The One Year® Chronological Bible, NKJV (Tyndale, 2013), February 9
Behind every design is a designer-someone with a vision and a piece of paper. God is the Heavenly Designer of redemption. He communicates both His desire and His design to Moses, who oversees its construction on earth.
The Lord gives Moses the pattern from which he builds the Tent of Meeting―the place where holy God meets with sinful man. He instructs Moses, "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it" (Ex. 25:8-9). He gives Moses a pattern to follow in furnishing the temple, "And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain" (25:40). He also gives Moses a plan to follow when setting up the tabernacle, "And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain" (26:30).
True redemption began in the heart of God, was birthed in a womb of a virgin, died on a Roman cross, was buried in an earthy tomb, was raised gloriously from the dead, and ascended to the Father. True redemption is in a person-the true High Priest-Jesus. Redemption begins and ends in heaven, while religion is completely earthbound.
Religion refuses to recognize the vast chasm between God and man, heaven and earth, and God's holiness and man's sinfulness. Religion is an earthly design, the best that man can do. Religion cannot breach the divide between man and God.
The apostle Paul applied this truth about a heavenly pattern and earthly reality to New Testament Christians, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Works prepared by God beforehand for believers to embrace and experience. How wonderful! May our earthly lives conform to heaven's reality.
Questions from today's reading (Exodus 25:1-28:43):
What was the purpose of the congregational offering in chapter 25?
What do the design and the construction of the Tent of Meeting reveal about God?
The Lord separated Aaron and his descendants from the other tribes to serve in the Tent of Meeting. What will their service to the Lord and Israel cost them personally?