26-30 Exodus

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

INTRODUCTION: What is the difference between the Ark of the Testimony and the Ark of the Covenant? o It is referred to as the Ark of the Testimony while they were at Sinai o It is referred to as the Ark of the Covenant when they left Sinai o Joshua when he enters the promised land refers to it as the Ark of the Testimony once again o Testimony speaks of a witness / Covenant speaks of a relational pledge

TODAY WE LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE o There were actually two tabernacles constructed o This first tabernacle is referred to as the Tabernacle of Moses or the Tabernacle in the Wilderness o The tabernacle was 45 x 15 ft and surrounded by a courtyard that was 150 x 75 ft with walls 7 ft. tall o The second tabernacle was constructed by King David at Mount Zion to house the ark of the Lord until Solomon built the temple o The word tabernacle means dwelling place o It was to be the dwelling place of God in the middle of the nation o But the tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place o Every part of the tabernacle was part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God’s relationship with His people o As a result, God was very specific in how they were to build the tabernacle

Exodus 25:8–9 (NKJV) 8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

The walls of the tabernacle were made out of four layers of curtains Exodus 26:1 (NKJV) 26 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them.

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

o The inner layer of curtains were made out of four colors of fine woven linen – white, blue, purple and scarlet o The term woven is an Egyptian one o Egypt was famous for their linen o The nation of Israel spent 400 years learning how to weave o The Bible tells us that this layer was made up of 10 curtains o 10 is the number for God’s Divine Order o This layer of curtains were never to touch the ground o Fine linen was a symbol for righteousness o White is symbolic of purity and holiness o Blue is symbolic of heaven and the law of God o Purple is symbolic of divine royalty and purification from sin o Scarlet is symbolic of the blood of redemption o There were “artistic designs of cherubim’s” woven into the curtains o This was to remind the priests that there were angels in their midst

The second layer of curtains were made out of goat hair Exodus 26:7 (NKJV) 7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains. o Middle Eastern goats were black in color – representing death, the wages of sin o 11 is the number for chaos – which is what sin brought into the world o This curtain would completely cover the curtain made of woven fine linen and hang over the entrance of the tabernacle

The third layer of curtains were made out of ram skins Exodus 26:14 (NKJV) 14 “You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that. o This was the first of two waterproof coverings o The ram skins were dyed red o Rams were used for sacrifice o Red representing the sacrificial blood of the Lamb

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

o NOTE: The further you move away from the holy of holies the less valuable the materials used are o LESSON: In the Presence of God there is beauty and purity (gold). o As you move into the world there is only judgment (bronze) and the need for continual cleansing

The outer layer of curtains were made with badger skins o No measurements are given for the Ram Skins or Badger Skins o The Hebrew word for badger could refer to a Dugong or Sea Cow o A Dugong is a large marine mammal that looks like a manatee and when it’s skin was dried it was grey in color o This was the least attractive layer of covering o You can’t help but imagine what a foreigner passing by must have thought to see this ugly tent as the focal point for the worship of God o To the world, the tabernacle looked ugly and unappealing o But to the ones who went inside the tabernacle, it was beautiful

The structure of the tabernacle was to be made out of acacia wood o The framework wasn’t made out of planks of wood, but they were framed so that you could see the linen curtains through the frames o The boards were overlayed with gold – symbolic of the glory of God o The entrance was supported by five pillars (five is the number of grace) overlaid with gold and set in bronze bases o The Tabernacle was divided into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies

A veil divided the Holy of Holies Exodus 26:31–33 (NKJV) 31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 32 You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy. o In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Testimony o The Mercy Seat rested on top of the Ark of the Testimony o In the Holy Place was the table for the shewbread and the lampstand

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

o There was also a Golden Altar of Incense that sat in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies o The gold plated frames that held up the walls reflected the light from the lampstand o Through the gold plated walls you could see the red, blue, white and purple linen with cherubim woven into the design o Everything in the tabernacle was symbolic of man’s relationship to God

Something to take note of is the door to the Tabernacle Exodus 26:36 (NKJV) 36 “You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. o As you enter the gates of the courtyard with thanksgiving, through the door of the Holy Place and past the veil into the Holy of Holies – the door was the same… same design, same colors

John 10:9 (NKJV) 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. o It is through Jesus that we come into the Holy of Holies o Just inside the gate of the courtyard was the Altar of Burnt Offering

The Altar of Burnt Offering Exodus 27:1–2 (NKJV) 27 “You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide—the altar shall be square—and its height shall be three cubits. 2 You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. o This was the place where sacrifices were made – where blood was shed o This speaks of the cross o The altar had four horns that were used to tie the sacrifices to the altar o Jesus was tied to the altar of the Cross – not by the spikes that pierced his hands and feet, but by the bands of His love for you and me

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

Jesus could have saved Himself from death on the cross… BUT John 3:16 (NKJV) 16 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. o People often say – it was your sin that nailed Jesus to the cross o No, it was His love that held Him there o By dying in our place – paying the debt for our sin – we can have eternal life with Jesus

The Court of the Tabernacle Exodus 27:9 (NKJV) 9 “You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side. o There was only one entrance into the courtyard o Symbolizing Jesus as the Only Way to the Father o The construction of the courtyard is the third section of the Tabernacle o There was The Courtyard, The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies o Just as the tabernacle is comprised of three sections, it can be said there are three stages in our life in Christ

There are those who are inside the courtyard o They are in Christ, part of the kingdom of God, going to heaven o They realize that Jesus is the Lamb of God that was slain for their sins o They’ve received salvation and embrace His grace

But there are others who say – God has been so good to me that I want to serve Him o They go into the Holy Place and serve the showbread – which speaks of the Word of God o They teach Sunday school, lead family devotions, share the Word with someone at work o They see the golden lampstand representing their desire to let Jesus shine through them o They help out in the nursery, visit shut ins, help those in need

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o They smell the incense burning – which speaks of intercession so they pray for the lost, they pray for the sick, bring comfort to the hurting

But there are still others who enter into the Holy of Holies in order to simply spend time in the Lord’s Presence o There is no higher calling than to spend time with Jesus o All ministry flows out of this place of intimacy with Jesus

Within the Tabernacle, the only source of light was the Lampstand Exodus 27:20 (NKJV) 20 “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. o This was a law that was to never end, the light was to continue for future generations o The Light represents Jesus, the eternal light of the world o Every generation has the responsibility to pass on the light of Christ to the next generation

We see this priority for the generations in the establishment of priests Exodus 28:1–2 (NKJV) Garments for the Priesthood 28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

There are two priorities in ministry o The first priority of ministry is to minister to the Lord, not to be a minister for the Lord o The second priority of ministry is to teach our children to minister to the Lord, not to be a minister for the Lord o What’s the difference? FOCUS. o One focuses on the Lord and what He’s done for me o The other focuses on me and what I can do for Him o We need to teach our kids to focus on the Lord and what He’s done for them, not what they can do for Him

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

The High Priest Garments were to be both dignified and beautiful Exodus 28:4 (NKJV) 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest. o There is so much symbolism in the priestly garments – beginning with the garments being holy, as we have been clothed with holiness o The priests wore 8 holy garments when ministering in the Tabernacle o 4 were worn by all priests and 4 were unique to the Kohen Gadol or High Priest o The garments common to all priests were Priestly undergarments, a tunic, a sash and a turban o The garments unique to the High Priest were the Priestly robe, the Ephod, the Priestly breastplate and the Umin and Thummim

The Ephod was an apron which extended to the knees o In the O.T., the ephod spoke of authority o The authority didn’t reside in the priest, but in their priestly function o The Ephod illustrates the authority of the priesthood of all believers o The authority is bestowed upon the believer by God as part of the priestly function o People wrongly say – I have the gift of healing… I have the gift of prophecy… I have the gift of teaching o According to the Bible – the gifts reside in the Giver… Jesus… and are bestowed upon the believer as an ambassador of Christ o It is part of the priestly function we’ve been given as ministers of God

The Breastplate of the OT is called the Breastplate of judgment Exodus 28:15 (NKJV) 15 “You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. o The breastplate was made up of 12 stones representing the 12 tribes

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

o When the High Priest went into the Presence of God wearing the Breastplate the needs of the people were always before them o It was a picture of Jesus interceding for us o Built into the breastplate were the Urim and the Thummin o According to the Talmud, Urim means “those words which give light” o Thummin means “those whose words are fulfilled” o The Urim and Thummin helped people determine the will of God o This is why the breastplate was called the breastplate of judgment o It is believed that the God would cause the Urim and Thummin to light up in various patterns to reveal His decision o Others say they were engraved with symbols identifying Y / N or T / F o After the death of King David, no instance is mentioned in the OT of consulting the Lord by means of the Urim and Thummim or the Ephod o Josephus states that “this oracle had been silent for 200 years before his time.”

This is what Amos prophesied… Amos 8:11 (NKJV) 11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. o God would end this famine by sending the Living Word – Jesus – whose word gives light and whose words are fulfilled

The High Priests would minister barefoot when serving in the Temple o The Talmud teaches that neither the kohanim nor the Kohen Gadol were fit to minister unless they wore their priestly vestments: o "While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them" (B.Zevachim 17:B). o It is further taught that just as the sacrifices facilitate an atonement for sin, so do the priestly garments (B.Zevachim 88b)

Exodus 28:33–36 (NKJV)

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die. 36 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. o The Priests were set apart only for God o To remind them they wore a pure gold plate - Holiness To The Lord o But, in the event that the High Priest had not properly prepared himself, the Robe of the High Priest had bells attatched to the hem o If the bells stopped ringing, the priest was dead – the wages of sin o Keep in mind, the priesthood was developed because the people didn’t want to have a face to face relationship with God

Exodus 20:19 (NKJV) 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” o The people wanted a mediator between them and God o The same way that God gives them a King, God gives them a mediator o The High Priest becomes the mediator between God and man – a picture of Jesus who would make intercession for the people o This is represented by the altar of Incense

Exodus 30:7–8 (NKJV) 7 “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. o Morning and Evening – symbolizing the entire day o Our life is to be characterized by prayer… a perpetual incense throughout all generations

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

Exodus 30:11–12 (NKJV) 11 12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

The ransom offering was mandatory – to be collected whenever a census was taken o In 1 Chronicles 21:1, we read that it was Satan who tempted David to number the people of Israel—something which God here forbids—in order to see how strong the nation was militarily. o The result? Just as verse 12 warns of the plague that would be the result of numbering the people, 70,000 died of the plague that followed o Numbering the people was not to be done for reasons of pride, but for service and ministry. o The way this was to be done was by collecting half a shekel from every person twenty years of age and older. o In this way, it was the money rather than the people that was counted.

Exodus 30:17–20 (NKJV) 17 18 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die. o The first thing the priests would see was the Bronze Altar o The second thing they would see was the Bronze Laver o The water would provide restoration, refreshment, renewal and revival o The priests were only to wash their hands and feet because that is the only part of their body that was defiled by world

Exodus 30:22–25 (NKJV)

______VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS

22 23 Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet- smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil. o Here we see the receipe for the anointing oil – a powerfully fragrant oil o This anointing oil was not to be used sparingly, but it was to be placed on the tabernacle, the furniture and the priests themselves o Everything was to be anointed – a picture of Christ in us – that we are to radiate the fragrance of Jesus o No flesh was to be anointed – the flesh being a picture of sin, the anointing oil was to have not contact with anything that symbolized sin o The anointing could not be imitated – There is no imitation for Jesus, the Anointed One. There is no one like Him

Exodus 30:34–35 (NKJV) The Incense 34 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.

In addition to the anointing oil, Moses was to make Incense o The spices were sweet smelling, but all of them had to be imported o If there is to be any sweetness in you or me, it must be imported from a far away country o We allow the work of the Spirit to release the fragrance of heaven in our lives o Again, there is no imitation for this incense, just as there is no imitation for the work of the Spirit in our lives

HOMEWORK: EXODUS 31-35 (READ 31:1-5)