Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

Chapters 36-40 describe the construction of the tabernacle: Shekinah glory. 

Israel abode at Sinai for a year. 

During this time the tabernacle was built. See chapter 35, the people, spirit-filled men. 

The tabernacle was God’s dwelling place in the midst of His redeemed people. 

The twelve tribes encamped around it, the cloud above it. 

It was pitched without the camp, and everyone who sought the Lord went out to it, verse 7. 

verse 11 Moses went into the tabernacle and said, “The Lord spoke to him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” 

At this time God assured Moses that “His presence would go with him,” etc. See verses 14-15. 

Moses asked to see God’s glory. verse 18 

God’s glory could not be looked upon by mortal man, but God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” verse 19 

Chapter 34. 

The second tablets containing the law. 

Moses was asked to hew out two tablets of stone like the first, and come up into the mount. 

During the forty days and nights Moses was in the mountain God spoke to him, giving him further instructions and rewrote the ten commandments on the two tablets of stone. 

verse 29 Moses descended from the mountain and his face shone. He was not aware of it. (describe) 

verse 30 The people were afraid of him, he reflected the glory of the great, awe-inspiring God. 

verse 33 Moses veiled his face when he spoke to the people. 

The book of Leviticus is full of instructions relative to the worship of God. 

God was a holy God and He expected His people to be holy too. The word “holy” appears over 150 times. Five times the command is issued “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

From the revelation of the holy character of God and the urging of the holy conduct of God’s people in Leviticus we pass on to the book of Numbers. 

Chapter 10 verse 10 of this book describes preparations for departure from Sinai. 

Numbers. 

First nine chapters to depart from Sinai. The remainder of the book from chapter 10 verse 11 recounts the years of wandering which began at Kadesh-Barnea. 

The first move from Sinai is described in verses 11-13. 

The thing to notice here is that when the cloud was lifted (see 9 verses 15-23) from the tabernacle, the people broke camp and followed it. It rested in the wilderness of Paran, verse 12. 

The leading and guidance of the Lord, Spirit, Word. 

verses 14-28 These verses give us the order in which the people marched behind the cloud. 

They journeyed for 3 days, verse 33. 

Chapter 11. 

No sooner had they began to move that the people began to complain, verse 1-3. The sins of Israel in the wilderness, 1 Corinthians 10. 

There is one person whom God dislikes, the complainer. 

He sent fire among them; note where the fire fell, “on the farthest parts of the camp.” That’s where you will always find the complainers. 

Note the power of prayer, verse 2 Jean Clark, mother. 

Despising manna verses 4-9 The mixed multitude. 

Almost two years have passed during which we have heard nothing of the mixed multitude. 

Now they are in revolt. They despise the manna and long after the flesh-pots of Egypt. verse 4 

They wanted flesh to eat. 

They longed for the fish, etc, of Egypt. 

verse 8 Doctoring the Manna. 

Once the mixed multitude thought of the foods of Egypt they lost their taste for the manna. 

The foods of Egypt were very palatable but not very nutritious. 

They tried to make the manna more palatable. 
 

They ground it in milk, beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it. 

Social Gospel, neo-orthodoxy. 

As it was then, so it is now. 

The mixed multitude soon tire of Christ and the gospel of God’s grace. 

They must have variety, music, entertainment, interpretive dancing, drama, religious pageantry. 

These things really are the counterpart of the flesh-pot of Egypt. 

We have to be very careful lest we adopt the ways of the world. 

The mixed multitude today deny that Jesus is the Christ, etc. 

Matthew 13 Tares among the wheat. Leaven in the dough. See Acts 20:29 Grievous wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the flock. 

Galatians 2:4 False brethren brought in unawares. 

Jude 4 Certain men crept in unawares. 

verses 10-15 Show us that Moses was human. 

Moses was angry with the people for this sin. See verse 13 flesh. 

See verses 11-15 He pours out his heart to God. Moses is given help, verses 16-17. 

Seventy elders appointed. 

verses 31-35 God sends quails. 

He also smote the people with a plague. 

verse 35 The journey is resumed. 

Exodus 25-30. 

Chapter 24 Moses on the mount 

Chapter 25 Instructions for the tabernacle 

Chapters 25-28 Complete details 

Chapter 29 Consecration of priests 

Chapter 30 Those who call worship 
 

Redeemed, cleansed, anointed (chapter 30 describes those who can really worship God.) 

The Tabernacle 

God’s dwelling place among His people. 

Explain the structure. 

The vessels in the count 

1. The brazen altars, sacrifice, cross. 

2. The brazen laver, service, purity. 

Inside the Holy Place. 

The table of showbread. 

The altar of incense. 

The golden lampstand. 

In the Holy of Holies. 

The ark of the covenant. 

The Mercy Seat. 

Chapter 31 verses 1-3. 

The man God chose to build the tabernacle 

Note his qualifications, stress this. 

Qualifications of true servants, Acts 6. 

Chapter 32 The incident of the golden calf. Idolatry, read this. 

Chapter 33 verses 1-3 Because of their unfaithfulness God said, “I will send an angel before thee,” verse 2. 

verse 3 I will fulfill promises, but “I will not go up in the midst of thee.” 

verse 7 The tabernacle pitched “outside without the camp.” 

Those who sought the Lord went outside the camp. 

See Hebrews 13:10-14. 

Note the power of prayer verse 12-15 

I will not go up with thee verse 2 

My presence shall go with thee verse 14 

verse 18 “Show me thy glory, I beseech thee.” 

Exodus 40:9-16. 
 

Those who serve God must be separated and sanctified. See chapter 29, the consecration of the priests. 
 

verse 33 The tabernacle is finished, see Hebrews 2:2-7. 

verses 34-35 The Shekinah glory fills the tabernacle, Ephesians 2:19-22. 

verses 36-38 God’s presence, God’s guiding hand. Protection.