I Am Week 4
We are going to start this week backing up a little bit. Let’s talk about where all the items needed to create the Tabernacle came from.
What the Israelites were to offer for the formation of the tabernacle
1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the sons of Israel, that they take for me, a heave–offering,––of every man whose heart urgeth him, shall ye take my heave–offering. 3 And, this, is the heave–offering which ye shall take of them,––gold and silver, and bronze; 4 and blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and goat’s hair; 5 and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and acacia wood; 6 oil for giving light,––perfumes for the anointing oil, and for fragrant incense; 7 onyx stones, and setting stones,––for the ephod and for the breastpiece: 8 So shall they make for me a sanctuary,––and I will make my habitation in their midst: 9 according to all that, I, am shewing thee, the pattern of the habitation, and the pattern of all the furnishings thereof, even so, shall ye make it. Rotherhams’ Emphasized Bible
Verse 2. That they bring me an offering] The offering here mentioned is the terumah, a kind of free-will offering, consisting of any thing that was necessary for the occasion. It signifies properly any thing that was lifted up, the heave-offering, because in presenting it to God it was lifted up to be laid on his altar; but See Clarke on Ex 29:27. God requires that they should build him a tent, suited in some sort to his dignity and eminence, because he was to act as their king, and to dwell among them; and they were to consider themselves as his subjects, and in this character to bring him presents, which was considered to be the duty of every subject appearing before his prince. See Ex 23:15. Clarke
Exod 25:1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying:
Exod 25:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, that they take an offering for Me. From every man whose heart stirs him, you shall take My offering.
Exod 25:3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
Exod 25:4 violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, and goats’ hair;
Exod 25:5 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;
Exod 25:6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the spiced incense;
Exod 25:7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
Exod 25:8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
Voice in the Wilderness
Now begin the detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle of Yahweh, with all its furnishings. The first paragraph introduces the issue of the heavenly pattern for the construction, calls for the people to make willing offerings (vv. 2-7), and explains the purpose for these offerings (vv. 8-9). The message here is that God calls his people to offer of their substance willingly so that his sanctuary may be made. NET Bible notes
The Tabernacle and Its Furniture. Matthew Henry
When Moses was to erect this palace, it was requisite that he should first be instructed where he must have the materials, and where he must have the model; for he could neither contrive it by his own ingenuity nor build it at his own charge; he is therefore directed here concerning both.
1. The people must furnish him with the materials, not by a tax imposed upon them, but by a voluntary contribution. This is the first thing concerning which orders are here given.
(1.) Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring me an offering; and there was all the reason in the world that they should, for (v. 1), [1.] It was God himself that had not only enlarged them, but enriched them with the spoils of the Egyptians. He had instructed them to borrow, and he had inclined the Egyptians to lend, so that from him they had their wealth, and therefore it was fit they should devote it to him and use it for him, and thus make a grateful acknowledgement of the favours they had received. Note, First, The best use we can make of our worldly wealth is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. Secondly, When we have been blessed with some remarkable success in our affairs, and have had, as we say, a good turn, it may be justly expected that we should do something more than ordinary for the glory of God, consecrating our gain, in some reasonable proportion of it, to the Lord of the whole earth, Mic. iv. 13. [2.] The sanctuary that was to be built was intended for their benefit and comfort, and therefore they must be at the expense of it. They had been unworthy of the privilege if they had grudged at the charge. They might well afford to offer liberally for the honour of God, while they lived at free quarters, having food for themselves and their families rained upon them daily from heaven. We also must own that we have our all from God’s bounty, and therefore ought to use all for his glory. Since we live upon him, we must live to him.
(2.) This offering must be given willingly, and with the heart, that is, [1.] It was not prescribed to them what or how much they must give, but it was left to their generosity, that they might show their good-will to the house of God and the offices thereof, and might do it with a holy emulation, the zeal of a few provoking many, 2 Cor. ix. 2. We should ask, not only, “What must we do?” but, “What may we do for God?” [2.] Whatever they gave, they must give it cheerfully, not grudgingly and with reluctance, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2 Cor. ix. 7. What is laid out in the service of God we must reckon well bestowed.
(3.) The particulars are here mentioned which they must offer (v. 3-7), all of them things that there would be occasion for in the tabernacle, or the service of it. Some observe that here was gold, silver, and brass, provided, but no iron; that is the military metal, and this was to be a house of peace. Every thing that was provided was very rich and fine, and the best of the sort; for God, who is the best, should have the best.
The Song of the Mirrored Laver
Last week we stopped at the Brazen Altar. The fiery furnace of sacrifice. We sang “I Am Not My Own” at this place of death. Now we move further inward, closer to the Holy of Holies.
The bronze/mirrored laver was between the brazen altar and the golden pillars. Day and night the reflection of the brazen altar’s ceaseless fire was seen in the highly polished surfaces of this laver.
In Hebrew the word laver is kiyor. This word means to purify. It is also the word for furnace.
Exo 30:20-21 tells us the significance of the washing.
Exo 30:20 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.
Exo 30:21 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.”
The clear water contained within this instrument of worship celebrated one theme: cleanness. Having a large upper basin and a saucer like foot, the laver is the place for you to be washed from head to toe. Details and specific measurements were given for most of the instruments in the Tabernacle, but the laver’s exact size was not communicated by God. What does this mean? It is quite clear that the truths contained within this holy basin are limitless. They are immeasurable. The laver’s song is fathomless. It has no end. So what does this laver sing of? The laver sings of God’s revealed Word and its incredible cleansing power. In the midst of the wilderness God’s laver provides clear water meant to refresh you and bathe you.
Joh 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Paul tells us in Hebrews.
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [with blood] to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22) General consensus in the commentaries is that this is an allusion to baptism. Which too, most commentaries equate the laver as a type of baptism.
The church (us) is to be bathed in the laver. We can learn no more silent songs until we have been washed by His Words. How can you sing if you do not know the Words? And how can you know the Words unless you read them and practice them every day? Study to show thyself approved……..
In the Old Testament Tabernacle the priests could not enter into the tent of intimacy without first washing at the laver. God set this laver at the entrance to the Holy Place as a guardian of the treasures of silent worship that await within.
Because of the many trials God allows to nurture your silent music, your feet and hands may become soiled. This soil is from the pollution of our attitudes. His Word alone is the detergent for such dirt. We need to be cleansed again and again from our grimy habits, unclean behaviors and muddy attitudes.
It is not just the desire to enter the Holy Place that is to be our motivation for cleansing, it is, in fact, the process of washing that is in our best interest. Example: If God wanted me to meet him on top of a mountain, I could easily pay for a short helicopter ride. It is the experience of the climb that God is looking for, not the easy way.
Washing at the laver in the OT times corresponds to the ordinance of baptism. What command did Jesus give to His people just before His ascension? Matt 28:19 And after the altar and laver experience, what are we called? John 1:12-13
Exo 38:8 tells us the women surrendered their mirrors. These looking glasses had been brought out of Egypt as part of the spoils of their redemption. Why does God want mirrors? What is the purpose of a mirror? We talked about this. The reflection. In this case as in our Smoke & Mirrors study the reflection should not be us (selfishness) but we should see Jesus. You will discover what God looks like by looking in the mirror of His Word. Jesus is a reflection of God’s love. His Word. The incredible cleansing power of the laver. Pour His Word over you that you may sing this song of cleansing and refreshing.
The Song of the Golden Pillars
Exo 26:37
We’ve passed through the outer court and find ourselves drawn to the entrance of the holy tent. Here stand the golden pillars. The entrance to the tent was a hanging such as the linen wall we first encountered earlier. It was embroidered with the same colors used at the gate and throughout the Tabernacle. It too was located on the EAST side of the tent, just as the gate to the outer court was. And just as the gate was the only entrance to the outer court, so too is this the only way into the tent. This entrance is guarded by pillars covered in pure gold.
Up until now your silent music has been fashioned of brass, witnessed by the brazen altar and the brazen laver. Brass/bronze is the emblem of stability and enduring strength.
ISBE
Brass; Brazen
bras (נחשת, neḥōsheth): The use of the word brass has always been more or less indefinite in its application. At the present time the term brass is applied to an alloy of copper and zinc or of copper, zinc and tin. The word translated “brass” in the King James Version would be more correctly rendered bronze, since the alloy used was copper and tin (Exo_27:4).
Figurative: “Brass,” naturally, is used in Scripture as the symbol of what is firm, strong, lasting; hence, “gates of brass” (Psa_107:16), “hoofs of brass” (Mic_4:13), “walls of brass” (Jeremiah is made as a “brazen wall,” Jer_1:18; Jer_15:20), “mountains of brass” (Dan_2:35, the Macedonian empire; the arms of ancient times were mostly of bronze). It becomes a symbol, therefore, of hardness, obstinacy, insensibility, in sin, as “brow of brass” (Isa_48:4); “they are brass and iron” (Jer_6:28, of the wicked); “all of them are brass” (Eze_22:18, of Israel).
Ahh, but now gold is included in the building of God’s habitation. 1 Peter 1:6-7
1Pe 1:6 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime.
1Pe 1:7 Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. MSG
Here as you prepare to enter the Lord’s tent, He will instruct you in the silent song of faith, faith that is as pure as gold.
Gold has many splendid qualities. Highly prized, it is one of the first metals to ever attract man’s attention. Anthropologists will tell you that men have always thought themselves blessed of God simply by their possessing anything of gold.
Gold is widely dispersed throughout the earth’s crust. It is a precious metal that is non-
corrodible and totally indestructible. It is extremely valuable. The entire global economy was originally based on what was known as “the gold standard”. Gold is recognized in every country of the world as something valuable. And it holds its value. Pliney the Elder said each time gold went through a fire it came out better or more refined than before.
God has placed inside of you a deposit of the purest form of this element. Buried in your spirit is a vein of golden faith. Jesus’ very own faith. God has sown the imperishable faith of His own Son into the feeble earthly dust that is you.
What is the “Faith of Jesus”? “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5.
Is the “faith of Jesus” your faith? Perhaps you have not given much thought to this aspect of the gospel message. Many, even among ministers, readily acknowledge that their understanding of this subject is rather limited, and yet, it is of equal importance to the commandments of God.
Look at the experience of Jesus. He knew that it was entirely possible for Him to yield to temptation. He knew that His life of continual obedience would be possible only if He continued to yield to His Father’s will. Such was His understanding of the theological facts; but what was His faith? This was His faith: “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalms 16:8. Jesus lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. He put His faith in God’s word expecting the Word to accomplish what it said. And according to His faith it was unto Him; He was never moved.
1Jn 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Do you live by the faith OF the Son of God?Paul testified, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…”. Galatians 2:20. KJV
“According to your faith be it unto you.” Matthew 9:29. Faith is not to be confused with a mere intellectual assent to the doctrinal teachings of Christianity, though that is necessary. Faith includes a total commitment to Him as the Lord of one’s life. Unbelief, or lack of faith appears everywhere in the NT as the supreme evil. Let’s look at Matt 23.
The faith of our fathers. In the OT (KJV) the word “faith” occurs only twice (Deut 30:20, Hab 2:4) and even the verb for (to believe) is far from common, appearing less than 30 times. What is found in the OT is not so much a doctrine of faith, as examples of it. It sets forth the life of the servants of God as a life of faith. Can we, upon whom the ends of the world are come, afford to have less faith than they? “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.
When you give your life to the Lord, he carefully pressed a golden spike of pure faith into your heart. You don’t have to wonder if you have enough faith for something. It is already there. In the natural God placed all the gold into the earth. Man cannot create pure gold. They are working on it though. Something to do with bombarding carbon with neutrons and protons, in a nuclear reactor thingy. Science teacher Becky?
The faith that God has placed in you has to be mined, the gold must be extracted. The process is costly to do this. As you draw nearer to this source of silent music, your song of golden faith will be tried, tested and purified over and over again.
How is golden faith extracted? In its raw form, gold is encased in craggy boulders. Because of the bulk of rock/earth surrounding it, the gold must be broken and dramatically reduced ins size if it is to be recovered. The particles, or flakes, or nuggets are crushed until they are approximately on five-hundredth of an inch in diameter or finer. In other words, they become almost like dust.
There will be times, Singer, when the events of your life will seem to bring one crushing blow after another. It may seem that there is nothing in your life but testings. You may even begin to doubt that you have any faith at all. But when your tears saturate the dust into which your face has been driven, stop weeping for a moment and listen. There in the midst of the pain, purified, golden notes of silent music are being extracted from the deposit of the authentic faith deep in your heart. Are we given faith at creation, or is faith placed in us later?
The silent composition continues. A golden aria of genuine faith is being written. Forged in the agony of the testing, divine music (your faith) is being strengthened. One the particles of golden dust have been crushed, they are ready for the refining process. The refiner’s fire must purify every particle of the mined vein: Malachi 3:3
In its natural form, gold that has been through the initial refining process yields bullion. Though it has been through both crushing and fire, gold bullion is still impure and must be processed further. Now the bullion must be melted in a furnace and then immediately poured into earthen vessels.
Think about that. Gold is placed into a clay pot. Jesus’ crushing yielded golden faith that was poured into a clay pot, and the clay pot He fills is you. He is the Potter, we are the clay. Once inside the earthen vessel, a strong and powerful blast of air is bubbled through the clay pot. Could this be like the sound of a mighty and rushing wind that came at Pentecost? Do you see, Singer, that as you submit to the mining and refining of the diving vein within you, the Holy Spirit of God is breathed through your life? With this processing comes the power of God’s own faith. Only those who have known the process possess the spiritual ears to hear this uncanny melody. Genuine faith can sing through the fire and the wind.
It will take a lifetime to extract and refine the genuine faith that is buried deep within you. John 16:33. Jesus knows this way, and when He has tried you, His faith will come forth in you as pure fold. Until now are songs have been orchestrated in brass. We have practiced our lessons in these songs, but now, your golden tones are being extracted and refined. Help us to submit to the refining process in order that our faith can become genuine twenty four carat worship for your glory.
The Song of the Tent Roof
Exo 26:1, 7, 14
You have now stepped past the golden pillars and into His tent. The silent music here will be even sweeter. In the Tabernacle Moses built, God commanded four heavy mantles to be placed as coverings to His habitation. This dome of curtains blanketed His tent. Your Tabernacle of silent songs will be draped in these skirts too.
In biblical culture, the spreading of a cover over someone was symbolic of giving protection. If the act occurred between a man and a woman it was a proposal of marriage. It declared the giving of oneself forever. Ruth knew this when she lay at the feet of Boaz. Ruth 3:9 Her acceptance of the covering of Boaz signified that a covenant had been entered into.
The Tabernacle’s coverings had 4 layers. Four distinct blankets were stretched over all of the intimacies of interior worship. These are to become our garments as well.
Badger Skins
This was the outermost covering. These skins were clearly visible from a great distance.
But were these taken from the animal we know today as the badger? The word badger can also be translated sea animal, dolphin or porpoise. It is a general Hebrew term for marine creatures. Archeologists tell us that species such as those indicated in the context of the scriptures were plentiful in the Red Sea near Sinai in Moses’ day. These skins were, according to the Septuagint, a drab blue-gray color. Not particularly impressive to look at and not particularly valuable or beautiful. In a similar way, Isaiah declared that Jesus took on the drab skin of humanity.
How do you see Jesus? Do you see him as white eyed, brown curly hair, lamb over his shoulder?
Do you see him brown eyed? Clear complexion? Perfect face? Beautiful?
Isa 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isa 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isa 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
Isa 53:9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
As I read verse 2b-3 something clicked:
“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Jesus was not beautiful physically. Just saying it sounds wrong, and I almost feel like I should say that I’m sorry for saying it. Unless the Bible is wrong, which I believe it isn’t…it clearly says that Jesus was not beautiful. “Like one from whom men hide their faces.” Wow. That’s ugly. That’s not the picture of Jesus I see in story books. My picture of Jesus is wrong, and it’s okay that it is. I don’t typically try and picture Jesus, but I admit, when I do, he’s normally white haired and brown eyed with a white robe. Reality check-he was probably Middle Eastern, and his robe was probably not white (or if it once was, it is now brown).
The quote from Todd Agnew’s song My Jesus keeps playing through my head. “Who is this that you follow? This picture of the American Dream? If Jesus passed by you would you walk right by or fall down and worship at his Holy feet?” I don’t think I’d recognise Jesus, and I think I miss him a lot of times as I journey in life. I think I saw him today though. He was in a little old lady at the grocery store who stared at me. I think he is all around me, and I pass him by every day.
What’s your picture of Jesus?
God the Father chose that the outermost covering of Jesus’ silent music would be ordinary, not ostentatious. Humility was the skin that would be the outer blanket of God’s glory.
The silent music of your own interior tabernacle must be like the outer covering of the Tabernacle. It must be clothed in humility. Our aim must be to disarm all ambitions by embracing any ordinariness that God permits.
Four distinct mantles will cover you, and the very first of these must be a willingness to be humble, ordinary. This is a truth that must be embraced.
This is verse 1 of your song at the tent roof. Humility.
The badger skins that served as the outermost curtain of the tent also served to cover the feet of the Old Testament worshipper. In the eastern Sinai Peninsula, these skins were the standard material for making sandals and priestly shoes. These shoes were soft-soled and moccasin-like.
So what does this imply? It shows us that a silent singer must also be shod in humility. Your walk, not your appearance, must be authentic. Harshness, cruelty and defensiveness cannot be upon your feet. You may not tread upon others to achieve any perceived destiny. You may not stomp your way into any promise. That is not the walk of a silent singer. You must wear the same kind of shoes Jesus wore: quiet and unassuming. Jesus never demanded His destiny from the Father. He walked in faithfulness and obedience, trusting His Father for the outcome. That is the walk of humility, and of faith.
I Am The Instrument 