Riverbend Community Blog
Advent Reflection: The Need for a Savior
As we enter into the season of Advent, a time to slow and reflect on the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, into the world, we first spend some time reflecting on why we need a Savior.
Advent 2024: Christ
Throughout this Advent season, we’ve been reminded of the ways God has revealed Himself to His people prior to Jesus coming. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, spoke to Moses through a burning bush, led His people with a cloud and a pillar of fire, and for hundreds of years only a high priest could intercede for sins in the Holy of Holies. The prophets kept speaking of a coming Messiah, but for 400 years, God was silent.
But everything was about to change…
Advent 2024: The Tabernacle
As a noun, tabernacle is defined as “a fixed or moveable habitation, typically of light construction.” (Oxford English Dictionary)
For the nomadic Israelites, this type of moveable structure for God’s dwelling place on Earth made perfect sense. They had left the slavery of Egypt and been led into the wilderness, still very much uncertain of what was next before entering the Promised Land. It’s at this point– this in between– that Moses climbs Mount Sinai to meet with the Lord. And it is here that Moses receives not only the Ten Commandments, but also very detailed instructions to build the tabernacle, a place the Lord could draw near to his chosen people.
Maybe, like me, you get to the details of the tabernacle’s construction and you begin to skim, but pause here.