Lesson 13 for September 27, 2025

The last chapters of Exodus are devoted to the

detailed description of the construction and
dedication of the Tabernacle.
These were special moments, where the people
participated joyfully, contributing—each as they
could—to this great work for God.
The primary reason God gives for building this portable
Temple is His desire to dwell among His people
(Ex. 25:8). This desire was fulfilled in the person of
Jesus, and it will be fully realized when we are all with
Him on the New Earth. The preparation:
The Sabbath (Exodus 35:1-3)
The Freewill Offering (Exodus 35:4-36:7)

The Tabernacle:
The Construction (Exodus 36:8-39:43)
The Dedication (Exodus 40:1-38)

Other Tabernacles:
Jesus and the New Jerusalem
 THE
PREPARATION
 T H E S A B B AT H
“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day
shall be your holy day, a day of Sabbath rest to the
Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death”
(Exodus 35:2)

After having a glimpse of God’s glory, Moses conveyed to the

people “what the Lord has commanded” (Ex. 35:1, 4). These
instructions included their relationship with God in time (the
Sabbath) and in space (the Tabernacle).
God set aside the Sabbath as a special time for us to enjoy His
company at Creation itself (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:11), and He
reminded Israel of this shortly before proclaiming the Ten
Commandments (Ex. 16:22-29).
The Sabbath reminds us
that God is our Creator
and Redeemer
(Deut. 5:15), and takes us
to the future time when we
can enjoy His company for
eternity (Isa. 66:22-23).
“From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to
the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze [ …] All who are skilled among you are to
come and make everything the Lord has commanded” (Exodus 35:5,10)

There were two ways to contribute to the work of the

Tabernacle: donating materials and performing labor.
More than a ton of gold, about 3.75 tons of silver, and
about 2.5 tons of bronze were used, as well as wood and
various fabrics (Ex. 38:21-31).
Where did all this come from? Much of it came from what
Israel took from the Egyptians when they left (Ex. 11:2).
In addition, the work of spinners, seamstresses and
tailors, carpenters, carvers, jewelers, etc. was needed.
Everyone was so willing to help that Bezaleel, Aholiab,
and the other workers asked Moses to stop the people
from bringing offerings (Ex. 36:3-7).
To accomplish this work, the Holy Spirit endowed all the
workers involved with gifts (Ex. 35:30–36:2). Likewise, He
continues to give the necessary gifts to all who
collaborate in God's work.
“God has put men and women in
possession of precious gifts. To
different ones He has given different
gifts. Not all have the same strength of
character or the same depth of
knowledge. But each one is to use his
gifts in the Master’s service, however
small this gift may seem to be. The
faithful steward trades wisely on the
goods entrusted to him.”

EGW (The Upward Look , December 31)

T H E TA B E R N A C L E
 THE CONSTRUCTION
“Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the
LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43)
What elements were necessary for the Tabernacle of Meeting to fulfill its functions?

The The golden The table of The The incense The altar of
Tabernacle ark bread lampstand altar burnt offering
(Holy and Most
Holy Place)

The laver of The outer The breast- The rest of the

The ephod
bronze court pocket garments
 THE CONSTRUCTION
Once built, the Sanctuary (the Tabernacle and the courtyard) was
home to two distinct services: the daily and the annual. Their various
ceremonies, taken together, teach us that:

God hates sin

God saves the sinner
God will destroy the wicked
God assures us of a glorious future

Through the daily service, God showed the way in which He

forgives, by grace, the sinner: with the death of an innocent
animal, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.
(Jn. 1:29).
With the annual service (the Day of Atonement), God showed
how He will eradicate sin from the universe, showing the final
solution to the problem of evil (Ps. 73:17).
The Sanctuary was also the place to worship God, praise him
and express gratitude to him.
 “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord
filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34)

The book of Exodus ends with the dedication of the

Sanctuary and its priests. The protagonist of this
chapter is undoubtedly God, who fills everything
with his glorious presence (Ex. 40:34). This
Presence continued to accompany the Tabernacle
in the cloud and in the Shekinah (the manifestation
of divine glory between the cherubim of the ark).
After months of work, the sanctuary was erected on the first
day of the first month of the second year after their departure
from Egypt (Ex. 40:2, 17). Everything was arranged in order
(ark, veil, table, chandelier, golden altar, bronze altar, laver),
and consecrated (Ex. 40:9).
Finally, Aaron and his
sons were dressed in
their priestly garments,
and anointed for their
mission (Ex. 40:12-15).
 EGW (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 349)

“No language can describe the glory of the scene

presented within the sanctuary—the gold-plated walls
reflecting the light from the golden candlestick, the
brilliant hues of the richly embroidered curtains with
their shining angels, the table, and the altar of incense,
glittering with gold; beyond the second veil the sacred
ark, with its mystic cherubim, and above it the holy
Shekinah, the visible manifestation of Jehovah’s
presence; all but a dim reflection of the glories of the
temple of God in heaven, the great center of the work
for man’s redemption.”
O T H E R TA B E R N A C L E S
 JESUS AND THE NEW JERUSALEM
“The Word became flesh and “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling
made his dwelling among us” place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his
(John 1:14a) people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3)

John 1:14 literally says that Jesus became flesh

and “tabernacled” (was a tabernacle) among
us. With his incarnation, Jesus, the eternal God,
fulfilled his desire to physically dwell among us.
He became Emmanuel, God with us (Mt. 1:23).

Through the Holy Spirit, God continues to dwell with us

today (Mt. 18:20; 1Co. 3:16).
But the day will soon come when we will be able to stand
face to face with our God, and dwell with Him, in the royal
Tabernacle that He Himself has prepared for us: the New
Jerusalem (Rev. 21:3).
This will occur when the Plan of Salvation is completed, and
evil is completely eradicated.
 EGW (The Desire of Ages, p. 23)

“God commanded Moses for Israel, "Let them make

Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them"
(Exodus 25:8), and He abode in the sanctuary, in the
midst of His people. Through all their weary
wandering in the desert, the symbol of His presence
was with them. So Christ set up His tabernacle in the
midst of our human encampment. He pitched His
tent by the side of the tents of men, that He might
dwell among us, and make us familiar with His divine
character and life.”