Did Moses need binoculars to see the scope and perimeter of the wilderness camp? Scholars estimate that approximately 2.5 million people were en route to the Promised Land. It’s difficult for us to even imagine such a large mobile city and the management of such a population travelling through a wilderness. The closest comparison we might have today is some of the very large refugee camps that you can see online – but they are stationary – not in transit.

The last lesson ended with this:

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying … Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them…There I will meet with you; and…I will speak to you…” Exodus 25:1,8,22 NASB

So in the middle of this massive encampment, God instructed Moses to build a portable worship center – so to speak; or perhaps more accurately a ‘meeting place.’ In the middle of all the tents, a tabernacle was to be built. When completed, an aerial view may have looked something like this:

And Who wanted to be right in the center of their wilderness life? Who wants to be the hub of your heart and the 360 focus of your life? Who wants to meet (commune) with us and communicate the mind and heart of God to us? The Lord Jesus Christ.

The children of Israel were tenting in the wilderness as nomads. They lived in tents for years! Isn’t it amazing that God wanted to ‘tent’ right in the middle of their camp? Look at the artist’s picture above and think about it: right in the center! His ‘tent’ or ‘tabernacle’ was quite distinct from theirs and totally unique – but it was still a tent.

John writes about the Lord Jesus Christ, who replaced Israel’s tabernacle/tent.

“…the Word became flesh, and dwelt (tented or tabernacled) among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 NASB

In the tabernacle in the wilderness, as we’ll see in future studies, there were beauties no eye could see except the eye of God. True, the priestly men who were responsible for ‘operating’ the tabernacle service and ceremonies saw some of that glory. They must have been awed by it. Similarly, John wrote of Jesus: “We saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

Yes, the Son of God became a man with flesh and blood just like you and me – but He wasn’t just a man like any other person. He was distinct from all others. A ‘real’ man but genuinely God in human flesh. He came to meet us where we were and to ‘commune’ with us.

John makes it clear that Christ didn’t just come to ‘commune’ and ‘dwell’ with us where we were; He came very close to us to communicate with us as ‘The Word’. He is God’s full and final message to the human family.

John makes it clear that Christ didn’t just come to ‘commune’ and ‘dwell’ with us where we were; He came very close to us to communicate with us as ‘The Word’. He is God’s full and final message to the human family.

God had communicated with us through the light of creation (John 1:4,5), but we rejected the message. And then, there was the message of John the Baptist, who testified about the Light; but people did not believe. (John 1:6-8). So then what? Borrowing from the words of the Parable in Mark 12, “having yet One Son…,” His well-beloved, God sent Him (Jesus) in one final attempt to communicate with us. Not blasting a trumpet from a remote location – but, rather – He sent Him right into the middle of our lives on the planet.

We had an incredibly close-up view of the Father’s heart – when Jesus came. People were able to see His perfections and beauties and glories. But the full message God wanted to communicate to us was not known until the death of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross. God communicating His heart to us! Of course, the beautiful freedom and flow of communion we can enjoy today as believers came after He was raised from the dead and exalted to God’s right hand.

Has your heart been warmed as you project your thinking beyond the ancient tabernacle – that big, unique tent surrounded by many smaller tents in the Sinai wilderness? Have you appreciated something about the Lord Jesus – the Man among men? Could you breathe out a little prayer of gratitude today?