3.6.25
Good morning!
The Torah portion this week, Tetzaveh/and you shall command is a continuation from the previous Torah portion/Terumah, where we dove into some details on the Tabernacle/Mishkan. More often than not, we (speaking of me, myself and I) tend to overlook the details of the Torah as mundane and superfluous. However, before we begin this morning, let's remind ourselves of Paul's encouragement from Rom. 15:4...whatever was written before was written for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope :-)
You may recall that the Mishkan has 3 parts. The outer court/chatzer, where we found the brazen altar and laver; with access for anyone (Rom. 12:1,2; Eph. 5:26). Travel further to the West and you'll enter into the tent/ohel, which is divided into two parts. The holy place/kodesh, a limited access room, which contains the menorah, the altar of incense and the table of faces. Keep traveling westward and you'll enter the most restrictive room; the Holy of Holies/kodesh hakodashim, where the Ark and its cover/kaporet are found; the place where God would meet with Moses (Ex. 25:22) and where Aaron had access one time a year...at Yom Kippur.
Just as this section of Scripture connects to the previous portion...the pattern continues with every section building on one another...duh, Alan. You are the master of the obvious (LOL).
The sections of the Tabernacle are connected to the three divisions at Mt. Sinai. Do you remember those? All the people were welcome around the base (Ex. 19:12,13), but only certain individuals could go up the mountain (Ex. 24:9-11) and only Moses and Joshua were able to ascend into the cloud (Ex. 24:12-13).
Why the boundaries? Why the divisions/havdalah? Why the restrictions?
I'll let you think about that for a while...
When the Mishkan was finished, the cloud covered the tent and God's glory filled the Tabernacle. Ahhh, we are experiencing a reliving of Mt. Sinai! What an amazing day. What an amazing week. What an amazing month. And what amazing year of God's glorious presence was about to be experienced.
God's people had done everything that God had commanded Moses (Ex. 40:1-33). The glorious cloud filled the Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38). And the nation now gets to experience what Moses experienced as He ascended into the cloud to get God's instructions/Torah (Ex. 24:15).
Surely, there's more than just parallelism to be gleaned from these two experiences!??
Let's begin with the obvious. The Mishkan reflects Mt. Sinai, the revelation of God to the nation. Something, with just a little reflection, we can all relate to...those moments where God inspired you; gave you a divine revelation; where you had a V-8 moment; etc. It may have come through a dynamic zoom call (hint hint for tomorrow night's zoom call:-), a powerful sermon, a moving song, a theatrical presentation or even a movie...whatever the catalyst, you were moved to change for the better.
A major problem with these divine encounters is the inspiration only lasts for a short time...in most cases. That's the challenge of life! The magic is lost. The thought loses its grip. it becomes less important and even fuzzy in our memory.
It's exactly what we see at Mt. Sinai! The greatest revelation in the history of the world. The people prepared for 50 days and followed a specific protocol the last three days. So powerful was the event that it shook the world. There was lightning and thunder. Fire and smoke. God's voice revealed as flaming tongues of fire and a shofar blast that grew with intensity. it would be the first and last time God would reveal Himself to an entire nation at one moment in time. It was so powerful that the people said, 3 times, 'whatever you say we will do (Ex. 19:8; 24:3,7). But, would it last? As with us too often...NOPE.
How do we keep the moment close to us? You guessed it...build the Tabernacle; a portable Sinai. Moses's moments on top of Sinai is re-lived in the Holy of Holies. The Priests who went up the mountain serve in the Holy Place and all the people have access to God's presence at the altar. Ironically, each of the vessels and parts of the Tabernacle structure are holy/set apart for God's service. Hence, Peter's reiteration of Leviticus 11 & 19 that we are to be 'holy, even as God is holy' (1 Pet. 1:15,16).
Daily, as the 12 tribes gathered around the Mishkan they would see the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night...memories of Sinai. They had the opportunity to recreate the Sinai experience every day...communing with God daily. Living in His presence. Approaching Him through His instructions (Lev. 1-9).
The command is still the same today with our own lives...Make me a sanctuary that I may dwell within you (Ex. 25:8). No, we don't have a physical tabernacle like God's people did. However, it's not just about the physical structure...it's about the lessons of the structure that allow us to tap into closeness with God by separating ourselves from the way the world functions (Jer. 10:1-4; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Hence, the study of Scripture. Obedience. Prayer. Sharing the faith. Worship...GLORY...repeat daily!
Make it a wonderful day of continued revelation!
Shalom!
You may recall that the Mishkan has 3 parts. The outer court/chatzer, where we found the brazen altar and laver; with access for anyone (Rom. 12:1,2; Eph. 5:26). Travel further to the West and you'll enter into the tent/ohel, which is divided into two parts. The holy place/kodesh, a limited access room, which contains the menorah, the altar of incense and the table of faces. Keep traveling westward and you'll enter the most restrictive room; the Holy of Holies/kodesh hakodashim, where the Ark and its cover/kaporet are found; the place where God would meet with Moses (Ex. 25:22) and where Aaron had access one time a year...at Yom Kippur.
Just as this section of Scripture connects to the previous portion...the pattern continues with every section building on one another...duh, Alan. You are the master of the obvious (LOL).
The sections of the Tabernacle are connected to the three divisions at Mt. Sinai. Do you remember those? All the people were welcome around the base (Ex. 19:12,13), but only certain individuals could go up the mountain (Ex. 24:9-11) and only Moses and Joshua were able to ascend into the cloud (Ex. 24:12-13).
Why the boundaries? Why the divisions/havdalah? Why the restrictions?
I'll let you think about that for a while...
When the Mishkan was finished, the cloud covered the tent and God's glory filled the Tabernacle. Ahhh, we are experiencing a reliving of Mt. Sinai! What an amazing day. What an amazing week. What an amazing month. And what amazing year of God's glorious presence was about to be experienced.
God's people had done everything that God had commanded Moses (Ex. 40:1-33). The glorious cloud filled the Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38). And the nation now gets to experience what Moses experienced as He ascended into the cloud to get God's instructions/Torah (Ex. 24:15).
Surely, there's more than just parallelism to be gleaned from these two experiences!??
Let's begin with the obvious. The Mishkan reflects Mt. Sinai, the revelation of God to the nation. Something, with just a little reflection, we can all relate to...those moments where God inspired you; gave you a divine revelation; where you had a V-8 moment; etc. It may have come through a dynamic zoom call (hint hint for tomorrow night's zoom call:-), a powerful sermon, a moving song, a theatrical presentation or even a movie...whatever the catalyst, you were moved to change for the better.
A major problem with these divine encounters is the inspiration only lasts for a short time...in most cases. That's the challenge of life! The magic is lost. The thought loses its grip. it becomes less important and even fuzzy in our memory.
It's exactly what we see at Mt. Sinai! The greatest revelation in the history of the world. The people prepared for 50 days and followed a specific protocol the last three days. So powerful was the event that it shook the world. There was lightning and thunder. Fire and smoke. God's voice revealed as flaming tongues of fire and a shofar blast that grew with intensity. it would be the first and last time God would reveal Himself to an entire nation at one moment in time. It was so powerful that the people said, 3 times, 'whatever you say we will do (Ex. 19:8; 24:3,7). But, would it last? As with us too often...NOPE.
How do we keep the moment close to us? You guessed it...build the Tabernacle; a portable Sinai. Moses's moments on top of Sinai is re-lived in the Holy of Holies. The Priests who went up the mountain serve in the Holy Place and all the people have access to God's presence at the altar. Ironically, each of the vessels and parts of the Tabernacle structure are holy/set apart for God's service. Hence, Peter's reiteration of Leviticus 11 & 19 that we are to be 'holy, even as God is holy' (1 Pet. 1:15,16).
Daily, as the 12 tribes gathered around the Mishkan they would see the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night...memories of Sinai. They had the opportunity to recreate the Sinai experience every day...communing with God daily. Living in His presence. Approaching Him through His instructions (Lev. 1-9).
The command is still the same today with our own lives...Make me a sanctuary that I may dwell within you (Ex. 25:8). No, we don't have a physical tabernacle like God's people did. However, it's not just about the physical structure...it's about the lessons of the structure that allow us to tap into closeness with God by separating ourselves from the way the world functions (Jer. 10:1-4; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Hence, the study of Scripture. Obedience. Prayer. Sharing the faith. Worship...GLORY...repeat daily!
Make it a wonderful day of continued revelation!
Shalom!
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