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OTHER CWR DAILY BIBLE-READING NOTES: FOR YOuNG pEOpLE

FOR ADuLTS

Pens for 3- to 6-year-olds Every Day with Jesus Topz for 7- to 11-year-olds Inspiring Women Every Day Mettle for 14- to 18-year-olds Life Every Day (Jeff Lucas) Cover to Cover Every Day

YP’s (formerly Young People’s Every Day with Jesus) is published by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 8EP, UK © CWR, 2012.

All rights reserved. This ‘heroes thrive where they’re sent, let’s have a look at God’s tent’ issue would never have happened if it wasn’t for … Text: Paul Thompson @ Digital Dimensions • Senior Editor: Lynette Brooks • Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR • Photographs: Vetta/Ranplett (cover) • Printed in England by Linney Print • The text in YP’s is republished every four years, working to a rolling four-year programme for 11- to 15-year-olds.

www.ypsonline.org.uk

Memories of camping at different stages of my life vary! As a young child, I camped with my family in France for just about every holiday I can remember, mostly following my big brothers around flying wooden toy planes and having beach balls bounced on my head. I tried to recreate the memories with friends during my teens, when we would camp as a youth group – but the focus had moved on to who could strum the most chords on their guitar, and who could play the craftiest trick on the tent ‘next door’!

Late teens, and camping was synonymous with summer festivals: and as I grew into a sensible adult (!?) my camping experiences became very pleasant opportunities to cook and eat outside, watch the most glorious sunrises and sunsets, and experience some of my closest times with God. And now? Well, a comfortable bed, an oven and running water are quite appealing …

Whatever your experiences of camping and tents, I hope our opening section on ‘God’s Tent’ will give you a better understanding of what the Tabernacle is, what it meant in Old Testament times, and what it means for us today. Super Dan and Timid Tim also make appearances with their own unique contributions, helping all you YP’s-ers to get to grips with God’s Word. Wonderful stuff, amazing truths … not to be missed!

al i r o t i d e

‘ Sat 1 Sep EXODUS 25:1–9

‘then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.’

Exodus 25:8

Holy of Holies!

It’s tIMe to

UNZIP the canvas on the Great tent God asked Moses to Make in the Wilderness.

We’re GoinG to loiter With intent and discover the special MeaninGs of

God’s CAMPING KIT. engage//

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Holy

it W Was God’s choice to live in the Middle of the caMpsite. and Where here does God pro proMise to be When tWo or More christians pray? riGht in the Middle! Why’s that? think about it. God Wants W to Get involved in your life – riGht Where the action is.

When Moses Met up With God on Mount sinai he Was Given God’s rules for livinG –

the Ten Commandments. But there was more … much more. God made Moses’ face shine with the news that He was coming to live with His people. Did you get that? God had decided to rough it with the Israelites! And as the Israelites were on the move, God was happy to live in a tent – right in the middle of their campsite.

Wherever they pitched the special tent, or tabernacle as the Jews called it, God would come down and join them. They couldn’t see God face to face but there were signs He was there in the inner compartment of the tent – the Holy of Holies.

God told Moses the materials needed to build the tabernacle and the exact way it should be put together. Why did God go into such detail? He was putting more than a mobile home together. He wanted a huge visual aid to show people how to get right with Him. All the sizes, measurements, colours and layout of this wonderful tent have special meaning and we’re going to go under cover to puzzle them out.

The Israelites didn’t realise it at the time but God was preparing them for Jesus. Each detail of the tent was a picture of what Jesus would do to make us friends with God. Let’s ask God to show us the hidden meanings of His special camping kit so we can appreciate His love for us.

PRaY// lord, thank y you for Wantin W G to be involved in My life, help Me not to hold back any of My life fro you. froM y aMen.

Sun 2 Sep EXODUS 40:17–19

‘So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.’

Exodus 40:17

hes Clot

GoD’s CAMPING KIt

When God gave the Israelites their marching orders out of Egypt He announced the beginning of a new year. A new calendar would start from that date (Exod. 12:2).

Exactly a year later the tent was set up.

The first New Year’s Day after leaving Egypt was a special event for the Israelites. God’s tent was set up! Not only could they celebrate the anniversary of the end of their slavery but also the great news that God was with them.

The months leading up to the New Year celebrations were spent making the tent.

They’d been loaded with gifts of gold, silver, quality clothes and timber by the Egyptians when they left. So now, it was decision time.

CLOTHES

FOR‘ GODS TenT

Should they keep their fancy jewellery and clothes or donate them to make God’s special tent? They were so pleased to be free and be with God they just emptied their wardrobes … jewellery boxes … piggy banks and gave, gave, gave. In the end, Moses had to tell the Jews to stop giving!

The New Testament says that God loves a cheerful giver. The word ‘cheerful’ in the original Greek means ‘hilarious’. And these campers were over the moon at the chance to please God. Our attitude is so important when we give to God. Be a hilarious giver! Enjoy – really enjoy – giving your time, talents and gifts to God.

engage// When you’re set free by Jesus you have a neW W anniversary to celebrate. a second birthday – the day you W Were born into God’s faMily. don’t Worry if you can’t re eM reM e ber the exact date. take t the chance to celebrate your freedo noW. freedoM 3

Mon 3 SEP nUmbers 2:1–6

‘on the east, towards the sunrise …’

NumbErs 2:3

When the IsRaelItes set uP camP, theRe Wasn’t a fRee-foR-all WIth eveRYone PushIng to get the best sPot on the sIte. god IntRoduced oRdeR Into the camP bY allocatIng Places aRound hIs tent.

entrance The tabernacle was put up with its The twelve sun. g risin the facing east, towards e tribes on thre s, tent their ed pitch l Israe tribes of Judah of tribe each side of the tabernacle. The on the ping cam of ur hono ial was given the spec s tent. They God’ to ance entr the near side east alled the were nearest the rising sun that sign h?

Juda Why day. new a beginning of born into Jesus, God’s Son, would later be ph were Jose and y Mar Both the tribe of Judah. at the ped cam who tribe this of nts descenda calls entrance to the tabernacle. The Bible for light A s’. snes teou Righ Jesus the ‘Sun of to God. way the le peop show to ld wor our ry-eyed How do you start each day? A blea being not t abou n moa A or? look in the mirr kle and crac k, able to find your PE kit? A snac for a athe sunb not Why flop into your cereal? , Bible your out Roll ! athe sunb while. Yes, teousness. relax and soak up the Sun of Righ to a off day the get and Talk with Jesus the hidden you show to God Ask t. star good kit … so you meanings of His special camping you. for love His te can apprecia

engage//

Why not crash out With your bible More often? Whether it’s a half-hour sun creaM factor 8 session or a shorter five-Minute factor 2 session, soakinG in it Will do you Good. Make every day a sunday – sonday!

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PRaY//

lord God, thank y you for speakinG to Me throuGh the bible. please help Me to Get into the habit of spendinG tiMe With y you, readinG the bible, every day. aMen.

let’s take a quick tour round the

TABERNACLE

TUES 4 SEP eXodUs 27:9–15

‘… curtains of finely twisted linen ...’

Exodus 27:9

Have you ever run 100m? Well the outer courtyard of God’s tent was half that distance in lengt h and nearly 25m wide. Any energetic priest want ing to jog round the outside would cover 150m – or ten laps for 1,500m. But what would you see if you jogged round the tabernacle? A long wall of pure white linen supported at intervals by posts, twenty posts down the length and ten posts across the width.

The posts and linen were 3m high so you couldn’t see over the top into the courtyard. As you jogged round to the east side there was a break in the linen.

An entrance – the only opening – with a special curtain made of three colours.

Anyone looking at the campsite would have seen masses and masses of dark tents belon ging to the Israelites. Most of these were a hotch-po tch of grubby animal skins stitched together.

Then in stark contrast, right in the middle of these dirty -looking tents was this linen fence – brilliant whit e in colour.

Why did God choose white for the outs ide of His courtyard? White is a picture of holiness.

The linen reminds us of God’s purity. And the motl ey collection of old tents is us – grubby with disobedien ce.

Those on the outside of the tabernacle could n’t see over the linen and were shut out from God’s presence – just as we are cut off from God until we ask Him to forgive us.

Great news about the entrance though.

God put a single route through the linen. And God still has just one way for us to come to Him – that is through Jesus.

engage//

if you really knoW W Jesus as your s saviour there’s no need to feel Grubby. the book of revelation says christians are ‘dressed in fine linen’ – a Way W of sayinG We are Made holy. believe it; God has Made you stunninGly clean – thank hiM! 5

WED 5 SEP eXodUs 27:16; JoHn 10:7–11

‘… a curtain … of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen …

Exodus 27:16

THAnK yoU on oUr ToUr We Come To THe only ‘door’ To THe TAbernACle .

t with a small entrance.

God didn’t design His ten ly e. You could have literal The opening was 9m wid priests e Th re. the h oug thr driven a couple of buses enter had plenty of room to (who didn’t drive buses) one y onl is re the gh . Althou the tabernacle courtyard sts Jesus. tru o wh one any to n way into heaven, it’s ope – g the entrance was vivid The linen curtain coverin a – out y wa s wa in y wa . This blue, scarlet and purple the of es sid n in the white line multi-coloured ‘door’ set go in is Way’. So, why did God ‘Th d ute sho t tabernacle tha for this décor?

Blue le have a special meaning.

Some colours in the Bib of e tur pic a nts pai rlet . Sca paints an image of heaven eme again. look at God’s colour sch s let’ Now us. and th ear the to ce ran t the ent We have already seen tha f us. He even called Himsel Jes of e tur pic a is e tabernacl t tha of s our col to God. And the ‘the Door’, the only way . too us Jes the Lord tabernacle ‘door’ hint at

blue shows where He came from – heaven. He is God’s Son. sCarlet shows that He became human and lived in our world.

PurPle (a mixture of blue and scarlet) show us that Jesus is both God and Man. How does that colour your opinion of Him? engage//

God says that althouGh our sins are like ‘scarlet’ (unholy) he can Make ake the theM White as snoW (holy). and Jesus caMe to Make that possible for anyone in the World... includinG you! is that aMazinG or What?

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oU

noW leT’s pUT on oUr priesT disgUise And go THroUgH THe TAbernACle enTrAnCe .

THURS 6 SEP eXodUs 27:1–8

‘Make the altar … just as you were shown on the mountain.’

Exodus 27:8

square and altar, 2.3m an is e It looks se u ing yo ts in the sun. a in gl g The first th in at t of s bronze co ld the weigh 1.4m tall. It enough to ho e solid metal, it has ng ro st d an heavy, it looks lik ied t, although ted and carr large bull. Ye n frame so it can be lif de a hollow woo ’s time to break camp. n it he w s ance to the le on po s side the entr in r ta al out the plan an Why have ! He sketched od wanted ea id ’s od G It was nai. G tabernacle? on Mount Si ut a em to Moses th to Him witho e ed m ow co sh ’t dn and ul co ey n that th people to lear ade for their sin. gm in be e sacrific

If you wanted to be forgiven you chose a youn g bull, male sheep or goat to take the death penalty for your wrongdoing. And you couldn’t choose a duff animal that had failed its MOT; it had to be in top condition.

At the entrance to the tabernacle you placed your hand on the animal – a sign that it was carrying your sin.

The priests then slaughtered it and sprinkled its blood on all four sides of the altar. After being cut into piece s it was burnt on the altar.

engage//

Jesus carried his oWn Wooden altar, the cross, then Gave G his life for us. t take tiMe out to thank hiM for all he’s done for you and then thank hiM aGain Gain – G really thank hiM!

It sounds gruesome doesn’t it? But sin carrie s a death penalty and God teaches that you can’t be forgiven without blood being shed. God was once again preparing people for the coming of Jesus – the perfe ct ‘Lamb of God’ would die as a once-and-for-all-time sacrifice for our failings. We don’t have to sacrifice innoc ent animals now because Jesus shed His blood on the cross so you and I could be forgiven.

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