Nov 22
6
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 35:4-36:38
“Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, ‘This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.’ Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the LORD’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD. Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.’ And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.’ So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size. He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole. He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins. Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases. He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. He made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.” (Exodus 35:4–36:38, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1, ESV)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, as you know, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished salvation for all who were given to him by the Father nearly 2000 years ago. Jesus came to live for his bride, the church, to die for her, to raise for her, and to ascend for her. This work of redemption has been accomplished. There is nothing more to do. It is finished.
And as you also know, this redemption that Jesus Christ has earned is applied to sinners in due time when the Holy Spirit of God draws the elect of God to faith and repentance through the preaching of the gospel. If you have turned from your sins and have believed in Christ and in his finished work, then you have experienced this. At some point in time you were called externally by the preaching of the gospel, and inwardly by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. That is how the salvation that Christ earned so long ago was applied to you. You received it by faith, through the preaching of the gospel, and the internal working and wooing of the Holy Spirit. This is ordinarily the means that God uses to apply the redemption purchased by Christ to his elect.
Indeed, this is the way that sinners come to be saved who live now after Christ’s life, death, burial resurrection, and ascension. And as you know, this is also how sinners were saved before Christ came into the world to do the work the Father gave him to do. Listen to our Confession of Faith on this point. Chapter 8, Paragraph 6 says, “Although the price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated [given or applied] to the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent’s head; and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, being the same yesterday, and today and for ever.” Our confession is absolutely correct. People were justified (or saved) in Adam, Abraham, and Moses’ days in the very same way that they are saved today. They were justified by faith as they believed in the good news that was delivered to them concerning the Messiah, and this ability to believe was made possible by the working of the Holy Spirit. The good new that they received and the good news that we have received is the same in substance. The only difference is this: The gospel that was delivered to them came in the form of a promise concerning what would be done. The gospel delivered to those after Christ comes as an announcement concerning what has been done.
Last Sunday I attempted to show you that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not only delivered to God’s people who lived before his coming by way of promises and prophesies but also through types and shadows. I especially focused on the shadows of Christ – that is to say, on those ways in which Jesus Christ was revealed in the laws that were given to Old Covenant Israel through Moses, especially those laws which governed their worship. Those ceremonial laws regulated worship under the Old Covenant, but they were a shadow of Christ. Christ is the substance, and his shadow was cast backward in the history of redemption in the ceremonial laws that God gave to Israel through Moses. And so, last Sunday, we considered how the seventh-day Sabbath revealed the good news of Jesus Christ in a shadowy way. I wish to do the very same thing today with the tabernacle. The tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel revealed the good news of Jesus Christ. Or to put it another way, the tabernacle, and later, the temple, of Old Covenant Israel, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in a shadowy, symbolic way.
I’ve already warned you that the book of Exodus is repetitive. If when I read this text you thought, this sounds familiar, that is because it is. What is recorded for us here in our text regarding the actual building of the tabernacle was said earlier in Exodus, but there it was delivered as instruction. First, God told Moses what Israel was to do, and here we have a description of Israel doing what God commanded. It would be a mistake for us to disregard the repetition as if it was accidental or wasteful. No, the repetition is intentional and significant. It stresses the extreme importance of what is being described here, namely, the obedience of Israel to build God’s tabernacle according to God’s command. Also, it provides us with an opportunity to consider this text (and the texts which follow) in a different way than before. We have already considered the details of the tabernacle that God commanded Israel to make. Now we will step back from the details and consider the broader significance of the tabernacle.
*****
The Significance Of The Tabernacle
God commanded that a tabernacle be built by Israel. Think about that for a moment, and consider the significance. YHWH redeemed Israel from bondage. He led them into the wilderness. He entered into a special covenantal relationship with them and instructed them to build a tabernacle. Why did he do this? What was the significance or meaning of the tabernacle that God gave to Israel?
One, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH did not redeem them to stand afar off from them but to dwell in the midst of them.
Two, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH redeemed them so they might draw near to him in worship.
Three, and here is the thing that I wish to focus on this morning, the gift of the tabernacle signified to Israel and to the world that YHWH was doing something in them and through them to restore what was lost in the beginning when Adam fell into sin through the breaking of the covenant that God made with him.
I have taught you that the garden of Eden was a tabernacle or temple, and so it was. In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. He formed the earth to make it a place suitable for man to dwell. And after this, “the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8, ESV). The garden was not a common place. It was a holy place. It was the place on earth where God dwelt with man, and where man enjoyed communion with God. Adam was to function as God’s prophet, priest, and king in that special place. He was to protect, expand, fill, and subdue that realm. There he was to worship and serve the LORD perfectly and perpetually. The garden of Eden was a temple. It was not a temple made of stone, but a temple of God’s creation. It was the place where the God of heaven met with man on earth. As God says in Isaiah 66:1, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD” (Isaiah 66:1–2, ESV). And what would have happened if Adam had kept the covenant that God made with him in the beginning? What would have happened if he passed the time of testing? He would have been invited to eat from the tree of life. He would have entered into God’s eternal Sabbath rest. Heaven and earth would have become one. In other words, all would have become God’s eternal and glorious temple.
You say, how do you know this, Pastor? Really, it is quite simple. We see this clearly when we pay attention to how the theme of the tabernacle or temple is developed in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis 2 to Revelation 22. You see, there are certain themes that run throughout the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Sabbath is one such theme. The tree of life is also found at the beginning and end of the Bible. As you know well, the theme of the kingdom of God is pervasive. And here I want you to recognize that the theme of the tabernacle or temple runs throughout as well.
Brothers and sisters, please hear me. It is a terrible mistake to contemplate the tabernacle that Israel built in the days of Moses in isolation from all of the other references or allusions to God’s tabernacle or temple found throughout the pages of Holy Scripture. Are you following me? The tabernacle must be considered up close and in detail, and the tabernacle must also be considered from a distance and in general. If we only consider it up close and in detail, we run the risk of missing its significance.
As we consider the details of Israel’s tabernacle we must look back to Eden to consider what was offered to Adam but lost. And not only that, we must look ahead (from the perspective of Exodus 35) to the temple that David dreamed of and that Solomon built. We must also think of the massive and strangely placed temple that the prophet Ezekiel saw visions of (Ezekiel 40-48). And do not forget the way in which the scriptures speak of Jesus Christ. John 1 tells us that the eternal Word of God took on flesh and dwelt, or tabernacled amongst us. And do you remember how Jesus spoke concerning his impending death and resurrection? He spoke of his body when he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19, ESV). Of course, we cannot forget that the church is called the temple of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Peter says that we, “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5, ESV). And of course, we cannot forget that wonderful description of the new heavens and earth in Revelation 21. After describing the new heavens and earth as a new Jerusalem, John says, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, ESV). That chapter began with these words, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1–4, ESV).
The point is this: when we step back from the details of the tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel and consider the development of the tabernacle/temple theme that runs from the beginning of Genesis through to the end of Revelation, a story emerges. And what is the story? In the beginning, after God created the heavens and earth, and after he made man in his image, he planted a garden-temple. It was a place where God would dwell with man, and where man would enjoy the presence of God. The garden was to be expanded, protected, and ruled by man to the glory of God. Had Adam passed the time of testing, he would have entered into eternal life, glory, the eternal Sabbath-rest of God, and the eschatological temple of God. Stated differently, the heavenly realm and the earthly realm would have become one. But Adam fell. He passed from the state of life and innocence to death. He fell short of the glory of God. He did not enter into God’s rest but would now toil in his work. Nor did he enter into the eternal temple of God, the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells, but was banished from the garden-temple which he had failed to keep.
At that juncture in the narrative, the looming question was this: was their hope? Answer: Yes, for God did promise to send a Redeemer, one who would arise from the offspring of the woman. The serpent who tempted Adam and Eve would bruise his heel, but he would bruise his head.
This promise that God made concerning a coming Redeemer was preserved in the world along a particular line. In due time, it was entrusted especially to a man named Abraham and to his offspring. God entered into a special covenant with Abraham wherein he promised to make a great nation of him, to give him the land of his sojournings, and to bless the nations of the earth through him. And in the days of Moses, many of those promises made to Abraham began to be fulfilled. God redeemed the offspring of Abraham (the Hebrews) from Egyptian bondage, and afterward, he entered into a special covenant with them. The Old Mosaic Covenant was not unrelated to the covenant that God made with Abraham. No, it was an expansion of it. And it especially was given to govern the Hebrew people – their worship and their society – as God brought them into the land of Canaan in fulfillment to the promises made previously to Abraham. Some of the promises made to Abraham were spiritual and eternal and would find their fulfillment, not in the Old Covenant, but in Christ and the New Covenant ratified in his blood. But some of the promises were fulfilled in the days of Moses and Joshua with the Exodus and the conquest. The Old Mosaic Covenant was added to these older promises to govern the nation of Israel for a time, until the promised Christ, the Seed of the Woman, the Seed of Abraham, and the Seed of David was brought into the world. And as you know, the laws that were given to Israel under the Old Covenant did not only govern them, many of them served to prefigure the Christ. In other words, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17, ESV; see also Hebrews 10:1).
The question here is, what did the tabernacle that God commanded Israel to make signify? What was its meaning? What was its message? It preached the gospel, brothers and sisters. It communicated to Isarel, and through them, to the world, that God had not abandoned his temple-building project. Adam failed to build God’s temple, but God would build it in another way. He would build it by his grace. He would build it through though Eve’s offspring. It would build it through the Son of Abraham and David, the second a greater Adam, Christ the Lord. The presence of the physical tabernacle and the more permanent temple in the midst of Israel under the Old Covenant preached that message. It preached the gospel in a prophetic and shadowy way. To use the language of Revelation 21:3, the tabernacle of Old Covenant Israel proclaimed, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is [will be] with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3, ESV). That glorious reality was promised and pre-figured on earth in Old Covenant Israel. It was earned and inaugurated by Christ at his first coming. It will be brought to its full and consummate state when he returns. That is what I mean when I say that the tabernacle of Israel proclaimed the gospel.
*****
The Expansion Of The Tabernacle
Now that we have considered the basic significance of the tabernacle, I wish to speak briefly about its expansion.
Someday, Lord willing, we will come to consider in detail the temple that King Solomon, the son of David, built. Clearly, the temple he built was a permanent and glorious version of the tabernacle. It was much larger, and much more grand. Note this: As the kingdom of God which was prefigured in Israel was established under King David and his sons, the tabernacle was established in one place, namely Jerusalem. So then, the kingdom of God and the tabernacle of God advance together. With the advancement of the kingdom there comes advancement with the tabernacle.
And someday, Lord willing, we will consider the book of Ezekiel together. It is interesting that the book of the prophecies of Ezekiel concludes with a very grand vision of a greatly expanded temple. Some believe that this time will be built in a future millennial reign of Christ. I believe this is a very flawed interpretation. Instead, the vision of Ezekiel 40-48 points, in a prophetic and symbolic way, to the time when God’s temple would be greatly expanded. A careful reading of the New Testament reveals that this greatly expanded temple-building project began at his first coming. It is taking place in these last days, that is to say, in the days between Christ’s first and second coming. The temple is not a physical building but is more akin to the temple of Eden. There, God did not meet with Adam in a building, but in the midst of his creation. And so it is under the New Covenant. Now that the kingdom God is here in power. And now that the new creation has broken into human history (you are a new creation), God’s true and eternal temple has begun to be built (you, church, are the temple of the Holy Spirit). And God’s temple is not isolated to one nation or to one city under the New Covenant but is expanding to the ends of the earth. This is why Christ said, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). With the inauguration of the kingdom of God (behold the kingdom of heaven is at hand), comes also the inauguration of God’s eternal temple, built by God’s Messiah, the Son of Abraham and David, the second and greater Adam.
The point is this: Ezekiel revealed that one day the temple of Solomon would be greatly expanded, and it has. If you fail to see the true significance of the tabernacle and temple of Israel, then you will not be able to see this, for you will be looking for a temple of stone. But if you understand that, from the beginning, the tabernacle and temple of the Old Covenant had reference to Eden, to heaven above, and to new heavens and earth which the Christ would earn for his people, then you will see how Ezekiel’s temple is present now. It is not made of stone. Christ is the builder, and he is also the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets make of the rest of the foundation. And you, dear brothers and sisters, as “living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5, ESV).
And where will God’s temple-building project find its ultimate fulfillment? In the new heavens and earth. When Christ returns, the heavenly realm and earthly realm will be made one. And there will be “no temple in [that eternal] city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:22, ESV)
*****
God’s Tabernacle In The Here And Now
As I move this sermon towards a concussion, I would like to say a few words about God’s tabernacle, or temple, in the here and now. Where is God’s temple now? God’s eschatological, new creation temple is present on earth now (in an inaugurated form), and you, Christian, are that temple. You, church, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, ESV). And in another place, Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV). What are the implications of this for the believer and for the church? So many things can be said. Here are eight very brief points.
One, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to worship.
Two, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called pray.
Three, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to assemble.
Four, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to build his temple.
Five, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to holiness – personal holiness, and corporate holiness. God’s temple must be kept.
Six, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to expand.
Seven, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to communion with God.
Eight, if you are in Christ, then you are God’s Spirit-filled temple, and you have been called to long for the consummation, for the new heavens and earth, and to persevere in Christ until the end.
These are eight very brief and simple reflections on the church as the New Covenant, new creation temple of God. In fact, I think there is a great deal of insight to be gained concerning the nature, purpose, and mission of the church when we consider that she is God’s tabernacle or temple. Who is to be admitted into the church? What is our purpose when we assemble? What is our mission in the world? What is our future hope? Rich answers to these questions and many others emerge when we remember that the church is “God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in [us]”. Indeed, the good news is that Christ came so that we might be God’s temple, and so that we might enter into his eternal temple, where it is said, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3, ESV). Indeed, the tabernacle and temple of Old proclaimed these truths in a shadowy way until Christ, the eternal Word of God, and the substance of these shadows tabernacled amongst us to accomplish our salvation and to usher in the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).
