“The cohanim took the ark and brought up the ark of Adonai, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L’vi’im brought up.” – 1 Kings 8:4
Verse 4 tells us that one of the items brought to the Temple was the tent of meeting.
In Hebrew, this is OHEL MO’ED.
However, it also went by the name MISHKAN.
To be clear, this was NOT that special tent David created for the Ark of the Covenant that was placed in the City of David.
Instead, what we’re looking at here is whatever remained of the old Wilderness Tabernacle that had been sitting in Gibeon all this time.
With the Temple now complete, both the Tabernacle and Gibeon were essentially being retired as God’s authorized place of sacrifice and worship.
As for what the Tabernacle actually looked like by this point?
Well homies, your guess is as good as mine.
More than 400 years had passed since it was first put together in the wilderness during the exodus from Egypt.
After over four centuries of wear and tear, it’s hard to imagine much of the original structure was still intact.
Heck, I doubt if any of it remained at all.
So, what takeaway can we extract from this?
Here’s what’s coming to me.
The physical outer shell may grow old and become tattered and weary with time.
But the Spirit behind it is eternal and will never wear out.
The mobile Wilderness Tabernacle served its purpose when the Israelites were wandering in the desert.
But now that God’s people were living permanently in the land, the immoveable Temple would replace it.
And that’s your lesson for today.
External circumstances may change.
Close relationships you’ve had for years may end.
Companies you’ve worked at may go out of business.
Your enthusiasm for certain types of music and movies may fade.
Your sexual vigor may dissipate to the point where no amount of ED medicine will be able to restore it.
Yet that doesn’t matter if your relationship with the eternal Creator is solid.
He will sustain you through the highs and lows and all of the chaos that life will inevitably throw at you.
The problem arises when you try to hold onto what was but is no longer.
Attachment to things that are fading or long gone is the cause of so much mental anguish.
Spiritually, mentally, and physically, you ain’t the same person you were 20, 10, or even 5 years ago.
So accept it, homie
God has brought you out of bondage from Egypt.
So don’t look back to where you were.
Leave behind the tattered Wilderness Tabernacle of your past desert wanderings.
And keep moving toward whatever new thing God is building in your life.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
Yet inwardly we are being renewed
Day by day.
So we fix our eyes
Not on what is seen,
But on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary,
But what is unseen is eternal.“
— 2 Corinthians 4:16–18
“Forgetting what lies behind,
And reaching forward
To what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
For the prize
Of God’s upward calling
In Messiah Yeshua.”
— Philippians 3:13–14
“Therefore, if anyone
Is in Messiah,
He is a new creation.
The old has passed away;
Behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
“By calling this covenant ‘new,’
He has made
The first one obsolete.
What is obsolete
And aging
Will soon disappear.”
— Hebrews 8:13
“Set your hearts
On things above,
Where Messiah is,
Seated at God’s right hand.
Set your minds
On things above,
Not on earthly things.”
— Colossians 3:1–2
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