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Okay, go ahead and open in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 36, I think we're going to do one
final study here in Exodus covering chapters 36 through
40 because now we're really entering into a section where we've covered most of the
subject matter and it's getting into the fine details of the tabernacle and
the furniture, so there's not really much new information and again It's just a lot of
details and that's going to continue into the book of Leviticus so Leviticus will get into the priests and
their their work and the sacrifices and.
Yeah, that's it's it's a hard book to get through so I think.
Next week Lord willing we're going to cover Leviticus so one big
overview of Leviticus in one one study maybe.
Maybe two.
I'm not not exactly sure.
We'll see how that goes with Leviticus.
But again, just a lot a lot of details and don't get me wrong.
I don't mean to imply that they're not important obviously Moses
Knew they were important.
The Lord knew and felt that they were important.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be written and detailed as they are.
So this was very important to the Lord and in verse 1 go ahead and and look at
verse 1.
Notice the statement at the end.
It says they shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.
So the beginning of chapter 36 is titled building The tabernacle verse 1 says.
And Bezalel and Aholiab and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord had put wisdom and understanding.
To know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary.
Shall do according to all that the Lord Commanded.
So they were to hear the Word of God.
What it said and they were to carry it out to the T basically
and Moses was to oversee all of this and to make sure they were doing it exactly
as God had said.
So that's What we're going to see through Leviticus 2 and just to jump ahead to Leviticus.
The first nine chapters are kind of like chapters 36 through 40 of Exodus.
But then you're gonna see a break in Leviticus.
Where the two sons of Aaron kind of disregard all of the details
right.
God?
Painstakingly, I don't know if that's the right term, but went through all the things they're supposed to do.
And Who are the two sons.
Nadab?
And by you.
Right, so they they offer strange fire to the Lord and what
happened to them.
Yeah, the Lord consumed them with Fire, so I think the
application all of that I conclude that the application for the New Testament
church is we're supposed to pay attention to details.
When going through the Bible pay attention.
It's like Jesus said in Matthew 4 for man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
Word which proceeds from the mouth of God.
So don't ever read through the scripture and well is this really that important.
Well you might not understand.
Why or how?
But it is it is.
So I think that's the application for us the importance of every word of
God.
And of course we are to do the Word of God as James 1 22 says.
But be doers of the word and not hearers only.
Otherwise you're doing what you're deceiving Yourself.
So the gifted artisans here in Exodus were to do the work as God commanded.
If the Lord said the length of the curtains were to be 28 cubits.
How long were the curtains supposed to be.
Why can't they be 26.
I mean does it really matter.
Why not why not 26?
You know you might be able to save a little time and money if you make them 27.
Thank you.
But Really, what's the big?
What's the big deal?
I know God says this, but I don't see the problem is the spirit behind that where
obeying God is Optional or okay, we should do what God says unless
we kind of figure out a better way.
A different kind of a life of 400 years and they didn't really have any order.
But God in his grace and his mercy brought everyone around him.
Well they're gonna have order now.
They're gonna have a lot of a lot of things to pay attention to but that you know that that's the spirit.
Behind you know some of the things the Israelites did.
God said this, but maybe we could do it this way so making application to the
New Testament Church.
Jesus said Believe and be baptized right be baptized be
part be part of the church.
Well, but you know is that really necessary.
I mean baptism is that it's not necessary for salvation, so do we really have
to be baptized?
I don't know that that's but it's the same spirit.
Hey.
Here's what the Lord said.
That's that's it, but you know that's not the way people look at it.
But despite all the shortcomings of the Israelites the artisans they did
follow the instructions.
And the people really rose to the occasion.
So despite all their flaws or their sins.
The people gave generously in fact they gave more than enough look at verse 2.
Then Moses called Bezalel and Holiab and every gifted artisan in whose
heart the Lord had put wisdom.
Everyone whose heart was stirred to come and do the work and they received from Moses
all the offering.
Which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary so
they continued bringing to him.
Freewill offerings we talked about that last week.
Continued to bring then every morning verse 4 then all the craftsmen who are doing all the work
of the sanctuary.
Came each from the work He was doing and they spoke to Moses saying the people bring much
more Than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded us to do.
So that's a good problem to have where the people are.
Remember, this isn't a commandment or a tie that you you have to bring this
much.
It's a freewill offering.
Give what you want and they gave above and beyond.
So much so that Moses actually had to give a command for them to stop bringing.
You know stop giving all of these these things that they had too much so the people
Stepped up.
That's good to see so they have the talent.
They have the materials now.
They just had to do the work and as with any job site.
Today, what is every job site where there's all these people working to get the job done the job sites
gonna have what?
You have the materials you have the workers.
What do you what else you're going to need to have?
Right.
Right, you need a foreman or somebody overseeing the work, right?
Blueprints, right.
So they would have to take Instruction follow instruction and
Moses was there certainly Moses is here.
You know God's giving it to Moses.
Moses get is giving it to Bezalel and Bezalel.
I'm sure is is Commanding other people so again trying to make
application to the New Testament Church.
We talked about the giving last time.
But what about this idea of overseeing the work?
Why did the Israelites get the job done?
Because they they listened they listened to Moses they presumably listened to
Bezalel so they followed instructions and they worked Together and there was
a structure of leadership.
It wasn't a matter of Bezalel Being better than everybody else or
you know, he's the man who does he think he is?
That's not the issue he's the one who had the gift and People
cooperated and followed along and they got the tabernacle built.
So what about the local church?
Does your average?
Believer and I'm not necessarily talking about this church, but just in churches in general.
Maybe you've attend different churches throughout the years.
Christian recognize or respect The authority structure in the local
church is is that a problem where leadership is not Considered leadership
is not listened to and everyone's kind of off on their own doing their own thing.
It does that happen?
So, you know, then this goes for all of us.
We all need to be willing to accept instruction and even constructive
Criticism, so some people are good at doing that.
Some some are not I suppose but if here's the point if Christians refuse to work together
If everyone is off doing their own thing and we're not Listening or respecting any
sort of authority structure then things just are not going to get done or they're not going to get done
efficiently.
It goes without saying we all have our own ideas we all have our own opinions
and even for pastors.
It's not the job of the pastor to come up, you know and reinvent the wheel and come up with our own
Plan of how we think the ministry should be done.
We have we have a manual right?
We have an instruction manual.
Yeah, so Pastor elder deacon.
Everybody top to bottom.
We have the we have the manual so we just have to listen and who's above it all.
Again, Jesus, right.
Christ is the head of the church and then there's the pastor the under shepherd.
You know what?
Jesus is called and I think it's first Peter first Peter 225.
Jesus is called the bishop of our souls.
So Jesus is the overseer of All of it.
So we need to make sure we are carrying out the Lord's wishes and then you know.
Just everybody's on board working together Following the Lord's plan.
Yes, Dennis.
I've been convinced over the years that when there's a lack of submission within the body of Christ
That's evidence that they're not submissive to Christ either.
Mm -hmm.
It goes all hand -in -hand, doesn't it?
And.
Yeah, Hebrews 13 17.
I never liked the translational Bay those who rule over you.
But I did a word study on it once and it means allow yourself to be persuaded and
convinced by The pastor.
In other words is what it's saying be persuaded be open and and to and then
those who are leading you And be submissive.
Pretty straightforward stuff, right?
I know you're not gonna say that.
That's why I'm saying.
But I mean, it's a good point, yeah, let's say there is a church where You know
leadership is being ignored.
Well, I I follow Jesus.
I don't follow any man.
I only follow Jesus.
It's sad.
Well, it sounds spiritual, but Jesus did say to Follow, I mean Paul
said follow me as I follow Christ.
Yeah I think part of it.
We we were brought up and we live in a democratic society.
We've never lived in a theocracy.
We've never lived in a monarchy.
We are used to voting on everything, you know and have it I want my voice and of course in a local church people do have
their voices heard.
But ultimately if you think about it, the church is sort of like a monarchy.
Yeah, I mean Jesus is the king.
So we just need to make sure We're listening to him.
All right, any questions or comments on that?
No, all right.
So in Exodus 36 the people they're they're doing what God said.
They're doing what Moses said they give and the craftsmen begin the work and they have
plenty of materials.
We've talked about the gold how much gold is involved in the work.
Where do they get the gold remember?
They plundered said they plundered the Egyptians When they left
Egypt, so thankfully they didn't waste all the gold on the golden calf.
They wasted quite a bit I guess but they still have some left over look at verse 8.
Then all the gifted artisans among them who worked on the tabernacle made 10
curtains woven of fine linen and of blue purple and scarlet thread
with artistic designs of cherubim.
They made them.
Okay, so two quick things and again a lot of this is Review so we've
touched on this in the past but first the cherubims so these designs were
woven into the fabric.
This is not 3d.
This is not a graven image.
The the the design is in in the fabric however on
the Ark of the Covenant.
There are three dimensional Images or you could say a graven image
of the cherubim right on on top of the Ark the mercy seat now.
The Lord said don't make any graven images and yet you see the images of the cherubim on the Ark
so if somebody comes to you and says well, gee, that's a contradiction.
God said don't do it and Here he instructed they should do it.
How would just how would you respond?
I Like that answer.
Yeah, he's he's gone, you know, if he says it's okay.
It's okay.
Well, and here's one difference.
They were not bowing down To the cherubim they were not worshiping the cherubim
on the Ark.
So there were times the the Lord told them to build Such things the the
serpent the brazen serpent is another Example of that so that's God's prerogative
to to do that Marcus.
That is one thing that I do notice in Judaism itself.
Is that there is Perhaps too high a reverence for angels.
They a lot of that does that even in the Passover
Savior prayer it's it's praying to angels
and.
That's that's not a good thing.
Oh sure.
Well, was it in Revelation the angel came to John and John?
Fell down on his face and started worshiping the angel, right?
So.
Yeah, but obviously you're not supposed to worship graven images.
Here's the thing I've noticed about idolatry when we read about it in the Bible.
We recognize that it's idolatry and it's right here they are bowing down to a statue
and we recognize that it's wrong when we read about it in the Bible and yet when It happens
today and we hear about it or see it.
It seems like there's sort of a disconnect.
And it's like, okay I know this church and that this group over here has statues and there are people bowing but
you know.
They're not really worshiping it.
The the idol just represents something.
Well, that's the same way it was back then.
Yes.
News flash the Israelites did not actually think God was a cow.
They knew that so the calf represented supposedly Jehovah.
And they were bowing down to it.
So we read that obviously, this is wrong and yet It happens all the
time today and Somehow people don't always I think I think
people here probably recognize this.
But yeah a lot don't see that it's the same thing.
You don't bow down to graven images.
Yes Marcus.
You can't almost if you study hard enough, but or whatever but
Hebrews the book of Hebrews written to the Hebrews, you know says he's greater than the angels
and that's what these start right out with that because the Jews had too high an opinion of angels,
but Jesus is greater than the angels.
He's greater than Everything.
Greater than everything.
Yeah one last comment about idolatry.
This is why Christians throughout history have been very careful about artwork
especially three -dimensional artwork.
Graven images.
One thing we All agree on hopefully is that you don't bow down to them.
That's where it clearly crosses a line.
But these are two -dimensional in the fabric, okay, the second thing the colors.
I just want to touch on this again.
Maybe not everyone was here for the the study where we talked about these three color.
What are the three colors?
Okay, so red and scarlet the same right so blue purple
and scarlet.
Oh, so the red represents Blood of Christ.
I don't think and hardly anybody would argue with that.
So then you say well, okay.
What is the blue and the purple?
Represent and I'm not dogmatic on it, but I'm pretty firm and in my understanding
that It represents the the sufferings of Christ in that he was beaten before he
had his blood shed on the cross.
He was beaten and when you receive a bruise.
Right, we call them what we call them black and blues, but they're not actually black.
They're purple and blue.
So the purple blue and red I believe represents.
The suffering of Christ.
The purple also represents royalty.
Yes. Yes.
Yeah, because Christ is a high priest.
He's our king, yeah, well, I wouldn't argue with that.
What's the blue then?
Well as far as purple representing royalty and he is the king.
That that's fine.
I'm sticking with the sufferings because the tabernacle is a place of
sacrifice it's a place of Death, right.
These animals come that's where they're their sacrifice.
So that's my story.
I'm sticking to it.
The blue the purple the red represents the suffering of Christ.
Okay.
Amen.
Everyone says amen moving on All right.
Let's go to chapter 37.
Says in verse 1 then Bezalel made the ark of Acacia wood.
It's gonna change depending on your translation.
I don't think anyone knows what Acacia wood is.
But he made the ark of Acacia wood two and a half Cubits was its length a cubit and
a half its width and a cubit and a half its height.
And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and made a molding of
gold all around it.
Matthew Henry writes in chapter or writes about chapter 37 he says in the furniture of
the tabernacle were emblems of a spiritual and acceptable service.
The incense Represented the prayers of the Saints.
That's another thing.
That's not really disputed the sacrifice of the altar represented the
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of The world the golden pot with manna or
Bread from heaven the flesh of Jesus Christ.
I think we understand that Which he gave for the life of the world the candlestick with its light.
The teaching and enlightening of the Holy Spirit.
I had said that the the light Jesus is the light of the world.
Well, I don't know, you know, is there one right answer?
But this is what he says the teaching and enlightening of the Holy Spirit because The light came from
the burning of the oil which does represent we believe the Holy Spirit.
The show bread Represented that provision for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, which is
the gospel All right, and then notice the cherubim again Exodus 37 7
through 9 and he made two cherubim.
This is for the ark of beaten gold and he made them one piece at the two ends of the
mercy seat one cherub at one end On this side and the other cherub
at the other end on that side and he made the cherubim.
And by the way cherubim is plural, right?
Cherubim, okay cherubim like Tara theme is what did we say Tara theme were?
Weren't they idols they little statues maybe I'm misremembering but yeah a cherub is
singular cherubim or cherubim is Is plural?
Elohim.
Good.
El is God.
Elohim is the plural name of God good.
So the cherubim spread out their wings above and covered the mercy seat with their wings and
Faced one another the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
All right.
Now, I'd like you to turn to Isaiah chapter 6.
I'm trying to make some connections here, I Think it was back in chapter
25 when we studied that chapter we talked about the mercy seat as
Being the the throne of God here on earth.
So God's throne is in heaven.
God's throne room is in heaven revelation chapter 4 and 5.
What about God's throne here on earth?
That's that's the ark and the mercy the mercy seat.
Now in heaven the throne of God is surrounded by what?
Angels angels, so it's fitting that the throne of God here on earth Would
be Surrounded by angels.
You have one angel on one end the other here.
Look at Isaiah 6 verse 1 in that or in the year that King Uzziah died
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe
filled the temple above it.
Stood what?
Seraphim.
Okay, so this is a different kind of angel although they're very
similar each one had six wings and Two he covered his face with two He
covered his feet and with two he flew and one cried to another and said
holy.
Holy holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory and the posts of the door were shaken by the
voice of him who cried out and the house was filled with
Smoke.
All right remember just remember that part.
It's filled with smoke.
This is somewhat similar to what we see with the ark.
Now the ark has cherubim.
This is seraphim.
Does anyone know the difference?
Cherubim and seraphim.
There were cherubims guarding Eden so Adam and Eve couldn't go back in right.
You know Seraphim I think it's don't quote me on this burning
ones.
There's something about fire with the the seraphim.
Okay, and then They cry out.
Holy.
This is something we've seen the holiness of God.
God is to be regarded as holy that's brought out in Exodus 2 and this is why
from Isaiah 6 why Many if not, most theologians believe that God's primary
attribute is his holiness because it's elevated to the third
Degree and in Revelation chapter 4 which gives us a glimpse of heaven's throne room.
You see something similar Where it's the four living creatures, so this may be a third type of
Angel and what do they say?
It says they do not rest day or night saying Holy, holy, holy Lord God
Almighty Who was and is and is to come?
So Isaiah says the earth is full Full of his glory
and the house was filled with smoke.
Now, let's go to Exodus chapter 40 and we'll try to start to bring all this together.
You're turning there just to kind of summarize.
The parts in between chapter 37 talks about the building of the ark the table of
showbread and verses 10 through 16 then the lampstand.
And verses 17 through 24 then the altar of incense.
Chapter 38 covers the Altar of burnt offering
the making of the court of the tabernacle and then other materials and then chapter 39 the
priests and their their garments which we talked about that in a previous study and Then
in Exodus 39 actually look at this Exodus 39 verse 32 said thus
all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was Finished.
Finally, it's done and the children of Israel did according to all that the
Lord had commanded Moses.
So they did if they had just done all that from the beginning It would have saved them a
lot of pain and suffering but at least here they they did what God said, that's
good.
So now the work is completed and we come to the final chapter of Exodus after all this time.
We've been in Exodus for how long?
Almost a year a.
Couple months.
11 months.
Yeah, 40 weeks and 40 nights.
All right, so remember Isaiah the the glory of God.
And the the smoke that filled filled the house.
Look at Exodus 40.
Verse 34 33 ends with says so Moses finished the work.
Verse 34 then the cloud Covered the tabernacle of meeting and the
glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Now I know Isaiah said smoke and this says Cloud, but
we're not splitting hairs here, right?
I think this is the same.
This is the same imagery.
So the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
So here's what I believe is going on if I can put it this way at this moment when the cloud
Comes in this is when the Lord enters his earthly
Tabernacle is earthly throne room and is seated on His earthly
throne.
Verse 35 says.
And Moses was not able to enter the Tabernacle of meeting because the cloud rested
above it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
That must have been Oh an amazing amazing sight.
Says whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle the children of Israel
would go onward In all of their journeys, but if the cloud was not taken up
Then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up.
So as far as when they moved when they stayed put it all depended on
God's leading so as long as the Lord was there Seated on his throne.
They stayed there as soon as the cloud was taken up.
Then they could go in and remember the tabernacle is a tent.
They could break it down and move it and carry it with them on their journey.
So what are they doing?
They're following the Lord's Leading and this speaks I believe to the
Christian who is to follow The leading of the Spirit of God.
So in conclusion despite all of the negative things that we've seen Throughout the book of
Exodus with the children of Israel It really ends.
I think on a positive note.
The people give willingly they give generously.
They follow the instructions.
God's house is built and now it ends with God dwelling among his people
and Leading his people and we'll close with verse 38 for the cloud of the Lord was
above the tabernacle by day.
And the fire was over it by night and the sight of all the house of Israel throughout
all their journeys.