SHARE Magazine January 2017 | Page 17

and the slaughtered animal .
Jesus is Our High Priest Today After the priest had slain the animal he had to wash in the Brazen Laver . The laver , was a large bowl filled with water standing halfway between the Brazen Altar and the Holy Place . It was made entirely of bronze and had mirrors on the inside and filled with water for washing . The priests had to wash their hands and feet in it before entering the Holy Place . If they were unclean when they entered the Holy place they would die .
The Outer Court application for believers today is that we are forgiven through Christ ’ s shed blood on the cross and washed through His Word . See Ephesians 5:25-26 and John 17:17
Moving on from the Outer Court If we stay at the Brazen Altar or at the Cross we will fail to maintain a worship that is in Spirit and in truth . The word ‘ worshiper ’ does not mean a singer . It means : reverence , respect , to kiss , to move towards and Temple Keeper . ( various Young ’ s Analytical Concordance ) Having been , ‘ Born again ’ of His Spirit and washed and sanctified by His word , we must then go on to enter His Service , in the Inner Court . John 4 speaks of true worship . For our worship to deepen we must progress further into the Tabernacle .
The Inner Court There are three pieces of furniture in the Inner Court and all of them are built with acacia wood and overlaid with gold except for the Menorah . The Menorah ( or candlestick ) was pure gold hammered into shape . It was always full of oil and was the source of light for the Holy Place . The oil in the Menorah represents the Holy Spirit and the light represents Jesus . Jesus said He was the light of the world and the light of life . John 8:12 It also reminds us that we need the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit if we are to shine brightly for God .
Table of Shewbread The Table of Shewbread is as its name suggest , a table with Shewbread on it ( Lev 24:5-9 ). This was not a table for the priests to sit and have a meal as priests always stood while carrying out their duties . The Inner Court is a place of continual service 24 / 7 . Read Hebrews 10:11-14 . Again this bread represents Jesus . Jesus said ; “ I am the bread of life ...” You may be discovering by now that Jesus is represented all through the Tabernacle .
The Golden Altar of Incense In Exodus 30:34 – 38 God instructed Moses on how to make the incense to be placed before the Testimony in the Tabernacle of meeting where God would meet with him . A place of prayer . This incense was partly made up of frankincense and was not to be reproduced for use other than in the Tabernacle . Isn ’ t it amazing that when Jesus was born He too was brought Gold , Frankincense and Myrrh . In the Inner Court there was the Golden Menorah , Frankincense mixed in to form the incense and Myrrh that was mixed in with other spices to form the anointing oil that was used to anoint the Tabernacle and the priests ( see Exodus 30:22-30 ).
Going Beyond the Veil Into the Holy of Holies “ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice , and yielded up His spirit . Then , behold , the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom …” Matthew 27:50 – 51 There was a very large veil that separated the Inner Court from the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was . Next was the Atonement cover , ( AT / ONE / MENT - God at one with men ) or Mercy Seat where God met with the High Priest . Only the High Priest would enter through the veil into the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood of animals , once a year on the Day of Atonement . No one else could be in the tent of meeting whilst the
High Priest was making atonement for sins . He would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant while repeating the words , ‘ Have mercy on us ’. This was only for the people of Israel not the rest of the world . Jesus however , when He died alone on the cross did shed His blood for the sins of the whole world .
The Ark represented God ’ s presence amongst His people . He has always desired to dwell amongst us . Moses had said to the Lord , “ if your presence does not go with us do not send us up from here .” God did not abandon them but went with them in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night .
Present Day Application Just before He died Jesus said , ‘ it is finished .’ Now we can enter the very presence of God because of Him . He went into the Heavenly Tabernacle and presented His blood to the Father for the whole world , Jew and Gentile , once and for all ( Hebrews 9:11-14 ).
We must be careful however , to draw close to God in reverent fear of His Holiness even today . ( see Nadab and Abihu ) The Tabernacle was a physical construction , but today it is our bodies . Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit ? A true worshiper is a temple keeper and knows how to keep his temple holy ( see 1 Corinthians 6:19 ).
Revelation 1:6 says that we are a kingdom of Priests unto God so let us keep our temples ( bodies ) undefiled so we can worship in spirit and in truth . No longer is there limited access to our Father . Jesus is your sin offering so receive His Salvation and continually sanctify yourself through the word of God for Jesus has opened up a way for us to go in to Him . p
By Barbara Payne intercessor , worship leader , retired minister and Divorce Care counsellor
January - March 2017 SHARE | MAGAZINE | 17