SERIES: “DISCOVER THE LESSONS OF THE TABERNACLE”
TEXT: EXODUS 25:10-22
TITLE: “THE HOLY OF HOLIES AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD”
OPEN: A. I enjoy watching a good movie. I like all kinds of movies: comedy, adventure, thriller,
suspense, action, sometimes even a romance. Some movies come as a series – like the Star Wars
saga. Out of all the movies that come as a series, Star Wars is my favorite.
The first movie in the series came out when I was in high school – Star Wars: A New Hope.
That first movie was actually episode IV. Followed by V and VI..
20 years later, George Lucas made episodes I, II, and III – what is termed “prequels”. In the
latest three movies, he went back and told the first three acts of the story. You got to see how the
story line developed into the original three movies.
Sometimes, when you only get the last half of the story, you don’t quite understand its
significance. I think that’s how it is with God’s redeeming story. We know there’s an Old
Testament and we might even know some of the stories in it but because we haven’t lived it, we
don’t quite grasp the significance of the part we know. And that is the reason that we have done
our study of the Tabernacle – to fill-in some of the gaps in our understanding of God’s story of
redemption.
-- Augustine: “The New is in the Old concealed. The Old is in the New revealed.”
B. Today we finish our study of the Tabernacle
1. There is so much more we can cover
a. The elements of the sacrificial system
b. The veils or curtains and their significance
c. The clothes of the high priest
--these things and more teach us about Christ and redemption through Him
2. Let’s give a final review over the Tabernacle
a. Remember that the tabernacle was a large portable tent structure that served as the center of
worship for the Israelites as they traveled along their journey to the Promised Land
b. It was also the reminder of God’s presence among His people
--There’s a diagram of the tabernacle on an insert in your bulletin
3. The tabernacle was comprised of three areas:
a. The Outer Court
--It was the general meeting area for the tabernacle
1). All Jewish people who had business at the tabernacle were welcome
2). It held the Altar of Sacrifice and the Bronze Washbasin we studied several weeks ago
b. The Holy Place
--The Holy Place was the start of the tabernacle proper and was 30 ft. long x 15 ft. wide
1). This is the area where the priests performed a good number of their daily duties
2). It held the Menorah (Golden Lamp stand), The Table of Presence (Shewbread), and the
Altar of Incense
c. The Holy of Holies
--15 ft. square
1). This is the area where only the high priest could enter and do so only once a year to spread
the blood on the mercy seat of God on the Day of Atonement
2). Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant
--where we are today
C. Ex. 25:8-22 – “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this
tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. Have them make a chest
of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold
rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the
sides of the chest to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be
removed. Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. Make an atonement cover of
pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of
hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on
the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to
have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face
each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the
Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over
the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
I. THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
Ark symbolic of God’s throne and presence
--the most sacred article of furniture in the Tabernacle
In fact, Tabernacle specifically built to house the ark of the covenant so that God could live among His people
It was the first item of furniture made after God instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle
--Ex. 25:8-9 – “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle
and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”
Ark called by several different names in the Old Testament:
1. “ The ark of the testimony” – because it was where the two tablets of the law were kept
a. Ex. 25:22
b. Second set of tablets
2. “The ark of the covenant” – because it spoke of God’s covenant relationship with His people
--Num. 10:33
3. “The ark of God”
--1 Sam. 3:3
4. “The ark of the Sovereign LORD”
--1 Kings 2:26
5. “The holy ark”
--2 Chr. 35:3
6. “The ark of your might”
--Ps. 132:8
Just like the altar of sacrifice, the altar of incense, and the table of presence (showbread), the ark was made out of acacia wood covered with gold.
--only the case of the ark of the covenant, it was covered in gold both outside and inside
It was a rectangular chest 3’9” long, 2’3” wide and high
It had a gold rim all around its top with gold rings on the four corners, and poles also made of acacia wood covered in gold
The lid of the rectangular box was made out of pure gold and called “the mercy seat”
--at each end of the mercy seat were cherubim facing each other, the eyes looking downward, and the tips of
Earlier, we’ve said that the acacia wood is a symbol of Christ’s humaninity
The gold is symbolic of His deity
The wood encased in gold is symbolic of the wedding of humanity and deity
The ark in the holy of holies was symbolic of the Lord’s glory in two ways:
1. The ark dwelling among mankind symbolized God dwelling among mankind as Christ
2. The ark representing the throne of God where He manifest His glory to His people, now Christ sits at the
right hand of God in all of His glory
Contents of the ark
--Heb. 9:4b – “This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of
the covenant.”
1. Gold jar of manna
--food God provided His people during their 40 years of wandering
a. Manna is a transliteration of two Hebrew words expressed in English as “What is it?”
b. Known by three other names in the Bible:
1). Bread from heaven
--Ex. 16:4
2). Angel’s food
--Ps. 78:25
3). Light bread
--Num 21:5
c. Manna appeared every morning when the dew fell on the groud
d. It looked like a small round coriander seed, was white in color and tasted like wafers made with honey
and oil
--Num. 11:7-8
e. The head of household would go out gather only as much as was needed for one day except the day
before the Sabbath when enough was gathered for two
f. Aaron was commanded to collect an certain amount in a golden bowl and place it inside the ark
--Ex. 16:33
g. The giving of the manna showed that God is able to meet and sustain the needs of His people
h. Manna was a picture of Jesus in the Old Testament
1). Manna was called “bread from heaven” and Jesus called Himself “the true bread from heaven”
--Jn. 6:32-35 – “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread
from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God
is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘from now on
give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never
go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”
2). Manna was free for the taking and so God freely gave His son that we might have everlasting life
--Jn. 3:16
3). The Gospel is also free for the taking
--it’s available to whosoever will
4). The whiteness of the manna is a picture of Christ’s purity
5). Jesus told the church in Pergamum in Rev. 2:17a – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. . .”
2. Aaron’s rod that budded
--story found in Num. 16-17
a. Korah, Dothan, and Abiram gathered 250 leaders from the qw tribes to challenge Moses’ and Aaron’s
right to lead the people
b. God opened up the ground and swallowed up Korah and all who stood with him
--The 250 who rebelled were destroyed by fire out of heaven by God
c. When the people of Israel accused Moses of the killings, God told Moses to have a representative from
each tribe to bring an almond rod with the name of the tribe engraved on it.
--Aaron’s name was on the rod that belonged to the tribe of Levi
1). The rod of the man God had chosen to be high priest would blossom
2). All 12 rods were put in the Tabernacle before the ark
3). The next morning, not only was Aaron’s rod the only one that blossomed, it had budded, blossomed,
and yielded almonds
--Aaron’s rod was placed in the ark as a sign of his authority
d. Picture of Jesus
1). Jesus is the first fruits from the dead
--He was resurrected first under the promises of the New Covenant and all true followers will be
resurrected at His second coming
2). Jesus also wants to produce fruit in us
--We must abide as branches of Him – the main vine
--Jn. 15:5-8 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like
a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and
burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will
be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be
my disciples.”
3. The tablets of the Law
a. Inside the ark were the tablets of the law God had engraved with His own finger
--Even thought Moses had broken the first set, God had Moses make another set of tablets and God
reproduced His first work. These tablets were placed inside the ark
b. Jesus was the definite fulfillment of the law
1. He was made under the law
--Gal. 4:4
2. He said that He didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it
--Mt. 5:17
3. He bore the curse of the law by being made a curse for us on the cross
--Gal. 3:13
4. Paul said it simply in Rom. 10:4 – “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for
everyone who believes.”
Ark’s glorious history
1. It was carried by the Kohatihite Levites as the children of Israel made their journey from Mt. Sinai to
Kadesh-Barnea where they crossed over into the Promised Land
2. The ark was carried on the shoulders of the priests to lead God’s people across the Jordan River into the
Promised Land
--Following God’s command, Joshua had the priests step into the water and it parted on both sides so the
people could enter
3. The ark led the way as the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days
Several other stories concerning the majesty of the ark in the Old Testament before it was placed into the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem
Even greater than the majesty of the ark is the majesty of Jesus Christ and the access we have to God through Him
II. ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube — its length, width and height were all equal to 15 feet. A thick curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This curtain, known as the “veil,” was made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. The Holy of Holies is a place into which believers of old never dared tread...where only the High Priest went once each year, and then, with much fear and trembling. The room contained the Ark of the Covenant (Which probably looked a whole lot like it did in the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) and the Mercy Seat. The High Priest would enter once each year to sprinkle sacrificial blood on the mercy seat in atonement for himself and all the people, for their sins.
It was a fearful place to be, even for the High Priest, who was commanded to go there...and most certainly a place that all others knew better than to approach. Everything about it; the thick veil, the instructions given to the priesthood for the various ceremonies, the warnings issued against approaching unworthily, all in essence said, ‘you are not welcome here, stand back’. They went into the Holy of Holies once a year to represent the people; they got in and got out quickly. Tradition tells us they would even keep the high priest awake the whole night before so he wouldn’t have sinful dreams and be struck dead when he entered. Some scholars even suggest that they would tie a rope around their ankles so that if they were struck dead they could be pulled out and send the next lucky person in. This was series business because God is a Holy and perfect God and could not be in the presence of sin.
This same process went on year after year. This sacrifice on the Day of Atonement did not grant the people forgiveness of sins but instead just deferred or set them aside for another year. In a sense it was just a reminder to the people of their sin and a reminder that God was deferring His judgment of them. Now read with me in Hebrews 10. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.” (Now this word for shadow gives the image of an artist drawing an outline of the picture before filing in the detail and painting the colors). “For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:1-4).
Because of this fact people still could not truly approach God and come into His presence. Now verses 5 through 10 tells us that Jesus came into the picture to make the true sacrifice that would gain us access to God. Look at verse 9 and 10. Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
So we had no access to God’s presence but Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross changed that. When He died, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it. It was torn from top down, meaning this act must have come from above. As the veil was torn, the Holy of Holies was exposed. God’s presence was now accessible to all. Shocking as this may have been to the priests ministering in the temple that day, it is indeed good news to us as believers, because we know that Jesus’ death has atoned for our sins and made us right before God. The torn veil illustrated Jesus’ body broken for us, opening the way for us to come to God. As Jesus cried out “It is finished!” on the cross, He was indeed proclaiming that God’s redemptive plan was now complete. The age of animal offerings was over. The ultimate offering had been sacrificed. The Holy of Holies is now the place that God calls all believers to; willing that we should come, not in fear, but boldly, for access has been provided to us on a trail of blood, leading from the altar of sacrifice into the Holiest of All. We can go boldly into God’s Presence.
Now that you understand the back story a little bit you understand why we could not be allowed in God’s presence. We sin everyday. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means by all rights we should not be allowed into God’s presence. Look at Hebrews 10:19-22. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” The Holy of Holies is a representation of heaven itself, God’s dwelling place, which we have access now through Christ.
Back in verse 10 we are told this sacrifice is once and for all. It does not need to be repeated as the animal sacrifices were commanded to be. The fact in verse 12 we read, “But when this priest (Meaning Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” He literally sat down because the job was done. Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished.” That means paid in full. His atoning job is done in that one sacrifice but that sacrifice keeps working over and over again. In fact in verse 20 the word “new” in the original language, “freshly slain”. In other words, God sees the shed blood of His Son, the perfect sacrifice, as fresh always. It is as though JUST NOW, Jesus died for us.
While it is true that God had established the tabernacle and the Holy of Holies, his desire was never to be separated from His people. We see in creation before the fall God walked and fellowshipped with Adam and Eve. He wanted to be in their presence. All throughout the Old Testament He was making His presence known to His people. With Moses, with the 10 Commandments and most importantly with Jesus who is often called Emmanuel which literally means God with us. Then we see after the sacrificial death of Jesus God Himself literally tearing away the curtain because of His desire to dwell with man.
Everything about God’s redeeming love story is about God striving to get back in our lives and to make His presence with us
CLOSE: A.
If you’re here today and you have never experience the presence of God then make today your starting point. The Bible says if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Take that first step and come home. Maybe you are a Christian but pride, temptation or whatever has kept your from living in His presence. And I have to tell you if you are not making an impact in other people’s lives for Christ, then it is very possible this s you. Because it is impossible to take His living presence with you and not make a difference of some kind. So maybe you need to experience His presence a new again.
Or maybe you are here today and you are facing some huge problem, temptation or obstacle. I want you to know you don’t have to do it alone. Not only will we help but listen to what the Bible says. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Tap into that promise today.
For all of us here the bottom line this morning is this: In the Tabernacle the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to offer a sacrifice for God’s people. We have a High Priest who offered a sacrifice once and for all and now we have the opportunity to constantly be in God’s presence.
