Three Tabernacles or three in one? (Exodus 38:21-40:38)

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

THREE TABERNACLES? OR THREE IN ONE?

(Pikudei: Exodus 38:21-40:38) "accountings of"

 

The Tabernacle is finished, and the congregation brings the finished product to Moshe for inspection. Giving an account of one's work, contribution, offerings, tithes, etc is very Biblical. The LORD expects nothing less from his people. Giving an account of what one has done. It is being accountable for what we have been given and what we have done with it all. That is why there are "accountants" in every business.

Even though Moshe probably didn't do any of the physical building (or perhaps he did) he was in charge of the building project as he received the instructions of how the Tabernacle was to be made directly from Adonai. We have the same method today. "Ronald MacDonald" himself doesn't make hamburgers, but all of his managers have to give an "account" to him of how the businesses are going, The gains and the losses, etc.

Once everything had been placed inside the Tabernacle, the "Anan HaKavod" (The Glory Cloud) came and surrounded the Tabernacle. The Torah states that Moshe could not enter the Tabernacle because of the Glory Cloud of YHVH, yet on other occasions, he went into the cloud (example, on Mt. Sinai). Why couldn't he go into the Tabernacle on that occasion?

One good answer might be; "He was invited by God to enter the Glory Cloud while on Sinai." This time, the invitation was not given. We might say this also. YHVH came down to inspect His house where He will dwell among His people. He wanted to see that all was done under His instructions.

The Tabernacle was finished and Adonai came in to dwell with His people on the 1st of Nissan, (April 9th this year) So, April 9th is "New Year's Day"

There is only one way to approach YHVH, and that is through Yeshua. The Tabernacle reflected the person of Yeshua in all ways. It is like if you had a house designed and built according to your specifications. Upon finishing the house, you will want to go in and inspect it to see if all is as you wanted it to be. After that, then you will want others to come in.

In this Torah portion, the Tabernacle is mentioned/referred to in three ways:

 

1. HaMishkan (The Tabernacle)

2. HaMishkan, HaOhel Moed (The Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting)

3. HaMishkan, HaEidut (The Tabernacle of the Testimony).

 

In reality, they are ALL the same, yet referred to by different names. Why is that? Why does Moshe refer to them in different ways? Perhaps we can see the ministry of Adonai in different ways.

“HaMishkan” If we go back to the ancient Hebrew spelling of the word “Mishkan” It is spelled with 4 Hebrew letters. “Mem” “Sheen” “Kaph” and “Nun” It comes from the verb “Sh’ken” which is “to dwell”. Adonai ordered Moshe to build the Tabernacle so that HE could dwell amongst HIS people. One can look at the letters from the ancient Hebrew perspective and say;

“The Living Water who is the All-Consuming Fire anoints (his people) with life” … or … “Our lives became anointed when the presence of the All-Consuming Fire /the Living Water is amongst us”

“HaOhel Moed” (The Tent of Meeting) Why do we go to the synagogue/church? Because it is the meeting place where we meet with Elohim. His spirit is there! Even if only two believers are present in some place, HE is in the midst! So, Adonai dwells with his people so we can “meet” with HIM. “Ohel Moed” has 7 letters, “7” is the number of perfection. “Aleph” “Hey” “Lamed” and then; “Mem” “Vav” “Ayin’ “Tav”

Again, going back to the ancient Hebrew understanding of the symbolism in the letters, we could understand these two words in the following manner: “Behold the God of Instruction and Teaching (gives his people/us) the “living water (of the word) which connects us with insight, which is at the door”.

When we meet with Adonai, we are taught His Word through his chosen teachers, we are taught about Yeshua who is the “Living Water” who gives “insight’ (or understanding). The understanding is there at the door, all we have to do is open the door (of our mind and heart) to receive it. It is interesting that the last word “Moed” has the letters “Ayin and Dalet” which spell “Witness” There are witnesses when we meet with Adonai, Adonai himself, and his holy angels besides those who are there to receive the Word of God.

“HaEidut” (Testimony or Pact) The Mishkan was also known as the “Eidut” the Tabernacle of Testimony. What is the testimony? The testimony is the presence of the “Tables of the Torah” The tablets of the Commandments placed in the Ark of the Covenant. The word “Eidut” spelled in Hebrew consists of three letters; “Ayin’ “Dalet” and “Tav”. When we see these from the ancient Hebraic perspective, we can see this message;

“Insight is at the door of the Covenant” or we could also understand it as; “The covenant gives insight, and that is at the door”. The letter “Tav” in the ancient spelling looks like a cross leaning to one side. It speaks of the New Covenant under Yeshua, and when we understand (insight) the message of “Yeshuah” (Salvation) then “Yeshuah” is at the “door”.

All that we need to do is open the door and receive “Yeshuah” which comes from “Yeshua” (which seems like a play on words). Again, we see the two letters “Ayin and Dalet” (ED) yet here they are reversed, yet they are still present, the “Witness”

Inside the Ark of the Covenant were the tablets of the Commandments which YHVH made anew after Moshe broke the original ones, and the broken pieces of the first tablets. We might ask why. It might be to remind us that we broke the law, and we are guilty and we have the sin nature, yet we have been renewed by Yeshua, who made us "anew" through His Holy Spirit. He is the one who fulfilled the Torah in full, without breaking it.

In conclusion, the Tabernacle was all about where Adonai came to dwell amongst his people to dwell with them, teach them his word, his ordinances, and his commandments, to direct them to a new lifestyle other than the life they had in Egypt.

We meet with Adonai in HIS place of worship to receive his word, and to allow HIM to dwell inside of us through His Holy Spirit. We learn His Word and his Word directs ALL to YESHUA/JESUS, who is the Messiah in the New Covenant.

"Chazak, Chazak, v'nitchazek"   (Be strong, hold fast, let us strengthen one another)   We say this when we come to the end of each book in the Bible. 

 

Have a blessed week.