Lead:

What does the tabernacle at Sinai symbolize?

Intro:

If we zoom out on the book of Exodus, we’ve got three big buckets: deliverance from slavery in Egypt culminating in crossing the Red Sea, the journey to Sinai culminating in the sealing of the covenant (the promise made to Abraham), and the building of the temple, culminating in it being filled with the glory of the Lord.

This tabernacle, or temple complex (which isn’t exactly the same thing, but close enough for now) symbolizes two things: God’s presence with His people, and how a “sinful people can come into, and live in, the presence of a holy God.”(1)

That said, today and tomorrow is going to be a lot of reading about the construction of the tabernacle, and we’ll not have time to go into what various parts mean, so I’d give you an encouragement that I often say around here…let’s just sit at Jesus’ feet and trust that it’s in the Bible for a reason, even if we don’t understand (or even enjoy) it all. And as I often do, there may be places I pick up the pace or summarize something that repeats a lot.

See you on the other side as we start the book of Philippians today!

Sponsor:

Would you kindly give a shout out somewhere? Like maybe telling someone about the weekly Sunday newsletter that has extras in it? Thanks for spreading the Word.

Old covenant:

Passage: Exodus 25-27
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 98
Words: ~2495

Wisdom:

Passage: Psalm 90
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 17
Words: 279

New covenant:

Passage: Philippians 1
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 30
Words: ~618

Commentary:

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

(1)John N. Oswalt, “Tabernacle,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 755.

#1021: Exodus 25-27 | Psalms 90 | Philippians 1