Today’s Reading: Exodus 40:1-33

Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; 7 place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.

17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.

20 He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord commanded him.

22 Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.

24 He placed 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, as the Lord commanded him.

26 Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. 28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.

30 He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.

33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

NIV

 

As I was laboriously reading this text I began to pray, “Lord, is there anything here at all for me to learn?”  Then suddenly it came to me.  Just as all the tabernacles pieces had to be made exactly as specified by the Lord and put together exactly as order by the Lord, our lives here and now, and our worship, and our churches, and ministries also must be in obedience to the Lord if we expect to hear God’s voice and follow in His steps.  Just as God had a plan for the tabernacle so that God could dwell with them and so that they could worship Him properly, He also has a plan for our lives and for the way He wants us to live and worship Him. And if we follow His leading then He will prosper us—I mean He will make us holy and fit vessels for His service. 

Have you ever put up a tent?  How about putting together a swing set?  Well, if it’s new, it will probably come with directions.  You see what I am getting at?  The Tabernacle had to be put together according to God’s directions so that worship could be done properly, so that God would be honored.  The things that we do in life, God has a plan for the way it is to be done. Though it may seem laborious to do things His way all the time—like going to church every Sunday, and having a devotional time every day—those thing we do as a matter of practice will help to keep us from sin and keep us strong in purity.  Just as Moses had to obey the Lord in every detail of making the tabernacle and putting it together, we also must obey the Lord in everything He wants us to do as well.  Our orders from Him are contained in His word and also from our spiritual leaders who are following His word.  

I guess today’s reading wasn’t so bad after all.  God has really spoken to me.