After God rescued Israel from bondage in Egypt (Exodus 14:15-15:21), He leads them to Mt. Sinai and initiates a covenant with them that they might become a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19-24).
He then gives detailed instructions to build a tabernacle (Exodus 25-31, 35-40).
The purpose of the tabernacle was to provide a way for Yahweh Himself to live among His people (Exodus 25:8, 22).
The function of the tabernacle was the beginning of God’s plan to renew what was lost in Eden – His divine presence on earth with His image bearers.
And so the tabernacle was supposed to remind the Israelites of the Garden of Eden.
All the gold (mentioned 98 times in Exodus 25-40) used in the tabernacle points our memories back to the gold that was prominent in the land of Havilah where Eden was located (Genesis 2:11-12).
The Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9) is represented by the ornate lampstand (Exodus 25:31-39).
Even the cherubim are there, embroidered all over the curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:17-20; 26:1). We recall them from Genesis 3, where they were last seen guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.
Cherubim are the creatures in the Bible that stand guard at the boundary between heaven and earth. If you see them, you know you’re entering the presence of God!
Walking into the tabernacle was supposed to feel like entering the Garden of Eden.
Now, as we turn to the pages of the NT, we begin to realize that the reality and fullness of Eden (God’s presence) would come by way of another tabernacle/temple.
The NT writers tell us that in Jesus they actually saw God dwelling among them, living among them in all of His glory! They tell us that Jesus was God’s tabernacling presence.
And Jesus Himself claimed that God’s presence and God’s rule and blessing was coming into our world through Him. That was His favorite topic. He was always preaching it.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the Good News.”
Mark 1:14-15
In other words, God’s promises to Abraham were coming true in Jesus who had come to dwell with people!
Not only that, but Jesus would become a new kind of priest – His own blood, once for all!
So when Jesus ascended back into heaven after His resurrection, did we lose the tabernacle/covenant presence of God?
No. “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
We are the temple. The covenant presence of God is in the world today through us.
This has huge implications for our lives. Take Peter’s words for example.
“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests…Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”
1 Peter 2:5, 12
We are God’s covenant presence on earth. Our behavior and speech reveal Jesus to the world. What we do communicates who God is to the world.
What message are they receiving about Jesus from you?