Let’s talk furniture…

Let’s talk furniture… or how do we enter into true worship? Or can you see Jesus in it all?  Last year I taught this material in Exodus over the course of many weeks, but here’s a “lightning round” – a way too fast run through the approach to God in the tabernacle…and how it points to Jesus. (Warning: it’s longer than most of my posts.)

The OUTERSKIN – The outer screens (skin) shielded the tabernacle from view to the passerby. Just as the badger skin veiled the glory in the tabernacle; so also, Jesus was (is) also veiled to the mere passerby. He looked like everyone else – Isaiah said he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him; there was nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Many miss him (for now). One day, all shall see him and marvel. Under the OUTERSKIN (ramskin) is blood; so also, the blood of God flowed underneath the outer shell of Jesus’ body.

The DOOR — You enter the tabernacle through the one and only door (there is no other way into the presence of God); so also, Jesus said, “I am the door,” “I am the way,” “ I am the gate;” whoever enters through me will be saved.

The ALTAR –After entering through the door, the first piece of furniture is the altar.  Sacrifice is first.  This points to the cross of Jesus.  The only way we come into the presence of God is by first coming through the sacrifice – Jesus  is the lamb of God who offered himself on the cross, once for all, for the forgiveness of sins.  He is the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

The WASH BASIN – After the sacrifice comes washing. Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part in me.” (John 13)  So we see a sign of baptism – Jesus is the one who cleanses us.  Likewise, the water points to the Holy Spirit – “If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink and the water I give will rise up in him to everlasting life.”  So also, Titus 3:5-7 – “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Likewise, we are washed by the Word – Jesus is the word – He also said, “My word is truth. I only say what the Father tells me.” Jesus washes us. The Scripture washes us.

The TABLE OF SHOWBREAD – Having entered the outer chamber of the tent (The Holy Place), we receive of his body.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”  He also said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part in me.”

The GOLDEN LAMPSTAND – Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Likewise Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before men so they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The ALTER OF INCENSE – Jesus is our intercessor before the throne. There is no trial, testing or temptation that we cannot bear for His intercession sustains us and shows us the way of escape. Likewise our prayers come before God as sweet smelling incense.  Because the incense on the altar burned perpetually, so also we are never to cease praying, continually offering up a sweet-smelling aroma of the incense of our prayers.

The VEIL – The veil separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  The veil was so woven together that two pairs of oxen attached to either side and driven in opposite directions could not tear it apart. It was called the Shielding curtain because it shielded the Ark and the Presence of God from sinful man. It served as the barrier. Only the high priest could enter through the veil, once a year on the Day of Atonement.   Hebrews 10:20 tells us that Jesus’ body was a new and living way. His bodily death opened the way to God.  When he died on the cross, the veil of the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from top to bottom, symbolizing that God had opened the way for access to his presence.

The HIGH PRIEST – He could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year and he did so to make atonement for sin by offering blood.  Hebrews 2 tells us that in Jesus, “We have “a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, who makes atonement for the sins of the people.” Likewise, this great high priest has gone, not into the earthly tabernacle but into the heavenly tabernacle. Unlike the other high priests, Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for all sins once for all when he offered himself (Heb7).  Jesus said, “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:24

The ARK OF THE COVENANT/THE MERCY SEAT – The Ark was a small chest and on it’s lid was the Mercy Seat.  The Hebrew word for Mercy Seat is translated into Greek by the word Hilasterion. The English translation for the Greek is propitiation. Propitiation means to turn away God’s wrath by satisfying His violated justice. It was the blood of a spotless lamb (representing or substituting for the life of the sinner) that was sprinkled on the mercy seat. Inside the Ark was the 10 commandments and this represents what we are judged by (our failure to keep the whole law).   Later, a Pot of Manna would be added to the Ark – Jesus said, “ I am the bread that came down from heaven (MANNA).” “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  The bread represents our unwillingness to trust God’s provision for us. Also, later Aaron’s staff  which budded would be added to the Ark.  This represents our unwillingness to follow God’sleadership and our failure to exercise true worship.

What is the good news? Hebrews 9 tells us: “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself,”(Heb 9:24-26).

And Hebrews 10 says, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,  because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:  “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”^[Then he adds:“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since 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, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful,” (Heb 10:11-23).