Tailor-Made for His Presence

Recap of Exodus 38 sermon

Substitution in Atonement

Something God considers a substitute must die in our place for atonement (penal substitutionary atonement).

Through atonement, we move from children of wrath to children of God (justification).

2. Sacrifice and Access to God

For Israel, animal sacrifices were the God-ordained means of atonement.

This points forward to Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, bridging the gap between God and man.

People can only come into God’s presence through sacrifice — communion with God requires it.

3. Communion as a Means of Grace

We take communion weekly to be reminded of Christ’s sacrifice — a visible, tangible reminder of the gospel.

4. Reverence in Worship

Worship of Yahweh was to be taken seriously.

God’s holiness demands purity, and our purity comes from being in Christ.

You won’t live in obedience without the Spirit’s work in you.

5. Corporate Worship

If you have a place at God’s table, you matter.

Corporate worship is God’s idea — it’s a family gathering.

Eternity will be unceasing corporate worship of the Triune God.

6. Our Testimony & Mission

Our testimony is simple: We are sinners saved by grace.

God doesn’t need your good works — but your neighbor does.

Introduction

This past week, if you scrolled through Facebook or Instagram, you probably saw them—first-day-of-school pictures. The kids are lined up, smiling, backpacks on, fresh haircuts, new sneakers, clean clothes. Why? Because no parent sends their child off to represent the family looking any kind of way. We want them to walk into that classroom confident, prepared, and—let’s be honest—a little impressive.

In Exodus 39, God is doing something similar—but on an infinitely higher scale. He’s sending His priests into His presence, not to impress classmates, but to stand before the King of the universe. And just like no good parent lets their child go unprepared, God doesn’t send His priests into His holy presence in just anything. He clothes them for glory and for beauty, because they represent Him before the people, and the people before Him. Every thread, every color, every jewel is intentional. It’s not just about looking good—it’s about showing the world the holiness and majesty of God.

Here’s the problem—none of us can sew garments holy enough for God. No matter how polished we look on the outside, our sin is like filthy rags before Him (Isa. 64:6). If we try to enter His presence in our own “outfit” of good works, morality, or church attendance, we’re still spiritually underdressed.

That’s why this chapter points us forward to Jesus Christ—our Great High Priest—who was perfectly clothed in holiness, and who, through His life, death, and resurrection, now clothes us in His righteousness. Only dressed in His garments can we stand with confidence before a holy God.”

“We are poor and destitute, and our nakedness is shameful; until God clothes us with His righteousness, we are unfit to appear in His sight.”-John Calvin from his Commentary on Isaiah 61:10

Read Exodus 39

You Betta Come Correct (vs. 1-31)

The garments for Aaron and his sons were for glory and beauty because they were stepping into the presence of the Holy God.

“As the LORD commanded Moses” is repeated over and over this wasn’t “good enough” obedience, it was exact obedience.

How Yahweh is approached matters. He is holy. Sin and irreverence cannot stand in His presence without being consumed (Lev. 10:1–3; Heb. 12:28–29).

If you think I’m exaggerating when I say how Yahweh is approached matters, just ask Nadab and Abihu. In Leviticus 10:1–3, these two priests — sons of Aaron — decided to approach the Lord in their own way. The text says they offered ‘unauthorized fire’ before the Lord, something He had not commanded. And in that moment, fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them.

This wasn’t an overreaction. This was holiness confronting irreverence. God said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ Nadab and Abihu ignored God’s command, and it cost them their lives.

That’s why Exodus 39 is so meticulous. That’s why every detail, every thread, every gem was ‘as the LORD commanded Moses.’ Because you don’t just waltz into the presence of Yahweh on your own terms. Sin and irreverence cannot exist in His presence without being judged. You betta come correct.

Leviticus 10 makes it clear — Yahweh’s holiness is not to be trifled with. Nadab and Abihu were priests, set apart, wearing the garments, standing in the holy place — and still they were consumed because they came on their own terms.

And here’s the truth: if God gave us what we deserved, none of us would make it past the threshold of His presence. Every thought of pride, every careless word, every act of irreverence would condemn us on the spot. We could never ‘come correct’ in ourselves.

But the good news of the gospel is that there is a Priest who came correct — perfectly. Jesus Christ, the greater High Priest, obeyed every command, fulfilled every requirement, and entered the holy presence of the Father not with the blood of animals, but with His own blood. And when we come to God by faith in Him, we come clothed in His garments of righteousness.

That means for those in Christ, God doesn’t see our stained garments. He sees the spotless robe of His Son. The holiness that once meant our destruction now becomes our delight, because we stand in it without fear.

2. Do It Like He Said (vs.32-41)

After the garments were made, the text says the people “did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.”

That phrase “as the LORD commanded” isn’t filler — it’s a drumbeat of obedience in the chapter (Exodus 39: 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31).

The expectation for the people of God was obedience without compromise or question and that hasn’t changed in principle for us today

The expectation for God’s people then is the same for Christians now: to live in faithful obedience to His Word and the leading of the Spirit.

But here’s the difference — we obey not to earn His love, but because we already have His love in Christ.

Our obedience is not legalism; it’s loving submission. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Obedience without love is drudgery and pride. Obedience flowing from love is worship and joy.

When we talk about obedience in the Christian life, some people picture it like obedience training for a dog. You know the drill — sit, stay, heel — do what you’re told, get a treat; disobey, get yanked by the collar. And honestly, a lot of legalistic preaching sounds just like that — a constant drumbeat of ‘do this, don’t do that,’ with no sight of Christ, no gospel power, and no love driving it. It’s like they’re trying to turn believers into well-trained pets instead of Spirit-filled sons and daughters.

But the obedience we’re called to in Christ isn’t mechanical, fearful compliance. It’s the obedience of a child who loves their Father and trusts His voice. Jesus said, ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments’ (John 14:15).

And here’s the thing — we often quote that verse with all the emphasis on ‘keep My commandments,’ but skip right past ‘if you love Me.’ Love for Christ is the soil obedience grows in. Without love, keeping His commandments becomes drudgery and legalism. With love, keeping His commandments becomes joy and worship.

The law of God is still our standard, but it’s no longer a whip over our backs — it’s the path our new hearts actually want to walk. The Spirit doesn’t just teach us the rules; He gives us the desire and power to walk in them (Ezek. 36:26–27).”

3.) The Blessing’s in the Finished Work (vs.42-43)

The chapter ends with Moses inspecting all the work the people had done for the tabernacle and garments.

Scripture says, “Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.”

The blessing didn’t come until the work was completed exactly as God commanded.

Law:

Under the law, blessing is tied to perfect obedience — and we fall short. If God waited on us to complete the work perfectly, the blessing would never come.

We are incapable of presenting a finished, flawless work to God in our own strength.

Gospel:

Where we fail, Christ has succeeded. Jesus is the greater Moses who not only inspects the work — He does the work for us.

On the cross He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The work of obedience, the work of atonement, the work of securing our access to God — all completed.

Because His work is finished and perfect, the Father blesses us — not because of what we’ve done, but because of what Christ has done in our place.

Church Life Application:

In Exodus 39, everyone had a role in preparing the garments and the tabernacle — and they took that role seriously because it was the work of the Lord.

In the same way, every member of the church today has a role in the work God has given this local body. Faithful church members don’t treat the ministry of the church casually — they give their best, because they know they are serving the King.

Just as Israel worked together to prepare for God’s presence in the tabernacle, we work together as living stones (1 Pet. 2:5) to build up the body of Christ.

The seriousness is not in earning God’s presence, but in responding to it with reverent devotion.

Challenge:

Are you contributing to the work of the church as if it’s just another item on your to-do list, or as if you’re preparing something for the King?

Do you show up faithfully, serve joyfully, and pray earnestly because you love Christ and His people?

The example of Israel in Exodus 39 should make us ask: “If my church depended on my faithfulness, would the work be complete?”

Just like parents don’t send their kids to school unprepared because they represent the family, God doesn’t send His people into the world or into worship unprepared. In Christ, you are already clothed in righteousness. Now, live in such a way that the world knows whose you are.