And he erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work. Exodus 40:33
Millions of decisions and details must be considered when building a house: which floor plan; where to build; what materials; who to hire; how to pay for it. The list seems endless. Even just the furnishing and decorating phase can be overwhelming. Which sink and stove and other fixtures to choose? What flooring and furniture will coordinate well together? Whew! Building a house is a huge undertaking.
Now imagine that you are building a house for God, like Moses and Solomon did. Fortunately for Moses, God made all the decisions for him. During their 40-day conversation on the mountain, God described every detail of His tabernacle to Moses (Ex. 25- 31). God prescribed the finance and the furnishings and the fixtures, even how it was to be consecrated and how to perform the daily offerings. Yet Moses had to execute God’s design.
Moses had to acquire wood in a desert and learn how to smelt metal in the wilderness. He had to organize and oversee the artisans. Building the tabernacle was a huge undertaking. The intricate details are tediously listed twice in Exodus so we will appreciate the great work Moses had finished.
Once Moses finished the work, the cloud rested upon it, and the glory of God (Holy Spirit) filled the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-35).
Solomon also built a dwelling place for God. The temple plan, that God originally gave David, took Solomon 7 years to build. Solomon selected 70,000 men to bear burdens, and 80,000 to quarry stones from the mountains, and 3,600 men just to oversee all the work. When it was finished, fire from heaven came down and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord (Holy Spirit) filled the temple (2Chr. 7:1-2).
Jesus Christ also built a dwelling place for God. His work was greater than Moses’ or Solomon’s. They only directed the work; Jesus actually sweat tears of blood in His work. Jesus suffered verbal and physical abuse and murder to complete His work. The dwelling place that Jesus built was not a building, but a people – you and me!
Then tongues of fire from heaven rested upon each of the disciples, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). Several times in the letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds them that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Our bodies belong to the Lord. They were purchased by His Son and are inhabited by His Spirit. We truly are the dwelling place of God – His holy temple.
As Christ Jesus hung on the cross, in His finally moments on earth, He declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). This is the finished work of Jesus Christ that we celebrate on Passover and Easter. Amen!