3 - STUDIES IN THE TABERNACLE

3 - STUDIES IN THE TABERNACLE

September 30, 1964 

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Exodus 25: 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

As we study the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, it is well for us to recognize, it was the only building ever constructed upon this earth with was perfect from its very beginning. We must recognize that this was the most costly building for its size ever erected. The building itself was only 45 ft. long and 15 ft. wide, having only two rooms, one the size of an ordinary living room, and the other the size of a bedroom. Yet its cost is estimated to have exceeded two million dollars. Just think of this—a perfect building, small by many standards, yet costing over two million dollars.

1/ This is the place where God wanted to meet with man. Then it is necessary for us to see that it was bounded by a white linen fence. 7 1/2 ft. high, suspended on 60 pillars or posts of solid brass. Of course, the purpose of the fence was to keep man out. Man’s approach to the Tabernacle where God dwelt was barred completely by the white linen fence that surrounded it, and white linen, of course, speaks of God’s perfect righteousness—and it is God’s righteousness and man being sinful that there is no meeting place with God and man. Man could not come over the fence, or under the fence, or through it—he had to come by means of the door, especially made for that at the eastern end of the enclosure. The door or gate was 30 ft. long, 7 1/2 ft. high, and, of course, the door is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10: 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

2/ Remember, this was the oily place on earth where God could meet with man. There was no other place, and it was the only one place of sacrifice. God Almighty would not accept any sacrifice, no matter how perfect, which was not brought to the altar in this one and only Tabernacle.

Leviticus 17: 3 - 4 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

That was the only place of sacrifice permitted, and that was repeatedly sacrificing in other places. In groves, upon high hills, and this provoked the displeasure of the Lord and brought judgment upon them. There is still today only one way to God, and that one way is in Jesus Christ through His sacrifice.

3/ if, when you went through that first door into the Tabernacle’s outer court, you would come to the brazen altar, and it would be dripping blood. God said, take the blood of the offering and sprinkle it all over the altar, and what is left, pour out at the foot of the altar. That must have been a terrible place, that altar. The ground around it soaked with blood. You can meet with God only by blood.

4/ But we have been studying the ark of the covenant.

Exodus 25: 10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

It was about the size of an ordinary trunk. Perhaps about 40 inches long and about 27 inches high and broad. Just a common box. We said the word, ark, means the same as coffin.

Now notice, Exodus 25: 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

It was to be made of wood overlaid with pure gold, but yet they were one single board or one single box. Gold represents deity and wood is humanity. This ark was the type of the Lord Jesus Christ in His deity and His humanity. He is a man, and yet He is God, what a wonderful being is our Lord Jesus Christ. His body is a human body, but yet He is deity.

5/ Christ is a different being than He was before. The Trinity was three Persons, all pure Spirit. Now One Person of the Trinity is human as well as Spirit, and Jesus Christ was pictured by the gold and the wood—His humanity and His deity. Let me show you what I mean.

John 4: 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

Here Christ is talking to the woman of Samaria, verse 6 Jacob’s well was there. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Jesus Christ was tired. He had walked so far that now He was weary, just as you and I get weary by walking farther than our physical bodies can stand, and so Jesus Christ was weary. He had walked too far. He got tired just the way you do. So He had to sit down and rest.

6/ Then, you will remember another timeHe got sleepy and slept in a boat in the middle of the day while the men rowed, he went to sleep. He was just as human as you are, and so He slept in a boat. But yet, He stood up and quieted the waves. Here is humanity and deity, but here in our portion of Scripture, He was wearied from His journey, He had walked too far, then notice, verse 7 He was thirsty—He said, Give me to drink, but then in verse 14 he said, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. He had just said he was thirsty, Give me to drink, but I have water, that if you drink of the water I give you, you will never thirst. He was hungry, and yet he could feed the multitudes, sleepy, yet He could quiet the waves, thirsty, yet He could give something to drink that would cause you never to thirst throughout all eternity. Humanity and deity in Jesus Christ.

7/ Exodus 25: 12 - 14 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

Everywhere that Israel went they were to take the ark with them. They were not to go without it. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this lesson means a lot to us, for everywhere we go we take Christ with us, he indwells us. It is a wonderful lesson. God made provision for this ark to be transported, it had to be carried. God, at a certain time, would tell them to move, and they were to go, and they would take the ark with them.

8/ It was carried by Israel through the wilderness during their long trek of 40 years, the ark led the way across the river Jordan, and also around the walls of Jericho. Let us notice something very interesting about the carrying of the ark.

II Samuel 6: 6 - 7 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

When they came to Nachon (Nay con) threshing floor, Uzziah, put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen, shook it, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God.

That doesn’t seem right, does it? But there is a very good reason why God killed this man. The ark was in control of the Philistines, they had taken it away from the Israelites, and David wanted it back with the people again, and so he chose men of Israel 30,000. The ark had been captured in the days of Saul, and all during his reign the nation had not sought to get the ark back. Remember the ark represented the presence of God, and they were not concerned about Him or His presence in their midst, and David, being aroused, sent out an appeal that all the people gather to him, and it was not long before he had gotten a fire in their hearts and they wanted the ark back, ad 30,000 men were chosen.

9/ And they recovered the ark. II Samuel 6: 3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.

They set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abimadad—this sounds fine, a brand new cart, just made to bring the ark of God back into the land of the people. It was a lovely, newly made cart, certainly the ark demanded the very best they could give it. Yet it was the very thing that God did not want. The trouble was that David had forgotten the Word of God and what Moses had commanded according to the ark, he followed the mind of the flesh, rather than the Word of God. The Word of God says that the sons of Kohath were to bear the ark, they were not to touch any holy things less they die. It was not to be carried in a cart, but upon the shoulders of the priests. There we read, Uzziah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it. The ark stands for the things of God, which do not need the support of the hand of flesh. Again, we have the fact brought home to us, God does not need man to help Him. Every man needs this truth burned into his heart, so two things are brought out here—number one is, that you must do things God’s way, and number two, the things of God do not need the support of man.

10/ But let us see what was in the ark.

Hebrews 9: 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

Here we have a beautiful study of the Tabernacle and the ark. Here we read that there were three things in the ark. The table of the law, that is the Ten Commandments, the law of God, and then Aaron’s rod that budded, and then the golden bowl or pot with manna. And we want to find out if all three things speak of Christ and so it makes an interesting study.

First of all, let us look at Aaron’s rod that budded.

Numbers 16: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

This is where the rebellion started against Moses and Aaron. They accused Moses and Aaron of setting themselves up as superior to everyone else in the camp. The men said all the Lord’s people are holy and there are 250 of them. They were the leading men in the nation, and they rose up against Moses and Aaron. Do you know what Moses and Aaron did? They did what they always did. They fell on their faces before the Lord. That is the best place to go when anyone talks about you. That is a hard lesson to learn, but it is one we can learn. Just get on your face before the Lord. Three times in this account, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Lord, and the Lord spoke to them and took their part and brought them out.

11/ Numbers 17: 8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

After God spoke to Moses, He destroyed the men. Fire destroyed some of them, and the earth opened its mouth and they went down alive into the pit, and God said unto Moses, I give you a sign so that all Israel will know I have chosen you and Aaron. God said that the twelve leaders of the twelve tribes should each bring a rod and lay them before the Lord, and leave them there overnight before the Lord, and I will show you whom I have chosen.

Notice, all this happened in one night. The work of a whole season in one night. A dead stick brings forth life and fruit. What is that? It is resurrection. Life out of death. Do we find that in Christ? Yes, we do. Aaron’s rod that budded.

John 1: 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

In Him was life, that could not be said of anyone else who came into this world. Jesus Christ is life.

AMEN

9/30/1964 / #3 - STUDIES IN THE TABERNACLE / 9/23/2024