Day 1: What is it, and why?

And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
-Exodus 25:8

The ‘Tabernacle of Meeting’ was used from about a year after leaving Egypt until the building of King Solomon’s Temple, about 480 years. (I Kings 6:1). God did not ‘dwell’ with the Israelites like He does today-through Christ He now dwells within us-but He wanted a place for them to focus, to fellowship with Him. But the Tabernacle allows us-now-to look backward and see how He was using it to POINT us to Christ. 

And that will be the focus on this study-how do we see Christ in the Tabernacle. Not that I want to be one of those that twisted and turns things to suit my particular idea. And I have no intention of being one of those that take it so literally that each verse is directed at me. (The old joke about ‘Judas hanged himself’, so ‘go and do likewise’). For the scriptures aren’t ‘all about me’. 

But they ARE ‘All About Christ’. Luke records that Christ, on the journey to Emmaus after His resurrection that ‘Then beginning with Moses and with all of he prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures.” (Luke 24:27). So I feel justified in making the case that for the Israelites the Tabernacle meant one thing, but we can see that it was pointing to something greater-to the promise both spiritually and physically that He will dwell with us: now, spiritually through Christ who dwells within us (Galatians 2:20) and someday (hopefully soon) physically (Revelation 21:3).

Scripture reading for today: 

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 21:1-4
 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”