THE BOARDS AND BARS
Ex. 26:15-29; Ex. 36:24-34
We now come to the study of the tabernacle proper. This building was forty-five feet long, fifteen feet wide, and divided into two rooms. It was made of forty-eight boards which stood in sockets of silver. There were twenty boards on each side and eight on the west end of the tabernacle. These boards stood up¬right. Over the top there were five coverings. We will study the coverings in our next lesson.
1. The number of boards.
• As noted above, there were forty-eight boards.
• That these boards repre¬sented Christ, there can be no doubt….and
• We shall look at them also from the standpoint of the believers who make up the body of Christ
1 Cor 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one
body: so also is Christ.
Eph 2:19-21
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord:
1 Pet 2:4-7
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also,
as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone
elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the
head of the corner,..”
• F ur is the number of earth; twelve is the number of government.
• Four times twelve would in¬dicate government on earth.
• In the next age, when the believers are glorified together with Christ, they shall reign with Him on earth
Luke 19:11
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because
they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
1 Cor 6:2
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy
to
judge the smallest matters?
Rev 5:10
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Eph 5
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (The believer is so united with Christ that they
are
said to be "of His flesh and of His bones")
*Interesting to note the boards were all in an upright position and held together by bars of gold. They also were standing on a foundation of silver. We, as believers, stand upright (righteous) in our position before God.
• Just as the bars held the tabernacle together Jesus is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. He is the
reason for the church and holds the church together …the beginning of the church and the end of it also. The
frame work all set on a foundation of silver. Silver speaks of redemption!!!!
1. Material.
• These boards were made of acacia wood.
• You will remember from our study on the Altar this was a tough, almost indestructible wood obtained from a
desert tree.
• To look at that tree, in its natural state, no one would have thought that it would have become the habitat of
God.
• But it was cut down, hewed by the axe, and finally became the boards of the tabernacle.
• In the boards we see Christ’s two fold nature
• The incorruptible Acacia wood speaks of his human nature
• The Gold speaks of his DEVINE nature
• He was man and he was God…
• AS MAN HE WAS WITHOUT SIN
Heb 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
I John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in
John 8:46
Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
• HE WAS PURE HOLY SINLESS…EVEN IN DEATH HE SAW NO CORRUPTION …scripture says that he came in the
LIKENESS of sinful flesh….yet he had no sin himself!
2. Gold.
• Gold spoke of the deity of Christ. He was God
• In¬side the tabernacle only gold was seen, everything was overlaid with it.
• Jesus claimed to be God
Jn 5:19 Whatsoever things my father doetheth these also doeth the son likewise.
• Like-wise or in the same way with the same POWER & AUTHORITY
Jn 8:58 “Before Abraham was I Am” (not I was)
Jn 10: 30 “ I and my Father are one (2 separate personalities but one God
• Jesus claimed to be God.
• Either he was who he clamed to be or he Was a liar, or mad man
As Believers in Christ
• How these boards must have shone!
• We who are believers are exhorted to shine even now
Phil. 2: 15, 16
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice
in
the day of Christ , that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.
2. Sockets of silver.
• The Merarites had charge of the boards, the bars, and the sockets of silver. Num. 4:30
• The first thing they did was to lay down this foundation of silver sockets weighing about four tons. A firm
foundation is the foundation of Redemption!!!!
• Silver was the money of redemption. of this, rich and poor gave alike.
Ex. 30:12-16; 38:27.
• All boards stood alike upon this foundation!!!!.
• "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ"
1 Cor 3:11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
• It was a sure foundation.
• "On Christ the solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
3. Two Tenons.
• Each board had two tenons (hands) that reached down into the sockets of silver.
• This gave each board security.
• The believer security is eternal "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never per¬ish, neither shall any
pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father-s hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10.-28-30).
• Am I teaching eternal security!!!! NO….
• Am I saying A Christian can never be lost….NO!
• Do I believe in ETERNAL SECURITY??....YES
• My security in Jesus is Eternal and I’m not afraid to say this
• Can I lose out with God..YES!!! but Only if I choose to do so by disobeying his laws and precepts and by sinning
AGAINST the light He gives to me.
• To many years we have taught that a Christian would miss out with God if they stubbed their toe and yelled
out
a cuss word…We have turned out a generation of Christians so afraid and doubtful of God’s love toward
them
….and they are always wondering if they are saved. We could learn a lot from out Baptist brothers about
the
grace and love of God
# David’s life when summed up weighed out for God
# I am not responsible for the Birds flying over head my head but I am if I let the nest in my hair
# God’s grace is not a license to sin either
4. The bars.
• There were five bars of Gold. Five is the number of grace.
• It is by grace that we are saved and put into the body of Christ to display "the exceeding riches of His grace"
(Eph. 2:7).
# Benjamin was giving 5 changes of clothing
# Pool at Bethesda had 5 porches
• Four of these bars were visible, one was invisible.
• The early church, bound together by the Holy Spirit, unseen by the world.
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. He holds all things together
Col 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
