3.12.17
Intro
I thought I was finished with our series on worship. But this week the Lord has dealt with me about something that is essential for entering into the fullness of worship that we have talked about. As you recall, in the last message we saw worship as more than a one-way declaration of praise on our part. Our worship is actually an experience of koinonia1 with the Father and the Son though the Holy Spirit as a corporate body. Koinonia means fellowship, partnership, participation, or having something in common. Worship is an expression of our participation in the life of God. He is enjoying our interaction with Him. We are enjoying His interaction with us. It is a two-way life experience: us speaking to God expressions of love and praise and Him speaking to us in expression of love and encouragement. Therefore, if we just praise God and stop there, we have stopped short of God’s intention for our worship. It’s us singing and proclaiming praise and adoration. But then it is also God meeting with us and expressing Himself to us.
That was our message last time.
This week we go a step further and ask the question: How is that possible? How does that happen? What is it that we need to understand in order to enter into the fullness of that experience? There is a religious mindset that thwarts that possibility. There is a biblical mindset that opens us up to those possibilities. We must understand the difference.
I want to make one crucial point about worship this morning. But I will need to give a lot of biblical background in order to make it. First, I will share instruction about worship from the way God told Moses to make the Tabernacle. Second, I will look at these lessons through New Testament interpretation. Third, I will share the practical application of all this in our own corporate worship.
I. Let’s begin with the Instruction God gave Moses for making the Tabernacle.
In Ex 25 God is telling Moses what Israel must do. In verses 8-9 He says to Moses, “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”2 Notice two things in that passage.
(1) God’s purpose for what He is telling Moses to do is to establish intimacy with His people. “…make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” God’s desire is to be with His people: “... that I may dwell among them.” God wants communion with His people. But that is not as easy as you might first think. Why? Because “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). He is infinitely holy. Isaiah (33:14) asked the question, “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" When Israel encountered God at Mt. Sinai they were terrorized by His presence. They drew back from God because they could not abide in His presence. In the natural, people are simply not equipped to walk into the holy presence of God. Yet God desires to dwell with His people. So, He instructs Moses to make a sanctuary where that possibility can be realized. God’s purpose: “that I may dwell among them.” The goal of worship is God dwelling with us. The goal of worship is the manifest presence of God. God’s presence must be understood at various levels. God is omnipresent. So, in one sense He is everywhere. The Holy Spirit abides in every believer. So, in a higher sense He is already there in our hearts. But at another level God manifests His presence among His people.3 And that is what we’re talking about this morning: the presence of God being manifested in our midst, especially through the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, as we see in the book of Acts.
(2) Also, notice in Ex. 25:9 the importance of doing it God’s way. “make Me a sanctuary…9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” New Living Translation says, “You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.” God developed a way in which He could dwell with His people. His way is the only way it will work. His pattern must be followed.
Now let’s go to the furnishings of the Tabernacle and lean from the pattern He gave. Everything about the sanctuary and the furnishings pointed to Christ.4 It was an instructive shadow of better things to come. It was only a type, a figure, a picture of the real thing. The realities would all be found in Christ and His great salvation. But these shadowy pictures help us understand the reality that would come. These furnishing help us understand how to enter into the presence of God.
As a person approached the sanctuary,5 the first furnishing he would see was the brazen altar. It was the place where the blood sacrifices were offered up to God. It was about 41/2 ft. high and 71/2 ft. square.6 First and foremost the Israelite had to come to this altar. It represents the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary. No one can come into God’s presence without first coming to Christ and receiving forgiveness through His blood sacrifice.
The other article in the outer court was the brazen laver. It was where the priests washed and stayed clean as they performed their duties. It was made of polished brass so that it functioned as a mirror. The priests could see their reflection in it to make sure they were clean. Of course, the word of God provides that for us in a spiritual sense.7 Ex 30:17-21 provides this instruction concerning the brazen laver. “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 "You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them — to him and his descendants throughout their generations."
So as we approach God we are to continually allow the word of God to identify things in our lives that need to be washed and address those issues. Ps 24:3 “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart….” Eph. 5:25-27 instructs husbands on how to treat their wives. While it does that directly, it incidentally reveals the New Testament application of the brazen laver as to the sanctifying influence of the word of God in our lives. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.”
I remind you that the New Testament teaches in 1 Pet. 2:9 and Rev. 1:6 that we are a kingdom of priests unto God. So, we follow the priests from the outer court into the Holy Place. There are three instructive furnishings in this compartment. There we encounter the Golden Lampstand with seven bowls for the burning of oil. This represents Christ as the Light of the world. The person that would come to God must receive Christ as the one True Light and walk in that light.8 Also in the Holy Place is the Table of Showbread which represents Christ as the bread of life. He is the true manna from heaven.9 We are to partake of Him on a daily basis.
The other item in the Holy Place is the Altar of Incense representing the prayers and praises of Christ and His people. I’m not taking much time with these because I want to get us into the Holy of Holies where God meets with His people. But we do need to understand the importance of these truths in coming to God as worshippers. I don’t want you to think of these things as duties, as something we have to do to get to God. We should see them as provisions God has made for us so that we can come into His presence. The reality of all these shadows is Christ Himself and the provision He has made for us as His people.
In the Holy of Holies there is only one furnishing; but it is treated as two items making a total of seven furnishings. The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden box about 3 3/4 ft. long and 2 ¼ wide and 2 ¼ high10 covered with gold. In Ex 25:16 Moses was told to put the two tablets of the Ten Commandments inside it.11 On top of this Ark was the Mercy Seat made of pure gold with a cherub at each end overlooking the mercy seat. Cherubim are a very high order of guardian angels associated with God’s glory.12 Lucifer was a Cherub before he fell. In Ezek. 28:14 God says he was “the anointed cherub who covers.” NIV translates it “anointed as a guardian cherub.” Cherubim guarded the access to the tree of life in paradise. So, the cherubim represent a heavenly reality.
This Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat was the most significant item in the tabernacle. It was representative of Christ. It was the place where God would meet with His people. The combination of wood and gold in its construction foreshadowed the two natures of Christ—fully human and fully divine. The Ark represents the character of God. Inside the Ark were the commandments of God representing His holiness and divine justice. The mercy seat represents His mercy extended to mankind through the sacrifice of Christ.
Both justice and mercy are equally characteristic of God.13 It is in Christ that God is both just and merciful to humanity. His justice is preserved through the sufferings of Christ on the cross. His commandments are not compromised. Jesus fulfilled the Law by His perfect obedience to the Father—even unto the death of the cross. His mercy is expressed to all who willingly come under the headship of Christ. Therefore, God is both just and the justifier of all who come to Him through Christ. This combination of both holiness and mercy is forever preserved in Christ. So, those who come to God must always come to Him on the basis of His mercy expressed in Christ.
II. Now let’s see how all this is interpreted in the New Testament.
Turn with me to Rom. 3:23-26. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Now we will focus on the mercy seat for this is where God meets with His people. Everything we have said leads us to this place where God meets with His people. In Rom. 3:25 Paul says that that God has set forth Jesus “as a propitiation by His blood.” This is a reference to the mercy seat. The Greek word translated propitiation is “hilasterion,” It is the same word in the Septuagint translated mercy seat in Ex. 25:17. (The Septuagint is the Greek O.T. that the apostles used.) So, Paul is saying that Christ is our Mercy Seat. NIV translates Rom. 3:25 this way: “God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood.” Heb. 9:5 uses this same Greek word which is translated mercy seat. Heb. 9:5 “and above it [the Ark] were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.”
The basic meaning of the Hebrew word (kapporeth) in Ex. 25:17 translated mercy seat is simply covering. But its use in Scripture lets us know that atonement is in mind.14 So God told Moses to build an Ark, cover it with gold, and put the Ten Commandments in it. Those commandments represent the moral law of God, the righteous government of God. Had God stopped there we would have been in big trouble. Had God not provided a covering that atoned for our violations of His moral government, we would only face wrath and judgement.15 But Christ has become our Mercy Seat. Aren’t you glad?
Annually the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and apply the blood from the Brazen Altar to the Mercy Seat.16 Mercy is only available because the blood was shed, the price was paid by Jesus at the cross. Hebrews tells us that all these Old Testament rituals were simply a foreshadowing of what would be available to us through Christ. Heb. 9:11-13 “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
III. Practical Application to Our Corporate Worship
I have done a lot of teaching to bring you to this one point about worship. We must come into God’s presence in absolute reliance upon Christ’s finished work in our behalf. We can’t come thinking we’re welcome before God partly because of Christ’s work and partly because of our work. The righteous seed of Christ does produce good works in our lives. If that’s not happening, something is wrong.17 But our confidence is not found in our own good works, even if they are inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our confidence is found in what Jesus has already done for us. He is our Mercy Seat. He makes our entry into the Father’s presence possible by His blood. “And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb….”18 The Old Timers used to exhort believers to “Plead the Blood.” Our plea before God is not, “I really tried hard this week.” Our plea before God is not, “I resisted that temptation on Wednesday.” When that is our plea, we are vulnerable to the Devil, who is the Accuser of the Brethern.
God does not meet with us on the basis of our good behavior. Yes, the grace of God teaches us to deny worldly lusts and live godly lives in this world (Titus 2:11-12). But our performance is not the basis of our boldness before God. Where does God meet with us? At the Mercy Seat! Here is my text for this morning.
Ex 25:21-22 “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”
I want to convey the practical significance of all this. When we understand the importance of bearing the fruit of righteousness in our daily lives, it is very easy to shift our confidence before God from a simple faith in what Jesus has done for us to a kind of mixture of faith in His work in our behalf and faith in our work for Him. As I said earlier, it sets us up for the enemy to work us over. You may have pressed into God diligently this last week; but did you do it perfectly? It is in the area of our shortcomings (which are there no matter how sincere we are) that leave us vulnerable to the accusations of Satan.
So as a practical matter, we come to service, and we begin praising the Lord. Then the Devil perches up on our shoulder and does some timely reminding. “Do you remember last Monday when you were talking about Sister So and So? You were pretty judgmental in that conversation, weren’t you? And then Tuesday, you got so impatient when waiting in line at Walmart. Of course, even worse was the anger when that car cut you off on Campbell Street.” It’s not long before the hands that were lifted in praise to God begin to hang down. Then the Devil continues. “Who are you to be rejoicing in God. It’s all so hypocritical. You don’t want to be a hypocrite do you?” All of this reasoning is so convincing, if you are relying on your own good works for favor before God. Who would dare to step out in faith and give a tongue and interpretation with all that going on in their head? The faith to participate in the full koinonia of worship is shattered.
So what is the answer to all that. Meeting God at the Mercy Seat.19 Coming to God with your faith totally resting on God’s mercy and favor toward you because of Jesus. I’m talking about a mindset that we carry into the worship experience. One mindset says, “I’m really going to enter into God’s presence today because I have really been good all week.” That mindset, the Devil knows what to do with. The other mindset says, “I’m really going to enter into God’s presence today because Jesus has opened that up for me because of His great sacrifice at Calvary. I am qualified to worship God because of the blood He shed. I am qualified to be used by God because I am sanctified by the blood of Jesus. Lord, use even me to bless this congregation today.” God does not meet with us on the basis of our goodness. He meets with us on the basis of the atonement. He meets with us at the Mercy Seat.
This message is an invitation to “come boldly to the throne of grace”20 because of what Jesus has done for us. God has not given us the spirit of timidity.21 He has made a way for us to meet with Him even while we are still work in process! Heb. 10:19 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, [not by our own good works] 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
So do we just ignore our sins and failures? No, we deal with them at the cross. Then we worship God in full assurance. We have talked about enriching our worship experience. Let me give this practical suggestion. Use the furnishings of the Tabernacle as a prayer pattern for entering into God’s sweet presence.
(1) Take some time before the worship begins to prepare your heart. Wait in God’s presence for a few minutes just recognizing the forgiveness He has already given you at the Brazen Altar. Thank Him that by His blood you are saved. Thank Him that your name is written in heaven.
(2) Come to the Brazen Laver and reflect on the word of God. Look into that mirror and ask God to wash you clean for His service. Pray the prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Process that in any way the Holy Spirit leads. Lay aside all condemnation because of Jesus’ sacrifice in your behalf.
(3) Then enter the Holy Place where the Golden Lampstand is providing light and revelation. Wait on the Lord to speak something to you for today. God is always speaking. Are you listening? Are you expecting to hear? Open your ears with expectance. Partake of the bread of life at the Table of Showbread. Offer up prayer and thanksgiving at the Altar of Incense.
(4) Enter the Holy of Holies based on the provision Jesus has made for you. Say in your heart, “Lord, I don’t come today based on my performance, but based on Your mercy and grace toward me. I expect to meet with you because the veil is rent and Jesus has opened this up to me. I ask You to meet with us today because of Jesus.”
(5) Press into worship expecting koinonia with your Heavenly Father.
Jesus paid a big price to make all this possible for us. Let’s enjoy it!
END NOTES:
1 This is the Greek word translated fellowship in 1 John 1:3. See message preached 2-26-17 for a fuller explanation.
2 All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
3 This can be seen at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 20:18), at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (2Chron. 5:13-14), on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) to name a few.
4 A simple layout of the Tabernacle with its furnishings was displayed on a screen for all to see as a visual aid to this message.
7
5 God revealed the Tabernacle furnishing to Moses from the divine perspective beginning in the Holy of Holies and generally moving toward the outer court. This teaching moves from the outer court to the Holy of Holies from a human perspective because we are seeking to understand how we proceed toward the manifest presence of God.
6 As estimated in The Living Bible.
7 James 1:21-25
8 John 1:9; 1 John 1:7
9 John 6:48-51, 58
10 As estimated in The Living Bible.
11 Deut. 10:1-2.
12 Hebrews 9:5
13 Francis Schaeffer, The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian World View, Vol. 3 (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1982) p.77. Dr. Schaeffer also points out the importance of the mercy seat as the place where God meets with His people.
14 Strong’s definition (OT 3727) “a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark). However, Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on Ex. 25:17 insists that the word never meant simply “lid” and was from the beginning used in reference to the place of atonement.
15 Francis Schaeffer, p. 80.
16 Lev. 16:14; Heb. 9:7
17 1 Peter 1:22-23; 1 John 3:7
18 Rev. 12:11
19 The Mercy Seat is our meeting place with God: (1) A place of Atonement (2) A place of Acceptance (3) A place of Assurance.
20 Heb. 4:16
21 2 Tim 1:7
