The Way of Approach to God

The Tabernacle of Moses sets forth a pattern of how sinful men approach the Holy God. The New Testament Scripture gives many reasons why we should study the Tabernacle of Moses. Here are some reasons:

1. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16, NKJV, emphasis added).

"All Scripture" includes the Old Testament Scripture.

2. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

3. "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:11).

4. ".... which are the shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Col. 2:17, emphasis added).

5. ".... who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle" (Hebrews 8:5, emphasis added).

6. "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect" (Hebrews 10:1, emphasis added).

The Tabernacle of Moses together with its articles of furniture, furnishings of curtains and veils and its measurements are the shadows to bring us to the substance - just as the purpose of prophecy is to bring us to fulfillment. Our job is to keep on following the shadows through and eventually we will come to Him, the substance.

The purpose of the Tabernacle of Moses

The key verses of the whole purpose of the Tabernacle of Moses are found in Exodus 25:

"And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the furnishing, just so you shall make it" (Exodus 25:8, 9).

The whole purpose of God is to dwell among His people - He is Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matt. 1:23). This is being shadowed here.

Moses was faithful to the Lord in all the things he made (Heb 3:5). He made everyting according to the pattern - the blueprint given by God. When everything is finished the vey presence and glory of God come into the tabernacle. Similarly, God's Glory in His fullness can only come upon a Church that is built according to His blueprint.

Man's approach into the presence of God

Not only did God want to dwell amongst His people, but there was a way of approach that God wanted to teach men - how men were to approach into the presence of God.

Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NKJV).

It is clear that Jesus is the only way to God the Father. In fact Jesus is the only way back to God after Adam sinned and consequently, everyone after him lost the way, lost the truth and lost the life. We lost the way because Adam was cast out from the presence of God; we lost the truth because Adam believed the lie of Satan; and we lost the life because death (both spiritual and physical) settled in.

God's redemption plan from the beginning of time

Let us go back to Genesis 3 and let us take a serious look at what exactly happened after Adam and Eve sinned against God. The moment that happened time began - our clocks started to tick! Let us pick up the last four verses of Genesis 3:

"(V. 21) Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. (V. 22) Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever' - (V.23) therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (V. 24) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Edan, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life" (Gen. 3:21 -24, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. In Gen. 3:21 we have the first evidence of sacrifice. God Himself killed an animal for Adam and Eve's "tunics of skin".

2. Were Adam and Eve saved? I think they were. Between God and Adam was the blood and body of a sacrificial animal and the very fact that both Adam and Eve were willing to accept the coat of skin provided through the sacrifice of another, they were saved.

3. If Adam had eaten of the tree of life he and Eve, together with all those born after him, would have lived forever in an unredeemable state. And so God drove Adam out of the Garden of Eden (Vs. 23, 24).

4. Let us pick up some words from Verse 24:

(a). The word "placed" comes from the Hebrew word "shakan" which literally means "dwelling place", "lodging" or "habitation". In other words, the first tabernacle was at the east of the Garden of Eden - where God dwelled. Notice also that the tabernacle of Moses also faced east.

(b). God placed "cherubim" at the east of the Garden of Eden. In the tabernacle of Moses there were cherubim at both ends of the Mercy Seat where God dwelled. Cherubim were the guardians of the holiness of God.

(c). The "flaming sword" speaks of the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And the Word was Jesus Christ Himself (John 1:1, 14).

Restoration of the Way, the Truth and the Life

It is a Biblical fact the what we have lost through Adam has been completely restored in Jesus Christ. This is what redemption means. In order to return to the Garden of Eden, in the presence of God, we have to go through the sword. Because to go through the sword means death someone has to die for us. The death of Jesus, the Lamb God (John 1:29) opened the way for us so that we can come to the presence of God again.

It is interesting to note that the early believers were called "the Way" (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 22:4). It is a paradox that we have Jesus Christ Himself gurarding the way to the tree of life. In fact the Bible says unless you come to jesus you have no life (John 5:40; John 10:10; John 20:31).

John also said, "He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12).

The Tabernacle of Moses as a Pattern to approach God

The tabernacle shows us how to come to the Throne of God which was on top of the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. As the sinner comes to God, he must begins at the Gate of the Court, accepts the Blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. From there on he progresses with a walk of faith, step by step, until he comes to the ultimate, the full Glory of Gos as seen in the Most Holy Place.

The Gate of the Court

The Court Gate was the one and only way and entrance to the Court. Everyone has to come the same way. As we have seen, God had provided only one Gate in the tabernacle because there is only one way for man to approach God (John 10:1 - 10).

We could not reach the presence of God by doing good work, by Church membership and Church attendance or by the act of water baptism. The only way that leads to heaven is by the way of the Cross.

The Brazen Altar

The Brazen Altar was a place of burn offering. it was the place where the lamb was taken and was slain. It signified the flaming sword that guarded the Garden of Eden. It is a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God to be slaughtered as a sin offering for us.

The Brazen Altar was made of acacia wood which was white, durable and "incorruptible". This speaks of Christ's sinless and incorruptible humanity. The structure was also overlaid with brass which is the symbol of strength and judgment against sin.

The Brazen Laver

The Brazen Laver was a place for washing and cleansing. The ministry of the laver points up to the ministry of the Word of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convict sinners of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:6 - 12). It speaks of the cleansing that comes as the Word exposes areas of our lives that are not in conformity to the Standard of God. It also speaks of the washing of water by the Word (Eph. 5:26).

The Holy Place

The Holy place was the first part of the tabernacle. The second part was the Most Holy Place. The entrance to the Holy Place was called "The Door", and the entrance to the Most Holy Place was called "The Veil".

The Door which was the one and only entrance to the Holy Place speaks of the Lord Jesus as the one and only Way to God and into His Body, the Church. The Church is the place of priestly ministry, for we who are in Christ are made kings and priests unto God (1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6).

The Golden Candlestick

The Golden Candlestick was actually a lampstand with seven branches, including the central shaft, upon which were seven lighted lamps. It was made wholly of gold, which speaks of the deity and Divine nature of Christ.

The purpose of the Candlestick was to give light and the light was sustained by pure olive oil. Jesus is the only light of the world and His light reflects and shines through the Church. Just as the candlestick needed oil to give light, the Church needs the Holy Spirit to give light to the world.

The Golden Altar of Incense

The Golden Altar of incense was for the burning of Incense unto the Lord and was positioned in the Holy Place before the veil. In Scripture, incense speaks to us of the prayer and intercession of believers which ascent unto God (Psalm 141:2; Rev. 8:3, 4).

The Table of Showbread

The Table of Showbread which was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold was placed opposite the Golden candlestick in the Holy Place. Upon this Table were placed twelve loaves of unleavened bread which were for the priests of the tribe of Levi to partake.

The word "Table" speaks to the believers today the Fellowship and Communion provided for us by the Lord. Just as God had provided the Table for His priests in the Holy Place, He has also prepared a Table in Christ for His redeemed people, the priests of His Church.

There were twelve loaves of Showbread on the Table before the Lord, one loaf for each tribe in the camp of Israel. All the tribes were represented before the Lord. Similarly, the Church is represented before the Lord as members of His Body. Every member of the Body of Christ participates in that One Bread.

The Inner Veil

The Inner Veil was a thick curtain separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. It was to hide the Shekinah Glory from the eyes of men. It acted as a partition to separate sinful men from the Most Holy God. Only once a year, on the Great Day of Atonement, did Aaron, the high priest entered within the veil making atonement for his own sins and for the sins of the people.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets of the Law, the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that was budded, was the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place. On top of the Ark was the Mercy Seat, with cherubim of gold at both ends (Ex. 25:18 - 20). It was from here, from above the Mercy Seat that God spoke to Aaron (Verse 22).

The Veil was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ before His crucifixion. When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, shedding His Blood, as both Sin Sacrifice and High Priest, as both Offering and Offerer, God, by a miraculous act, rent the dividing Veil of the Temple (a type of the tabernacle) in twain (Matt. 27:51). This was a divine act of God.

The Way to the Glory and presence of God was now opened - thus restoring what was lost through Adam's sin.