another Exodus

We have walked with the people of Israel and Moses through the preparation of their deliverer, through the plagues that motivated Pharaoh to release them and through the parting of the Red Sea.  All of the first two thirds of the book of Exodus goes into this real life sequence of events that also depicts our deliverance from the bondage of sin.  With the last third of Exodus we see another picture of that deliverance: the Tent of Worship, or Tabernacle.  The Tabernacle graphically displays the process by which sinful man is able to come directly into the presence of God.  The process calls for steps to be followed, symbolism to be honored and a mediator to represent each person to act on their behalf.  The steps include offering a sacrifice on an altar followed by cleansing to make the unclean acceptable and clean.  Then the representative (priest) of the sinner enters the tent and stands in the presence of three furnishings: a lampstand, representing the light of revelation, a table of bread, representing God's provision and an altar of incense, representing the prayers of repentance, adoration and praise.  But still there is a heavy curtain that must be passed to reach the Ark, or elaborate box, of the Covenant that contained the stones with the Ten Commandments and a few other important items, but most importantly was where the presence of God literally dwelt.  Only the High Priest could go past this final curtain and directly into the presence of God.  All of this process and all of these articles present aspects of Jesus Christ.  He was the perfect sacrifice, the one who washed us from our sin, the light of the world, the bread of life, the Mediator before God, the way into His presence, and the great High Priest.  Truly the picture presented by the Tabernacle reinforces the picture of the deliverance of Exodus to tell us much of the nature of man and the nature of God!

Hebrews 8 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. ² There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.

blessings,

Rob Smith