There is nothing like the feeling that comes when you set and accomplish a goal.

You overcame the excuses. You set out to make something happen—and you did it!

I get that vibe when I read about the building of the tabernacle in Exodus. The account is a positive report of material, supplies, and labor offered freely by the Israelites to build something to honor God. It is amazing to account what was accomplished when everyone pooled their assets. There was more than enough material for the construction project. Those with specific talents completed their tasks and the result was intricate in detail and beautiful to behold. The people worked together. With God’s direction and help, they built something incredible.

Scripture lists the amount of material used in construction as 2,400 pounds of gold, 8,400 pounds of silver, and 8,400 pounds of brass. Other materials included fabric, wood, and precious stones. In other words, the tabernacle ended up weighing a lot! It is difficult to comprehend that the Israelites carried this weighty edifice by hand, or even how, as they wandered for decades in the wilderness.

When it would have been easier to make excuses to build it, much less carry it on a journey, what motivated them to complete the task?

God revealed his name, his glory, and his presence to Israel at Mount Sinai. He wanted the Israelites to know he was not a one place only God. He was—is!—a right in the middle of wherever you are God. The tabernacle became the ongoing point of God’s presence. It was the tangible reminder that God permanently dwelt among the Israelites, and it was a symbol of his promise to bless the nation.