I remember preaching a sermon years ago on Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal entitled, “Before the Fire Will Fall.” Remember the story? Elijah had to do a lot of work in preparation before fire came down from heaven and God revealed Himself and His glory to the people who followed Baal. Especially to the 400 prophets of Baal, who no matter how hard they tried just could not get any fire from heaven. You see, the power was not in the preparation. That was just Elijah being obedient. The power was in God and God alone. Fire came down for Elijah because God sent it. Fire did not fall for the prophets of Baal because their god simply does not exist.
That’s not to say that preparation is not important. We should prepare every time we gather as a church with humble hearts, bowed to His will, with prayers of expectation that God is glorious and will increase our awe and love through songs and preaching and prayer and testimony. That’s just us being obedient in preparing our hearts to receive what God so loves to give: Himself. And that is what we see in the final chapter of Exodus. All the furniture for the tabernacle had been made. All the materials for the tabernacle itself had been made and were ready to assemble into a tent of meeting. It had been at least 120 days since the instructions were given and Bezalel and Oholiab, spirit-filled craftsmen, led a team of artists who constructed everything, right down to the pomegranates on the priests’ robes. Now it was time for Moses to put it all together.
Notice the day! It was the first day of the first month. Verse 17, in the second year. This is significant because it was the anniversary of their departure from Egypt. This day the tabernacle was erected, the culmination of everything God had been doing since He first delivered His people from bondage. Now there was a tent of meeting, a tabernacle, where God would meet with His people for many years. And again we see the heart of Moses who obeyed the Lord. You read this phrase 7 times in chapter 39, 7 times in chapter 40, and 7 times in Leviticus 8: “As the Lord commanded Moses.” The Spirit of God in inspiring Moses to write it this way was making a point on the importance of word-for-word obedience to the Word of God. These people were humbled and repentant over their idolatry, at least for now, so they wanted to make sure they followed God exactly as they should. Then you read in verse 33, “So Moses finished the work.” Moses had done all he had been commanded to do. Now all that was missing was what everyone was waiting to see: the glory of the Lord. God with us. Moses could put the tabernacle together after God told him how to do it. But only God could fill the place.
We cannot close the book of Exodus without going one more time to the book of Hebrews, where we are told again that we have full access to God through Christ, His Son, who is also very God of very God. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
We know that Jesus is with us and in us! How should we then live? Let us draw near to Him. Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering or deconstructing. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Not stir up one another to distrust or bitterness. And let us not neglect to meet together for worship.
All the more, Saints, because we see the Day is drawing near.
J. Mark Fox 