Chapter Six
Published on Sunday, 17 April 2011 15:05 | Written by Administrator | | | Hits: 7572
What We Can Learn from the Tabernacle
It should be clear, to any believer, that the Tabernacle was an earthly physical representation of the greater spiritual Tabernacle, and that it revealed Jesus, and God’s plan of salvation through Him. In understanding God’s plan, however, there is much to understand about God, about our own nature, and about our relationships with each other and with Him.
What We Should Know About God
From study of scripture we can learn of the actions and characteristics of God, without ever getting to know Him. Many do just that. However, God is more concerned with how well we know Him than how much we know about Him.
The Attributes of God
God is:
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Omnipotent (almighty); therefore, no problem or power is too big for God to handle because all power is His.
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Omniscient (all knowing); therefore, problem is too big, no detail too small, or situation too complex for God, because all knowledge is His and He cares about what concerns us.
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Omnipresent (present everywhere); therefore, nothing and no one is hidden from God for He is constantly present everywhere.
These are facts about God but knowing them doesn't mean we know Him. We need a relationship with Him to know Him. David said:
" O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your right hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you Psalm 139:1 - 12 NIV (italics mine).
David makes it clear in this psalm that he is fully aware that no knowledge or understanding is beyond God. The Hebrew word used here for Lord is:
Yhovah (the) self existent or eternal; Jehovah.
In the use of this name David indicates his recognition of God’s power and wisdom. Only an all-powerful deity could exist eternally without any outside influence, support, or source of strength and power. He further acknowledges that God knows his thoughts, movements, and location. God even knows the words he speaks before they are spoken. David asks,
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" Psalms 139:7; NIV (italics mine).
It is important to realize that David never wanted to hide from God. With these questions he is emphasizing that there is no way we can be separated from God’s presence and therefore His ability to care for us. This is made clear by verse 10 where he continues,
"even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:10 NIV (italics mine).
Simply knowing that God is; ever-present, all-knowing and all-powerful is not, in itself, comforting. In fact, the awareness of God's presence, knowledge and power can be very threatening to someone who has little or no understanding of God's character. A fact more believers need to keep in mind when dealing with the unsaved and new converts.
God has complete awareness of our every situation. Because He is always present and has perfect knowledge nothing escapes His notice and no situation is too complicated for Him to understand thoroughly and no detail is too small for His notice and concern.
Because He has ALL POWER no problem is too big for Him to handle and no other power can successfully oppose His will or challenge His authority. These facts are very comforting to any believer who understands that, " God is love." (1 John 4:16 NIV) and that He will always work to accomplish our best interest.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV (italics mine).
" -- in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV (italics mine).
However, even though God is all powerful, all knowing and everywhere present, and nothing around us, in us or about us can ever escape His awareness, we can be emotionally and spiritually disconnected from Him. Just as we can be in a room with another person; mother, father, brother, sister, spouse or child and be emotionally isolated from them, so it is with God.
God knows every move we make, every word we speak, but if we are not moving with Him or speaking to Him, we have emotionally and spiritually disconnected ourselves from Him and it seems He is a million miles away. We must remember at those times it was not the Lord who turned and moved away. He is right where He always was. We have only to turn around and return to Him!
The Tabernacle displays the infinite wisdom of God. He had a plan to rescue the Hebrews from their slavery under the Egyptians. Further, the Lord not only delivered the Israelites from oppressive servitude to the Egyptians, He arranged for them to plunder the wealth of their oppressors before they left Egypt. In this process He provided all that would be needed for the building of the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle also shows clearly that God knew His plan for redeeming mankind long before Jesus was born. He had counted the cost, THE BLOOD OF JESUS, and provided it although it had not as yet been delivered. He further had determined what would be required on the part of the believer to appropriate the cleansing power of the blood of Christ Jesus -- FAITH (symbolized by the 1/2 shekel of silver)
Knowing that mankind could not muster even the small faith required for this, He arranged to provide the faith necessary just as He provided the 1/2 shekel of silver for the Hebrews. The genius of the plan is its simplicity and total satisfaction of the penalty for sin, the law of Moses, and the law of Love.
The Penalty for Sin
God is trying to teach us to give but all we want to do is take. He wants us to love Him and love others but we only love ourselves. Someone may say, "I don't love myself! I don't even like myself." That, however is a misunderstanding of what scripture means by the word love. We now use love to describe an emotion. God, however, uses the word love as a verb to speak of acts of mercy, kindness, and good will. When Jesus spoke of loving others as we love ourselves He wasn't speaking of loving ourselves emotionally. He was telling us to have concern for the welfare of others as we have concern for our own welfare. Our inability to do this is the root of the sin problem.
Unlike the penalties for breaking the laws of man which may be anything from a warning or small fine to the death penalty, there is only one penalty for sin. Although we often think of sins as great or small. In reality, there is no such thing as a small sin. All selfishness is sin and all sin is selfishness. All of the sins men and women committ are the result of;
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selfishly seeking self-gratification,
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selfishly seeking to gain something, or
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selfishly seeking to avoid something, ie:(discovery, payment, punishment, etc).
The consequences are severe but the choice is clear and the choice is ours to make.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:15-17 NIV (italics mine).
For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 KJV (italics mine).
Some have heard or read these scriptures and condemned God as cruel and/or unjust but God wasn't saying he wanted men to die for their sins. He was simply warning them that this would be the result. It is simply a fact just as jumping in water will get you wet or falling fom a high cliff will likely cause you injury or death.
Men like to think of sin by degree - that is; some sin as being worse than other sin. This allows us to feel that we are not so bad as that awful person across the street or perhaps think, "I may have lied but I never committed murder." Odd isn't it that God seems to take a different view of the issue. Jesus said that if we lust in our heart, even if we don't act on it, we have already committed adultery and if we are unjustly angry with anyone we are already in danger of judgment (Matt. 5:22-29).
If we have not perfectly obeyed God's law we have violated it. If you are not absolutely honest you are dishonest. If you are not completely truthful you are a liar. If you hate someone you are a murderer. Mankind doesn't see it this way, but God does, and in the final analysis His opinion is the only one that counts. Remember God set only one penalty for sin, all sin, and that penalty is death. That is why we need God's mercy and grace and that is exactly why we need a Savior.
The Law of Moses
Required the sacrifices of animals and birds because;
"--without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22 NIV (italics mine).
The commands that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai were recorded by Moses. These regulations now consist of twenty-seven chapters in the book of Leviticus. These regulations are often referred to as the Law of Moses. It was the standard for every aspect of personal, religious, and governmental affairs for the faithful Israelites from the time of Moses until the death of Jesus. It also required strict adherence to a multitude of regulations on behavior that no mere human could successful obey. Love of God was also a requirement;
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV (italics mine).
Complete obedience to the Law was no easy thing,
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." James 2:10 NIV (italics mine).
Although many devout Israelites tried faithfully to obey this law, Jesus was the only one who ever succeded. Most of the Jews believed that the way to redemption was through strict obedience to this Law. That is what the Pharisees taught. However, salvation, then as now, was actually based upon faith in God's provision but they had perverted the Law and hidden its truth with their interpretations and traditions. The Law of Moses was never meant to save them but rather to reveal their need for a Savior.
The Law of Love
Jesus said,
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40 NIV (italics mine).
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 NIV (italics mine).
Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant that God spoke of to Jeremiah (Jer. 31:33). Love is the basis of the new covenant. God's love for us took Jesus to the cross. His grace provides the faith that moves us from condemnation under the old law to the mercy of the new covenant. Once we are under the covenant Jesus commands us to love; God, our neighbor, and other believers.
The author of Hebrews puts it this way:
But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs (the high priests) as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and is founded on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 NIV (insert & italics mine).
He then quotes Jeremiah 31:33 verifying that this covenant is the covenant introduced by Jesus.
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10 NIV (italics mine).
John said:
We know we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love renains in death. 1 John 3:14 NIV (italics mine).
Satisfying the Penalty for Sin
The penalty for sin was and is death. A man or woman guilty of sin could not pay the price of sin for themselves, let alone for someone else. To pay for their own sin they would have to die - not only their physical bodies but also their eternal souls (see: Second Death).
But it was not God’s will that men should die.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.--." John 3:16-18 NIV (italics mine).
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV (italics mine).
In fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham centuries earlier, God sent His own perfect Lamb as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, " Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! --". John 1:29 NIV (italics and insert mine).
Satisfying the Law of Moses
The Lord God first gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and later the rest of the laws of God usually referred to as the Law of Moses. The most significant requirement of the Tabernacle worship commanded in the law was the sacrifice upon the altar of which God said;
"For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Leviticus 17:11 NIV (italics mine).
Because the life is in the blood and the blood was given for atonement, God forbade them from eating blood. In the law there were a great many other detailed commands for them to obey. In fact, no mere human could possibly obey all of them. In scripture, we see that salvation through obedience was not the real purpose of the law.
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming -- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:1-4 NIV (italics mine).
These commandments required that they make atonement by blood sacrifices for their sins; lying, cheating, stealing, murder and other such offenses, and refrain from sexual sins such as; adultery and fornication. But the Law also contained regulations regarding eating or touching unclean things, consulting mediums, keeping promises, growing crops, caring for animals, observance of holy day celebrations and many other things.
The Law was, and is, good but it could not make people good, because it could not remove selfishness from the heart, therefore, no ordinary man or woman could keep all of the Law. Only Jesus was able to keep all the requirements of the Law. He fulfilled not only the letter of the Law, but also, the spirit of the Law. In doing so, Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses so that we don’t have to.
"Don’t think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. --."Matthew 5:17 NIV (italics mine).
Satisfying the Law of Love
Jesus, when asked about the most important commandment, stated:
"‘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40 NIV (italics mine).
The Apostle Paul said it this way:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-10 NIV (italics and bold mine).
Again Paul wrote:
Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV (italics mine).
James put it this way:
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. James 2:8 NIV (italics mine).
If we truly love our neighbor we cannot intentionally do them harm physically, financially or emotionally. In fact, if we truly love them we will suffer harm rather than allow harm to come to them. Likewise, if we truly love God we will obey His commands not so much because of a law as because of our desire to please Him. The Spirit of the Law tells us what God wants. The love He generates in our hearts compels us to do it.
Scripture tells us that God is love. We can't really comprehend the full meaning of that. It simply isn't within our human capabilities to fully grasp the depth of God's love for us. Even so, we need to seek as much understanding of His love as we can comprehend because that understanding changes us for the better.
David was a man well aware of God’s love and for all his human frailty, David deeply loved and trusted God. God did not love David because he was good. David was, in fact, a major league sinner. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers and when it became apparent he would be found out, due to her pregnancy, he arranged to have her husband killed during battle. Time after time, we see David throwing himself on God’s mercy, and time after time, God responds to him in mercy.
David was loved by God because of his deep sincere repentance and childlike faith in God’s love and mercy. David prayed:
"Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger, you have been my helper; Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." Psalm 127:9-10 NIV (italics mine).
Another important aspect of David's character that brought him the love and mercy of God was that he, more than almost any other character in scripture, understood the importance of praising and worshiping God.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth the speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. The law of the lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making the wise simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey from the comb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalms 19 NIV (italics mine).
David understood that it was the condition of a persons heart and their attitude that really mattered to God -- not animal sacrifices. He praised and worshiped God at every opportunity. He loved the righteous laws of God although, he like all of us, constantly had to battle the flesh and sometimes lost the battle. Neverthless, he never lost his love for the Lord and his sincere desire to please God and to be in His presence.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy; making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more prescious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11 NIV (italics mine).
David also loved his people and especially those anointed by God. This was abundantly clear in the way he ruled Israel. It is also very evident in some of his prayers. One good example is his prayer after foolishly taking a census of Israel which brought down a plague upon the nation.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the Lord, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family." 2 Samuel 24;17 NIV (italics mine).
Jesus did not imply that love for our brothers and sisters, in the Lord, was optional. He made it a command.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 NIV (italics mine).
The message here is clear. The Lord considers the love within His family very important. Love brings harmony, peace, joy, goodwill, grace, mercy, charity, and the willingness to overlook the shortcomings and faults we find in each other -- we all have them. But Jesus added another important dimension to the importance of loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 NIV (italics and bold mine).
Jesus makes it clear that those who do not now know Him will not be impressed by our knowledge of theology, our self-righteous attitudes, our clean speech, our neat appearance, etc. They will know we belong to Him when they see the Godly love we have toward each other.
But our love must go further than that. We win no points with God if we love those that love us, even the heathen do that. We are to love even those who abuse and mistreat us. This is not referring here to mushy sentiments and emotions, but to acts of kindness and resisting the inclination to return abuse for abuse. It's not easy but if it were everyone would do it.
Several years ago there was much in the news about the reaction of Christians, and those who call themselves "christians", to the abortion clinics that opened in great numbers. Some sat or marched in front of the clinics waving banners and shouting. Some tried to block the paths of young women attempting to enter the clinics. Others even threw fire bombs, destroyed property and killed clinic workers and doctors. Something no real Christian could possibly do.
Many were arrested and the media had a field day! Christians, especially the fundamentalists, took a verbal beating at the hands of the news reporters and commentators. The issues of abortion and gay rights became the polarizing forces diving the left and the right.
Around this time I heard a story that I'd like to share here. It concerns several ladies who were apposed to abortion. They did not choose to march, carry banners, block entrances, fire bomb or shoot anyone. What they did do was set up a small table with coffee and donuts which they gave to anyone in the area free of charge. They gave them to young ladies entering the clinic along with the simple message, "Jesus loves you. So do we!" They gave them to the police, the clinic workers and even the doctors. Before long the clinic closed.
Now I am only relating the story as I heard it. I can't say for sure that it is a true story. Of one thing I am sure -- it sounds very Christ like to me! How about you?
Christians should set the standard for love in this world. Unfortunately our track record is pitifully poor in this area. From the robbing and killing of Jews in the "Holy Wars" to the witch-hunts, ours is a history of intolerance. Someone once said the Christians are the only army that kills their own wounded referring to the way some of us will brutally attack the weak and struggling among our members.
The reason this happens is that many wear the label of "christian" but few carry the cross. Many still do not understand that love is stronger than hate. A few years ago a popular song said, "What the world needs now is love ". The world has always needed God’s Love -- it is the one thing that will heal this sin sick world.
How is it that we who have benefited so greatly from God’s grace and mercy are so quick to deny others that same grace and mercy. If any people upon the earth should be tolerant of people of other races, beliefs, economic, cultural, or social backgrounds, we should be! We are the misfits! Scripture makes it clear that we don’t belong here.
"I have given them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of this world any more than I am of this world. My prayer is not that you take them out of this world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world as I am not of it." John 17:14-16 NIV (italics and bold mine).
If we call ourselves Christian and have any feelings of superiority, bigotry, racial, cultural, or class prejudice or intolerance, we must pray that God through His Holy Spirit bring us to repentance. We, of all people, cannot afford to be intolerant of others knowing that the standard we use to judge others will be used by God to judge us (Matt. 7:2).
This is not to say that we are not to judge sin and take action to correct wrongs (like abortion), only that we should not judge the sinner and that we must take action that is as Christ-like as possible.
God forgive my intolerance and quickness to judge in others those sins found in myself. Help me by your Spirit to remember that I am your servant and, by grace, your son, so that I may think and act accordingly. Teach me always to act in love. Amen.
Category: Tabernacle
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