Exodus 40:1-17 NKJV 40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.
9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.
12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.
17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.
Human reason, although a gift of God to use to His glory and for our benefit, still being part of our sinful flesh, can cause us to think arrogantly and believe that it is OK to place God beneath us and put Him to the test with questions. Fallen reason could conclude “Sure, it was a great glory that God dwelt among the Israelites in a physical location (a tabernacle) that He himself commanded them to build. If only we had such a firsthand command from God in the New Testament, we could have followed that and become truly be happy.”
God, however, has instructed His New Testament believers where He is to be located — it is where He gathers us around His Word and Sacraments. God establishes peace and love with us through Holy Baptism, in all the preaching of the Gospel, in Confession and Holy Absolution, and in the eating and drinking of His most Holy Supper. These are the means of grace, only empowered by His living and active Word, through which He chose to continue to dwell (tabernacle) among us!
Valerious Herberger (a 16th & 17th century Lutheran theologian) reveals another place that God tabernacles as he writes: “a believing heart is God’s habitation and a God-pleasing sanctuary. As the Lord Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Thus St. Peter says, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house and as a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5); and, “Sanctify the Lord Your God in your hearts” (1 Pet. 3:15). And St. Paul: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and that you are” (1 Cor. 3:17);” (The Great Works of God, Part VI, translation Matthew Carver, pg. 581, Emmanuel Press)
Let us pray: O Lord, we give You thanks that You have tabernacled among us through the centuries. Grant us the awareness of Your continued dwelling within us as well. Amen.