There is so much to study in this area that there is hesitation for me to bring it to a blog. I will try to whet your appetite for further study in the area of Tabernacle/Temple worship. In ancient Hebrew worship the bottom-line of the tent-shrine and temple of Jerusalem was to make it possible for God to live among his people.
Both tabernacle and temple worship emphasized the importance of preparation on the part of the worshipper and congregation in meeting with a holy God.
The great detail given for both construction and the worship shows us that the Hebrews worshipped God on His terms not theirs. Worship was for God, a vertical focus.
The dress and priesthood in the Old Testament point to the person and character of God emphasizing His sovereignty, majesty, glory, and holiness. A sense of awe and holy was created.
The very floor plan, furnishings and order of worship in the Old Testament lead the worshipper step by step into a close encounter with the holy God.
The Old Testament sanctuaries dedicated to the worship of God took center stage in the life of the Hebrews. Worship was life and life was worship in the Old Testament and should be no less true today.
The renewal of this theme in the New Testament of God's presence among His people came with the declaration in John's gospel that "the Word became flesh and lived [or tabernacled] among us". The shift is from a building to a person. The apostle Paul then writes that the believer in Christ is now the temple of God (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20). Praise the Lord, the church of Christ is now the "spiritual house of God" and now gives witness to the presence of God in a dark and needy world. (I Peter 2:5) mjm
