The Tabernacle

Exodus 35-40

     After Moses gave the people the ten commandments, he explained that they must keep on day each week to rest and worship God. "You may work for six days every week, but on the seventh day you will rest and worship God. This will be called the Sabbath. It is the Lord's day. You may not do any work or even make a fire for cooking on that day."

     Then Moses told them that God wanted them to make a tabernacle, a place for worship. This would be a special large tent that could be moved. Inside the tabernacle there would be an altar and a holy place holding the ark of the covenant.

     An ark is a box or chest. A man named Bezalel, who knew how to build beautiful things, made most of this ark. The ark was made of fine wood and covered with pure gold. It had gold-covered poles for carrying it. Inside the ark were placed the stone tablets with the ten commandments.

     Moses told the people, "God wants you to give your finest things to make this holy tabernacle. Bring gold or silver, fine blue, purple, or bright red cloth or thread. Bring wool yarn, leather, fine wood, oil for the lamps, and spices to make incense or perfumed oil. If you have jewels, bring them to make the special things a priest will wear."

     The people thought about the things Moses told them, and they felt excited. They brought all the things that he had asked for.

     There wee lampstands, which were tall gold candleholders with flowers carved in them. The people hung curtains made of embroidered cloth and leather and fur skins for a wall around the tabernacle. The curtains were hung by blue loops, and held tightly together with gold and bronze clasps.

     Inside the curtains was a large space, many feet long and wide. An altar was made for incense, and another one for burning animals that were given for God. There were tables for the special bread that was given to God.

     The ark of the covenant was placed inside a small tent of its own called the most holy place. Only once a year did the priests go into the most holy place. The priests were people from the families of Levi, and Aaron was their leader!

     When the tabernacle was set up on the first of the month, with the ten covering over it. Moses burned incense and put all the things inside it. In all their journeys, when the people of Israel set up the tabernacle, they could see God's cloud by day and God's fire by night.