|
LESSON SEVEN
SINAI
COVENANT
PART
TWO
by Steve and Terri
White
Exodus 25 -40; Leviticus;
Hebrews 7-10
TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS
After the Sinai Covenant was
made, God instructed the people to "willingly" bring specific offerings to be
used as supplies for a tabernacle in the wilderness. God then gave Moses a detailed
blueprint of the tabernacle: the construction of every piece of furniture, utensil, wall,
curtain, and covering required precise measurements and materials. The tabernacle would be
the center of worship for the Israelites, a holy place in which the presence of God would
reside. The tribe of Levi was set aside (made holy) to serve in the tabernacle, with
Aaron’s family ordained as the priests. Aaron was the first 'high priest' of
Levitical worship.
"And see to it that
you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain." Exodus 25:40
"who serve the copy and
shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make
the tabernacle. . . " Hebrews
8:5a
". . . the way to the
Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It
was symbolic for the present time . . ."
Hebrews 9:8b, 9a
"For the law, having a
shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of things, can never with these
same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach
perfect." Hebrews 10:1
The tabernacle and the
Levitical priesthood were designed by God to not only serve the spiritual needs of the
Israelites of the Sinai Covenant, but to also serve as a foreshadow of God’s final
plan for mankind -- the New Covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This foreshadowing is like
a seamstress’ pattern. The pattern is not the dress, but it is shaped exactly like
the dress. The only purpose for the pattern is to guide the seamstress in making the
dress. When the dress is completed, the pattern is not needed anymore.
". . . These are the
words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled
which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning
Me." Luke 24:44
General Layout of the
Tabernacle (not scale). Notice that the furniture is laid out in the
shape of a cross.
|
Holiest of Holies
|
|
Outer court |
Numbers hold symbolic
significance in the Bible. For example, the number "10" means
completeness. The Holiest of Holies measured 10 by 10 by 10 and the Holy Place
measured 10 by 10 by 20. "For
in Him [Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the godhead bodily; and you [the church] are
complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 2:9,10) These multiples of 10
symbolize that the body of Christ is complete in Jesus. Further study will
illustrate how these and other details of the tabernacle show us the pattern or shadow of
Jesus. (This study of the articles and furniture in the tabernacle is my
no means considered exhaustive. There are other prophetic ways to
interpret the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and we present just one of many.)
TABERNACLE
|
NEW
COVENANT FULFILLMENT
|
| Brazen Altar
-- made of shittum wood overlaid with brass ". . . for it is the blood that makes an atonement
for the soul." (Lev. 17:11)
Priests offered sacrifices of
lambs, bullocks on the altar.
The altar was a place of death
& shedding of blood.
No way to enter or perform
services of the Tabernacle except by way of the altar.
|
Jesus Christ is our lamb and
perfect sacrifice. (Heb. 9:28; Is. 53:7; John 1:29)
Through repentance (death) we are dead to sin, but
alive to God. (Rom. 6:6-11)
|
| Brazen Laver
The laver was made of brass from mirrors --
reflecting the image of the one who washed.
The priests must wash at the laver
before service or they would die. (Ex. 30:20-21)
|
"That He might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the
washing of the water by the word." (Eph. 5:25) The laver is a
type of the Word of God, Jesus Christ (John 1:1), revealing Himself to
man. (Rom. 3:20b; James 1:23-25
The laver is also a type of water
baptism. "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. . ."
(Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38,41; 8:12,35-38; 10:47,48; 16:33; 19:4,5)
Jesus fulfilled His High Priest
role and was baptized. (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21,22) |
| Golden
Candlestick --
made of beaten gold (gold represents Divinity) It was not a natural light; without it the
tabernacle would have been in darkness.
By this light the priest could see
to eat the showbread and offer incense.
The light was to burn continually. |
Jesus is the
divine light; without Him a life is in darkness. (John 8:12)
The light of God has shined in our
hearts to reveal to us the mysteries of God. (II Cor. 4:6; Eph. 3:5)
Through Jesus Christ we become the
light of the world to burn continually. (Matt. 5:16; I Pet. 3:15) |
| Table of
Showbread -- made without leaven
The priest ate the showbread and
received strength.
Fresh showbread was baked
everyday.
Frankincense was sprinkled on the
12 loaves. |
Represents the sinless Jesus Christ as
the Word of God. "This
is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die."
(John 6:50)
We receive strength and grow in
Christ as we "eat" of the "Bread of Life"[Jesus]. (John 6:332-35, 63; I
Peter 2:2)
The Word of God
(Jesus) is continually renewed in our lives. (John 5:39; Acts 17:11)
The Word of God is sometimes
bitter to the natural man, but sweet to the inner man. (II Tim. 3:16-17; Ps. 119:103) |
| Altar of
Incense -- made of wood overlaid with gold When offering incense, the priest was shut
in with God.
The fire for incense was brought
from the coals of the brazen altar.
Incense was offered daily. |
Incense
typifies prayer. (Rev. 8:3,4) Our
'prayer life' is a result of being dead to sin and alive to God in Christ
Jesus. (Rom. 6:6-11).
We can pray without ceasing
(i.e., live with the consciousness of God's presence within.) (Lk. 18:1; Eph.
6:18; I Thess. 5:17) |
Ark of
the Covenant --
made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold;
"For a testimony to succeeding
generations to show God's faithfulness to keep covenant" (see Ex. 25:21,22)
Three testimonial articles
placed in the Ark:
Stone tablets of the 10
commandments
Pot of manna
Aaron's rod that budded proved he
was God's chosen high priest. (Num. 16 &17) |
The
throne of God: wood symbolizes the
humanity of Jesus and gold symbolizes the divinity of Jesus.
The Law was fulfilled in Christ
and the Law leads us to Christ. (Gal. 3:24,25; Matt. 5:17; Rom. 10:4; Jer. 31:33)
Jesus was the "manna"
that came down from heaven that gives eternal life. Manna also symbolizes God's
daily provision for us. (John 6:48-51; Phil. 4:19)
Jesus was chosen of God as our
High Priest. Believers are a royal priesthood in Christ. Aaron's budding rod
also symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. (Heb. 7:22-28; I Pet. 2:9; Rom. 6:5; Acts
2:31,32) |
Mercy
Seat -- made of solid gold and set between
two cherubim
This is where the glory of God resided.
Once a year on the Day of
Atonement, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of atonement on the mercy seat. this
vindicated the Law for every Israelite. |
"Herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us,
and sent His Son to be the propitiation [mercy seat] for our sins."
(I John
4:10)
The mercy seat is a type of the
presence of God. (Ex. 25:22; Heb. 6:19; 4:16; Rev. 4)
The presence of
God dwells within the us. (Col. 1:27; I Cor. 3:16;6:17)
Jesus is the final and complete
propitiation for our sins. (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:11,12; 10:11,12)
|
|
Two Cherubim
-- represent first and
last Adam, the heavenly design
|
The restored first Adam
seated (on the Mercy Seat) with the Last Adam and His Father in His throne
(the Ark being a figure of the throne of God). |
A tabernacle is a temporary
dwelling place. God’s dwelling places on earth are always temporary. The
tabernacle in the wilderness lasted 400 years until Solomon built the temple. God found an
abode in Jesus during His life on earth. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. . ." (II Cor. 5:19). Jesus was ". . . Emmanuel . . . God with us" (Mat. 1:23). After Jesus made final atonement for
man’s sin, God made His abode in the hearts of believers. "Do you not know that you are the temple of
God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (I Cor. 3:16)
Each individual believer's body is likewise referred to as a
tabernacle because within our spirit dwells the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, meaning that
which is called out. Since the church
then is a community of people, the word "church" should never be applied to a
building. In the Sinai Covenant God lived 'among' His people;
in the New Covenant God dwells
IN His people. While our
bodies are temporary 'containers' on this earth, our spirits will live forever
joined to the Lord (I Cor. 6:17).
The early church did not have
the New Testament to read and learn how the Law, the prophets, and the Psalms foretold the
coming of Jesus and the New Covenant. Instead ". . . they searched the Scriptures [Old Testament] daily to find out
whether these things were so [concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ]" (Acts 17:11). Jesus Himself, "beginning at Moses and all the Prophets,
expounded to them in all the Scriptures [Old Testament] the things concerning
Himself" (Lk. 24:27). It is
vital to understand that the Tanakh was the only
Scripture that the early church had. The ancient scriptures reveal the plan of God through
the patterns in the tabernacle in the wilderness. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16).
LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD
"The idea of priesthood
connects itself with . . . the consciousness . . . of sin. Men sense they have broken the
law. The power above them is holier than they are, and they dare not approach it. They
crave for the intervention of one whom they can think of as likely to be more acceptable
than themselves." (The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, pp. 1029) The
priest, then, functions as man’s representative in things pertaining to God. Before
the Law, the father of the family or patriarch of the tribe fulfilled the office of the
priest.
According to Exodus 19:5-24,
the Israelites were to be God’s special treasure (peculiar people,
KJV),
a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. This, however, was never realized. When the
Israelites were brought before Jehovah at Sinai, they refused to endure the immediate
presence of God and begged Moses to act as their mediator. The Levitical priesthood was
instituted to maintain fellowship between the holy God and the sinful nation, to bring the
people’s gifts and sacrifices before God, and to convey God’s blessings to the
people. Aaron and his descendants were set aside for the priesthood. The role of 'high
priest' went first to Aaron and then to the first born surviving male of his and
succeeding generations. (Ex. 28:1; Numb. 17) The whole tribe of Levi was assigned to the
priests as their servants and assistants (Numb. 8:19).
FUNCTIONS OF THE HIGH PRIEST:
-
Presented the sin offering for
himself (Lev. 4:3-12) and the congregation (Lev. 4:13-21)
-
Offered the atoning sacrifice
and the burnt offering and entered the Holiest of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16)
-
Consulted the LORD through the
"Urim and the Thummon" (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8). The Urim and the Thummon
were material objects placed inside the pockets of the high priest’s
breastpiece.
Although no precise information is given about the Urim and the Thummon, the scriptures
imply that they formed the means through which the high priest was able to ascertain the
will of God in regard to important matters affecting the theocracy. (Numb. 27:21)
-
Supervised the rest of the
priests and the entire worship
-
Officiated every Sabbath, on
new moons, and on other festivals
-
At different times in history,
he was the supreme civil head of the people.
The other priests carried out
the daily duties of the tabernacle, such as: receiving and presenting the various
offerings of the people and officiating the worship in the Holy Place with regard to the
showbread, candles, and altar of incense. The only priest allowed into the Holiest of
Holies was the high priest on the Day of Atonement.
Everything about the
priesthood is highly symbolic, especially pertaining to the high priest. What they wore
and their daily duties were a pattern of things to come in the New Covenant. Chapters 7 - 10 of Hebrews show that the 'work' of
Jesus follows the Aaronic pattern. Jesus
is also a "priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" - referring to His
'person, appointment, and duration' (Heb. 7; 5:5-10), not to His work.
OFFERINGS:
There were two categories of
offerings:
1) Sacrifices for the purpose
of restoring broken fellowship with God
2) Sacrifices for the purpose
of maintaining fellowship with God
-
Burnt offering (Lev. 1)
-
Meal offering (Lev. 2)
-
Peace offering (Lev. 3)
RESTORING BROKEN FELLOWSHIP:
When a covenant is broken,
someone or something must die. An animal without blemish was permitted to die in place of
the person who broke the Law. The person would lay his hands on the animal, transferring
his sins onto it, and then the priest would kill it and pour the animal’s blood out
at the base of the brazen altar. (Some offerings required that the blood also be applied
on certain parts of the brazen altar and/or sprinkled on other tabernacle articles.) This
provision reveals once again that man can never achieve salvation by himself. Jesus Christ
completely satisfied the Law when he became our sacrifice by shedding His blood:
"For He made Him
[Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him." (II Cor. 5:21)
"For the Law, having
a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things can never with
these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach
perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once
purged, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a
reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
could take away sins. . . we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering
repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had
offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God." (Heb. 10:1-4, 10-12)
MAINTAINING FELLOWSHIP:
The burnt offerings, meal
offerings, and peace offerings are considered "sweet-smelling" offerings. While
each type of offering typifies a specific aspect of Jesus’ ministry, in general they
all foreshadow Jesus’ perfections and complete devotion to the Father.
All animal offerings had to
be without blemish. Once the animal was slaughtered and the blood properly sprinkled
and/or poured out, certain portions were burned on the brazen altar. Depending on the type
of offering, portions not burned were either given to the priests for food or shared with
both the priests and those offering the sacrifice. Because blood represents life that God had made, it was
greatly revered. It was the means of atonement, pointing to Jesus, the the Redeemer.
(Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:11-14, 22)
top
|
