Jesus, hidden in the insignificant details

Exodus 26 provides a detailed description of God’s tabernacle that was set up in the middle of the camp of the Israelites with each of the 12 tribes of Israel surrounding it. The tabernacle would go with the Israelites wherever they went. They would pack up the tabernacle, carry it with them and set it up again wherever they camped on God’s instructions. The word tabernacle means “dwelling place” or “sanctuary”. The tabernacle was a sign for God’s people that He was with them. The shadow of Jesus is signified in the details of the tabernacle. We will look at an overview of the tabernacle as well as digging into a little more detail to expose Jesus in God’s tabernacle. He is found even in the most insignificant details.

The tabernacle had several distinct parts. It began with the courtyard that went all around the tabernacle. All the Israelites were allowed in the courtyard. At the front of the courtyard was a bronze altar where animal sacrifices were offered. The bronze altar signifies the cross where Jesus became the perfect lamb who died for our sins.

Near the bronze altar was a basin filled with water for ceremonial washing. It symbolised that people had to be pure before God. At the back of the courtyard was a large building covered in animal skin, this was the heart of the tabernacle. This part consisted of two parts, being the Holy Place which was separated with a thick curtain from the Holy of Holies.

In the Holy Place, the priests were allowed and it was filled with a golden lampstand which gave light to the dark room. So Jesus became the Light of the world. There was a Table with Bread which had 12 breads on it that represented God’s people (the 12 tribes of Israel). The Table of Bread is a picture of Jesus who became the Bread of Life (John 6:38). There was also an Altar of incense and the smell of the incense represents our prayers before God that is a sweet fragrance to Him.

At the far end of the Holy Place and which was behind the thick curtain, was the Holy of Holies. The thick curtain is a symbol of the barrier in the relationship between God and man. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and he did so only once a year to bring a blood atonement for sin. Jesus as our High Priest became the perfect sacrifice on the cross when His blood was shed for us on the cross. It was a once-off sacrifice that caused the veil in the Temple to be torn from the top to the bottom which gave us direct access to God.

Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant which contained the 10 Commandments, which Jesus came and fulfilled. The Atonement Cover was on top of the Ark—a symbol of God’s presence in the midst of His people. Jesus would become our Ark and unlike the temporary solution that was signified in the tabernacle, Jesus would become the permanent solution to bring back God’s children to Him.

For a little more indulgence in seeing Jesus, let’s look at an insignificant part of the tabernacle—the boards and the sockets.

“Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright…You shall overlay the boards with gold…” (Exodus 26:15, 29 NASB).  The wood speaks of mankind and in and of ourselves, we do not amount to much, but because we have the righteousness of Christ (gold), we are made to stand upright before God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle…You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons;” (Exodus 26:17,19 NASB) The silver sockets is the foundation and speaks of the redemptive work of Christ (silver). The wood costs very little but the silver was very expensive which is a picture of the expensive work of Christ that made man, who is in and of ourselves not much, but because of Jesus, we amount to greatness. The two tennons refer to the (1) death and the (2) resurrection of Christ. We stand in Christ (silver sockets) and we are hidden in Christ (gold). God does not see us in our wooden frailties, but in the righteousness and beauty of Christ.

“Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,…The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end.” (Exodus 26:26, 28 NASB) The boards were held together with bars. Five (number of grace) boards were held together at a time. There was a bar at the top and at the bottom on one side of the boards and then a third bar passed through the boards to keep them all together and standing. The bars, especially the middle bar, are a picture of Christ. We do not only stand in Christ (sockets) and are hidden in Christ (gold), but Christ is in us (middle bar). He joins and holds everything together and therefore we can stand upright according to God’s plans for us (Colossians 1:17).

Jesus is all around us, above, beneath, within and everywhere we look—from the most significant detail to the insignificant detail. Nothing and no-one is too small for His glory to shine through. Allow Him to show you and do not let the insignificance of something keep you from seeing Him. He is there.

Maretha Retief

Illustration by Jeanne de Villiers