame, for they are described first, thus setting up the same priority we saw in the ordering of the description of the tabernacle's parts. The sacred space must remain inviolate; the other objects mentioned in a secondary position were ancillary to this main concern of God" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Exodus, p.391).
Then, we see a description of another aspect of rich spiritual symbolism in the construction. Two dividers were commanded, a veil ("paroket" in Hebrew) at the front of the Ark in the Most Holy Place, and a screen ("masak") that would be a door to the Holy Place, both also designed with cherubim (26:31-37). Merida aptly noted, "The final separation was a veil into the most holy place where God would meet with them once a year. He was teaching the people that forever they can only approach Him through blood sacrifice and that for now His holiness must be veiled" (Exalting Jesus in Exodus, p.171).
For New Testament believers, Christ’s death tore the veil from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). We are also told that "not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12). The tabernacle's materials and features became more valuable the closer the people would come to the presence of God.
Hints for Teaching:
Lesson Goals:
- Understand the tabernacle as a mobile Mount Sinai where Yahweh's presence would dwell.
- Appreciate how the holiness of God is honored through the design of worship spaces.
- Express gratitude for God's willingness to dwell with His covenant people.
Teaching Activity:
Assign sections of the Exodus 25 and 26 text to small groups. Have each group read and explain the significance of their portion, focusing on details like the veil, the ark, and the lampstand. Next, provide materials for students to build a model or drawing of the tabernacle, emphasizing the different elements described in the text. Discuss the symbolism of each part. Facilitate a discussion about the materials (gold, silver, acacia wood) and how they reflect aspects of God’s nature. Ask students how these elements can symbolize parts of their spiritual journey.
Looking Forward:
The intricate design of the tabernacle helped us appreciate the privilege of God’s presence. Next, we will value ritual through the establishment of the priesthood.
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