The next section of Jesus’ Bible we will investigate is devoted to the building of the Tabernacle. Get your Bible and read Exodus 25:1-9 as an introduction. This building project consumes about one third of the entire book of Exodus. Why so much detail? Let’s find a possible answer.
First, we must recall the history of the Israelites up to this point. It has been a series of complaints. They complained when the first intervention of Moses made their situation worse. Then, at the Red Sea, they said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Exodus 14:11-12.
Within weeks of the revelation at Sinai — the only time in history God appeared to an entire nation — they made a golden calf. If an unprecedented sequence of miracles cannot bring about a mature response on the part of the people, what will?
Well, God said: Let them build something together. This simple command transformed the Israelites. During the whole construction of the tabernacle there were no complaints. The people contributed gold, silver, bronze, skins and drapes, and others gave their time and skill. They gave so much that Moses had to order them to stop. A remarkable proposition is being framed: It is not what God does for us that transforms us. It is what we do for God!
Let me take a minute to define what I mean. Salvation, the redemptive act of God himself, has nothing to do with us. God rescued the Israelites because of his promises to their ancestors. They did nothing to deserve this salvation and really had no part in making it happen. This is how it is with us. Salvation is given as a gift through Jesus. It had nothing to do with us. Transformation into the likeness of our Lord Jesus, on the other hand, is something we take part in. Once given so great a gift, we must respond by becoming as much like our Lord as we humanly can. We need to do what he would do, say what he would say, and walk as he would walk.
Our salvation in Jesus is God’s call to responsibility. He doesn’t want us to rely on miracles to meet the needs of others. Neither does he want us to be dependent on others. He wants us to become his partners recognizing that which we have from him. However, what we make of what we have is up to our choices. This is not an easy balance to achieve. It is easy to live a life of dependency — you complain and your needs are met. It is equally easy, in the opposite direction, to slip into the mistake of saying, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” Deuteronomy 8:17. So we must understand, all we have belongs to God, but he gave it to us in order that we use it as he would — for the good.
Our job description is found in Matthew 25:31-40. When we transform the life of someone in need we are transforming ourselves at the same time. We have made this world a little bit better and are calling the Divine Presence down a little closer to earth. Working together we can be God’s partners in creation so when Messiah Jesus returns, he will find us busy doing His Father’s work.
Frank Fenton is a lifelong student of the Word of God. He attends the Church of the Messiah in Xenia where he shares teaching duties for the weekly Bible study class, as well as contributing to the congregational teaching.
