- Don't gossip
- Don't follow the wrong crowd!
- Don't lie!
- Be kind to animals!
- Don't take bribes!
An agricultural rule that you'll see often being used today is God's command concerning the land. The Israelites were commanded by God to only use the same land for 6 years worth of harvest. In the 7th year, they are to allow the soil to rest and replenish itself full of minerals and nutrients.
In 23:20, it's interesting to note that God said He was "sending my angel before you to lead you to safety to the land." Can you imagine how awesome it was to look outside your tent every single day and see the Lord in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and to realize THAT'S GOD! We may not be able to actually see a "pillar" in front of us leading us to safety, but Jesus promised, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." He also told his disciples, "I am with you always, even until the end of time." God is with you where ever you go! So, nothing is coincidental in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ!
Were you able to notice the original land grant God was going to give the Israelites? It was MUCH larger than it is now. Notice in 23:31 - "I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the southern deserts to the Euphrates River. While Palestinians argue about Jerusalem and Israel's right to exist, they neglect to realize Almighty God gave them this land. To argue the point is to argue with God!
There are 3 annual feasts in which all men in Israel are to attend:
1) The feast of Unleavened Bread - This is the feast leading up to Passover during the first month - which is in April.
2) The feast of Harvest - Later referred to as the feast of Pentecost.
3) The festival of the Final Harvest.
How exciting it must have been to have a covenant meal with God! Wow! Can you imagine what it must have been like for the 70 elders of Israel (along with Moses and Aaron) to have sat in God's Presence and have a meal with Him!! One day that privilege will be yours...if you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ! Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 26:29 - "Mark my words, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom." And in Revelation 24, the apostle John tells us of the future event when we'll all sit down in Heaven and have a meal with God - "For the time has come for the wedding feast of the lamb."
As we study the rest of the Scriptures of today's reading, it may appear somewhat boring, but a closer look will reveal some interesting things about Heaven! All the people were to bring Moses a variety of metals, fabric, spices, oils, and gems. All of this was for the purpose of building The Tabernacle within the wilderness desert of the Sinai Mountain. Through the building of this Tabernacle, God was attempting to show the nation of Israel a glimpse of Heaven and the type of lifestyle they were to lead. God gave Moses strict instructions and said, "You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you." And there was good reason to be accurate. In the book of Hebrews we read that it is "a pattern of things in Heaven." There are 3 articles mentioned in our reading today:
- The ark - This elongated and elegant box-like structure represents God and His throne! Notice how God said to build two cherubims on top of the lid that were to face each other. And, also notice how God said it was between the cherubims that He would "meet with" Moses and "talk" with him!
- The Table of Showbread - This represents Jesus Christ and the Word of God. Both are bread!
- The Lampstand - This is a picture of the Jesus Christ who is the light of the world! The oil represents the Holy Spirit. The only light within the Tabernacle was the radiant glow coming from the lampstand. The only true light within this world is Jesus Christ!
- The Tabernacle - It was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide made of brilliant white linen representing the holiness of God. Within the Tabernacle was the Holy Place Within the Holy Place of the tabernacle, there was an inner room called the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place. Judging from its name, we can see that it was a most sacred room, a place no ordinary person could enter. It was God’s special dwelling place in the midst of His people. During the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, God appeared as a pillar of cloud or fire in and above the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube — its length, width and height were all equal to 15 feet.
A thick curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This curtain, known as the “veil,” was made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. There were figures of cherubim (angels) embroidered onto it. Cherubim, spirits who serve God, were in the presence of God to demonstrate His almighty power and majesty. They also guarded the throne of God. These cherubim were also on the innermost layer of covering of the tent. If one looked upward, they would see the cherubim figures.
The word “veil” in Hebrew means a screen, divider or separator that hides. What was this curtain hiding? Essentially, it was shielding a holy God from sinful man. Whoever entered into the Holy of Holies was entering the very presence of God. In fact, anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies would die. Even the high priest, God’s chosen mediator with His people, could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling once a year, on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement.
The picture of the veil was that of a barrier between man and God, showing man that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He can tolerate no sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The veil was a barrier to make sure that man could not carelessly and irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence. Even as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to make some meticulous preparations: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins.
“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7)So the presence of God remained shielded from man behind a thick curtain during the history of Israel. However, Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross changed that. When He died, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it.
Notice, the last verse in chapter 25, God warns "you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you." Why? It's beautifully explained in Hebrews 9, and more specifically in Hebrews 9:23 - "That is why the earthly tent and everything in it - which were copies of things in Heaven..." God used this tent as a copy or an example of His plan of redemption and how we as Christians are to live a holy life before God. It's also a picture of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins.
As we get further along within the book of Exodus, we'll talk more about what these things represent!
God bless you, and have a wonderful day!