Tabernacle Truths
A Dwelling Place for God
Hebrews 8:1-5
If we were somehow able to take a bird's eye view of the ancient Middle East at the time of Moses, we would see a remarkable sight. Spreading across the desert sand tents everywhere, just as far as you can see. Upon closer inspection, we would discover that these are the tents of the children of Israel. They have recently come out of the land of Egypt. God miraculously brought them out of captivity, opened up a passage of dry land through the Red Sea, and delivered them safely to the other side.
They are on their way to the Promised Land. At least a million or more of the children of Israel are in those tents down below. As we look at those tents, we notice that they are arranged in a certain formation.
In fact, they seem to be circled around a very unusual building. It's 45' long, 15' wide, 15' high, and it's covered with a dull, drab outer covering. If we could peel back the outer covering, we would see there are several other coverings under there.
There are three basic parts to this remarkable sight in the wilderness. There is what is known as an outer court. It is bordered with a linen fence held upright by brass posts with silver tops.
Inside the fence, in this outer court there is an altar and a washbasin, and other utensils. Inside the building itself there were two compartments. The first compartment is identified in the Bible as the Holy Place. Inside the Holy Place, there are three articles of furniture, a table holding bread, a lampstand, and an altar where incense is burned.
The inmost room of this building is known as the Holy of Holies. It is a perfect cube of 15 feet. There are two articles of furniture in it, a golden box known as the ark of the covenant and a lid on top of the box known as the mercy seat.
This remarkable building is known as the Tabernacle. This Tabernacle and everything about it is God's picture book to tell us about Christ and salvation, and it is a very interesting study.
One of the most intriguing details concerning the tabernacle is found in
Exodus 25:8
Apparently God wanted these traveling Israelites to know that He was with them, and this tabernacle would be a visual reminder that He was among them.
Lay that alongside the information given to Joseph by the angel regarding the birth of Jesus. the angel reassures him by telling him that what is going to happen is a fulfillment of a prophecy given by Isaiah.
In that message, the angel quotes Isaiah 7:14. Of particular interest, the angel says, "The virgin shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel."
Then the angel translates the name. Immanuel means "God with us". We tend to think of "God being with us as a New Testament term that began with Jesus, but the idea of being near to God or close to God is an ancient desire that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
This God called Immanuel was the God with Whom Adam and Eve had a close, personal relationship. In fact, I would suggest that it has always been in the heart of God to be near to His people. That's exactly what we see in Exodus 25.
In fact, if you want to ponder the significance of the tabernacle, think about this:
In the first couple of chapters in Genesis, we read about God’s creation. And right in the middle of that account, the Bible tells us about God creating the billions upon billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. And the Bible does in only five words found in Genesis 1:16, which simply states, "... he made the stars also." That’s all it says.
But a study of the Tabernacle includes, not just a few verses or a chapter or two, but 50 chapters in the Bible are devoted to it. Sixteen of them are in Exodus alone. Why? Why would God give 5 words to the stars and 50 chapters to the Tabernacle?
It is because God is much more interested in redemption than creation. The saving of one soul is much more important than the shaping of all the stars.
God wants us to know just how much he wants to be with us! The story of redemption is all about God's love and call to sinful man. And from an Old Testament perspective, that's what the Tabernacle is all about.
This is what makes Christianity different than any other belief system on earth. All other religions are about man looking for God, but God is actually looking for man for the purpose of saving him and dwelling with him!
Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden. And God walked with them. But then sin came and that fellowship was broken. But that didn't mean God didn't want to be with us!
And the Tabernacle is a beautiful reminder of that.
Notice what we read in
Exodus 40:1
Notice, the instruction said, "On New Year's Day, set up the tent."
If you read through the rest of the chapter, you will find that Moses did exactly that. Item by item, He precisely follows the instructions he had been given for all that would be involved in this tabernacle in the wilderness.
In fact, many of those 50 chapters regarding the tabernacle are leading up to Exodus 40 and they include the most minute of details as to how this tabernacle was to be constructed and appointed and arranged.
Over the next few weeks, we'll walk though some of that instruction seeking to discover the spiritual truths that are contained there.
Today, I want to focus on the tabernacle in particular. It was a temporary, mobile structure, used by Israel for over 500 years as a meeting place. To look at it, you wouldn't even think it was very important.
But it was where the ancient Israelites met God! It was there they were reminded of God's promises and provisions. It was there that their sins were forgiven. It was a constant and visual reminder that God dwelt among them.
Later on it would be replaced by the permanent structure known as the Temple, far more elaborate, solid, not portable, but still based on the same basic parameters.
In fact, the design of the tabernacle looks both backward and forward. Looking backward, it takes us to the Garden of Eden.
Think about that: The purpose of the tabernacle was to serve as a meeting place between God and mankind. That is exactly what happened in the Garden where God came down and walked and spoke with man.
As we'll see, the tabernacle was segmented and partitioned. It had inner and outer courts, gardens, and holy places that required special permission and purification ceremonies to enter.
In the Wilderness Tabernacle, there was the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Specific regulations limited who was allowed in each area.
In Eden, we can see a similar threefold division: the world, Eden, and the Garden of Eden. In fact, the Garden is a beautiful precursor of the tabernacle’s Most Holy Place, which was where God’s presence dwelled.
History tells us that in the pagan temples of the Ancient Near East we find idols, typically made of wood or stone, that bore the image of the deity that was worshipped there. In the Garden of Eden, we find an image-bearer of God also. It is not a statue of stone or wood, but a man and woman made from dust. They are created in God’s image and placed in the Garden.
Walk through the temple and you will find pcitures and types and images that point us to the God who dwells there, and His Son Who would one day come to flesh out those images.
After the fall, God places guardian cherubim at the entrance to keep mankind away from the Garden and from the Tree of Life. In the tabernacle, there is a dividing curtain between the two rooms. In fact, on that curtain there are several cherubim, serving as a warning and protector for the Most Holy Place.
Inside the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle is a lamp stand. This lamp stand, made of gold and consisting of branches and blossoms, is very likely referring to the Tree of Life, which mankind had access to in the Garden.
Looking forward, that tabernacle takes us to the finished work of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of all that we see and experience in the tabernacle.
And it reminds us that we are now the dwelling place of God.
In fact, just as in the beginning we have the world, Eden and the Garden, and just as in the temple we have the courtyard, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, scripture says of us that we are body, soul and spirit, a triune being that serves as God's dwelling place.
Today, I want to direct your attention to the 25th chapter of Exodus, and from the first nine verses I want to give you an overview of this Tabernacle.
One other thing before we look at the tabernacle: When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, he received the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone. In addition to that he also received the blueprints for this Tabernacle.
So on the one hand, we have the law of God, and on the other, we have the Tabernacle. What we learn from the tabernacle is what the law could not do, God has done for us in the spiritual realities that are found in this Tabernacle.
That means, first of all, this Tabernacle is –
1. A Special Building
When you read everything that the Bible has to say about this building you will discover that it is a structural miracle. It took about 7-8 months to construct this building. About 8,500 people transported this building because it was portable. It could be constructed and then disassembled and carried along.
There was a cloud hovering over this building. The glory cloud—we'll be talking that more at a later time. When that glory cloud stopped in the wilderness, they were to take all of this building that was portable and they were to construct it in the
wilderness. They stayed there and used the building until the glory cloud began to move again.
When the glory cloud began to move again, then these 8,500 people would disassemble it and carry it until the cloud stopped. When it stopped, they stopped.
Now, as best we can determine, it never needed any repairs. Never were there any additions made to it. It was never remodeled or redesigned. When it was built, it was built according to God's plan, and it functioned exactly as it was intended to be.
In chapter 25, verses 1-7, we are told about the materials that are used in the construction of this building.
verses 1-7
Now from these verses, we learn some interesting things about giving. Early in the Old Testament, God lays down some spiritual foundations about the matter of giving that apply and carry all the way through the teachings of God's Word. It shows us how God intends for His work to be financed. The Lord says the people are to bring me an offering.
We offer our offerings unto the Lord. We give our tithes and our offerings to our local church, but we do it as unto the Lord. It is the Lord's tithe. It is the Lord's offering.
Notice that all the people were involved. "Everyone was to give". Again, that is a principle that is taught all the way through Scripture.
First Corinthians 16:1-2 says, "now concerning the collection. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prospered him."
Giving is something that is to be done by all of God's people. Do you believe that all God's people ought to give? Do you really believe it's right for folks to come in here and sit on these pews and never contribute to the work of the church in any way? Is that really right before the Lord?
That's the first principle. All of God's people are to bring the offering unto the Lord.
Then he says they are to give it "willingly from the heart."
Second Corinthians 9:7 says, "every man as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, but let him give cheerfully for God loves a cheerful giver."
The word there is very interesting. It means hilarious giver. I'd like to see the day come when God's people give and get so happy about it that they get hilarious. The offering is the saddest part of the service in many places. We have to provide music to try to take the misery out of it for people, and kind of distract them away from what's happening! In fact, in the old song, "Blest Be the Tie that Binds” there is a line that was written just for stingy givers: "When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain."
Everyone was to bring an offering and they were to do it willingly and give it from the heart. So how did that turn out?
Look at Exodus 36:5-6
They were stopped from giving. Obviously this is Old Testament evidence that Moses was not a Baptist because I've never heard of a Baptist preacher who said, "Don't bring any more offerings!"
But that's exactly what happened here! My take away from that is when God's people give from their hearts, and do it voluntarily without coercion, without brow-beating, when they give it out of the love and the sacrifice and the generosity of their hearts, all the needs are met in the work of the Lord. That's how you do God's work.
You don't have to sell pies and cakes and wash cars and have garage sales or stand in the pulpit and bet and plead because when God's people believe the Word and obey the Word and just do what God lays on their hearts to do, there is more than enough to do what God tells us to do.
Anyway, back in Exodus 25 at verses 3 and following we are told about all the different materials that were gathered and used in the construction of this
Tabernacle.
Some have made estimates of all of this and have estimated that all of this together constitutes about 19,000 pounds. Others have said that the value of this, excluding the cost of labor to put it all together, in today's currency would be in excess of $20 million. Obviously, this is no ordinary building we are about to study!
In fact, look down through those verses, and you will notice several different kinds of materials. There were metals such as gold, silver, and brass. Some believe the word brass probably translates better as bronze or copper.
In verse 4 there are certain fabrics. Blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goat's hair.
In verse 5 notice some skins were used. Ram's skins, dyed red. Badger's skins. They were to use that badger's skin as a roof covering on the tabernacle.
By the way, there is an interesting side note regarding that badger or sealskin because that was the type of skin that was used to make the shoes of the children of Israel.
Now understand, they are out walking all day in the hot Middle Eastern sandy soil, and now they are being asked to give, and they willingly gave the badger skin that would have been used to make their shoes.
But again, there is a great spiritual lesson found in that detail and that is when you are willing to give sacrificially to the Lord, the Lord will reward you for it.
Did you know the Bible says, regarding the shoes of the children of Israel, that all the time they were in the wilderness, their shoes never wore out?
They were just as new when they came out of that wilderness temptation as they did when they came in. See how God rewards us when we are willing to sacrifice for Him? You'll never out-give God! You will never sacrifice that God will not bless you and reward you and meet your needs because of it.
So point number 1, this building was a special building. The second truth I want you to see is that this building is
2. A Spiritual Building
verse 8
The word sanctuary means a sacred place, a set apart place. God wants you to make this special building because He wants to dwell among His
people.
So, this building was prepared for a supernatural inhabitant. That glory cloud was a visible, outward symbol of the presence of God. When that building was completed, and we'll see this over in the 40th chapter of Exodus, that God came down in that glory cloud and settled there and dwelt among his people.
This building had a supernatural inhabitant. So it is
a spiritual building. There are several other terms used for the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Sometimes it is referred to as the Tabernacle of the Congregation or the Tabernacle of the meeting. That tells us then that this Tabernacle was a place of worship. This is where the Jewish people, the children of Israel came to worship.
When the building and outer court were in full function you would see priests walking around. You would see animals tied. You would see pieces of animals cut and laid on that altar. You would see a fire burning. You would see smoke ascending. You would see blood in bowls and a washbasin and the priests washing their hands and their feet. What are they doing? They are worshiping God.
There are other titles in Scripture that are used to identify this structure. In Acts 7:44 it is referred to as the Tabernacle of witness or the tabernacle of testimony. That means this place of worship is also a place of witness. God gives witness to the people in this Tabernacle.
For instance, the tabernacle is a witness to
- the holiness of God
For instance, as you approach this sanctuary from the ground level, you see a linen fence surrounding the structure. That linen fence pictures the righteousness of God.
On the inside there is gold everywhere. All of that gold is reminder of the holiness of God. God is a pure, holy God. That holy of holies is a perfect cube-- 15 x 15 x 15, reflecting what the seraphim and the cheriphin sang around the throne of God. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of Israel. Our God is a holy God.
In contrast, outside of the tabernacle, in the outer court, everything you see is covered in brass. Brass is a picture of judgment which says to us that God is a holy God and a holy God must deal with sin. It, too, is a witness to the holiness of God.
The tabernacle is also a witness to
- the ugliness of sin
If you had been able to visit this place of worship in those days you would have seen a very, very disturbing sight as the priests slaughtered the animals for sacrifice by slashing their throats. You would hear the crying of the animals and hear the death gurgle in their throats. You would smell the horrible stench of blood and death and burning flesh. Sin is to blame.
And everywhere you look around the structure you are confronted with the ugliness of sin and how serious it is to a holy God.
It is also a witness to
- the blessedness of salvation
In every detail, in every picture, it all witnesses to the fact that God has made a way whereby we who are sinners can be brought into the presence of a holy God in the holy of holies.
It is all on the basis of sacrifice. It is all by blood. You and I do not enter into the presence of God by our praise. The Bible says we are to come into
His presence WITH praise, but we do not enter into the presence of God by our praise.
The Bible says we enter into the presence of God by the blood Jesus, and the Tabernacle is God's witness to the blessedness of salvation. Everything about it will give beautiful, gorgeous pictures.
By the way, there were three entrances to the Tabernacle. One of those entrances is known as the gate. It was the entrance to the outer court.
Then, when you entered the Tabernacle itself, you entered through the door. And then, between the holy place and the holy of holies, there was a veil.
All three of those are entrances, and all three of them are pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who is the gate to the sheep. He is the one who is the door to those who desire to enter, and He is the One Who, through His own flesh, the veil, makes it possible for you and me, by His blood to come into the presence of God.
Folks who looked at the outside of that building didn't see much. If folks were just walking by they would say, "Look at that linen fence, and that old ugly tent!" They never saw it for what it really was.
But once you get inside that building, and begin to look under the covering on the outside and you see the gold and that lampstand burning and you smell the odor of that incense and you look at that beautiful embroidered curtain up above you, you see the loveliness and the beauty of Christ and the blessedness and the marvel of our wonderful salvation.
But you have to be on the inside to ever see the beauty. That’s why folk look at the church, and wonder what it’s all about. They look at your life and mine, and see the joy of the Lord, happiness, spirit, hear the songs,, and wonder what its all about.
See, they're on the outside. They've never come into Christ. They've never seen the beauty and the loveliness and the wonder that salvation in Jesus Christ has brought into our life. Everything beautiful about your life, Jesus Christ has brought it about.
By the way, that's why they missed Jesus also. They only looked at the outside. Just like the Tabernacle, the beauty on the inside was housed in a plain, ordinary wrapper, and many of those who rubbed shoulders with Him while He was on the earth never saw the glory and the beauty on the inside!
This Tabernacle is a special building. This Tabernacle is a spiritual building, and this tabernacle is
3. A Symbolic Building
verse 9
This verse is also quoted in Hebrews 8. In fact, verse 5 of that chapter is a direct quote from
Exodus 25:9.
Now the writer of Hebrews uses some interesting words. For instance, in verse 5, he uses the word
- copy
He says the tabernacle in the wilderness was a copy of the true tabernacle in heaven.
The real tabernacle is in heaven and what was on earth was just a physical copy of it.
The second word he uses is the word
- shadow
What is a shadow? A shadow is a reflection of the reality. In other words, there is substance, something that is real, and then there is a shadow of that reality. And what the writer of Hebrews is telling his listeners is that the tabernacle their ancestors worshipped in was a shadow.
It was a reflection of the reality that would be fulfilled in New Testament truth. By the way, that that's the sad thing about people who try to live in the Old Testament and think they are still under the Old Testament law. Never having understood that when Jesus Christ came the reality came, they continue to live in the shadows.
Listen: When you come to Jesus Christ you step out of the shadows into the sunshine. Why would you want to go back to the shadows when you got Jesus?
Then, in verse 5, we also find the word
- pattern
The Greek word pattern is transliterated "type". A type is a preordained person or event or object in the Old Testament which pictures a person or event or object in the New Testament. So the Tabernacle is an Old Testament type or picture of New Testament reality.
I have on my work desk a picture of Lisa. I look at that picture every day. But as wonderful as that picture is, the reality is even better. It's fine to kiss the picture. But I sure do enjoy kissing reality better. Amen?!
That picture is a type of a person who is a reality. This Tabernacle is a type or a pre-ordained picture in the Old Testament of a reality which is in the New Testament. That means that this tabernacle is a symbolical building and as such, it is a preview of the Lord Jesus and what He's done for us and the fact that God has come to dwell in His Son the Lord Jesus.
What did the angel say? Call Him Immanuel, God with us! John 1:14 says, "and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us." It is the Greek word for tabernacled". God tabernacled in His Son the Lord Jesus. God dwelt in His Son. So all of this is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God also dwells in His church. Ephesians 2:23 says that the church is a habitation of God by the Spirit. Not this building. I don't mean this church. You and I are the church. Born again believers are the building of God. Wherever two or three of God's people are together, He is there in the midst. He dwells among us.
In the book of The Revelation, when the Lord Jesus Christ went walking through the churches, God was in the midst of His churches. He was dwelling in His churches. He dwells in Christ. He dwells in the church. And He dwells in individual Christians.
I Corinthians 6:19 says, "what know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which dwells in you." That simply means that wherever you go, whatever you do, God is right there. That'll change everything about your life if that dawns on you.
In closing, I want to point out to you that one of these days God is going to dwell in one more place.
Turn over to the book of the Revelation and notice
Revelation 21:2-3
The new Jerusalem, the holy city came down and God said, "The Tabernacle of God is with men."
The only way to get into that tabernacle is to go with Jesus into the tabernacle where the blood was shed for your sins.
I invite you to come today.
Let's pray.
