He Dwells With Us

Let us open our Scriptures to Exodus 35. This is our last study from this powerful book, and it ends in a mighty way. The excitement with which it ends might not seem so obvious at first. Reading Exodus 35 to 40 one is again faced with a long list of all the elements of the Tabernacle, from the Ark of the Covenant to the altars, to the laver, to every loop and clasp and pole and board, with the length of curtains and the weight of gold, silver and bronze.

We already heard these items listed in Exodus 25-30. So, what is the difference? Here in the earlier chapters, it was for the preparation of the Tabernacle but in Exodus 35-40, they are now about to build it. Because of the seeming repetition, commentators usually skim over this last section and prefer to focus longer on Exodus 40 and end the book there. Even the rabbis questioned this repetition.  Abarbanel, the medieval Bible commentator, who usually begins his comments with questions, asked this one: Why in general was so much repetition about the Tabernacle necessary? Why couldn’t the text simply say, “Moses told the Israelites everything that the Lord had commanded him about the Tabernacle, and just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did?”

And working with the principle taught in 2Timothy 3:16, how could the repetition of these elements bless us and be profitable for teaching, correction, and for training in righteousness? They do, in a special way. As one reads and rereads this section, there is something that is very different from the previous list, something which flows through the text that we need to grab. Throughout these six chapters of Exodus 35-40 and with all these repetitions, one can feel a pronounced excitement, a great rejoicing even a jubilation as the people and especially one of them Bezalel, begin to build the Tabernacle where God was to dwell with man.

This might not appear so obvious at first, but consider: In Exodus 36 alone, the words he made is repeated 23 times,  as in he made the loops of blue vs.11, he made fifty loops vs.12, he made fifty claps vs.13, he made curtains in vs. 14, he made loops, vs. 17,  he made a covering vs.19. Then beginning with the next chapter, and through the next five, we find the words he made repeated some 55 times. As if God, while inspiring this text, was taking so much pleasure in seeing His Tabernacle being built and finally after so many obstacles, rebellion, the complaints, including the Golden Calf- finally, His Tabernacle would be built.

And while the word made by itself is mentioned 77 times in all, along with this we encounter words such as he joined, as he joined five curtains, 36:10, or the words he overlaid, he put, he cast, he inserted, as if every time one would begin to construct each of the elements of God’s earthly dwelling, there was great rejoicing in heaven.

In the previous list, in Exodus 25-31 we encountered the words he shall some 317 times, as in you shall construct it in vs. 25:9, you shall overlay in vs. 25:11 or you shall make poles in v.s 25:13.

But once we read Exodus 35-40 and the commandment is executed, we see that the words he shall are changed to he made and this was a matter of rejoicing. Reading it from this perspective, the whole list becomes like a song.

And this excitement in Exodus is not only in the things which were made, but and especially so, with the people who made them. Five times we are reminded that those who came to do the work did it with a willing heart. We read this in Exodus 35:5, 21, 22, 29 and 36:2. There was joy and harmony between them. And so along with these callings, we hear further from the Lord where He says: Let every skillful man among you come 35:10, every man…let him come vs.23, everyone who could make a contribution vs.24, all the women…let them come vs.26.

This is the chapter of unity, and we know from the Scriptures that this is one thing that brings so much delight to God.  We remember that the words love one another are repeated 13 times in the New Testament, the Brit Chadashah. Love and unity between believers is Yeshua’s great desire for us.

The whole account ends with vs. 34-35 of Exodus 40. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle to the point that Moses was not able to enter in, yet it was designed so that Moses could enter it and talk with God. And if he could not enter, it is not because he was afraid to enter, but because this place was so filled with the presence of God, it seems that there was no room for him.

It is only when God called Moses that he could enter in, this we understand from the opening verse of Leviticus 1:1 which continues the story but here in Exodus, it tells us that Moses could not enter in perhaps to emphasize the fullness of God’s joy. We could call it an exploding divine joy filling the Tabernacle. God had finally moved into His dwelling place on earth and here was the fullness of His presence.

As we complete this book of Exodus we ask, where is the Messiah in Exodus? In John 5:46 we read what Yeshua said to the Jewish leadership, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me”. Jesus also spoke with the two disciples He met on the road to Emmaus. In Luke 24:27 we read, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself”. So where can we find the Messiah in the book of Exodus?

He is the LORD who appeared in the burning bush in Exodus 3

He is the Lamb of God who saved Israel in Exodus 12.

He is the Water from the Rock and the Manna who fed Israel through the wilderness in Exodus 16 & 17

He is the One, the Second Moses, who could bear and forgive Israel and save her and the world in Exodus 34.

He is our heavenly High Priest we can count on and who never wavers and He is the one who saves us from the shadow of the golden calf,

not as Moses, not as Aaron, Exodus 32 and from the judgments of the 10 plagues in Exodus 7 to 11.

He is the one and only one who could fulfill the 10 commandments and save us from its judgments in Exodus 20.

He is the One who is represented in the Tabernacle, from the colors of the material of the coverings to every single sacrifice Exodus 25 to 40.

He is the LORD who stood by Moses and proclaimed the Name of the LORD when the LORD passed by both Moses and Himself in Exodus 33

And the Messiah is our True Shabbat, who gives rest to our souls in Exodus, 16, 20, 23, 31, 35.

Click Here for the Teaching: The Book of Exodus, Sermon 34: The Fulness of His Joy