Day 35: Tabernacle Items

 The description of the tabernacle continues. Following on from yesterday, this is designed to be a visual lesson to the Israelites about their God. How much did they know about him? It seems that God is determined to use this time in the desert for a lengthy “getting to know you” session.
 Hangings for gate of court

 Exodus 27:16-19

 Oil for the light

 Exodus 27:20-21, Leviticus 24:1-4

 Altar of incense

 Exodus 30:1-10

 Atonement money

 Exodus 30 :11-16

 Bronze basin

 Exodus 30:17-21

 Incense and spices

 Exodus 30:22-38

 Workmen

 Exodus 31:1-11

 Priesthood items

 Garments of the priests

 Exodus 28:2-30

 What did Moses think as God gave him this huge list of instructions? “This is going to take a while, Lord!” Fortunately, God was preparing people with the appropriate skills to make a good job of it - we hear of Bezalel and Oholiab, to who God gave his Holy Spirit to give them the skills necessary,
 It strikes me that God wanted to keep the Israelites busy, and having been camping with the family, I know this is a good idea. Get the children fetching water and lighting fires and banging the tent pegs in, and they won’t get bored. Making this tabernacle is going to be the work of years.
 As for what it all represents, well, it teaches a lot about the holiness of God. It has an inner, most sacred space, and Aaron and his sons are required to purify themselves before they can go in there, and to offer sacrifices. Somehow they have to find enough oil to keep the lamps burning, and enough flour to bake bread as an offering, even though the people as a whole are living off manna. The running of the tabernacle would be, in one sense, a huge burden on a people without a permanent base. On the other hand, it gives them a focus and a purpose - it stops them getting bored!