Exodus 36-40: A Dwelling for God's Glory

God's demanded nothing but the best from the Israelites for the building of the tabernacle.  The finest gold, silver, precious jewels, linen, wood, and even the finest craftsmen were to be used to build God's dwelling place.  When the tabernacle was finally finished, Moses inspected the work and saw that it was done just as God had commanded.  All the preparations, the sacrifices and washings, were complete and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Not even Moses could enter this sacred place.  It was only for the Lord.  The people gave of their best and it pleased God to dwell there. 

How much of our best do we give God today.  Do we give him the most costly of our gold and silver, or does he get the left-overs.  The builders of the great cathedrals recognized that God was worthy of the best.  Can we say the same about the prefab church structures of today?  Is God worthy of more than we are giving?

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.- Ex. 40:36-38 NIV

God rewarded the faithfulness of the Israelites in building his tabernacle by being faithful in return.   Are we losing his guidance because we have brought him down to our own level and no longer recognize the sacred nature that demands only the finest and best for his glory.  Just asking.

2010 Post - Exodus 34-39:  The People Give