Station 6: The Tabernacle

Before reading, take a moment to tune into the Spirit.

Get comfortable where you are sitting. Feel free to light a candle or close your eyes. 

Take a few deep breaths and focus on the movement of the air gently expanding and contracting your lungs. 

Be still and know that this is the Spirit rushing through you.

When you are ready, begin by meditating on these words.

The Israelites had been delivered from the harsh grip of Egyptian oppression, but they still had much to learn. For 400 years, generation after generation had suffered under the labor of building elaborate graves for the Pharaoh’s and opulent Temples to worship the Egyptian gods. They did this all while the God of Israel appeared to be silent.

It’s here in the desert where God is showing them that he is different. God does this by using the religious understanding that the Israelites inherited. God will always include our traditions and understanding first before transcending them.

God needs a dwelling place. 

But how do you create a dwelling place for someone who is everywhere?

God’s answer: You make it portable so you recognize that all ground is holy. So you become disciplined in moving when I move and staying when I stay. So you grow closer as a community every time you set up my tent.

Take with You

Hebrews 9-10 talks about how the Law and the Tabernacle were “shadows of good things to come”. The “good things” referred to here are realized in the coming of Jesus. When we take a look at the layout of the Tabernacle we can see at each station, Christ is being foreshadowed.

The Altar of Sacrifice was where animals were offered up as atonement for the sins of the people. Through his death on the Cross, Jesus takes away the sins of the world.

The Laver was a pool for ritual cleansing making priests clean before entering into the holy place.  Jesus offered himself as Living Water, that doesn’t just clean your outside body but will become in you a spring flowing out of you. 

In the Holy place, we see the Lampstand which signified the presence of God. Jesus is the Light of the World that the darkness “cannot overcome”. 

There is also the Table of Shewbread that holds 12 loaves of bread for each Tribe of Israel. Jesus is the true Bread of Life which was given to the whole world.

At the Altar of Incense, the High priest would perform his duties as mediator between God and the people. Jesus is our great High Priest who as the face of the Invisible God is always on our side.

Behind the veil in the most holy place, was the Ark of the Covenant. We will talk about that next…

Exodus 26