12 Mar 2017

The Tabernacle of Exodus

Religious 6 Comments

In my Bible study we just got finished with the book of Exodus. I didn’t realize until reading the commentary on the last chapter that the book wraps up only one year after they left Egypt.

Another thing: When I was younger, I misunderstood all the references to “the tabernacle.” Being raised Catholic, I thought the tabernacle referred to a little cabinet.

However, in Exodus it refers to the tent which contained the Ark and other important items. (The word in both usages means “where God dwells” but they obviously refer to different physical structures.)

Here are two pictures (which I got from here and here) that helped me make sense of the long descriptions in Exodus of the tabernacle and courtyard:

 

tabernacle1

 

tabernacle2

For those unfamiliar with the text, at night God would hover as a pillar of fire above the tabernacle, while during the day as a column of smoke. Thus the children of Israel would know He was literally in their midst, leading them out of slavery and to the Promised Land.

6 Responses to “The Tabernacle of Exodus”

  1. cavalier973 says:

    For those unfamiliar with the text, at night God would hover as a pillar of fire above the tabernacle, while during the day as a column of smoke. Thus the children of Israel would know He was literally in their midst, leading them out of slavery and to the Promised Land.

    Which didn’t keep the Israelites from crafting a golden calf and worshipping it.

    One might think that an unequivocal encounter with the supernatural or the miraculous would convince one to believe in God.

    Almost the opposite is true.

  2. Anonymous says:

    This is an honest question, no snark intended: Bob, was your “raised Catholic” comment meant as a joke? Were you really? Because if so, your parents failed. It’s clear from all your posts on religion that you haven’t even the most basic understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches.

    • Bob Murphy says:

      Anonymous wrote: “Bob, was your “raised Catholic” comment meant as a joke? Were you really? Because if so, your parents failed. It’s clear from all your posts on religion that you haven’t even the most basic understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches.”

      Not a joke. I went to Catholic grammar school for 9 years and then Catholic high school for 4 years; I was valedictorian in both. I was baptized, had First Communion, and Confirmation. My parents took me to church “religiously” (no pun intended). If you think I don’t have even the most basic understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches, I think you can’t just blame my parents and go on thinking everything is fine.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Wow, that’s bad. Both your parents and the apostate leftists who most likely ran your Catholic schools failed you, then.

    • Bob Murphy says:

      You know, Anonymous, since you are insulting my parents, I went back and actually read the OP. Did I just jog your memory and you’re referring to earlier posts? Because “the tabernacle” in a Catholic Church does indeed refer to the little cabinet where they store the Eucharist. Or is that only true for apostate leftist Catholics?

      I’m not saying someone told me, “Now Bobby, in the desert the Israelites kept everything in a little box.” I’m saying my association with the word “tabernacle” was off.

      • Craw says:

        And here you wrote all those posts on banking not realizing it refers to sloped bends on roads.

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