The Tabernacle Was Built

Dear Parents,

What a great time we had with your kids yesterday morning at Wellspring!  We are continuing to follow the journey of Moses and the Israelites.  Yesterday's lesson came from Exodus 35:4-40:38 and talked about the tabernacle being built.  Their big question was: What does the tabernacle show about God?  God wants to dwell with His people and be worshiped by them.

God asked the Israelites to make a sanctuary for Him so that He could dwell among them.  He gave Moses specific instructions for how to build the tabernacle and what should go inside it.  Moses asked the people to bring materials and those who felt led brought an offering of: gold jewelry; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; animals skins; wood; oil; spices; and gemstones.  To build the tabernacle, God gave two men special skills--Bezalel and Oholiab.  Everyone came together and built the tabernacle just as God had instructed.  Inside the tabernacle the people made a veil, an ark, a table, a lampstand, and many other parts.  Aaron and his sons were anointed so they could serve God as priests.  God's glory filled the tabernacle and when the cloud where God was covered the tabernacle, it was a sign for the people to stay where they were; if the cloud lifted, it was time for the Israelites to move and take the tabernacle with them.

Yesterday your kids built their own tabernacles out of fruit snacks!  Talk with them this week about how God instructed the Israelites to build a tabernacle so that He could dwell with them.  God desires to be with His people.  As part of His plan of salvation, God sent Jesus to "tabernacle," or dwell with people on earth.

Jillian