The following video teaching about the tabernacle is part 1 of a brief series. The other part will show the tabernacle being constructed in a very brief video, and a walk-through of the tabernacle.
The Tabernacle of God
The video of this post is from the YouTube site, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Dr. Philip Ryken described the Tabernacle from scripture and went on to explain its significance in terms of worship, then and now. His teaching concluded in an explanation of how it is that Jesus Christ is the Tabernacle.
If you have not understood this from your reading of the Old Testament, then you will greatly benefit from hearing his teaching. The concepts he explained are foundational to your worship today; to how you think about Christ and approach Him in worship.
Highlight points are given from the 17-minute mark through 41-minute mark. The initial 17 minutes of the video are spent covering the physical description of the Tabernacle from Exodus.
Starting at 17M 45S
- Moses had the advantage of being shown the original heavenly model of the tabernacle by God, as he received instruction from God on the mountain, before he began constructing the earthly model
- Today, we study the tabernacle because it has lessons to teach us about knowing God and having a relationship with Him
- Why did God tell Moses to make this tent, and to set it up in this manner?
- We have two different ways to answer that question: 1, to see what the New Testament says about the tabernacle
- 2, we want to study the Old Testament (OT) carefully to see what the tabernacle meant in its original context
- Verne Poythrus suggests, in his book, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, that we need to place ourselves in the position of an OT Israelite to determine what the tabernacle meant to them
- What could Moses or the Israelites have thought about the significance of the tabernacle?
- What could an Israelite, standing outside the tabernacle, have understood about it?
- Firstly, that it was a piece of heaven on earth, especially since God’s presence was there
- As, heaven is where God is
- Previously, as we studied the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies, that the Ark represented God’s throne; and the figures on top of the Ark represented the Cherubim
- God’s royal attendants; those mysterious creatures that stand guard in the throne room of heaven
- Furthermore, there were more Cherubims woven into the walls of the tabernacle, in the curtains
- Even though the tabernacle was made of wood, metal and cloth, it was a copy of something from heaven
- Hebrews 8:5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain”
- Moreover, the tabernacle was kind of a microcosm of the entire universe: inside, in the holiest place was heaven; and outside was earth; at the very center of it all was God Himself, in the holy of holies; the tabernacle was at the heart of Israel, with all the tribes of Israel surrounding it as in Numbers 2
- And Israel was at the heart of the entire world, God’s centerpiece in His plan for saving the nations
- The tabernacle was set up like heaven to show that God is ruling over heaven and earth
- The aforementioned contained one hard reality for the Israelites, they could see the tabernacle, but most of them were not allowed into it
- They saw the tabernacles parts when it was being moved, they could not have a tour of it when it was set up
- The priests also, when they entered in, were confronted with yet another curtain, the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place
- According to the Talmud, the veil was 4” thick and took more than 100 priests to move it
- So, although the tabernacle gave access to God, that access was very limited
- The Cherubim symbolize this: Gen 3:24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life
- The above communicated the supreme holiness of God, pure in His majesty; pristine in His righteousness; He is just, and His holiness requires Him to punish sin; therefore, we need to be very careful in how we approach God
- The Israelites knew this from seeing what God did to the Egyptians at the Red Sea
- The Israelites also knew that they were sinners and that when God was close, they had to be separated from Him
- Most were likely relieved that the way to God was almost closed
- They could enter God’s presence via a representative going for them: Moses, then the high priests, by means of a blood sacrifice
- The God that lived in the tabernacle is the same God that rules today: the Lord of all the earth; the Holy God that demands perfect obedience…
- Because that is so, we are still separated from God by our sin
- Such moved King David to ask: Psalm 15:1 …O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
- Psalm 15:2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved
- That is, if you want to meet with God, then live that kind of life. But since we are sinners
- The above explains why we have such an urgent need for Jesus
- That is, point two, what the New Testament (NT) says about the tabernacle as it relates to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ
- John 1:14 And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth
- That is, the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us: what was symbolized in the OT tabernacle, then became a reality in Jesus Christ
- Jesus IS the TABERNACLE OF GOD
- God the Son became a man so that God could come down and dwell with His people
- We’ve seen how carefully God designed the tabernacle in the wilderness, so that it would be an accurate representation of the realities of heaven,
- Consider what intricacies were involved so that the Son of God could become a Man; so He could live with a divine nature and a human nature
- Consider the mysteries of His virgin birth; the secret entrance of the Holy Spirit into Mary’s womb
- Consider the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ, God becoming flesh; having a human mind, heart, will…
- He is that sacred space where heaven comes down to earth; in Him and through Him we are able to touch the face of God
- He is made of flesh and blood, not of those components of which the first tabernacle consisted
- Dr. Philip Ryken spent a few moments on the cross and our sin…
- When Jesus was suspended on the cross, a miracle occurred at the temple in Jerusalem
- The curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place was torn in two
- Mat 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split
- It was a miracle, that curtain was 4” thick, 15’ high; torn from top to bottom; no man could have done that; nor would any have had such access
- Imagine how shocked those priests must have been when they saw this happen, revealing the Ark…
- That veil which had separated God’s people from His presence had been parted
- The way was open for all humanity to go meet with God in the most holy place
- The way to God is still open today
- Jesus provided the sacrifice that permits people to enter into that way
- A couple of verses from Hebrews 9 complete the picture:
- Heb 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf
- That is, Jesus’ sacrifice was taken into the throne room of heaven; the way was then opened for everyone who trusts in Jesus (faith) to go in and to meet with God
- Heb 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
- It is now apparent that the TYPES, those physical and symbolic representations around the OT tabernacle, were ultimately intended to help us understand the kind of relationship that is open for us with God, through Jesus
- It is by faith in Jesus, through Him, that we gain access to God (the first time and every time thereafter)
- Through Jesus Christ you may get connected to God
- You are separated from God by your sin
- When Jesus Christ died on the cross for sin, it was also for your sin
- By trusting in Him, you can come into a right relationship with God
- Even those who have drifted away; who are backslidden
- If you sense a distance between you and Him, you do NOT have to do some work to get into a renewed relationship with God
- By grace, through faith, you may return – repenting of sin…
- What are you looking for: forgiveness; peace; healing of your soul or body; guidance; direction; provisions; new hope; fresh perspective; strength to carry on with the daily duties of life… come to God through faith in Christ; He will be for you all that you need
Video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@Alliance-Video/videos
Playlist-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@Alliance-Video/playlists
Dr. Ryken’s Sermons: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq5LVxh1Goi6aaCgKEa5Y_gZI9MFF2Pwe
Dr. Ryken’s ministry is titled: Every Last Word: the past dozen sermons have been on the Cross, the Ark and aspects of the Tabernacle.
The following narrative accompanied the video of this post at YouTube:
When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, President Ronald Reagan spoke of the astronauts having “slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”
This phrase expresses one of our deepest longings. We want to meet with God. We want to see him — the only problem is, we’re sinners. We stretch the truth. We use our money selfishly. These sins keep us from God. And that’s why we need Jesus. On Every Last Word, Dr. Ryken teaches about Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Featured Image: The Tabernacle In Exodus 25 mavink.com