Exodus 25
In late May of 1976 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, I met a girl. She was really pretty. I found out that she had spent the previous summer, 1975, living in Ocean City, New Jersey. I had lived in Ocean City in the summer of 1974. She had dwelt in the same house in which I had dwelt, what a coincidence! We sometimes joke that before we married, we dwelt in the same house together, separately. Our friendship progressed. Seven months after having met her, I determined that I would like to dwell with her all the rest of my days. I talked her into marrying me. In June, slightly over a year from the day we met, we were married, and we began dwelling together. This June we will celebrate 36 years of dwelling together. What a joy it has been to share our lives dwelling together!
The Lord told Moses, “Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” At other places in Scripture the Lord refers to Israel as His ‘bride’ or ‘wife’. Approaching our wedding date, my bride and I began preparing a place to live. We rented a house on the corner of 5th and Hester, and we furnished it. We set it up so that as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, we could begin dwelling together. How about that! The Holy Almighty God wants to dwell among His people as with a spouse! But what does it take for God to dwell with His bride? He describes the furniture of His dwelling place.
His first and foremost piece of furniture, which He commands to be made, is an ark. The Hebrew word ‘arown’ translates variously as “ark, chest, or coffin.” It is a picture of our Lord Jesus. The wood represents His humanity, the gold represents His deity. Together they speak of what the theologians call the “hypostatic union.” That is the two natures or substances constitute one personal subsistence.[1] It is interesting to me that the word can be translated as a coffin. When finished, the tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark or coffin, the picture of Jesus. When He went to the cross, He took the charges of the law, The Ten Commandments, which were written against us and wiped them out in His death. Jesus carried them to His tomb and then rose victoriously, having fulfilled the law’s requirement.
On top of the ark was placed the Mercy Seat and Cherubim, made of pure gold. The cherubim are the defenders and protectors of the holiness of God. The gold represents the deity of Jesus. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the Lamb upon the mercy seat to cover the sins of the people for the next year. It is through the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus that we receive mercy from God. It is through Jesus that we enter into His mercy
In the Holy Place was the table of showbread. It is also made of wood and covered with gold symbolizing the humanity and deity of Jesus. The bread is a symbol of fellowship with God who gives us life. Jesus said that he was the bread of life. He came so that we might have fellowship with the living, holy, almighty God. Because of Jesus, we can dwell with God! Across the room from the table of showbread was the golden lampstand providing light to the room. Jesus is the light of the world revealing the only true reality. Showing us how our sin is removed and exchanged for His holiness, giving us access to the presence of God. Hebrews 8:5 tells us that the earthly serves as a, “Copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’”
So the Lord has provided for his bride to dwell with Him. He has furnished His dwelling place with that which makes for an enjoyable relationship with Him. It is a loving relationshhip which He wants with us. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john 
No comments:
Post a Comment