The Holy Of Holies And The Presence Of God Series

SERIES: “DISCOVER THE LESSONS OF THE TABERNACLE”

TEXT: EXODUS 25:10-22

TITLE: “THE HOLY OF HOLIES AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD”

OPEN: A. I enjoy watching a good movie. I like all kinds of movies: comedy, adventure, thriller,

suspense, action, sometimes even a romance. Some movies come as a series – like the Star Wars

saga. Out of all the movies that come as a series, Star Wars is my favorite.

The first movie in the series came out when I was in high school – Star Wars: A New Hope.

That first movie was actually episode IV. Followed by V and VI..

20 years later, George Lucas made episodes I, II, and III – what is termed “prequels”. In the

latest three movies, he went back and told the first three acts of the story. You got to see how the

story line developed into the original three movies.

Sometimes, when you only get the last half of the story, you don’t quite understand its

significance. I think that’s how it is with God’s redeeming story. We know there’s an Old

Testament and we might even know some of the stories in it but because we haven’t lived it, we

don’t quite grasp the significance of the part we know. And that is the reason that we have done

our study of the Tabernacle – to fill-in some of the gaps in our understanding of God’s story of

redemption.

-- Augustine: “The New is in the Old concealed. The Old is in the New revealed.”

B. Today we finish our study of the Tabernacle

1. There is so much more we can cover

a. The elements of the sacrificial system

b. The veils or curtains and their significance

c. The clothes of the high priest

--these things and more teach us about Christ and redemption through Him

2. Let’s give a final review over the Tabernacle

a. Remember that the tabernacle was a large portable tent structure that served as the center of

worship for the Israelites as they traveled along their journey to the Promised Land

b. It was also the reminder of God’s presence among His people

--There’s a diagram of the tabernacle on an insert in your bulletin

3. The tabernacle was comprised of three areas:

a. The Outer Court

--It was the general meeting area for the tabernacle

1). All Jewish people who had business at the tabernacle were welcome

2). It held the Altar of Sacrifice and the Bronze Washbasin we studied several weeks ago

b. The Holy Place

--The Holy Place was the start of the tabernacle proper and was 30 ft. long x 15 ft. wide

1). This is the area where the priests performed a good number of their daily duties

2). It held the Menorah (Golden Lamp stand), The Table of Presence (Shewbread), and the

Altar of Incense

c. The Holy of Holies

--15 ft. square

1). This is the area where only the high priest could enter and do so only once a year to spread

the blood on the mercy seat of God on the Day of Atonement

2). Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant

--where we are today

C. Ex. 25:8-22 – “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this

tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. Have them make a chest

of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.

Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold

rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.

Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the

sides of the chest to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be

removed. Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. Make an atonement cover of

pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of

hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on

the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to

have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face

each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the

Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over