Exodus 36:8-38 • Jesus, Our Entrance

Review & Overview

1. Previous Study’s Review

If you remember in Ex.35-40 we’ll be looking at the construction of the Tabernacle as well as the various articles for the Tabernacle.…

And the Priestly Garments for those who minister in the Tabernacle…

So this section of the book involves & revolves around the Work that will be done for the Lord - It’s all about Israel’s obedience to the Lord.

So far we’ve looked at several things pertaining to Israel’s Obedience:

In Chapter 35, Israel’s Obedience Involved: Their Priority, Giving, the Holy Spirit, and Sufficiency.

Last Friday, we saw that God’s sufficiency is beyond enough.

Anytime there is a work of the holy spirit there will always be sufficiency.

2. Current Study’s Overview

That brings us to Vs. 8 of Chapter 36 and our study for today as we continue to look at Israel’s Obedience and it involves, building the tabernacle. Read…

The Title of today’s message is: Jesus, Our Entrance: The Building of the Tabernacle

Because as you saw in our quick reading of today’s scripture we see Israel’s begin to build the tabernacle.

What was the tabernacle?

- **A Dwelling Place Among His People**: The Tabernacle was a way for God to dwell among the Israelites (Exodus 25:8). It was a physical manifestation of His presence and a constant reminder of His commitment to lead and protect His chosen people.

- **A Means to Communicate and Guide**: It served as a venue where God would meet Moses and communicate with the Israelites, providing them with guidance, laws, and instructions (Exodus 29:42-43).

- **A Sacred Space for Worship**: The Tabernacle was where sacrifices and worship were to be conducted according to God’s instructions, facilitating a way for the Israelites to atone for their sins and maintain a relationship with Him.

- **A Center of Worship and Sacrifice**: It was the focal point of religious life and practices, where sacrifices were made, and festivals were celebrated. It underscored the importance of obedience, atonement, and worship.

- **A Symbol of God's Presence and Provision**: For the Israelites, the Tabernacle was a constant, visible reminder that God was with them, guiding and providing for them during their journey through the wilderness and beyond.

- **A Reminder of the Covenant**: It served as a physical symbol of the covenant between God and Israel, a reminder of their special relationship, and the laws and promises that bound them together.

Overall Significance:

The Tabernacle represented God's holiness and the need for purification and atonement to approach Him.

It also illustrated the concept of God's mobility, as the Tabernacle was portable and moved with the Israelites, unlike fixed temples of other religions of the time.

Ultimately, it foreshadowed the coming of Christ, who would embody God's presence and provide the ultimate sacrifice for sin, making the physical Tabernacle obsolete as the new covenant was established through Him.

In summary, the Tabernacle was central to the spiritual life of Israel, serving as a sacred place where God dwelt among His people, guiding, instructing, and being worshipped by them.

It was a constant reminder of God's promise, presence, and provision, as well as Israel's dependence on and responsibility to God.

If you are taking notes we want to look at 5 things as it pertains to building the tabernacle…

1. The Curtains Covering the Tabernacle (36:8–19)

The inner curtains, made of fine linen, were called “the tabernacle” (v. 8).

Next were curtains of goats’ hair, “the tent” (v. 14).

The curtains of ram skins and badger skins (or possibly seal or porpoise skins) were called “the covering” (v. 19).

So the tent or Tabernacle of Meeting is made up of 3 types of material:

Goats hair or Goat skin…        Ram skin…      &   Badger skin being the outer most layer…

APPLICATION: And this is interesting because all that would be seen is a skin tent.

who could imagine all the treasure inside!?

We carry this treasure in earthen vessels.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

2. The Boards for the Three Sides (36:20–30)

These boards were made of acacia wood, the only kind of wood used in the tabernacle.

Acacia trees flourished in dry places, were very beautiful, and produced wood that was practically indestructible.

APPLICATION: Likewise, the Lord Jesus was a root out of dry ground (Isa. 53:2), was morally beautiful, and is the Eternal One.

Isaiah 53:2 NKJV

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

John 17:5 NKJV

5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

3. The Bars Which Held the Boards Together (36:31–34)

Four of the bars were visible, one invisible because it passed through the center of the boards.

The invisible bar is a good picture of the Holy Spirit, binding believers together into “a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21, 22).

Ephesians 2:21–22 NKJV

21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

4. The Veil Leading to the Most Holy Place (36:35, 36)

This veil represents the flesh of the Lord Jesus (Heb. 10:20), torn on Calvary in order to open the way of approach to God for us.

Hebrews 10:20 NKJV

20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

Matthew 27:51 NKJV

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

APPLICATION: Talk about Jesus’ body being broken and torn for us. Suffering for our sins.

The cherubim on the veil are thought to represent guardians of the righteous throne of God looking down on humanity.

5. The Screen Leading to the Holy Place (36:37, 38)

This screen was made of the same material as the gate of the court and the veil mentioned above, and pictures Christ as the way to God.

John 14:6 NKJV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

APPLICATION: Jesus is the way for everyone…

ENDING….