Exodus: A Group StudySample

WEEK 9 INTRODUCTION: THE TABERNACLE

Looking at Exodus as a whole, only ten verses are given to describe the actual exodus event (Exodus 12:33-42), while eleven chapters are given to the instructions and construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 25-31; 35-40). The book of Exodus is not ultimately about the flight from Egypt or the plagues or the parting of the Red Sea. Exodus is primarily about the lengths by which God is willing to go to bring His people into His presence, to fulfill His covenant promises to them, and dwell in their midst. Each element of the tabernacle is a faint shadow pointing towards the blazing reality of Jesus Christ – our Immanuel who became flesh to dwell among us (Matthew 1:23; John 1:14).

What is this passage saying?

Yahweh delivers specific and intricate instructions to Moses on constructing the tabernacle, a dwelling place for His presence.

What is this passage teaching?

Despite Israel’s lack of obedience and resentful demeanor toward Yahweh, He still decides to “move in” and be with His people. This move is thoughtful, specific, and done with the highest attention to detail. God comes close! He pitches a tent and dwells with His people. He instructs his servant Moses to build something so beautiful that it would be a visual representation to everyone that He will always be who He has always been – present among His people.

How do I respond?

Although it may seem cumbersome to read through the specifications of the tabernacle, its construction represents a key theme in the entire Bible. John writes in his gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word “dwelt” is the same as “tabernacle”. The verse could just as easily read, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The same God that moved to tabernacle among His people in the wilderness is the same God that moved from His high throne in heaven to a bloody cross down on earth so that we could be saved from our sin. Paul echoes this reality when he writes, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The entire Bible tells a story of God relentlessly pursuing His people to fill them with His presence. What about you? Does Christ dwell in you? Have you allowed God to “move in” and take up residence in your life?