The Role of the Church (God's Tabernacle) | Exodus 26
There’s something in all of us that wants to look good.
We want to present our best selves. We want people to see the right clothes, the right house, the right accomplishments, the right relationships, the right smile. We can become so focused on what is visible that we neglect what is happening underneath the surface.
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders famously captured this mentality when he said, “When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you play good. And when you play good, they pay good.”
And it worked for Prime.
But what happens when looking good becomes more important than being good? What happens when our outer display begins to overshadow our inner reality?
That is part of what God is teaching Israel in Exodus 26.
God Cares About What’s on the Inside
Exodus 26 gives us an incredibly detailed description of the construction of the tabernacle. God gives Moses instructions about curtains, dimensions, loops, clasps, supports, bases, crossbars, materials, and measurements.
It is meticulous.
The interesting thing is that God begins with the inside of the tabernacle.
The inner curtains were made from finely spun linen, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. Cherubim were woven into them. Gold clasps connected the curtains. The inner structure was beautiful, detailed, and extraordinary.
Then God describes the outside.
And it is very different.
The outer curtains were made from goat hair. The clasps were bronze. The coverings included ram skins and another layer of leather. The outside was simple, common, and ordinary.
Why would God design it this way?
Because He was teaching Israel something.
Egypt had taught them to value the outer display. Egypt was an empire built around appearances—pyramids, palaces, monuments, elaborate clothing, wealth, and displays of power.
But God was forming a different kind of people.
In empire, the focus is on what is seen. In shalom, the focus is on what is unseen.
In empire, we focus on the facade.
In shalom, we focus on the foundation.
In empire, we focus on what is visible.
In shalom, we focus on what is valuable.
And what is most valuable?
The heart.
We Are Tempted to Live From the Outside In
The problem is that we are naturally drawn toward the visible.
We care about how we look, what we own, what we accomplish, where we live, what people think of us, and how successful we appear.
There is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things.
The problem comes when the outside becomes a substitute for the inside.
We can look like everything is okay while everything inside us is falling apart.
We can have the right words without the right heart.
We can have the right appearance without the right character.
We can have the right platform without the right foundation.
We can even go to church, sing the songs, clap our hands, listen to the sermon, and still never stop long enough to ask God what is really happening inside of us.
That is why Scripture repeatedly brings us back to the heart.
God is not primarily interested in our facade. He is interested in our inner self.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
Paul gives us a beautiful picture of this in 2 Corinthians 4:7:
“We have this treasure in jars of clay.”
A clay jar was ordinary. It was inexpensive and common. It wasn't impressive.
And yet people in the ancient world sometimes stored incredibly valuable things inside ordinary clay jars. Archaeologists have even discovered valuable coins and the Dead Sea Scrolls preserved in clay vessels.
Why put something valuable inside something so ordinary?
Because the point wasn't the container.
The point was the treasure.
Paul says that we are like jars of clay. We are ordinary. We are fragile. We are imperfect.
But God has placed His treasure inside us.
And that is actually the point.
If the container were impressive, we might be tempted to give the container the glory. But when the container is ordinary and the treasure is extraordinary, it becomes clear where the power comes from.
God doesn't need us to create an impressive outer display.
He wants to transform what is happening on the inside.
Don’t Let Your Hype Overshadow Your Heart
This is the tension we all have to wrestle with.
We spend so much time cultivating the external that we can neglect the internal.
We can spend hours thinking about our appearance and minutes thinking about our character.
We can invest in our careers while neglecting our souls.
We can build our homes while neglecting our hearts.
We can manage our reputation while ignoring our integrity.
We can make sure everyone thinks we're okay without ever stopping to ask God whether we actually are.
So here's the question:
Where have I allowed my hype to overshadow my heart?
That's a question worth sitting with.
Not answering quickly.
Not giving God the answer we think He wants.
But actually becoming quiet enough to listen.
Because sometimes the reason we avoid silence is that silence forces us to deal with what is happening inside us.
We can stay busy.
We can stay entertained.
We can keep scrolling.
We can keep working.
We can keep talking.
We can even keep going to church.
But silence removes the distractions and gives us an opportunity to hear what is happening in our hearts.
And when we finally become quiet, we may discover that God isn't trying to condemn us.
He's inviting us to transformation.
Give God Your Heart
Jeremiah reminds us that the heart can be deceitful and difficult to understand. So what do we do when we discover that the inside isn't as impressive as the outside?
We don't hide.
We don't pretend.
We don't double down on the facade.
We humble ourselves.
We pray the prayer of the psalmist:
“Give me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Again and again.
God, give me a clean heart.
God, renew a right spirit within me.
Not just on the outside.
Within me.
Because God is not asking us to perfect the facade.
He is asking us to surrender the heart.
And perhaps that's why the tabernacle was designed the way it was. The outside was ordinary, but the inside was extraordinary.
God was teaching Israel that what matters most isn't always what people see.
The deepest work God wants to do in us is often hidden.
Look Internal. See Eternal.
Deion Sanders said, “When you look good, you feel good.”
But the kingdom of God gives us a different pattern:
Look internal, and you will see eternal.
When we learn to pay attention to what God is doing inside us, the things that once seemed so important on the outside begin to lose their grip.
Our appearance matters less.
Our status matters less.
Our accomplishments matter less.
Our reputation matters less.
Because we begin to see something eternal.
The presence of God.
The work of God.
The character of God being formed in us.
So don't let your hype overshadow your heart.
Don't let what is external overshadow what is internal.
Don't let what is visible become more valuable than what is unseen.
Take some time to become quiet.
Ask God:
Where have I allowed my hype to overshadow my heart?
And then listen.
When your mind wanders, refocus.
When you're tempted to fill the silence, stay.
When God brings something to your attention, don't run from it.
Give it to Him.
Because the goal isn't to look better.
The goal is to become more like Jesus.
And sometimes the most important thing God wants to change in your life is the thing nobody else can see.
