Sermon Tone Analysis

The Tabernacle of israel

 

! I.       Introductory

 

!!! A.    Key passages

 

1.

Building instructions:  Exodus 25-27; 30-31

2.       Actual construction:  Exodus 35-40

3.       Dedication of the tabernacle:  Numbers 7

4.       Families responsible for caring for the tabernacle:  Numbers 2-4

!!!! /B.      //Basic construction/

The tabernacle was situated within a courtyard 50 by 100 cubits in size.

It was a rectangular, tent-like structure, 30 cubits long and 10 cubits wide, divided into two rooms.

A curtain (veil) separated the two rooms.

The first room, the Holy Place (vd,Qoh;; /haqodesh/), was 20 cubits in length; the second room, the Holy of Holies (~~yvid'Q\h; vd,qo), occupied the remaining 10 cubits.

On three sides, the tabernacle had walls 10 cubits high made of boards of acacia wood.

These boards may have been open frames, allowing for more visibility and ventilation.

On the side that always faced east hung a multi-colored curtain door.

Over this wooden structure were placed four coverings:  linen curtains, goat’s hair, ram skins dyed red, and the hide of seals or porpoises (KJV, “badgers’ skins”).

Some debate whether the “tent” was flat-roofed or sloped.

For pragmatic reasons, it seems likely that the tent-roof was sloped (Strong, 38-39; /ISBE/, 2890).

!!! C.     Purpose

God Himself sets forth the key purpose of the tabernacle when He says:  “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Ex.

25:8; cf.

Ex. 29:43, 45).

!!! D.    Symbolism and typology

The tabernacle, its furniture, and its ceremonies are all laden with typology and symbolism.

The tabernacle itself, as the /dwelling place of God/, primarily symbolizes the presence of God with His people.

Some have seen a fourfold /anti-type/ (Vos, 154-155; Barrett, 276).

For example, Christ is a clear fulfillment—He /tabernacled/ among us (John 1:14).

The church /and/ the individual believer are a fulfillment—both are the /temple of God/ (I Cor.

3:16-17; II Cor.

6:16).

Finally, heaven is an /anti-type/ of the tabernacle.

Yahweh’s repeated commands to Moses to make the tabernacle according to the “pattern” shown on the mount (Ex.

25:9, 40) imply that the tabernacle has a higher significance.

The author of Hebrews explicitly affirms that there is a “true tabernacle” of which the earthly one was a “copy and shadow” (Heb.

8:2, 5).

The strict commands for the tabernacle’s construction also suggest that there is a right and a wrong way to approach God in worship and in prayer (Barrett, 275).

When it comes to worship, God makes the rules!

This explains the emphasis on Moses’ faithful adherence to the divine design (Exodus 39:42; 40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32).

The result (Exod.

40:34) is worth the effort.

While the tabernacle is typological, one must avoid finding significance in every detail of the tabernacle.

Some of its features, such as the use of tent-pins and acacia wood, were for pragmatic reasons, as indicated by their disappearance in the construction of Solomon’s Temple.

!! II.

Theology of the tabernacle names

 

/A.

//“Tabernacle” /(/mishkan/; !K'v.Mih;):  /Ex.

25:9; 26:1/

The KJV normally translates /mishkan// /as “tabernacle.”

However, do not think tent!  /M//ishkan/ means “dwelling-place.”

The tabernacle was the place of God’s dwelling among His people—not, as theologian Geerhardus Vos points out, because God needed a place to live, but so that He could fulfill His promises to His people.

/B.      //“Tent of meeting”; KJV, “tent of congregation” /(/’ohel mo‘ed/; d[eAm lh,ao/):  Ex.

27:21; 28:43/

/’Ohel /means “tent” and thus refers to the structure of the tabernacle.

God chose to “live” in a tent because He desired to identify Himself as fully as possible with His people in their present circumstance.

Later in the Kingdom period, when most Israelites lived in houses, God also “dwelt” in a house.

The translation “tent of congregation” suggests that the tabernacle was the tent where the people gathered for worship.

While this was undoubtedly true, the term /mo‘ed/ (“congregation”) refers to a pre-determined time or place for meeting with someone.

The tabernacle was, therefore, a place where God made definite arrangements to meet and commune with His people.

/C.     //“Sanctuary” /(/miqdash/; vD'q.mi):

/Ex.

25:8; 30:13/

/Miqdash/ comes form the root verb (/qadash/; vdq) meaning “to be holy,” and is sometimes translated as “holy place.”

/Q//adash// /here has the idea of “set apart” or “separate.”

The name “sanctuary” was to remind Israel of the “divine aloofness.”

The fact that God will dwell and meet with His people in no way alters the very essence of His nature as wholly other, separate, and distinct from all of His creation.

/D.    //“The tent of the testimony” /(tdu[eh' !K;v.mi):  /Ex.

38:21; Nu. 1: 50, 53; 9:15/

As the “tent of testimony,” the Tabernacle was the place where the copy of the Decalogue (also called “the testimony”) was kept.

The Ten Commandments were called the “Testimony” because they bore witness to and reminded Israel of the character of God and of His covenant conditions and obligations.

Thus, the tabernacle, as the depository of the Law, was a place of revelation.

But it was also a place of revelation because it was from there that God would speak with His people (Ex.

29:42).

!! III.

Theology of the tabernacle structure

 

!!! A.    A courtyard open to all Israel

All Israel was allowed to enter into the courtyard of the tabernacle.

This suggests the immanence of Yahweh and His desire to commune with His people.

!!! B.      A Holy Place accessible only to the priests

While God allowed all Israel to approach into the court of the tabernacle, only the priests were allowed to enter into the tabernacle structure itself.

God was teaching His people that even though He desired fellowship with them, they could only approach Him through mediation.

!!! C.     A Holy of Holies open one day a year to the high priest

Even the priests did not have full access to God.

Only the high priest could enter into the Most Holy Place.

But he could enter only on the Day of Atonement and only by sprinkling blood from the sin offering on the mercy seat.

Thus, the only reason God was approachable at all was that sin had been propitiated by a blood sacrifice.

The tabernacle conveys the constant “tension” between God’s willingness to have a relationship with His people and His need to maintain His separateness from all sin and uncleanness.

!! IV.  Theology of the tabernacle furniture

 

!!! A.    Bronze altar

The sacrifices and offerings were offered up on the bronze altar.

The first piece of furniture in the courtyard of the tabernacle, it reminded Israel that the first step in approaching God was sacrifice.

In fact, almost no other activity in the tabernacle was performed without some type of offering preceding it.

Also, the bronze altar was the only article of furniture in the tabernacle that directly involved the people at large, suggesting that God requires a propitiation for the sins of *all* men.

The bronze altar was a place of atonement.

It pictured the appeasement of the wrath of God on the basis of blood sacrifice.

This bronze altar typified a future altar at Calvary upon which a spotless Lamb would be slain.

!!! B.      Bronze washing basin

The bronze washing basin was located between the bronze altar and the tabernacle.

Here, the priests washed their hands and feet before performing their priestly duties, testifying that “he who has to carry on the service of reconciliation for the congregation must sanctify his own walk and acts” (Oehler, 256).

Even before they could offer a sacrifice upon the bronze altar, the priests were required to wash their hands and feet.

This typified the need of a holy Priest (the coming Christ!) to perform the work of propitiation.

However, the common Israelite offering a sacrifice was not required to wash his hands and feet.

It was enough that his priest was clean.

We, as NT priests, are washed by the water of the Word, the mirror of God (Eph.

5:26; cf.

Ex. 38:8).

!!! C.     Golden lampstand