272. THE TABERNACLE € GOD'S MEETING PLACE WITH ISRAEL

"Let them make me a sanctuary"

 

Israel had been called out of Egypt, baptised in the Red Sea and gathered together as a body of believers. They were to be educated so that their lives might reflect the character of Yahweh. In this way they might attain salvation. The Tabernacle and the worship associated with it were intended to provide this education.

 

The aim of this lesson is to show how the details of the Tabernacle in its position, its court and its Holy Place point forward to Christ. The Most Holy Place will be considered in the next lesson.

 

 

 

Exodus 25:1-22 and Exodus 40

 

THE CENTRE OF THE LAW.

The Law of Moses was Israel's God-given code for life and worship. Their formal worship of God was centred at the Tabernacle.

When Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the Law, he was shown a "pattern" of the Tabernacle. He was told that he must make the items of its furniture according to the "pattern which was shewed him in the Mount" (Ex. 25:9, 40; 26:30; 27:8; Num. 8:4, etc.). This shows that whilst God desires us to worship Him, we cannot do as we please. The ex plicit instructions given to Moses show that God expected everything to be carried out in the way He laid down.

Israel was expected to worship Yahweh at all times and in all places. But the Tabernacle was designed as the place where Israel might come before Yahweh and commune with Him (Ex. 25:22): "Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (25:8). "Sanctuary" means "separate place" and as we shall see, the Tabernacle where God dwelt was kept separate from Israel. In the same way, we need to keep our hearts as a "separate place" or "sanctuary" wherein God might dwell. We do this when we are conscious of His continuing presence, and by obeying His laws (cf. Isa. 66:1).

 

THE POSITION AND SIZE OF THE TABERNACLE (Ex. 27:9-19).

The Tabernacle was placed in the midst of the camp of Israel (Num. 2:17), but was separated from Israel by a wall of white linen supported by brazen uprights. Taking a cubit as 46 cm long, the Tabernacle was in the midst of a rectangular, curtained enclosure 46 metres long by 23 metres wide (v.18).

The Tabernacle itself, a tent like structure, was 13.8 metres long, 4.6 metres wide and 4.6 metres high. It was divided into two compart ments € the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The latter was a perfect cube; 4.6 metres high, long and wide.

 

PARABLE OF THE POSITION OF THE TABERNACLE.

The camp of Israel was arranged in a square about the Tabernacle. On the east side were Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; on the south were Reuben, Simeon and Gad; on the west, Ephraim, Manasseh and Ben jamin; on the north, Dan, Asher and Naphtali (Num. 2). Inside this square was a further square, made up of the tents of the Levites, for the Tribe of Levi itself was also divided into four divisions (Num. 3). The Tabernacle was placed at the very centre of the square made up of Levites. From the house of Aaron, the officiating priests of the Taber nacle were taken.

Israel's encampment about the Tabernacle was a symbol of what God desired of every true Israelite; their devotion and service were to be directed to Him. But they were also cut off from direct contact with the Tabernacle by the presence of the Levites and the Priests. God was thus showing His people that He was holy or separate, and even though they had been selected above all other nations, they must not presume to be too familiar with the Holy One they worshipped. As God later pointed out when certain of the sons of Aaron disgraced their honoured calling, "I will be sanctified in them that draw near to me" (Lev. 10:3). Contact was possible, but only through His appointed priests and in the way in which He had laid down. God must be honoured in all things.

The tents of Israel were black; but the curtain surrounding the Court of the Tabernacle was white € this was a deliberate contrast intended to teach a lesson. "White" is the symbol of righteousness (Rev. 19:8), even as "black" speaks of the darkness of sin (Eph. 5:8, 11). Those who come to God must leave the spiritual darkness of the world and turn to the light of God's Truth that they might be clothed with the garments of righteousness, pure and white (Rev. 3:4; 1 Jn. 2:10-11).

The Tabernacle faced east, the direction of the rising sun. In this way also it directed attention to the coming Son of God, the Sun of righteousness who will arise with healing in his beams (Mal. 4:1-2) Jesus is the "Light of the world" (Jn. 8:12). Without him there would not be hope for the future, nor a way out of the dilemmas facing mankind.

 

THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE.

(a) The Court

At the centre of the linen curtain facing the east there was a door in the form of a curtain of fine linen embroidered with blue, purple and scarlet so arranged that it could be pulled aside (Ex. 27:16, 17). The Tabernacle was constructed in such a way that it pointed forward to Christ. The door represented Jesus Christ who said, "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (Jn. 10:9).

The colours also foreshadowed him. Blue speaks of God and of Israel's heavenly calling (Num. 15:38); scarlet or red refers to man and is the colour of sin which arises from the lust of the flesh (Isa. 1:18). Jesus came in the same nature as all men, the same flesh and blood as those he came to save (Heb. 2:14-17). This was one of the essential requirements for him to be a suitable sacrifice for the sins of the world. Thus blue and scarlet both have reference to Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man respectively. Purple is a mixture of blue and red (scarlet) and refers to the way in which God and Man can be brought into harmony, i.e. it symbolises redemption, mediation, priestly intercession.

 

(b)    The Brazen Altar

The Tabernacle itself was placed at the far end of the court. The first ob ject that could be seen from the entrance was a large square altar made of wood, and overlaid with brass. It rested on four short feet of brass. The four corners of the altar projected upwards, so as to resemble horns, and to these the animals were bound. On the south side was an ascent to the altar made of earth heaped up (Ex. 20:26; Lev. 9:22). By its side were various vessels for use in the sacrifice.

The fact that the altar was placed first, showed Israel that God desired sacrifice (Ex. 27:1-8). Christ is our altar, if we are baptised into his name (Heb. 13:10). Then we can present our sacrifices to the Father through him, as Israel did through the altar He provided. God kindled the fire on that altar, and the priests were commanded to keep it burning continually (Lev. 9:24; 6:12-13). The sacrifices presented on that altar would thus be wholly consumed by the fire of God. They pointed forward to the offer ings we can make through Jesus Christ our altar (Heb. 12:29; Rom. 12:1).

 

(c)    The Laver

But before the brasen altar offerings could be made, the Laver had first to be approached for cleansing (Ex. 30:20; Psa. 26:6). The Laver was placed between the altar and the Tabernacle proper (Ex. 30:17-21). It was a huge brazen bowl, at which the priests washed their hands and feet. At baptism our sins are "washed" away (1 Cor. 6:11), and as we are guided daily by the Word of God, we are represented by Paul as being cleansed by the "laver" of water by the Word (Eph. 5:26; Ps. 119:9; Jn. 15:3). The way we walk (i.e. with our feet), and what we do (i.e. with our hands), are purified by the knowledge of God's will revealed in His Word. It is like a laver in cleansing us from the evil and defiling in fluences of the world, and of the flesh.

 

(d) The Tabernacle Building

The Tabernacle came last (Ex. 26:1-20, 36, 37). It had no windows, so that inside it was completely dark except for the light of the lampstand. The priest entering the Holy Place had to turn his back on the natural light of the sun, just as we have to turn our back on the wisdom of this world in order to accept Christ. The priest entered the Tabernacle through a curtain which was made of the same materials as the door of the court.

 

INSIDE THE TABERNACLE.

(a)     The Lampstand

Immediately inside on the left of the Holy Place was a seven-branched lampstand (Ex. 25:31-40). It was fed by oil which all Israel was to supply (Lev. 24:2). It had to be filled morning and evening. It pointed forward to the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God" which "shone in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6), which must also be reflected in our lives. This is only possible by the study of the Bible € in which is found the oil. As all Israel had to help in gathering olives and in beating them small to obtain the oil, so it is our personal duty and responsibility to study the Bible (Ex. 27:20-21).

Note the difference between the things of the Court of the Tabernacle and those of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place. Whereas the former were made of brass, the latter were made of gold. Gold speaks of that which is enduring and precious (Heb. 10:34). It was thus a fit symbol of God and the incorruptible state. Gold also is spoken of as "tried faith", in so far as a faith which has "endured unto the end" is precious and will lead to eternal life (1 Pet. 1:7; Rev. 3:18). Brass in the Outer Court represents Israel or Man, and corresponds to scarlet in the colour scheme (see chart). Significantly the brasen looking glasses of the women (representative of the vanity of human life) were melted down to make the laver (Ex. 38:8); while the brasen censers of sinners were used to make a covering for the altar (Num. 16:38). Thus brass stands for man, or "Sin's flesh."

As the Lampstand gave forth its light amidst the complete darkness of the Holy Place, so must we in the world about us (Phil. 2:15).

 

(b)     The Table of Shewbread

On the right hand side was the Table of Shewbread (Ex. 25:23-30). This was a wooden table overlaid with gold, upon which were placed 12 unleavened loaves which were changed each week. The bread was called the "shewbread", or bread of the presence, i.e. of God, indicating that in the Holy Place was divine fellowship. The twelve loaves represented the fruit of the labours of the twelve tribes of Israel dedicated before God.

Frankincense was placed upon them showing that the labours must be prayerfully offered in order to be acceptable to God. The loaves were eaten by the priests, who represented God. In eating the loaves, God's ac ceptance of Israel's labours was indicated (Lev. 24:5-9).

 

(c) The Golden Altar

The Holy Place was divided from the Most Holy by another curtain (Ex. 26:31-33), likewise embroidered blue, purple and scarlet and made with fine-twined linen. Close to this curtain but within the Holy Place, was the Golden Altar (Ex. 30:1-10). Each morning and evening the priests were required to burn incense upon this altar of gold. The sweet smell of in cense is likened to prayer ascending to God (Psa. 141:2). The incense (taken from upon the loaves on the Table of Shewbread) was burned with fire taken from the altar of sacrifice. This taught that there was a connec tion between PRAYER, FAITH and SACRIFICE. Prayer can only be accepted when it is offered in faith, and it must be offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Faith comes by HEARING the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), and when we accept Jesus Christ by baptism, we com mence DOING the will of God.

 

LESSONS FOR US:

• The Tabernacle teaches us that we must be careful to worship God in the way He has laid down, in "sincerity and truth".
• The furniture of the court and the Tabernacle teaches us that in order to approach God acceptably we must:

 

• enter at the door (Christ)
• walk with clean hands and feet (the laver € the washing of the Word)
• sacrifice at the altar of sacrifice (baptism, in which we are crucified with Christ)
• replenish our lamp (constantly study God's truth)
• attend to the shewbread, placing before God the fruits of our labours (bread), prayerfully carried out (frankincense)
• burn incense morning and evening (constantly be engaged and strengthened by prayer).

 

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"Law and Grace" (W. F. Barling) € Pages 58-63

"The Visible Hand of God" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 17

"The Law of Moses" (R. Roberts) € Chapters 14-16

"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 1, Pages 335-362

"The Tabernacle" (C.S.S.S.)

 

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. Explain the significance of any two of the following: a) the Brazen Altar;

1. the Table of Shewbread;
2. the Lampstand.

2.     Explain the significance of any one of the following:

1. the Laver;
2. the Golden Incense Altar.

3.     Contrast the outer court of the Tabernacle with the Holy Place by ex plaining the significant differences.

 

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. Without dealing with the items of furniture of the Tabernacle, explain generally why God placed the Tabernacle in the midst of Israel
2. What do the items of the Outer Court of the Tabernacle teach about Christ?
3. Explain the significance of the furniture in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. How does it point forward to Christ?
4. What is the significance of the three metals and three colours used in the construction of the Tabernacle?

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE METALS AND COLOURS

 

	God	Redemption	Man
Metals (Exod. 25:3)	Gold	Silver	Brass
Colours (Exod. 25:4)	Blue	Purple	Red

 

There are three colours and three metals representing God, Man and the way in which man might be reconciled to God. The order in which these colours and metals are mentioned is highly significant (Exod. 25:3-4). Blue and Gold are mentioned first, and both represent God. Red and Brass are mentioned last, and both represent Man. Purple and Silver are "in bet ween", and both represent the way in which man might be reconciled to God. This order and teaching is in fact stated when God declares the pur pose of the tabernacle to be: "that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8).

In the previous chapter, mention is made of red blood, which stands for the life of man (24:6-8); and also of sapphire stones which were blue and were seen under the feet of the "God of Israel" (24:10). In this way the significance of these two colours is impressed upon us in the immediate context.