Slices
Prepare
‘Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever’ (Psalm 23:6). Give thanks to God for instances of his ‘goodness and love’ following you.
Bible passage
Offerings for the tabernacle
25 The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
8 ‘Then let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
The ark
10 ‘Let them make an ark of acacia wood – two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold moulding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.
17 ‘Make an atonement cover of pure gold – two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upwards, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking towards the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
Explore
So we come to the final section of Exodus. It is taken up with the building of a portable worship centre – the tabernacle, built to host God’s presence among his people (vs 8,22).
The tabernacle will be built by the offerings of the Israelites. It is unclear where they were to obtain such lavish items (vs 3–7), but perhaps these were among the items they plundered from Egypt (12:36). If that is so, then they would have been the first ‘luxury items’ the former slaves had owned. And now God wanted them!
Giving our best can sometimes seem costly, but perhaps it is helpful to remember that what is ‘ours’ is only borrowed, and rightly belongs to God anyway.
There is, however, no compulsion in Christian giving (v 2). Like the Israelites, we give because our hearts are moved with gratitude for all of God’s goodness (2 Corinthians 9:7). The antidote to being tight-fisted, or a grudging giver, is to reflect on all that we have freely received, so that we may freely give (Matthew 10:8).
Respond
Pray for a grateful heart that is tuned to generosity, and which is liberated from the desire to possess and hoard.
Deeper Bible study
… see that you also excel in this grace of giving.’1
As soon as the covenant was confirmed, the Lord instructed Moses to build him a dwelling place. Details about its construction take up nearly all the rest of Exodus. The tabernacle ensures that God is at the very centre of Israel’s community, as intended at creation. Worshipping the Lord exclusively was the only response they could reasonably offer for the salvation they’d experienced and would continue to enjoy. The immediate question was where the resources were going to come from. While wood was available around them, the other materials would need to be supplied by God’s people (vs 1–9). Giving was voluntary but, as always, reflected how deeply they appreciated God’s grace. It wasn’t a tax, imposed unwillingly on them. The gifts varied but suggest that nothing but the best is suitable for God. Some would have given up what they took from the Egyptians2 and all involved a degree of sacrifice. All this sets a pattern which governs the way God’s people give, as Paul taught the Corinthians,3 and which continues today.
The general gives way to specific instructions about the tabernacle’s furniture, starting with the ark (vs 10–22), a box denoting the covenant. It was to be placed in the innermost part of the tent and served a number of purposes. Its rich golden beauty, guarded by two winged cherubim, witnessed to God’s majesty. Its lid served as God’s throne. Its cover was the place of ultimate atonement, through blood being sprinkled on it on the Day of Atonement.4 The box contained a record of God’s Law, received at Sinai, and of his provision of manna and quail. It testified to both God’s holiness and his grace. It was to serve as a vital symbol of God’s presence until lost sometime during the exile.
What we give to God’s work indicates our priorities and is something of a temperature gauge of our spiritual health. What temperature would you register?
1 2 Cor 8:7 2 Exod 11:2 3 1 Cor 16:2; 2 Cor 9:6–15 4 Lev 16:15–19
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 19,20; Romans 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Local Mission Partner Christian Outreach to Newbury Schools gives thanks for schools team leader Joni McAuliffe and session workers Emma, Victoria and Kate. Pray that the revised form of Easter Eggsplored will communicate the wonder of Easter in a way that is authentic, understandable and applicable.
