Dwelling With GOD, Part 3 - Tabernacle Furniture

The Brazen Altar – The place of sacrifice.

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The very 1^st thing you would encounter as you walk through the main entrance to the Tabernacle is the this very large, very special and at the risk of sounding sacrilegious, Barbecue Pit.

Exod 27:1   "You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long [7.5'] and five cubits wide [4.5']- the altar shall be square-- and its height shall be three cubits.

Verses 2-7 lists many of the details of it, but again the point is...

8   "You shall make it hollow with boards; as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it. (NKJV)

This Brazen Altar was very different than the piles of rock altars mentioned in other parts of Scripture. It is very special and for a very special purpose. We cannot come before God without sacrifice, we cannot bring sin into His presence. Access to the Holy Place, and then the Holy of Holies; was blocked by the Brazen Altar. Something happens at this altar:

Exod 29:36   "And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.

37   "Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

Heb 9:22   … and without shedding of blood 

there is no remission

This altar was that place of sacrifice, a place to butcher and cook the various sacrifices and offerings. People brought their animals here to offer to God for sin and peace offerings. The priests had the butchering and cooking jobs. The disgusting aspects of this place remind us of how gross sin is before God. The great smell of meat cooking stirs the senses, stimulating a hunger for fellowship with God made possible by the sacrifice. 

The Brazen Altar was made of bronze, not gold like all the other items we have mentioned so far. Gold is not a good material to cook on. Bronze is an alloy made from copper and tin. Neither of these materials are very strong by themselves, but when combined, you have a very durable material that can handle the heat. This speaks of our lives with or without Christ.

The scriptures repeatedly bring up the concept of sacrifice. The sacrifices at this altar are described in detail in Ex.29:36-42. What is wonderful is the next verse after this description:

Exod 29:42   "This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you.

43   "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. (NKJV)

We need to recognize that our churches, whether mega, big or small, are sanctified. We need to cherish that this setting apart is evidenced by His presence. 

Definition of Sanctity from https://www.dictionary.com/:

1.   Sanctify your hearts.

2.   to purify or free from sin:

3.   to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.

4.   to impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding:

5.   to make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing.

There is a price to experience this fellowship. Jesus paid it for us at the Cross.

Matt 4:17    From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (NKJ)

We have to repent in order to experience the Kingdom of God. He gives us the grace and power to do so but we have to do it. This is why the horns of this altar are so important:

Ps 118:27    God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (NKJ)

We often struggle with giving something to God then take it back. It takes an act  of our will, empowered by the Holy Ghost within, to tie it to the horns of the altar and leave it there, let it be consumed by the fire of God.

When you give something to God, DON'T TAKE BACK

Exodus 30:1   “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense..

7   “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.

8   And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

9   Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

When the priest went to tend the Golden Candlestick, he also was to burn incense at the Golden Altar. This Altar was in the Holy Place, with the Candlestick just outside the Veil of the Holy of Holies. This was a special place that only the High Priest went and this was an important part of his daily work. What a job, to enjoy God’s Presence in this beautiful Holy Place!!

Psalm 27:4   The one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

5   For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

David makes this a place of Praise, exploding the concept of this wonderful relationship with God beyond those special people in the fancy clothes. We can all experience this relationship with God because in the New Covenant we are all Priests and Kings before God. But there is another awesome analogy to see concerning the Altar of Incense.

The sweet smelling smoke of the incense at this altar

carries our prayers to the Throne of God in Heaven

Rev. 8:3   Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne.

4   Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. (MSG)

The sweet smelling smoke of the incense at this altar carries our prayers to the Throne of God in Heaven. This altar, consecrated by the sprinkling of blood, covered in gold, is a place of prayer, a place to share your heart with God.

Ps 91:1   He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2   I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." (NKJ)

We see in these verses the 1st aspect of prayer in this place, to find God as our refuge from the cares of this life. Oh, what a burden lifter He is. How awesome to be

1 Pet 5:7   casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJ)

Prayer is so powerful and the vehicle by which we see victory in every spiritual battle. We know from the verse just quoted that He hears our prayers.

Eph 6:12   For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NKJ)

This victory is confirmed in the following verses, and many other places.

1 John 5:14   And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

15   And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (NLT)

The Lampstand

Exod 25:31 31   “Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals.

Verses 32-38 list many details of it but the point is...

39   You will need 75 pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.

40   “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.

The Lampstand has become a significant symbol throughout Jewish history. Celebrating the miracle of Chanukah keeps it a constant ornament in every Jewish home. I especially appreciate the way Jesus explodes the concept into the lives of believers:

Matt 5:14   "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15     "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16     "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Jesus so often takes a spiritual truth and makes it such a wonderful, practical reality for us to walk in. What is Jesus saying for us to be and to do today? Understanding that we are in the end times should provoke us all the more to get a hold of present day application of the Word, present day apprehension of His power to live the Word and be the Light of the World. We must always walk in Holiness and stay RAPTURE READY.

What is this light that we reflect? The lampstand was made of pure gold, a substance used throughout the Word as a symbol of God’s purity, His Holiness and His Presence. Matt. 5:16, quoted above, defines the test of ones’ spirituality. Is your life a reflection of His Glory?

Impurity in your life is like thick steam clouding it up. Great harm has been done to the cause of Christ by those to whom great light was shined on but they didn’t reflect it clearly.

1 John 2:15    Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16    For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. (AMP)

To look at what we should reflect, meditate on 1Cor.13. And let’s keep it simple:

Romans 14:16   Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

17   for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

19   Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

There were many great revivals in the 19th and 20th century. Typical in all of them were the intercessors, people who spent many hours in prayer and fasting for the results of evangelistic meetings or for changes in places. This part of the country needs revival and it will take intercessors to bring it about. It also takes those who reflect the light of the Lamp stand

Matt. 5: 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your  good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I John 3:8b…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (NKJ)

DWELLING WITH GOD, Part 1, A Study of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness

2 Cor 6:16   ...For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

The Hebrew word for sanctuary is mishkan, which means dwelling place. It is used 139 times in the OT, always referring to the sanctuary, the “tent of meeting.” Just as God was with His people in the wilderness, His desire is to be with His people today.

1 Cor 3:16   Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

When we hear God’s heartbeat, we hear this and Jn. 3:16. Let your senses and your spirit experience the atmosphere of this dwelling place,

Zeph. 3:17   ”The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” (KJV)

When we are used to living in such a beautiful, relational place with God then the adversities of life on this planet effect us differently than they did before. Sure we feel things emotionally. Disappointment, sorrow, grief, panic when the car is broken and there’s no budget to fix it. Some anxieties are normal, and if we understand the process they will cause our faith to grow. Our compassion for others grows deeper. They no longer shake our faith, hinder our hope or confidence that “God’s got this.” We can better deal with those emotions and put the worry & panic aside.

Moses goes into God’s Presence:

The description in Ex. 25 is preceded by several wonderful chapters describing miraculous things God is doing with Moses and Israel. We see Moses frequently communing with God and receiving the 10 Commandments. Now, just before the “tent of meeting” is detailed, there is a key to hearing God’s heartbeat. Moses took a risk to get closer to the presence of God. Picture the scene at the end of Ex. 24 as the Lord calls Moses

Moses responds

Ex. 24:15, “Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.”

So far this sounds pretty cool, like something many believers would not hesitate to do, WOW, EXPERIENCE THE SHEKINAH. Look a little further, are you ready for this?

Ex. 24:16   “And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.

17   To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire.

18   Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Moses followed God’s calling to him to come to a place where:

Ø 2 friends would talk

Ø Moses might hear God’s heart beat

Ø 40 days alone with God was worth the hike and changed the course of history 

Jesus extended that invitation,

Are we that desperate for intimacy with God that we would climb up a mountain, get to the top even though it looked like “consuming fire?” Was Peter that desperate when he got out of the boat to walk on the water in the midst of a storm? Aren’t you glad Jesus makes it easy for us. The Message Bible put is this way:  Look at the purpose of this elaborate, ornate, detailed Tabernacle again,

Exodus 25:8   “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I CAN LIVE AMONG THEM.

SUNY COLLEGE AT CORTLAND

Where people live together, they relate to one another. This is not in

the context of “roommates” living in the same dorm room but not in real relationship with each other. Living in the dorm in my 1^st semester in college was a drag. Later I lived with guys who became good friends, one in particular has been a friend ever since. This next verse defines it well.

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

He is called the God of the whole earth.

Its on God’s Terms

This relationship; however must be on His terms, “He is Lord.” Matthew Henry put it this way,

“For the scripture is designed to direct us in our duty, not to fill our heads with speculations, nor to please our fancies.” Matthew Henry, commentary on Ex. 25:1-9

Our relationship with God is not on our own terms. Though we live under grace, not law, we cannot live with the concept that everyone can do what is right in his own eyes. Living for the Lord has comforting boundaries as these verses describe:

Exod. 25:9   You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.

Matt. 4:17, ”Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Studying the tabernacle will give us insights into God’s terms for this relationship. His terms are wonderful and reflect His loving character.

Look again at

Ex. 25:1   “The Lord said to Moses,”

Though the Scriptures repeat this phrase, or others like it frequently, think about the consequence of these occurrences and think of how rarely they occur in the lives of Bible characters. We have daily communication with the Father but words with such tremendous consequence are rare. Yes we must be led by the Spirit but we are given wisdom to live. There are those special times when you know you have heard from God and they should always be “wows” to us. Such special instructions reveal conditions of the heart.

Exodus 25:2 “Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them.

God told Moses to ask about 2 million people to give allot. Now that’s a WOW. The Lord was very specific in His instructions and showed His character. He was asking, not ordering, the people to part with a large amount of high dollar stuff. Nothing in the list (verses 3-7) was common or inexpensive. These former slaves did not leave Egypt empty handed, they came into some big bucks. Now the Lord is asking them to give it to build the Tabernacle. The verse emphasizes that this must be a willing, heart felt, offering. Remember, these are Jews, and the response was overwhelming. Now that is a WOW.

When God makes His plan and purpose plain, and shows His love at the same time, His people respond. Hearts are moved to sacrificial action at the demonstration of His love and power. This awesome display of supernatural power on Mt. Sinai coupled with a request, not an order, is a combination the hearts of man cannot but respond to generously.

In Conclusion.

picture from THE SHACK movie showing the
main character standing with the Trinityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0yUbSS5Eg

We see that God, motivated by His great love for man, fervently, eagerly, earnestly desires that there be a meeting place, indeed a dwelling place, where HE is among us. The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a shadow, a pre-cursor, to the reality of a people who are new creatures in Christ, a people with God in our hearts and living a life of worship. When in that place of relationship with God who is in our hearts, worship becomes a lifestyle. As we continue this study over the next several weeks, and look at some details of this magnificent tent of meeting, it is with the emphasis that we grow closer to the wonderful God we worship, who continuously reveals Himself to us in so many ways.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

THE CHALLENGE:

The invitation God gave Moses to come up to Him is extended to us. We have the choice. Do we climb the mountain of His love, leading others to freedom, or do we take the easy way and slide into the muck of sin? With every temptation, He makes a way of escape. Do you ascend the hill of the Lord, or slide to hell on greasy grace? Life or death, it’s our choice. Make a positive difference or be another slime ball just fitting in with a hell bound crowd? Our love affair with God should be sufficient motivation to climb up, go up the stairs into His chambers. Love is not something you fall into, it is a mountain to climb. I hope you always decide to keep climbing the mountain. 

Do we love our friends, acquaintances and family enough to pray for opportunities to have this conversation with them?

DWELLING WITH GOD, PART 2

We left off in Part 1 with the topic of how our relationship with God is on His terms. This is illustrated in the Lord’s direction concerning the design of the tabernacle,

Exodus. 25:9. “According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Everything must come back to this cornerstone truth that the Tabernacle is where we live with God, where we relate to Him. The Father’s heart is not just to have weekly visits with the Saints in the church house, He wants to live among us.

What the Scripture Doesn’t Say

It is crucial in our relationship with the Lord, or anyone else for that matter, that we not get

side tracked and end up where neither nor the Lord intended. It is easy to get side tracked, the enemy would love to see you so busy with what doesn’t matter that you miss the things the Lord has for you. There are many specifics not mentioned in the description of the tabernacle. As an engineer, my carnal mind finds this irritating, I want more detail. The Lord wonderfully gives us all we need, let’s not scientifically try to analyze manna, or the Trinity, arguing as we do so.

Ex.25: 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

Verses 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

3    Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze;

4    blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth;

5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood;

6 olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;

7 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

They didn’t know if they would be in 1 place long enough to complete the project, or if they might have to be transporting all this stuff. The scripture didn’t have to say any more for us to get the message to give what the Lord puts on your heart to give, give willingly, give generously, give specifically.

Ex. 25:10    “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long,

27   inches wide, and 27 inches high.

11    Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. 

12    Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.

Here is some description the ark, but how were the sides joined? How was the bottom held in place? How thick were the boards that it was made of? How thick was the overlay? What was the diameter of the rings to hold the staves?– Who cares? The fact that these scriptures don’t mention these details is that they don’t matter. Those details won’t help you win the lost or become more like Jesus.

Ex. 25:13    Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 

14   Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. 

15    These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.

How long were these sticks? What was their diameter? How thick was the gold overlay? Did they stick out past the Ark, like we see in pictures, or where they same length as the Ark, so it was carried like a coffin? This would make it easier to walk around inside the Holy of Holies? After all, the Lord did say not to remove the sticks from the rings. Can’t you just do what the Lord asks you to do without knowing all the details? Do you really need to know all the long term implications of obedience? Isn’t God trustworthy? He will give us all we need so let’s not complain or get hung up on tangents that don’t profit.

The Tabernacle symbolizes the unity of the Church

Exodus 26 contains considerable detail about the construction of the tabernacle: The walls and curtains, the boards, the support pieces and connectors. The roof is made of several layers of different cloth and skins. There is significance in the typology of all the detail, however, let’s look at it from above, as the eagle looks down and sees it.

First of all, this is no ordinary tent. It is extremely beautiful and ornate. It is built 1^st class. This shows the nature of God and also how the Father sees the heart of His kids. We can be comfortable in such beauty and splendor, in such extravagance, because we are children of the King of Kings. This is a beautiful place and God sees you as so beautiful, so lovely. He loves you enough to have given His life for your redemption. The Holy of Holies is such an awesome place, so much gold, so much amazing craftsmanship, such a beautiful veil to pass through to get inside. It is in this place that the Father wants to meet with us, at the Mercy Seat, at the heart of everything that the Tabernacle is all about.

Another amazing thing about this tent is that it all fits together. There are lots and lots of pieces. There are big pieces, little pieces, heavy stuff and small lightweights, wood, gold brass, silver, cloth, animal skins. Each piece has prophetic significance, has practical functions and some life application of scripture. All this stuff can only be put together “according to the pattern shown thee on the mount.” Can you see the analogy to the church, to the Body of Christ?

Psalm 133:1   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

This verse becomes more important in this light. What would happen if the blue loop on the edge of the curtain told the gold tache to stay away, “leave me alone, I don’t want to be connected to that other blue loop.”? (Ex. 26:6). There wouldn’t “be one tabernacle.” What about that big wood board (Ex 26:16), covered in gold? It is happy to be between 2 other boards just like itself, but Oh No, it refused to be put into that socket, thinking it is too good to be put into inferior silver. It would fall down! I believe the Lord sheds tears over the disunity within churches and between churches and denominations.

God’s Presence goes with us:

The first detail listed is the Ark of the Covenant. Just the name of this item indicates that a relationship with God is a place of safety. Noah built the ark that God used to save life from the flood. A covenant is more binding than a legal contract so entering into covenant with The Father demonstrated His love and power throughout the Bible is a safe thing to do.

The intent of this special piece of furniture known as the Mercy Seat, is the place to hang out with God.

Ex. 25:22  “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…”

The Ark of the covenant played a very significant role in the Exodus, and at other times in ancient Jewish history. The Biblical precedent is,

Num 10:33 “And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.”

It is symbolic of God’s omnipresence, you take Him with you wherever you go. The whole tabernacle was designed for mobility, for frequent set-up, tear dawn and transport. From wherever you were when you first got saved, until you get to heaven, your life is an exodus and the Lord is with you throughout the trip. The following promise to Moses is something we can cling to today:

Exodus 33:14   The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

15   Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.

16    How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

It was work to take the ark with them. They had to tear it down, carry every piece with them and set-it all up again when the Lord said to. Just think of the logistics off all that. It was heavy, especially with its contents. It takes some work to carry His presence with us wherever we go. It involves staying prayed up and walking in the Spirit. It requires understanding and bearing the weight of His glory, not just in church, but in the world. Jesus is our example, look what happened when He showed up at the wedding party. He didn’t steal the show but He sure made a difference.

In Conclusion:

We have the choice, continually before us. Do we carry this heavy ark, leading others to freedom, or do we take the easy way and slide into the muck of sin? With every temptation, He makes a way of escape. Ascend the hill of the Lord, or slide down to the pits of hell on greasy grace? Life or death, it’s our choice. Make a positive difference or be another slime ball just fitting in with a hell bound crowd? Our love affair with God should be sufficient motivation to climb up, go up the stairs into His chambers. Love is not something you fall into, it is a mountain to climb. Aaron, and his sons, had to maintain and put on the beautiful priestly clothes. Are you wearing yours?