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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

How Can a Holy God Fellowship with Sinners? {Exodus 28-30}



"That I Might Dwell Among Them" - Exodus 29:46

From the beginning of time it has always been The Lord’s desire to walk and fellowship with His people.
Only two chapters at the beginning of Genesis were written to describe the creation of the world, yet fourteen chapters in Exodus are taken up with the specifications of the tabernacle, for here is where God has come up with a way to meet with His people.
I believe this again demonstrates the value God has placed upon His  work of redemption, and that Christ is the center of that work when you take a look at the meaning behind the symbols. In an earlier post, I showed you how God’s message was found in the names of the original patriarch’s, from Adam to Noah, today I want to show you a few of the items included in the tabernacle and how they all point to Christ:
The entire tabernacle was a figure of the heavenly (Hebrews 9:23,24).
Inside the ark of the covenant:
·         Acacia wood and gold: the humanity and deity of Christ.
·         The Law [10 Commandments]: Christ had God's law in His heart;
·         He was the fulfillment of the law.
·         Manna: Christ is sustenance to believers on their pilgrimage.
·         Aaron's rod: Christ's resurrection.
The ark itself: A type of the throne of grace.
The mercy seat: the Lord Jesus.
The table of showbread: Christ our communion.
The candlestick: Christ our light (Heb 1:9; Rev 1:9-18).
The altar of incense: Christ our advocate and intercessor.
The laver: the cleansing by the Word and by Christ.
Bronze altar: the cross of Christ and His atonement.
Anointing oil: the Holy Spirit's anointing for service.
Garments [of the High Priest]:
·          gold for righteousness and Deity
·         blue for heavenly
·          purple for royalty
·          scarlet for sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews said, ''And they, truly were many priests, because they were not allowed to continue by reason of death; but this man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them'' (Heb 7:23-25).

Jesus is able to understand our need because He is the perfect man, but He is also able to meet all our need because He is God. At the cross He bore the sin of the whole world. At the throne He is able to care for our need through His intercession.

Christ Jesus is ''a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek'' in that He is our Intercessor forever. But His priesthood is after the pattern of Aaron.  Aaron the first high priest was appointed by God (Ex 28:1).  Hebrews 5:5 says, ''So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a high priest, but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee.” Hebrews 9 reminds us that, ''Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us'' (Heb 9:12).

The Lord said in Exodus 12:13, ''When I see the blood, I will pass over you''. Sin was judged, and the blood was shed, but all was only temporal, yet it also pointed to God’s eternal plan! Therefore, the way of salvation in both the Old and New Testaments is the same - Faith in Christ - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

Hallelujah! God was making a way for you long before you were ever born and there is nothing we could ever do to earn our salvation, for that would mean we would need to set aside God’s way! I pray as you read these chapters you will read them with a heart FULL of love for the Father and Son who were preparing a way to fellowship with YOU forever!

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Before I leave you, I wanted to share a chart that was designed by Kay Arthur and Precept Ministries that speaks more of Jesus and the Tabernacle: 

THE TABERNACLE:


Tabernacle Furnishings

A Picture: Christ Jesus on Earth

John1:14

The Word became flesh, & dwelt among us
A Pattern: True Tabernacle  in Heaven
Hebrews 8:5
a copy and shadow of the heavenly things

Gate/ Door

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved                                   John 10:9
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
                                                       Acts 4:12
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
Bronze Altar
John 1:29
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 10:12
but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God
Bronze Laver
Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 5:26-27
 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.
Table of Showbread
John 6:35,48
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. “I am the bread of life.
John 6:41, 58
I am the bread that came down out of heaven…..he who eats this bread shall live forever.
Golden Lampstand
John 8:12; 9:5
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”…“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Revelation 4:5
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God
Altar of Incense
Hebrews 7:25
Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Revelation 8:3
And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (Rev 5:8) upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Veil
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom                                               Mark 15:38

We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,                               Hebrews 10:19-20
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
Ark of the Covenant

“Throne of God”
Isaiah 37:16
Hebrews 9:12
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
 Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm
Mercy Seat
Romans 3:25
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; … also for those of the whole world.
Revelation 5:6
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.  Psalm 27:4