Exodus 25-40

If someone offered you straight 'A' grades without having to study is that something you would want? What about a fit body without exercise or without having to carve fast food out of your diet? Does becoming wealthy without having to work appeal to you? I bet I would have a 100% acceptance rate if I made an infomercial and offered these FREE to people (with maybe the exception of the Capital One baby). Why? We live in a world where people want blessing without sacrifice (This is what keeps the Wisconsin lottery and casinos going!). People appreciate final outcomes more than the journey itself. And this is nothing new. This is part of the human condition.

But if not treated this can be a disease that infects (and ultimately kills) our relationship with God. Why? Well, many people want God's presence in their lives without offering much commitment. They want blessing without sacrifice. And so for many, if they don't get God's blessing on their own timetable and with the level of commitment they are willing to bring to the table then they quickly look elsewhere for satisfaction (and abandon God). This is true of us and it was true of the Israelites in the book of Exodus.

THE TABERNACLE AND CREATION (EXODUS 25-34)
In Exodus 32, while Moses is up on the mountain receiving God's instruction, the people grow increasingly impatient due to his prolonged absence (32:1). This delay is a big deal because Moses is their only connection to God and His blessings. And his unknown whereabouts has gotten them thinking that maybe Moses is actually dead. As a result, the people pool together a bunch of their gold earrings to fashion an image of Yahweh (God) in the form of a golden calf 'who brought them up out of Egypt' (32:4) and who would 'go before them' (32:1). You see, without Moses the people need a new way to connect with God and tap into His power and blessings. The golden calf is the convenient solution (after all, a statue is much easier to control than Moses!). But by doing this, the people break the agreement they had just made with God in Exodus 20-24. Obviously the people want God's blessing without much obedience or commitment.

But this is not all Exodus is teaching us here. Just prior to this golden calf fiasco, Moses receives a description of the tabernacle. One thing that is immediately noticeable (if you're paying attention to detail) is the parallels between the tabernacle and the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1-3. For instance, both contain pure gold (Gen. 2:12; Exod. 25:3) and the same precious onyx jewels (Gen. 2:12; Exod. 25:7). The description of the lampstand in Exodus 25:31-36 as a small flowering tree brings to mind the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9). Images of the cherubim (angels) are woven into the curtains between the various divisions of the tabernacle (Exod. 26:1-6, 31-35) recalling the fact that after the Fall two cherubim were positioned to guard the entrance to the garden (Gen. 3:24). Simply put, the tabernacle is portrayed as God's reconstructed creation. This communicates God's intention and desire to restore His complete presence among His creation (and with this His complete blessing).

This is further reinforced through the unique structure of Exodus 25-32. Let me explain. Beginning in Exodus 25, God gives Moses instructions for CREATING a tabernacle so that He can dwell among His people. Between Exodus 25 & 31, seven creative acts (pertaining to the construction of the tabernacle) are given as signaled by the phrase "Then the Lord SAID to Moses" (25:1; 30:11, 17, 22, 34; 31:1, 12). The fact that there are seven creative acts brings to mind God's original creation in Genesis 1-2 (When "God SAID"). And just like God rested on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2-3), the seventh creative act provides God's instruction to the Israelites to rest on the sabbath (Exod. 31:12). And then right on cue immediately after the instructions are given for the creation of the tabernacle, we find the people rebelling against God's commands given earlier in Exodus 20-24. Guess what? We have Genesis 3 all over again! I don't know what you think but it certainly seems to me like we have an allusion to Genesis 1-3 here.

So what's the point of all of this? Simple. The people want God but they want Him on their own terms. They want His blessings without much commitment. But God will have none of this! Why? God created a design for life that will bring blessing to all of humanity. But to experience and spread this blessing, we need to be committed to living within and maintaining God's creation design! Put simply, if we live on God's terms then His presence will be with us. If we don't then we're on our own.

This is made clear in Exodus 35-40. This passage is essentially a restatement of Exodus 25-31 and so many people wonder why its even here? But this passage makes a very important point. What is it? When the people build the tabernacle, they follow God's instructions down to the 't.' This is reinforced in Exodus 39:42-43 when Moses inspects the work. And because the people built the tabernacle "just as the Lord had commanded," God comes to dwell among them in Exodus 40:34-38.

THE BOTTOM LINE
If we want God's presence in our lives, we've got to live HIS way! God's blessing isn't available to us without commitment. The author of Exodus has created a literary portrait to make this point. But does this mean that we need to be perfect? NO. Jesus died to account for our imperfections! But does this mean that we need to turn back to God (and repent) when we realize we are not doing life God's way? YES. And we should want to come back to God. He didn't just randomly come up with a design for life. He knows what will TRULY bring you LIFE. And so He wants YOU to do life HIS WAY! The choice is yours though.

BIG IDEA
If we want to experience God's complete presence then we need to give Him our complete commitment.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Many people think that God's way isn't the best way to do life. Why do you think this is?

Why do you think people desire to do life their own way?

God's blessing doesn't always mean comfort and success. So what are God's blessings? Why would doing life God's way lead to blessing?

What are your greatest fears and doubts about doing life God's way? How can you overcome these?