EXODUS 27 - WORSHIP IN THE TABERNACLE

Exodus 27

In Exodus 26 we were introduced to the tabernacle. The tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling in the midst of His people as they traveled through the dessert until they reached the promise land.

The tabernacle was a picture of God’s order as it applied to worship. It was a reminder that we can only truly worship God as he ordains it. However, the demand that the Jews construct the tabernacle, even as they were journeying from Egypt to the promise land, is also a powerful testimony to what Jesus would later promise in Matthew 28:20:

“And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God has never forsaken or abandoned His people, even in their most difficult times, and the tabernacle was meant to be a traveling memorial to that truth.

While chapter 26 described the structure of the tabernacle, chapter 27 is an initial picture of the layout of the tabernacle as it applies to the service of worship. It is a reminder that living temples our worship of God is meant to be done orderly and with purpose. Let’s see what we can learn from the tabernacle.

First we see the construction of an alter. The alter was where the people of Israel were to bring their offerings to the Lord. The alter was to be placed in the courtyard of the tabernacle, which was a public space. It is where the people came to meet with the priest, who would then take their sacrifices to God, who dwelt behind the curtains in the Holy of Holies. Prior to Jesus, only the priest could have direct access to God.

This structure provides us with an important lesson, While we often place a great emphasis on our sacrifices and what we can “give to the Lord”, God sees that as outside the tabernacle, or the external part of worship, and not part of the intimate worship he desires. This is not to negate the importance of making offerings to the Lord. Jesus commands us to pick up our cross daily and to, as Roman’s commands, make our very lives an offering unto the Lord. But we should note that the offering itself did not give anyone access to the Holy of Holies. Only the priest could take the blood from the offering to the very mercy seat of God. Likewise, only Jesus the great High Priest could present to God the ultimate sacrifice, which tore down the curtains that separated man from God.

What we would find as we entered the tabernacle, which represents the heart of worship, was first, the lamp of oil which was to be kept burning at all times. This is a beautiful picture of the Holy Spirit, who is often associated with oil and who we are warned in Thessalonians not to quench. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us directly “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”

Further Paul tells Timothy, as he would encourage all of us, to fan into flame the gift of God which he had by the laying on of hands. The work of the Holy Spirit is central to our worship of the Lord. Galatians 8 tells us:

“8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Not mentioned in chapter 27, but which will be covered in Exodus 30, also within the tabernacle is the alter of incense, which sat right before the Holy of Holies and which we are told in the book of Revelations are the prayers of the saints. We will look more deeply at this later.

But, from this we can gleam a picture of how we should faithfully use our bodies as the temple of God. Our lives are meant to be a life fueled by the Holy Spirit and filled with continuous prayer. This is the beginning of orderly worship.