Exodus 39:43
And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Here is the vision come to life, the pattern come to completion.  Everything was ready to be set up and put in place exactly how God wanted it to be, with all the right materials, and the symbolism of Christ everywhere within it.  And did they, or could they, understand the significance of what would be built?  It wasn’t just a representation of the holiness of God and not just a place for Him to dwell among them.  It wasn’t just about a place and a process for sacrifices, but everything in it pointed to the Lamb who would come, the one who truly would take away all their sins and then dwell within their hearts.

The tabernacle was to be at the center of their camp, and the God of that tabernacle was to be at the center of their lives, and the Savior represented in that tabernacle was to be at the center of their hope.  But a lot has happened since that day.  Jesus came and died and rose again.  But that didn’t change the fact that everything in our lives is supposed to revolve around Jesus, His work, His truth, and His purposes.  Things may have changed some, but what hasn’t changed is that Jesus is to be the central focus of everything.

Another main aspect of building the tabernacle was that the work had to be done God’s way.  Everything came together as it should because they were doing it as God said to do it.  He was very specific in His instructions, and the people were obedient in response.  As a result, they would be blessed.  God has also given us instructions on how to live lives that please Him.  He’s been specific about a lot of things, and our job is to be obedient to doing what God wants in His way.  And when we do so, God truly blesses us.

It must have been an amazing moment for Moses to stand back and to see everything starting to come together.  Soon the walls would go up, the curtains would be hung, the furniture put in place, and the glory of the Lord would fill the tabernacle.  And Moses could appreciate not only a task completed in obedience, but the presence of God drawing near.  In our own lives, in our service and obedience to the Lord, we can find some satisfaction in those things we accomplish.  But may the more meaningful part of it all be that it invites God to draw nearer still, and may we live with a continual appreciation of His presence among us.