Sabbath School - Reading September 24, 2025

========================================================== SUBSCRIBE https://bit.ly/3vp3bWD =========================================================== WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 GOD'S PRESENCE IN THE TABERNACLE Read Exodus 40:1–38. How did the Israelites perceive God's presence? The last chapter of Exodus (Exodus 40) describes the dedication of the Tabernacle, the culminating event in Israel's history at Sinai, and the giving of the Decalogue. God's glory is His holiness, His character, and His loving presence, which is goodness itself (Exodus 3:5; 33:18, 19). His presence filled the Tabernacle and was manifested visibly as the cloud, the glory, or Shekinah. The book of Exodus concludes by emphasizing the divine presence and His guidance through the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. In a very concrete and powerful way, the Hebrew people were to experience not only the reality of God, but also His close and abiding presence as He guided them. Moses erected the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month of the second year (Exodus 40:2, 17). He also consecrated everything, including Aaron and his sons for the priesthood (Exodus 40:9, 13-15), with the anointing oil. He toured the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the outer court, dedicating everything to the Lord. Through this process, he inaugurated the services of the entire Sanctuary (see also Num. 7:1). Moses entered the Most Holy Place only during the inauguration of the Tabernacle. From then on, only the high priest could minister there once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:2, 17). The biblical text affirms three times that God's work was finished: (1) at the end of Creation Week, God emphasizes the completion of His works (Gen. 2:1-3); (2) upon finishing the Tabernacle, the biblical text states, "So Moses finished the work" (Exod. 40:33); and (3) this idea is also expressed when Solomon finished the work on the Temple (1 Kings 7:51). This connection between Creation and the Sanctuary of Israel points to the cosmic dimension, to the time when the Lord will dwell with the redeemed in the new earth, in the New Jerusalem, which is “the sanctuary of God” (Rev. 21:2, 3; compare Rev. 22:1-4). God's filling of the Tabernacle with His presence (Exod. 40:34) was the grand climax of the events that began with the birth of Moses and continued with the defeat of the Egyptian gods during the Ten Plagues, the flight from Egypt, the defeat of the Egyptian army, and finally, God's revelation on Mount Sinai. In what ways can you experience God's presence? Why is it important for you to do so? =================== SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON III QUARTER 2025 Narrated by: Eddie Rodriguez From: Guatemala, Guatemala ==================== || www.drministries.org || ====================