In 2025 if you asked average American Christians to describe what worshiping the Lord looks like, many responses would surely include descriptions of an energetic atmosphere charged by loud music, with worshippers dancing and lifting their hands in praise, singing songs of the benefits of God. In fact, the current online definition of worship supports this idea... (noun) the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; (verb) show reverence and adoration for a deity. This basic definition suggests that we are to express our feelings of how much we adore God. While I believe that is it good and right to outwardly show our adoration to God, I question if reducing our devotion to praise and worship events really fulfills God's mandate for us or if it predominately feeds our flesh.
In Ecclesiastes we have a different mindset of how to come before the Lord. Solomon exhorts us to be reverent and mindful when we come into the presence of the Lord.
"Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
In all of his wisdom, Solomon, warns us to guard our steps when we enter the house of God. He urges us to approach with humility and obedience rather than offering empty sacrifices like fools. Solomon reveals to us that true worship is not merely about outward expressions, but about an inward surrender and devotion to God. It is fully and completely giving ourselves to God, as demonstrated by Jesus's life and death. It is a privilege to be able to commune with the Almighty and we are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
So, what does this have to do with Moses and the Tabernacle? Well, more than you might initially think. Let us take a look at the worship services that God prescribed in the book of Exodus.
God gave Moses specific-detailed instructions to build a tabernacle that would serve as an earthly dwelling place of Yahweh and a sanctuary for ordained worship. At this time, the Lord was leading His people through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. The tabernacle was constructed so that it was portable and could be transported from place to place as Yahweh led them; His presence always abiding with them.
"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Exodus 25:8
This was a holy place; a place unique and set apart from God's Heavenly home; a place for Him to reside with the children of Israel. Yahweh showed Moses the Heavenly temple and then gave him a pattern to follow as the earthly tabernacle was constructed. (Exodus 25 and Hebrews 8). When humans entered the earthly tabernacle, they were meant to realize that it was a sacred place, representing the Heavenly temple.
There were three sections of the Tabernacle: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The first part of the tabernacle encountered by someone who wanted to approach God was the Outer Court. This courtyard was the location where the sacrifices took place, and all of the physical work of worship was enacted. This was the only place the common people could access. The tent structure was only accessible by the priests who were making the offerings.
Upon entering the tent structure, one entered into the Holy Place where the mental work of worship was conducted. The interior was illuminated by the menorah. Its light reflected off the gold furnishings, revealing elaborate tapestries of curtains, veils, and coverings.
At the final portion of the tent structure was the Holy of Holies separated from the Holy Place by the veil. The innermost chamber of the tabernacle contained one item, the ark of the covenant. Over the ark and forming its lid was the mercy seat where two cherubim sit facing one another. Dwelling between the cherubim was God Almighty. Here the high priest entered only once a year to offer the blood sacrifice which atoned for the sins of the people. It was here that man communed with God, face to face. With God dwelling in the Holy of Holies, Israel had access to Him and walked in the Light of Truth.
As we have seen with multiple things in our reading this year, the Tabernacle was also designed to teach us more than what was given in the basic text. It was designed to help us understand true worship here on earth and in Heaven to come. The Tabernacle no longer stands today but let us consider some very straight forward texts in the New Testament about the location of the temple of God.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Corinthians 6:19
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? I Corinthians 3:16
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and the household of God; In whom (Jesus Christ) all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19,21-22
The texts clearly specifies that, while there is no earthy tabernacle or temple, and the Heavenly one isn't accessible to us, God has made His home within the believer. We are now the place where Yahweh seeks to meet with us and the place where our worship should occur.
As a repentant sinner entered the tabernacle courtyard, he drew closer and closer to the physical presence of God, who manifested Himself inside the Holy of Holies in a pillar of cloud and fire. But in the Old Testament, a believer could only draw so close to God, then he or she had to be represented by a priest or the high priest the rest of the way. As of 33AD, Christ changed the world and, as repentant sinners, we now have access to the High Priest who offers prayers directly to the Father for us.
Seeing then that we have a Great High Prist, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Let us therefore come boldy unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrew 4:14,16
As we seek to worship the Lord, we can view the three elements of the Tabernacle as a progression from the outside world toward the throne of God, where we move from our fleshly offerings toward spiritual communion with God.
First, all worship begins in the flesh; thus we arrive at the outer court of the Tabernacle. This is where I believe the modern-day church has gotten sidetracked and calls this worship the height of all possible experiences. In the Outer Court the priests would sacrifice the animals being offered through obedience and worship. There was much physical labor occurring here. Typically, in churches today, the service where we bring our tithes and offerings to the Lord also has elements of physical acts: standing, kneeling, raising or clapping your hands, using your voice in prayer, praise, and singing. Here the worshipper communicates to God through the five physical senses. In a sense the Courtyard represents the human body.
Next, after the preliminaries of the Outer Court, the priest moved into the Holy Place. Hebrews 9:6 tells us that the priest entered the first tabernacle to "accomplish the service of God." Within the Holy Place, priests acted as representatives of the people of Israel before God. Common people were not allowed to enter this tent. Within the tent, all of the items were made of precious gold; a menorah burned continually, as there was no other light. The priests burned sweet-smelling incense every morning and evening. The smoke from the incense rose to the ceiling, went through the opening above the veil, and filled the Holy of Holies.
As we worship the Lord we can move beyond physical acts into a deeper engagement with the Lord, as demonstrated in the Holy Place. This part of the tent represents our souls, where the mental work of worship is conducted. Our souls are engaged through intellect, will, and emotions of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Through prayer and communion with the Lord, we bring our offerings to Him. We are refined by the fire and made of use to God.
"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Psalm 141:2
"And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Revelation 8:4
As they would progress deeper into the tent, they came to the Holy of Holies, where God dwelled. Israel had access to Him only through the High Priest once a year when sin sacrifices were offered for the priest and the entire nation of Israel. The blood of the offerings was sprinkled on the mercy seat of God. At this time, Yahweh could choose to accept their offerings and continue to dwell with them and lead them.
However, as Jesus died for the sins of the world, the veil that separated the Holy Place and Holy of Holies was split in two from top to bottom, showing that God ended the separation between Him and His people. Our spirits have now become a place where the Holy Spirit can live within each Christian. We are made worthy for God to dwell within us, not by our own sacrifices or good works, but by the saving death of Jesus. God credits Jesus' righteousness to us through His gift of grace, entitling us to eternal life with Him in Heaven.
Here, at the altar of the Lord, the worshipper is beyond just the physical and soulish aspects of worship, where things unseen to the physical and mental senses are only detected by faith. Our offerings of worship, when presented through faith, are accepted because our High Priest has already completed the necessary offering.
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." II Corinthians 4:18
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2
Let us consider these words from Paul in Romans 12. Today our sacrifices are not of bulls and goats, but of our minds, bodies, and lives. It is our reasonable service. Beyond the Sunday morning worship service which can evoke strong emotions, let us train ourselves to be obedient in surrendering our very lives daily to the Lord, morning and evening, as the sacrifices in the wilderness tabernacle.
Comments