Lesson for April 16, 2025

The Mosaic Law

Lesson 8

The Ordinances

The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle was a portable tent, with a framework made of wood. It was designed to be mobile as the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, in search of the Promised Land. The Tabernacle consisted of three areas: an outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The Tabernacle area was 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. The Tabernacle enclosure was 45 feet by 15 feet, with the Holy Place being 30 feet by 15 feet and the Holy of Holies being 15 feet by 15 feet. God gave Moses and the nation specific instructions on how the Tabernacle was to be built, and what materials were to be used. (Exodus 25)

The Tabernacle and the articles of furniture that stood in it were all symbolic of either the Person of Christ, the work of Christ, or fellowship with God. Eternal life with God was pictured at the Brazen Altar and temporal fellowship with God was pictured at the Laver. In the inner courtyard, called the Holy Place, stood the Golden Candlestick, the Table of Shewbread, and the Altar of Incense. The Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat that covered it were in the Holy of Holies, behind a veil to cover the opening. The Ark contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s Rod, and a Pot of Manna. All the furniture and articles had symbolic meaning and were used by God to teach the Jews about salvation, fellowship with God, and how to live their spiritual lives.

God instituted the Tabernacle because of the nation of Israel’s lack of faith in God and the rejection of God’s desire to make them a nation of priests (similar to the Royal Priesthood) (Exodus 19:6). Instead of trusting God, Who they could not see, they chose Moses to speak to God for them, because they were afraid to stand in the “presence of God.” (Exodus 20:18-21) Therefore, the Tabernacle was established, as the place for worshipping God, without “being in His presence.” God’s Shekinah glory dwelt within the Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies.

Now, instead of the people assembling before God, they were not allowed to be in His presence, except for the High Priest once a year, as a representative of the people. God has always desired to dwell among His people, and it is only the lack of faith and the rejection of God by His people that prevented Him from doing so.

Since Israel rejected God’s desire to make them priests, He gave them so much typology that they would’t fail to understand God’s plan, nor would they miss the Messiah when He came. However, theynever understood God’s plan and purpose (as a nation), and they did miss the Messiah, and insteadrejected and had Him crucified. They were so caught up in their traditions and paganism that they failed to receive the instructions from God regarding their spiritual lives and their coming Messiah. These lessons were all clearly taught in the rituals and ceremonies.

The Bronze Altar (Exodus 27:1-8; 38:1-7) Made of acacia wood and bronze, the Bronze Altar symbolized the Hypostatic Union (the deity and humanity of Christ in one Person). The sacrifice upon this altar represented Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross. There are four doctrines illustrated: 1) Atonement (Hebrews 9:22) 2) Redemption (Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Titus 2:14) 3) Justification (Romans 3:24-26; 5:1-2) and 4) Positional Sanctification (Hebrews 10:10,14; I Corinthians1:30).

The Laver (Exodus 30:18; 38:8) This was a vessel of polished bronze, which was made from mirrors, donated by the women. Its purpose was for the priests to wash their hands and feet (a picture of Rebound) before coming to the Bronze Altar or entering the Holy Place. It is interesting that the Laver was polished like a mirror, which illustrated the concept of looking into the mirror of the Word of God, which shows us our sins. (Exodus 38:8; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:25-27; II Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:22-25)

The Golden Lampstand (Exodus 25:31-39; 37:17-24) The golden lampstand was located in the Holy Place and was the only source of light in the Holy Place. Light was essential for the priests to see to perform their duties. The golden lampstand was made of a solid piece of gold and consisted of seven branches. The solid pieces of gold spoke of Christ’s perfection. The golden lampstand pictured Christ, as the Light of the World, indwelt and filled with the Holy Spirit. Olive oil (a type of the Holy Spirit) was burned in the golden lampstand. In the new Tabernacle (Temple) in Revelation 21, there will be no need of light, since Christ will be dwelling in it. (John 1: 9; 3:19-20; 12:35-36) 

The Table of the Presence (Shewbread) (Exodus 25:23-29; 37:10-16) This table was acacia wood (Christ’s humanity) overlaid with gold (Christ’s deity) to picture the Hypostatic Union of Christ. The table held twelve loaves of bread, to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. The word shewbread means bread in God’s presence. The eating of the bread by the priests pictured fellowship with God. (Levitus 24:8-9) The loaves were to be made of fine flour without leaven, typifying the sinless nature of Christ. Christ calls Himself the Bread of Life and tells us to eat this bread that we might live forever, which was symbolic of faith in Christ. When we eat the Bread of Life (trust Christ as our Savior), we have a permanent relationship with God, positionally. And the potential now exists for us to have fellowship with Him, experientially. (John 6:35, 51-58)

The Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10, 34-38) This altar was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, with four gold rings through which poles were inserted to carry it. This altar was used to burn incense, made of certain spices. This incense was not to be made or used by anyone except the priests, as worship to God in the Holy Place. Like the golden lampstand, the incense altar was to burn continually and was checked twice a day by the high priest. The sweet aroma, which ascended upward and filled the room with its fragrance, pictured the prayers of the priest on behalf of the people of Israel. In the same manner, Christ, Who is our High Priest, prays for us and makes intercession for us, as our Mediator. (John 17:9; Hebrew 7:25; I John 1:2; Romans 8:34; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4)

The Veil (Exodus 26:31-37) There were two curtains in the Tabernacle, the first one, called the Door, was the entrance to the Holy Place and the second was the Veil leading into the Holy of Holies. The dimensions were approximately 30 feet by 30 feet. The priest entered daily into the Holy Place. Before the priest could enter the Holy Place, he was required to make a sacrifice for his sins and wash his hands and feet (Rebound). No one, except the High Priest, was allowed into the Holy of Holies until the Veil was supernaturally torn in half when Christ died on the Cross. Tearing of the Veil symbolized that the sin barrier between God and man had been removed by Christ’s death on the Cross. (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 6:19-20; 10:19-22; John 10:7-10)

The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22) The ark was a wooden box overlaid with pure gold, which measured about three feet long by two feet wide, containing three items that were sacred to the nation of Israel: 1) the tablets of the Ten Commandments 2) a pot of manna 3) Aaron’s rod. All these items were pictures of Christ and His future work on behalf of mankind. 

The tablets represented the entire Mosaic Law of God, the pot of manna represented God’s daily provision, and Aaron’s rod represented God’s protection. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses perfectly and He is God’s provision for each of us. Upon our faith in Christ, we became eternally secure. The Ark of the Covenant was always carried ahead of the Israelites, as they traveled, just as Christ went before us to pioneer the Christian Way of Life through the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 10:4; 15:1-27; Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 4:14-16)

The Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:17-22) The Mercy Seat was made of pure gold and was the lid or covering for the Ark of the Covenant. Two golden cherubim (angels with wings) guarded both ends of the Mercy Seat, symbolizing God’s presence and judgment against any sinful approach to God. This was God’s throne upon which He sat (symbolically) and it pictured His grace and mercy toward His people. The one time a year that the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, where the Mercy Seat was located, he was to sprinkle blood on it to signify that an atonement had been made for the nation of Israel. It was above the Mercy Seat that the Shekinah Glory of God resided. Christ is our “mercy seat” having satisfied the justice of God by His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross (Doctrine of Propitiation). The Greek word for mercy seat and propitiation are the same, “hilasterion,” and according to Romans 3:25, Christ is our Mercy Seat. In the same manner that an animal as a type of Christ was judged for sin, Christ Himself was the reality of that type. (Numbers 7:89; Hebrews 9:1-28)

God’s grace has always been operational, in every dispensation, as we can clearly see in His dealings with the nation of Israel. The study of typology in the Old Testament certainly helps us to have a better understanding of the Dispensation of Israel and should cause us to appreciate the Age of Grace (the Church Age), in which we live. As a nation, Israel was a failure for the most part, but there was always a “remnant according to grace” who understood the typology and responded to God and His Word, in a positive way. How much more should we, as Church Age believers, respond in a positive way to God and His Word, with all the benefits that we enjoy? We are blessed to live in the most unique age in all of history. We have a permanent supernatural power within us, the Holy Spirit, to guide and teach us. We have the completed Canon of Scripture, the mind of Christ, and the permanent indwelling of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have pastor-teachers to assist us in learning and applying God’s Word. Believers in the Age of Grace have grace blessings beyond compare!