The Tabernacle

Title ideas:How the Lord lived among the Israelites. The holy worship Tent. The special meeting tent.

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Order the Israelites to build a holy tent for me, so that I may dwell [live] in their midst [among them]!

“They must build my tent and its furniture [everything inside it and around/outside it] to look like the image [pattern / model] that I will show to you!”

The Israelites gave generously, and skilled workers built the tent by following instructions that the Lord gave to Moses.

They built a [5-meter] high fence [wall] around a spacious [wide] yard [field] with the holy tent inside. They made this fence by hanging thick curtains [cloth] between bronze posts.

The fence had one gate. Inside the gate, they built an altar upon which to burn sacrificed animals. They made the altar from wood overlaid [covered] with bronze.

Every morning and every evening, priests would sacrifice an animal, and burn its body on the altar. They did so before they could enter the holy tent.

Between the altar and the holy tent, they built a big, bronze basin [tub] filled with clean water. Priests would wash their hands and feet with the water before they burned sacrifices [to the Lord].

They built the holy tent with wooden poles overlaid with gold. The poles stood on bases made from silver.

The walls and roof [for the holy tent] were coverings [curtains] that they made from colorful, thick cloth and animal skins [leather]. They hung these coverings from the poles.

The holy tent had two rooms separated [divided] by a thick curtain. Priests would enter the first room every day. They called it ‘the Holy Place’. The other room they called ‘the Most Holy Place’.

In the Holy Place, they set three furniture items. One was a small, wooden table overlaid with gold. Every day, priests would put fresh bread and wine [fruit juice] on the table. These they offered to God.

Another furniture was a golden lamp with seven flames that burned [olive] oil. The high priest would light the lamp every evening and let it burn till morning.

The third furniture in the Holy Place was a small, golden altar.

Every evening and morning, priests would burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar.

They separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place with a thick cloth curtain. They wove [made] this curtain from blue, purple and red-colored threads, forming a beautiful design [image].

The High Priest would go alone behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place only once in a year.

Inside the Most Holy Place was a wooden chest overlaid with gold. This they called the sacred [holy] Covenant Box. They made its lid [cover] from pure gold. [The High Priest would sprinkle animal blood on the covenant box lid, once a year.]

Into the Covenant Box, they put three things. First, the stone tablets with the ten commandments; second, a jar filled with manna; and third, Aaron’s staff that budded [in Egypt].

They molded [made] two golden statues [images] that looked like cherubim [angels], and fastened these to the two ends of the covenant box lid.

God said to Moses, “I will meet with you above the Covenant Box lid, between the two cherubim. I will speak to you there about all the ways you must command the Israelites to live [behave].”

All the furniture in the holy tent had metal rings on them. Whenever God told the Israelites to move camp, priests would put poles through the rings, so they could carry the furniture without touching them.

Priests would also take down all the cloth walls and poles, fold them up, and transport [carry] them to another place. There they would set everything up again.

In this way the Lord lived [dwelt] amidst his people. And wherever the Lord led his people, there was always a special place where He would meet with them [via the priests].