Exodus 26:15-37 NKJV
15 “And for the tabernacle you shall make the boards of acacia wood, standing upright. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the width of each board. 17 Two tenons shall be in each board for binding one to another. Thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. 19 You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there shall be twenty boards 21 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards. 22 For the far side of the tabernacle, westward, you shall make six boards. 23 And you shall also make two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle. 24 They shall be coupled together at the bottom and they shall be coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus it shall be for both of them. They shall be for the two corners. 25 So there shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver—sixteen sockets—two sockets under each of the boards.
26 “And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 27 five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward. 28 The middle bar shall pass through the midst of the boards from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the boards with gold, make their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold. 30 And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.
31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 32 You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy. 35 You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.
36 “You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.
Even though the Lord is everywhere, He boxes Himself in, so to speak. The tabernacle is framed and covered. The Lord does not want Israel seeking Him anywhere except there, where He has promised to be found by them.
Even within the tabernacle the Lord is not readily accessible. The Lord commands Moses to make a veil that matches the curtains hanging over the tabernacle’s frame, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and with an artistic design of cherubim. This veil served as a boundary between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The Holy Place contained the showbread table, the candlestick, and the incense altar. The priest went in the Holy Place each day. The Most Holy Place, however, contained only the ark of the testimony. The priest only entered this place on the Day of Atonement each year. Even though the Lord only wanted to be found by Israel in the tabernacle, He also made it clear that Israel could only come to Him through the mediation of the High Priest, who brought the blood of sacrifice with him to make atonement for Israel’s sins.
Since the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, Jesus is the dwelling of God with man. Christ Jesus is the place—or rather the person—where we are to seek God for forgiveness, righteousness, and holiness. Although God is everywhere, He promises to be found only in the person of His Son. Just as Israel sought God, His mercy, and His holiness in the tabernacle, sinners find in Jesus a merciful God who forgives sins and gives holiness to those who believe His death atoned for their sins. His death tore the veil from the top to bottom (Matt 27:51). This signified that all who believe in Him may approach God directly because Christ has made full atonement for their sins by His blood. Because Christ has torn the veil in two by His death, we can come before God the Father in boldness, confidently praying for everything we need, fully assured that He will grant it to us for Jesus’ sake.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, grant us confidence to seek You in Jesus, where You have promised to graciously meet us to forgive our sins, give us Your holiness, and strengthen us to live holy lives according to Your word. Amen.