“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” Exodus 25:8“This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. In the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:16-20, 34-35
As a noun, tabernacle is defined as “a fixed or moveable habitation, typically of light construction.” (Oxford English Dictionary)
For the nomadic Israelites, this type of moveable structure for God’s dwelling place on Earth made perfect sense. They had left the slavery of Egypt and been led into the wilderness, still very much uncertain of what was next before entering the Promised Land. It’s at this point– this in between– that Moses climbs Mount Sinai to meet with the Lord. And it is here that Moses receives not only the Ten Commandments, but also very detailed instructions to build the tabernacle, a place the Lord could draw near to his chosen people.
Maybe, like me, you get to the details of the tabernacle’s construction and you begin to skim, but pause here. Imagine in your mind the artistry and architecture involved. Every detail of its design was meant to draw the people to remember who God is, his history with his people, and also to point to a future together one day in eternity. Pause again and imagine the sight of a massive cloud of God’s presence settling down overhead.
As I began to prepare for Advent, the tabernacle immediately connected with me. This temporary dwelling feels so relatable to me at the moment. We sold our home over the summer and are in the process of building our new home. In the interim, we are leasing. It took a few months after settling into our new home and a few moments of quiet in a full schedule to put my finger on the lowkey hum of what I had been feeling– the feeling of being in an unsettled place. In an attempt to limit what we unpack now only to have to repack in a few months, we still have boxes piled everywhere. Though not nomadic like the Israelites, I feel the temporariness of our current situation. Yet when I take the time to look, to pause and really look, I cannot help but see the many gifts God has shown us in these months, the gift of his presence woven through this time.
I don’t know what you are carrying into this Advent. You may be moving, finding yourself in flux in a relationship or at work, having lost a loved one, or just uncertain what the next step God has for you is. But I’d venture to guess many of us can readily draw to mind some experience that leaves us feeling unsettled, waiting, wondering. As we draw nearer to Christmas Day, can I invite you to pause in that feeling? And as you do, to remember our God’s presence with you in that space.
Earlier, I shared one definition of tabernacle with you. Allow me to share one more. Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines the verb form of tabernacle. To tabernacle means “to take up temporary residence, especially to inhabit a physical body.”
The same God who met Adam and Eve in the garden, Moses at the burning bush, led his people by pillars of cloud and fire, and came near in the temporary dwelling of the tabernacle is the same God who took up temporary residence here on Earth in the form of a baby. The tabernacle was a temporary, earthly dwelling for our infinite, uncontainable God, but it was just a hint of what was to come when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This Christmas, may we find peace with us in our temporary and wilderness places, knowing that as he was for his people throughout time, our God is near.
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Editor’s Note: Whether he walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden, spoke to Moses through the burning bush, led the Israelites through the wilderness, or let his presence dwell in the Tabernacle, our God has always shown his desire to have a relationship with his people. These instances found in the Old Testament, amazing as they are, are only shadows of what would come when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Each meeting brought us a step closer on the journey to Bethlehem, to the arrival of our Savior.
Each week in our Advent reflections, we’ll take a look at one of the ways God drew near to his people leading up to Jesus’s birth.