Exodus 39:32-43 - We are God's dweling place

The Tabernacle was God’s brainchild. He gave the pattern to Moses at Mount Sinai. And He even provided the artisans and gifted them with the necessary talents and skills to have this very grand and intricate building done. The people were inspired to give. They overwhelmingly contributed the gold, silver ornaments, the linen material and, etc needed for the building. The skillful Bezalel and Oholiab led the workforce. Now the Tabernacle, all the furnishings and the priest garment were made and completed to its final detail. So, they brought everything for Moses to inspect. What a delight it must have been for Moses. Thus Exodus 39:43 tells us that he examined everything and “…behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.”

The Tabernacle is a pattern given by God and it reveals much about our glorious God and the way He wants His people to relate with Him. Even as accurate as the account given to Exodus 28 and 39, words fail us to describe how wonderful and magnificent our God truly is. The Tabernacle depicts God’s dwelling plan among men, whom he had called and drawn to Himself. In the New Testament, we see Christ as the Tabernacle where the fullness of God dwells. He was the temple that the Jews destroyed but was raised up again by God in three days. He was God dwelling among men. Through Him, we see the fullness of God. He is God tabernacled among men. 

Then we see the church as God’s Tabernacle on earth. Each one of us is a building brick of the church, where God now dwells in the person of the Holy Spirit to magnify Christ. We are told by Ephesians 2:20-22 that we believers have “… been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Now we believers, each of us individually, has become the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God. In us dwell the Spirit of God. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul asked, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” He implied that we individually are God’s Tabernacle. Each one of us can either demonstrate God or distort His image by the way we conduct our life.  

The Tabernacle that the Israelites built was completed with distinction. Moses, whom God gave the pattern, was fully satisfied with the work done, so he blessed them. Jesus Christ as God’s Tabernacle had fully met the requirement. God said that He was well pleased with Him. What about we the church, would God say that He is satisfied with this dwelling place? We must all continue to do our part to accurately, aptly and righteously portray Christ. Remember though we are many, we are one body, where God indwells. The church is truly God's dwelling place.

We cannot close this chapter without having a closer look at ourselves. Personally, God dwells in each one of us. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our body is the temple of God. We must, therefore, take good care of it. Here’s the warning. First Corinthians 3:17 reads, “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” Each one of us is God’s Tabernacle, how we live our life matters. Never forget it!