you can tell a lot about a deity by his tent

Today’s faithful daily read is from exodus 26 & James 2:25-26

Back in my youth group days a hoard of us would camp down at Pretty Beach at Christmas. We surfers would sleep in our cars or in our waxy damp board covers. Doug Ford (our leader) however, had an amazing tent fondly known as the Taj Mahal. The Pretty beach camp was never fun without Doug, and the camp site was incomplete until the resplendent Taj arrived and went up (then everyone would set their tents up around Doug’s tent.

Here in Ex 26 the Israelites are on a 40 year-long camping trip (lots of sand but no beach).

God is making a promise to his sometimes less than happy campers, ‘I will be their God, they will be my people.’ Now he tells them in ch 25 ‘and I will dwell among them’. That God would dwell with them in a tabernacle or tent was an amazing promise.

And what a tent!

“Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman”

The tent would be the meeting place for God and the people. When they set up camp the tent would go up first then the nation’s tents according to tribe radiating out and around it. Not anyone could barge into God’s tent. The tent was royal. Strict protocols of sacrifice and offerings had to be made to allow only the high priest to meet with God.

Eventually the tent became a temple in Jerusalem—the designated place of worship. That was how camping worked for God’s people…until, John writes in his gospel, ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’ (Jn 1:14).

The Greek word John uses is ‘eskaenosen’ (tabernacle) which means literally, ‘pitched his tent’. God pitched his tent among us in flesh—Jesus.

It wasn’t an ornate tent this time. It was an ordinary tent like all the other tents.

Eventually at the cross that very ordinary tent called Jesus was shredded and hung out, tattered and bloodstained. And yet this tent became the place where true worship could take place. At this dishonoured tent on a rubbish heap all could come and meet with God. In fact back in the temple not far away, the ornate curtain that separated the people from their God, was torn in two!

The tent of Exodus was a regal tent. It signified glory and holiness—no one simply barged into God’s tent to talk. Jesus changed all that. Jesus became the way into the very presence of God.

Thank you Father that you pitched your tent with us in Jesus. Thank you that you not only dwell with us but indwell us by your Holy Spirit. Help us give you the worship you are due and to make you the centre of all our camping. Amen.

Geoff