What if I was to make you an offer?
I have two rings one that is made of Gold and I can guarantee that it is, it has 9 carat stamped inside it. I even meet the Jeweler that made it and it contains his makers symbol / the other is pretty cool it has a lions head on it and it looks like gold and has a number 2 stamped inside it came in with a box of bits and pieces that I found out by the rubbish skip. I think that it is probably brass or bronze.
Now which one would you choose?
Well I can’t give you the gold ring because it signifies something of far more value than the ring.
How often in life do people settle for the bronze? When it comes to being in God’s presence we often settle for the bronze, however some never even get close to the bronze that’s for another talk though.
In the passage Exodus 38:21-31 there are some really interesting things, the tabernacle that was made as God prescribed to Moses was built by a team of people the leader of whom God had given the Holy Spirit to, too ensure that it was built specifically to God’s plan his name was Bezalel, lets think of him as a Construction Manager who was filled with God’s Spirit for that purpose.
His site overseer was a bloke by the name of Oholiab, from the tribe of Dan, a tribe of pretty rough characters the “Danites” from all accounts would have been a good bunch of blokes to have in your rugby team or in a punch up and here is Oholiab “a craftsman and designer, and an embroider in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen”. You have to wonder if his cousins gave him a bit of a ribbing about his choice of trade?
One thing that it does show is that here is Oholiab this bloke from a fairly rough background and he has been chosen by God to be used in the construction of the finer things of the tabernacle. Quite a privilege and an honour; so much so that here I am talking about him roughly 3430 years later.
A tabernacle is a name for a tent or pavilion, the Tabernacle was the palace of the Most High God, the dwelling place of the God of Israel.
As we look into this passage we see that three metals are mentioned in its construction Gold, Silver and Bronze. A ton of Gold, 3.5 tons of Silver and about 2.4 tons of Bronze, which is made from copper and tin.
As a matter of interest a ton of Gold on today’s market is worth $56 256 704 dollars and 69 cents.
If we look at how the metals were used we see that the bronze was used for bases at the first entrance of the tent, to make the bronze alter in the courtyard and to make the bases of the structure that held the cloth wall around the tabernacle area as well as a few other items.
The silver was used to cast bases for the sanctuary and the curtains as well as the hooks for the posts, as an overlay on the wood of the posts and to make the bands for the posts, this was the holy place, the place were you had to be a priest to enter.
As we look at the use of the Gold we see that this was used constructing the inner sanctuary the Holy of Holies. This is the place were the Ark of the Covenant was present; where the glory of God’s presence hovered between the outstretched wings of two cast golden Cherubim. The chief priest was the only one allowed to enter once a year, even then he had to be tied to a rope just incase anything happened to him so that his body could be dragged out.
A couple of things come to our attention because of this passage;
1) One being that the most valuable thing we can have in life is to walk in the presence of God.
When the priest walked into the tabernacle there in the courtyard there was bronze around him, you can imagine him looking at the bronze work as he made his way and as he walked into the holy place silver, whow the wooden pillars covered in silver, the hooks and curtain rings of silver and if he was the High Priest he could enter into the Holy of Holies surrounded by Gold, a ton of Gold, 56 and a quarter of a millions dollars worth of Gold. Bright shining Gold, now don’t get me wrong it’s not about the worth of the Gold it is about the glorious presence and the Holiness of God. The gold like the wedding ring signifies the gravity of the relationship.
In the passage we have looked at the Holy of Holies was mentioned first; Moses who wrote this book was a man who had been in God’s presence we see from the way he wrote that being in God’s presence was fore most in his mind. Walking in God’s presence is the most wonderful and valuable thing.
Here is a story about someone who was undervalued.
During the Boer War an Englishman was taken prisoner by the Boers, but two weeks later he escaped. His enemies hunted him and even set a price on his head. Notices were distributed that described the young soldier, journalist, and adventurer:
“Englishman, 25 years old, about five feet eight inches tall, indifferent build, walks with a forward stoop, pale appearance, red-brownish hair, small and hardly noticeable mustache, talks through his nose and cannot pronounce the letter’s properly.”
He didn’t seem to mind the less than complimentary description, but he did resent the fact that the price on his head was only twenty-five pounds! Evidently the folks at home thought the assessment low, too, because his exploits became widely known and he was heralded as a national hero and later won a seat in Parliament, later Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill became one of the worlds greatest Leaders. (Logos illistrations)
How often do we undervalue our relationship with God?
As humans we were created to be in relationship with God and when Adam sinned he was deprived of the joy of God’s presence, in Genesis 3:23 we see that he was banished from the Garden of Eden.
So if the presence of God is wonderful the absence of God is terrible.
How do we separate our selves from God, by denying his authority and his rightful first place in our lives?
2) There are steps and stages in getting to know God
We often enter into the courtyard, that bronze place, having knowledge of God without knowing God, with out giving up and really experiencing God, God who knows us intimately, we can from here experience that relationship with him. We might even see a little of his glory in his creation around us.
We can compare this to hearing a tune in the background; it catches our ear we might even like the rhythm, “what’s the name of the artist? Ok well I might even buy the CD well I might?”
We may even enter into the Holy place, that precious silver place, we know God we know his forgiveness, we enjoy fellowship with God, our prayers are accepted because of the intercession of Jesus on our behalf; but we are still holding on, to our own desires, our hurts, our fragile human nature, our burdens.
If we compare this to the tune we heard, we have brought the CD we have the recording and play it often, its one of our favorites and we hear that the artist is coming to town and we are thinking about buying a ticket to their show.
Walking in God’s presence is the most wonderful and valuable thing.
Just through the curtain is the Holiest place the place of God’s presence, God’s shining radiant presence.
We enter this place.
Lets compare this to the musical artist we talked about.
Now we are really keen on this artist we’ve been to Ticatec and we have front row tickets, not only that the local radio station is running a competition a free back stage pass to meet and have dinner with our favourite artist, we hang on the phone and it’s our opportunity of course I know the song, the answers right and the Back stage pass is mine.
How are we able to do this? We know that Jesus died for our sins; we know that we can enter into a relationship with him.
We can enter this Golden place of God’s presence because, because of what?
Let’s read this account not of the tabernacle: but forward in history the tabernacle and two temples, plus restorations and rebuilds later, this is Matthews’s account of the death of Jesus.
Matthew 27:50-51
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.”
Jesus by his death allowed us to enter into the Holy of Holies, to come into the presence of God the most wonderful and valuable place!
Do we wait pondering the bronze a metal that is manmade that is hard and resilient or do we stay with the silver a pure metal that is easily tarnished and requires a lot of polishing to keep clean,
Does anyone here enjoy polishing metal?
By our own efforts the bronze and the silver can both shine and glimmer or do we give up our efforts and enter in to God’s presence where by his gift alone we see that our efforts become an offering to him and no longer a struggle. That place of Gold that requires no rubbing no polishing. Because Gold does not tarnish.
We are set free to be in God’s presence so why would we hold back.
You may be wondering about your walk with God and how to do it, the struggle to be in his presence.
Like Oholiab we can come from a past that has been rough and be used by God for his best purposes.
When we serve him, and follow the call he has put on our lives, when we listen to his still small voice and his Holy Spirit is our helper and our comforter. This is the presence of God.
That golden place.
For some this may be a sense of awe and wonder in his creation or in their worship while to others it may be in those times of struggle in life when they know that God is with them, in the queue at the Supermarket, in the Christchurch traffic.
Being in God’s presence can be a different experience for different people. But it is the most wonderful and valuable thing.
Maybe you want to know the presence of God in your life, there may be some here who are feeling distant from God. There is a place here of prayer, if you are seeking more knowledge of God more understanding of his presence etc.
(Responce)
If you’ve taken the time to read this sermon please rate this sermon. Thanks Andrew.
