So far this season, we’ve caught up with the Israelites from where we left off in Genesis and seen God’s faithfulness to His word and His covenant with Abraham back in Genesis 15.
We met a man named Moses who had a heart for rescuing God’s people, the Israelites. Moses’s story was complicated, but God chose him to rescue His people out of the land of their slavery and lead them into a land of abundance – The Promised Land.
After 400 years of oppression – right on time based on God’s promise to Abraham back in Genesis – God moved on behalf of His people and rescued them. He executed 10 plagues because one man refused to humble himself. When God finally broke his heart, Pharaoh did, indeed, let God’s people go, but changed his mind and tried to chase them down with his whole army. The Israelites thought they were trapped but God had a plan to fight for them and to take them through the Red Sea on dry ground.
Then, God leads His people to the wilderness – a place where He would test their faith after the miracles they saw Him do on their behalf. But the struggles of having their basic necessities, like food and water, eclipsed all the miracles. So, God miraculously and supernaturally provided for them with bread in the mornings, meat in the evenings, and water in the most unlikely of places. God gave the Israelites a chance to be in His Presence, to hear directly from Him, but they were afraid of His power and were too terrified to go. So, Moses went on his own.
Last week, we heard what God told Moses during his time on the mountain of God. God made a covenant with His people and they provided to be obedient. To commemorate the occasion, God had a feast with Moses and some of the elders. When He called Moses to come up higher, Moses went and God gave him instructions and a blueprint for a Tent – A Tablenacle – Where He could dwell among his people. God designed a tent with intricately woven curtains. The tent would have a courtyard. He also gave Moses the plans for a golden Lampstand and recipe for oil to keep it lit. He instructed him to build an ark of the Covenant where God would speak to the priest. And we actually heard about who the priests would be and how they would carry the guilt of Israel’s sin on their shoulders and their names over their hearts.
Let’s see what else God has in store for the tent in Exodus chapter 31.
Reflection Questions
1. What stood out to you today? Did anything surprise you?
2. What does God say His Spirit will do in this chapter?
3. How does this help us understand the work of the Holy Spirit today?
4. Use the next few moments to think about how you should respond in light of this passage?