Tabernacle Together

The Tabernacle is in it's simplest terms a home. It was a dwelling place for God build upon His command by the Israelites in their pilgrimage through Egypt towards Canaan. The Tabernacle is known in the Hebrew as Mishkan This word is closely related to the Hebrew word to "dwell", "rest", or "to live in", referring to the "[In-dwelling] Presence of God" The tabernacle was a Holy place, a Tent of Meeting, a Sanctuary where God dwelt and where the people could sacrifice their offerings to Him.

Exodus 35:4-29 describes the materials used to build the tabernacle.

vs.4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have take an offering to the Lord.

vs.20 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tabernacle, for all it's service, and for the sacred garments.

To get this structure built, the people had to muck in, and muck in they did! They gave their money and wealth as offerings, they gave their time and their skills, they gave their all to building and constructing a place where God might dwell. As I read through that passage in my readings I fought the tendency to skim over it as a list of things that people offered and saw the amazing encouragement that it holds. The Israelites worked together, and gave themselves to see the Sanctuary of God developed. What a challenge that is to us in relationship to our local Churches, but isn't it great when we do all work together!

Yesterday our church opened it's doors as it does every year for the Brentwood Half Marathon, we provide refreshments and activities for the runners and their families, and once again it was a great success, why? because a group of people decide to work together for a united cause, for the Israelites it was the tabernacle, what is it for us?

Let's work together in unity under the Spirit of God giving ourselves, our gifts and our time to see what God might do through people willing to bring an offering to Him.