God's Covenant and Desire to Dwell With Israel

To keep his people moving God assures them of His continuing presence and goes before them in a pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day.On their journey to the promised land through the wilderness Unbelief sets in the heart of the Israelites when they were stuck with Water and Food. But God hears the plea of Moses and supernaturally provides them.

" Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant You will be my treasured possession above all people; for all the earth is Mine (Exodus 19:5)

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).

God enters into a covenant with Israel to take things a stage further. He calls them His treasured possession and is His personal property. But in case Israel should ever misconstrue this special place in God's heart as being an exclusive, self centred or nationalistic relationship, the text adds like this " The whole earth is mine". God even at the precise time when he chooses one nation in the world to serve Him has his eyes firmly fixed on all the nations of the earth. 

God tells them " You will be for me a Kingdom of priests and a Holy nation (Exodus 19:6). As a priestly kingdom Israel is entrusted with God's message so that other nations might come to know of the one Creator God and pass on the Blessings of God. A nation devoted to God, His glory and His praise. Israel was to be a shop window through which other nations could look in and see what God could do with those who were obedient to His commands. " And God spoke all these words..." (Exodus 20:1). 

God gives to Israel His Ten Commandments. God tells them it is just me and no one else! No other God can do for you what I can do." The first four commandments set forth the principles for Israel's relationship to God and the last six commandments set forth the principles guiding Israel's relationship with the covenant community and more broadly with the human family. In other words the Ten commandments of God reveal both the will and the Character of God.Israel is entrusted with the sacred task of manifesting that Godliness to the rest of the world. 

Then God tells them"...have them make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8). 

God wanted to dwell among his people.and God invites Moses to come to Mount Sinai and stay for forty days and nights. Why?"According to the plan shown to him on the mountain (Exodus 26:30)

                                            The Tabernacle (Pattern of Moses days)

                               

   

So, From stone worship they moved forward to tent worship.The tabernacle which God meant was to be a portable place of worship that they had to make which will be an earthly structure, but symbolic of a heavenly reality. This they would carry wherever they go till they reached the promised land such that God can accompany them on their wilderness and wanderings. God also through Moses gave other laws and commandments, worship pattern inside the Holy of Holy place and the sacrifices that are to be followed by Him and his people. Moses and the people of Israel made the tabernacle according to the plan given. God ordained them to keep the two boards on which were written the Ten commandments in  a Box (The Ark of the Covenant) and keep it in the Holy of Holy place (Moolasthanam) inside the tabernacle. Over the Covenant Box was the Throne. Over this the presence of God used to appear as Light. In the room prior to it, there were seven lamps, Table for shew bread, and altar of incense. It used to be called the Holy Place. The veil separated the Most Holy place in the tabernacle from the Holy place. There used to be inner court yards around the Holy place. On its front side were the sacrificial altar, wash basin etc. According to the laws given by God they used to sacrifice goats and bulls every morning and evening and conduct worship. Only the High priest could go into the Most Holy place and then only once in a year to stand in God's presence and make atonement for the sins of the nation once.

                                            The High Priest and His Garments

                             

God's Instructions for Census and establishment of Judges

During Israel wandering in the wilderness on their way to the promised land God instructs for census and two censuses are taken. They spend forty long years wandering around and learn that they can make progress as they trust and obey God. After this God took them into the promised land " Canaan" and divided the inheritance to the twelve tribes of Israel according to their order through Joshua the leader appointed after Moses death. Six times the prospering Israelites forget God, they are oppressed. God establishes judges to make them repent and then delivers them.

Let us turn to the next post to see what happened thereafter?