4 - STUDIES IN THE TABERNACLE
OCTOBER 7, 1964
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
Exodus 25: 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
As we have been studying the tabernacle, we told you that God told Moses and the children of Israel to build a Tabernacle, so that He could dwell among men—He wanted to dwell among His people. Then we told you that the main teaching of the Tabernacle is that it reveals Jesus Christ. The Tabernacle tells us about Christ—His Person and His work for us.
1/ This was possibly the most expensive building, that was ever erected upon the face of the earth. It was the only perfect building, and we are now studying the Ark of the Covenant that was placed in the Holy of Holies—this is the room where God came down and communed with man. We told you that it was about the size of a trunk, perhaps 40” long and 27” high and broad—it was just a common box. The word, ark, means, coffin, and it was made with Achaia (a-kay-sha) and it could be called shittum wood, overlaid with gold. The wood and the gold speak of the dual nature of Jesus Christ—He is God and He is man.
2/ Exodus 25: 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
Here we have, And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. There were certain things put into the Ark—the testimony, which was the Ten Commandments written on stone by the finger of God were put into the Ark. Then some other things were put into 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;
The rod of Aaron that budded, and then a pot of manna in a golden pot. If the Ark represents the Lord Jesus Christ and is a type of Christ—then the things that were put into the Ark must all speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we find things inside the Ark, then they must be typical of what we find in Jesus Christ. You know, if you have been studying the Pauline Epistles there is a little phrase that Paul uses over and over again of just two words —in Christ.
3/ Last week we spoke of Aaron’s rod that budded. And we said that dead stick in one night became alive and gave forth buds and almonds, and this is a picture of Christ having life in Himself. He came forth from the dead and He brings life to those who believe in Jesus Christ. In Him is life.
4/ But now let us look at the law. Let us look at Psalms 40: 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
This is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking, because in these two verses 7 - 8 are quoted in the book of Hebrews as of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have recorded a conversation between the Father and the Son. As told by the Holy Spirit. In the 40th chapter of Psalms something is added that we do not have in the book of Hebrews—Thy law is written in my heart—so we see the written law was in the Ark, and the Ark is a picture of Jesus Christ. So the law of God was in the heart of Jesus Christ. So we find the law of God in Christ, just the same way the law was in the Ark. We say that we are glad we are not under the law, because we recognized that we break the law all the time, and the only thing the law can do is condemn us, kill us, for it is a murderer. But how can we say that? How is it possible for us to say that we are not under the law? That does not mean that God has just tossed aside the law—no, that law had to be kept by someone, and then that someone had to pay the price of the broken law.
5/ Someone had to keep the law absolutely and fulfill it to the letter. And then die and bear the curse of the law. That is the only reason we are not
under the law. Someone undertook to keep it for us, and paid the price of it. Jesus Christ is the only One Who could say, the law is within My heart. We have to say that sin is in our hearts. Everyone except the Lord Jesus Christ could say that—but Jesus Christ could say the law is in My heart. He came into this world and He loved the law of God, and He kept it to the letter, and He had a righteousness that comes from the keeping of the law. Here is something to understand—if you can keep the law, then you have the righteousness of the law—so Christ came, He kept the law to the letter, and He had a righteousness that comes from the keeping of the law, and He bestowed that upon those who have no righteousness. I am sure that you know that you do not have any righteousness of your own, for remember, God said, all your righteousness are as filthy rags—what does that mean? That means you have a righteousness that is ready for the ash heap. So that is where your righteousness belongs—in an ash heap—all you can do with your righteousness is throw it away, but there is a righteousness from keeping the law, and Christ has this righteousness— He kept the law.
6/ I Corinthians 1: 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Notice this carefully—But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness—you see Christ is made unto us righteousness, and that is a wonderful thing—we have the righteousness of Christ—-we don’t have anything to fear. Here is a righteousness that God can find no fault in—and through faith in Christ we have His righteousness. This is because that when the Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world, God’s law was in His heart. Just the way the written law was in the Ark. Now notice Philippians 3: 9 and being found in Him—that is in Christ, not having mine own righteousness. You see, Paul was through with His own righteousness. He had thrown it in the ash heap.Not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, and that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That is the righteousness He gives us.
John Bunion put this in a marvelous way—perhaps you would say it is a strange way, but it was always very good to me. He said that Jesus Christ has an infinite righteousness as the Son of God, because He was infinitely holy. God is infinitely righteous—God was infinitely righteous as the Son of God, but when he came down here to this earth He lived out a human righteousness, for He was truly man. He lived out a human righteousness that is just as perfect as God is perfect. Righteousness in the Bible is pictured as a robe. Righteousness is put over us as a garment, and John Bunion says, “the Bible says, if you have two coats, give one away.” So the Lord Jesus Christ had two righteousnesses. One as the Son of God and the other as a man. So His righteousness as a man He has given to us. I believe that is true—we have the human righteousness of Jesus Christ.
7/ Exodus 16: 32 - 33 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
The next thing we see in the Ark is the golden pot of manna. Remember, that when God sent the manna down upon the children of Israel in the wilderness, He said to Moses, Take a golden pot of that manna and lay it up.
This manna was to be kept for your generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you In the wilderness. There was no Ark then, there was no Tabernacle, but God said to Moses, take a pot of that manna and keep it, lay it up. And that manna was later placed in the Ark and kept for generations to come that they might see it. That manna was different
from other manna because the manna in the wilderness corrupted after one day, it corrupted and it bred worms.
Exodus 16: 19 - 22 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
They were told to gather only for one day, each morning they were to gather it. They were not to gather more than they needed for that one day. But some of the Israelites did not hearken unto Moses, and they kept it till the next morning, and it bred worms and stank, and Moses was angry with them. Then, of course, on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread that was for two days, because when the Sabbath came they were not to gather on that day. But here this manna is different in as much as the manna that was put into the golden pot, and then in the Ark did not corrupt, did not breed worms, and did not stink. It was not subject to corruption. Now, we said whatever was in the Ark was in Christ, and so corruption is not in Christ. Jesus Christ said, I am manna, I am bread.
John 6: 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
John 6: 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
John 6: 48 I am that bread of life.
He said, a man may eat of this bread and not die. That manna in the Ark did not corrupt, and Jesus Christ said, I am manna and I am bread and I do not corrupt, and if you eat of me, you will never die. Jesus Christ is the manna, the bread of Heaven that lasts forever, that lives forever. Christ said, He is the bread. He didn’t say, I have brought the bread, but I am the bread. If you eat of Me, you shall live forever.
8/ Notice, John 6: 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
So Christ is the hidden manna, is the manna in the Ark that was incorruptible. So Christ said, I am the manna, the bread from Heaven, but I’m not the manna that your father’s ate in the wilderness, for they ate of it and died, but if you eat of Me, you shall live forever, you shall have eternal life, and never die.
9/ Colossians 2: 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Notice, in Whom are hid—the last word of the previous verse is Christ, and in Whom are hid all the treasurers of wisdom and knowledge— that is a picture of the Ark. All of this was hidden in the Ark under the Mercy Seat—no one could see it. God has hidden things for you in Christ, ours is to find them out. Our work as believers, as Christians, and as saved individuals is to find out all these things that God has put into Christ for us—In Christ are hidden all the treasurers of wisdom and knowledge, and it is the only knowledge worth having. If you know Christ, it doesn’t matter what else you know. Somebody said, “In this world, it doesn’t matter what you know, it is who you know.” That is true in Christianity. If you know Him what else matters? For in Him are all God’s treasurers of wisdom and knowledge and they are ours. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to find out what God has put in Christ for us. To grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
II Peter 3: 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Peter exhorts us to do that. This is exactly what we are trying to do as we study the Tabernacle. Christ should become more precious to us, we should see what is in Christ for us.
Exodus 25: 23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
.jpg)
Romans 3: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Whom God has sent forth to be a propitiation, that means a Mercy Seat. Jesus Christ is the Mercy Seat, and this Mercy Seat speaks of the only way of meeting with God. It is in Christ. You can’t meet with Him in any other way. The meeting place is Christ.
AMEN
10/7/1964 / 4 - STUDIES IN THE TABERNACLE / 9/25/2024
No comments:
Post a Comment