Having described the Ark that will be placed in the Holy of Holies where God will meet with his people, and then the table for the bread of the presence and lampstand that will stand in the Holy Place, we now move onto the fabric of the tent that will house all of this.

The description is remarkably like a movie scene beginning in close focus on the Ark and the presence of God, and then gradually drawing back to take in the rest of the tabernacle. As we move back from the intricate golden furniture, our eyes notice for the first time the richly-coloured curtains that surround us. From the outside, we would only see the leather coverings but inside, we can see the scarlets and blues of the fine linen.

As we move further away from the Ark, though, a curtain falls – a veil – covering our view of the Holy of Holies and separating us from the presence of the Lord there. The Lord has come to dwell among his people, but his people are not able to freely come into his presence.

The tabernacle worship established through Moses was a huge step forward in Israel’s understanding of who the Lord was and what their relationship with him could be as a nation. In the past, God had made himself known in a very personal way to individuals – Adam, Noah, Abraham and others – but now God was making Israel a holy people set apart for himself and establishing his presence with them in a way that had never happened before.

And yet, there was still the veil.

Wonderful as it was, the tabernacle and even the temple worship that came after it was a shadow of what was to come. With the death and resurrection of Jesus, we see the literal veil that separated man from God’s presence being torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). Praise God that, through Jesus, he has made a way for us to enter into the most holy place of his presence. May we never forget what it has cost him to offer us that privilege.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH