Exodus 38
Outline
1-7 | The Altar of Burnt Offering is made
8 | The Bronze Laver is made
9-20 | The Court with its curtains and pillars is made
21-23 | The work of Bezalel, Oholiab and the other workmen are inventoried
24-31 | The figures of the offering and the collection for the 603,550 men
Reflections
As I stated before, there are various stages to every construction project: planning and procurement, construction, and utilization.1 This brings to an end the construction portion of the tabernacle project. It concludes with an accounting of the project, including the collection required for all males 20 years old and older and the related costs for each of the items of the tabernacle.
As I described in a previous article, the giving associated with the tabernacle was accomplished on two levels: an equal amount for all males and gifts from those “whose hearts were moved” were given as the people had means. The accounting portion is to show how the collections were used in the projects for which they were collected. A part of stewardship is financial accountability.
With the close of this stage of the tabernacle project, except for the priestly garments which will be completed in the next chapter, the people will now move into the last stage: utilization. In the utilization stage, the tabernacle will be erected, the priestly services and the sacrifices will commence. Utilization will never really come to an end, at least from God’s perspective, but the people won’t always follow wholeheartedly after God.
When we consider the church today, often times the focus of a growing church is on the physical structures. There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with that as long as we remember that the church isn’t really the building, but the church is the people. What a church focuses on is an indicator of their relationship with God: buildings and programs or people. I pray that each congregation is able to keep their focus on the individuals and families that comprise their respective groups, encouraging people to grow in their relationship with God, and that they wisely use the gifts that God has blessed them with to His glory.
Lord God, You spoke the words and the universe came into being and it all belongs to You. You’ve granted us access to a portion of it to use for a time to bring glory to Your name. I pray that we use the gifts You give us wisely and that we would continue to grow in our relationship with You, becoming more and more like Your Son Jesus. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
1 – see post on Exodus 36.
Exodus_38_RL_GodsTabernacleDesign-ConstructionEnds-ReviewOfTheCosts.pdf
