19 Dec Sermon Recap | Exodus | Tabernacle: Veiled Glory and Guidance
God instructs the Israelites to build a tabernacle in the center of their community—the tabernacle that would establish His presence among His people. Through the Israelites’ obedience, God is creating a way to be in relationship with those who trust in Him.
Scripture References
Rise and Fall | Daniel Renstrom | iTunes
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus | Daniel Renstrom | iTunes
Isaiah 9:6 • Isaiah 11:1-5
The First Noel | Grace Church Worship
Luke 2:8-20
This We Know | Vertical Worship | iTunes
Psalm 3 • Isaiah 55:8-9 • Hebrews 10:23
Yahweh | Hillsong Worship | iTunes
Exodus 3:14-15 • Philippians 2:9-11
Song of Moses | Aaron Keyes | iTunes
Revelation 15:3 • Exodus 15:1-3, 18 • Psalm 28:7
1. God creates the boundary of the tabernacle, reminding us that we have to relate to Him on terms that He has established. This stands in stark contrast to the Israelites’ creation of the golden calf where they attempted to worship on their own terms. What are the ways you bring cultural ideas into your worship to make it more comfortable for you instead of coming to Him on His terms? What else have you blended into your worship that puts your hope and identity in something else other than God?
2. The Israelites’ obedience puts them in a position to experience God’s presence. Many of us do not experience God’s presence, power, and sufficiency on a regular basis because there are parts of our lives where he has given us clear direction, and we are not obeying. In what area of your life do you need to obey? What are the things in your life that don’t line up with who God is? Who will you confess to as a step of obedience in community?
3. Bill explained that you will not see that God is enough for you until you obey Him. The desire to have someone or something else to connect with or affirm us, emotionally and physically, has to be entrusted to God; this is a part of obedience. Have you experienced being able to entrust this desire to God? How have relationships, and this desire to connect, wounded you and what effect does this have on your relationship with God?
4. Exodus is about the God of the universe coming to us and pitching His tent in the center of a people who have nothing to bring to Him. How does the truth that Jesus is the fulfillment of this relate to you?
Thoughts to Consider
– God is holy and establishes the terms of His relationship with His people.
– When John 1:14 says, God “dwelt among us,” it is referencing a “tabernacle” or “tent.” The fulfillment of what God is saying in Exodus is Jesus Himself living in a tent of human skin (incarnation) so that we can see the fullness of grace and truth as He puts to death our sin and makes a way for us.
– When we obey Him, we will find out that He is enough for us. Once we obey Him, and entrust ourselves to Him, we find out that rejection is really not that big of a deal.
