107 - That's No Barbecue

You pick up your Bible. Is there more you see on is there something you mean it's just words printed on paper may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than the summer time and there's meat on the fire in the backyard with the barbecue don't you smell all what you know is you look at the tabernacle working to find meat on a fire there, but the purpose is totally different. Find out today. Dorothy and Jim and we are sitting here in our dining God's job as we are in the habit of doing down to these conversations for you and we've been talking for a few weeks now about the tabernacle, the instructions for the tabernacle of God's 1010 in the midst of great people and just remind you were still on the mountaintop with Moses.

During those 40 yes that's right he's still just receiving the instructions later on were going to comment to Exodus. When all the instructions we repeated in the actual building tabernacle but at this point were just receiving instructions and so God keeps saying to him now. I show you the pattern on the mountain.

Make sure you do exactly as the pattern saw right so and remind you this is God's intention this is working out of wanting to dwell in their midst right is all remind I think a couple weeks ago we talked about that when the when he actually did their camping out in the desert they would pitch their tents in a very specific pattern and in the center. That pattern was God's tent with this is that this is what were talking about God's intent as he travels with them across the desert and the promised land. And God is very specific about the design of the tent because in no small term.

It turns out that the design of the tent speaks volumes about the nature of God and our relationship with them and our approach to him right like last time we talked about the only entrance into the tabernacle being this beautiful linen wall basically and as you look at it say that the address hanging curtain yeah so were moving now into the outer court going inside out.

They were going to focus on the major piece that is out there in the outer court and it still is within an enclosure, but this wraps up into the sky and that is the bronze altar that's out there.

So God's very specific about the instructions about the altar. So were just coming read these separate verses that does that give to God's instructions for the building of the altar and spend the rest of our time, probably talking about the sick, and what business altar right what it means wall street into a 20 so what is it altar exactly will and will in its crudest sentence a killing place. Okay that's literally what the Hebrew word means the place of sacrifice the place of sacrifice as of this is where they bring their burnt offerings right you know live animal to be brought up to it to be killed they be burned on this on this thing were talking about this at this bronchitis and God had told them earlier in the in Exodus. Now when you build an altar to me make it earth or make uncut stones. If you wheeled your tools on it you will profane it right so we have to the altar is according to God's design exactly bullets with the design is okay. Chapter 27 verse one well you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits, and you shall make horns for it on all four corners, its horns shall be one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze just opted to make stuff that goes with it. So were talking about talk about what so far is just kind of loose kebab box yeah and ardent measurements about seven 1/2 feet wide and 7/2 feet wide. You know it's a square on top. It's about.

It's about four and half feet tall so it's about a person tall so this is this a big thing in and on top of it. That's where the sacrifice of exams going take place usually is for said there's something that pokes up yet on each of the corners and were not quite sure what the significance of that is). But God's very specific now that the corners have meaning make the right yeah and there is some really good speculation. I haven't gotten very deep into a but one thing when he says horns yet you don't think horns on account horns, horns, and some speculation was. It was used to tie the animals are being sacrificed you time to horns, but we know in other places.

This is not speculation that the blood from the sacrifices actually sprinkled on the right. That means is symbolically as he could be a number of things, but the other thing is in Old Testament symbology when you talked about the horn of an animal you're talking about, focus, focus power. Yeah, I think I remember being nudged once by cow calf that had little nobody had little nubby horns or maybe the size of my thumb and this Was very affectionate and he came up alongside me and kind and nuzzled my thigh and left a bruise there you're talking about a 500 pound animal that pokes you is something the size of your thumb. That's hard. It really hurts. Well, think about develop sharp porn as well so this is a horn in the Old Testament is always focused power and might, so that's an interesting thought because there is only one altar associated with the altar of burnt offering sacrifice tabernacle. Now there's another altar inside will talk about later tells Billy Constance. This is the all the bronze alternates always referred to as the bronze indicates it could withstand the heat of the Bernstein judgment and there's there's different things that you have to use in administrating this altar that shows up in verse three so you shall make pots for it to receive its ashes shovels and basins and forks and fire pans, and you shall make all of its utensils abroad in this tells us it was a real working yeah what I symbolically stool there was tools and in fact was tools.

I was curious about those will make too big a deal out of it but there was there was a need to ask a shovel ashes out there heads fat drippings in it does had to be dealt with and cleaned out other basins that very likely call blood.

You know when you're up there doing this.

There were forks he safe for so because the meat was resting right well yeah I found out in first Samuel two there's a there's a place where he says it was his three fingered fork that they would go in and whatever meat they could pull out. That's what the priest could eat as their yeah well that was an aberration that was anthrax command.

That was something that was disobedience but that's but that's what these forks are and then there's fire pans ostensibly to carry Kohl's into the other burning place, which is the altar of incense inside so it was all very practical things make this going. All utensils are made.

Bronze laughter was to meet right mix that makes a ton of sense and for this little bit more and you shall also make for integrating a network of bronze and on the net, you shall make for bronze rings at its four corners, and you shall set it under the ledge of the altar, so the net extent. Halfway down the altar. So here we get this thing to it. It looks more like an agreement on top of a barbecue to keep the to keep the sentiments of golf from the call that makes a ton of sense. And then since everything is portable. During this time, Israel verse six and you shall make poles for the altar polls of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.

The pole shall be put through the rings so that the polls are on the two sides of the altar when it's carried. So if the portable thing again and you shall make it hollow with boars. As has been shown you on the mountain so it shall be made so there's a specification for the bronze altar were burned. Sacrifices will take place so it strikes me that what this overlays, then runs like how well that would have meant that it was portable. If it was later led bronze is required more than two guys in a couple of polls to believe in this monstrous, and even those where I explore and then overlaid with 7 ft.² monster. It's a big deal, means the size of a car. Well if you're going to sacrifice an ox, you need a pretty big right that's exactly right.

So this so what goes on here is is an atonement for sin is were talking about and although the writer of Hebrews says that in.

In effect, it really didn't do that kind of room. It's her point as to where the real atonement through Christ comes from but it was atonement for it. If there was no sin in the nation of Israel, they wouldn't need this so interesting that there's there's simply no explanation at this point there's just God just says now to enter my tent you have to pass the altar.

Yeah, you have to come past the sacrifice you as part of the pathway toward the presence of God and right that's telling you something right there symbolically, which is the path into the presence of God. Somewhere in that path you have to deal with the problem of sin. And that's were these this animal sacrifice and we have to do us and you can just bypasses a walk around and try and go in the presence of God somehow in the one path in your going to have to deal with the issue of sin because sin causes death right right and that set me thinking of what takes place at this altar is the sacrifice of animals which requires the bloodletting right you specific means of the blood in most of the daily sacrifices they would cook the meat and then it would be eaten waste, except in the case of the whole burnt offering.

The entire thing is consumed by a set me thinking of Leviticus 1711, where God says, for the life of the flesh is in the blood and I've given it to you on the altar to make atonement for years whole right for us the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement said that's what's happening here and we talk about this once before blood seemed like a kind of icky thing to put on all these images but but that's 1/4 right there to assist Leviticus is that they they knew enough terms of science of the body of animals and people that once you lose all your blood you dying right so that the very tight metaphor was there's life in the blood as long as the buzz of his life in it so right when God wanted to paint a picture of the transferring of blood from one creature to another creature he would do it by the moving of this blood, which is why again when you talk about the death of Christ for towing mapping saved by his blood.

The blood the blood is signed kind of the medium of life itself. So that's what's going on here to atone for your sins. Something has to die because judgment for your sins would mean your death will is it possible that that's the life of another symbolically through that blood can be given on my behalf and I can benefit you have book of life.

That's what the whole blood imagery is meant to be and they get that totally more than we had a very ancient understanding is clear back to what it know I do. After the flight. He's the first person Scripture recorded this building and altar) on it.

He sacrificed Windows those clean animals that he had been carrying the ark so you know and think back to Genesis. When Abraham takes his son Isaac, the mountain will yeah to sacrifice him on an altar altar right around his blood. There's this ancient understanding that I own life because of my sin break to sin, death and blood in the shedding of that blood is that it is the visible symbol of the transference of life.exactly exactly you're going somewhere specific well it was. I was just thinking about how I was going back to chapter 20 when before Moses had come up on the mountain. They had this covenant and they slaughtered the animals and Moses took the blood and he sprinkled it on the altar and then he took the rest of the blood and he sprinkled on the people some of the heirs the tree and stares at transferring their very visible, so they all done that had some sort of an altar stone altar before Moses went up but here we have God giving specific instructions saying okay codify what were going to make is only can be done this way at this place only at this altar right in the pathway coming into the present right in there yeah and even of the other cases before that you could think of. This is just a particular event here but here were talking about the long-term presence of God in their camp and they were going to have to deal presently constantly with the presence of sin in their lives. Okay.

We haven't gotten there yet, but were going to find out. Reading on that sacrifices were offered on this altar morning and now it was a busy flails morning and night. They were sacrifices, the slaughtering of animals shedding of blood roasting meat and twice as often set twice as many right so right there was constant activity at this altar, and the blood issue they they went through Passover right we talked about Passover and the fact that the the lamb was sacrificed for the family and then you Artie had a lecture blood from that lamb and you and you painted on the doorpost of your house kind of is a is a way to say the wrath of God just doesn't come in here. This is the entry way right yes so that the blood they already know this really visibly so this is this is not a foreign come symbol to them and also they know that lamb on Passover was burnt and and totally totally conceived consumer totally consumed taken in so so this is this is a more formalized way of saying this is going to be a part of your life. From this point on as long as I live in your presence so circle back to the Passover fermented in the painting of the blood on the doorway because it's helpful if we remember what was going to happen in Egypt right when God the Angels and pass through it and slaughter the firstborn. Yeah, right.

And so God's people had to go in to their homes through that bloodsoaked doorway. They went in to write section judgment that was going to fall and the next day they went out whole new life right beginning through the blood next day so they already had that picture. So here it is kind of solidified in the symbology of the tent so they and their kids will all know experientially. We have life today because a lamb gave his life for us. Something said something substitute for us. This is a very old idea is not made up in Jesus death and resurrection. This is something that's a lifelong picture from the nation of Israel, which is because of your sin. Judgment comes upon you, and the wrath of God.

That was the wrath of God in Egypt and Passover as well.

You know, if God you live in your presence and you can live with him.

We get a deal with the issue of sin and you we need to impart life to you symbolically through blood so that you can have life at the cost of another encore such as a gigantic pointer forward to the Lamb of God himself. Jesus, who was sacrificed on our behalf that we might find life through his death and and then Pauline goes on and says not only through his death and his resurrection we find life as well so we chose an interest is not just coincidental connection back to this picture.

Back in the tabernacle. This is God prepping your mind to think you I want to live in your presence. But we have to take care the problem of your sin something is going to have to die so you can get life so that's the context of why Jesus came as the Passover lamb. That's what that's what John the Baptist: no man will Diane take something away the sin of the world were also sins the problem and you could II would daresay I've said this many times and when you look at the life of Israel with first the tabernacle, the light from the tabernacle and the life of the temple itself. When God finds a more permanent home in Jerusalem, you know the life of the life that the temple is dominated by dealing with their with blood in the failings of their sin and and it such an effective nation get so large. By the time Jesus comes around that the temple area actually has built-in plumbing and drain ways for the amount of blood. This created thousands and thousands and thousands of sacrifices that had to be brought Passover would've been that would've taken forever. Every Levite slaughtering and preparing as a sacrifice. Busy place, and blood flowed like you just cannot believe me they speculate about a lot of the plumbing issues the engineering programs with having that many animal sacrifice, but this is the beginning of it. This is God saying I dwelling in your midst, and so we have to have a constant problem solved through the atonement of so I you were talking I was, looking for a passage has been ringing in my head. I know it's in Hebrews 9 or 10 where the writer of Hebrews is talking about those who serve the tabernacle with its old system that we in Christ have an altar that those who serve the tabernacle have no right okay because they are heaters series 13 was 13 I'll find it so that I don't mingle it in the quote below you going there another bit of truth. That's the core rebellion. Do you remember the core rebellion that have numbers. The core rebellion. It was a pretty nasty deal, but but the whole bunch of bad people who challenge the authority of Moses and Aaron were basically swallowed up in the ground.

The writers, but the but they had these sensors know these incense things that these bronze incense things a used and God said, as a reminder to this rebellion how I judge is currently working to take I think is right I were to take these incense sensors. These burners at the core of people used in ministry and were going to melt them all down and turn them into bronze plate and were going up were going to actually clad this tabernacle altar Raymore Braun from right there sensors and I never quite figured exactly what that symbolizing, but he does say in the text.

Their numbers that that overlay would be something that people would see and recognize and it would remind them. So last week that I was on the soul said that bronze in the Scriptures is often associated with judgment yes right so and this is one of the things illustrates that that we know bronze has a very high melting temperature, which is why it works in that in the burnt offerings associated right hand but burning well when God melt something down for the cleansing fire God's judgment is his associate with bronze this shining strong metal heavy metal. But that it would be a visual reminder God judges rightly got you down. Essentially the smelter to find you right that is a picture that comes back in the prophets, here's that message we were looking 13 oh where I have a note another altar well and right where the writer says he's talking that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and yes, forever. So don't be carried away by varied and strange teachings. First, good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods rightly talk about the old law, and then he says through foods through which those who are thus occupied were not benefited in other words, keeping the law didn't do a thing to do for her.

It's simply a picture and here's that verse, I was aiming for, but we haven't altar Christ have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

This is what per document right here right as we have participated in the death and sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Once for all.

So you could say we I start off saying that an altar is a kind of killing place of sorts as a sacrifice place that even from what the writer of Hebrews is saying there is that we as Christians also have a killing place and it's the cross is the cross of the sacrifices made in our behalf, so that's why the right people are saying you know we have a we have another altar we have an altar that those people who serve in that old tabernacle temple date off of data can benefit from our altar in that metaphoric centers across itself. Paul says in Galatians 228 and the life I now live by faith and son of God is with great life has been given up and have received new replacement life from God himself solely so it's a place where there's death and where we benefit from life nor life is given for our benefit. We come up living have been crucified with Christ and and now the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in us and that I got so who gave himself up so here's the sacrifices the transfer of life.

There was another place in Galatians I had. I forgot about that one. But in Galatians 6 he says, and for 14, but you know, far be it for me to boast Excel except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the killing place again the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world death to Wade, the world is dead to me. And I'm dead to the world here and yet I find life in Christ at the cross because he is the sacrifice Lamb so this this imagery from very early in the life of Israel that were getting at the top of the Mount Sinai. This is working its way all the way out in its final end realization in Christ dying on the cross dressing. So as we can wrap back to coming into you. If you enter the outer court in the tabernacle that the fenced yard around the tent where God lives.

First thing in the biggest thing you encounter is that bronze altar.

It would lay simply and intimidating to be seeing things Diane if you're coming to meet with God. There's going to be sacrifice because it has to be a penalty paid for sin in order to come in. But there's another element is deliberately the pathway toward yeah what happens at the altar and that is as the animal sacrifice, the meat is cooked, and then eat eat right side. Paul talks in first Corinthians about being a participant in the altar, don't you know when you eat in the altar of an idol you're participating in our altar. Well, we in taking the symbol of the body and the blood of Christ participating in his altar sacrifice and that's an important distinction is not you were not spectators know we have to participant. Not that we not that we actually accomplish anything. But what we have to say is I want to be part of the heart, I will be part of this all of the sacrifice is Christ in our behalf, but only part of it so you eat that's a way of that's actually a very old kind of pagan ideas, well, anything from anything from pagan gods. If you take it into yourself you taking a piece of right God right so you got itself. Paul and Jesus said now this is my body and blood eat it right right right. They said he wants to eat your flesh is well and that's the point which people left his ministry yet rightly said is freaky, the flesh of the lamb drink his blood, you have no life in you and people at that point to too weird for me this is sex. I had to wear. He turns to the other disciples and says, are you going way to write and Peter says possibly go. You have the words of life.

Sony says drink my blood, which sounds very Dracula like to again reset the blood symbolizes the transferring of life from one to another. So what all he saying literally right there in his with strong this weekend is that the life that I have now I give to you if you'll take it into you, you receive it. All you have to do is receive it.

You can't take any credit for what's going on to your benefit, but you do have to say I'll receive it. Theology right. We know that we are what we eat and ice.

What we what we ingest literally becomes the stuff which produces life well here's a picture life of Christ in yeah you got from the bronze altar. I'm thinking to find a person outside of the corridor near the temple, and I'm looking over I may perhaps see the presence of God in the calm smoking in the light and stuff like that in the courtyard you going to see building. See two things building annual snow so you know, the tabernacle is constructed to all our sins will come back to you but it's kind of it. When you look at the bees, good news, bad good news not as bad as something has to pay for the those two issues a couple to get what you see. Just looking well so I'm Jim and were glad you're with us were going to stay in the courtyard maybe get to the gate of the court. Next time bring to get together next time on Main St., Church of Brigham city is solely responsible for its content. To contact us with your questions or comments. Sometimes