The dedication of the tabernacle
Genesis 40:1~9 “Then the Lord said to Moses: “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the Ark of the Covenant law in it and shield the Ark with the curtain.” (1~3)
Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal 255 Tho’ Your Sins be as Scarlet (#187 in previous version)
In our lives, we experience problems big and small. Most of those problems are financial problems. The Israelites experienced hardships in the wilderness. Due to problems of shelter and an uncertain future, they lived very difficult lives. However, God commanded the Israelites to give offering and build the tabernacle. Because money and the economy are two separate things, if you have money but do not know the economy, you may encounter problems. Just as the meaning of ‘economy’ encompasses the meaning of ‘fulfilling one’s duty,’ giving offering also fulfills our duty to God. Offering is the giving of material things to God as we give Him our hearts. How can we receive the blessings that come from offering and how can we properly give offering?
1. The blessing of the tabernacle we must enjoy daily
As we live our lives and encounter difficult obstacles, we must daily receive God’s strength. In the Scriptures, God demonstrates His strength to us through the tabernacle. The various materials in the tabernacle, including the ark of the Testimony, lampstands, altar of incense, altar of burnt offering, the basin, the curtain, and anointing oil, are a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. We should know and enjoy the new grace that God gives every day. Even though you may have lost hold of God’s promise yesterday, we must make sure to hold on to it today.
2. The spiritual blessing that people need
People who are saved are blessed. The Triune God is our God because our Father God is with us through the Word; Jesus Christ, His Son, came to solve all problems; and the Holy Spirit realistically works. Furthermore, our citizenship is in heaven. When we hold on to our background of heaven, and hold on to the Word, when we pray, the Lord sends His angels ahead of us. Not only that, if we attempt to live tabernacle-centered lives, we will gain the spiritual power to win over the forces of darkness. If we have the mystery of prayer within God’s plan and we possess spiritual strength, we will conquer Canaan. At that time, the doors of economy will open. That is why, above all, it is important to restore spiritual blessings.
- May we find the blessing of the tabernacle daily. May God lead me with true strength. We pray for the fulfillment of God’s promises from spiritual restoration to financial restoration.
Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 1st Service / 2010.11.14