The Tabernacle of Moses
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TThhee TTaabbeerrnnaaccllee ooff MMoosseess Lesson 2 -- The Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat PPPrrreeepppaaarrreeeddd BBByyy::: PPPhhhiiilllliiippp HHHaaarrrrrreeellllsssooonnn Lesson 2 -- The Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat The Tabernacle of Moses Exodus 25:10-22 KJV And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. [11] And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. [12] And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. [13] And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. [14] And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. [15] The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. [16] And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. [17] And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. [18] And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. [20] And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. [21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. [22] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. I. THE PROGRESSIVE ORDER OF THE TABERNACLE The Tabernacle has a progressive order to it which very much follows in the same plan that God had for creation and even for His plan for the true apostolic Church. Our relationship with God must always be progressive in its nature particularly that of spiritual maturity. This is a New Testament pattern which indicates that the Church and the saints are not a static body but rather one that is moving forward, dynamic, living, and powerful. It is the will of God for every saint to have spiritual growth and maturity taking place in their lives. Both apostles, Paul and Peter, clearly stipulated this in their epistles to the saints. Ephesians 1:15-19 KJV Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, [16] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; [17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Ephesians 3:1-5 KJV For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, [2] If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: [3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 KJV But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of 2 Philip Harrelson Barnabas Notes [email protected] www.barnabas14blog.blogspot.com Lesson 2 -- The Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat The Tabernacle of Moses God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Peter 1:3-12 KJV According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. [12] Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Ephesians 4:13-15 KJV Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: [14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; [15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Having noted through these passages the importance of our growth through a progressive aspect of the Spirit, one can see the progress of the Tabernacle’s order. This is also very meaningful as God, through His Word, indicates that the Ark of the Covenant has the highest priority of all. Also playing a prominent role in the sense of atonement and worship were the contents of the Ark; the pot of manna, the tables of Law, and Aaron’s rod that budded. The Ark is the first piece of sacred furniture mentioned in Exodus 25, but it is actually the last thing that the priest would encounter in the Tabernacle but God determined that it would be the first thing that was built. Generally speaking, this is the pattern that comes to our lives in spiritual growth. One may see the highest rung on the ladder, so to speak, but the fact remains that there may be a number of tests and trials to go through to encounter it. The layout of the Tabernacle is as follows: • The Brazen Altar —Sin was judged and put away by the blood. • The Brazen Laver —Purification was effected with the work of the water. • The Holy Place —Provision for prayer, food, and illumination. • The Holy of Holies —Housed the glory of God. Even the order of the holy vessels proved to have an escalating value. • Outer Court —Wood and Brass. • Holy Place —Wood and Gold. 3 Philip Harrelson Barnabas Notes [email protected] www.barnabas14blog.blogspot.com Lesson 2 -- The Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat The Tabernacle of Moses • Holy of Holies —Wood and Gold. The same precedence was true with the hangings. They grew richer in design as one progressed with the inner veil being the most costly and elaborate. The lighting also has the same pattern of progressive order. • Outer Court —Natural Light. • Holy Place —Light came from the golden candlesticks. • Holy of Holies —The light radiated from the shekinah, which is the glory of God. The summation could rest in this; from the outer court to the Holy of Holies we have the path from sin to purification .