A couple quick announcements.
Sister Louise is in need of a vehicle, so anyone who knows of someone
with a good, reliable second vehicle that they'd like to sell
to her, I guess her car was totaled in the accident that she was
in. Please keep her in your prayers if you could. And if you know
anyone that has a second vehicle or if you have one yourself that
you'd like to get rid of or sell to her, that would be a real
blessing. And also, Paul and Maurice Carrick welcomed their
second daughter into the world this week. And Olivia Rose Carrick. And she was born Wednesday morning.
And so let's rejoice with Sister Carolyn and Sister Barb and Brother
Kevin and the whole Carrick family. over the wonderful blessing of
having another child. What a great blessing. Let's
go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His blessing on the services
today. Gracious Heavenly Father, we approach Thy throne. We ask,
Lord, that You would be with us today, that the Holy Spirit
would teach us and guide us and direct us through the preaching
of Your Word and that He might point us to Christ. and that
the Holy Spirit may illuminate the scriptures that we might
learn more of Thee, Lord Jesus. And that in the process of that,
that You would increase in our lives and we would decrease.
We would see the greatness of Thee and the unworthiness of
ourselves for this great salvation which You have given us and which
You have bought for us and purchased for us. We pray You'd be glorified
today in the preaching of Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen. Name
of the message is Christ pictured in the tabernacle. Christ pictured
in the tabernacle. Now, in the book of Exodus, Moses
goes up to the mount where the Lord gives him commands. Turn,
if you would, to Exodus chapter 24, verses 3 and 4. Moses goes
up to the mount where the Lord gives him commands, in particular,
how they ought to conduct themselves one towards another, also naming
certain feast days. And Moses writes all the words
of the Lord in a book. and declares them to the people. And declares them to the people.
Look at Exodus chapter 24 verses 3 and 4. And Moses came and told
the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And
the people answered with one voice and said, all the words
which the Lord hath said will we do. So they said that they
would do these words. And Moses wrote all the words
of the Lord and rose up early in the morning and built an altar
under the hill and 12 pillars according to the 12 tribes of
Israel. Now turn, if you would, or look
down to verse 18. Moses is again called up into
the mount where he's there for 40 days and 40 nights. And at
this time, God shows him a pattern and commands him to make a sanctuary. Look at Exodus 24, verse 18.
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud and gath him up
into the mount, and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty
nights. Now turn, if you would, over
one chapter to Exodus 25, and he speaks to Moses about the
pattern of the tabernacle in Exodus 25, verses 8 and 9. And let them make me a sanctuary,
that I may dwell among them, according to all that I show
thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of
all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. So
he gives them exact rules about how to conduct worship and which
should be done by them in the holy place during their services
of worship, their times of worship. And one commentator proclaimed
this, he doth really yet darkly declare that unless he dwells
among them, because don't forget the tabernacle was where he dwelt
among them, unless he dwells among them and communicates himself
unto them, they could not be a holy people. They couldn't
be a holy people unless God's presence was with them, unless
he communicated unto them. So let us consider this, that
this very tabernacle and afterwards the temple were representations
and pictures of the human body of Christ in which the Lord would
manifest himself and dwell among them, dwell among them. 1 Timothy
3, turn there if you would. 1 Timothy 3. Verse 16, God tabernacles with
us. Christ is God incarnate in the
flesh. Look at this in 1 Timothy 3,
verse 16. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God himself was manifest in the
flesh. justified in the spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, and received up to glory, God himself, manifest in the
flesh. Scripture declares right there.
He tabernacled amongst us. He tabernacled amongst us. So
today for this time we have together, I'd like to consider how Christ
is pictured in the tabernacle. Now for further reading on your
own, If you'd like to read about the specifications of the tabernacle
and the temple, you start in Exodus 25 and you go to chapter
40. We don't have time to go through
15 chapters. But just for further reference,
if you'd like to read that on your own, that's where you'll
see this. And we'll be looking at certain
portions of scriptures for the study today from the word of
God. And now we know that a type of
Christ in the Old Testament is that which pictures Christ as
he's revealed in the New Testament. Now all the Old Testament sacrifices
and ceremonies were absolutely powerless to save. They couldn't
save. But they pictured one. They pictured
one. They pointed to one who would
save his people from their sins. Who would save his people from
their sins. Who would take away the sins
of his people. And that being the Lord Jesus Christ. The tabernacle
and later the temple had these pictures in them which pointed
to Christ. And again, that's what I'd like to look at today.
Now the door of the tabernacle, the gate it is called, was the
only entrance into the tabernacle. There was only one entrance.
There was not multiple entrances. There was one entrance, one gate.
into the temple, into the tabernacle. Well, John chapter 10, verses
seven to nine says this, then said Jesus unto them again, verily,
verily, I send you, I am the door of the sheep. One door,
one door. All that ever come before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door. By me, if any men enter in, he
shall be saved. One door into the tabernacle,
one door into the holy of holies. One door, beloved, into the presence
of God, Christ and Christ alone. One door. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. Now,
the Ark of the Covenant is a picture of Christ. The Ark of the Covenant
is a picture of Christ. Two tables of the Covenant were
put into the Ark to show that Christ both fulfilled the law
and the covenant to his people and to show that the righteousness
which the law required was only found in Him. Only found in Him. Turn if you would to Isaiah chapter
42. Isaiah chapter 42. We'll look at verse 6 and then
we'll look at verse 21. And then I'll read what Philippians
chapter 3, 9 says. It says this. and be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith." So Paul didn't want to be found in his
own righteousness, he wanted to be found clothed in the righteousness
of Christ. Well, why? Look at Isaiah 42,
verse 6. I, the Lord, have called thee
in righteousness. And Jehovah is here speaking
to Christ, to the one who has magnified his law. and the one
who has made it honorable. Look at this. I, the Lord, have
called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and
keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of
the Gentiles. Now look down to verse 21. Oh,
look at this. The Lord is well pleased for
his righteousness. Well, we know we know that he's
not pleased with our righteousness, right? Because our righteousness,
scripture declares, is like filthy rags. But look what it says there
about Christ's righteousness. The Lord is well pleased for
his righteousness sake. And look at this, he will magnify
the law and make it honorable. He's the only one, beloved, who
kept the law of God. The only one. And so the ark
and him being, the covenant being in him, it shows in pictures
that he is the one, the only one, who has fulfilled the law
of God. Oh, and here's another picture.
Another picture for his people to think upon. The Ark of the
Covenant, which contained the testimony to Israel, Christ is
God's testimony to His people, and He will ever be with them.
And the mercy seat, which covered the Ark, is a picture of Christ.
The mercy seat, which covered the Ark, turn if you would to
Exodus 25, verse 17. Exodus 25, verse 17. And thou
shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold. Pure gold. What a picture of Christ we see
here. Thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits
and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half
the breadth thereof. Note it's of pure gold. There's
nothing added to it. There's no mixture. It's pure. Pure gold, beloved. This picture's Christ without
spot and blemish. Pure. Perfect. perfect, beloved,
the purity of Christ's righteousness, the purity of Christ's obedience
and the purity of his sacrifice, him giving himself for his people. He is the perfect, spotless lamb
of God, beloved. And then it goes on and thou
shall make two cherubims of gold, a beaten work shall now make
them in the two ends of the mercy seat and make one cherub on the
one end. And the other cherub on the other
end, even of the mercy seat, shall ye make the cherubims on
the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch
forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings.
And their faces shall look one to another toward the mercy seat,
shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy
seat above upon the ark, and in the ark thou shalt put the
testimony that I give thee. Now the mercy seat is where God
would meet those whom he was in covenant with. I'll meet you
at the mercy seat. Mercy seat. And with this is
the New Testament throne of grace in picture. And we only approach
the throne of grace in who? Christ. Christ. And Christ alone. And don't forget too, it's a
covering. Mercy seat is a covering. It
covers. It covers the testimony. Turn
if you would to Isaiah chapter 59. Verse 21, Isaiah chapter
59, verse 21. The mercy seat was the gold lid
or the cover on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. This covering is a type of Christ
who is our propitiation. But look at Isaiah 59, verse
21. Oh, He will not manifest Himself
to those He's not in covenant with, but those who He's in covenant
with, He manifests Himself to them. Isaiah 59, verse 21. As
for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord. My spirit
that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed seed, saith the Lord from henceforth
and forever. So he has a covenant with a people,
with a people. Oh my. And then again, the mercy
seat was the gold lid or cover, and it's on top of the Ark of
the Covenant, Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 3. And this
covering is a type of Christ who's our propitiation. He's
our propitiation, beloved. Look at Romans chapter 3, verses
24 to 26. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we're
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, by the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in His blood. He's the propitiation
for our sins. To declare His righteousness,
remember? He's honored the law. He's magnified the law. He's
perfect. He's spotless. For the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare,
I say, at this time, His righteousness. His righteousness. We preach
about Christ's righteousness. About who He is. About what He's
done. and about where he is now, to
declare at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Now Christ is our mediator. It's his blood which has purchased
our pardon. It's his blood which has satisfied
God's justice. It's his blood which has satisfied
God's law. And God deals with his people
in mercy, in mercy. Don't ever forget that. We're
mercy beggars, beloved. We're mercy beggars. And He deals
with His people in mercy for Christ's sake. For Christ's sake.
Because He has fulfilled the law for us and therefore presents
Himself to the Father on our behalf. On our behalf. And right
now, He's interceding for us too. Right now. What a Savior. What a Redeemer. And it's a picture
of the shed blood of Christ, also the mercy seat which was
shed for us because the blood was put upon it, shed for us
at Calvary where justice and mercy meet together. That's where
justice and mercy met, at Calvary, at Calvary. And the blood of
the innocent sacrifice, Christ, the blood of the absolute innocent
sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ is shed
for us. What a Savior. Again, what a
Redeemer. Cleanses us from what? All our
sin. Not just some of them, but all. That causes us to rejoice. So
Christ, see the mercy seat was a covering, right? Christ is
a covering for us. He's our covering, beloved. He's
our covering. Covering for all our sin. He's
the mercy seat for His people. He's the mercy seat for his people.
And we looked at that in depth in our Christ is series, how
Christ is our altar. And the altar also pictures Christ
and the sacrifices which were offered upon the altar picture
Christ. He's the priest who offers the
sacrifice. He's the sacrifice and he's the
altar. He's at all beloved. He's all of it. Hebrews chapter
13 verse 10, we have an altar where they have no right to eat,
which served the tabernacle. Christ's death and sufferings
are here pictured as he offered himself up to God once for his
people to redeem them from the curse of the law and to save them from their sins. They're
sanctified in him. Listen to this. For by one offering,
by one offering, Christ offered himself up once. By one offering,
he hath perfected forever. Now let that sink in. He hath
perfected forever. Them that are sanctified. We're
sinners. But the scripture declares, he
hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Hebrews chapter
10, verse 14. That means that no charge can be bought against
us. My. Is there any savior like him?
There's no other savior, is there, at all. There's no one ever,
no one's ever been proclaimed like him. Because he alone is
God. And all the other supposed saviors
people have come up with in their minds are nothing but figments
of their imagination, nothing but false gods and false saviors. There's only one savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ, and one alone, one alone. What a savior, what
a redeemer. The blood of those beasts which
was sprinkled pictured the blood of Christ. with which the atonement
was made and whereby their consciences were to be purged from dead works
of the law to serve the living God in spirit and in truth. How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without
spot to God. He's perfect. He's spotless.
He's sinless. When did he offer himself up
to God? At Calvary, beloved. At Calvary. Offered himself without
spot to God. Purge your conscience. That's
speaking to you and I. We who are the beloved of God.
Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews chapter 9 verse 14. My! And then the table and the
saw bread that stood upon it was a picture of Christ. To teach us that Christ is both
the feeder or provider And food for his people. Turn if you would
to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. Verse 48 and
51. He very plainly proclaims who
he is. John 6 verse 48. I am that bread of life. This is the master proclaiming.
I am that bread of life. Look at verse 51. I am the living
bread which came down from heaven. So the manna was a pitcher. The
manna was a pitcher. And the table and the saw bread
that stood there, it was a pitcher. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live, what? Forever. My. And that bread that I will give
is my flesh. which I will give for the life
of the world. He gave his life for his people, didn't he? From
every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation. Now the candlestick
and its lamps and seven lamps, which were always burning in
the tabernacle, pictured the wisdom of the Spirit of God.
Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians 2, pictured the wisdom of the
Spirit of God, without which there's no finding out the mind
of God in these mysteries They must be revealed by God. We know
that Christ reveals himself to us by the Spirit of God. Otherwise,
we don't have a clue who he is. We have no idea who he is without
him revealing himself. Look at 1 Corinthians 2, verses
10 and verse 14. But God hath revealed unto us,
that's his people, by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things,
yea, the deep things of God. But then look at verse 14. But
the natural man received not the things of the Spirit of God.
Why? For they are foolishness unto
him. Neither can he know them, because they are what? Spiritually
discerned. Brother Tim, you hit on that
in your message last week. He must reveal himself to us,
or we'll never know him. The Bible is a spiritual book.
I remember a time before the Lord saved me when I read the
book, read parts of the Bible, And I've told you this before,
it was paper and ink to me. But after the Lord saved me,
my goodness, it's a whole new book. And even so, I'll be talking
to Norm Wells sometimes, and he'll call me up or I'll call
him up, and we're just rejoicing because the Lord's revealed something
to us. And Norm's famous words, is the ink still dry? You know,
because we didn't see it before, but the Lord revealed it in his
time, in his time. And that's why, when the Lord
reveals things to us, they're spiritually discerned. They're
spiritually discerned. Now, the oil within the lamps
in the temple, which was dressed and made to burn, was of pure
olive oil, beaten and without mixture. Turn, if you would,
to Exodus 27, verse 20. It was of pure olive oil, beaten
and without mixture. Look at Exodus chapter 27 verse
20. And thou shalt command the children
of Israel that they bring the pure oil olive beaten for the
light to cause the lamp to burn always. There's no mixture. There's no mixture. This pictures
the true knowledge of God in the mystery of Christ, which
was not obtained by the help of human wisdom. So we cannot,
no matter how much of our learning in our regular natural minds,
we can never learn of who Christ is. We can see creation, but
creation will never reveal Christ. The scriptures reveal Christ.
And that must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit of God.
He must reveal himself to us again. So this pictures the true
knowledge of God and the mystery of Christ, which was not attained
by the help of human wisdom and learning. but by the light and
wisdom of the Spirit only. By the light and wisdom of the
Spirit only. 1 Corinthians again, I'll read
this here, verses 12 and 13 of chapter 10. Now we have received
not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God,
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of
God. Which things also we speak not
in words, which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost
teaches us. He's our teacher. The Holy Ghost
teaches us. What does he teach us? Scripture
says he doesn't speak of himself, right? He teaches us of Christ. He teaches us of Christ. I ask
you this, before you were saved, did you know anything? Well,
we'd heard the name Jesus, and we had in our mind who we thought.
I know for me, I had my mind built up who I thought God was. He wasn't the God of the Bible.
He was the God of my imagination. But when the Spirit reveals who
Christ is to us, oh my goodness, we see Him in His absolute majesty. We see Him as our Savior and
as our Redeemer. And we rejoice, beloved, we rejoice. Which things also we speak not
in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians
2, verses 12 and 13. Now the high priest, Turn, if you would, to Exodus
chapter 28. The high priest typified the one and only perfect priest,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And the high priest was by divine
appointment only. Now let us remember that. The
high priest was by divine appointment. Look at Exodus chapter 28, verse
1. And then put your finger in Hebrews
chapter 7. The high priest typified the one and only perfect priest,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Exodus 28 verse 1, And take thou
unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among
the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the
priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab, and Abednew, Eleazar,
and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. So this is by divine appointment,
beloved. This is by divine appointment.
Now the New Testament, over in Hebrews chapter 7, speaks of
the high priest. who was the only one who could
make atonement for us. But then, or speaking of Christ,
the only one who could make atonement, the high priest was the only
one who could go in and make atonement. But that's picturing Christ,
who is the only one who can make atonement for our sins. He's
our high priest, and he was sent by God, and he was divinely appointed
by God. Look at Hebrews chapter seven,
verse 26 to 28. For such a high priest became
us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens. This is the God-man, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who needeth not daily as those high priests to
offer up sacrifice for his own sins. So the high priest had
to offer sacrifices for their own sins. Christ is sinless.
He's not offering up sacrifices for his sins. He has done. He's
perfect. He's spotless. But look what it says, and then
for the peoples, for this he did once when he offered up himself. For the law maketh man high priests
which have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since
the law maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore. Beloved of God, Jesus was and
is our great high priest. offering up himself as the perfect
sacrifice for all our sin debt. And think of the mountain that
each one of us here, the mountain of our sin debt, paid in full. It's, remember these words, it
is Hallelujah. Oh, what a Savior. What a Savior. The glorious and
beautiful garments which were worn by Aaron when he ministered
held forth a picture of our Savior even. They pictured the infinite
purity and transcendent excellency and righteousness of our Lord
Jesus Christ, in whom only God is pleased, only in Christ. The
onyx stones which the names of the children of Israel were engraved,
were put on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to teach us in picture
that the true Israel of God are kept, are kept by the power of
the Lord Jesus Christ. First Peter says this, blessed
be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy had begotten us again into a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible Why is it incorruptible? You can't mess it up. Why not?
Because it's in Christ. It's in Christ. And undefiled. And that fadeth not away. Reserved
for you in heaven. Reserved for his people in heaven.
Who are kept by what? Now religion says you keep yourself,
right? But that's not what the Bible says. The Bible declares
who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time first Peter chapter 1 verses
3 to 5 who are kept by the power of God so the onyx stones which
were on the shoulder pieces pictured that we are kept by the power
of God they were ever with him ever with him my goodness the
12 precious stones which were set with the names of the children
of Israel in the breastplate of judgment declares that spiritual
Israel we're in Christ And what a precious people in the judgment,
in the esteem of God. Turn, if you would, to Malachi
chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3. They are a precious people in
judgment, in the esteem of God. Look at this. Malachi chapter
3, verse 17. And they shall be mine. It's not saying, well, they might
be. I've done everything I can, and now it's up to them. It doesn't say that, does it?
No, beloved. They shall be mine, saith the
Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. and I will
spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him,
and they shall be mine. His by creation, and his by purchase,
they're his. My goodness. And the girdle to
which all the garments of the priest was girded to held forth
the faithfulness and truth of God in making good all his promises
in Christ, in whom all the promises of God in Christ are yea and
amen for all the promises of God are in him yea and in him
amen unto the glory of God by us the holy anointing oil with
which the tabernacle and all the furniture and vessels were
anointed signified the anointing of the Spirit of God which they
which believe should receive and it is he the Spirit who teaches
us the things of Christ turn if you would the first John chapter
2 verse 27 first John chapter 2 verse 27 Again, it's the Spirit who teaches
us. But the anointing, 1 John 2,
verse 27, But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth
in you, and ye need not that any man teach you. But as the
same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and
is no lie, even as he hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. The
Holy Spirit teaches us the things of Christ, the things of Christ. The brazen altar is a type of
Christ who is our sacrifice. The laver of bronze symbolizes
Christ who is our cleanser, who cleanses us from all the defilement
of sin and from all our sin. The veil in the temple separated
the holy of holies, or the most holy place. In the holy place,
this was a picture of Christ's body, of Christ's body. Turn, if you would, to Matthew,
chapter 27, verse 51. And then put your finger in Hebrews,
chapter 10. Matthew, chapter 27, in Hebrews,
chapter 10. And this will be the last point
we'll look at. The veil in the temple separated the holy of
holies, or the most holy place. And this holy place was a picture
of Christ's body. Look at this, Matthew 27, verse
51. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain. From
where? From the top to the bottom. Rent
right in half. Right in half. And the earth did quake, and
the rocks rent. The door into God's presence
was now opened. Now open for his people. When
Christ died and rent the veil. He rent the veil. And the unvent
rail shut man out from the typical presence of God. But the rent
veil changed at once from a barrier to an open way, from a barrier
to an open way into the Holy of Holies. And how is that possible
for us? Only through Christ. only through
Christ and Christ alone. Look at over in Hebrews chapter
10 and we're closed with this Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 to 22. He has opened
the way for us into the Holy of Holies. Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19
to 22 having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus. The only reason we can enter
in is right there by the blood of Jesus. That's the only way. The only way. By a new and living
way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say, his flesh. In heaven and high priest over
the house of God. Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. What
a Savior, what a Redeemer is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Gracious
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for these pictures in the Old
Testament, O Lord, where we can see You, Lord Jesus, and see
what You've done for us, pictured in type, in shadow, And then
we see the fulfillment in Thee, Lord Jesus. You alone have rent
the veil that we can enter into the holy of holies, that we can
enter into God's presence only by Thee and Thee alone. Lord
Jesus, we who are saved, Humbly come before the acknowledging
that we deserve. We do not deserve this at all.
Nothing. We don't. The only thing we deserve
is hell. But oh, Lord Jesus, you've had
mercy upon your people. We pray you'd use these messages
for your glory and for your honor and to draw in thy lost sheep.
We pray in Jesus name. Amen.