"Blueprints"
July 17, 2005
Exodus 25:1-27:21
Where is Israel at this point in the story? Where is Israel in Exodus chapter 25? At Mount Sinai. That’s right.
YHWH has rescued Israel from Egypt and brought Israel to Himself at the foot of Mount Sinai. And YHWH has come in His holiness, given them the Law, and made a covenant with Israel.
Now, let me ask you this. Where is Moses in Exodus chapter 25? Moses is on top of Mount Sinai. God invited him up. Moses has entered the cloud of God’s presence at the top of the mountain of God–the cloud that looks to Israel like a consuming fire.
That’s where Moses is. And God is talking to Moses. And God giving Moses something. Do you know what it is?
Blueprints.
God is giving Moses blueprints of a home that He wants Moses to have built.
Yesterday, Roper Houston dropped off a set of blueprints for me to look at and show to you. Here they are.
They are blueprints for a pretty fancy home. Did you build this one for someone, Rope?
These blueprints are detailed instruction of how this family wants their home to be constructed. And they give us a lot of specific and complex details that Roper would then translate into a house with his craftsmanship skills. They do it in pictorial form with measurements and all.
On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of "blueprints" of a home that He wants Moses to build.
But God’s blueprints for this home are written out in text format. They aren’t a picture. It’s all words.
There are different kinds of literature (called genres) in the Bible. There are letters and laws and stories and parables and apocalyptic and prophecies and genealogies. Over the last seven years, as I have had the privilege of studying the Bible with you, we’ve looked at a little bit of all of those.
Well, here’s another genre, another kind of literature in the Bible: blueprints. And today, we get to study them in depth. And there are lots of little, complex, specific details in these chapters. And we want to see those. But we also want to see the "big picture"–what these blueprints are supposed to add up to be.
And to say about God.
Because God is the "main character" of even these blueprints!
So, as I read chapter 25, verse 1 through chapter 27, verse 21, I want us to look for what these blueprints are saying about the Architect and the Homeowner Who designed them and commanded Moses to build.
Let’s pray and then get started.
[prayer]
God gave Moses blueprints of a home that He wants Moses to have built.
And this home is for no-one less than God Himself. It’s called the Tabernacle. Chapter 25, verse 1.
"The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are
to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. [A
"freewill" offering.] These are the offerings you are to receive from them:
gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat
hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the
light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx
stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. ‘Then have
them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle
and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you."
God wants a home built. A sanctuary–a holy home. And God Himself plans to dwell in it.
God tells Moses up on Mount Sinai to take a freewill offering of some pretty amazing stuff. Some stuff that can be found in the Sinai peninsula. And other stuff that they must have gotten from the plundering of the Egyptians.
And from those rare and beautiful building supplies, Israel is supposed to build a home for God.
Notice in verse 9 that God is very particular about how this tabernacle will be built. V.9 "Make this tabernacle and all its furnishing exactly like the pattern I will show you." Exactly. That’s going to show up again and again as we read. V.10
The Ark of the Covenant.
"Have them make a chest of acacia wood–two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. [A cubit is about 18 inches. So this is 3 3/4 feet by 2½ feet by 2½ feet. A rectangular box.] Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. [Acacia wood is darker and harder than oak and very light.] Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. [It’s portable as is everything in this tabernacle.] The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. [The Testimony is the 10 Commandments on the Tablets of Stone that stand for the covenant that God has made with Israel. The are inscribed by the very finger of God (we’ll see that in chapter 31) and they go inside the box...Here’s what goes on top of it:]
‘Make an atonement cover [King James: mercy seat] of pure gold–two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. [3 3/4 feet by 2 ½ feet. For on top of the lid.] And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
Do you get the picture? We are on a tour of the Tabernacle. And God starts with the furniture. Before He describes the house, He describes what goes in the house. And the first thing is the Ark of the Covenant. It’s a big golden-plated box that houses the Testimony Tablets. And above that is the Atonement Cover which is overshadowed by these angelic beings that face one another. It’s an amazing piece of furniture!
Do you know what this is supposed to symbolize? This is the throne of God. Verse 22.
"There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
God is to be enthroned above and between the cherubim. That’s why this is the most important piece of furniture. It’s the throne of God. Verse 23.
The Table of the Bread of Presence.
"Make a table of acacia wood–two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. [3ft x 1½ ft by 21/4 ft] Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. [So nothing will fall off.] Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. [It’s portable.] And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times."
God a wants a table in His home. And the table is to have bread on it. We find out in other parts of the Bible that there are to be 12 loaves on the table each day. One for each tribe. The King James called them the Showbread. It’s literally "bread of the faces [or Presence]." Meaning God’s presence.
And this bread on this golden table is to be set before God symbolically every day.
What is that saying? It’s saying that God is at home. There’s bread on His table. He’s here in communion with His people. The elders ate in His presence in chapter 24. God’s table is always set. Verse 31.
The Lampstand.
"Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. [This is a lampstand that is made to look like an almond tree. We know it as the Menorah. It is takes real craftsmanship to make this one. V.32] Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand–three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair–six branches in all. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold [75 lbs!] is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now, I’ve been studying these details, and I’m not sure what to think of all of them, but I think this looks something like this [drawing.]
Any way about it; it’s beautiful, costly (75 lbs of pure gold!), and it gives light to the Holy Place.
Some people think that it stands for Jesus being the light of the world. But I think it’s got a more basic meaning: the light is on...Somebody is home.
God is at home. He is on His throne. The table is set. The light is on. God is at home. He dwells in the midst of His people.
Now, I know that we’ve entered into a foreign territory. We don’t think in these kinds of patterns. We don’t have anything like this in our cultural or architectural vocabulary.
But God has put this in His holy word for us to learn something.
And I don’t think it’s all that hard to get the basic idea. God has come to live with His people. He wants a home built. A beautiful home. And at the center of the beautiful home is a throne. And just outside of that is His table. It’s symbolizing fellowship and presence with His people. And the light is always on.
That’s the furniture. The next chapter explains the layout of the tabernacle itself. Chapter 26.
"Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. All the curtains are to be the same size–twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. [About 42 ft long by 6 ft wide.] Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit. [That’s the inner lining of the tabernacle tent. Then a outer lining gets put on. V.7]
‘Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle–eleven altogether. [Goat hair in the Middle East was black, not white. This is protective covering for the tabernacle.] All eleven curtains are to be the same size–thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. [45 feet by 6 ft] Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit. As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. The tent curtains will be a cubit longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it."
Now, I’m not going to go into detail here. But this is a tent. And it has an inner lining that is beautiful and crafty and covered with blue yarn to remind them of the heavens above and with cherubim angels to signify the angelic host surrounding God. And no one was allowed inside of this place except priests. And then there is one protective covering. And now a second protective covering. A tent within a tent. V.14
"Make for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of hides of sea cows. [Dolphins or porpoises. Keeping the rain out. Now the tent poles and frames. V.15] Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide [15 feet by 2 1/4 feet], with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. [It’s like a trellis tent frame.] Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle and make forty silver bases to go under them–two bases for each frame, one under each projection. For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames and forty silver bases– two under each frame. Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, and make two frames for the corners at the far end. At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top, and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases–two under each frame. ‘Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold. Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Did you get all of that? I sure didn’t. Maybe Roper or Larry could explain it to us afterwards.
The basic point of God’s Word here is that there are specific dimensions for the tent of the tabernacle (which hosts the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place...specific dimensions) that must be followed.
These are the specs on this building project. And they must be followed to the letter.
"Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Let me give read to you the blueprint for the curtain and then I’ll show you a picture to summarize what we’ve seen so far. V.31
The Curtain. Otherwise known as "The Veil."
"Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side. ‘For the entrance to the tent make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen–the work of an embroiderer. Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them."
Here’s a picture of what we’ve seen so far:
The Tabernacle is a tent. The Israelites all live in tents right now. And God wants to set up a tent in the midst of them Himself.
It’s a rectangular tent. And it’s created out of acacia wood tent poles, curtains made of beautiful fabric and outer protective skins and coverings.
The tent has two sections. The Holy Place which has the Table of the Bread of Presence and the burning light of the Lampstand. That room is rectangular.
And then, there is a cube-shaped room at the end. A perfect cube. And all that is in it is the Ark of the Covenant with the Atonement Cover and the Cherubim–the Throne of God.
Where that throne is–God is!
We know from the rest of scripture that no one was allowed to go into the Holy Place except the priests (The rest of the people are kept out of the Holy Place by the "entrance curtain" of verses 36 & 37). And no one was allowed to go into the Most Holy Place [the "Holy of Holies"] except the High Priest and him only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). The rest of the priests are kept out by the curtain or "the veil" of verses 31-33. "The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place."
Do you see how holiness is bound up in the architecture?
God is present. But God is holy.
God is here. The light is on. The table is set.
But you may not enter in...without invitation and without atonement. Beware!
God is present. But God is holy!
There are cherubim woven into the fabric of the curtain.
Does anyone remember where cherubim have shown up before in the Bible? There’s only one place until this passage.
Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve fell into sin, and God cursed them and drove them out. And Genesis 3:24, "After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."
You can’t go in here. You can’t go in here. You can’t go back.
God is present. But God is holy!
And that’s why we need an altar. Chapter 27. Verse 1.
"Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. [That’s 4 ½ ft by 7 ½ ft by 7 ½ ft.] Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. [That’s why it’s sometimes called the "Brazen Altar."] Make all its utensils of bronze–its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. [It’s like a great big barbeque gril.] Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. [This is to be portable, too.] The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain."
There’s that phrase again. "Just as you were shown. According to the pattern. Exactly like what was shown."
This altar was for the burnt offerings. This was a place of propitiation. A place of sacrifice. A place where unholy people could get forgiveness and offer themselves in dedication and worship.
It’s actually placed outside of the tabernacle tent. It’s the first thing you see when you come in the gate. It is accessible, but unavoidable and unmistakable [Walter C. Kaiser]. It’s a place where sin gets dealt with. It must be crossed before anyone enters into the tabernacle. It’s in the courtyard, which is described in the next blueprint. Verse 9.
"Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long [150 feet] and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide [75 feet] and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide [75 feet]. Curtains fifteen cubits long [22 ½ feet] are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, and curtains fifteen cubits long [22 ½ feet] are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases. For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits long [30 feet], of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen– the work of an embroiderer– with four posts and four bases. All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases. [150 feet by 75 feet by 7 ½ feet tall–so noone can look in.] All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs [!] for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze."
I never noticed how the metals start out as gold in the Holy of Holies and move out to bronze for the tent pegs. All of the metals are precious. But as you get closer and closer to God the value keeps going up and up. Holiness is built into the very building materials of this tabernacle.
I’ll give you another picture here in a moment, but first, I’ll finish our chapter. V.20
"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. [I think this is the Lampstand again.] In the Tent of Meeting [another name for the Tabernacle], outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony [the veil before the Most Holy Place], Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come."
Now, next week, we’ll find out more about Aaron and his sons and how the priests are to be dressed and what they are supposed to be doing in their work in the tabernacle.
But here it just says that are to keep a light on in the Holy Place all night long. And I think it’s the same idea as before. It’s a night light to reassure Israel that God is at home.
Now let me show you another of my "wondering drawings" that gives the bigger picture. [I know, I should leave the blueprints up to Roper!]
The courtyard is another rectangle. It’s 150 feet by 75 feet with a 30 foot entrance facing the sunrise–East.
When you walk in, you see the Altar of Burnt Offerings. And you see God’s tent. And you know what’s inside there! And there are few other things you see which we won’t get to until chapter 30.
Now, that’s just a basic introduction to the blueprint.
But what does it mean? How do we apply this blueprint to our lives?
Well, for one thing, God isn’t asking for us to build Him a building like this. In fact, this has nothing whatsoever to do with buildings for New Covenant people!
The New Covenant church can have building if we believe they will be used as a tool. But the New Covenant people of God are not based around building any more. This doesn’t tell us a thing about what kind of buildings we should build. Churches don’t even need buildings to be a church. Fundamentally, church isn’t something you go to; it’s something you are.
It’s not telling us that.
But it does tell us something about God, doesn’t it?
He is the Architect. He is the Homeowner. What do these blueprints tell us about Him?
When Heather and I built our house (off of a piece of graph paper that Heather sat down one night and drew up!), it said some things about what we valued and what we are.
We built it around a growing family–so the kitchen and the area of play was large and a focus of the house. And we built it for having Bible studies and lots of people over to visit. So we built in space for visiting.
An architect and homeowner build in themselves into their plans–especially when the Architect and Homeowner are the same person.
What do these blueprints tell us about God? Three quick points of theological application this morning.
#1. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD.
And it is an unquestionable authority. An ultimate authority.
What God says, goes.
Again and again, we saw God say "Do it this way." There is no building committee here. I am the architect and the homeowner. You will it do this way.
As we go further into these instructions that God gave Moses up on the mountain, we will see Him use the death penalty for breaking these instructions. The death penalty [!] for wearing the wrong clothes in the temple and for mixing your own incense or anointing oil for personal use. The death penalty!
It’s God’s way or no way.
There is no negotiation.
God has been incredibly gracious to give Israel this tabernacle to build. God doesn’t have to move into their neighborhood! But He plans to. He is there God.
But they must be His obedient people.
This is the way its should be done.
Application for New Covenant Christians? As Jesus is God, we should OBEY JESUS’ COMMANDS WITH UNWAVERING OBEDIENCE.
Remember, God has not changed.
Even though the covenants have changed, and we are not under the Old "Mosaic Covenant," God has not changed. And we are still under Him.
I almost named this sermon "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits." [My wife liked that title better than this one!]
If God asks us to do something, whatever it is, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits." In other words, just like He said.
If Jesus asks us to love each other, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us to reach out with the gospel to unbelievers in our lives, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us to forgive those who have hurt us terribly, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us stay sexually pure or marry only in the Lord or fight against the power of lust, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
We are not allowed to fudge on the Lord’s commands.
We need to follow Christ with unwavering obedience, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
What is God asking of you today? What command of His are you fudging on? You and I need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
#2. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you? God’s majestic holiness is all over this tabernacle. It’s made to remind us of His creation. It’s made of some of the best materials in His creation.
It’s progressively more and more holy and perfect in precious metals and symmetry.
It’s marked off by curtains and veils so that not just anyone can come in.
The curtains have cherubim on them to remind us of our Fall and our sin.
There is a great big altar and an atonement cover to remind us of our need for sacrifice and propitiation.
It progresses from a Holy Courtyard to a Holy Place to the Most Holy Place. And no one dares to enter God’s presence uninvited and without atonement.
This is a blueprint about the holiness of God. And it should make us tremble.
Yes, a blueprint should make us tremble.
But here’s where the good news of Jesus breaks in again. We need to hear about the holiness of God. But it’s to lead us to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10, verse 19.
"...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."
I could spend years unpacking Hebrews 8, 9, and 10! Verse 19 again.
"...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."
When Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of the Temple (the descendent of the Tabernacle) was torn in two.
God was symbolically opening up the way to Himself through Jesus. A new and living way through the curtain that was torn, His body.
And now, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place (the real one! The heavenly Most Holy Place!) by the blood of Jesus.
Application for today? Trust the blood of Jesus to enter into God’s holy presence.
TRUST JESUS AS YOUR WAY INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE
You may have not gotten a lot out of this tour of the tabernacle. You didn’t expect to come to lecture on architecture today. But God could save you through what this tabernacle is pointing to.
Without Jesus, you are not allowed into God’s presence because of your sin.
But Jesus has made a way to come to God and His awesome and Holy Presence [and enjoy Him forever!] by His blood.
To get there, you must go through Him. You need to trust Jesus as your way into the Most Holy Place. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
By trusting in Jesus, you can enter His presence.
Which is the main and greatest point of these blueprints.
#3. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
The whole point of these three chapters is that God is planning to move into the neighborhood.
Chapter 25, verse 8.
"[H]ave them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them."
Chapter 25, verse 22
"There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
Chapter 25, verse 30
"Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times."
The table is set. The light is still on. God is on His throne.
God is at Home among His people.
That’s what the blueprint was calling for.
And that’s what the blueprint foreshadowed.
A day when God would come and live with His people even more directly!
The tabernacle (or the Temple twice its size) could not contain God.
But the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 14 says, "The Word [God] became flesh and dwelled among us." Do you know what the Greek word behind "and dwelled among us" is?
Literally, it is "Tabernacled."
"God became flesh and tabernacled among us."
All of the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus Christ bodily!
Therefore, we should REJOICE THAT JESUS TABERNACLED WITH US.
He is Immanuel, God with us.
And His incarnation, His enfleshment, foreshadows an even greater day!
A day when God will live with His people in unshielded glory!
Rejoice that Jesus tabernacled with us. And anticipate the day when God will dwell with His people in unhindered, unbroken, unending, unimaginable glorious fellowship!
Revelation chapter 21. John says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
That’s what this blueprint is pointing towards.
The Day when we live in unshielded God’s presence.
And what a Day that will be!
July 17, 2005
Exodus 25:1-27:21
Where is Israel at this point in the story? Where is Israel in Exodus chapter 25? At Mount Sinai. That’s right.
YHWH has rescued Israel from Egypt and brought Israel to Himself at the foot of Mount Sinai. And YHWH has come in His holiness, given them the Law, and made a covenant with Israel.
Now, let me ask you this. Where is Moses in Exodus chapter 25? Moses is on top of Mount Sinai. God invited him up. Moses has entered the cloud of God’s presence at the top of the mountain of God–the cloud that looks to Israel like a consuming fire.
That’s where Moses is. And God is talking to Moses. And God giving Moses something. Do you know what it is?
Blueprints.
God is giving Moses blueprints of a home that He wants Moses to have built.
Yesterday, Roper Houston dropped off a set of blueprints for me to look at and show to you. Here they are.
They are blueprints for a pretty fancy home. Did you build this one for someone, Rope?
These blueprints are detailed instruction of how this family wants their home to be constructed. And they give us a lot of specific and complex details that Roper would then translate into a house with his craftsmanship skills. They do it in pictorial form with measurements and all.
On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses a set of "blueprints" of a home that He wants Moses to build.
But God’s blueprints for this home are written out in text format. They aren’t a picture. It’s all words.
There are different kinds of literature (called genres) in the Bible. There are letters and laws and stories and parables and apocalyptic and prophecies and genealogies. Over the last seven years, as I have had the privilege of studying the Bible with you, we’ve looked at a little bit of all of those.
Well, here’s another genre, another kind of literature in the Bible: blueprints. And today, we get to study them in depth. And there are lots of little, complex, specific details in these chapters. And we want to see those. But we also want to see the "big picture"–what these blueprints are supposed to add up to be.
And to say about God.
Because God is the "main character" of even these blueprints!
So, as I read chapter 25, verse 1 through chapter 27, verse 21, I want us to look for what these blueprints are saying about the Architect and the Homeowner Who designed them and commanded Moses to build.
Let’s pray and then get started.
[prayer]
God gave Moses blueprints of a home that He wants Moses to have built.
And this home is for no-one less than God Himself. It’s called the Tabernacle. Chapter 25, verse 1.
"The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are
to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. [A
"freewill" offering.] These are the offerings you are to receive from them:
gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat
hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the
light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx
stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. ‘Then have
them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle
and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you."
God wants a home built. A sanctuary–a holy home. And God Himself plans to dwell in it.
God tells Moses up on Mount Sinai to take a freewill offering of some pretty amazing stuff. Some stuff that can be found in the Sinai peninsula. And other stuff that they must have gotten from the plundering of the Egyptians.
And from those rare and beautiful building supplies, Israel is supposed to build a home for God.
Notice in verse 9 that God is very particular about how this tabernacle will be built. V.9 "Make this tabernacle and all its furnishing exactly like the pattern I will show you." Exactly. That’s going to show up again and again as we read. V.10
The Ark of the Covenant.
"Have them make a chest of acacia wood–two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. [A cubit is about 18 inches. So this is 3 3/4 feet by 2½ feet by 2½ feet. A rectangular box.] Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. [Acacia wood is darker and harder than oak and very light.] Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. [It’s portable as is everything in this tabernacle.] The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. [The Testimony is the 10 Commandments on the Tablets of Stone that stand for the covenant that God has made with Israel. The are inscribed by the very finger of God (we’ll see that in chapter 31) and they go inside the box...Here’s what goes on top of it:]
‘Make an atonement cover [King James: mercy seat] of pure gold–two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. [3 3/4 feet by 2 ½ feet. For on top of the lid.] And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
Do you get the picture? We are on a tour of the Tabernacle. And God starts with the furniture. Before He describes the house, He describes what goes in the house. And the first thing is the Ark of the Covenant. It’s a big golden-plated box that houses the Testimony Tablets. And above that is the Atonement Cover which is overshadowed by these angelic beings that face one another. It’s an amazing piece of furniture!
Do you know what this is supposed to symbolize? This is the throne of God. Verse 22.
"There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
God is to be enthroned above and between the cherubim. That’s why this is the most important piece of furniture. It’s the throne of God. Verse 23.
The Table of the Bread of Presence.
"Make a table of acacia wood–two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high. [3ft x 1½ ft by 21/4 ft] Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim. [So nothing will fall off.] Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. [It’s portable.] And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times."
God a wants a table in His home. And the table is to have bread on it. We find out in other parts of the Bible that there are to be 12 loaves on the table each day. One for each tribe. The King James called them the Showbread. It’s literally "bread of the faces [or Presence]." Meaning God’s presence.
And this bread on this golden table is to be set before God symbolically every day.
What is that saying? It’s saying that God is at home. There’s bread on His table. He’s here in communion with His people. The elders ate in His presence in chapter 24. God’s table is always set. Verse 31.
The Lampstand.
"Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. [This is a lampstand that is made to look like an almond tree. We know it as the Menorah. It is takes real craftsmanship to make this one. V.32] Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand–three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair–six branches in all. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold [75 lbs!] is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now, I’ve been studying these details, and I’m not sure what to think of all of them, but I think this looks something like this [drawing.]
Any way about it; it’s beautiful, costly (75 lbs of pure gold!), and it gives light to the Holy Place.
Some people think that it stands for Jesus being the light of the world. But I think it’s got a more basic meaning: the light is on...Somebody is home.
God is at home. He is on His throne. The table is set. The light is on. God is at home. He dwells in the midst of His people.
Now, I know that we’ve entered into a foreign territory. We don’t think in these kinds of patterns. We don’t have anything like this in our cultural or architectural vocabulary.
But God has put this in His holy word for us to learn something.
And I don’t think it’s all that hard to get the basic idea. God has come to live with His people. He wants a home built. A beautiful home. And at the center of the beautiful home is a throne. And just outside of that is His table. It’s symbolizing fellowship and presence with His people. And the light is always on.
That’s the furniture. The next chapter explains the layout of the tabernacle itself. Chapter 26.
"Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. All the curtains are to be the same size–twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. [About 42 ft long by 6 ft wide.] Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit. [That’s the inner lining of the tabernacle tent. Then a outer lining gets put on. V.7]
‘Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle–eleven altogether. [Goat hair in the Middle East was black, not white. This is protective covering for the tabernacle.] All eleven curtains are to be the same size–thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. [45 feet by 6 ft] Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit. As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. The tent curtains will be a cubit longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it."
Now, I’m not going to go into detail here. But this is a tent. And it has an inner lining that is beautiful and crafty and covered with blue yarn to remind them of the heavens above and with cherubim angels to signify the angelic host surrounding God. And no one was allowed inside of this place except priests. And then there is one protective covering. And now a second protective covering. A tent within a tent. V.14
"Make for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of hides of sea cows. [Dolphins or porpoises. Keeping the rain out. Now the tent poles and frames. V.15] Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide [15 feet by 2 1/4 feet], with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. [It’s like a trellis tent frame.] Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle and make forty silver bases to go under them–two bases for each frame, one under each projection. For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames and forty silver bases– two under each frame. Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, and make two frames for the corners at the far end. At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top, and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases–two under each frame. ‘Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold. Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Did you get all of that? I sure didn’t. Maybe Roper or Larry could explain it to us afterwards.
The basic point of God’s Word here is that there are specific dimensions for the tent of the tabernacle (which hosts the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place...specific dimensions) that must be followed.
These are the specs on this building project. And they must be followed to the letter.
"Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain."
Let me give read to you the blueprint for the curtain and then I’ll show you a picture to summarize what we’ve seen so far. V.31
The Curtain. Otherwise known as "The Veil."
"Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side. ‘For the entrance to the tent make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen–the work of an embroiderer. Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them."
Here’s a picture of what we’ve seen so far:
The Tabernacle is a tent. The Israelites all live in tents right now. And God wants to set up a tent in the midst of them Himself.
It’s a rectangular tent. And it’s created out of acacia wood tent poles, curtains made of beautiful fabric and outer protective skins and coverings.
The tent has two sections. The Holy Place which has the Table of the Bread of Presence and the burning light of the Lampstand. That room is rectangular.
And then, there is a cube-shaped room at the end. A perfect cube. And all that is in it is the Ark of the Covenant with the Atonement Cover and the Cherubim–the Throne of God.
Where that throne is–God is!
We know from the rest of scripture that no one was allowed to go into the Holy Place except the priests (The rest of the people are kept out of the Holy Place by the "entrance curtain" of verses 36 & 37). And no one was allowed to go into the Most Holy Place [the "Holy of Holies"] except the High Priest and him only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). The rest of the priests are kept out by the curtain or "the veil" of verses 31-33. "The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place."
Do you see how holiness is bound up in the architecture?
God is present. But God is holy.
God is here. The light is on. The table is set.
But you may not enter in...without invitation and without atonement. Beware!
God is present. But God is holy!
There are cherubim woven into the fabric of the curtain.
Does anyone remember where cherubim have shown up before in the Bible? There’s only one place until this passage.
Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve fell into sin, and God cursed them and drove them out. And Genesis 3:24, "After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."
You can’t go in here. You can’t go in here. You can’t go back.
God is present. But God is holy!
And that’s why we need an altar. Chapter 27. Verse 1.
"Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. [That’s 4 ½ ft by 7 ½ ft by 7 ½ ft.] Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. [That’s why it’s sometimes called the "Brazen Altar."] Make all its utensils of bronze–its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. [It’s like a great big barbeque gril.] Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. [This is to be portable, too.] The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain."
There’s that phrase again. "Just as you were shown. According to the pattern. Exactly like what was shown."
This altar was for the burnt offerings. This was a place of propitiation. A place of sacrifice. A place where unholy people could get forgiveness and offer themselves in dedication and worship.
It’s actually placed outside of the tabernacle tent. It’s the first thing you see when you come in the gate. It is accessible, but unavoidable and unmistakable [Walter C. Kaiser]. It’s a place where sin gets dealt with. It must be crossed before anyone enters into the tabernacle. It’s in the courtyard, which is described in the next blueprint. Verse 9.
"Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long [150 feet] and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide [75 feet] and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide [75 feet]. Curtains fifteen cubits long [22 ½ feet] are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, and curtains fifteen cubits long [22 ½ feet] are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases. For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain twenty cubits long [30 feet], of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen– the work of an embroiderer– with four posts and four bases. All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and with bronze bases. [150 feet by 75 feet by 7 ½ feet tall–so noone can look in.] All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs [!] for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze."
I never noticed how the metals start out as gold in the Holy of Holies and move out to bronze for the tent pegs. All of the metals are precious. But as you get closer and closer to God the value keeps going up and up. Holiness is built into the very building materials of this tabernacle.
I’ll give you another picture here in a moment, but first, I’ll finish our chapter. V.20
"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. [I think this is the Lampstand again.] In the Tent of Meeting [another name for the Tabernacle], outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony [the veil before the Most Holy Place], Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come."
Now, next week, we’ll find out more about Aaron and his sons and how the priests are to be dressed and what they are supposed to be doing in their work in the tabernacle.
But here it just says that are to keep a light on in the Holy Place all night long. And I think it’s the same idea as before. It’s a night light to reassure Israel that God is at home.
Now let me show you another of my "wondering drawings" that gives the bigger picture. [I know, I should leave the blueprints up to Roper!]
The courtyard is another rectangle. It’s 150 feet by 75 feet with a 30 foot entrance facing the sunrise–East.
When you walk in, you see the Altar of Burnt Offerings. And you see God’s tent. And you know what’s inside there! And there are few other things you see which we won’t get to until chapter 30.
Now, that’s just a basic introduction to the blueprint.
But what does it mean? How do we apply this blueprint to our lives?
Well, for one thing, God isn’t asking for us to build Him a building like this. In fact, this has nothing whatsoever to do with buildings for New Covenant people!
The New Covenant church can have building if we believe they will be used as a tool. But the New Covenant people of God are not based around building any more. This doesn’t tell us a thing about what kind of buildings we should build. Churches don’t even need buildings to be a church. Fundamentally, church isn’t something you go to; it’s something you are.
It’s not telling us that.
But it does tell us something about God, doesn’t it?
He is the Architect. He is the Homeowner. What do these blueprints tell us about Him?
When Heather and I built our house (off of a piece of graph paper that Heather sat down one night and drew up!), it said some things about what we valued and what we are.
We built it around a growing family–so the kitchen and the area of play was large and a focus of the house. And we built it for having Bible studies and lots of people over to visit. So we built in space for visiting.
An architect and homeowner build in themselves into their plans–especially when the Architect and Homeowner are the same person.
What do these blueprints tell us about God? Three quick points of theological application this morning.
#1. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF GOD.
And it is an unquestionable authority. An ultimate authority.
What God says, goes.
Again and again, we saw God say "Do it this way." There is no building committee here. I am the architect and the homeowner. You will it do this way.
As we go further into these instructions that God gave Moses up on the mountain, we will see Him use the death penalty for breaking these instructions. The death penalty [!] for wearing the wrong clothes in the temple and for mixing your own incense or anointing oil for personal use. The death penalty!
It’s God’s way or no way.
There is no negotiation.
God has been incredibly gracious to give Israel this tabernacle to build. God doesn’t have to move into their neighborhood! But He plans to. He is there God.
But they must be His obedient people.
This is the way its should be done.
Application for New Covenant Christians? As Jesus is God, we should OBEY JESUS’ COMMANDS WITH UNWAVERING OBEDIENCE.
Remember, God has not changed.
Even though the covenants have changed, and we are not under the Old "Mosaic Covenant," God has not changed. And we are still under Him.
I almost named this sermon "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits." [My wife liked that title better than this one!]
If God asks us to do something, whatever it is, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits." In other words, just like He said.
If Jesus asks us to love each other, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us to reach out with the gospel to unbelievers in our lives, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us to forgive those who have hurt us terribly, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
If Jesus asks us stay sexually pure or marry only in the Lord or fight against the power of lust, we need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
We are not allowed to fudge on the Lord’s commands.
We need to follow Christ with unwavering obedience, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
What is God asking of you today? What command of His are you fudging on? You and I need to do it, "So Many Cubits by So Many Cubits."
#2. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you? God’s majestic holiness is all over this tabernacle. It’s made to remind us of His creation. It’s made of some of the best materials in His creation.
It’s progressively more and more holy and perfect in precious metals and symmetry.
It’s marked off by curtains and veils so that not just anyone can come in.
The curtains have cherubim on them to remind us of our Fall and our sin.
There is a great big altar and an atonement cover to remind us of our need for sacrifice and propitiation.
It progresses from a Holy Courtyard to a Holy Place to the Most Holy Place. And no one dares to enter God’s presence uninvited and without atonement.
This is a blueprint about the holiness of God. And it should make us tremble.
Yes, a blueprint should make us tremble.
But here’s where the good news of Jesus breaks in again. We need to hear about the holiness of God. But it’s to lead us to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10, verse 19.
"...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."
I could spend years unpacking Hebrews 8, 9, and 10! Verse 19 again.
"...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."
When Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of the Temple (the descendent of the Tabernacle) was torn in two.
God was symbolically opening up the way to Himself through Jesus. A new and living way through the curtain that was torn, His body.
And now, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place (the real one! The heavenly Most Holy Place!) by the blood of Jesus.
Application for today? Trust the blood of Jesus to enter into God’s holy presence.
TRUST JESUS AS YOUR WAY INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE
You may have not gotten a lot out of this tour of the tabernacle. You didn’t expect to come to lecture on architecture today. But God could save you through what this tabernacle is pointing to.
Without Jesus, you are not allowed into God’s presence because of your sin.
But Jesus has made a way to come to God and His awesome and Holy Presence [and enjoy Him forever!] by His blood.
To get there, you must go through Him. You need to trust Jesus as your way into the Most Holy Place. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
By trusting in Jesus, you can enter His presence.
Which is the main and greatest point of these blueprints.
#3. THESE ARE BLUEPRINTS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
The whole point of these three chapters is that God is planning to move into the neighborhood.
Chapter 25, verse 8.
"[H]ave them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them."
Chapter 25, verse 22
"There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."
Chapter 25, verse 30
"Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times."
The table is set. The light is still on. God is on His throne.
God is at Home among His people.
That’s what the blueprint was calling for.
And that’s what the blueprint foreshadowed.
A day when God would come and live with His people even more directly!
The tabernacle (or the Temple twice its size) could not contain God.
But the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 14 says, "The Word [God] became flesh and dwelled among us." Do you know what the Greek word behind "and dwelled among us" is?
Literally, it is "Tabernacled."
"God became flesh and tabernacled among us."
All of the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus Christ bodily!
Therefore, we should REJOICE THAT JESUS TABERNACLED WITH US.
He is Immanuel, God with us.
And His incarnation, His enfleshment, foreshadows an even greater day!
A day when God will live with His people in unshielded glory!
Rejoice that Jesus tabernacled with us. And anticipate the day when God will dwell with His people in unhindered, unbroken, unending, unimaginable glorious fellowship!
Revelation chapter 21. John says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
That’s what this blueprint is pointing towards.
The Day when we live in unshielded God’s presence.
And what a Day that will be!
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