Week 10 | God's Design for Worship

Well, we've finally come to the last week of this study and I hope it has been beneficial and encouraged you in your faith.  It still amazes me when I step back and look to see how God's careful plan of worship has been woven into the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle, Temple, and one day will be revealed in the New Jerusalem!

The diagram below by Ralph Wilson, is a great visual for what we have been studying.  While we have looked at the "things" that made up the Tabernacle thousands of years ago, the "reasons" behind their design are applicable to anybody in any period of history.

I think the most amazing thing about this entire study is to realize the access that we have as believers to the God of the universe.  Remember that this Tabernacle in the wilderness had a myriad of priests who tended to the things of God, and yet only one of those many priests had the privilege to go into the Holy of Holies and actually encounter God in a way no other could.  Only one priest in the thousands of Israelites in the desert had the privilege to experience the Tabernacle to its fullest:  to enter, to sacrifice and confess, to be cleansed and forgiven, to enter into worship and encounter the true and living God!  I'm not saying that the ordinary person was not able to encounter God personally.  I am saying that only one had the privilege to walk through the Tabernacle (or Temple) and experience all that it was designed for.

Picture yourself in a large arena - maybe a sporting event or concert.  There are thousands of people cheering around you.  There is a pause in the action and an announcement comes over the loud speaker.  Your name has been chosen among the thousands for an amazing experience that no one else will ever experience.  That might be how blessed that Old Testament high priest felt.  

And yet, now we live under a new covenant in New Testament times and guess what?  If you have accepted Christ into your life, you are that one!  Do you feel blessed yet?  And if you haven't and have questions about who Jesus Christ is, please let me know and I'd be happy to connect with you personally connect with you.  Jesus is the most amazing gift anyone could ever receive!

As a Christ follower, we have the opportunity to enter into the dwelling place of God 24x7:  to sacrifice and confess, to be cleansed and forgiven, to worship and encounter the true and living God!  In fact, we ARE that dwelling place of God!  1 Cor 3:16 says:  "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"  We don't need to GO anywhere, because we are the living Temple of our Holy God.

If you ever doubt that God loves you, look at what He has done for you. From the Garden of Eden, He created a way to live with man.  Man messed that up and then He again created a way through the Tabernacle and Temple.  Again that became messed up and so God sent His very Son Jesus Christ to make a way once again.  This time, Christ's sacrifice became the permanent solution for God to dwell with man and vice versa.  Over and over again, God continued to work with our screw ups in order that we could still live in community with Him! We did none of the above – it was all God’s doing. We simply need to accept the gift He has given us.

We serve an amazing God that would carefully include all of these details across 66 books of the Bible, through over 40 different human authors, across 1500 years of time! Sometimes when we seek to connect the dots, the picture that results can knock our socks off!

On a personal note and as a worship leader, it is my sincere hope that you have the opportunity to experience this pattern of worship every time you come to a worship service.  Unfortunately, I know that my own downfall is that I have not always led with these things in mind.  So if this hasn't been your experience in a worship service, pray for your worship leader that he or she might encounter God in an amazing way and lead with all of these things in mind and out of the overflow of that experience.

I pray you feel as blessed as you actually are.  :-)

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!

Tracy

In case you missed it last week... here's my all time favorite to share with you..

Revelation Song
By Jennie Riddle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONpG8GcqhqY

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to him who sits on
Heaven's mercy seat

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything
And I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be
to You the only wise King

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of your name
Jesus your name is power
Breath, and living water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...

Week 9 | Ark of the Covenant

Exodus 37: 1-9

Description

The final piece in our tabernacle study is the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark of the Covenant consisted of two pieces; the lid (or Mercy Seat) and the box container.  This box was made out of… wait for it… acacia wood covered by gold!  I’m sure you see the pattern of this by now.  It was approximately 45” (114cm) wide by 27” (69cm) deep and 27” (69cm) tall.  Pause for a moment and picture those measurements - that’s about the size of a coffee table.  Did you ever picture it that small?  I know I didn’t!  It’s such a well-known part of our Bible stories that once again I pictured as being much larger.  I actually did a little looking on the web and the old 80’s movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark actually seems to get these measurements pretty accurately in their depiction when the Nazi's open the ark.  Funny thing is that I even remembered it bigger in that movie too! 

The mercy seat was essentially the lid for the box.  Like the Golden Lampstand, it was also made of one piece of hammered gold.  It had two guardian cherubim on it facing each other with their wings spread toward each other over the center of the cover and focused in this same place.  In between the cherubim is where God’s Shekinah glory would be seen in two seemingly opposite traits:  brilliance and smoke.  It was upon this Mercy Seat that the high priest would offer the atoning blood sacrifice that he brought into the Holy of Holies with him. 

This place was the most sacred place to the Jews because it was thought of as the place where heaven would literally meet earth; the ark was thought to literally be the physical footstool of God’s throne in heaven.  Psalm 132:7-8 says:  “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool— arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.”  And in Psalm 99:5 we read:  “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.”  Isn’t it fascinating to think of an object as a bridge between this physical earthly life we know and the spiritual heavenly realm of God?  It is no wonder the high priest had to prepare himself for service to God.  He was thought to be literally serving at God’s feet.

Digging Deeper:  Read through Leviticus 16:1-34 to see the process the high priest had to go through before entering into the Holy of Holies.

The Ark In Light of Christ

As fascinating as it is to think of God’s throne literally stretching from heaven to earth, we must remember that we also see the life of Jesus as the Person where heaven and earth meet!  God’s manifest presence was not in the Holy of Holies because He was outside the temple walking, talking, teaching, healing and a host of other things with His people!  I think what is most humbling to remember is that it was nothing that mankind did and everything about what God did.  God made the stretch from heaven to earth because of His love for us.  

Take a moment also to consider the three things that were originally placed in the Ark:  the manna, Aaron's budding staff, and the tables of the law or ten commandments.  Consider what each of these things meant: 

Manna was God's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness.  It was literally bread from heaven to sustain them in the desert.  (John 6:31, Exodus 16:32-36).  Manna was provided by God every day for forty years while they traveled to the promised land.  So how does Jesus represent this?   John 6:25-59 are Jesus' words explaining that He is the bread of life. He is our manna from heaven! He is God's provision to us as we journey through life to our promised land in heaven!

Aaron's budding staff represents God's chosen.  Numbers 17 tells the story of the budding of his staff and God's chosen high priest - Aaron.  God made it clear that it is He who chooses whom He will have lead His people.  And Jesus?  Isaiah spoke of the Chosen One who was to come (Chapter 53) and all of the Gospels record testimony that God made it clear that Jesus is the chosen one, the very Son of God.  

The tables of the law or the ten commandments represent God's instruction - His word to us.  These were tablets of stone that were inscribed by the very hand of God.  John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word.  "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).  The law is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ!

These three things together were evidence and legal testimony to God's saving and preserving His people. How much more can we find, than in the life of Jesus, that God saved all people on earth?  The Ark represents God saving His chosen people out of Egypt and into His promised land where Jesus is the person in whom all people can be saved from this world and into eternal life!  

Isn't this God that we worship truly amazing?!

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!

Tracy

Before the Throne of God
Artist: Selah; Lyrics: Public Domain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPyLcY6Zv4

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!

Behold Him there, the Risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

And one of my all time favorites… crank this next one up!  J

Revelation Song
By Jennie Riddle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONpG8GcqhqY

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to him who sits on
Heaven's mercy seat

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything
And I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be
to You the only wise King

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of your name
Jesus your name is power
Breath, and living water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...

 

Week 8 | The Veil and the Most Holy Place; Holy of Holies

Exodus 26:31-34

Description

This week we are passing through the inner veil and into the Most Holy Place.  The veil was the object that gave a physical separation between sinful man and a holy God in the Tabernacle and then later in the Temple.  It was woven from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn with cherubim embroidered into it and it was hung from clasps between four golden posts (also made of acacia wood and covered in gold - does that surprise you?!)

The first instance we see of cherubim in the bible is in Genesis 3:24:  “After he drove the man out (of the garden), he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”  Over and over again we see cherubim acting as guards for God.  In the Tabernacle and also the Temple, we find cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant, as “decorations” in the fabric and carved into the structure of the Temple itself.  In Ezekiel, cherubim play a huge role as they accompany God’s glory as He departs the Temple. 

Digging Deeper:  Read through 1 Kings 6:23-37; Ezekiel 10-11.  What more can you learn about these guardian creatures? 

The Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies, bears a name that essentially means that it is the most holy or sacred place of all things that are holy or sacred.  This space was set aside to house the Ark of the Covenant and was where God’s manifest presence was made known. The room itself stood 15ft x 15 ft x 15ft (4.5m x 4.5m x 4.5m).  Notice that this space was a perfect cube. 

It is interesting that the New Jerusalem of Revelation is described the same way!  Rev 21:15-16 says, “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.”  It was 1,400 cubed miles!  Just as we see symbolism from the garden to the Tabernacle, we also see symbolism between the New Jerusalem and the Tabernacle.  The Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle was where God's manifest presence was and in Revelation it is no accident that the New Jerusalem is described in the same manner - as the dwelling place of God Himself.  In this one space, the Most Holy Place, we see how God has traced patterns or similarities from Genesis to Revelation! 

In Christ…

The significance of Christ and the veil is perhaps the one we most identify with.  The most common story of the veil (or curtain) of the temple was when it was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Christ’s death (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).  I have often reflected on the significance of this event and its symbolism – that Christ is the veil that was torn at the moment of death opening the way for all mankind to the Most Holy Place. The veil was the separation between sinful man and a holy God.  With the death of Christ, the sin of man was atoned for and there is no separation between man and God anymore!

While the above may be familiar to you, have you ever wondered what happened in the temple that day?  God’s manifest presence was found in the person of Jesus Christ and even if God’s manifest presence had been found in the Most Holy Place in the temple up until the birth of Christ (which is unlikely), how is it that the high priests could continue to perform all their duties and see (at least once each year) that God’s presence was no longer in the Most Holy Place once Christ was born?

On that day of Christ’s death, I would imagine the priests were probably tending to their daily duties in the temple when out of the blue, this massive curtain is split from the top down.  The curtain in the temple was 30 feet tall – as tall as a three story building – torn not from the bottom up by man, but from the top down by God.  Now picture the horror of these Jewish priests seeing this happen and having the Most Holy Place laid open to all.  Remember that only the high priest had the privilege to see inside this sacred space and only once each year – and here it was for all the priests to see! 

The Bible does not record what happened after this, but the temple remained standing and functioning from Christ’s death (between AD30 and AD33) until AD70 when it was destroyed.  I would imagine that curtain was either stitched back together or more likely a new curtain was made and hung in its place.  Think of the symbolic significance of that…

And yet are we any different?  There are times in my life where I have tried to put that separation back between me and God.  My husband and I suffered greatly from infertility and miscarriages and I was downright angry with God.  That was definitely a season of my life where I kept God at arms length.  I did not completely walk away from my faith, but I was quite content to have a veil/curtain in place.  When we turn away from God and try to "do" life on our own, it’s as if we stitch that veil back together and hang it right back up.  What areas of your life are you trying to handle on your own?  What areas of your life are you trying to fix on your own?  In what areas of life have you tried to stitch that veil back up?  Remember, beloved, that your God tore that veil down!  You can live in freedom and not in confinement.  We have the amazing privilege to live as part of God's royal priesthood and can be bold before the throne of God no matter our circumstances!  (Hebrews 10:19)

Digging Deeper:   Other scriptures to consider:  Lev 16:2; Matt 27:50-51; 2 Cor 3:18

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!

Tracy

Facedown

By: Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FTYmgnRyDA

Welcomed in to the courts of the King
I've been ushered into your presence
Lord I stand on your merciful ground
Yet with every step tread with reverence

Chorus:
And I'll fall facedown
As your glory shines around
Yes I'll fall facedown
As your glory shines around
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/matt_redman/facedown.html ]
Verse 2:
Who is there in the heavens like you
And upon the earth who's your equal
You are far above you're the highest of heights
We are bowing down to exalt you

So let your glory shine around!
Let your glory shine around!
King of glory here be found!
King of glory!

Jesus Messiah
By: Chris Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfIBAbXuHFo&feature=related

 He became sin; who knew no sin
That we might become His righteousness
He humbled Himself and carried the cross
Love so amazing; Love so amazing

Jesus Messiah, name above all names
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners; the ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

His body, the bread; His blood, the wine
Broken and poured out all for love
The whole earth tremble and the veil was torn
Love so amazing; Love so amazing, yeah

Chorus

All our hope is in You; All our hope is in You
All the glory to You, God; the light of the world

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
The Lord of all; the Lord of all

Week 7 | Altar of Incense

Exodus 30:1-10,22-38; 37:25-29

Description

The final object in the Holy Place is the altar of incense.  The altar of incense was also made of acacia wood like some of the previous items and overlaid in gold.  It was 18” x 18” by 36” tall (roughly 1/2m x 1/2m by 1m tall) and as you enter the Holy Place, this altar would be directly ahead and resting just before the veil.  It is extremely special before the Lord and the priests continually offered incense to the Lord day and night. Similar to the brazen altar, it also had four horns; one at each corner.  This altar, however, was used primarily to burn incense. Blood was applied to the four horns only once per year on Yom Kippur.

On Yom Kippur (literally meaning “day” and “atonement”) the high priest would sacrifice an animal on the brazen altar to pay for his sins as well as the sins of all the people.  The high priest brought blood from the bronze altar into the Holy Place with the purpose of being spread on the four horns of the altar of incense.  Then this blood sacrifice was taken behind the curtain and into the Most Holy Place by the high priecst.  It was an offering for God’s forgiveness and atonement for all the people of Israel.  

"Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.”  Exodus 30:7-10

This is a bit of a side note, but something I want to include anyway.  I have often mentioned different points of the compass as reference points describing where different things are placed within the tabernacle and they do have symbolic significance.  Notice that this pattern of worship that we have been tracing is continually moving from east to west.  If you remember, the tabernacle is the structure that was mobile but eventually the temple in Jerusalem was built by this same pattern; with it's entrance facing east.  As with the tabernacle, the direction that the temple was laid out is quite significant.  The entrance to both the complex and the tabernacle itself always faced to the east. 

Ezekiel has a lot to say about the entrance to the temple through the eastern gate (also called the Golden Gate, the Beautiful Gate, or Gate of Mercy).  It is commonly thought that the temple described in chapters 40-48 is either prophetic or of a heavenly nature.  When the glory of the Lord departed the temple in Ezekiel 10 and 11, we find God's glory moving from the Most Holy Place, into the Holy Place and then the courtyard.  Finally in chapter 11:22-23 we see that glory of the Lord has moved out of the temple complex all together and moved towards the east.  It is also thought that chapter 43 and 44 speak of the future, however, and we see the glory of the Lord coming from the east and back into the temple. It is fascinating to me that to this day, the Muslims keep the eastern gate into the Temple Mount sealed “just in case” Jesus were to return as we see in chapter 43; that Jesus the Messiah would be prevented from entering the temple area as scripture says He will!

Jesus and the Altar of Incense

The Altar of Incense is perhaps one of the most intriguing pieces of furniture we have looked at so far.  Christ is clearly seen in both the function of this piece and in the role and function of the High Priest as the mediator on behalf of the people.  As we looked at earlier in this study, Jesus is the unblemished sacrifice that was offered once and for all for our sin.  Figuratively, it was His blood that was brought from the outer courtyard into the Holy Place and then into the Most Holy Place where it was sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant. 

Jesus literally took the place of all the animal sacrifices that were made on behalf of the people when He gave Himself on the cross.  He is both the sacrifice and the high priest mediator working on our behalf and it was His own blood sacrifice that made it possible for us to be the presence of God 24/7.  Think about that last statement.  Where the high priest was only allowed to enter into the presence of God once a year, through Jesus our High Priest, we have the opportunity to be in God’s presence whenever we want to!  We don’t have to wait for that one special day each year!

Digging Deeper:  This would be a great opportunity to reread Hebrews 9 and 10 and
look more closely at Christ as the High Priest and the sacrifice He gave once and for all.

Revelation 8:3-4 give us a picture of how this altar now functions in Christ.  It is the prayers of the saints that are offered up as incense.  1 Thess 5:17 encourages us to pray continually.  Just as the incense on the altar was to be kept burning in the tabernacle, so our prayers are to be offered continually.  1 Tim 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.”  Jesus is our High Priest who mediates between God and man so that we might enter boldly into the throne room – the Most Holy Place.  It is His work at this altar and at this altar that allows us to have atonement once and for all.  There is nothing that we could do ourselves to enter into the Most Holy Place, it was only by the work of Jesus Christ.  Wow… what an honor and privilege we have been given!

Digging Deeper:  Other scriptures to consider: 
Exodus 30:9-10; Psalm 141:2; 2 Cor 2:15; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 5:8; 8:4

Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Praise God for the riches of His grace!  Praise Him with unceasing praise!

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!

Tracy

Like Incense / Sometimes By Step
Lyrics: Brooke Ligertwood and Rich Mullins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRT5Ue_vqXw

May my prayer like incense rise before You
The lifting of my hands as sacrifice
Oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
For I know there is mercy in Your sight

Your statutes are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let Love keep my will upon its knees

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You

To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your Word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun

All Your ways are loving and are faithful
The road is narrow but Your burden light
Because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride

[Chorus]

[Selah]
To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your Word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Endless Song

By Shannon Wexelberg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BLX3bBD8Jg

Here's my life it is not my own Such a debt I owe for I have been ransomed What a price You have paid for me Bought my liberty, freedom is my anthem Let me not forget your sacrifice Everyday recount the ways you've changed my life! Let my heart sing an endless song And let it rise from a child forgiven Let my life tell the story of Your redeeming blood Jesus, Lamb of God Such amazing love Here's my heart it belongs to you Let my gratitude overflow in praising What a joy Savior and a friend Mercies never end; love that is unfailing Let me not forget your sacrifice Everyday recount the ways you've changed my life!