Exodus 26: More Than A Tent
I remember as a kid walking into my grandparents' house.
There was nothing fancy about it.
The furniture wasn't expensive. The walls weren't covered with trophies. It wasn't the biggest house around.
But the moment you walked in, you knew you were home.
Not because of the house. Because of who was there.
The house mattered because their presence was there.
If they weren't there, it would just be another building. What made it special was the people inside.
That's what Exodus 26 is really about.
It's not ultimately about curtains.
It's not about boards.
It's not about measurements.
It's about a God who says to a group of former slaves,
"I don't just want to rescue you. I want to live among you."
And honestly, that's one of the most beautiful themes in all of Scripture.
Because from Genesis to Revelation, God's heart has always been the same.
He wants to be with His people.
Let's be honest for a minute.
If you were reading through Exodus this week and got to chapter 26, you may have thought, "Why am I reading about curtains and measurements?"
You get curtain sizes. You get loops. You get clasps. You get boards. You get more curtains.
Then some extra curtains on top of those curtains.
And you're thinking, "Did my Bible just turn into an IKEA instruction manual?"
And if you're not careful, you'll read the chapter and think, "What does any of this have to do with my walk with God?"
But here's what changed this chapter for me.
When God spends forty verses talking about something, He's trying to teach us something
God isn't really talking about construction. He's talking about Himself. It's about God's desire to dwell with His people.
It's about His holiness. It's about humanity's problem. And it's about God's plan to bring us back to Himself.
Every curtain. Every board. Every covering. Every room.
God is explaining who He is and what it means for sinful people to live in relationship with a holy God.
The Tabernacle is basically a theology lesson you can walk through.
Every piece is teaching Israel something about God. He's teaching His people who He is.
And every piece ultimately points us to Jesus.
God is preaching a sermon through a building.
1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.
The chapter starts with these beautiful curtains.
Everything is measured.
Everything is connected.
Everything is intentional.
Everything has a purpose.
Why? Because God isn't building a random tent. He's creating a place where His presence will dwell among His people.
Think about who these people are.
A few months ago, they were slaves. Now Israel has been rescued from Egypt.
They're in the wilderness. They don't have a permanent home.
They don't have a temple. They don't have a capital city.
They're inexperienced. They're still learning. They're still growing.
They're still going to make mistakes They're definitely not perfect.
But The God who made the universe wants to dwell in the middle of their camp.
Not out on the edge. Not far away. Right in the middle.
Not because Israel deserved it. Not because they had it all together.
But because God is gracious.
That's the heartbeat of the Bible. God wants to dwell with His people.
Not because they're awesome. Because He's gracious.
Here's the cool part.
Hundreds of years later the Apostle John says that Jesus "dwelt among us,” John’s picking up this exact theme.
The Tabernacle was God dwelling with His people in a tent.
Jesus was God dwelling with His people in the flesh.
The tent was pointing ahead to Christ all along. What Exodus pictures, Jesus fulfills.
Can I ask you something?
Have you ever felt like you weren't the kind of person God would want to be around?
Maybe because of failure. Maybe because of regret. Maybe because of a season when you drifted.
Exodus reminds us that God's desire is not distance. His desire is relationship.
The cross is proof that God moves toward broken people. Not away from them.
God Is Near, But God Is Holy
7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.
Then God starts adding coverings.
Layer after layer. Covering after covering. Protection after protection.
More separation.
At first, it almost seems excessive. At first, you wonder, "Why so many?"
Because God is teaching something.
Yes, He's near. But His presence is holy.
Special. Set apart. Not ordinary.
Those two truths have to stay together.
A lot of people like the idea of God being close. They only want to talk about God's love.
Others only want to talk about God's holiness.
The Bible talks about both.
Just because God loves us doesn't mean we lose our reverence for Him.
God is near. God is loving. God is merciful.
But God is also holy.
The God who welcomes sinners is also the God before whom angels cry, "Holy, holy, holy."
Exodus won't let us separate them.
God isn't your distant enemy. But He's also not somebody you casually squeeze into your schedule whenever it's convenient.
Sometimes we get way too familiar with sacred things.
Church becomes routine. Prayer becomes routine. Worship becomes routine.
Sometimes we can scroll social media, check sports scores, watch funny videos, and hear God's Word all with the exact same level of attention.
We can walk into God's presence with less excitement than we have walking into a restaurant.
The Tabernacle reminded Israel, "Don't lose your sense of awe. Don’t lose your sense of wonder "
And honestly, maybe we need that reminder too.
God Doesn't Build Things on Vibes
15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.
17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.
23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
Then we get all the boards and supports and frames.
I know this isn't anybody's favorite section. This isn't usually the section people underline. This is where people start speed-reading. This is the section most people skim.
But notice what keeps showing up.
Everything is stable. Everything is ordered. Everything is intentional. Everything fits.
Nothing is thrown together. Nothing is random. Nothing is accidental
Everything has a place. Everything fits together. Everything serves a purpose.
God's not making this up as He goes. God isn't building on vibes. God isn't throwing pieces together hoping everything works out. He's building with purpose.
And honestly, that's encouraging.
Because life can get messy fast.
One phone call.
One doctor's report.
One family crisis.
One financial setback.
And suddenly it feels like the ground is moving underneath you. It feels like everything is falling apart.
Meanwhile God has never once sat on His throne, looked at a situation and said, "Wow, I did not see that coming. That's a new one. Now I'm stuck."
Not once.
God has never hit the panic button. God has never had a sleepless night. God has never needed a backup plan.
God has never looked at a situation and thought, "Well, that escalated quickly."
He's still God. He's still in control. He's still building according to His purpose. He knows what He's doing.
The Tabernacle reflects that.
It's ordered because God is ordered.
It's purposeful because God is purposeful
God's plans are solid because God is solid.
You may not understand what God's building right now. But don't mistake mystery for absence.
God is still working.
The Veil Is Preaching A Sermon
31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
Now we get to the heart of the chapter.
The veil.
This massive curtain separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
And every day that veil stood there preaching a sermon without saying a word.
The message is simple.
God is near. But there is still a barrier. Something stands between God and sinners.
God is holy. People are sinful.
That's the tension.
The veil is a reminder that sin is a real problem.
Not a small problem. Not an inconvenience. A real barrier.
And that's uncomfortable for people today. Because we'd rather believe humanity is basically okay.
The veil says otherwise. The veil stood there as a constant reminder. "You can't just walk into God's presence."
The veil stood there every day reminding Israel of a problem that sacrifices alone couldn't permanently solve.
Something stood between people and God.
The veil stands there saying,
"Something's broken."
"Something's separating you from God."
"Something has to be dealt with."
And if we're honest, that's still humanity's biggest problem.
Not politics. Not the economy. Not technology.
Our deepest problem is separation from God. The veil was a constant reminder that something wasn't right. That something stood between people and God.
But here's where it gets really good.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. Not pushed aside. Not cracked open.
Torn from top to bottom.
God did what humanity could never do. The barrier was removed.
Think about that.
The very barrier Exodus 26 highlights is the barrier Jesus removes.
The veil says, "Access restricted."
Jesus says, "Come boldly."
The veil says, "You can't come in. "You're separated."
Jesus says, "I've made a way."
That's the gospel.
The hardest thing for many people is admitting they need grace.
We'd rather manage our image. Explain our mistakes. Blame our circumstances.
But healing starts when we become honest.
The veil reminds us that sin isn't a minor inconvenience.
It's something only God can solve.
And every one of us needs what only Jesus can provide.
God Provides the Way
36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
The chapter closes with the entrance.
Notice there wasn't a bunch of different ways into the Tabernacle. There was one.
One entrance. Not twelve. Not whatever entrance feels right.
One entrance.
Because God provided the way for people approach Him.
Israel didn't get together and brainstorm alternatives. Israel didn't redesign it.
They didn't improve it. They didn't vote on alternatives.
They came God's way.
God established access. God provided the way.
And that's still true.
And that points us straight to Jesus.
Jesus didn't say, "I'm one option among many." He said, "I am the way."
The entrance of the Tabernacle was another reminder that access to God comes through God's provision.
Not human effort. Not self-improvement. Not trying harder.
Modern culture says:
"Find your own truth."
"Make your own path."
"Do what feels right."
Sounds good until everybody's heading in a different direction.
God says, "I'll show you the way."
Jesus later says, "I am the way."
Just as God provided one entrance into the Tabernacle, God ultimately provided one Savior for humanity.
The miracle isn't that there's one way. The miracle is that God made a way.
So let me ask you this.
What if Exodus 26 isn't really about curtains?
What if it's about God teaching His people?
Every curtain says, “I want to be with you.”
Every covering says, “I'm holy.”
Every board says, “My plans are secure.”
The veil says, “Sin is the problem.”
The doorway says, “I will provide the way.”
And every one of those truths leads us straight to Jesus.
The Tabernacle was saying, God wants to dwell with you. God is holy. Sin is the barrier. God provides the way.
And then Jesus came and fulfilled every one of those truths.
So don't skip Exodus 26.
Look past the curtains. See a God moving closer.
Look past the measurements. See mercy.
Don't just see a veil. See the problem Jesus came to solve.
Look past the boards.
And you'll see a God who was already telling the story of the gospel long before Bethlehem, long before Calvary, and long before the empty tomb.
So next time somebody says Exodus 26 is just a chapter about construction details, you can smile and say, "No, it's way more than that. God is preaching through the blueprints."
