God’s people received instructions from God at the base of Mount Sinai concerning how to live as God’s holy people.

The fall caused by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the sin that now was to cover them, made it impossible for any of their descendants to be close to the perfect presence of a holy God.

God is holy, and his holiness is pure, that just as light consumes darkness the holiness of God would consume God’s unholy people if they were to come near Him.

God doesn’t want His people to be distance, so at Mount Sinai, as we read in Exodus, God gave His people instructions on how to build the tabernacle, a place patterned after His Holy home, so He could dwell among them. He was making a way for His people to come into His presence.

But the cost to maintain holiness while allowing sinful people to draw near is high. The Book of Leviticus records conversations God has with Moses on how His people are to come near Him.

God establishes the priesthood, the men who will oversee detailed rituals that must be followed in order for His people covered by sin to draw near to Him.

God also gives His people practical laws so they can live holy and pure lives. As his people, they must distinguish between the clean and the unclean, the pure and the impure, life and death, good and evil.

God’s people need to learn to get used to the purity and goodness of heaven since one day they will live there.

The curse of sin and death still hold down the people’s souls, so the tabernacle is a temporary remedy. But is is still a step to get life back to the way God designed it. God communing with His people.

Through these ceremonies and rituals at the tabernacle the people are following a picture of the ultimate remedy. This remedy being Christ Jesus, Who will allow them to be forever close to God and His goodness eternally.

God Bless.

OFJ.