Ex.25.10-22 Jesus the Ark of the Cov.

Last Wed. night we saw how 13 chapters in the Book of Exodus are devoted to the subject of the Tabernacle

A)We saw how these chapters dealing with the subject of the TABERNACLE are like a photo album of the PERSONALITY and MINISTRY of Jesus Christ

B) We looked closely at 7 parallels between the Tabernacle and Jesus Christ

1.) The Tabernacle in the wilderness was TEMPORARY in it's appointment 33-35 yrs

2.) The Tabernacle was used in the wilderness

So too was the ministry of Jesus -He came to this wilderness called

Earth and He lived a wilderness lifestyle

3.) The Tabernacle was humble in outward appearances

So too was Jesus

4.) Though humble in outward appearances, the Tabernacle was the DWELLING PLACE of God among men

There in the Holy of Holies there was the GLOW of the Shekinah

glory of God

Jesus was God dwelling among men... showing forth the

CHABOD... the glory of God

John 1:1; 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....And the Word was made flesh,and TABERNACLED among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

5.) The Tabernacle was not only the dwelling place of God among men, it was the MEETING PLACE of God with man

There in the wilderness, the ONLY place that the Israelites could meet with God was in the Tabernacle

Jesus Christ is the ONLY place where man meets with God

6.) The Tabernacle is where the priestly family of Israel was fed

Jesus is the source of nourishment for the believer

7.) The Tabernacle only had ONE door of entrance

It was large and it was woven with colors... Hard to miss

BUT - There was only one

Jesus Christ said in John 10: I am the door

TONIGHT we want to look inside the Tabernacle into the Holy of Holies – THAT IS WHERE GOD STARTS

A)He starts in the throne room if you would – in that place where the Glory of God dwelt – moves from the Holy of Holies out thru Veil to the Altar

B) Why is this significant ? Because as we noted last week this whole tent speaks to us of Jesus who came to Tab among us / be Savior of us

  1. His coming & that plan of Salvation – starts w/ God -

C) Jesus is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the World

  1. This whole plan of Salvation originated in the Godhead / at His throne

D) Beginning here in the Holy of Holies – illustrates that fact – God coming out to meet man

So we begin in the Holy of Holies and the first thing our attention is drawn to is the Ark of the Cov.

A)The Ark of the Covenant was actually a box that was approximately 4 feet long, by 2 feet wide, by 2 feet high.

  1. It was made of Acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold.

B)Within this box was placed the two tablets of stone upon which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments.

  1. Covered by a lid that was called the Mercy Seat

C) 7 DIFF. NAMES FOR THE ARK IN SCRIPTURE

  1. Ex.25:22 Ark of Testimony – Because it contained the tablets of the testimony – the Law & requirements

  2. Ark of Cov. – Num. 10:33 – Contained the Cov. The Contract of the Law

  3. Ark of the Lord of all the earth Josh. 3:15 / Crossed Jordan

  4. Ark of God 1 Sam.3:3 – This is interesting that God never identified Himself w/ any other vessel in the Tab.

  5. Ark of the Lord God – Adonai Jehovah –1 Kings 2:26 ref. To the Lord’s Headship over His people

  6. Holy Ark –2 Chron. 35:3 ref to the Character of God

  7. Ark of thy Strength - Psa. 132:8 – The mighty Power of God

THE ARK: A GLORIOUS PICTURE OF JESUS

A)1st The Humanity of Christ – in v.10 We are told that the Ark was to be make of Acacia wood

B)Acacia wood is the only wood in the world that does NOT rot.

C) So when the Lord says to make this Ark – He says to make it out of this wood that doesn’t Rot or decay

D)Wood throughout the Scriptures always speaks of HUMANITY.

  1. Thus This particular wood... ACACIA WOOD... speaks of a humanity that DOES NOT rot or decay

E) Which is a Powerful Picture of our Lord Jesus Christ

Hebr. 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.

Look at Jesus in the gospels see His love / His heart / His Personality –all of His human traits – there is nothing that falls apart / Decays / Changes

A)Friends change.... Families change.....Kids Change Jesus Christ DOESN'T. His humanity doesn't change.

Hebr. 2:17 7Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

B)Jesus SYMPATHIZES with us and understands us because He Himself is a man. He can relate to our Struggles having been thru what we have

1) Tempted in every way – Not sin

 

NOTE: THREE SIGNIFICANT things about ACACIA wood

1.) Acacia wood grows in very DRY and ARID areas.

2.) There are very long and sharp thorns on its branches.

3.) When you tap into the side of Acacia wood, you will get a flow of a gummy substance that in various areas of the world is used for medicinal purposes.

There is a healing virtue that comes out of the side of the Acacia tree when the tree is pierced.

What a PERFECT picture of Jesus

A) Speaking of Jesus some 700 years before His birth, the prophet Isa. said

Isa. 53:2 For he shall grow up as a root out of a dry ground

B) Jesus, Himself, bore thorns upon His own brow.

C) And When the nails pierced His hands and feet and when the spear pierced His side,

  1. there issued forth that which alone could heal us from our sins.

D)When His back was torn apart by the Roman whip, we had healing flow forth to us.

Isa. 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

E) So 1st the Acacia wood speaks of His Humanity - but then we read in v.11 that the Acacia wood was to be overlaid w/ Pure Gold

1) 2nd GOLD speaks of The Deity Of Christ

Gold, in the Scriptures, speaks of DEITY.

A)In this we have a blending of HUMANITY and DEITY. Jesus Christ is 100% God and yet He is 100% man.

B)HOW can you be 100% God and 100% man? I DON'T know!!

It is a MYSTERY.

1Tim. 3:16 And without controversy ( There is nothing to argue about – there is no bone of Contention here ) great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.

C) It is a Mystery YET here, thousands of years BEFORE the event of God becoming man, this MYSTERY is prefigured in the ark.

  1. The Acacia wood & the Gold – Humanity & Deity seen together

D) Note there in the Holy of Holies – The Gold is what is clearly seen !!!!!

  1. So the Ark speaks to us of the Deity of Christ & the Humanity of

Christ

 

3rd The Perfect Righteousness Of Christ v.16

Exod. 25: And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

A)The ARK was an open chest. The tablets of God inscribed with the 10 Commandments was placed inside of this chest

  1. and above the ark shone the Shekinah Glory of God ... the VISIBLE and TANGIBLE presence of God.

B)NOTE: Within the ARK is the very thing that CONDEMNS us... the Law.

1) The Law says, " ROB you have SINNED." I am a SINNER

C) Now a lot of people tend to think that the law was given as a means by which man could work his way to heaven – Nothing further from the truth

  1. Paul said the Law was a School Master – to lead us to Christ – It pts to how we have failed

D) When we see clearly the Requirements of God it only magnifies how short we fall of from His requirements

 

NOW WHY was the Law kept in the ark at all?

A)Because Jesus Christ, Who is perfectly pictured in the Ark, is the One who kept the Law perfectly.

B) In HIM the Law was fulfilled perfectly and completely.

1) APPLICATION: CHECK THIS OUT.

C)Do you know where I am TONIGHT - I am in Christ

Christ always kept the commandments.

A)In Him, the tables of the Law were kept perfectly... even as they were in the ARK.....

B)And I am in Jesus. – that is why Paul could say

Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

C)When you accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord something happened. You are placed IN Christ Jesus.

D)The one who kept the Law perfectly has covered you in His righteousness. You are united with Jesus and His righteousness.

  1. EXAMPLE: If you eat something, it becomes a part of you. It still exists but it is absorbed by you. You will never see it again

E)When we are IN CHRIST we are absorbed by Him.

1) When the Father views me..... He looks at me as being IN CHRIST.

F) I am IN THE ARK.... in the One who KEPT the Law perfectly.

Phil. 3:8-9 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Paul says I need to be found in Him – not having a Righteousness that is my own – not based in something that I have done

A)There is no other source of Righteousness than that which is in Christ Jesus Are you IN HIM today?

B) That is the ONLY place of RIGHT STANDING with God.

4th Ark Contained the Place WHERE GOD MEETS MAN The Mercy Seat READ V.17-22

A)The ARK OF THE COVENANT was an open chest. The MERCY SEAT fit right on top of the ARK.

  1. This solid gold MERCY SEAT was a LID for the ARK OF THE COVENANT.

B) The MERCY SEAT was incredibly costly because it was made of solid gold. It was the most expensive piece in the Tab.

  1. WHY? Because God places PRIORITY on MERCY and GRACE.

C) You want to Value something in Life ? Value what God Values

1) MICAH 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy,

D) Why Love Mercy ? God loves mercy / God sets a high Price on Mercy

1) God says I want you to take that which speaks of Mercy & make it the most Valuable Piece of the Tab. – PURE GOLD

E) How often do we want to run to God for mercy & yet we don’t show mercy to anyone else

 

The Only Approach To God Once a year, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

A)On that day, he would sprinkle blood upon the MERCY SEAT 7 times.

B) WHY 7 times? Isn't once enough for God. YES.. Once is enough for God.

  1. But we need to see it OVER and OVER again.

C)Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. It was for OUR SAKES that it was sprinkled 7 times.

It takes time for us to understand that it is the BLOOD that allows us to come meet with God and enjoy fellowship with God.

A)We are slow in learning that it is in only in the Blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat that we can come to God

B)God said: "I will meet with you". WHERE? At the MERCY SEAT.

1) That is where I will commune w/ You !!!

C) God says "I am NOT going to meet with you based upon your keeping of the commandments"..... "I am NOT going to meet with you by virtue of your own religious efforts and successes."

D)God said: "I will meet with you at the MERCY SEAT."

  1. I NEVER approach God on the basis of my devotional life........ my knowledge of the Word, my going to church, or my giving.

E) It WON'T work. I approach God on one basis only.......... MERCY.

Mercy = NOT getting what we deserve.

A)I never want to ask God for Justice

B) Politicians – can be Vain - Picture Doesn’t do me Justice - Face …mercy

  1. We often hear people talk about their BEST SIDE – in the eyes of the Lord – we don’t have a BEST SIDE –

C) Apart from Christ we look bad on all sides – every aspect

Do you feel like a sinner? Good!! You SHOULD, because you ARE!!

A)Some people say we should never feel bad about ourselves –You need a good self image

B) I don’t find that anywhere in the Bible – what I do find in the Bible is God declaring You are a miserable WRETCH

C) But when you realize that & "Humble yourself & come to God at the mercy seat – You get grace like you could never imagine

  1. Grace is getting what You don’t deserve

D)Forgiveness & Blessing – all you need to Live for Christ & walk w/ Christ in this life !!!!

E) God declares "Quit trying to EARN a relationship with Me."

" I will meet with you ONLY at the MERCY SEAT."