In reviewing some of the instructions and symbolism for the creation of the Tabernacle some interesting features appear.

First, God does not leave it to us humans to define the type of worship we will offer Him. God gave specific instructions for the creation of the Tabernacle and informed Israel to build His ornate structure exactly His way (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5).

Second, I wonder why God did not just use some normal inexpensive wood and pottery objects to decorate His space? Could not the gold, silver, bronze, and the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, etc have been sold to feed the poor? While God does take care of the destitute, He also desires that the destitute (us) properly understand who He is and that He is properly given the honor and worship due him. As Tremper Longman states, “As one walked into the tabernacle, he would be symbolically transferred from an earthly location to a (symbolically at least) heavenly one. Is this the sense (and I am not speaking of a physical building) we receive today when entering into worship both individually and corporately? Does our music, our demeanor, and our presence denote the presence of the Almighty (Isaiah 6, etc.)?

Third, as has already been mentioned, there were limits to accessibility in the building of the Tabernacle. Those outside the camp were considered unclean. They were not allowed inside the camp, the courtyard, the Tabernacle, or the Holy of Holies. Worship was not for them, but for Israel. Today, it appears our seeker sensitive type churches have embraced the outside the camp mentality for the worship of God! They embrace the mindset that the church needs to be of “one language and of one speech” with the world to attract the world (Genesis 11, Babel). Am I suggesting that we should never today bring the unsaved to Church—may it never be, we are no longer under the previous dispensation? However, when it comes to worship—God has given us His example of whom worship is for and to whom it is to be directed. How can the unsaved truly worship God? They can’t and thus how dare one even suggest building for them a worship service—this is the height of Babel worship and idolatry!

Fourth, look at Solomon’s Temple. God choose the location of His building (2 Chronicles 3:1-2). Again, God gives specific instructions for its building (1 Chronicles 28:19). The Temple was even more magnificent, ornate, and luxurious than the Tabernacle (1 Kings 6). As with the Tabernacle in the Temple the symbolism that God was with His people is rich (the cherubim, the Garden imagery (Eden), and the menorah (in basic terms a tree that is on fire—the burning bush), etc.). Do we sense God’s presence in our services today? Do our services embrace that God is “really” there? What is our attitude and character like in the presence of “real” royalty? How do I dress when I am in a King’s court? What do I speak about when in the presence of royality?

Fifth, the Ark of the Covenant was there. This of course is symbolic of God’s footstool (1 Chronicles 28:2, compare throne in Jeremiah 3:16-17). However, the Ark was also the place where the covenant tablets were stored. Let us simplify it. The Word of God is here. Notice the Word of God had a central place, it was protected, it was revered and honored, and it was handled in a certain way (the Ark had to be carried by poles, etc.). How is the Word of God handled in our churches today? Is it protected or changed, is it central or second place to the casserole dinner, is it revered and honored, or is it just another short story in the midst of other poems, Fox news, and other minority reports?

We could go on and on with the incense altar, the table of bread, and the sacrificial altar, etc. However, I believe we can safely say that the structures and the instructions for those structures in the past inform us much about what our worship should and should not be today!

Reformed and Always Reforming,