When the Glory Fell - February 22 Readings: Exodus 35:30-40:38, The Tabernacle

The Story of the Bible from Creation to the Cross to Eternal Glory

In 72 daily readings, we will examine the overall story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, seeking to get the big picture of God's work through Jesus Christ in this sinful world.

Today's Reading:  Exodus 35:30-40:38 (Read 35:30-36:7, 40:16-38 carefully)

Focus Passages: 

 Exodus 35:30-36:7
35:30 Moses then said to the Israelites: “Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft 32 to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft. 34 He has also given[a] both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill[b] to do all the work of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer[c] in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs.
 36 Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled[d] people are to work based on everything the Lord has commanded. The Lord has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary.”
 2 So Moses summoned Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, all whose hearts moved them, to come to the work and do it. 3 They took from Moses’s presence all the contributions that the Israelites had brought for the task of making the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.
 4 Then all the artisans who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.”
 6 After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped. 7 The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.
 Exodus 40:16-38
16 Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. 17 The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month.[a] 18 Moses set up the tabernacle: He laid its bases, positioned its supports, inserted its crossbars, and set up its pillars. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
 20 Moses took the testimony and placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the curtain for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.
 22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain. 23 He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.
 26 Moses installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. 28 He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.
 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. 32 They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
 33 Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.
 34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
 36 The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. 37 If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

Through the Bible Readings: Leviticus 22-23, Mark 3:1–12, Psalm 27:1–4, Proverbs6:25-29

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Context 

Today's reading is long, but two passages, noted above, are the key. In the first, we see the importance of the Spirit's work in accomplishing the work of God. In the second, we see how obedience to all of God's commands were the key to the display of the glory of God.

We will never see God's glory and power displayed among us if we walk in disobedience.

Devotional: When the Glory Fell 

Glory!

It was a startling and wonderful moment, as the glory of God came down and so filled the tabernacle that Moses had completed that he could not even enter the tent. Imagine that, will you? The presence of God was so strong, the power of God so real, so palpable, that God's servant could not even go into the designated place of worship.

Wouldn't that be something?

We hear a lot today about revival. At its root, revival is simply the restoration of the glory of God among the people of God. When the Scriptures speak of glory, they mean the manifest presence of God. God is always here, always everywhere. But sometimes he makes himself known in such a way that his presence is unmistakable. It may be a fiery sense of conviction, or an overwhelming sense of joy, or a burden for ministry, or a deep personal or corporate prayer time, or a moment when the Word of God just comes alive in an unusual way, or perhaps one of those blessed and all too rare moments in a worship service at church when there is an unusual sense of God's presence. Glory. The manifest presence of God.

There have been few times in history when the presence of God came down when the glory of God was displayed in the same way as it was in Exodus 40:34-35.

 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

But this did not happen in a vacuum. Revival, a mighty moving of God's Spirit that restores a people and changes a culture is a sovereign work of God that has happened all too rarely in history. But there are things that God's people can do to cultivate the nearness of God, the presence of God in their lives. The key is found in the verses that precede the one we just read, six words that appear repeatedly in the two chapters we read today. Look at Exodus 39:1, 5, 7, 21 26, 29, 31, 43, 40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, and verse 32. One more key is added in verse 33.

What are the six words that are repeated time and again in these verses? You've already figured it out, haven't you?

"...as the Lord had commanded Moses." 

Obedience. Moses did what God said. God gave him specific, detailed, and complete instructions on how to build the tabernacle, and Moses did things exactly, precisely and fully as God commanded. He didn't get creative or innovative. He didn't "do what he thought was best." He simply did what God told him to do. He obeyed God and the glory of God filled what he built.

That is the second key, the one mentioned in verse 33. "So Moses finished the work." He did what God told him to do and he left nothing undone. Obedience and perseverance in the work God gave are the keys to the blessing of God.

We may never experience the kind of dramatic glory that Moses and the Israelites did - perhaps we ought not even seek that. But we can seek the blessing of God on our lives daily and his active, powerful presence and we walk in obedience and as we persevere through hard times.

Father, help me to walk in obedience to you and to persevere in your ways even when things are tough. What I need, what we need at Southern Hills, what we all need, is your presence and power to rise up among us. Exalt yourself, O God! 

Think and Pray:

Are you walking in careful and persistent obedience to God in all things, or are you expecting God to display his power and presence in spite of the careless disobedience in your life?