Restoration Through the Tabernacle: God's Plan Revealed
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we explored the intricate details of God's instructions for building the tabernacle, as described in the book of Exodus. These instructions were not just about constructing a physical space but were deeply symbolic, pointing to God's grand plan for humanity. The tabernacle was a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who would restore the broken relationship between God and humanity.
God's precise instructions for the tabernacle, including the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat, highlight His holiness and the necessity of atonement for sin. The tabernacle served as a teaching tool, illustrating the steps required to enter God's presence, emphasizing the need for sacrifice and cleansing. This process underscores the gravity of sin and the holiness of God, who cannot allow sin in His presence.
We also delved into the human longing for God's presence, a desire embedded in us since creation. This longing is often misdirected towards worldly pursuits, but it can only be truly satisfied by returning to a right relationship with God. The psalmist's words in Psalm 42 capture this deep yearning for God, likening it to a deer's desperate thirst for water.
The sermon further explained how the tabernacle's design reveals three key attributes of God: His holiness, His mercy, and His restorative nature. God's holiness demands a sacrifice for sin, but His mercy provides that sacrifice through Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal is restoration, bringing humanity back to the state of perfect communion with God, as it was in the Garden of Eden.
The imagery of the cherubim guarding the entrance to Eden and later overshadowing the mercy seat in the tabernacle symbolizes this journey from separation to reconciliation. Through Jesus' sacrifice, the barrier represented by the curtain in the temple was torn, opening the way for us to enter God's presence confidently.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Holiness and Our Sinfulness: The detailed instructions for the tabernacle emphasize God's holiness and the seriousness of sin. Sin separates us from God, and only through a proper sacrifice can we approach His presence. This teaches us the gravity of sin and the need for atonement. [41:59]
2. Human Longing for God's Presence: Every human being has an innate desire to be in God's presence, a longing often misdirected towards worldly pursuits. This deep yearning can only be satisfied by returning to a right relationship with God, as illustrated by the psalmist's desperate thirst for God in Psalm 42. [34:55]
3. God's Mercy Through Sacrifice: The mercy seat in the tabernacle symbolizes God's mercy, which is extended to us through the shedding of blood. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins, allowing us to receive God's mercy and enter His presence. [49:53]
4. Restoration Through Jesus: God's plan has always been to restore the broken relationship caused by sin. The tabernacle and its rituals were a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice, which tore the curtain separating us from God, making it possible for us to dwell in His presence once again. [01:01:36]
5. Our Role in Reconciliation: As recipients of God's mercy and restoration, we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation, sharing the message of God's love and the offer of a restored relationship through Jesus Christ with the world. This is our ministry, to bring others into the same reconciliation we have received. [01:05:31]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[28:46] - Introduction to God's Plan
[29:36] - Detailed Instructions for the Tabernacle
[30:35] - The Ark of the Covenant
[31:46] - The Grand Plan and Jesus Christ
[33:28] - Human Longing for God's Presence
[34:55] - Psalm 42 and Deep Yearning
[36:25] - The Brokenness of Sin
[37:55] - God's Provision in the Tabernacle
[39:08] - Visual Representation of the Tabernacle
[40:21] - Entering God's Presence
[41:59] - God's Holiness and Our Sinfulness
[43:50] - The Necessity of Sacrifice
[45:30] - The Impact of Sin on Our Relationship with God
[46:57] - God's Mercy and the Mercy Seat
[49:53] - The High Priest and the Holy of Holies
[50:55] - Meeting God at the Mercy Seat
[52:44] - God's Plan for Restoration
[54:31] - Re-Edenizing the World
[55:45] - The Presence of God in Eden
[57:11] - The Cherubim and the Tree of Life
[58:29] - The Cherubim in the Tabernacle
[01:01:03] - The Curtain Torn in the Temple
[01:02:11] - Dwelling in God's Presence
[01:03:20] - Confidence to Enter the Most Holy Place
[01:04:38] - The Ministry of Reconciliation
[01:06:16] - Closing Prayer
[01:07:57] - Invitation to Respond
[01:11:46] - Recommitment and Rededication
[01:13:21] - Communion and Announcements
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Exodus 25:10-22 - Instructions for the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat
2. Psalm 42:1-2 - The Psalmist's Yearning for God
3. Hebrews 10:19-25 - Confidence to Enter the Most Holy Place
#### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions did God give for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat in Exodus 25:10-22?
2. How does Psalm 42:1-2 describe the psalmist's longing for God? What imagery is used to convey this longing?
3. According to Hebrews 10:19-25, what gives believers the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place? What is the significance of the curtain being torn?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God provided such detailed instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and its elements? What does this reveal about His character? ([29:36])
2. How does the psalmist's desperate thirst for God in Psalm 42 reflect the human longing for God's presence mentioned in the sermon? ([34:55])
3. In what ways does the tearing of the curtain in the temple symbolize the new access to God provided through Jesus' sacrifice? ([01:01:36])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the detailed instructions for the tabernacle. How can you apply the principle of following God's specific guidance in your daily life? ([29:36])
2. The sermon mentioned that every human being has an innate desire to be in God's presence. How have you experienced this longing in your own life, and how have you tried to satisfy it? ([34:55])
3. Considering the importance of sacrifice and cleansing to enter God's presence, what steps can you take to address sin in your life and seek God's forgiveness? ([41:59])
4. The sermon emphasized God's mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus. How can you extend mercy to others in your life, reflecting God's mercy towards you? ([49:53])
5. The ultimate goal of God's plan is restoration. What areas of your life need restoration, and how can you invite God into those areas to bring healing and reconciliation? ([01:01:36])
6. As ambassadors of reconciliation, how can you actively share the message of God's love and the offer of a restored relationship through Jesus with those around you? ([01:05:31])
7. Reflect on the imagery of the cherubim guarding the entrance to Eden and later overshadowing the mercy seat. How does this imagery impact your understanding of God's plan for reconciliation and your role in it? ([01:00:21])
Devotional
Day 1: The Gravity of Sin and God's Holiness
God's detailed instructions for the tabernacle in Exodus highlight His holiness and the seriousness of sin. The tabernacle was not just a physical structure but a symbolic representation of the steps required to enter God's presence. The Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat within the tabernacle emphasized the necessity of atonement for sin. Sin separates humanity from God, and only through a proper sacrifice can we approach His presence. This underscores the gravity of sin and the holiness of God, who cannot allow sin in His presence. Understanding this helps us appreciate the depth of God's love and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who made it possible for us to be reconciled with God. [41:59]
Leviticus 16:2 (ESV): "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.'"
Reflection: Think about a sin in your life that you have not fully acknowledged before God. How can you bring this sin to Him today, seeking His forgiveness and understanding the gravity of what separates you from His holiness?
Day 2: The Deep Yearning for God's Presence
Every human being has an innate desire to be in God's presence, a longing often misdirected towards worldly pursuits. This deep yearning can only be satisfied by returning to a right relationship with God. Psalm 42 captures this desperate thirst for God, likening it to a deer's thirst for water. This longing is embedded in us since creation, and it is a reminder that our true fulfillment and peace come from being in communion with God. Recognizing this can help us redirect our pursuits towards seeking God and His presence in our lives. [34:55]
Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV): "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"
Reflection: Identify one worldly pursuit that you have been prioritizing over your relationship with God. How can you shift your focus today to seek God's presence and find true satisfaction in Him?
Day 3: God's Mercy Through Sacrifice
The mercy seat in the tabernacle symbolizes God's mercy, which is extended to us through the shedding of blood. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins, allowing us to receive God's mercy and enter His presence. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, symbolizing the atonement for the people's sins. This act pointed to Jesus, our High Priest, who entered the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, securing eternal redemption for us. Understanding this helps us appreciate the depth of God's mercy and the significance of Jesus' sacrifice. [49:53]
Hebrews 9:11-12 (ESV): "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."
Reflection: Reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and the mercy you have received through His blood. How can you live today in a way that honors this incredible gift of mercy?
Day 4: Restoration Through Jesus
God's plan has always been to restore the broken relationship caused by sin. The tabernacle and its rituals were a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice, which tore the curtain separating us from God, making it possible for us to dwell in His presence once again. The imagery of the cherubim guarding the entrance to Eden and later overshadowing the mercy seat in the tabernacle symbolizes this journey from separation to reconciliation. Through Jesus' sacrifice, the barrier represented by the curtain in the temple was torn, opening the way for us to enter God's presence confidently. This restoration brings us back to the state of perfect communion with God, as it was in the Garden of Eden. [01:01:36]
Matthew 27:50-51 (ESV): "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split."
Reflection: Consider the barriers in your life that keep you from experiencing God's presence. What steps can you take today to allow Jesus to tear down these barriers and restore your relationship with God?
Day 5: Our Role in Reconciliation
As recipients of God's mercy and restoration, we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation, sharing the message of God's love and the offer of a restored relationship through Jesus Christ with the world. This is our ministry, to bring others into the same reconciliation we have received. We are entrusted with the message of reconciliation, and it is our responsibility to live out this calling in our daily lives. By embodying God's love and grace, we can help others experience the transformative power of a restored relationship with God. [01:05:31]
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life who needs to hear the message of reconciliation. How can you share God's love and the offer of a restored relationship with them today?
Quotes
1. "You see, it's part of the plan. It's part of the big plan and it's looking ahead to the fulfillment of this plan and the coming of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ who would be the one sacrifice for all time for all people but he's he's putting things in place that will lead to the fulfillment of this grand plan that he has and in that grand plan God knows us better than we know ourselves because he made us and he made us in his image." [31:46] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Friends, whether we realize it or not, we're made to want that too more than anything else in our lives we chase after all kinds of other things because we don't realize the thing that God put in us to want and to need is to be with him is to be back in that relationship with him is to be that close with him again to be able to dwell in his presence the psalmist is saying that our greatest need is the presence of God." [34:55] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Our increasing restlessness is caused by being away from God's presence aren't we human beings a restless bunch we're always after something aren't we we're always thinking it's the next thing and it's the next thing and if we just get this done if we just get to this place or just go there if we just get that material thing then our lives then we'll be at rest and then we get those things if we can and we're still there's still a longing there there's still a longing there there's still a longing in the a restlessness there that hasn't been satisfied yet it's because it can't be satisfied apart from the presence of God." [36:25] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God is a holy God and he is teaching the people about his holiness and in teaching them about his holiness he is revealing our what our sinfulness we are designed to be in the presence of God that's what he made us for but we rebelled against God and all of us have what sin we've all done and what sin does and what we we take way too lightly with sin is sin is the very thing that keeps us from being in the presence of God it's the very thing that breaks the relationship with God it's the very thing that separates us from God." [41:59] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We cannot accept sin as okay. And we cannot accept it in the people that we love as if it's okay just because we love those people. God loves us very much, but He does not accept our sin. He won't welcome us into His presence with our sin. There has to be a turning from and a payment for sin for us to be able to be welcomed into the presence of the Holy God." [45:30] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "God is a merciful God. Even though we're sinful, even though we come short, God extends mercy. Look at Exodus 25, 17 again. Look at that verse. Make an atonement cover, talking about for the ark there, that's in the Holy of Holies, an atonement cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. Now, that's sometimes called the atonement cover, but it's also called the mercy seat in a lot of translations. The idea is there's a place that God offers mercy is extended to His people so that they can be in His presence." [48:31] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "God meets his people at the mercy seat. That's where he welcomes his people into his presence. That's where he brings together both God's justice and God's mercy. See, God is a God of justice. He demands payment for sin. But God is a God of mercy because he offers a sacrifice on our behalf. So that justice and mercy can both be served by the same holy God who welcomes us into his presence." [51:51] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "God is restoring. He's a holy God. He's merciful. And in his mercy, this plan that he has is a plan to restore. Everything that was broken by our sin. He had this plan before we broke the covenant with him and our sin. God wasn't surprised. He's not surprised by anything. He knows past, present, and future. So when he put human beings, he made us and he put us into that garden, he already knew the rebellion that was coming. He already knew the sin that we were going to choose." [53:43] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "He's re-Edenizing the world. Re-Edenizing. You know Eden, Garden of Eden? He's re-Edenizing the world. You can write it down. We might get it in Webster's eventually. But that's the plan. It's to re-Edenize. It's to bring it back to that perfection. It's to restore that beautiful experience that Adam and Eve had in the garden before they sinned. They had no shame. They had no sickness. They had no death, right? There was no parting. There was no loss that had to be suffered. There was no grieving over anything. It was this beautiful place." [54:31] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "God is welcoming us back into his presence through Christ. And he instructs us to take that message of reconciliation to others. Because it's not just for us. He's making this offer to everyone who would come. Through Jesus. That's why he says in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here. All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ. And he gave us the ministry of what? Reconciliation." [01:04:38] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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