The Kingdom Promised: His Rules, Part Two

Week Fourteen | April 6-12

God loved his people, Israel, and gave them laws and commandments to help them understand how to live as his people in his kingdom under his rule and blessing. God expected them to keep his law perfectly. But he knew that they could never obey perfectly because of the sin in their hearts. The punishment for sin is death, so how would God fulfill his promise to Abraham if they all died because of their sin? God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He made a way for Israel to be in a relationship with him. God provided instructions to build a tabernacle, or dwelling place, for them to provide sacrifices as substitution for their sins. 

The Tabernacle was a temporary palace for Israel’s divine King. It symbolized God’s presence with his people. Each part of this tented palace had significance, from the Outer Court, to the Holy Place, on to the Most Holy Place, and each piece of furniture inside, even the handiwork on all the pieces and the priest’s clothing. The Tabernacle was not permanent and was meant to be packed up and moved whenever the Lord led the people to a new place. He was preparing his people to get to the Promised Land where they would eventually build a more permanent dwelling place, the Temple. God’s presence dwelt with his people behind the veil of the Most Holy Place. But one day God would send his son Jesus to dwell on earth and become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, tearing the veil that separates us from God and giving us access to himself through Jesus, just as he designed it to be. 

Memory Verse

“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.”

Exodus 29:45

Worship

Day One

Read

Here are some verses for your family to read about God’s instructions to build the ark of the covenant:

Exodus 25:1,8-22 (ICB), Numbers 7:89

Exodus 25:1 The Lord said to Moses, 

8 “The people must build a holy place for me. Then I can live among them. 9 Build this Holy Tent and everything in it by the plan I will show you. 10 “Use acacia wood and build an Ark. It must be forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide and twenty-seven inches high. 11 Cover the Ark of the Covenant inside and out with pure gold. And put a gold strip all around it. 12 Make four gold rings for the Ark of the Covenant. Attach the gold rings to its four feet, two rings on each side. 13 Then make poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. 14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark. Use these poles to carry the Ark of the Covenant. 15 These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark of the Covenant. Do not take the poles out. 16 Then put the two flat stones in the Ark of the Covenant. I will give you these stones on which the commands are written. 17 “Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark of the Covenant. This lid is the mercy seat. Make it forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 18 Then hammer gold to make two *creatures with wings. Put one on each end of the lid. 19 Put one creature with wings on one end of the lid. And put the other creature with wings on the other end. Attach the creatures with wings to the lid so that they will all be one piece. 20 The creatures’ wings should be spread out over the lid. The creatures are to face each other across the lid. 21 Put this lid on top of the Ark of the Covenant. Also put in this Ark of the Covenant the agreement which I will make with you. 22 I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two creatures with wings. These are on the Ark of the Covenant. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.

Numbers 7:89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.

*These creatures with wings are called cherubim.

Pray

Lead your family in a time of prayer over what you read.

Consider the ACTS model:
A – Adoration/ praise God (remember that this is part of worshiping God)
C – Confession (confess sin and your need of God)
T – Thanksgiving (thank God)
S – Supplication (ask God to supply your needs) 

Lord, you are holy and worthy to be praised! We acknowledge just how wonderful it is that you desire to live amongst your people. We confess that we have sinned against you and need your forgiveness. You make a way possible where there would not be a way, through Jesus Christ. Thank you for showing us through your specific detailed instructions about the ark of the covenant how vast your provisions are. We trust you to meet all our needs according to your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day Two

Read

Here are some verses for your family to read about God’s instructions for building the tabernacle:

Exodus 26:1-11 (ICB)

Exodus 26:1 “Make the Holy Tent* with ten pieces of cloth. These pieces must be made of fine linen and blue, purple and red thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of creatures with wings on the pieces of cloth. 2 Make each piece the same size. Each piece should be forty-two feet long and six feet wide. 3 Sew five pieces of cloth together for one set. Sew the other pieces together for the second set. 4 Make loops of blue cloth down the edge of the end piece of each set. 5 Make fifty loops on the end piece of the first set. And make fifty loops on the end piece of the second set. These loops must be opposite each other. 6 And make fifty gold hooks. Use these to join the two sets of cloth. This will make the Holy Tent one piece. 7 “Then make another tent that will cover the Holy Tent. Make this tent of eleven pieces of cloth made from goat hair. 8 All these pieces of cloth must be the same size. They must be forty-five feet long and six feet wide. 9 “Make a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent. The south side should have a wall of fine linen curtains one hundred fifty feet long. 10 Hang the curtain with silver hooks and bands. Put these on twenty bronze posts on twenty bronze bases. 11 The north side must also be one hundred fifty feet long. Hang its curtains on silver hooks and bands. Put these on twenty bronze posts on twenty bronze bases.

*The Holy Tent is called the Tabernacle

Pray

Lead your family in a time of prayer over what you read.

Consider the ACTS model:
A – Adoration/ praise God (remember that this is part of worshiping God)
C – Confession (confess sin and your need of God)
T – Thanksgiving (thank God)
S – Supplication (ask God to supply your needs) 

God Almighty, how awesome you are! As we read about the details of the tabernacle, your temporary earthly palace, I can’t help but think how unbelievable it is that you would make a way to dwell with your people. You are unlike any other god. Our lives should reflect your glory in the same way the tabernacle did. Thank you for making the way for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day Three

Read

Here are some verses for your family to read about God’s instructions for building the Most Holy Place:

Exodus 26:31-35

31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.

Pray

Lead your family in a time of prayer over what you read.

Consider the ACTS model:
A – Adoration/ praise God (remember that this is part of worshiping God)
C – Confession (confess sin and your need of God)
T – Thanksgiving (thank God)
S – Supplication (ask God to supply your needs) 

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. The Most Holy Place of the tabernacle and later the temple reminds us that you are worthy of praise and reverence. The beauty of the Most Holy Place could not compare with your beauty. Your presence came to dwell in this holy place so that you could be with your people whom you loved, even though they did not deserve it. Thank you for making a way for us to dwell with you through Jesus, even though we don’t deserve it. We no longer need the protection of the veil guarding the most holy place! We can come directly to you with our needs knowing you will hear us because Jesus made it possible. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Day Four

Read

Here are some verses for your family to read about God’s instructions for the priests robes:

Exodus 28:1-12

Exodus 28:1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. 

Pray

Lead your family in a time of prayer over what you read.

Consider the ACTS model:
A – Adoration/ praise God (remember that this is part of worshiping God)
C – Confession (confess sin and your need of God)
T – Thanksgiving (thank God)
S – Supplication (ask God to supply your needs) 

Lord, the detailed description of the priestly garments is so fascinating! You care so much about all the details that went into your tabernacle and everything that related to it, down to the clothes for the priests. It shows that it was not any ordinary structure or ordinary clothes, but set apart for you, the holy and awesome God of Israel. Thank you for showing us how your provision for your people was so thought out and it still is for us today. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Day Five: Family Sabbath

Be Present

Set aside distractions (electronics, work, chores, etc.) and spend time with God and each other. 

Pray

God, thank you for giving us rest. You created us with limitations and command us to rest to remember You and all You provide. Help us rest in You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Play

Choose a fun activity to do together as your family rests from work. 

• Plant flowers
• Make a bowling alley using items from around the house
• Make pancakes

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