The Tabernacle and the Means of Worship

Introduction

In his commentary on the book of Exodus, specifically regarding this chapter, Matthew Henry comments:

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Exodus 25:1–9

the scripture is designed to direct us in our duty, not to fill our heads with speculations, nor to please our fancies

As we come out of the events that have transpired on Mount Sinai with the ratification of the covenant between God and man and ending in the Glory of God being displayed like “a consuming fire on the mountain top, in the eyes of the sons of Israel”, Scripture teaches us that Moses entered into the midst of the cloud. During the forty days and nights he would remain on the mountain within the cloud God continues to give Moses instructions for His people. Already in the giving of the decalogue and the civil laws we have seen examples and principles regarding how God was and is to be worshipped. Beginning in chapter 25, however, God will get very detailed and very specific as He instructs His people regarding the means of Worship.

That term, means of worship, is one that we need to explore a bit to help us understand the purpose of really everything recorded in Scripture from chapter twenty-five of Exodus all the way through to the tenth chapter of Numbers. Throughout all of this text, the primary, or dominating, emphasis of God’s Word is worship. Literally God teaches His people through His Word where they should worship, how they should worship, by whom worship should be done, with whom it is done and with what it is done. The term “means of worship”, literally means the medium, method or instrument used in the act of worshipping the Holy God. The medium of worship is the substance or intervening agent that is used. For the Israelites this would be the sacrifices, the incense, the blood, the bread, etc. The methods are the procedures or techniques that are used, such as the preparations made by the priest to approach God, and, lastly, the instruments are the tools or implements involved in worship. For the Israelites this would be the furniture within the tabernacle proper and the altar that would be outside the tabernacle, but within the “courtyard”.

As we come to this section of Scripture we need to be reminded of two very important truths. First, we need to take heed to the teaching of Paul in regards to the origin and profitability of all Scripture found in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.” and secondly, we need to be reminded that we are not ancient Israel. There are principles here that teach us much about our worship of God, but we are not being commanded to go out and build a tabernacle in a field so that God can dwell with His people. The tabernacle as a whole is a type, much as the other types that we have dealt with thus far in the book of Exodus, it is a shadow of something to come. Here, when we deal with the tabernacle, it is a type or a shadow of the coming of a greater tabernacle, one that is recorded for us in John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word dwelt, can also be, and is in some versions, translated as tabernacle. As we will see this morning, in this set of verses that introduce the next section in Exodus the sole purpose of the first tabernacle and the true tabernacle was so that God could dwell among His people and that as His people, we willingly worship and give.

Let us stand for the reading of God’s Holy, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient Word,

Text

Exodus 25:1–9 LSB

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak with the sons of Israel so that they take a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart is willing you shall take My contribution. “And this is the contribution which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. “And let them make a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall make it.

Let us pray

Father, as we enter this time of worship together, we thank You for Your faithful Word. We praise You that we can see can gather and seek real truth from the One who is truth. May Your be faithfully proclaimed in this place today so that You are exulted and Your glory is magnified above all things. We ask these things in the name of Your precious son, Jesus Christ by whom we are able to make these petitions known to You, Amen.

Please be seated.

Willingly Give

In the preceding chapter we encountered Moses and the people of God coming together with God around and on the slopes and peak of Mount Sinai in a worship service. We noted that this worship service teaches us a principle surrounding our times of corporate worship, specifically as the people of Lord gathering on the Lord’s day for the purpose of praising, honoring and glorifying Him. We saw that this time is defined by four actions, the call to worship, the reading of the Word, the confession of faith and then the consummation of a sacramental meal (or for us performing the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper).

Noticeably absent from this first worship service is the giving of a freewill offering by the people of God to support the work of God. I would contend that this was intentionally action was kept separated from this time of worship so that the people of God would know that they depend upon God and not the other way around. In fact, the offering will not take place until Moses descends from Sinai to present to the people all that God commanded him. Nevertheless, the giving of an offering is a command of God to His people which we must obey…but notice the condition regarding their obedience to this command.

Exodus 25:2 clearly states that the contribution is to be made “from every man whose heart is willing” meaning that the action of giving to God is one that is commanded but also dependent upon the condition of the heart. Often times in the church today we confuse the terms tithe and offering, or we simply mash them together in an effort to elicit a sense of obligation to being obedient to the strict adherence to the law whereby the people are required to give a “tenth” of everything. The danger in this teaching lies in the motivation of the giver to support the work of the church. The tendency is to see this as a minimum requirement and as long as we meet the minimum then we are good and do not need to support the work further. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

So as we look at verse 2 what did it mean for the Israelites in the wilderness beneath Mount Sinai and what bearing does it have on the church today. First we again note that this is a command with a stipulation. God commands Moses to speak to the sons of Israel so that they will take a contribution. The word in Hebrew has as it root a word that means to raise up, to exult. This carries with it the understanding that the contribution to be made was to be offered up to God for Him. Pay attention to the purpose of the contribution, for Me. The express purpose of the contribution was NOT to build a tabernacle, that is what God intends this offering to be used for, but it was not the stated reason. The offering was to be for God…period. Think for a moment regarding what has brought them to this point. They were enslaved in Egypt, God delivered them and as He brought them out of Egypt He gave them a command through Moses and in Exodus 12:35–36 we see them being obedient and most importantly we see God provide, just as He and said He would. We read, Exodus 12:35-36

Exodus 12:35–36 LSB

Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses—they had asked from the Egyptians for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and Yahweh had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

God provided for His people and now He was requiring that they return a portion of what they had received to Him, for Him. It is necessary that we understand the stipulation that is contained alongside the command, that the giving be done from a willing heart. Interestingly the word we find translated here as willing is different from what most of us would consider to be the definition of willing. In English the word willing is defined as inclined to or cheerfully consenting and we would see this as something we want to do simply because we want to do it, but that is not the idea we see here in the Hebrew. The word in Hebrew is used to speak of a volunteering as a soldier, to feel compelled to respond out of a sense of responsibility and duty. God desires that His people give to Him out of a willing heart, one that loves God so much, that it desires nothing more than to give to the One who first gave to it.

Which brings us to the second question this raises, what bearing does this have on the church today. The principle that still applies to the church today just as much as it did to the Israelites standing before God that day at Mount Sinai, is that God still commands His people to give and, just as it was then, so it is now, the command comes with a stipulation that the giving should be done willingly. As you may recall a few moments ago we read a verse from Corinthians. In the surrounding text Paul is exhorting the believers at Corinth regarding a promised blessing or generous gift as the NIV translates the Greek. He goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 9:5 “So I regarded it necessary to encourage the brothers that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised blessing, so that the same would be ready as a blessing and not as a begrudging obligation.” We should give and we should give generously, to God, not out of need to check a box, but from a heart that has been changed from a heart of stone to one of flesh; one that desires to give simply because of He has first given to us.

Continuing for a moment in 2 Corinthians 9:6 Paul writes “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing will also reap with blessing.” First, it is necessary that we clear the air and be precise, this does not teach that the more you give the more you get, that is a false teaching that is dangerous and absolutely heretical. This interpretation of this verse is one that is used to imply that somehow God owes us more just because we give more; but the truth is that God has already given all we need in Christ Jesus, and to say that just because we return a larger portion of what He gives back to Him in order to get more goes against the clear teaching of Scripture. Secondly, if we look at what ultimately happens with the offering that God has commanded Moses to speak to the people about, it gives us a better understanding of what Paul meant. Looking ahead for just a moment, we read Exodus 35:29 “The sons of Israel—all the men and women whose heart was willing to bring material for all the work, which Yahweh had commanded through the hand of Moses to do—brought a freewill offering to Yahweh.” and Exodus 36:4-7

Exodus 36:4–7 LSB

And all the wise men who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was doing, and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the service of the work which Yahweh commanded us to do.” So Moses commanded and a proclamation was passed throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer do the work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more. Indeed, the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to do it.

The truth of what we see happening in Exodus surrounding the contribution for the Tabernacle and Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians help us to see that when people respond to God according to how He has worked in their hearts, He will more than provide and the people will be blessed through His provision; Israel with God’s presence among His people in the Tabernacle in the wilderness and us with a deeper understanding and awareness of communion with God through the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His people.

Willing Worship

There is a second observation that I believe needs to be made from what we see here in verse two. Although it is not specifically stated, I believe that it is implicitly implied here that not only is it imperative that our giving be done with a willing heart, but even more so our worship is to be done out of a willing heart. When we understand worship to be much more than just gathering to sing songs on Sunday mornings, that worship is truly a lifestyle of living before God in such a way that our entire lives are given over to exulting Him, then it should become clear that this must be done from a willing heart. A heart, that is only willing because of the change that is wrought in the lives of believers by the power and work of the Holy Spirit in the application of the work of Christ, a heart that has been regenerated, made new, with a desire to please and obey God, and what better way to obey God than by willingly worshipping Him daily, cheerfully, joyfully and willingly.

Substance of the Offering

Verses 3 - 7 outline for us various materials that God requires in this offering. As we work through the next few chapters we will deal more in depth with the materials that are used to make up the different components of the means of worship, however, it is important that we do address them briefly in our discussion this morning. First, we should note that each of major divisions of this earth contribute to the building of the tabernacle. We have the division of minerals providing the metals that will be used, the division of plants providing the yarns and fabrics and the animals providing dye, skins, leathers and sacrifices. Literally all the earth contributes to construct the dwelling place of God in the midst of His people.

AW Pink has this to say in his book “Gleanings in Exodus”:

Gleanings in Exodus (Chapter 34: The Tabernacle (Continued))

Each of these articles tells forth one of the manifold perfections of {God}. The gold, His Divine glory. The silver, the redemption which He wrought and bought for us. The brass, His capacity to endure the wrath of God against our sins. The blue, His heavenly origin. The purple, His royal majesty. The scarlet, His earthly glory in a coming day. The fine linen, His holiness made manifest by His righteous walk and ways. The goats’ hair, His atonement. The rams’ skins, His devotedness to God. The badgers’ skins, His ability to protect His people. The shittim wood, His incorruptible humanity. The oil for the light, His Divine wisdom. The spices, His fragrance unto God. The precious stones, His priestly perfections.

As I said, we will address each of these in more detail as we move through God’s instructions regarding the tabernacle in the next few weeks. One final note before we move on to verses 8-9. Each of these elements or materials have been provided to the people of God by the provision of God. The gold, the silver and the bronze likely came from what was given to the Israelites as they left Egypt; the cloth, either through trade or through skills learned while in captivity, the dies, skins and other leather goods through trade or farming; the wood, a plentiful tree in that part of the world that was readily available for working; the oils, spices, and stones all either through trade, farming. Regardless of how these things came to be in the possession of the people, it was accomplished through the provision of God.

God Dwells Among Men

In the remaining verses God unveils to Moses His intentions regarding the materials gathered in the offering. RC Sproul stated it like this “The kingship was now to be appropriately recognized by the building of a residence for God as a symbol of His royal authority over Israel.” God desired to dwell with the people, but not before they were released from bondage (deliverance from Egypt), separated from their enemies (final defeat of Egypt in the Red Sea), and established His government (through the ratification of the covenant). Now that those things had been accomplished, it was time to build His dwelling place among men.

First, we need to remember, that this is not a true “home” for God. Solomon, after completing the temple, which was a much bigger structure, observed in 1 Kings 8:27 ““But will God truly dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!” The tabernacle was a symbolic dwelling place for God amongst His people. There He would meet with His people through the mediation of Moses during his life, there His “throne”, the mercy seat, would be housed. This was of such importance to God that through Moses He gives us ten chapters devoted to very specific details, specifications, etc. AW Pink noted “two chapters suffice for a record of God’s work in creating and fitting this earth for human habitation, whereas ten chapters are needed to tell us about the tabernacle.” This should give us an idea of how significant this is in the life of Israel and in the life of the church today.

For Israel, this was a continual reminder of the presence of God with His people. Ever since they have left Egypt and all through out the wilderness in the years to come they would not only have the guiding of the pillar of cloud by day and of fire at night, but that when they stopped moving, the cloud would come and rest on the tabernacle, specifically on the tent of meeting. Scripture records that while the cloud or the presence remained, the people stayed where they were, but when the cloud lifted, then they would move.

As we walk through the instructions over the next ten chapters we need to remain acutely aware that there are principles for the church today. The tabernacle didn’t just represent God’s dwelling amongst the people of Israel, it ultimately foreshadowed the great dwelling of God with man in the form of Christ. John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word translated from the Greek here is being used in the same sense as the tabernacle of God, John is literally using tabernacle language to describe the actions of the Son as He Philippians 2:7-11

Philippians 2:7–11 (LSB)

...emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We will note as we move through the instructions that the directions for building the tabernacle begin with in the interior, in fact with the Ark of the Covenant, the very throne where God manifested Himself in Holiness and moves outward, moving in the same order that sovereign grace moves, God, coming from His throne on high to the very outer door where the sinners are located. Interestingly, when we study the record of the construction we will note that the order is reversed, moving from the outside, inward…the order of the experiential nature of the believer in which the divine truth is ultimately apprehended by the soul.

As we study the tabernacle we will see, very clearly, the ways in which it foreshadows Christ. AW Pink recorded no less than 14 ways that this is seen:

Gleanings in Exodus Chapter 33: The Tabernacle

1. The Tabernacle was a temporary appointment. In this it differed from the temple of Solomon, which was a permanent structure. The Tabernacle was simply a tent, a temporary convenience, something that was suited to be moved about from place to place during the journeyings of the children of Israel. So it was when our blessed Lord tabernacled here among men. His stay was but a brief one—less than forty years; and, like the type. He abode not long in any one place, but was constantly on the move, unwearied in the activity of His love.

2. The Tabernacle was for use in the wilderness. After Israel settled in Canaan, the Tabernacle was superceded by the temple. But during the time of the pilgrimage from Egypt to the promised land, the Tabernacle was God’s appointed provision for them. The wilderness strikingly foreshadowed the conditions amid which the eternal Word tabernacled among men at His first advent. The wilderness-home of the Tabernacle unmistakably foreshadowed the manger-cradle, the Nazareth-carpenter’s bench, the “nowhere for the Son of man to lay His head,” the borrowed tomb for His sepulcher. A careful study of the chronology of the Pentateuch seems to indicate that Israel used the Tabernacle in the wilderness rather less than thirty-five years!

3. The Tabernacle was mean, humble, and unattractive in outward appearance. Altogether unlike the costly and magnificent temple of Solomon there was nothing in the externals of the Tabernacle to please the carnal eye. Nothing but plain boards and skins. So it was at the Incarnation. The Divine majesty of our Lord was hidden beneath a veil of flesh. He came, unattended by any imposing retinues of angels. To the unbelieving gaze of Israel He had no form or comeliness; and when they beheld Him their unanointed eyes saw in Him no beauty that they should desire Him.

4. The Tabernacle was God’s dwelling place. It was there, in the midst of Israel’s camp, that He took up His abode. There, between the Cherubim. upon the mercy-seat He made His throne. In the holy of holies He manifested His presence by means of the Shekinah glory. And during the thirty-three years that the Word tabernacled among men. God had His dwelling-place in Palestine. The holy of holies received its anti-typical fulfillment in the person of the Holy One of God. Just as the Shekinah dwelt between the two Cherubim, so on the mount of transfiguration the glory of the God-man flashed forth from between two men—Moses and Elijah. “We beheld his glory “is the language of the tabernacle-type.

5. The Tabernacle was, therefore, the place where God met with man. It was termed “the Tent of Meeting.” If an Israelite desired to draw near unto Jehovah he had to come to the door of the Tabernacle. When giving instruction to Moses concerning the making of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, God said, “And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark, and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, awl I will commune with thee” (Ex. 25:21–22). How perfect is this lovely type! Christ is the meeting-place between God and man. No man cometh unto the Father but by Him (John 14:6). There is but one Mediator between God and men—the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). He is the One who spans the gulf between Deity and humanity, because Himself both God and Man.

6. The Tabernacle was the center of Israel’s camp. In the immediate vicinity of the Tabernacle dwelt the Levites the priestly tribe: “But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof; and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof: and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle” (Num. 1:50); and around the Levites were grouped the twelve, tribes, three on either side—see Numbers 2. Again; we read that when Israel’s camp was to be moved from one place to another. “then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp” (Num. 2:17). Once more, “And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a Cloud and spake unto him” (Num. 11:24–25). How striking is this! The Tabernacle was the great gathering-center. As such it was a beautiful foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus. He is our great gathering-center, and His precious promise is that “where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

7. The Tabernacle was the place where the Law was preserved. The first two tables of stone, on which Jehovah had inscribed the ten commandments were broken (Ex. 32:19); but the second set were deposited in the ark in the tabernacle for safe keeping (Deut. 10:2–5). It was only there, within the holy of holies, that the tablets of the Law were preserved intact. How this, again, speaks to us of Christ! He it was that said, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me; I delight to do Thy will, O My God: Yea, Thy Law is within My heart” (Ps. 40:8). Throughout His perfect life He preserved in thought, word, and deed the Divine Decalogue, honoring and magnifying God’s Law.

8. The Tabernacle was the place where sacrifice was made. In its outer court stood the brazen altar, to which the animals were brought, and on which they were slain. There it was the blood was shed and atonement was made for sin. So it was with the Lord Jesus. He fulfilled in His own person the typical significance of the brazen altar, as of every piece of the tabernacle furniture. The body in which He tabernacled on earth was nailed to the cruel Tree. The Cross was the altar upon which Pod’s Lamb was slain, where His precious blood was shed, and where complete atonement was made for sin.

9. The Tabernacle was the place where the priestly family was fed. “And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it he eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it … The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten” (Lev. 6:16–26). How deeply significant are these scriptures in their typical import! And how they should speak to us of Christ as the Food of God’s priestly family today, i.e., all believers (1 Pet. 2:5). He is the Bread of life. He is the One upon whom our souls delight to feed.

10. The Tabernacle was the place of worship. To it the pious Israelite brought his offerings. To it he turned when he desired to worship Jehovah. From its door the voice of the Lord was heard. Within its courts the priests ministered in their sacred service. And so it wins with the anti-type. It is by Him we are to offer unto God a sacrifice of praise. (Heb. 13:15). It is in Him, and by Him, alone, that we can worship the Father. It is through Him we have access to the throne of grace.

11. The Tabernacle had but one door. Think of such a large building with but a single entrance! The outer court, with its solid walls of white curtains, was pierced by one gate only; telling us there is, but one way into the presence of the holy God. How this reminds us of the words of that One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me!” Access can be obtained only through Him who declared “I am the Door” (John 10:9).

12. The Tabernacle was approached through the tribe of Judah, This is a most striking detail not obvious at first sight, but which is clearly established by a comparison of scripture with scripture. Numbers 2, records the ordering of the twelve tribes of Israel as they were grouped around the four sides of the Tabernacle, and verse 3 tells us that Judah was to pitch on the east side. Now Exodus 27:12–17 makes it clear that the door of the Tabernacle wins also on the east side. Thus, entrance into the Divine sanctuary was obtained through Judah. The significance of this is easily discerned. It was through Judah that the true Tabernacle obtained entrance into this world. Therefore is our Lord designated “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5).

13. The Tabernacle hints at the universal Lordship of Christ. This may be seen from the fact that every kingdom in nature contributed its share toward building and enriching the Tabernacle. The mineral kingdom supplied the metals and the precious stones; the vegetable gave the wood, linen, oil and spices; the animal furnished the skins and goats hair curtains, in addition to the multitude of sacrifices which were constantly required. How this reminds us of the words of Him whom the Tabernacle foreshadowed, “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine” (Hag. 2:8); and again, “The cattle upon a thousand hills are Mine” (Ps. 50:10).

14. The Tabernacle was ministered unto by the Women. Their part was to provide the beautiful curtains and hangings: “And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose hearts stirred thorn up in wisdom spun goats’ hair” (Ex. 35:26). How beautifully this foreshadowed the loving devotion of those women mentioned in the Gospels who ministered to Christ of their substance: see Luke 7:37; 8:2–3; John 12:3; Luke 23:55–56.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the journey from the tabernacle in the wilderness to Christ's incarnation to the New Jerusalem reflects God’s unfolding plan to dwell with His people eternally. The tabernacle was a temporary place where God’s presence could be with Israel, foreshadowing Christ, the true tabernacle, who would come to dwell among us. As John writes in John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” bridging the gap between humanity and God through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. But this progression doesn’t end with Christ’s earthly ministry; it culminates in the promise of a new, eternal dwelling.

Revelation 21:1–3 gives us a glimpse of this new, eternal dwelling, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” In the New Jerusalem, the temporary and shadowed forms of the past are transformed into a perfect, everlasting communion where God’s presence fills all things, and His people worship Him face-to-face.

So, as we reflect on the tabernacle over the next weeks and its significance, let us hold tightly to this promise. Our worship, our lives, and our giving are but foretaste offerings of the fullness we’ll experience in the New Jerusalem, where we will forever dwell with the One who first gave Himself for us.