Tabernacle in the Wilderness

Moses built a portable place for worship, a “tabernacle,” so God could dwell with them during their wilderness journey.

God still wanted to “tabernacle” (dwell) among His people, so He had Moses tell the people to bring offerings to Him so that they could build a tabernacle according to the pattern He showed Moses. They brought precious metals, gems, colored yarns, fine linen, animal skins, wood, olive oil, spices, and incense.

When all the pieces were made, Moses set up the main structure of the Tabernacle, 45 feet by 15 feet, facing east. Then the tent—10 curtains of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and red yarn—was spread over the frame. The final covering over the tent, made from three types of hides covering linen curtains, was laid over the tent just as God had instructed.

Then Moses put the stones with the Ten Commandments written on them in the ark (a gold-covered box) and placed the mercy seat (a pure gold covering for the ark with a gold angel at either end) on the ark. He took the ark inside the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain, a veil woven with colorful threads, to separate the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, a 15 x 15-foot chamber.

With the tent now separated, Moses placed the table and the lampstand inside the tent on the north and south sides, respectively. Both were outside the veil. The table would hold 12 loaves of fresh bread placed on it each Sabbath. The lampstand, a hammered piece of solid pure gold, had a central shaft with six branches to light the Holy Place.

Next, the gold altar was placed inside the Tent of Meeting right in front of the curtain, and Moses began burning incense on it as the LORD had commanded. Then he hung the curtain at the entrance of the tabernacle, completing the Tent of Meeting.

Outside the tent, directly to the east, Moses set up the altar of burnt offering and began offering burnt offerings and grain offerings on it as the LORD had commanded. The altar was a 7.5 x 7.5-foot x 4.5-foot structure made of wood and covered in bronze. In between the altar and the Tent of Meeting, he placed the basin, a bronze laver containing water, so that the priests could wash their hands and feet before and after ministering.

Finally, Moses set up a 150-foot-long and 75-foot-wide courtyard around the tabernacle and altar, surrounded by a 7.5-foot-high fence of linen curtains. At the east end, he hung panels of blue, purple, red, and white as the entry curtain.

The tabernacle and its courtyard were now ready for use. God would meet with His people, and they could have their sins expiated.