The Tabernacle....does it show us anything today as New Testiment beleivers?

So during worship service I try and think of what I am singing and I always knew the idea of the holy of hollies.....what it was etc. But I never studied it and then I had a friend tell me some things about it that stirred me up to study it more in depth. What I found really helped me have a deeper understanding of what God wants and expects of us. Let me explain:

The tabernacle was a place where the people of God went to worship, a place where people could focus on Gods presence. There where different sections in the Tabernacle.

I want to draw a parallel between the different sections in the tabernacle and what we experience today in our personal walk with God.

1.) The Gate of the tabernacle- there was only one entrance into the tabernacle.

There is only one way to God...Jesus

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ, He is the only way in!

Jesus is the gate...
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)

2.) The Brazen alter of the tabernacle- The 1st thing you see when you enter the gate is an alter where a sacrifice was made for your sins. It was bloody! The only way to cover your sins was through the shedding of blood.

Exodus 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.
Jesus on the cross would be that sacrifice today...You would see the horror of your sin and what it has done, how bad your sin really is. It is so bad that blood was shed for the payment of your sin. Here you would be forgiven. 

“For you know that … you were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

"He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4)

notice: he laid his hands on the head of the animal being sacrificed. If he didn't make it personal...with his hands- he would take it lightly.

3.) The laven- or basin of the tabernacle, was a large bowl filled with water located halfway between the brazen altar, and the Holy Place. This was for the hands and the feet to be washed
If we are reading the Bible and God's word it will wash us, and cleanse us from the dirt that gets on our minds, renewing us to go further.

“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

4.) Entering the holy place- the tent.

The 1st room of the tent has 3 pieces of furniture: the menorah (lampstand), table of showbread and the golden alter of incense.

•  The first piece of furniture was the menorah. It was the golden Lamp stand or candle stick, The candles were to be burning continuously; they were to never go out. Olive oil and wicks were sticking out. It was the only light that would allow the priest to see where he was going inside the tabernacle. Without this light he would stumble and not be able to see where or what he was doing. Without this light they wouldn’t be able to see the show bread and the alter of incense.

Jesus is our light, without Him we can't see the path in front of us.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually.’” (Leviticus 24:1-3)
Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 9:46)

Without the light the priest could not see to go further. 

In Revelations, it says that if we (talking to Christians) don't repent and do the first works; He will remove our lampstand. (Revelations 2:5)

If He removes our lampstands, we will not be able to see, we will stumble and fall.

• The second piece of furniture was the table of showbread, also called bread of the presence. (12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes, Gods people) Only the priest could eat the bread, and they only could eat it in the holy place. It was a picture of communion with God. God wanted to have communion and fellowship with man. An invitation to share a meal.

God has always had a desire to commune with us!

Jesus said:
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. … Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.” (John 6:35, 49-50)

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” (Matthew 26:26)

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelations 3:20)

• The golden altar of incense was the third piece of furniture- which is not to be confused with the brazen altar, sat in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Hollies. This is where the incense burned, at the same time as the burnt offering, at the same time every day, (morning and evening, continually burning all the time night and day. It was made of stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincence and it was considered holy. It was not to be copied for perfumes or for their own consumption; it was set apart only for God.

 Incense was a picture of prayer!

“…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)

“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2)

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelations 8:3-4)

The Veil was a curtain that separated the 2 different sections. Only the High Priest was permitted to go past it, into the Holy of Holies.

5.) Holy of Holies- this is where you would find The Ark of the Covenant. No ordinary person would enter here, it was Gods special dwelling place. This was only for the High Priest, the one set apart for God. 

• The Veil (Curtain)- made of 10 blue, purple and scarlet fine linen curtains. This was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross (Matt 27:51) Symbolizing that all men could come to God, not just the priest

Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split

6.)The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred and portable chest. It was the most important item to the people of God. It was a portable sanctuary. No one could touch it, if they did it would kill them, they transported it with poles on their shoulders.

• The Ark of the Covenant had a Mercy seat. It was covered in gold. The high priest would sprinkle blood for the atonement (price) for our sins. It was a picture of Gods mercy to forgive sin.
• The Cherubim was the part of the mercy seat which had two cherubim. They were angelic statues standing on opposite ends facing each other with their wings stretched out, their faces where bowed toward the mercy seat.

Inside the Ark of the covenant you would find 3 items:

• The first thing was the Rod of Aaron that budded- which was to remind people that God places our leaders in position and not to rebel against them!

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.’” (Numbers 17:10)

• The second was Manna- which was a picture of Gods provision....God always supplies our needs, He fed His people in the desert with miracle food from heaven. They only could take enough for the day cause it would go bad by the next day.

“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer [portion for one man] of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.’” (Exodus 16:32)

• The third thing was the Ten Commandments- stone tablets with Gods law on them.

“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)

Interesting...the 3 things in the Ark of the covenant...

1. A picture of God's leadership
2. A picture of God's provision
3. The commandments

I believe there are far to many Christians still in the outer courts and remaining in the court yard, rather than moving forward into the Holy of Holies. They only get to the Brazin Alter (the cross). They do not go past the outer courts into the Holy Place. We need to wash ourselves with the water in the laven (the word of God). Be guided by the lampstand (the light). Burn incense (pray), and eat the show bread (commune with God). We then need to proceed into the Holy of Holies and sit at the mercy seat of God, protected by cherubim (angels). Remembering that God places leaders into position, and we need to respect them. Trusting that God will provide our every need. Lastly, obeying His commandments because we love Him.

John 14:15 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

To hear the song that inspired me to study this follow the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG9Cx767mc