"The Tabernacle: Where God Sojourns with Us" - Fr. Samuel Mbabaali - Exodus 40:16-38

A reading from the book of Exodus.

Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.

The Tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year.

On the first day of the month, Moses set up the Tabernacle.

He laid its spaces, positioned its supports, inserted its

crossbars, and set up its pillars.

Then he spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering

of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses took the testimony and placed it on the ark and

attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of

the ark. He brought the ark into the

Tabernacle, put up the curtain for the screen, and screened off

the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.

Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north

side of the Tabernacle, outside the curtain.

He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the

Lord had commanded him. He put the lamp stands in the

tent of meeting opposite the table on the South side of the

Tabernacle and set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the

Lord had commanded him. Moses installed the gold altar

in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain and burned

fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.

He put up the screen at the entrance to the Tabernacle.

He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the

Tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering

and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded

him. He set the basin between the

tents of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.

Moses, Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet from it.

They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and

approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Next, Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the

Tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of

the courtyard. So Moses finished the work, the

cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the

Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the

tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it and the glory

of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the

Tabernacle throughout all the stages of the journey.

If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the

day it was taken up, for the cloud of the Lord was over the

Tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by

night, visible to the entire House of Israel throughout all

the stages of the journey, the word of the Lord.

Let us pray together. And now we come to you, our God,

thanking you that you have chosen to meet us in this place.

And when you meet us, you address us, you speak to us, you

speak to our hearts. Now we invite you, Lord, to

continue doing the sale. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

You can have your seats. It's common for people who have

relationships and same purpose and passions to travel together

on common journeys, which can take many forms.

It can be a family vacation or maybe a honeymoon, or maybe a

mission trip or a study abroad program or even a retreat for

workers. But whatever this whatever form

these journeys may take, they are more than moving from one

place to another. They reflect A deeper longing

for connection and shared purposes and meaningful

experiences. The Exodus reading that we have

taken, you can turn to that in your bulletin or in the Bible.

We see Israel moving in the desert towards the promised land

of Kalan, and God had delivered them from slavery.

Now He was with them on a journey, and He was their

companion on that journey and He was with them on every step of

the journey. And this is the powerful

reminder for us all that God does not only send us out on

journeys, but also He wants to journey with us at every state.

The journey of Israel mirrors our journey as a church because

we are called the ecclesia word that typically means those who

are called out, the called out ones.

God has called us out in very many ways to journey with Him,

to be set up, to be set up, to be set up apart away from sin,

but also to walk in fellowship with one another and to be salt

and light in the world. We are on a journey, and this

reading in Exodus teaches us and illustrates to us that God is

always faithful to journey with His people, both in the previous

but also in the present. And God is also calling us to a

response in light of that aspect of Him.

Journey with us. Therefore, there are two

important question that I want us to think about in light of

the fact that God is always journeying with us.

The first question is what is God is called on us on this

journey and how do we design this call?

And then secondly, what does it mean for God to journey with us

and how is His presence made known to us along the journey?

I want you to imagine using Google Maps to a place that you

don't know, which you are not familiar of.

And when you enter in the address, the service will show

you the direction. Not at once.

It will give you a step by step direction as you move and when

you take the next turn, that's when the service shows you where

you are supposed to take on next.

And when you stop moving, then the navigator will stop guiding

you until when you have proceeded further.

This is how I want us to imagine the journey of the Israelites.

God was moving with them using this divine navigation system.

They knew their destination, it was Canaan, but they didn't know

exactly how it was going to work out.

They didn't have the entire route which they were going to

take. God was guiding them one step at

a time, revealing to them that this is where I want to go at

the specific moment when they wanted direction.

This idea of God leading us step by step and not giving us a

comprehensive, detailed plan seems challenging for us in many

ways, especially in our world today.

In our culture, we value clear goals and predictable results.

We are used to having aspects like 5 year plans and entire

plans. But oftentimes God is ways

unfolds in a slow way. It is quite unpredictable

sometimes. And sometimes even the things

that we feel are clear, they not they may not be as clear as we

feel. Therefore, it is painful to us

in many ways to experience this slow movement where God calls us

to experience Him slowly and steadily.

But also our world esteems things like planning tools and

we have thought that we can plan anything and we know about the

future. We crave to have certainty and

control. We don't feel when we are

threatened with uncertainty. We feel that it's not

comfortable for us. We want to know every aspect of

the journey of the path. It is challenging for us to have

an experience of uncertainty, but God is calling us to trust

Him every step by step. We are not the ones in charge.

It is God who is in charge. And now at this moment of the

journey with the Israelites, God calls them to build him a sacred

place. They didn't think about this

when they were living, but now God tells them build for me a

sacred space in form of a tent. This was the mobile sanctuary

that we refer to as the Tabernacle.

From that Hebrew word that basically means a dwelling

place, which has deeper meaning because God now wanted to live

amongst the people to live with them.

The other words that have been used to define or to describe

this structure, which suggests many other meanings.

For instance, it's called a tent, suggesting that it was a

movable structure. It's also called a tent of

meeting, suggesting that God wanted to meet the people in

that tent. And when God asks these people

to build this Tabernacle, it was not just a command to build a

structure. God wanted to form a

relationship with these people. He was on a journey with them,

but he was not just interested in them reaching the promised

land of Canaan. God wanted to form them into a

people who lived in His presence day by day.

In the same way, many times when we are journeying with God, we

think about specific destinations, attaining that

career, having a wonderful worship space like the one we

have, achieving that goal or that future dream.

Whenever we are preoccupied with just the future, it robs us of

enjoying the presence of the God in that very moment where we are

going. When we focus about only the

future, we miss the present, the joys of the journey, but also

the formation that goes along on the journey where God is

stressing us. Moses, the spiritual guide of

these people who was taking them, He was able to be signed

the instructions of the Lord and to know that it's time to build

the Tabernacle. And he followed these

instructions in detail. He passed them, They passed the

instructions over to the people, and they responded by bringing

all the things that were required.

But also they are skills to build the Tabernacle.

And now at Exodus 4016, the work is complete and the camera

focuses again on Moses. He's on the center to oversee

the assembly and the construction of this structure

and this moment entails fulfilling all the commands of

the Lord. It highlights extreme obedience

of the Lord because there is a repeated phrase that is repeated

for over 7 times in the 17 chapters.

In the 17 verses we have read, it says Moses did just as the

Lord had commanded. This repetition emphasizes Moses

is full obedience. He obeyed God to the very

detail. Moses's task can be thought

about as putting together a complex puzzle.

Every piece had a place and a purpose, and he was supposed to

take care to observe that all elements are put together in

their specific places. He set up the frames and their

coverings. He placed the Ark of the

Covenant behind the inner veil of the Holy of Holies.

He added the table of the bread of presents and the lamp stand

and the altar of incense. And then he hung up the veil.

And then he set up the altar of bat of rings and the washing

basin on the outer court, and then finally put up the screen

of the gate. And each structure was arranged

according to God is plan purposefully and on plan.

And at the end there is this wonderful praise where it says,

so Moses finished the work and then the puzzle was together.

When we put together a puzzle, every piece that we put up means

something. You cannot understand the

puzzle, not until when all the parts have been put together.

We shouldn't try to judge life because of the simple pieces of

the puzzle. Sometimes we only have the small

pieces of the puzzle. We don't have the entire

picture. But when we try to understand

without seeing the entire picture, we miss it up.

In the same way, God often gives us just pieces of the puzzle.

We might we might not have the entire picture.

He gives us all the pieces to fit along the way.

And we walk in obedience even by putting up those small pieces

that we have. And then at one time when we

have proceeded in the journey, we can look back.

And when we see all the things that have happened, then we

appreciate the entire picture and we enjoy what God has been

doing in our lives, even when you don't have the entire

picture. We shouldn't cease trusting in

Him, working with Him, putting down the small pieces that He

has given us, not until when later when we shall have the

full meaning of the entire pieces that God has been giving

us in our lives to lay on the journey as we are working with

Him. But of course Moses was blessed

because for him he had the entire plan of the structure

that he was building. For us in many ways we don't

have the entire plan for what God is calling us to do.

Many times we don't have the detailed plan.

It is like driving in a fog and you only have your headlights.

They only see one next drive you and but when you trust your

headlights, you can continue on driving till when you reach

home, even when you don't see the entire length of the road

that you are driving. That is what God does for us.

Many times in our lives we only see the details that are enough

to sail us to the next station, but as we proceed on, we can

slowly and steadily reach our destination.

For instance, if we were to ask me how did I design that I

should pursue advanced theological education, I will

tell you that I pass. I discerned this along the

ordinary rhythms of Christian life.

I was a fine art teacher who responded to a call to be born

again. And after that call I had a call

now to church ministry, and I enrolled as a lay reader.

And then after a time, I realized I needed Father

theological training. And along the way, as I was

training for ministry, I realized that there is a lack of

trainers of theologians and pastors in my Ugandan context.

And then when the doors opened up for advanced training, I

realized that this is God is called for me.

And I entered into those doors. And here I am still training and

trusting God that as I continue all in this step, God is plan is

being unfolded in my life. I have learned that faithfulness

in the present step is the preparation for the next step.

The signing God is call oftentimes feels like that.

We don't have the full picture of the journey, but God gives us

the light that we need for the next step and He invites us to

continue trusting and resting in His guidance in spite of having

smaller light that we are walking and following with Him.

This is what Apostle Paul says, that we walk by faith, not by

sight. Faith is trusting in the one who

calls us to move forward despite of having all the answers.

We ought to continue following on in the journey.

But now let's explore this aspect of God is presence with

us along the way because we read that then the cloud covered the

tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

This divine manifestation of God was both to express His

pleasure, but also His presence to the people.

God was pleased with all the obedience of the people, Moses

and the people He was. God was pleased.

And then now this cloud fills the Tabernacle.

It's like a holy embrace. God is coming to embrace the

people and to kiss them and tell them well done.

You have done it all, just as I expected you to do it.

Many times God meets us at finishing points of our lives.

He even meets us today with embrace and with cheer for the

faithfulness that we display and we portray.

And he says well done, good and faithful servant.

But I ought to say that in our lives many times we don't esteem

and we take. We don't have a full

understanding of faithfulness. Sometimes faithfulness does not

lead to immediate rewards which are visible.

Sometimes we will go on faithfully labouring and

working, but there are no rewards.

There is nothing like a portrait of success and influence and

measurable impact. Yet God still expects us to

continue serving Him even in the quiet and unslow ways where

faithfulness cannot be seen by the people.

God does not measure our obedience by the outcomes that

we see because we have been faithful.

But even in the quiet and the silent, God still esteems our

faithfulness. Now we read that God after

seeing their faithfulness, there is this cloud and fire that

ascended upon them and upon the structure, and God is presence.

Was there they needed? God is guidance.

They needed him for the unfamiliar path that they we are

moving in, but also they needed God, his presence for protection

and for reminder of him being with them as the people of the

covenant, we as Christian pilgrimage, we might not find

all those spectacular ways of God being with us in clouds and

in and in fire, but yet still God is with us guiding us day by

day. He has given us his very

presence in the Tabernacle of his Son Jesus Christ.

This is whom John writes about in the Gospel, saying the Word

became flesh and he built amongst us, and we have seen His

glory, the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace,

the light of men, the light that shines in the darkness, and the

darkness has not overcome it. The true light which gives light

to everyone. This Jesus, the glory of God,

the light of all people, still invites us to make room for Him

and space for Him in our daily rhythms of life.

We are not supposed to build physical tents for Him, but we

are supposed to open up our hearts for Him, our communities

for Him. Our choices are supposed to be

made in light of Him and as we proceed on giving Him room in

our lives, He continues to be manifested.

In our day-to-day lives, in our routines, in our relationships,

in our workplaces, He continues on to be manifested.

We are still like Israel, a people on a journey.

Our journey is still going on. We are moving on, but God is

presence is with us. And when I say that God embraces

us, embraces our faithfulness, He does not only wait for us at

the finishing line to say well done, good and faithful servant.

He even walks along with us in those small steps of

faithfulness that we take. He's pleased with us to continue

working with us. He does not only reward us at

the finishing line, but he's also a companion with us on the

road as we continue moving with him.

So the question is not that whether God desires to dwell

with us, but the question is for us to prepare a room for Him to

dwell and live with us. We should create that space for

Him. For Him.

He's already open and willing to dwell and live with us, but it's

upon us to create a room for Him.

He's ready to guide us in His Word through His Spirit, but

also through His people, as long as we'll come and give Him room

to do that in our lives. Therefore, God is calling us for

faithfulness in many ways. He wants us to open our doors,

to allow Him to dwell with us, to experience Him day by day.

There are many various spiritual practices that we can cultivate

in our lives that can enable us to have an encounter with the

presence of God. One of the ways that have been

powerful in my life is has been through prayer, allowing God

opening up myself in prayer. I will share with you that one

of the most meaningful ways of encountered God in prayer is

through videos. I love spending night time in

worship spaces like this. But when I am unable in my home,

I say I will not sleep in my bedroom.

I will sleep anywhere else, deny my comfort and then sleep

elsewhere. And then when I'm there, I'm not

just sleeping, I pray silently and sometimes loudly.

And of course the body needs rest.

Sometimes I feel asleep. I want, I'm tired, I want to

rest. Then I can, I can doze off.

But sometimes even as I'm dozing off, I'm still enjoying the

presence of the Lord. Those nights have been good to

me. God has met me in those nights.

God has spoken to me in those nights.

Because as I'm lying up, there is a contemplative aspect that

is moving on in my mind. And God has directed me.

God has given me wonderful visions.

God has given me encouragement for ministry.

He has empowered me even for glorious ministries that are

around. With the simple ministries, I'm

calling them glorious, but things that I couldn't do in my

own physical power, things that God has met me with His own

presence, just as I open up my space to welcome Him and to wait

upon Him in prayer. Another way that I can recommend

and I can share with you is by gratitude in journaling, writing

up the things that you are thankful to that the things that

God has done in your lives and trying to meditate.

What do they imply about God is character and his presence?

Let me tell you one one scenario.

I had a popular witch. When I speak about witches, I

had a popular witch that was threatening my life.

This witch I had had daughter whom she had dedicated onto

spirits and whatever things. So I LED this daughter to

Christ. And later I discipled the

daughter and we we, we burnt the fetishes she had given the

daughter. And then this witch began moving

around threatening me. That preacher is going to die.

He's going to die. And he was the popular witch.

In fact, this witch, he was the popular one.

Let me just tell you. So I began feeling afraid and it

commented that the witch is going to to harm me.

And then in one of those nights I've spoken to you about God

challenged me to to write a journal and in that journey told

me write the things I have done in your life.

And what do they imply about me? I wrote around 3 and when I

wrote, I stopped at 3:00 because I realized that God had even

saved me early around from even similar occasions like those

ones. So the moment I continue to

journal, I realized that God is present with me.

I shouldn't fear. And I just confessed my my

timidness to God and I said, God, I am sorry.

I don't fear this switch because you have served me in the

previous. You are around me, you are

protecting me. You are present with me, so

popular journaling can be a good way of writing the things that

you are grateful for and then thanking God for all those

things and realizing that God is around you and surrounding you.

But of course, when I speak about God is present with us and

he will speak to us and he will address us.

I don't say that even in times when God is silent, it doesn't

mean that God is not there. Even when he's silent, God is

still there. We shouldn't assume that his

silence means that he's disengaged.

We are not enjoying fellowship with him because he's silent.

God is near sometimes. He's not speaking to us.

He's not present with us in ways that we expect, but still He's

there with us even on the nights when I say I will spend time

with Him, even if I don't have contemplative revelations, it

doesn't mean that God is not there.

He's there, but maybe He's meeting me in another way,

contrary to the usual way of experiencing those wonderful

contemplation visions. So His presence is always there

with us in quiet moments. Sometimes it's not through the

dramatic signs as I've been speaking about them was modest

experienced them even in those quiet moments of silence.

Still we can encounter God is presence in our lives.

So divine guidance is with us always in our lives in many

ways, as long as we open ourselves to experiencing that

guidance and experiencing that presence of the Lord.

So this is the invitation that God has for us today.

Are we going to continue on walking even when we just see

the next step? Even when we cannot see the next

step, can we continue on walking?

Are we going to continue obeying God even when the outcomes are

not certain? This is what the Israelites did.

This is what Moses did. God is still in the business of

not giving us the full plan, but He's ready to guide us as long

as we admit that God is present with us and we allow His

presence to be experienced in our lives.

I would love to call upon you even as we are praying today.

Let us spend some a meets up some time to experience the

presence of God just in meditation.

And as I lead in a moment of prayer, let us have a time to be

silent before the Lord. Dear God, we are here, you

people. We don't want to read about

these things as myths that you met people in the previous.

Even today you still meet people when they gather in your name.

And now we are here, you people, longing for You.

We want to experience Your presence even now as You are

able to do so. Come into our hearts.

Silence the fears that we come with.

Speak to us, those who are need of direction, those who are

lonely. Let us experience that You are

around us and surrounding us. And Lord, empower us for the

journey ahead of us. Even when we are uncertain about

tomorrow, we are ready to follow you.

Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ, who is our companion

always in our lives. Let your Presence continue being

with us even as you have been in the previous and even now.

The name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.