The Christian’s progress in the desert may be slow, but our prospects are out of this world!
Why are we taking so much time examining the tabernacle? Well, God describes the creation of the whole universe in about 50 verses; for the tabernacle, He takes 50 chapters! You see, this world is simply a temporary stage that God built one week, and when He is finished with it, He’ll dismantle it: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed” (Heb 1:10-12). On this stage He is constructing a glorious home for Himself, built out of redeemed people—living stones—and graphically portrayed in this magnificent tabernacle. It’s a collection of 3-D prophecies, shaped in gold, silver, and copper, decorated with hangings of blue, purple, and scarlet. The truth may be stated in black and white, but the full display of God’s glory requires every color. Now this tent was no flimsy affair. The curtains would be placed over gold-covered acacia wood structures. “Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the width” (Ex 26:16). There were “twenty boards for the south side” (v 18) and twenty on the north (v 20), with six on the back wall, plus “two boards for the two back corners” (v 23). On the front, the curtain doorway was suspended with pillars. But more of that later. There is discussion about the word qeresh, translated “board” since it’s estimated that a piece of wood that size, covered with gold, would approximate one ton! So it’s suggested the word should be frame, which would be considerably lighter and allow the beautiful design of the curtain to show through. Up next: What can these pieces teach us?