February 7- A Beautiful Tent

February 7, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus 26:1-27:21; Matthew 25:1-30;
Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, 
an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 
~ 2 Corinthians 5:1

Exodus 26:1-27:21

Do you ever feel like your earthly tent is getting battered and beaten?  Maybe when your knees ache after exercising at the gym or your face looks particularly saggy in the mirror one morning, you realize that you are in a temporary dwelling that will eventually fold.

Today God gives detailed instructions on how He wants the temporary Tabernacle to look.  This will be His picture to the Israelites of what the Messiah will be and do on the this earth.  Jesus will take on a human body and inhabit a temporary tent just like all of us. But the Tabernacle, although temporary, is glorious in its representations. Notice how meticulously God approaches the details of this structure.  This is important to Him.  It is no joke.  He takes His earthly representations very seriously. 

Volumes could be written on the detailed symbolism of each aspect of the Tabernacle.  I am only going to talk about some of them.  Here we go:

• The curtains: The first curtain was extremely fine linen with symbolic cherubim woven in.  This curtain was not to touch the earth. The beauty of these curtains could only be seen from the inside of the Tabernacle.  The beauty of Christ can only be seen by true believers. The second curtain was made of goats' hair.  It was to touch the floor. Goats are the animal of sin. This represents the sin that Christ would carry for the world. The next curtain is made of rams' skin.  The ram is the animal of sacrifice.  This represents Christ on the cross. The fourth curtain is made of sealskins.  This is a water-proof material.  It is a protective covering.  Christ is our protective covering before a Holy God. This curtain was not beautiful.  Christ was said to be of no form or comeliness.  He would have no external beauty that we would desire him (Isaiah 53:2).  Notice the curtains show us that Christ is beautiful on the inside, but plain on the outside. Let's discuss the colors of the curtains.  The colors were symbolic: Blue- a heavenly color; Scarlet- the color of Christ's blood; Purple- the blending of blue and scarlet which produces the color of kings and royalty; Christ was heaven coming down to earth as the King of the Jews.

• The boards and sockets:  These are made of a wood similar to redwood and are practically indestructible.  They are overlaid with gold and hold the whole structure of the Tabernacle together.  This is a picture of how Christ is both man and God.  He holds the whole universe together by his power.  He also holds the Church and the events of history and eternity together through his work on the Cross and his teachings on earth.

• The veils: The veils separated the outer court from the Holy of Holies where God dwelt.  These veils represent the humanity of Christ.  It is no coincidence that when Jesus was crucified on the cross and died, the veil in the Temple at the time of his death was rent in two (Matthew 27:50-51).  His death provided access to God for all who believe in Christ.  Remember Christ's words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

What did you notice as you read about the building of the Tabernacle?  God is quite into details and artistry.  If you are a gifted artist, you can appreciate the Lord's love of art and beauty. What do you think about that?

Matthew 25:1-30

In the context of explaining the end times, Jesus gives parables to illustrate the faithfulness of Israel, the faithfulness of his servants, and the faithfulness of the nations before his return and final judgment. 

A Parable About the Faithfulness of Israel- The Ten Virgins

In the first parable of the ten virgins, Christ (the bridegroom) is preparing to go into the marriage feast (millennial reign on earth) with His bride (the Church) to whom He has been married.  The virgins represent the nation of Israel and their reunion with their Messiah.  Only the wise virgins, who have the oil of the Holy Spirit, are invited into the wedding feast.  Remember, the presence of the Holy Spirit within a person shows true belief in the sacrificial death of Christ and his resurrection. Those who truly believe in Christ are invited in. At his second coming, Christ will judge the Israelites based on their belief in him during the Great Tribulation on earth. Do they have oil in their lamps?

A Parable About the Faithfulness of Believers- The Talents

The second parable is the parable of the talents.  This parable is directed to Christ's servants on earth during the time between his first and second comings. Use of one's gifts during this time is imperative if the Church is to grow and during the difficult end times, Christ's message is to fill the whole earth. This parable teaches that faithful use of gifts will be rewarded. Christ followers will be judged based on the faithfulness with which they conducted their personal ministries.  If one was given great ability, that person will be judged according to what was given him/her.  If one was given little ability, the faithfulness of using what was given will be the measuring stick. This parable teaches that we are held accountable based on our faithfulness to God in using the gifts he has given us. Although Christ is answering the disciples question about the end times with this parable, the principles can be applied to all believers at all times.

Lesson:  Be faithful to work for the cause of Christ, even if your work seems small.

How are you working to spread the Good News of Christ on earth?  What is your portion? Are you a parent who stays home with small children, modeling Christ in your life faithfully each day to those little ones?  Are you a business person who strives to be honest in your transactions with others?  You will be rewarded by God for being faithful in your daily life.  You do not need to be an evangelist to the world or Mother Teresa to the poor. As a matter of fact, God wants you to bloom where you are planted.

Psalm 31

I see Christ in this psalm.  Each of us can pray a portion of this psalm at different times of our lives, but Christ is the perfect author of this sentiment.

Proverbs 8:1-11

This book we are studying is a book of wisdom.  This knowledge and understanding is better than silver and gold.  Do you believe that?

What are you learning?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton