在二戰期間，英國下議院遭到轟炸，過後首相邱吉爾告訴議會，他們必須按照原設計重建下議院。這座建築物必須小巧，方便國會議員面對面進行辯論，其結構必須是長方形而不是半圓形，好讓他們可以圍繞著中心移動。這保留了英國的政黨制度，即左派和右派在會議廳內相對而坐，在轉換立場之前需要深思熟慮。邱吉爾總結道﹕「人塑造建築物，建築物也塑造人。」

上帝似乎也認同這一點。整卷出埃及記有七章（25-31章）詳細說明如何建造會幕，另有六章（35-40章）描述以色列人如何完成建造。上帝在乎他們的敬拜。當人們進入院子，就會看到會幕閃閃發光的金鉤、柱子，以及色彩繽紛的幔子（26章1、31-37節），使他們發出驚嘆。祭壇（27章1-8節）和洗濯盆（30章17-21節）提醒他們罪得赦免的代價。會幕裡有燈臺（25章31-40節）、陳設餅的桌子（25章23-30節）、香壇（30章1-6節）和約櫃（25章10-22節），每一樣都具有重要的意義。

上帝並沒有像對待以色列人那樣，詳細指示我們要如何建造一個敬拜場所，但我們的敬拜同樣重要。我們本身就是一個分別為聖的會幕，讓上帝居住。願你我所做的一切都能提醒我們祂是誰，以及祂的作為。

When Britain’s House of Commons was bombed in World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Parliament they must rebuild it according to its original design. It must be small, so debates would remain face-to-face. It must be oblong rather than semicircular, allowing politicians to “move around the center.” This preserved Britain’s party system, where Left and Right faced each other across the room, requiring careful thought before switching sides. Churchill concluded, “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”

God seems to agree. Seven chapters in Exodus (chs. 25-31) give instructions on building the tabernacle, and six more (chs. 35-40) describe how Israel did it. God cared about their worship. When the people entered the courtyard, the gleaming gold and the tabernacle’s colorful curtains (26:1, 31-37) dazzled them. The altar of burnt offering (27:1-8) and water basin (30:17-21) reminded them of the cost of their forgiveness. The tabernacle contained a lampstand (25:31-40), bread table (25:23-30), altar of incense (30:1-6), and ark of the covenant (25:10-22). Each item held great significance.

God doesn’t give us detailed instructions for our worship space as He did with Israel, yet our worship is no less vital. Our very being is to be a tabernacle set apart for Him to dwell in. May everything we do remind us of who He is and what He does.