S5: Day 25: Exodus 24–26

Summary

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Podcast Summary: A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace

Episode: S5: Day 25 — Exodus 24–26
Date: January 25, 2026
Hosts: Shelby & Paul

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Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Shelby and Paul guide listeners through Exodus chapters 24 to 26. The main focus is on God’s detailed instructions regarding the construction of the tabernacle, including its furnishings and the significance of its layout. The hosts explore why these intricate details matter, how they reveal God’s desire for a relationship with His people, and the spiritual symbolism leading up to Christ.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. God’s Desire for Relationship

• The episode opens by highlighting a core theme: God’s longing to dwell among His people.
• Paul reflects personally on why it is vital to remember God's persistent pursuit of relationship, especially when we fall short.
  • Quote:

    “We see...that God wants to be in relationship with us no matter what we've done, no matter what, he loves us.”
    — Paul [01:25]

• The tabernacle’s construction details, though complex, are ultimately about facilitating God’s presence among the Israelites.

2. The Tabernacle and Human Imperfection

• Shelby underscores that, despite the Israelites’ failings and disobedience, God still seeks to dwell with them.
  • Quote:

    “We might be thinking, oh, it's really important that they don't get it wrong. But the fact of the matter is that they are getting it wrong, and yet God still wants to dwell with them.”
    — Shelby [02:14]

• The hosts agree that the focus isn’t on perfection in ritual, but on God's grace and desire to be present.

3. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place

• Paul explains the distinctions between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, emphasizing the significance of the curtain dividing them (Exodus 26:31-33).
  • Only select individuals could enter the Most Holy Place, where God’s direct presence dwelt.
  • The curtain signified humanity’s separation from God due to sin.
  • Quote:

    “Sin separates us from God...we can't be in the presence of God or else we would get evaporated… by his holiness.”
    — Paul [03:03]

• The conversation connects the tabernacle's curtain to later biblical developments:
  • In the temple (centuries later), a similar curtain maintained this separation.
  • When Jesus was crucified, the Gospels record that this curtain was torn, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity.
    • Quote:

      “God's most holy presence is now with the world, with everyone, because Christ has torn down the barrier that exists between us and God, which is sin.”
      — Paul [03:52]

4. Continuity Across Scripture

• Shelby notes the “continuity” between Old and New Testament—the tabernacle’s curtain built in Exodus would one day be torn at Jesus’s death.
  • Quote:

    “Jesus's death is not going to take place for thousands of years. Yet in this moment we're seeing the curtain constructed that will one day be torn.”
    — Shelby [04:08]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul on God’s Unconditional Love:

  “God wants to be in relationship with us no matter what we've done, no matter what, he loves us.” [01:25]

• Shelby on the Israelites’ Imperfection:

  “They are getting it wrong, and yet God still wants to dwell with them. And that's the point of the tabernacle.” [02:14]

• Paul on Sin and Separation:

  “We can't be in the presence of God or else we would get evaporated…by his holiness.” [03:03]

• Paul on Christ and the Curtain:

  “God's most holy presence is now with the world, with everyone, because Christ has torn down the barrier that exists between us and God, which is sin.” [03:52]

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:06 | Shelby introduces the focus on Exodus 24–26. | | 00:30 | Paul summarizes the importance of relationship. | | 01:20 | Personal testimony on God’s love and forgiveness. | | 02:11 | Shelby reflects on God’s grace despite imperfection. | | 02:36 | Paul explains the Holy Place vs. Most Holy Place. | | 03:52 | Significance of the torn curtain through Christ. | | 04:08 | Shelby highlights biblical continuity. |

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Tone and Takeaway

The episode is conversational, honest, and encouraging—offering practical, relatable reflections on deep theological truths. Both hosts balance biblical teaching with personal insight, making the realities of God’s presence and grace tangible for listeners.

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Transcript

[Paul]

Foreign.

[Shelby]

Hey, it's Shelby and Paul here. We are walking you through the book of Exodus today. We're in chapters 24 through 26, and we start to get into some really detailed descriptions of the tabernacle and its contents. There's, like, loops and clasps and curtains. Oh, my.

[Paul]

Yes.

[Shelby]

So, Paul, let's dive into these chapters. What do we need to know?

[Paul]

Yeah, I want to point us to the study's first reflection question, actually. And if you don't have the study, it basically asks, why is it important to remember that God wants to have a relationship with us and what happens when we forget that truth? And I think I kind of have a personal answer to this myself. And honestly, it was really in college, I was going through the season where just really struggling with habitual sin and just honestly, like, going back again and again and again. And there were a lot of days when I honestly found myself believing I'm not good enough for God. Right. He is giving up on me, and I've just done this thing one too many times, and God doesn't want me anymore. Right. But then I actually had a mentor of mine really walk me through the prodigal son narrative. And in that story, we see, you know, that God wants to be in relationship with us no matter what we've done, no matter what, he loves us.

[Shelby]

Right.

[Paul]

And so I think, you know, it's something that Israelites, right, they really doubt God a lot, and they obviously disobey a lot, and yet God continually pursues them, and he gives them this super specific way to be with them. And I think even in the midst of all these details, it's important to remember that God wants to be with them. That's the core thing to remember. And so I think for me, like, in that season, just remembering that God was with me even in my sin was a big turning point for me. And being able to come to God even whenever I wasn't measuring up.

[Shelby]

Yeah. And I think that's a great perspective to have even as we continue, because we'll kind of be going through this for a little while here. The tabernacle, the construction of it, and it is really detailed. And we might be thinking, oh, it's really important that they don't get it wrong. But the fact of the matter is that they are getting it wrong, and yet God still wants to dwell with them. And that's the point of the tabernacle. I know we also get into some terms here, like the holy place, the most holy place. Can you walk us through a Little.

[Paul]

Bit of that, yeah. So we have, in 26, 31, 33, we have this curtain that's described and it separates what is said. You said it's the holy place and the most holy place. Right. And the most holy place is where quite literally the presence of God dwelled. And there were super specific restrictions and descriptions about who could go in there and when. And you know, the thing to know about this is that sin separates us from God. Right. We can't be in the presence of God or else we would get evaporated. Right. By his holiness. Right. And so even though God wanted to dwell with Israel, there was still this level of separation. There's this curtain that separates his deepest, most genuine presence from his overall presence with Israel. Right. And you know, we have later in the Old Testament, which we'll talk about once we get there, the temple is built and there's a similar curtain built between the holy place and the most holy place. But when Jesus is crucified, it says in the Gospels that this curtain was torn from top to bottom, essentially signifying that God's most holy presence is now with the world, with everyone, because Christ has torn down the barrier that exists between us and God, which is sin. And I think that reminder that God was restricted in a particular way with Israel, but now through Christ we have the Holy Spirit and God's presence, his most holy presence is with us at all times.

[Shelby]

Yeah. What a great point to make here. And I love the continuity that you're even bringing in across Scripture. Because Jesus's death is not going to take place for thousands of years. Yet in this moment we're seeing the curtain constructed that will one day be torn.

[Paul]

That's right.

[Shelby]

And so that's a really cool thing to think about. Great. I love these chapters. Exodus 24:26. Thanks for walking us through those, Paul. Tomorrow we'll be back to Talk through chapters 27 through 29.

[Paul]

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