The Israelite Tabernacle

One of our lessons was about when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, after God sent the 10 plagues to Egypt. The Egyptians were so tired of being plagued, they released the Israelites from slavery. They then wandered in the desert for 40 years, I think because they didn't yet trust God. They had to be out there, being provided for by God's manna until the second and third generation of Israelites grew up trusting God. During this time they created a tent to worship in, and it was portable since they were wandering. We made a little tent in our school room, and made the Holy of Holies - a secret room that only the high priest could go in. This contained the Arc of the Covenant, a box containing the 10 Commandment tablets, a bowl of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded.

Cool enough, a couple weeks later the traveling life size tabernacle tour came to our town! It was a 2 hour tour with the meaning behind the tabernacle. Absolutely fascinating how every piece of the tabernacle was a prophecy to the coming Jesus. We got to see a re-enactment of a lamb being slain for sacrifice, and Avery was excited that we got to go into the "secret room" where only the priest was allowed. What a great field trip!

A miniature version of how the tabernacle is set up, with a mural behind it. I believe every month the head of each household would come in and be attoned for their family's sins.

After telling this kid that the lamb they brought was more like a pet to the people who brought it, we saw how painful it would have been to sacrifice it.

This is where the slain lamb's would be tossed, after smearing their blood on each of the four horns on the corners. Of course, this was a prophecy of the coming Jesus, the Lamb of God who would shed his blood for the four corners of the earth.

The Arc of the Covenant. They believed that God actually lived between the two angels carved at the top. Since Jesus hadn't come to save us yet, He couldn't yet live inside our hearts like he can now. The Arc was in the room that only the high priest could enter, and it contained the tablets that God inscribed the 10 commandments on, the bowl of manna (bread that God provided on the ground every morning), and Aaron's rod that began to bud miraculously.