Three Tabernacles or Three in ONE? (Exodus 38-40)

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

THREE TABERNACLES? OR THREE IN ONE? EXODUS 38-40

Continuing in our commentary in Exodus 38-40, the Tabernacle in the desert seems to be 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 Moses 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” (M+SH+K+N) It comes from the verb “Sh’ken” which is “to dwell”. The reason that Adonai ordered Moshe to build the Tabernacle was 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 that we can “meet” with HIM. “Ohel Moed” has 7 letters, “7” is the number of perfection. If we look at the Ancient Hebrew spelling of these words we could see the following: “Behold the God of Instruction and Teaching and (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 which were 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 that “Yeshuah” is at the “door”. All that we need to do is open the door and receive “Yeshuah” that comes from “Yeshua” (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”

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 life style 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, who is the New Covenant. Now, we will look at another building project. King David had it in his mind to "Build a House for God" yet his son Solomon constructed it.

1 KINGS 7:51-8:21

We see here a repetition of the same building project, but on a larger scale. Solomon builds the first “Temple” for the presence of YHVH. Wherein the tabernacle was a mobile structure (kinda like a mobile home) the Temple was a fixed place. He employed thousands of workers, so there wasn’t much unemployment in Israel during that time. It took many years to build whereas the Tabernacle was finished in a matter of months.

It takes time to build a ministry, many years sometimes. But if the goal is to share/teach the Word of God to others, to minister HIS word, then the LORD will bless that work, no matter how small or how big, whether a “mobile” ministry or a “fixed-in-one-place ministry, Adonai will bless and it will last.

MARK 9:1-50; 10:1-52

Yeshua takes his three chosen disciples; Peter, James, and John to witness a special event. We know this as the “Transfiguration.” They went up a mountain and the clothing of Yeshua was transformed into dazzling white. He then talked with Moses and Elijah. The scripture does not say what they talked about. We can only imagine. Perhaps, it was the following;

Moses represents the Torah, (the first 5 books) and Elijah, the Prophets and writings, and Yeshua, the New Covenant. Altogether, we have the complete Torah, the Complete Word of God! Perhaps Yeshua told the two how He was the one that they wrote about and how all of their prophecies would be complete in HIM. Well, that is just an idea. What do you think they talked about if not that?

In Mark 10, Yeshua teaches about divorce. This is a big subject, and a sad subject because many couples do not take marriage seriously anymore. “Love” is a “commitment” it is a “conscious choice” to care for a person, it has nothing to do with “feelings”, yet “feelings” can lead two people together to “make a “love” commitment”

Divorce was allowed out of the “hardness of man’s heart” in biblical times, it was instituted by the man, never the woman, all is different now, get tired of your mate? Bored? Run to the lawyer and get a divorce, look for a new mate, someone more exciting and fuller of life. This is the mentality of the world, but not the mentality of God.

The only biblical reason for allowing divorce is adultery, and for unbelief, if there is a mixed marriage and the unbeliever refuses to live with the believer, “let him (or her) depart” for we are not called to strife. All the more reason to be “equally yoked together, believers with other believers” Personally, divorce should be a last choice if one is living in a “hell hole” and the mate is an “unholy terror” but let’s not even go there now, we need to lift up our mates in prayer and pray for understanding one with the other. We are all different, and our mates complement our weaknesses, and through our mates, our weaknesses become “strong”

Have a blessed week. We leave for the States on the 28th, coming back? Maybe in May. Will write again then.

Ben Avraham (Does anyone here live in Houston or Miami?)

 

 

Nice memories.  Bringing a Bible study to the cadets of "Escuela Militar Gerardo Barrios, in San Salvador, El Salvador  2016