Exodus 25:23-26:13 | Study 10233
At the center of Israel’s camp in the wilderness stood the Tabernacle. A portable sanctuary, designed and ordered by God Himself. Every detail carried meaning. Every piece pointed forward. And through it all, we begin to see glimpses of the Gospel.
It is where God met with His people. He didn’t meet them where the law was kept, but rather on top of the law, on the mercy seat. That’s important. God’s mercy covered the law. And that’s how we come to Him still today, not through our perfection, but through His mercy and the blood of a perfect Savior. God’s grace doesn’t lower the standard; it provides the way.
Inside the Tabernacle, was the table of showbread. Twelve loaves, replaced every Sabbath, eaten by the priests. It’s a reminder that God is our daily sustainer. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, NKJV). The bread was made from finely ground wheat flour that had to be crushed. It’s a picture of Christ, but it also speaks to us. Dying to self is part of following Him. We begin to grow in the things of the Lord when we deny our wants and desires and surrender to the Lord’s will for us. That’s where fruitfulness comes from.
The only light source inside the Tabernacle was the one lampstand. It was pure gold, hammered into shape, with branches, blossoms, and bowls. All crafted with intention. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12, NKJV). He didn’t say He would show us light. He said He is the light. Jesus alone illuminates the truth.
Every detail and each design gives us a glimpse of the Trinity. The mercy seat points to the Father. The bread, to the Son. The lampstand, to the Spirit. God was already showing Himself clearly, long before the New Testament would unfold it fully.
Even the curtains. They weren’t just decorative. Blue, purple, scarlet, and white. Representing heaven, royalty, sacrifice, and purity, all woven together. They pointed ahead to Jesus. The covering skins above them—goat hair, dyed rams’ skins, and weatherproof outer layers—spoke of protection and endurance. From the inside, it was beautiful. From the outside, it looked ordinary. That’s a picture of Christ too. Isaiah said there would be “no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). But inside? Glory.
In it all, God was teaching His people how to approach Him. Not on their terms, but His. He gave the pattern. He set the conditions. And through it all, He was drawing them near, not pushing them away. His desire was to meet with them. He wanted to dwell with them.
We should pause and ask: Have we gotten too familiar with the holy? Do we treat the sacred things of God as common? As we do things over and over, it’s easy to go through the motions and lose the wonder. We go to church each week, worship, and take communion. We have to remember that we are entering the house of the Lord. We worship the Creator of the universe, who invites us to sit at His table. God is holy. God is near. And the only reason we get to draw close to Him is because of mercy.
Let’s draw near with reverence. Let’s let these glimpses of the Gospel remind us that grace isn’t vague, or something that is only for a select few. It’s precise. It’s patterned. It’s for you! And it’s always pointing to Jesus.
