Lessons from the Tabernacle of the Wilderness Pt. 9 by Chris White

“And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square and its height shall be three cubits.” Ex. 27:1

“..I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no man comes to the Father but through me.”

                                                                                                                        Jn. 14:6

Last time we looked at the brazen altar of the tabernacle and how it points us to the cross of Jesus as the beginning and very foundation of the Christian life.  Another important aspect of this altar was its placement and accessibility.  God was very purposeful in his design of the tabernacle.  There was a fabric and post fence all around the Tabernacle complex that was high enough you couldn’t look over the top.  But more importantly there was only one entrance.  This meant that both the priests and the people had to come in the same way and the first thing they saw was the altar.  According to Jesus, He is the only way, truth, and life.  There is no other path to God and no other means of approaching God than through the sacrifice of Christ.  For New Testament believers the cross is our altar and should be “front and center” in our thinking.  Much confusion in the hearts of Christians about their lives would be dispelled if the cross and its purpose were considered more regularly.  Another point worth making is that the altar was placed closest to the outside world.  This speaks of accessibility.  Jesus’ sacrifice is accessible to all people no matter their race or station in life.  Although it is profound, the Gospel is a simple message for a purpose.  God wants salvation easily accessible to all who know they are lost and want to be saved.  Next Time: The Laver

Lessons from the Tabernacle of the Wilderness Pt. 8 by Chris White

“And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square and its height shall be three cubits.” Ex. 27:1

“..and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  Eph. 5:2

We have now moved from inside the tabernacle to its outer court and its furnishings.  While all parts of the tabernacle teach us about Christ, they also tell us about the phases of Christ’s ministry and perhaps even something about our own spiritual chronology.  The outside court around the tabernacle focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.  There the brazen altar of sacrifice, and the laver or washbasin are reminders of the front and center accomplishments of the first advent.  Atoning sacrifice and the removal of sin’s defilement were front and center during Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Inside the tent the furnishings remind us of Christ’s ministry after His ascension-that of intercession, guidance, and provision of the Spirit to His Church.  Finally, in the Holy of Holies is pictured the second advent of Christ where earth, heaven, God, and redeemed humanity will all be fully reconnected and in a state of glorification as God is now.  These differing areas also remind us of a spiritual chronology all believers share.  Our entrance is always at the altar of Christ’s sacrifice and by his teaching we are washed clean.  But as we continue in Christ we have fellowship with Him by the Spirit and grow in prayer and His illuminations of our heart.  And finally, we too go through the veil following the steps of Jesus where we enter the blessings of the heavenly realm and the fullness the fullness of God.  Though there are many phases, there is but one life and it all begins at the foot of the Cross.  Next time: The Brazen Altar Pt. 2

Lessons from the Tabernacle of the Wilderness Pt. 1 by Chris White

 “And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.  According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.”

                                                                  Ex. 25:8-9

I would like to begin this series on the Tabernacle of Israel with a question: why would learning about the tabernacle make me a better Christian?  In a general way, the tabernacle illustrates the fullness of our relationship with Jesus.  The tabernacle teaches us how God has approached man and how man is to approach God.  In the coming weeks this divine portrait of Christ will become more vivid as we take a closer look at its many furnishings.  We read in Exodus 25 that the tabernacle was a temporary sanctuary that was the center of Israel’s worship until Solomon built a permanent temple in Jerusalem 647 years later.   The tabernacle in the wilderness was most importantly not something Moses or the people initiated, but something God initiated.  Moses received the work order, the specific design, even the names of the building supervisors (Ex. 31) directly from God.  Moreover, the resources to fulfill this work had been provided by Him through the Egyptians as gifts to the Jews as they left following the final plague.  This tabernacle when finished was to be in the center of Israel’s massive encampment and would travel with them.  As this pertains to Jesus Christ let me point out three important things: first, Mt.1:23 tells us that Jesus will be called Immanuel or “God with us”.  God came to where is people were living and dwelt in the middle of them.  Second, the Israelites were tent dwellers and so God lived among them in the same fashion.  This points to Jesus’ incarnation, that He would dwell among us and live as we live, that He would redeem our existence.  Third, like the Tabernacle, Jesus is God’s provision and exclusive means of reconciling man to Himself (see 1 Tim. 2:5).  Our salvation begins and ends with God.  We cooperate with Him to be sure, but ultimately it is through His instrumentality that anyone is saved.  Next time: The Ark of the Covenant.