Through the book of Exodus so far, we’ve seen God rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exo 1-12) and lead them through the wilderness and the Red Sea to bring them to Himself at the foot of Mt Sinai (Exo 13-19). Nothing could stop this - not an angry Pharoah, and even the sea itself had split to let them through. They were no longer slaves; they were free. Their identity had changed – from slaves to a people belonging to the LORD. But what did that mean? Who were they now, and what would they do with this freedom? Where would they go?
Speaking to Moses on Mt Sinai, God gave the Israelites a pattern for constructing the tabernacle and the priestly garments (Exo 25:9). Eventually, they would bring these with them and settle in the Promised Land. In Exo 39:33-43, they had just finished building the tabernacle and have yet to continue their journey.
(A) OBEDIENCE IN ACTION: BE HEARERS AND DOERS
When the work of the tabernacle was finished, the Israelites brought the tabernacle with all its elements to Moses (Exo 39:33). All the work was done, and it was time for Moses to check if they had indeed built the tabernacle and priestly garments as God had commanded. Imagine the nervous faces of the people as they brought it to Moses after all their long labor and sewing and hammering and crafting.. To their great relief (we imagine), Moses saw all the work and deemed that they had done it; they had done the work exactly according to the plan that Moses was shown on the mountain (Exo 26:30). In fact, seven times in Exodus 39, we are reminded that the Israelites did exactly “as the LORD had commanded Moses” (Exo 39:1,5,7,21,26,29,31).
How were they able to get such a complex construction project exactly right? Firstly, God had given them a greatly detailed blueprint (Exo 25-30) through Moses. Secondly, in declaring “so you shall make it” (Exo 25:9), God sovereignly ordained that it would be done. Thirdly, God provided all that they needed to build the tabernacle and priestly garments.
In Exodus 31 and 36, we see that He filled them with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship to devise artistic designs and to work with all the necessary materials for the project. It was God’s sovereign provision that enabled them to carry out the work according to His plan. We know that it was not their experience in building pyramids with brick and straw that enabled them to obey God down to the T, because the materials were different, the structure was different, and the purpose of the building was different. And we know all the more that it was not because they were inherently wonderful, because left to themselves, they copied the idols of their oppressors / neighbors and built and worshipped a golden calf (Exo 32)! On their own, without help, they were idolatrous, unable to please God.
In building the tabernacle, the Israelites got it right because they heard, and they did. They heard from God, they were shown God’s plan, and they obeyed. Obedience began with them listening to God’s Word through Moses and echoing it to one another as they did the work. The voice of the LORD, through His prophet, to His people, gets repeated as a voice in their hearts.
This is true for us today as well. When we listen to God’s Word and echo it to one another, the words find their way into our hearts. Our hearts are moved, shaken, or held firm by what we look at and what we listen to – be it our fears, what culture tells us, bad news, or even good news. If I am on Instagram browsing food posts all day, and I lie down at night, suddenly - in my mind - I might find a picture of a delicious burger with extra cheese. The thoughts of my heart show you the places that I have been making my home. So who are we looking at, and whose words are we listening to? What are we echoing and telling one another?
As we read God’s Word, we find God’s words not just on the pages of our Bibles, but in our hearts as well. Our hearts remain our own. But they have been changed! It is God’s words that I find inside. But I hear them in my own voice. And when our hearts are moved by God’s Word, we must then move from hearing - from just looking and listening - to doing.
We often hear advice such as “let go and let God” or “why don’t you surrender it to God? Why don’t you give Him control?” We may even have said these to ourselves or our friends, because these words do sound spiritual and wise at first glance. But if we consider the picture of obedience in Exodus 35 - 39 (and our own lives), we see that that’s not how obedience works. Ask yourself: What do you find Israel doing in these chapters? What about in chapter 32 when they built the calf? Whether they are doing right or wrong, evil or good, practising true worship or idolatry, there is always real action being taken that belongs to them. They are responsible. The picture of obedience in Exo 39 is one of taking up the responsibility of doing God’s Word as His stewards, sons, and servants, not of pushing away responsibility by “letting go” or “surrendering” to God. Whether Israel is doing right or wrong, evil or good, true worship or idolatry, there is real action that belongs to them.
For instance, if my mother asks me to help with the dishes, and I disobey, repentance does not happen when I say: “Sorry mom… your will be done” or “Mom… I give you control”. Obedience is me going to do the dishes. So it is with God’s Word. When we hear God’s Word, our response should be active obedience, or our hearts will be hardened by our disobedience.
Eph 2:10 tells us that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. Notice the same pattern: God prepares the good works beforehand. But we walk in them. We do not disappear from the picture - we do not let go or give God control! Instead, we hold on to and live in God’s Word and obey as sons and daughters.This New Testament verse echoes the building of the tabernacle, where God prepared the work, gave the materials, and enabled the Israelites to build it – and they did build it. In the same way, we are to move our hands and feet in obedience to do all that God has commanded, in response to hearing His Word. It is God sanctifying and making us new through His Spirit, but it is actually, really us that He is making new. Our new hearts, our own hands, our renewed minds.
Jas 1:22-25 is clear about this principle of obedience – “be doers of the word, and not hearers only…the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” This verse tells us: what you do, you keep. Your prayerful obedience to what you have patiently heard helps you to remember. To go away and not forget, but still have it stored in your heart. So much of life is distortion. But when you look at the Word, the Spirit reveals precious truth that gives you liberty. Don’t you dare hold this lightly.
(B) BLESSED TO OBEY: OBEDIENCE MAKES A FAMILY OUT OF FAILURES AS GOD BRINGS A ONCE-REBELLIOUS PEOPLE TO PLAY A PART IN HIS HOLY DWELLING
After the Israelites made and worshipped the golden calf (Exo 32), Moses smashed the tablets of the testimony in his anger (Exo 32:19), and again he meets God on Mt Sinai. This time, it’s to intercede on behalf of the Israelites (Exo 33:12-34:28).
While interceding, Moses made a request. He asked that the LORD would “go in the midst of us” (Exo 34:9). The tabernacle was God’s grand answer to this request! Through the tabernacle, the LORD Himself would dwell in the midst of their camp. With the camps of the 12 tribes surrounding it, God’s presence was physically in the centre of the whole Israelite community (Numbers 2). It was also the centre of their social lives, as their worship, rituals, and offerings revolved in and around it. Being portable, the tabernacle would also go with them when they moved. God was fulfilling His promise in Exodus 25:8 by making His dwelling in their midst!
With the same hands, the people who had previously made the golden calf were now to make God’s own dwelling place. What a turn! In Exodus 32, they took off their gold earrings and fashioned a god for themselves. Now, as they looked upon the finished tabernacle (Exodus 39), more than just a physical or social center, the construction of the Tabernacle meant the creation of new family. Imagine the people with their haul from Egypt, each family having their share of plunder, wives with brooches and husbands with signet rings. They brought all that with willing hearts, and placed them into the whole. This beautiful structure was not made by any one of them. It was the sum total of all their contributions.
You see, God was not inviting them into covenant individually. Through this construction, God was creating a new family much larger than that defined by bloodlines. He was inviting all of Israel to be His people. All 12 tribes were represented in the design of the priestly garments - on the shoulders and on the breastplate of the priests (Exo 28) when they came before God. The obedience of Israel to God’s pattern had united the Israelites as a nation called by God to Himself, and had made a family out of slaves.
This communal nature of obedience and giving may seem foreign to us today, but it really shouldn’t be. The Israelites gave of their possessions to the whole, so that everyone was enriched. When we obey, we bless more than just ourselves (think of those who had less to contribute, or less skills). When we grow in the fruit of the Spirit, we bless those around us – there is no love or forgiveness without anyone to receive them. On the other hand, when there is sin in the community, it hurts more than just the sinful individual. Disobedience and sloth and lust and pride hurt more than just me. They hurt those around me who I love. So the hard truth is that there is no sin that doesn’t do collateral damage to the community. But there is no forgiveness and renewal that doesn’t bring communal blessing. So friends, we have a strong interest in fighting for the obedience of our neighbour.
You might ask: what about us? Like Israel, everything that we have comes from God. and it is our joy when we use it for His service! When we give what we have:
we support God’s work through the preaching of the gospel
we support the pastor / church worker who is devoting his life to prayer and the Word
we support the support staff: deacons, admin staff, PAs who do your bulletin and graphics and videos and lights & sounds and take care of your kids
we support outreach: to the community around us, loving them and inviting them in
we support the actual building that we rent or own!
The aim of all that is to build a home where God’s chosen family can grow in love for Him and each other. Like Israel, when we obey and give of our time and talents, we participate in the creation of family. This is challenging. But if I save to only give to my blood ‘family’, I mark out by my giving who I think my family is. In contrast, Christ tells me that my family is larger than the parents who bore me and the siblings who share my name. And as i give to that true family, I live into that truth. God has called all of us from our temporary, earthly families (as precious as they are) into His new, everlasting family. This is precious news for us!
In Mark 10:17-21, a rich young ruler approached Jesus, asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life. He had kept all the commandments since young, but could not sell his possessions and give to the poor. So he went away sorrowful; the abundance he had was like a chain and stone around his neck. Yet Jesus looked at him and loved him. For those struggling to give, we’re not saying “you must”. But when we see that everything we have comes from God, then it is our joy to use it for His service, and we give in response to His love.
Jesus also knows what our obedience costs us, and he promises that those who have given up much for his sake and for the gospel will receive a hundredfold in family – and this is the Church. Therefore, it is essential that we give what we have and use our gifts to build up God’s family, each according to the grace given us (Rom 12:6-8).
(C) BLESSED TO OBEY: OBEDIENCE GIVES REST TO THE ANXIOUS
Before the Israelites were to start any work on the tabernacle, they were commanded to rest (Exo 35:1-3). Our idea of rest is very much influenced by culture. We often perceive “rest” as enjoying distraction or inactivity, or as having “me time”. God’s idea of rest, however, is a Sabbath rest. It is deep rest, soul-refuelling rest. It is the rest described in Psalm 23: “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (Ps 23:2-3).
Notice the four words in Exodus 35:2: holy to the LORD. True rest is not inactivity alone, or sleep alone - because we have left our rest time more anxious than before, and we have slept poorly and fitfully and nervously. For many of us, work often follows us home, keeps us awake at night, and wakes us up in the morning. There is no rest for the person whose studies follow and chase after them. True rest is bound up with obedience, because unless we are holy - set apart - to God, we cannot have it. Why? If we are not obeying God’s call, then we are obeying something else. If we are not worshipping God, we are worshipping something else - and it will not let us rest.
True rest is bound up in obedience to the true master – Jesus Christ. At the end of Exodus 39, we hear incredible words. We hear the narrator say: the work was finished. This stands in stark contrast to Exodus 5:4-9, where the people were also building a majestic building, and also doing it in obedience to a king, the Pharoah. However, his greatness demanded the death of their rest. So it is with any other master except God. But in God’s rhythm of work, you will find rest. His greatness permits our rest. His love for us commands us to rest. Israel once built pyramids as slaves for a mighty king to dwell away from them. Now, they build a Tabernacle, as free people, for their king to dwell with them and in their midst. God comes to dwell because it is not just freedom from slavery, but becoming family.
These are the same words spoken to us today. God frees us from sin to enjoy life under Christ. We’ve got to turn away from sin and turn to Christ friends. It’s not just about “letting go” of our sin and clinging on to any other replacement, but clinging with both hands to Christ. The promise is that if we turn away from sin and turn towards Christ - not one or the other but both - we will grow to be free from sin and free to rest. If we struggle with obedience, we can pray for help.
There are two questions commonly asked by people searching for God:
1) If there is a God, where can I know Him?
2) If there is a God, where can I meet Him?
For the Israelites in Exodus, the tabernacle was the answer. For us today, Heb 1:1-2 is God’s answer to us. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the culmination of God’s words. This is good news because we don’t just get rules, but a ruler who does not rest until He calls us to Himself. The Word is precious because He is a person who frees us to rest in Him. This is the same Jesus, who in Matt 11:28 says “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He is the Shepherd who calls His sheep to green pastures and whose sheep hear His voice.
So when we come to the Word, we can look, we can listen, and we can obey. Because in the Word we are going to find Jesus Christ who is building His family. We listen to him, echo His words to one another, and obey in practical ways. That others might join the family, and that all of us might find in Jesus Christ precious rest.