Page 60 - Pentateuch

8. What did the altar of incense represent?

9. Why was a laver or water basin needed near the entrance?

10. What demonstration does God give to Israel of his willingness to travel with them?

Let’s get Personal…

God’s revelation of himself is not yet finished by a long way. Centuries must pass with prophet after
prophet speaking more of God’s word. Jesus will come with his apostles to explain further his life and death
(Heb. 1:1-2; John 15:26, 27). Yet the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai knows the basics of salvation by faith in
a coming Messiah. Abraham knew this much. Adam also had this information. In addition to the word of a
coming Messiah, Israel is pressed by the demands of the law. They are constantly confronted by their own
sinfulness, their own inability to obey God (Rom. 3:19-20). The law pushes them toward the promise.

The veil worn by Moses is a sharp illustration of the flow of God’s revelation. The giving of the law,
accompanied by such glory, brought death. Moses wore the veil so that Israel would not see the fading
glory associated with this covenant. Not seeing his face shining at all was better than watching the radiance
fade. The purpose of the law was to drive them to the promise. Only when they understood the greater
glory in the promise could the veil be done away with. Then each person would look unveiled upon the
glory of God and be transformed by that glory into his image (2 Cor. 3:7-18).

How do we teach God’s law? Do we insist on following it, or do we use the law to prepare people for the
gospel? How does the law work in our own lives? Can we follow it all, or do we pick and choose some laws
that are easier for us to follow and ignore those that are difficult?

The dramatic close of Exodus gives us pause to reflect on our own spiritual experience of God. We believe
that Jesus is both God and man. “The fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Col. 2:9).” All that glory on
top of Mount Sinai and descending into the tabernacle is in Jesus. He was sinless, of course, and needed no
sacrifice for God and man to be united. We also teach that the Holy Spirit lives in every person who believes
in Jesus. His death is the sacrifice made possible by God’s presence in the hearts of sinners like us. So now
the glory on top of Mount Sinai and descending into the tabernacle is in us. That is the claim. In a very
practical way, God’s presence in us must change us. We and all our worship activities are plain, ordinary
“tents.” It is God’s presence that makes the difference.

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