I imagine that when the Tabernacle was finally erected among the Israelite camp, it was a pretty awesome thing. It likely didn't go down the way I imagine that it did, but I picture something like this: Moses comes before the entire congregation of Israel to ask for contributions for the building of the Tabernacle, which will be devoted to the worship of the Lord God. People come day after day, offering up their gold to be melted down, their precious yarns and linen, silver, wood, etc. All for the sake of this Tabernacle. In fact, they bring so much, they have to be stopped! Then the work begins, amidst the camp of Israel. Maybe people walked by just to see how the work was coming. First, there are wood frames and boxes. Slowly, fabric for curtains begins to come together. Embroidery begins to slowly, day by day, depict the images of angels and holy things. Frames come together, curtains spread out, precious articles begin to take shape. At last, God gives the direction for the Tabernacle to be erected. The frames are set up, the curtains hung, the tent overlying it spread out, and Moses begins the anointing. He anoints every article, the tent, everything. And then the glory of the Lord comes down.
When Solomon builds his temple, it talks about the Shekinah glory, where God's glory comes down and fills the Temple and people are weeping. Seriously. It's such an amazing moment that people lose it and worship with abandon. Now, in that "cold, clinical" statement, maybe it sounds silly, but can you imagine just an amazing moment where you actually see God's glory descend? That Shekinah Glory doesn't return when the Temple is rebuilt after the Exile in Babylon, and the people weep then for its loss. Exodus doesn't describe anything like that. Was it because they had become accustomed to the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night? Had they become a little immune to the glory of God's presence? Is that possible? Every day, we believers wish we could experience that in our lives, and we always treasure those worship moments or prayer moments or study moments where we really feel God's presence. What we wouldn't give to have a visible reminder, a physical thing to point to say, "See, God is here!" The Israelites did: it was a daily matter of whether or not God's glory lifted from the Tabernacle one whether or not they were walking that day. How amazing is that?
Maybe they weren't immune to it, and Scripture is just silent on it. But the way I picture it, after watching the Tabernacle come together over a period of time, it must have been so fulfilling to see it at last standing. And knowing that they were fearful enough of the Lord's presence to request that Moses be their go-between rather than meet God face-to-face on a daily basis, I think must have been a thing of awe and glory to see God descend upon the very structure the entire nation of Israel had come together to build, whether through offerings or skill. It makes me want to be a part of something like that.
Next Reading: Leviticus 1:1-2:16
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