Please turn with me in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 27.
It's good to be with you this morning.
I'm going to preach from several passages all dealing with the same subject matter,
27.1-21, 31-21, and 34-38, 37.25-29, and 38.1-20.
But because the second half of it is the implementation,
the actual carrying out of the instructions in the first half,
and it's almost identical word for word.
I'm not going to read it out loud right now.
I will incorporate it into my sermon, throughout the course of the sermon.
But I will read 27.1-21 and 31-21.
So let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Father, we have gathered in your Son's name,
and we humble ourselves before you.
waiting to hear from you.
As you always do, speak to us in and from your word
to exalt your Son, Jesus,
and to cheer our souls with the consolations that we have in him.
Meet with us now in Jesus' name, we ask.
Amen.
If you would please stand, if you are able,
for the reading of God's word from Exodus 27, 1-21,
and Exodus 30, 1-21.
Amen.
You shall make the altar of acacia wood,
five cubits long and five cubits broad.
The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits,
and you shall make horns for it on its four corners.
Its horns shall be of one piece with it,
and you shall overlay it with bronze.
You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes,
and shovels and basins and forks and firepans.
You shall make all its utensils of bronze.
You shall also make for it a grating,
a network of bronze,
and on the net you shall make four bronze rings
at its four corners.
And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar
so that the net extends halfway down the altar.
And you shall make poles for the altar,
poles of acacia wood,
and overlay them with bronze.
And the poles shall be put through the rings
so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar
when it is carried.
You shall make it hollow with boards,
as it has been shown you on the mountain,
so shall it be made.
You shall make the court of the tabernacle.
On the south side of the court
shall have hangings of fine twine linen
a hundred cubits long for one side.
Its twenty pillars,
and their twenty bases shall be of bronze,
but the hooks of the pillars
and their fillets shall be of silver.
And likewise,
for its length on the north side
there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long,
its pillars twenty,
and their bases twenty,
of bronze.
But the hooks of the pillars
and their fillets shall be of silver.
And for the breadth of the court
on the west side
there shall be hangings for fifty cubits
with ten pillars and ten bases.
The breadth of the court
on the front to the east
shall be fifty cubits.
the hangings for the one side of the gate shall be 15 cubits with their three pillars and three
bases on the other side the hanging shall be 15 cubits with their three pillars and three bases
for the gate of the court there shall be a screen 20 cubits long of blue and purple and scarlet
yarns and fine twine linen embroidered with needlework he shall have four pillars and with
them four bases all the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver their hooks shall
bronze the length of the court shall be 100 cubits the breadth 50 and the height five cubits with
hangings of fine twine linen and bases of bronze all the utensils of the tabernacle for every use
and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court shall be of bronze you shall command the people of israel
that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn
in the tent of meeting outside the veil that is before the testimony aaron and his son shall
tend it from evening to morning before the lord it shall be a statute forever to be observed
throughout their generations by the people of israel now turn a couple pages to chapter 30
with me and i'm going to read verses 1 to 21 you shall make an altar on which to burn incense you
shall make it of acacia wood a cubit shall be its length and a cubit its breadth it shall be square
and two cubits shall be its height its horns shall be of one piece with it you shall overlay it with
pure gold its top and around its size and its horns and you shall make a molding of gold around it and
you shall make two golden rings for it under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make
them and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it you shall make the poles of acacia wood
and overlay them with gold and you shall put in it put in put it in front of the veil that is above
the ark of the testimony in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony where i will meet with
you and aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it
and when aaron sets up the lamps at twilight he shall burn it a regular incense offering before the lord
throughout the generations you shall not offer unauthorized incense on it or a burnt offering or a grain
offering and you shall not pour a drink offering on it aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a
year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year
throughout your generations it is most holy to the lord the lord said to moses when you take the
census of the people of israel then each shall give a ransom for the life to the lord for his life to
the lord when you number them and there be we that there be no plague among them with when you number
them each one who is numbered in the census shall give this half a shekel according to the shekel of
the sanctuary the shekel is 20 gareth half a shekel as an offering to the lord everyone who is numbered
in the census from 20 years old and upward shall give the lord's offering the rich shall not give more
and the poor shall not give less than the half shekel when you give the lord's offering to make
atonement for your lives you shall take the atonement money from the people of israel and shall give it
for the service of the tent of meeting that it may bring the people of israel to remembrance before the
lord so as to make atonement for your lives the lord said to moses you shall also make a basin of bronze
with its stand of bronze for washing you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar
and you shall put water in it with which aaron and his son shall wash their hands and their feet
when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister to burn a food
offering to the lord they shall wash with water so that they may not die they shall wash their hands
and their feet so that they may not die it shall be a statute forever to them even to him and to his
offspring throughout their generations this is god's holy and authoritative word please be seated
we live in a in an egalitarian society where people enjoy historically unprecedented levels of
equality of course there's some kind of hierarchy and leadership in every society but generally speaking
we can speak to whomever we want and expect to be treated as well as everyone else so this idea of
being unworthy of being unworthy of someone or being unworthy to be at some place is something that's
foreign to most of our day-to-day experience so let's do a thought experiment for a moment imagine that you
are attending a red carpet event and you are in sweaty pajamas in in in a flip-flops that are kicked with dirt
and dust and dust and you didn't have a chance to shower so you stink and you have a bedhead
okay and now imagine how you would feel in that place you'd feel completely out of place you would
feel unworthy to be there you would be desperate for a shower you'd feel desperate for designer dress
designer suit maybe some fame and celebrity go with this way you can feel like you can actually be there
and you would maybe even also want thick layers of makeup to cover up your blemishes
so if you feel so exposed and so helpless and unworthy in the presence of celebrities
who are merely human if you feel so exposed and insecure in front of the rolling cameras
and bright lights of a red carpet event how much more unworthy are we to be in the presence of god
himself the infinite creator of heaven and the earth who with his all-seeing eyes dwells in
unapproachable light god who is a consuming fire himself how do we meet with him how do we dwell in his presence
that's the problem that this passage addresses starting in chapter 25 where the lord's instructions
to moses and the israelites for the construction of the tabernacle began the tabernacle has been referred
to exclusively as the dwelling the english word tabernacle just means tent but it's translating a hebrew word
that means dwelling place the dwelling place of god god's residence but notice in chapter 27 20 to 21
which we read that the tabernacle starts to be called something else for the first time
it says you shall command the people of israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light
that lamp may be regularly be set to burn in the tent of meeting outside the veil that is before the testimony
aaron and his son shall tend to it from evening to morning this is the first time that the expression
tent of meeting is used in the book of exodus to refer to the tabernacle so from exodus 25 to 27 19 the
tabernacle has exclusively been called the dwelling 19 times but starting here in 27 20 until 30 38
it is exclusively called the tent of meeting a total of 14 times so when describing the most holy place
and the holy place within the tabernacle proper its golden fire furnishings the ark of the testimony the
atonement cover the golden lamp stand and the table of the presence and the covering and the veils the
tabernacle is called the dwelling to emphasize its function as god's residing place his dwelling place
but when describing the priests who facilitate the sacrifices and the bronze altar for atonement sacrifices
and for and the bronze base and for the washing inside the courtyard the tabernacle is called the
tent of meeting to emphasize its function as the mediating place there and the meeting place between god and his people
so in describing this function of the tabernacle this passage teaches us this important main point that we can
meet with god because we have been atoned by the blood of christ and washed by the water of the spirit
we're going to look at four different points we're going to start with god's holiness and the tent of
meeting first by looking at the descriptions of the enclosure of the outer courtyard in 27 9 to 21
in 38 9 to 20 so the tabernacle proper the dwelling place of god was further enclosed by a series of
interconnected curtains made with fine twine linen these curtains were connected to the pillars made of
acacia wood or overlaid with bronze and then but their capitals at the top and the hooks and the fillets
fillets or fillet we think of fillet of meat but it's just a strip of metal that's decorating the top of
the column the capital the fillet and those the top part is silver that's on the outside these pillars
and the enclosure forms a large rectangle around the tabernacle the longer side is north and south
it's a hundred cubits which is about 150 feet long and then the two shorter sides are uh 50 cubits
west and east and they're about 75 feet long and so if you want to imagine a tennis court the larger
enclosure is about almost exactly twice as large as the tennis court both in its length and its breadth
so that's the the outer enclosure of the courtyard and on the east side there is a 30 feet long screen
at the center that's where the entrance is at the gate of the enclosure is and we have highlighted this
a number of times over the last few weeks that entrance to the east is significant because the
entrance to the garden of east was garden of eden was on the east and the entrance to the later temple
will also be in the east the entrance to god's dwelling place always is faces an easterly direction where
the sun rises like christ was raised from the dead but not only that it reminds us also of the fact
that the israelites and all of us by extension are sinful people who live east of eden as john steinbeck
put it in exile from the presence of god from the garden of eden and and so the material that the gate
the screen is made of also reinforces the sense of distance uh 27 16 and 38 18 both tell us that the
screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns
in fine twine linnet uh it's made of the same material uh of as the veil that separates the most
holy place from the holy place the only thing that's different is that it doesn't have the cherubim
worked into it so it's not god it doesn't represent god's heavenly dwelling place it in the holy of
holies but it still has the all the royal markings of these colored yarns i mentioned to you a few weeks
ago that the colored yarns were very expensive in those days because they didn't have synthetic dyes
so the dyes had to be extracted manually from the glands of sea mollusks and plant barks and leaves and
berries and precious metals and minerals so you'd have to scar the land to find the right plants and or
wade through the sea to collect the right clams and snails that can be pressed and used to produce
the dyes for these yarns and so these were very uncommon artifacts the scarlet yarn blue and purple
yarns were uncommon materials of royalty and luxury so you would not see these kinds of materials in the
common people's houses the same is true for the fine twined linen which the all the rest of the curtain
of the outer enclosure is made up of it's not made of typical linen made from the fiber of beaten
flax which which was coarse uh it's it's it's made of the same material but this is very fine it has
fine twine linen of the silkiest variety in genesis 41 42 when pharaoh appoints joseph as second in
command in all of egypt guess what he puts on joseph he puts on him a linen fine linen garments of fine
linen like the curtain that's around the enclosure so again this is royalty material so then the entire
450 foot perimeter is made up of rich materials like this and if we're in the israelite shoes
we wouldn't marvel at it it's if you were children you'd probably want to go up and touch it wow look
at how smooth that is look at how fine that material is and on top of that it's pretty imposing the
curtains are 7.5 feet tall five cubits that means even some of the tallest current and former nba players
like yaoming or taco fall who are 7.6 feet tall are not tall enough to look over it on flat foot
which means none of us have any chance of looking over it and so only the top most part of the
tabernacle would be visible from the outside so if you consider these details we can see that the
tabernacle is not exactly a picture of approachability or accessibility the tabernacle was not meant to be
a common ordinary place that anyone can casually walk into and stroll around like a public park
this distance between us and god is also communicated through the gradation of holiness we see in the
design of the tabernacle i've mentioned this to you before that that all the furnishings in the
courtyard are made of bronze there the pillars on the outside are made of bronze but the top of the
pillar the capitals are made of silver but then when you get to the tabernacle the tent inside proper
the the pillars are made of silver but the not the the whole pillar the bottom of the pillars are made
of silver but the top is made of gold the rest of the pillars made of gold so it's like the tabernacle
has three levels or almost layers like three stories even though it's flattened on level ground it's like
their stories the the the top of the outer enclosure fits to the the outside of the tent the bottom of
that and then once you go furthest in inside the most holy place everything is gold you don't you see
nothing but gold and so there's this gold level silver level bronze level it's kind of like how i feel
when i when i uh ever travel on flights it's like the you you're waiting to board and there's this the gold
level people who get to board before everybody else and they get to sit in the best seats and they get
to eat the best food and get the best drink and and they have their own bathrooms and uh you know and
then there's the silver level people i don't know what they get and then there's the bronze level people
and then there are people like me right and so there's this distance between you and those people
and and that's exactly what this tabernacle is supposed to convey there's the gold there's the silver
there's the bronze and then there's you right i i want us to feel this gap between god and us you
know not just in a theoretical way but in a visceral way at an emotional level before we move on to the
next point because we can't appreciate what god does to bridge that gap unless we first feel that that
chasm that we can't ever cross on our own in esther 4 11 when mordecai asks esther for help saying we
are about to be exterminated as jews say state sanctioned pogrom they're about to kill us all
and he asks esther pleased with her to go and talk to the king because she's the queen
and then esther tells mordecai i can't just go into the king i have to be summoned if i go without
being summoned the only sentence is death unless the king graciously extends the scepter to show mercy
that's the kind of that's the kind of respect and honor that an earthly king gets how much more
the divine king
you can't go to a king whenever you want you have to be summoned you have to be worthy
and so we are no members of the royal family we're no queen we're common folk dirty sinful
how are we supposed to enter the tent of meeting to meet with god you and i are not worthy it doesn't
matter how many followers you have on social media it doesn't matter that you're the ceo of a fortune 500
company it doesn't matter that you have a phd and a postdoc and a post postdoc from harvard and mit
it doesn't matter that your iq is off the charts or that your eq is off the charts it doesn't matter
that you're a pretty good person who's never had a scandalous sin in your life you and i are not worthy
and that's the reality between yahweh the lord god the holy one and us there is a gaping chasm
that's impossible this is where the furnishings of the courtyard come into the picture
and we're on to the second point our sinfulness and the altar of atonement
the word atonement is seldom used outside of church nowadays but it means something similar
to the word reparations which i'm sure you've heard more frequently it refers to the making of amends
for some kind of injury or wrong done to another and atonement it covers over sin and offense
it's a payment that satisfies divine justice chapter 30 verses 11 to 16 speak of this please turn there
with me chapter 30 verses 11 to 16 when moses conducts the census of the people of israel
everyone 20 years old and above is required to pay half a shekel as an offering to the lord
and later in exodus 38 25 to 26 there is an actual accounting of all the silver that was collected
through this census tax and we are told that all the men over 20 years old were 603 550 there was
that many of them and each of them paid a half a shekel resulting in a hundred talents and 1775
shekels of silver it's about 7601 pounds of silver in our in our rendering reckoning another passage in
numbers one also mentions a census and it it has the same number of males 603 550 so it's probably
referring back to the same census that exodus 30 speaks of and that's illuminating because in numbers
it specifically mentions that this census was intended to count those from 20 years old and upward
every man able to go to war in israel so census here it serves a military purpose in part to count the
possible number of conscripts into the army which is the reason why the women and children are not
counted this is the israelite equivalent of the selective service system have you guys gotten letters
from the selective service system i guess well maybe i'm too old to get that now but um when you it's
the it's the agency in the u.s government that keeps track of all eligible u.s citizens who are to
who can be conscripted to serve in the army in a military draft the lord says to moses in chapter 30
verse 12 read with me when you take the census of the people of israel then each shall give a ransom
for his life to the lord when you number them that there be no plague among them when you number them
and then he continues in verses 15 to 16 the rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give
less than the half shekel when you give the lord's offering to make atonement for your lives you shall
take the atonement money from the people of israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of
meeting that it may bring the people of israel to remembrance before the lord so as to make
atonement for your lives this is a very fascinating passage why does every israelite man of military age
need to make an atonement for his life and then give a ransom for his life to the lord when being
counted in the census why is there a threat of a plague breaking out among them when a census is
conducted the words ransom and atonement which is repeated throughout this passage give us clues about
the nature of this payment what it does what its purpose is these men have been numbered to go to war
later on in the conquest of the promised land their lives are essentially forfeit which is why they need a
ransom payment this is their way of acknowledging that their lives are ultimately in the lord's hands
the census tax is simultaneously a tribute and petition it's a tribute to the king acknowledging
their subjection to his authority we're in your hands we're at your disposal it's also a petition
asking the king to remember them with favor and protect and spare them so the silver collected through
the census tax will be used for the construction of the tent of meeting so that it may bring it says if
bring the people of israel to remembrance before the lord so as to make atonement for their lives
since the rich man's life is not more valuable than the poor man's life
and vice versa all pay the same half shekel no more and no less but there's still more meaning to this
census tax there's this threat of a plague breaking out when the israelite men are being numbered
there are a number of censuses taken throughout the old testament and here in exodus the census is
taken before the construction of the tabernacle and then later similarly in second chronicles 2
a census is taken before the construction of the temple before solomon builds the temple in numbers 1
and 26 a census is taken to number the soldiers before the conquest of canaan and in numbers 4
the levites were specifically omitted from the census are counted for the service within the tabernacle
because they don't serve in the military there's only one census in all of the old testament that
does not serve a specific divinely sanctioned purpose and that's recorded in second samuel 24 and
first chronicles 21 when king david orders a census of israel's men eligible for military service
without god's express approval or command and guess what happens god punishes israel with a plague
so that 70 000 men of israel die this account appears to be connected related to this passage in exodus
30 why is god so upset with david taking a census he's the king after all we can infer the reason from
what his military commander joab who is charged with taking this actual census says to david in objection
he says this may the lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are are they not my lord the
king all of them my lord's servants why then should my lord require this why should it be a cause of guilt
for israel for kings and nations taking a census is a way of estimating their power
it's their way of sticking out their chest and flexing their muscles
it's this is why it's their way of saying look at what vast army i have and my command don't mess with me
and this is why taking a census is inherently offensive to god it's an act of hubris it's an act of
independence and rebellion rather than humble submission to god in duranami 7 god specifically
said that to hit to the israelites that he that he chose them as his treasure treasure of possession
and set his love upon them out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth quote not because
they were more in number than other people for they were the fewest of all the peoples
god chose them because he said his love on them because he's keeping the promises he had made to
their forefathers he did not choose them because they were a powerful numerous people because they
deserved his affection so by counting the men eligible for military service david showed that his
heart had strayed away from god that he believed in strength in numbers more than strength in the lord
he trusted in his own hosts rather than in the lord of hosts
this is another reason why exodus 30 requires the payment of atonement money
when a census is being taken that there will be no plague among them when you number them
what are some ways that you have taken a census in your own life
do you look at your bank statements and investments with satisfaction and put your trust in them
rather than in the lord
do you look at your list of friends or look around at your family and put your trust in them
rather than in the lord do you count your genealogy or your academic pedigree
do you take stock of your talents how much smarter you are than others how much prettier you are than
others how much stronger and more athletic you are than others how much cooler or funnier you are than
others how much more liked you are than others stop counting those trivial numbers
what truly matters is do you have god is god on your side rather are you on god's side
for the foolishness of god is wiser than men and the weakness of god is stronger than men
christ jesus is for us wisdom from god righteousness and sanctification and redemption
let the one who boasts boast in the lord
not in our own senses
at the bottom of sin bottom of it sin is simply this it's displacing god with something or someone
else in our lives and all of us have done that by taking various censuses in our lives
and for that reason all of us need atonement
but the payment of this atonement money only applied to men eligible for military service
so the half shekel census text was a one-time only prescription
to collect silver in part for the construction of the tabernacle
so the more general atonement is needed and that's where the bronze altar in the courtyard comes in
the fact that god commanded moses and israelites to build
a bronze altar might be surprising to some of you
if you remember god's specific instructions regarding altars in the book of the covenant in exodus 20
there god said this you have seen for yourselves that i have talked with you from heaven
you shall not make gods of silver to be with me nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold
an altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burned offerings and your peace offerings
your sheep and oxen if you make an altar of stone you shall not build it of hewn stones
for if you wield your tool on it you profane it
so note there's an interesting phrase in verse 20
you have seen for yourselves
that i have talked with you from heaven
it's very interesting
what have they seen
not god's face
but god's voice
that god speaks
so this is why there is a prohibition
in the bible of making carved images or idols for worship
because god does not rule through images
the pagans thought that gods
their gods dwelled these images and idols
and that they bowed down before them and worshiped them
but god rules always our god through his word
by speaking to us
that's why they're not supposed to make images
and that's why they're also not supposed to make altars
that are meant to displace god
and to represent god in a sense
and so that's why when they're building an altar for sacrifice
they must only build it out of earth
out of dirt
and if they are to use stones
they are to use hewn
they're not to use hewn stones
only stones as they naturally exist in nature
so that they are not
they don't wield human tools on it
put artistic representations on it
it's just a common ordinary altar
because you're not supposed to relate to god
through the images
but through his word
by offering sacrifices to him
in obedience to his word
and so then this bronze altar
in the courtyard of the tabernacle
is an exception to that
because this is where the priests of god themselves
will regulate the worship
they will be there to prevent idolatry
and they will offer sacrifices
according to the biblical prescriptions
and so this is the one exception to that
but outside of that
any altar that they build
for example later
in Deuteronomy 27.4
Moses commands Israelites
to build an altar
when they cross over the Jordan
and there they are told
specifically to obey that command
to build either an earthen altar
or an altar with stones
that are not hewn
that are uncut stones
so that command still applies
in other places
it's on this bronze altar
that many sacrifices and offerings
would be offered to god
Leviticus 1-7
tells us about five different kinds
of sacrifices and offerings
that would be offered
on this bronze altar
first is the burnt offering
which is the most costly kind of offering
because it entailed the burning whole
of the entire animal sacrifice
with nothing left remaining
as a pleasing aroma to the lord
the second kind of offering
is the grain offering
which is an offering of the first fruits
thanking god for the harvest
third is the peace offering
featuring an animal sacrifice
that was actually consumed
by the worshippers and the priests
in the presence of god
enjoying fellowship with god
so sometimes it's called
the fellowship offering
the fourth is the sin offering
which served to purify people
from the defiling effects
of unintentional sins
and then fifth is the guilt offering
which was an atoning sacrifice
for guilt incurred by causing damage
or loss to god or to your neighbor
for sins that require restitution
making restitution
so all these offerings and sacrifices
are ultimately fulfilled in jesus
because we know from hebrews 10
that these sacrifices
were merely a shadow
of the good things to come
instead of the true form
of those realities
these sacrifices
that the israelites offered
could not
as the bible says
atone for sin
in an ultimate sense
they only pointed
to the once for all sacrifice
that jesus would make
on the cross
by dying for our sins
and all five
of these sacrifices
point to that
four of them
feature a ram
an unblemished ram
which points to jesus
who is the passover lamb
unblemished lamb
sacrifice for us
and then the fifth
the grain offering
or the peace offering rather
is
the grain offering
also represents us
jesus bringing us
the first fruits of god
sorry
and
there's still other ways
that the bronze altar
point to jesus
and this is
it term
in terms of its
physical appearance
it's square
7.5 foot square
and it stands
4.5 feet tall
and it's placed
right inside
the courtyard enclosure
so it's the first thing
you see as you enter
the courtyard
and it would dominate
your view
as you enter it
it's an unmistakable
message
no human being
may approach god
safely
unless there's sacrifice
unless there is
atonement
it's made of wood
which might seem
counterintuitive
for an altar
because it'll burn
but it's
remember it's
overlaid with bronze
to protect it
and the
one very significant
feature of it
is that this altar
has horns
on its four corners
that's one piece
with the altar itself
and
there's a practical
purpose for this
psalm 118
27
tells us that
the sacrifices
were tied
using the horns
on the four corners
maybe to stabilize it
or maybe it makes it
easier to lift it
in and out
of the hollow
altar
but there's
an even more
important
way more important
symbolic meaning
to this
because animals
often use their
horns to demonstrate
their strength
and to establish
dominance
in the ancient world
horns came to
symbolize strength
and power
and victory
so
in Daniel 7
he sees in his
vision a picture
of a beast
with ten horns
and we are told
that that represents
ten kings
so
horns can represent
powerful kings
psalms frequently
feature prayers
to God
asking God
to cut off
the horns
of the wicked
but to exalt
or lift up
the horns
of the righteous
but
even more
the horn
is often associated
in scripture
with the Lord
God himself
or with his
anointed one
with his Messiah
the king
so Psalm 18
2 cries out
the Lord
is my rock
and my fortress
and my deliverer
my God
my rock
in whom
I take refuge
my shield
and the horn
of my salvation
my stronghold
in 1 Samuel 2
Hannah prays
for the day
when the Lord
will break
his adversary
to pieces
and give strength
to his king
and exalt
the horn
of his anointed
Psalm 130
to 17
prophesies
of a day
when the Lord
will make
a horn
to sprout
for David
and finally
in Luke
1 68
to 69
shortly before
Jesus' birth
Zachariah
prophesies
of his birth
blessed be
the Lord
God of Israel
for he has
visited
and redeemed
his people
and has
raised up
a horn
of salvation
for us
in the house
of his servant
David
so Jesus
is
the horn
of salvation
who shatters
the enemies
of God
to save
God's people
Jesus'
very name
means the Lord
is salvation
it's no wonder
then that in
Exodus 29 12
and Leviticus 4 7
God commands
that after you
make a sacrifice
a sin offering
you are supposed
to daub
its blood
on the four
horns
of the altar
representing
the blood
that Jesus
sheds
for us
to save us
and it is
because of this
what the horn
represents
the horn
of salvation
that there
is a practice
that is
attested
throughout
the Old Testament
that when
people sin
and the evildoers
are about to be
punished for their sin
if they are repentant
and they acknowledge
their guilt
they can go into
the tabernacle
the courtyard
and they can grab
hold of the horns
of the altar
as a way of
pleading for amnesty
asking for mercy
from the king
who is about
to punish them
so this is what
Adonijah does
in 1st King
150
he is guilty
of sedition
he was trying
to usurp
the kingdom
from right
under the noses
of King Solomon
but he is caught
and his party
is dispersed
and he knows
he is about
to be cut down
to death
so he runs
into the tabernacle
he grabs hold
of the horns
of the bronze altar
and Solomon
because of that
spares him
at least for that time
and so
that is what
Jesus represents
for us
remember that
Jesus is the horn
that sinners
can run to
to grab hold of
and cling to
death
is hounding
you
perhaps even
this very day
because you are
a sinner
you are guilty
of sedition
you have rebelled
against God
our rightful king
by serving other gods
and living for yourself
you will surely
be cut down
you will surely
die
you will surely
be condemned
to hell
but there is a refuge
you can run to
you can run
into the quarry
you can grab hold
of the horns
of the altar
you can cling
to Jesus
whose blood
was poured out
for us
as an atoning sacrifice
so that we might
be forgiven
and reconciled
to God
maybe you feel
like running away
maybe you feel
that guilt
and shame
that's not reason
to run away
from God
that's reason
to run to him
to run to Jesus
say I have no salvation
apart from you
Lord Jesus
I cling to your
horn of salvation
it's then
and only then
that you will find
mercy
let's now look
at the other
furnishing within
the courtyard
the bronze basin
for washing
Exodus 30
17 to 21
tells us that
this bronze basin
stood between
the tent of meeting
and the bronze altar
and this is where
Aaron and his sons
the priests
were to wash
their hands
and feet
before ministering
at the altar
so that they don't die
later in 38-8
when this bronze
altar basin
is actually built
it gives us
one additional
tidbit of detail
that's fascinating
it says that
the bronze basins
was made
quote
from the mirror
of the ministering
woman who ministered
in the entrance
of the tent of meeting
so even though
only Aaron
and his sons
served as priests
within the tabernacle
there were women
who served
in the courtyard
of the tabernacle
isn't that amazing
I think that's
even at this stage
of redemptive history
we see a clear example
that women
were intimately
and indispensably
involved in the ministry
of God's dwelling place
men and women
had distinct roles
but they both had
indispensable roles
and it's the same
in the church today
which is the new
covenant temple
of God
though only certain
men serve
as elders
of the church
there are many
women who are
vitally involved
in the ministry
of God's house
and it's also special
that it's there
these ministering
women's contribution
of their bronze mirrors
that is used
to build this bronze basin
at that time
in those days
they didn't use
clear reflective glass
as mirrors
they used bronze
and so they offer up
their bronze mirrors
which makes
this bronze basin
instead of using
their mirrors
to beautify themselves
they offer up
their bronze mirrors
so that God's people
the priests
can be purified
it's a very special way
to give of yourself
to God
and so when you enter
through the enclosure
into the courtyard
of the tabernacle
so you'd first see
the bronze altar
it's imposing
fixture there
and then you go past
that and you'll see
the basin
the bronze basin
which is like
a sea of water
the basin's
later equivalent
when Solomon
builds his temple
is actually called
the sea
it's called
the bronze sea
and so once you
pass through that water
you go into
the tabernacle proper
which is the
dwelling place of God
so imagine
for a moment
in the bird's eye view
what this progression
looks like
going further
and further in
to the tabernacle
does that remind you
of anything
you've seen
so far in Exodus
when the Israelites
were slaves in Egypt
they had to sacrifice
the Passover lamb
an unblemished lamb
then they had to pass
through the Red Sea
right
and then
in the wilderness
they were guided
by the pillars
of fire and smoke
and fed with manna
the bread from heaven
and inside the holy place
what do you find
the lamp stand
and the bread
of the presence
now and then
you go further in
and then you find
the most holy place
the very footstool of God
where God dwells
with his people
and that's exactly
what God promised
what happened
when the Israelites
entered the promised land
where God will dwell
with them
so the tabernacle
you go with the sacrifice
cross the water
into the wilderness
where you are fed
and guided by the light
and fire and smoke
pillar
and you go into
the promised land
where God dwells with you
the tabernacle
is a reenactment
of Israel's salvation history
and that too
is ultimately fulfilled
by Jesus
because Jesus
makes his once for all
atoning sacrifice
on the cross
and dies for us
and when Jesus died
it says in John 1934
that a Roman soldier
just pierced his side
with the spear
just to make sure
that he is dead
and then at once
there came out
blood and water
from his side
and John's there
making an intentional
theological point
in John 7 38-39
Jesus said
whoever believes in me
out of his heart
will flow rivers
of living water
and now this
he said about the spirit
John tells us
the image of water
is frequently used
throughout the Bible
to refer to the rinsing
the reviving
and the renewing
and regenerating activity
of the Holy Spirit
so when Jesus
dies on the cross
and makes satisfaction
atonement for our sins
the spirit of God
is symbolically
poured out
in the water
that pours out
from his heart
out of his heart
flows rivers
of living water
which is a fulfillment
of the prophecies
in Zechariah 12 and 13
that the one
whom that they have pierced
will save them
and that he will become
for them
quote
a fountain
that cleanses them
from sin
and uncleanness
so Jesus
is the one
who was pierced
and who became
the fountain
from whom the spirit
of God
comes gushing out
to cleanse us
from all sin
there's a
I don't know
if you guys
have dreams often
but there's a widely
observed
attested dream
throughout the world
and it's one
of people feeling
dirty
and then washing
themselves
again and again
in the dream
this kind of dream
sometimes occurs
when people feel
like they are
in a morally
compromising situation
when they feel
they lack
integrity
or honesty
and this is
the spiritual reality
for all of us
we are morally
spiritually
grubby people
and we need
the water
of the Holy Spirit
to cleanse us
to be
have you ever
tried washing
yourselves
without water
you could use
soap all you want
I mean you could use
put hand sanitizer
all over your body
if you want to
you're not going to
feel clean at all
you're going to feel
more achy
if you want
a real wash
you need
water
no matter
what you do
to try to
wash yourself
with your own
good works
you cannot
make yourself
clean
you need
the water
of the Holy Spirit
to rain on you
to pour out on you
to cleanse you
and that's what's
represented in the
washing of baptism
and receive the Holy Spirit
if you repent of your sins
and believe in Jesus
and make a public
profession of your faith
and get baptized
you will receive
the Holy Spirit
and that brings me
to my short
final point
our holiness
and the living sacrifice
I mentioned to you
earlier that
all five types
of offerings
were offered
on this bronze altar
in the courtyard
but there is one
particular offering
that is specifically
especially associated
with this bronze altar
and that is
the burnt offering
throughout the book
of Exodus
the bronze altar
is repeatedly called
the altar of burnt
offering
Leviticus 1 9
specifies
the burnt offering
was the most costly
kind of offering
because you burn up
the entire animal
and leave nothing behind
and it's
as a pleasing aroma
to the Lord
and in this way
burnt offerings
signify that
God's people
are to be
completely
consecrated to him
totally devoted
to him
and that idea
is connected
to the altar
of incense
which is a furnishing
inside the holy place
the golden incense
immediately before
the veil
that separates
the most holy place
from the holy place
we intentionally
didn't talk about that
when we were talking
about furnishings
inside the holy place
because the Bible
intentionally
puts it together
with the bronze altar
and associates
those two things
theologically
just like the
bronze altar
just like the bronze altar
the golden altar
of incense
in the holy place
is square
it too
has four horns
on its corners
and it too
is supposed to be
the horns
are supposed to be
daubed with the blood
of the sin offering
and in the same
it's just the same
as the bronze altar
it says in the
bronze altar
you were supposed
to offer
a burnt offering
twice a day
once in the morning
once at twilight
in the same way
there's supposed
to be incense
offered on this
golden altar
in the holy place
twice a day
once in the morning
and once at twilight
at exactly the same time
so whenever the priests
offer the burnt offering
at the bronze altar
an incense
is being offered
on the altar
golden altar
of incense
so do you see
the connection there
it's the burnt offering
is entirely
burned up to God
to be a pleasing
aroma to God
and then the pleasing
aroma ascends
to the very
dwelling place of God
in the form
of the smoke
and the incense
in the golden altar
that's what's happening
there
and this aroma
would have been
so pleasant
it says in
30, 34, 35
it says to take
sweet spices
stacti and
anica and
galbanum
sweet spices
with pure frankincense
and make an incense
blended as by
the perfumer
seasoned with salt
pure and holy
this was a distinct
smell that was to be
associated with
God's dwelling place
only
no one else
was to use
this specific
combination
of spices
and perfumes
and this represents
God's lavish
hospitality
toward us
imagine a family
Christmas dinner
with the
resinous
scent
of
pine trees
just imagine that
and the cinnamony
aroma
of mulled wine
and gingerbreads
you smell that
when you walk
into a house
you feel at home
you feel loved
you feel cared for
that's what
these smells
evoke
as the priests
are ministering
in the holy place
God's hospitality
God's
welcome
God's fellowship
with his people
and where does
that aroma
come from
it comes from
the sacrifices
that we make
it comes from
the burnt offerings
as people
who have been
sanctified
by the Holy Spirit
we ourselves
get to offer
up sacrifices
of worship
to God
and it ascends
to the very heavens
where God dwells
that's what Paul
is speaking of
in Romans 12
I appeal to you
therefore
by the mercies
of God
to present your bodies
as a living sacrifice
Revelation 5
and 8
speak of
how the prayers
of the saints
when we pray
that they come up
to God
as smoke
of the incense
from the golden
censer
and an altar
as a pleasing
aroma to God
Hebrews 13
15
says that
continually
offer up
sacrifice
of praise
to God
that is
the fruit
of lips
that acknowledge
his name
so when we
acknowledge God
and praise him
with our lips
when we cling
to him
and depend
on him
in prayer
when we live
a life of faith
and obedience
instead of being
conformed to the
patterns of this world
we are offering up
a living sacrifice
to God
that's how we
ought to live
and remember
this is a burnt
offering
you don't offer
a part of it
you offer the
whole thing
all of you
your whole life
every minute
of it
everything you
have
head to toe
all that you
are
completely
devoted
to him
because that's
what God
deserves
and that
comes up
to him
as a
pleasing
aroma
is there
a greater
privilege
than that
to offer
yourself up
wholly
to God
and say
I am
yours
it's when
we do
that
that we
also bear
witness
to others
as Paul
says in
2nd Corinthians
we become
the aroma
of Christ
to God
among those
who are
being
saved
and among
those
who are
perishing
let's pray
that we
would be
that
as a
church
together
yes
father
we do
offer up
our whole
selves
to you
we want
to be
devoted
to you
we want
to be
a whole
not partial
a whole
burnt offering
we want
to be
a pleasing
aroma
to you
father
that we
can be
a pleasing
aroma
in your
living room
that we
can please
you with
our worship
that we
can please
you with
our prayers
that we
can please
you with
our obedience
God is
too much
of a privilege
for us
to bear
help us
never to
lose sight
of it
take our
lives
Lord
and let
it be
consecrated
all to
you
Lord
in Jesus
name we
pray
amen