Jesus in the OT 018:
The Tent and the Turban
Exodus
25-40
Thesis:
The Tabernacle was meant to conceal a glory. The Priest was meant to reveal it. Both, in their own way, represent an aspect
of Christ.
- Nutshell with Kids (<5min)
- Has anyone
here ever been to heaven? Of course not.
But God lives in heaven.
How, then, do we know anything about God?
- Bible.
- Jesus.
- Jesus came
to teach us about God and how to get to heaven, a place none of us have
ever been.
- Here’s a
picture of the tabernacle that God told the Israelites to build in the
wilderness. It is where God met
with Moses. How do you think it
helped people know about God?
- This is a
picture of what the High Priest looked like wearing the clothes that God
told him to wear.
- His
clothes looked like the way that the inside of the tabernacle was
decorated.
- His job
was to tell people about God and help the people sacrifice to God.
- Why do you
think Jesus is like the High Priest?
- Deeper with Adults
- The
Tabernacle
- Ordinary
on the outside, Glory within.
a)
Bronze & Silver used in the
courtyard: valuable, but more common.
(1)
Ch 27:9-19
(2)
Curtains white. Only the gateway colored.
b)
Altar & Laver in the courtyard
(1)
Altar, Sacrifices: 27:1-8
(2)
Laver, Washings: 30:17-21
c)
Tabernacle itself outer layers of Goat Skins,
Ram skins, and Goat Hair. Then twisted
colored linen: 26:7-14
- As you get
closer in to the middle, the refinement of the appointments increases.
a)
Inner-most layer of the tabernacle
is finely twisted red, blue, and purple linen: 26:1-6
b)
Everything inside is either
covered in or made of pure gold 26:26-30
c)
Furniture for Worship, Presence:
(1)
Show Bread Table: Wood overlaid
with gold to hold the food offering to God 25:25-30
(2)
Altar of incense: Wood overlaid
with gold: 30:1-10
(3)
Candelabra: Solid gold, presence
of the Lord 30:1-10
- Holy of
Holies: Ark of Wood overlaid with Gold, Solid gold lid, Red, purple, and
blue linen.
a)
Unapproachable but by 1 priest
once a year.
b)
Ark of the covenant cannot be
touched.
c)
The holiest and most ornate and
decorative location in the Jewish world.
- The
tabernacle looked, on the outside, like a larger version of a normal
Jewish tent. Square frames draped
in goatskins.
a)
As you approach the tent from the
outside, you must first deal with your sinfulness through sacrifice and
washing.
b)
The tabernacle hides the glory of
God from the eyes of the average person.
Only priests enter through the first veil. Only the High Priest enters through the
second.
- Jesus
looked, externally, like a normal man.
a)
Prophetic expectation: Isa 53:2-3
b)
Actual fulfillment: Matt 13:54-56
c)
He looked normal, but he provided
for us the means by which to atone for our sins. 1Jn 1:7-9
d)
The glory that he had as the son
of God he concealed from most
(1)
Statements not to tell: Mark 1:34;
Matt 8:4; Matt 9:29-31
(2)
Taught in Parables because it
concealed and revealed. Matt 13:10-15
e)
His glory was only shown to a
select few on the Mt. of Transfiguration. Matt 17:1-9
- The
Priestly garments
- The High
Priest is a regular man. There is nothing special about him apart from
the fact that he:
a)
Is a Jew (of the covenant, those
whom God Chose, Gen 12:1-3),
b)
Of the tribe fo Levi (those who
chose to stand with God, Ex 32:25-27), and
c)
Of the family of Aaron
(Consecrated by God for this service, Ex 28:1).
- On his
own, this man would have no chance of standing in the presence of God.
a)
Washed (29:4)
b)
Dressed (29:5-6)
c)
Anointed (29:7)
d)
Atoned (29:10-25)
e)
Provided (29:26-34)
f)
Declared Holy (29:44)
g)
Used as a vehicle for relationship
(29:45-46)
- The priest
looks, on the outside, like the tabernacle looks on the inside (28:2-5).
a)
Gold breastplate (28:15-30)
b)
Gold Crown (28:36-38)
c)
Ephod and robe of Blue, gold, red,
and purple fine twisted linen (29:6-14,31-35)
d)
Robe and sash embroidered with
needlework (29:39)
- The High
Priest goes where nobody else can and represents on his person what
nobody else can see. He is a
picture of the hidden glory of the Holy of Holies.
- Christ is
also a picture of what we cannot see and a representation of the Glory
that is unapproachable for fallen men (John 1:14-18; 14:9)
- Application:
- We are
called to carry on the ministry of representing God to the world.
- 2 Cor 4
- Two
problems being overcome:
a)
The wickedness of the outside,
fallen, world (vs 1-2)
b)
The blindness of fallen man to the
gospel (vs 4)
- Paul is
saying that God has worked in their lives to overcome the eternal,
spiritual, effects of the sinful fallen world in their lives (vs 7-10)
- Paul says
that he (and we, by extension), are sustained by God so that he (we) can
make known the glory of God to a fallen world (5-7, 12-15).
- We are
normal, fleshy people, but when we are washed, dressed, anointed,
atoned, and spiritually provided for by God, we can be holy vessels that
are used to extend a relationship with God to a broken world.
- Ephesians 3
- Paul has
received a revelation of hidden mysteries (vs 1-6).
a)
The hidden truth in the past now
made clear to the watching world (like the priest’s garments).
b)
The mystery is that those
estranged are estranged no longer, a view into the unapproachable.
- Jesus
provided this access as high priest (vs 11-12). We follow in this access and proclaim
it to everyone else.
- So we, the
church are to display to the outside the glories of God which are
available inside the kingdom.
Discussion
Questions:
- What kinds
of things could the Israelites know about God because of the tabernacle in
the camp?
- What did
they know about God because of the priest?
- How was
Jesus like the tabernacle? Like the
priest?
- Are you
showing on the outside what is true inside the kingdom of God?
- Are you
spending your time with God (inside the tabernacle) so that you have what
it takes to show others what is inside?
