The Tabernacle Experience - Altar of Incense

Exodus 30:1-10 tells about God's instructions to Moses regarding the Altar of Incense. This altar was located inside the tent just outside the Most Holy Place. The incense was to be burned on the altar day and night. Then one day a year the high priest took coals from the altar and two handfuls of the finely ground incense into the Most Holy Place. This created a cloud of smoke which concealed the Atonement Cover on the Ark of the Covenant from the priest. If the priest was to look upon the Glory of God he would die, so this cloud of smoke protected him. (see Leviticus 16:12-13)

What I find most meaningful regarding this altar is that the smoke was to represent the prayers of the people, rising up to God's ears.

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
~Psalm 141:2

The priests were considered to be mediators between the people and God. They would bring the prayers of the people before the presence of God.

Leviticus 1:9 tells of how the aroma's from the sacrifices (including the incense) was a pleasing fragrance to the Lord. So just imagine when you pray that your prayers rise up to God as a pleasing aroma to Him. Remember, He is not a genie here to grant your every wish and desire. Our prayers are how we can connect with our God, spirit to spirit. It pleases Him when we pray to Him.

The Tabernacle Experience - The Table and the Bread

Make a table of acacia wood. . .Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. . . and make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
~Exodus 25:23-24, 29-30

Inside the Holy Place, just outside the Most Holy Place, was a table on which sat the items used for the pouring out of sacrifices. On this table also sat twelve loaves of bread. They were called the Bread of Presence because of their nearness to the Most Holy Place and therefore standing in the presence of God. These twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel and the union they shared with God.

One important thing to note is the Jewish culture in this time believed two lives were bound together by sharing a common meal. This is why the bread being set out before the Lord on the tables at all times represented the bond between Israel and God. In addition, bread is a symbol of life in the Jewish culture. The twelve loaves offered to God each Sabbath acknowledged their dependence on Him in their lives.

This understanding bring deeper meaning to Jesus' statement of "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35) It also brings deeper meaning to communion. In 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Paul talks of communion being a participation in the body of Christ because we all partake of one loaf. We become on body. By taking communion with our fellow believers we are bound to our Lord and to one another into one body.

Tabernacle Experience - The Lampstand

This was one of Tyler's favorite parts of the Tabernacle Experience we visited just prior to Easter. She liked the fact that after we listened to the recording for that station, she was able to extinguish one of the branches and then re-light it.

The Lampstand stood inside the Tabernacle proper. It consisted of six branches and a center stand, seven lamps in all. These lamps were oil lamps containing pure olive oil. Exodus 25:31-40, gives instructions regarding the lampstand. It was made of pure gold and the entire stand (flowerlike cups, buds, blossoms, base, and shaft) were hammered from one piece.

Exodus 27:20-21 gives instructions regarding the oil. It was to be the clear oil of pressed olives. Aaron and his sons were to "keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning." This was the only light provided in the Holy Place.

Light is symbolic of the presence of God. He gives grace (light) to his people to keep us from stumbling in the darkness of this world.

Here are just a few verses regarding God being the light for us in this world.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;" Numbers 6:24-25

"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell." Psalm
43:3

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness, has not understood it." John 1:4-5

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." John 1:9

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of the darkness', made his light shine in our hearts to give us light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

As the lampstand was the only light in the Tabernacle, Jesus Christ is the true pure light in this world. He shines through our spiritual blindness so we can see God's glory and experience it in our lives.

To read other posts regarding the Tabernacle Experience click here.

The Tabernacle Experience - Golden Boards & Silver Bases

Then the Lord said to Moses, "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel. . . This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord. The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.
~Exodus 30: 11 - 16

The ransom money mentioned in the above verses was used to fashion the golden boards (acacia wood covered in gold like the rest of the furnishings of the Tabernacle) and the 48 silver foundations which supported the boards.

Note, God's command required the same amount as a ransom from everyone, regardless of their status. Every Israelite, whether rich or poor was required to give a half shekel to atone their lives. God has not changed. He still demands the exact same ransom from each and every one of us. When it comes to atonment for our sinful lives, we are all on equal footing.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
~1 Peter 1:18-19

Gold and silver can not even come close to comparing to the worth of our Savior's blood shed for us. This is the price the Lord demands for our lives. Jesus willing paid it for us. We should never take this for granted. Our redemption may be a free gift from God, but we must not lose sight of what He did to redeem us. Are you living your life in a way to show what this atonement price means to you. I know my life could use some improvement in this area.

The Tabernacle Experience - The Laver

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die.
~ Exodus 30:17-21

As you can imagine, the priests had need to clean up after their sacrificial duties, however per the Lord's command they were to clean themselves before they began the Lord's work as well. This cleansing was not so much an actual cleansing as it was a symbolic cleansing. This ritual washing represented their purified life of service to God in the Tabernacle.

This cleansing was necessary because as humans with our sin nature we are not pure and holy to stand before the Lord or to do His work.

They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
~Exodus 38:8

Some believe it is significant that we can see our reflection in the water which cleanses us from our sin.

Jesus cleanses the church (his bride) "to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (see Ephesians 5:26-27)

By washing ourselves in God's Word we purify ourselves and enable ourselves to do His work, holy and pure. Continually washing ourselves in His Word keeps our focus on God, not on the world.


Tabernacle Experience

Tabernacle Experience - Altar of Burnt Offering

They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.
~Exodus 38:1-2

The first seven chapters of Leviticus details a variety of offerings which were made on the altar in the Tabernacle. These included

* Burnt Offerings
* Grain Offerings
* Fellowship Offerings
* Sin Offerings
* Guilt Offerings

For Sin and Guilt offerings, worshipers placed their hands on the head of the sacrificial animal to symbolize their sin being transferred to the offering. The fire of the altar was from God and therefore Holy. His Holy fire consumed the sins/guilt of the worshiper when the sacrificial animal was placed on the altar.

In this same way Jesus is the sacrificial lamb which we transfer our sin onto and the cross is the altar which redeems us of that sin.

At the Tabernacle Experience they had pieces of wood to take up to the altar and throw onto the fire to symbolize us throwing our sins/guilt on the altar of the Lord. This is the part that made the greatest impression on my daugther. She told anyone who would listen about it the next day.



Tabernacle Experience

Tabernacle Experience - The White Linen Garment

Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen . . . Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die.
~ Exodus 28:39,42-43

The linen cloth worn by the priest symbolized his righteousness and his worthiness to enter God's sacred tent. Prior to dressing in the linen garments, they would wash their entire body as a rite of purification. The sacred linen garments made the priests holy as they worshipped the Lord.

We are also to be "clothed in righteousness" when we come to God in worship. This covering of righteousness comes in the form of our High Priest, Jesus Christ who is holy and pure. He does not have to offer sacrifices day after day as the Israelite Priest did though, because he has already offered up the ultimate sacrifice to once and for all redeem us of our sins.

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
~ Isaiah 64:6

All that we do, no matter how good, is no better than filthy rags in the sight of our Holy God. However, Jesus covers us in His garments, His Righteousness, so we can approach our Most Holy God.

Original post can be found here: The Tabernacle Experience


Tabernacle Experience

The Tabernacle Experience

Tonight my house church visited a traveling display (for lack of a better term) called the Tabernacle Experience. This is a replica of the Tabernacle Moses was instructed by the Lord to create in Exodus.

I took my daughter with me. It was an amazing experience and even her attention was kept for the 50 minute tour. She actually was able to understand the meaning behind many of the items and relate them back to me after. She said she really enjoyed the experience.

Basically a replica of the Tabernacle was built in a side yard at this church. Most all items are to the exact measurements given in Exodus. Where they are not, it is noted. You get to take a 50 minute self guided tour through the replica. They have a recorded tour that Tyler and I were able to listen to together. You can hook up to three headphone onto the one recording.

The tour consists of ten stations. Each station represents an important part of the Tabernacle including its history, the meaning behind it in Moses' time and how it relates to/points to Jesus.

The ten stations included:

1. The White Linen Garment
2. The Altar of Burnt Offering
3. The Laver
4. The Golden Boards & Silver Bases
5. The Lampstand
6. The Table and the Bread
7. The Altar of Incense
8. The Curtain
9. The Ark of the Covenant
10. The Atonement Cover

Over the next few days, I'll be posting about each of these stations, what I learned and my experience.

If this group comes to your town I highly recommend going. I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I have regarding the original Tabernacle may see discrepancies that I did not, however it was amazing to walk through something that is very similar to what the Israelites would have experienced. It was especially meaningful to me as I've been on a journey to grow closer to the Lord lately by learning more about his chosen people, the Jews and their history, culture and traditions.

If you want to learn more about the Tabernacle Experience and not have to wait for my postings you can visit their website. The Tabernacle Experience. The site includes 5 easy steps to bring the Tabernacle to your church.

Keep visiting to see more on this experience in the next few days!


Tabernacle Experience