Ex.25:1-9 The Tabernacle Prt.1

Intro: If you have had little kids – you have probably heard this response before – when asking your Kids a question concerning why they did something - You ask – why ……

A)They say – I DON’T KNOW !!!!!

B) Or – this one – BECAUSE - because why ? I don’t know Just Because

  1. Then when they get really clever they will add this phrase –

I don’t know – Just because - Who CARES any way

C) Well tonight we are going to begin looking at a particular portion of Scripture that if you asked most Christians why this is in the Bible

  1. Get a similar response - I DON’T KNOW – OR why did God Devote 13 Chapters to the instructions on how this was to be Built –

I ………JUST BECAUSE

D) Why are there two different listing of the building instructions found in this Book – I……JUST BECAUSE – WHO CARES ANY WAY !!!!

 

This is a Significant portion of scripture – how do we know that ? God gave a lot of Chapters to it . Ch. 25-40 ( 32-34) break - / 13 Chapt.

A)I find it interesting that the Lord gives two Chapters in His word to the subject of CREATION

B) The Creation of the Stars – just 6 words And He made the stars also – but when it comes to this tent – in the wilderness 13 Chapters – WHY?

  1. The Tabernacle Pictures at least 3 things – 1st Heb.8:5 it is a Picture of the Heavenly place in which God has His Dwelling/

C)2nd – Picture of Jesus – meeting place between God & Man / 3rd – Tab is a type of Christ in the Church of the communion Jesus & all believers

Although we want to focus on all 3 of those aspects – We will primarily give our attention to the 2nd aspect –How it Pictures Jesus

A)Now to many people pictures are exciting – for good reason – pictures are

Exciting when the pictures are of People you love

B) All have Scrap books / creative memories – your kids your family

  1. Picture frames in my office of my wife & kids – / Travel always carry pictures of the Family - Precious – I love them

C) But to a Stranger – they could careless – those pictures are not going to mean anything – slide show of your family – BORING

  1. Airplane – See my wife & kids – New seat

D) Interesting once there is a connection – Sharing on the plane – Married any kids – Yes pull out the pictures

  1. Conf. – Connect w/ a group – I talk a lot about my family – Pictures

E) Because they have Connected w/ me – They are interested in the pictures of my Family

 

Well this section of scripture on the Tabernacle is like a Photo album of Jesus Christ – See His Personality / Character / Ministry

A)I love these pictures because someone I love / Someone I am connected w

B) The more time we give to studying these pictures the deeper we look into this subject of the Tab. / The more impressed we will become w/ J.C.

1) And the More in Love – we will become w/ Him !!!

C) Now How do we know that this is a picture J.C. –

D) Well in JN.1 we read -1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

  1. W in Word is Capitalized = Logos = Jesus v.14 Word ….Flesh… DWELT .. glory …full of grace and Truth

Now the word DWELT = Tabernacled – Tabernacled among us

A)Now Jesus declared – in the Volume of the Book it is written of me & this is one of the many examples -

B) What we are going to see is that every aspect of this Tent – speaks to us of Christ which we are going to make note of in some very specific ways

  1. For our purpose tonight – I want us to see how the Tabernacle Parallels and Pictures Christ in a very General sense / 7 ways

#1 The Tab. Had a temporary Appointment :

A)The Tab was this tent of meeting that Israel was instructed by the Lord to use as a place of worship in the Wilderness

B) Diagram – The Tab. Is the long rectangle inside the Dotted area – Tent of skins - It was divided into two Compartments

  1. Bigger compartment – was the HOLY PLACE – 15 FT.wide – 30 lgth

Smaller – Holy of Holies – 15 by 15 – Ark – Shekinah

C) The Tab. Sat in the mist of this courtyard that was surrounded by this fence that was also made of skins 75 ft. wide / 150 long

  1. Inside the Courtyard was The Brazen Altar – fire always burning – sacrifice – ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING

D) Bronze laver where the Priest would wash after the Sacrifice was offered

1) Study the significance of all these things in coming weeks

 

Now where ever Israel went in the Wilderness – they took this Tent w/ them – Tear it down and set it up

A)But it’s purpose was for their time in the wilderness only – it had a temporary appointment

B) Careful study of the book of Exodus will show that it was only used for 33-35 of their 40 yrs in the wilderness

C) Consider Parallel w/ Jesus although He has always existed – His appointment here on earth was Temporary

  1. Interesting that His time here was between 33 to 35 yrs of age

D) Personal opinion that when we get to Heaven – we are going to find that the time Israel used the Tab. In the Wilderness

  1. Coincides exactly to the amount of time that Jesus Tabernacled here on the earth

 

Now the Tab. Was designed to be moved – it could be dismantled w/ relative ease – It was continually on the move

A)So too Jesus is on the move – He uprooted out of Heaven if you would

Came to this earth

B) Ministry was marked by moving from town to town – Place to place seeking those who were lost

  1. CAPERNAUM – small towns

C) He was on the move here in His ministry - / After the Rez He ascended up into Heaven – where Seated at the right Hand

  1. But Jesus is still on the move – speaking in terms of tent – Jesus is pulling of the tent stakes and getting ready to return to this earth

D) Talk w/ Aaron – How do we know last days – Prophecy fulfilled

  1. Technology in place – Sat. / Computer Chips / Nuclear weapons / Israel

E) End times growing more & more wicked – Certainly the case in our world We have lost all sense of order & of Justice -

  1. Political Correctness – Tolerance ( College RA) Newsweek Sex

 

Lord Help us !!!! Lord Jesus come quickly – I think that He is !!!!! Jesus is on the Move – Getting ready to Return

2nd Parallel – The Tab. Was used in the wilderness

A)Jesus left the throne of glory and came to this wilderness called earth

B) Jesus even spent time Literally in the wilderness –where He was tempted by the Devil

  1. Jesus lived a wilderness lifestyle – No where to lay His head

C) What a contrast to the earthly kings who amass wealth for themselves

  1. Even in the most struggling societies – where much of the population could be starving or rationing food – the Dignitaries live in Luxury

D) And in more advanced societies – the Dignitaries live w/ the most Extravagant of Luxuries

E) But The Creator of all things who is called the KING OF KINGS denied Himself of everything for you and for me

  1. So we could inherit all things – He left the throne in glory & came to

dwell in this wilderness called earth so we could live w/ Him in Glory

 

3rd Parallel – The Tab. Had a Humble outward appearance – Nothing impressive – tent & skins - ( Temple – pictures 2nd coming )

A)Tab which pictures first coming – came to Tabernacle among men wasn’t an impressive structure at all

B) So too Jesus had a very Humble outward appearance - Isa.53 He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him. ( Peoples 50 most beautiful people)

C) No glamour nor glitter – again How different from the celebrities of our day – dawn the most outlandish attire

  1. Most of us remember Elton John – Big Hats / glasses – far out costumes

D) Read Glam Rock is making a Come back – Big hair – spandex – make up

E) Mags – Best and worst Dressed Celebrities – Pictures of Academy awards – Most outlandish outfits

  1. Jesus wasn’t like that

 

Jesus was very ordinary in His appearance – didn’t stick out in a crowd

A)JUDAS – How will we know – didn’t say – He will be the guy who looks like Arnold Swarz. / Be the guy in Spandex

B) Be the guy w/ the purple and orange hair and 20 earrings -

1) There was nothing about Jesus appearance that Drew attention to himself

#4 Although humble in appearance – The Tabernacle was the Dwelling place of God among men

A)It was there in the mist of Israel’s camp that God took up His abode

( Neat Picture – tribes camped around)

B) There in the Holy of Holies the glory of God DWELT –

  1. And on the day of Atonement the High priest would go into the Tab. Pass into the Holy of Holies – Blown away – amazed by the Glory of God

C) No lamps in the Holy of Holies because the Glory of God Lit up the room

  1. The Tab. Was the dwelling place of God among men

 

So too although Jesus was so ordinary in His outward appearance that He would stand out in a group of men

A)He was literally the dwelling place of God amongst men !!!

B) 2Cor.5:19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,

C) The Eternal God / the maker of heaven and earth – literally Tabernacled among men – We beheld His glory …… grace & truth

D) When did they behold His Glory ? Mtt.17 Mt of Transfig. – Jesus began to shine the Glory began to shine thru His humanity

  1. See Jesus glowed inside w/ the very Presence of God

 

Remember how Peter responded – Lord it is good for us to be here

A)Two reasons – why Peter said this – first told in Marks gospel – He didn’t know what to say – Blown away say something

B) Second reason – Peter experienced something that He had been longing for his entire life !!!

  1. See the O.T. word for glory is a Word – KABOD / a word that is translated elsewhere – Weighty / heavy – substance

C) All of us have experienced the COTTON CANDY –affects of this life been attracted to certain things - think – substance –

  1. Bite into it and it is like Cotton candy – Air – No weight / substance

D) See people pursing things – this is going to be it - Not Cotton candy

 

Mankind is hungering for the KABOD – the Glory – that which has weight & meaning

A)Personally I believe in the Garden that Adam & Eve before the fall lived in the Presence of the Kabod – aspect of Glory (Adam walked….)

B) But when they sinned there was ICHABOD !!!!

  1. Ichabod = The Glory has departed – they had the Kabod but then they sinned & it was Ichabod – the glory departed

C) And from that time on man has been looking for some substance to bite into – something –weight and meaning !!

  1. Man today is painfully aware of His lack of Substance in life and that is why he goes from one absurd extreme to the next in looking for it

D) Pudding Man

 

Listen what we need is what Peter saw – That which came forth from Jesus and that which was in the Tab.

A)The Tab was the dwelling place of God w/ men – the Glory was there and Jesus is the dwelling place of God w/ Men – Glory was in Him

B) And that is what man needs / that is what man is hungering for / desiring is the Glory / the KABOD

  1. Seen in the Tab & seen in Jesus

 

#5 Not only was the Tab the Dwelling place of God among men but it was the meeting place of God w/ man

A)44 times in scripture the Tab is also called the Tent of meeting – it is where God met w/ man in the wilderness

B) If the Israelite desired to draw near to God – He had to come to the Tabernacle

C) Jesus – declared JN.14:6 No man comes to the father but by me!!!

D) People today try to meet w/ God thru a lot of different vehicles

  1. Some thru – religious works or affiliation – Every Sunday stir themselves out of Bed – head off to some Church building – Meet w/ God

E) Others – meet w/ God in nature – in the Mts – in the Waves

  1. Others drugs / Their education / Their Integrity

 

But the only true basis & Vehicle we have for meeting w/ God is found in Jesus Christ – Newsweek Young people’s interest in spiritual

A)Smorgasbord – Last days – Itching ears – What Young people need today is see Kids there age Really Experiencing God

A)Eph.3:12 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

B) Access = the right of entrance /Boldness = freedom of speech

1) CONFIDENCE = to feel right at home

C) It is only in Jesus that can be achieved – Access by the Blood / where we can feel at home in the presence of God - Guilt removed sins forgiven

  1. Where we can freely express our hearts to the Father – who is all Ears

D) The Tab. Was the tent of meeting & today – God the father points to His Son & says this is where I will meet w/ You !!!!

 

#6 The Tabernacle was the place where the Priestly family was fed

A)The Priestly family would eat of the Sacrifices that were offered

B)Now we noted in our study Sun. – in 1 Pet. 2 The Lord calls us a ROYAL & a HOLY priesthood

  1. If you are a Believer in J.C. you are a part of the Lord’s Priestly family

C) And I encourage you to eat of Jesus – the Sacrificial lamb

  1. What we are symbolizing tonight as we partake of communion – Our life our Salvation / our Substance is in You !!!!

D) You are our Nourishment – That is what we are Celebrating in Communion.

  1. Just like the Priest ate of the Sacrifices and were nourished – we eat and drink of Jesus and are Nourished by Him

 

 

 

 

 

Finally – Not only a Temp. appointment / Used in the wilderness / Dwelling place of God among man / Meeting place w/ Man / Priestly family fed

A)Lastly – Tab was the Center of Israel’s camp - Configured in Cross

B) Balaam – couldn’t curse – Jesus became Curse – He is the Center of the camp / We are gathered here tonight around Him

1) Center of the Church - Lord lead us !!!!