Exodus 27:1-21 In The Courtyard

Intro In the Courtyard – surrounded by a fence - 150 ft. long and 75 ft. wide

A)We have to stop and think what must have gone through the mind of Moses there on Mt. Sinai as God was giving these dimensions to him.

B)"Wait a minute God...... Did you leave off a few Zeroes on these figures?"

3 Million people – space – 150 ft. by 75

1) Lord answer - "Don’t worry Moses, 150x75 will suffice"

C) See Even though there were 3 million people, not very many would take advantage of the opportunity to Draw near –

1) History of the People – Moses – You go – we will watch at a Distance

What about us?

A)WE have been given ACCESSIBILITY and opportunity through our Tabernacle.... Jesus Christ..... to come into the glory of God

B) But I wonder how busy heaven was today- How many of God’s people here on earth CROWDED into His presence today?

C) Did you know that there are approximately 1 billion people on the earth today that call themselves Christian

1)Yet I wonder how many longed for His presence today.....How many

pressed into His presence today.....How many lived in His presence today

D) Experiencing the FULNESS of life in His presence?

That is what Christianity is about - ABUNDANT LIFE

Even tonight in Worship - Or are you just in church?

One of the things reminded in this study – Access – Veil –Rent

READ V.1-8

Once a person entered thru the gate the first thing they would see was the Bronze or Brass Altar

A)You COULDN’T miss it / It was the FIRST piece of furniture and it was the BIGGEST piece of furniture

B) Cubit = 18 inches – so 71/2 ft long / 71/2 ft. wide / 41/2 High

C) MATERIALS – Acacia wood – over laid w/ Brass

Acacia wood – Humanity – especially Christ Humanity – Found in the dry desert – pierced – Healing ointment

D) Brass – JUDGEMENT - Whenever you come across this metal in your studies it always speaks of judgement

Samson was bound with BRASS fetters after his sin

Rev.1:15 John’s Vision of Conquering Jesus - Feet like Brass refined in the furnace

A)In Numbers 16 the children of Israel were complaining and murmuring

Even though they had nothing to murmur & complain about

B) Ever say to your kids – Stop your crying or I will give you something to cry about ? ( How many of your parents said that to you ?)

Well the Lord does that there in Numbers 21 – they were complaining for no reason – he gave them something to complain about

C) God allowed them to be bitten by poisonous serpents

1) They were dying and Moses sought the Lord for them The Lord said:

D) Fashion a BRASS snake and attach it to a BRASS pole, & tell them that whoever will look at that BRASS serpent on that BRASS pole will be saved

Now the people had a Choice to make that day – Look at the Pole and be saved or don’t look & be Lost – DEATH

A)Some looked – and were saved – but others didn’t look – and were lost – it says that many died that day

B) Apparently their were those who thought it was too dumb to look at a Serpent on a Pole – I’m not doing that

C) Now here is what is interesting is :That scene in Num. 21 pointed to Jesus Christ- see We have been bitten by Sin !!!!!

In John 3:14 Jesus talking to Nic.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

D) So Jesus said that He would be put on a Cross & lifted up

And people have the same Choice today – Look to Jesus & be

healed / have life or Refuse & be Lost

But why a snake ?

A)Jesus Christ was made sin for us - He bore the JUDGEMENT of God in my place

B) God judged His son – instead of Judging You

He took upon Himself the wrath that was meant for us

C) He was the Acacia wood overlaid – w/ Brass – His flesh was overlaid w/ JUDGMENT – My God ……

Died of a Broken heart

Spurgeon In the French revolution, a young man was condemned to the guillotine and shut up in one of the prisons. He was greatly loved by many, but there was someone who loved him more than all the others put together. That one was his own father, and the love he bore his son was proved in this way:

when the lists were called, the father--whose name was exactly the same as the son's--answered to the name, and the father rode in the gloomy tumbrel out to the place of execution, and his head rolled beneath the axe instead of his son's, a victim to mighty love. ( Jesus did that for rotten sinners )

Bridge operator / train- vacationers / gears / decision – lost /

Really – something stuck – your only one who can get it out – train hard core convicts not vacationers – Only person on train is You

2 Cor.5:21 ²¹For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The ALTAR made of BRASS speaks of the Judgement Christ took for us

V.2 The Horns – 4 corners

A)It was on these horns that the animal would be tied down lest the sacrifice would run off

B)Jesus Christ was tied to the altar of sacrifice / Not with human ties

Ropes and nails couldn’t hold Jesus Christ

Betrayal – I AM - fell over – then bound him - / Peter sword – legion of Angels /

C) He gave His life freely – His life was in Pilate’s hands ( other way)

Movies never portray this

D) It was the cords of love that bound Jesus to the cross

Matt. 27:39And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

^{41Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴²"He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.}

Now if Jesus would have come down from the Cross to save Himself – He couldn’t have saved you & me !!!

A) He could have saved himself – but if He didn’t He couldn’t have saved you !!! ( NOTHING TO BELIEVE )

B) Instead – He didn’t come down – so that you could go up - Jesus LOVED YOU when He was bound to the altar there on Calvary

C) Listen – Catch this – Sink in - Jesus did NOT die for a GENERIC world

He died for YOU and YOUR specific sins

1) He stayed on the cross for YOU

D) He was thinking of ME... Rob Salvato and MY sins

FROM eternity PAST Jesus had ME and YOU in mind- Before foundation of the world

2 more things – Altar

3^rd V.6 Poles

A)Reason – it was to be Mobile – On the move w/ the People

B) Always that reminder of Sacrifice - ( Communion – whenever wherever)

4^th – Numbers 4:13 – The Altar was to be covered w/ Purple

A)Purple is the color of Royalty

B)It was the ONLY piece of furniture that was covered with purple

Others were covered with material but NOT purple

C) Now again this is interesting – that this Altar which was used for sacrifice and pointed to Christ & His Sacrifice as a Substitute for us

1) Would be covered w/ Purple when it was moved – why

D)Sig. You see, it was because of the CROSS.... the brass altar of

judgement....

1) That I understand that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords

THAT is why Jesus is the King of my life - NOT because of what He CAN do for me GEENIE – COSMIC VENDING –push right buttons

A)What benefits I can gain from Him if I walk with Him- But what He has already done in giving his life for me !!!!

B) He is King of my life because He DIED for me – that is why I seek to serve – Him – Saved from Hell that was Enough

Now He could have demanded my loyalty – but instead He won our love

C) Husbands – take note

1) It is the death of Jesus that MOTIVATES me to live for Him

2Cor. 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

VERSES 9-15 LINEN FENCE

The Outer Courtyard was to be surrounded by 60 pillars

in these pillars were attached linen curtains

A)So The Outer Courtyard was surrounded by LINEN- white Linen

The LINEN speaks of RIGHTEOUSNESS

B)NOTE: The vessels in the Tabernacle – shaped in the form of a Cross

Looking over head –

C)Surrounding this Cross – was Righteousness Surrounded by that which spoke of Righteousness

On outside – Skins

Now here is the thing to see- the only way into this courtyard – only way to view Linen Curtains – not see flesh Badgers skins

A)Was to enter thru the gate – V.16-19

B)There was ONLY ONE gate into the Tabernacle

1)It was relatively LARGE..... 20 cubits (=approx. 30ft.)

C)Yet there was only ONE way into the Tabernacle to fellowship with God

1) Picture couldn’t be more plain

John 10:9 I am the door: "I am the way of entry" by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

D)Jesus Christ is the ONE way into the presence of God

John 14:6 I am the way…..no man comes……but by me.

THAT is EX – CLUSIVE It EX-CLUDES any other possible way into the presence of God

A)There are a lot of people that say:

"That’s what I don’t like about you Christians... your so NARROW minded"

"I mean, I think Jesus was a ‘good teacher’...... a good moral example"

" I think that it’s good that you have your faith"
"BUT - I CAN NOT handle your NARROW-MINDED attitude"

B) They will accuse us of being incredibly EX-clusive – they are right we are because the Bible is

When people accuse me of being -NARROW-MINDED, I take it as

the SUPREME compliment... Because Jesus said:

Matt. 7:13-14 ¹³"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Jesus Christ is the One who made INCREDIBLE claims of

EX-CLUSIVENESS

A)He did NOT acknowledge Buddha or Confucius or Mohammed

B)He did NOT say that they were all "Ascended Masters".... now take your pick and find that divine path that suits you and your desires"

1) He did NOT say that "all roads lead to the same place"

John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers:

Our heavenly Father knows us very well

A)In His understanding of the heart and mind of man, and in His wisdom, He calls us SHEEP

B) Sheep are NOT known for their intelligence- We are DUMB

God, in all of His wisdom has said:

"I will keep the plan of salvation VERY SIMPLE..... There is ONE WAY"

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none

other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

C) So ONLY those who entered in through the Gate and were surrounded by the Linen Curtains could see the Tabernacle

1) & What took place the Courtyard

D)Application for us : I can NOT enter into the things of God and SEE the things of God because I am not righteous in and of myself

Come thru the gate / come to the Cross / I come to the altar / identify w/ the SUBSITUTE

E) The man on the outside sees only – the natural man – Badgers skin

John 3: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

1Cor. 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Cor. 2:9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."^£

VERSES 21 – Lampstand – 2 things

A)They were commissioned to keep the lampstand glowing

To keep the flow of worship going from evening to morning

B) This is God’s way of reckoning time

Man starts from morning to evening- But God goes from evening to

morning Because you see -

C)In our perspective, Things start bright and progressively get darker until they are totally hopeless

1) But from God’s perspective, things started dark and He brings light to it and they get continually brighter and brighter

D)From dark to bright to brightest- From bad to good to better to best

1) EXAMPLE: When Jesus changed the water into wine

"Why did you save the best for last?"

E) Whatever Jesus touches only gets BETTER

The BEST is yet to come

2^nd the people were commissioned to bring oil

A)Oil represents the oil Spirit - Spirit in You – Indwelt / Empowered

Gifts - We bring the Oil

GOD HAS CHOSEN TO WORK THRU HIS CHURCH

B) God’s people are to come PREPARED to minister the things of the Spirit so that the life and light of Jesus Christ might shine brightly

When we gather together- Home Fellowships... .... Sundays... Wednesdays

C) We have an obligation to bring our OIL-

D) So Coming not only to receive but to GIVE

1) A word of encouragement/ Ready to pray for someone

To love somebody standing alone

E) To reach out to someone who has had a difficult week

TO minister in the gifts of the Spirit

The candlestick was provided ...... The instruments provided

But they were to bring the oil