THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD,

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of theLORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of goodcourage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on theLORD." PSA 27:13-14.

The psalmist was not a stranger to the struggles and trials that weexperience in this life. He was not a stranger to the withdrawingof the Lord. In DEU 33:25 we read, "Thy shoes shall be iron andbrass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." This teaches usthat the Lord will prepare us for the thorny path that we willtread. He gives us iron shoes to protect us and shield us againstthe thorns and rocks of the steep places that we must climb. When David longed for God’s presence, he cried out in PSA 39:12,"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thypeace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner,as all my fathers were." David understood that this life is onlyin preparation for a great and never-ending journey. Struggles andtrials can keep us from thinking that the earth is our resting-place. We will find no rest in our flesh. As long as our heartsare set on the things of the flesh, the Lord will undermine them sothey will not take root. Every thorn in the flesh and every storm that passes over our headsare foreordained of the Lord. The psalmist said, "I had fainted,unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD." TheApostle Paul said in 2CO 12:7-8, "And lest I should be exaltedabove measure through the abundance of the revelation, there wasgiven to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffetme, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing Ibesought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." If we experience a great trial, do we beg the Lord to deliver us?Paul continued in Verse 9, "And he said unto me, My grace issufficient for thee." The Lord was teaching him that he would seethe grace of God in the trial, "for my strength is made perfect inweakness." We learn to see our weakness. When we have a sinkingfeeling, like we will collapse, the Holy Spirit lifts Christ beforeour eyes, and we see that we are fellowshipping in the sufferingsof Christ and that He is crucifying the flesh. Verse 9 continues,"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, thatthe power of Christ may rest upon me." The Lord’s purpose insuffering is that the power of Christ may rest upon us. One of the things that makes the way rough is that it is unknown.ISA 42:16 says, "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knewnot; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I willmake darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." If wecould know what the future held, we might endure the trial, for wewould know when we would be delivered, but the unknown is haunting. The troubles of our paths are surely as ordained of the Lord as ourglory at the end. PRO 20:24 says, "Man’s goings are of the LORD;how can a man then understand his own way?" Every trial andstruggle we go through has been ordained of the Lord for thecrucifying of our flesh. JER 10:23 tells us, "O LORD, I know thatthe way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh todirect his steps." All of the places that the Lord leads us arefor the purpose of emptying us of ourselves and making us propercandidates to serve Him. In MAT 11:28 we see the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ toserve Him: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,and I will give you rest." We do not become labored and heavyladen with sin, guilt, and misery until the Lord has brought usthrough the purging process. The Lord uses the trials andstruggles to make us proper candidates for the Lord’s service."Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly inheart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke iseasy, and my burden is light," MAT 11:29-30. David often speaks to the heart of God’s people in the book ofPsalms, but in our text, as is most often the case, he speaks ofhis own personal experience. See the beautiful distinction betweenthe first part of the chapter and the last. David began this Psalmby praising God, and ended by showing the foundation that gave himthe ability to praise the Lord. He said, "I had fainted, unless Ihad believed." He could praise the Lord because he had faith tobelieve that he would see the goodness of God in the land of theliving. He concludes, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, andhe shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." He begins in PSA 27:1 with, "The LORD is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whomshall I be afraid?" As David goes on to praise the Lord for Hisgoodness, he describes what he means by "The LORD is...mysalvation." He said in PSA 27:4, "One thing have I desired of theLORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of theLORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, andto enquire in his temple." Is salvation the mere fact of escapinghell? To David, salvation was the nearness of the Lord. However, David also spoke of a time of trouble. PSA 27:5 says,"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: inthe secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upupon a rock." He needed the solid rock, Christ Jesus, as thefoundation of his hope. David clearly reveals that his pleading ground was based uponundeserved favor. He did not claim any merit. He said in PSA27:7-8, "Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy alsoupon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; myheart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." He pled on thebasis of mercy. In the beginning of the Psalm, David spoke of the canopy of Divinelove over him that made all his oppressors as nothing to him, andyet in our text he referred to such extreme circumstances that hewould have fainted. David said that if there had not been suchgreat support holding him up, he would have fainted. "I hadfainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD inthe land of the living." The Lord leads us through many changing circumstances, bothspiritually and in providence, to wean us from this world and self.JER 48:11 tells us, "Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and hehath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel tovessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his tasteremained in him, and his scent is not changed." We must be emptiedfrom vessel to vessel, from trial to trial. We will be purged fromthis sin and then that sin. When the Lord has convicted us of thepride of our hearts and has truly humbled us, then He will convinceus of the uncleanness of our hearts. Then He will teach us anothersin, and we will go through another struggle to be cleansed fromthat sin. If this does not happen, then we will be like Moab,whose "taste remained in him," whose bitterness of sin was neverremoved. The Lord does not give His people uninterrupted peace in this worldlest they settle into complacency, nor does He leave them without agood hope lest they should faint and despair. That is what is soprecious about our text: "I had fainted, unless I had believed tosee the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." The Lorddelivers us in His time. HEB 12:3 says, "For consider him that endured such contradiction ofsinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in yourminds." Trials and purging come so that we will take our eyes offof ourselves and lift our eyes unto Christ, that we might know whatit is, as the Apostle Paul says, to "live by the faith of JesusChrist." The faith of the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted before oureyes and imputed to us so we may walk by His faith. David was led through great depths of discouragement, trouble,distress, and well nigh despair, yet he never once questioned hisrelationship with God. A good example of this is PSA 86:1-2; "Bowdown thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preservemy soul; for I am holy [one whom He favors]: O thou my God, savethy servant that trusteth in thee." David spoke of a tremendousstruggle, but he never questioned God’s favor to his soul. The Lord empties His people from vessel into vessel, leavingeverything of the flesh (that tends to faint) behind with thedregs, so that their only hope is to encourage themselves in theLord their God. In HEB 11:6 we read, "But without faith it isimpossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believethat he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seekhim." Unless David "believed to see the goodness of the LORD inthe land of the living," he would have fainted. God is a rewarderof those that wait upon Him. "Wait on the LORD: be of goodcourage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on theLORD." If Abraham had not been emptied of self, his heart would havefainted when God commanded him to offer up Isaac, in whom was hishope of salvation. If the Lord had not emptied Abraham from vesselto vessel, emptying him of all flesh and all human reasoning, hewould have fainted. Abraham had been emptied of all human reasoning even before hereceived Isaac, for he could not believe Isaac could be born! GEN17:17 tells us, "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, andsaid in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is anhundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old,bear?" Abraham did not faint when God commanded him to offer up Isaacbecause he believed in the goodness of the Lord, "Accounting thatGod was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence alsohe received him in a figure," HEB 11:19. Abraham could believebecause the Lord had completely stripped him of all humanreasoning. Abraham did not faint when his faith was tried because he had beenestablished in faith through being emptied from vessel to vessel.We read in ROM 4:19-21, "And being not weak in faith, he considerednot his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old,neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at thepromise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, givingglory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised,he was able also to perform." His human reasoning had beenremoved. There was a secret power that kept Jacob from fainting when he hadto let Benjamin go with his brothers. He "believed to see thegoodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Jacob cried outof his anguish, "All these things are against me;" he thought thesethings would bring down his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.Yet within his soul, a secret power sustained him. Although Jacobmay have felt ready to faint, he saw such a remarkable deliverancethat his heart fainted for joy. GEN 45:25-27 says, "And they went up out of Egypt, and came intothe land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying,Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they toldhim all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and whenhe saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit ofJacob their father revived." He saw the goodness of God in thislife, which was the secret power within that sustained him. Think of the trials David had from the time he was anointed by theLord as king to the time the crown was set upon his head.Believing in God brought David through the climax of his trialsjust before he became king. We see in 1-SA 30:6, "And David wasgreatly distressed; for the people [his own six hundred men] spakeof stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved,every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouragedhimself in the LORD his God." He remembered how the Lord haddelivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear as well as thehand of the Philistine. He encouraged himself by believing in thegoodness of God. The Lord most often uses trials and deliverance in providentialleadings to teach His people to trust Him for spiritual things.David said in PSA 27:1-4, "The LORD is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whomshall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though anhost should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though warshould rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thinghave I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I maydwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to beholdthe beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." Hisspiritual blessings were connected with his temporal deliverancebecause they required the exercise of faith. David was tried in spiritual struggles to the point of faintingfrom all human reasoning. PSA 28:1 says, "Unto thee will I cry, OLORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, Ibecome like them that go down into the pit." Notice that David didnot say that he would go down into the pit, but he felt that empty,fainting feeling in himself. When the Lord remained silent, Davidfelt as faint as those who go down into the pit. How different David’s language is from the first verse of thechapter before us. In PSA 27:1, he said, "The LORD is my light andmy salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of mylife; of whom shall I be afraid?" That is the language of one whois established in faith. The circumstances that occasioned this fainting feeling aredescribed in the previous verse: "Deliver me not over unto the willof mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, andsuch as breathe out cruelty," PSA 27:12. He was being tried bycircumstances in providence, which brought him to spiritualstrength, faith, and deliverance. The Lord uses our trials inprovidence to bring us to spiritual victories. The Lord tried Abraham in providence, causing him to be childlessfor 100 years. The Lord promised that he would have a son, butafter 20 years he still did not have a son. The Lord tried hisfaith in providential things, but He also granted him suchtremendous spiritual blessings as a result. The Lord has Hispurpose in providential trials to prepare us for spiritualblessings. David provides a beautiful illustration in our text of thedistinction between faith and unbelief: "I had fainted, unless Ihad believed." We read of the song of Moses in EXO 15. Miriam andher maidens danced and sang of the glory of God: "And in thegreatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that roseup against thee," EXO 15:7. Then they sang about how theCanaanites would melt away. "And Miriam the prophetess, the sisterof Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went outafter her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them,Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horseand his rider hath he thrown into the sea. So Moses brought Israelfrom the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness," EXO15:20-22. All of this was unbelief because they only believed after they saw.That is in contrast to David, who believed before he saw. Hestrengthened himself in the Lord when his own men spoke of stoninghim, while the Israelites forgot how the Lord had spared them atthe Red Sea. In the climax of his trial, David believed that theLord would deliver him, which is why he did not faint. Thechildren of Israel fainted when they came to the land of Canaanbecause they would not believe. When they came to the waters ofMarah, just three days after they had sang that beautiful song ofMoses, they could not "believe to see the goodness of the LORD inthe land of the living," because they did not have faith. Theyforgot the deliverances of the Lord, and they would not believeuntil they saw. Although God’s people may feel as though they will sink and neverrise again, there is that inward consolation of DEU 33:27; "Theeternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlastingarms." Sometimes we feel that sinking feeling in our hearts as ifwe are going to collapse. We may feel that we will never see thegoodness of the Lord in the land of the living, but David said,"Unless I had believed to see." David’s faith in the everlastingarms not only allowed him to rest, but he taught Christ’s church towait upon the Lord lest they should faint in their minds. "Wait onthe LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:wait, I say, on the LORD." When do we wait and where do we wait? We wait when all humanreasoning tells us the situation is impossible. When Abraham fellon his face and laughed, when the world mocks us that it cannot be,unless we have faith to believe what the Lord has promised He isable to perform, then we would faint in our minds. David said, "Beof good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say,on the LORD." David said, "I had fainted, unless." This expression unless isused by David in PSA 94:17-19; "Unless the LORD had been my help,my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My footslippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of mythoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Unless the Lordsustains us and gives us that indwelling faith, we will fall. There is such a distinction between true faith and what some peoplecall faith. Some people will tell you that faith is something youdo, but David speaks of the indwelling, internal strength of theHoly Spirit. It is not what I do or what I believe, but "Unlessthe LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence."Is not this word unless the secret strength of a child of God?There is a secret, divine power, which preserves us from despair ormaking shipwreck of our faith. This faith is a gift from God. What was a help to David at just such a time of fainting? "I hadfainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD inthe land of the living." Faith is believing that God "is arewarder of them that diligently seek him." David believed thatGod was a rewarder. He believed that he would see the goodness ofGod. David did not say that he would have fainted if the Lord hadnot helped him out. That would have been unbelief. He had faithbefore he was delivered. The Israelites walked by sight; theycould only believe after they saw. David could believe that theLord was "a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," even whilehe was in a fainting condition. Even when he was at Ziklag and hadwept until he could weep no more, he encouraged himself in theLord. This is the distinction between faith and unbelief. David’s faith rested upon the Rock. He not only looked to the Lordfor deliverance from his temporal trials, but he could not livewithout the Lord’s presence. That is the key to salvation. Whenwe have had the favor of the Lord to see His goodness in the landof the living, then we, like David, learn to love the Lord. Hesaid in PSA 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that willI seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all thedays of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquirein his temple." The goodness of God can only be comprehended in proportion to ourrealization of our unworthiness. David said in Verse 7 of ourchapter, "Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy alsoupon me, and answer me." David did not plead on the basis of anymerit, nor any foundation but mercy. Very often, when we seem to be in a fainting condition, the HolySpirit will send deliverance by lifting the Lord Jesus Christ upbefore our eyes of faith. Right in the midst of the most grievoustrial, the Lord gives us a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ and wesee that we are only walking in the footsteps of our Saviour. Weread in HEB 12:3, "For consider him that endured such contradictionof sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in yourminds." When it seems as if our enemies will prevail over us, theLord comes with this Scripture to "consider him." True faith iswhen the Holy Spirit sets before our eyes how the Lord Jesus Christwas in that same place. In the midst of such circumstances, Christis made precious to the soul. When we see that we arefellowshipping in His sufferings, all of these things strengthenus. The circumstances do not necessarily change, but the fainting istaken away. Our hearts can be totally transformed from a faintingfeeling into a state of rejoicing when our eyes are opened to seethat we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus, even though ourcircumstances have not altered. Even though the trial is notremoved, we can rejoice and exalt the Lord because Christ is liftedup. The Lord uses these struggles so that we will learn to "know Christand him crucified." He was crucified not only upon the cross, butalso in every step of His life by denying Himself. To walk in thefootsteps of Christ is to take up our cross and follow Him,crucifying everything of flesh and self. This is what happened to Moses after Israel had sinned sogrievously in making a golden calf. EXO 33:18-19 tells us, "And hesaid, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will makeall my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name ofthe LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will begracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." Thecircumstances never changed; Moses was still in the wilderness withthe same rebellious house of Israel, but "the LORD said, Behold,there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And itshall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put theein a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while Ipass by," EXO 33:21-22. Moses was blessed through this struggle with the rebellious houseof Israel. God had told Moses that He would destroy them in amoment and make of Moses a great nation, but Moses replied, "Whatwill the heathen say? For thy great name’s sake, have mercy." SoGod proclaimed that He would be gracious to those very people whoHe might have destroyed because He delights in mercy. God caused all His goodness to pass before Moses. In that we seethe glory of God. During your greatest trials, has the Lord everreminded you how He preserved, spared, and blessed you in yourchildhood? He will cause all of His goodness to pass before you sothat in the present hour you can see His great salvation. In ourstruggles, we can hide in the cleft of the Rock, in the cleft sideof our Saviour, which is why He allows these trials. David said,"I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of theliving." In this lifetime, the Lord shows us how He has blessedus, and we see His goodness and salvation. Oh, beloved, there is no greater blessing to be obtained in thislife than to receive the assurance of our faith that God has put usin the cleft of that blessed Rock, and that we are covered in theshadow of those crucified hands. The Lord shows us by faith thatour names are written on His crucified hands, that we are treadingin the footsteps of our Saviour in the way of the cross. He iscrucifying the things of the flesh and all human reasoning. Heempties us from vessel to vessel, leaving the dregs behind eachtime, which is a type of the work of sanctification. He sanctifiesus by bringing us through the furnace of affliction. The Apostle Paul said in 1TH 4:18, "Wherefore comfort one anotherwith these words." Let us comfort each other with this: "I hadfainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD inthe land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, andhe shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Whenare we to be of good courage? When we are fainting in our flesh,and our own men talk of stoning us, we may encourage ourselves inthe Lord.

Character is Crucial

God expects us to build spiritually mature, godly character in this life, becoming ever more like Him (Matthew 5:48). We build eternal, godly character by remaining faithful to what is right in spite of pulls to the contrary. We resist the temptation to do things we know we shouldn't. We live by faith that God will give us the strength to endure whatever trials we face in this life. But when we compromise we tear down that character. We give in. Every time we give in, we find it that much harder to resist giving in the next time we face temptation.
One of the insidious things about compromise is that it spreads. If we get away with something once, we find it much easier to try it again next time. Compromise grows like a cancer. It comes on slowly, then spreads. Before you know it you can be in a fight for your spiritual life. That is why God says that, if our actions aren't done in faith or according to faith, if they violate our conscience, we are sinning.
We need to be sure that what we do is out of faith and confidence that it is right and acceptable to God—or not do it. We need to be sure our motives are right and our conscience remains clear in everything we do. For this reason it is vital that we properly educate our conscience so that it is in accordance with God's Word, the Bible. It is not within our natural ability to discern right and wrong (Jeremiah 10:23). We are to learn God's ways that define right and wrong for us (Hebrews 5:14).
God wants us to live within the boundaries and standards He has set for us, to change our values, attitudes, thoughts and lives so they are in line with His standards, not our own. The process of conversion can be simply defined as replacing our standards, values and thoughts with God's standards, values and thoughts

The Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread

The PassoverPassover (Leviticus 23:5) is a reminder of how God took the lives of all the firstborn Egyptian males (Exodus 12:7, 26-29) but passed over the Israelites' homes because they had placed the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their doorposts.
The blood of the lamb foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which spares mankind from eternal death. In the New Testament, Christians came to understand that Christ is the true Passover Lamb (compare Exodus 12:21 with 1 Corinthians 5:7). In observing His last Passover with His disciples, Jesus explained that the symbols of bread and wine represent His body and blood, offered by Him for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24).
Our observance of this annual occasion marking Jesus' death (1 Corinthians 11:26) reminds us that eternal life is possible only through Him (John 6:47-54; Acts 4:10-12). His sacrifice is the starting point for salvation and the foundation of the annual feast days that follow.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

In conjunction with the Passover, God instituted the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8). Historically it commemorates the ancient Israelites fleeing Egypt in such haste they did not have time to let their bread rise (Exodus 12:33-34).
God commanded the Israelites to keep this festival by removing leaven (yeast) out of their homes for seven days. The first and last days of this week-long festival were specifically set apart as holy convocations—days devoted to rest and assembly for worship.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus identified leaven as a symbol of sin (Matthew 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1). Thereafter members of the early Church continued to observe this festival by putting leaven out of their homes for the week as a symbol of the clean minds and attitudes God desires of His people (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). After accepting Christ's sacrifice for our sins, we must follow His example in practicing righteousness.

Jesus is the Tabernacle .He is the same yesterday , today and forever more

The Tabernacle consisted of a framework of 48 wooden boards overlaid with gold. These 48 boards stood in 96 sockets of silver. Each of the boards measured 10 cubits (15 feet) in height, 1.5 cubits (27 inches) in width. They were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold - portraying Jesus Christ the perfect God-man. On the outside of the framework, there were five bars of acacia wood overlaid with gold on each side. The boards had golden rings on them. As the bars were inserted into the rings, they would act as bracing that held the entire structure together firmly. "The whole body, being fitted and held together by whatever joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:16).

The Order of the Coverings
Innermost layer - the Curtains of Fine Linen signifying redemption.

Second layer - the Curtains of Goats' Hair signifying sanctification.

Third layer - The Rams' Skin Dyed Red signifying consecration and submission.

Outer layer - the Seal Skin Covering signifying protection.

The Curtains of Fine Linen

The innermost covering over the Sanctuary was made of of fine linen, colored in blue, purple, red and white. Same material and colors as the door to the Outer Court, the Holy Place door, and the veil. It was also embroidered with cherubim just like the veil. They speak of Christ's godliness, His royalty, His sacrifice and righteousness. The covering was placed directly over the Framework and formed the actual Tabernacle. It was made from 10 individual curtains to begin with, each 28 cubits (44 feet) x 4 cubits (6 feet). Five curtains were joined together and so were the other five. These two sets of five curtains were then joined together by 50 golden clasps to make one big covering. The word "atone" literally means "cover". Therefore this covering symbolizes Christ's atonement for the church. The order of these four coverings has its significance...



The Curtains of Goats' Hair

The second layer of covering was made from 11 curtains of woven goats' hair. Each curtain measured 30 cubits (45 feet) x 4 cubits (6 feet). Five curtains were joined together as one set and six curtains as the other set. These two sets were then held together by 50 bronze clasps to form one single covering. This covering covers the entire Framework and overhung the front door. The goat was one of the animals used for sacrifice, primarily on the Day of Atonement, when two goats were taken. One was to be killed as a sin offering and one was to be sent to the wilderness as the "scapegoat". The blood of the slaughtered goat was used to sanctify the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place (Leviticus 16:15-16). This covering therefore signifies sanctification of the church through Christ (Ephesians 5:23-27).

The Rams' Skin Dyed Red

The next layer was made of rams' skins and was expressed as a "covering". These rams' skins were dyed red, this reminds us once more of the cleansing power of blood. In burnt offering the ram was skinned (Leviticus 1:6) and then the rest was burnt. Burnt offering signifies total surrender. It was also used in the consecration of the priests to minister (Leviticus 8:18-25). Therefore this covering speaks of the truth in Ephesians 5:24-27: "Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as 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.

The Outer Covering

The outermost covering was made from either badger or seal skin. No doubt its function was to provide a thick, protective, weatherproof layer over the Tabernacle. From the outside, this covering made the Tabernacle look ordinary and unattractive. This is the same that is true of Christ: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:3). But once inside the Tabernacle (the church, body of Christ), we marveled at His beauty and glory. This protective covering reminds us of Jesus' prayer: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." (John 17:15).

the Tabernacle

The Gate of the Tabernacle
There was only one gate by which people could enter into the tabernacle courtyard. The gate was 30 feet wide. It was located directly in the center of the outer court on the east end. The gate was covered by a curtain or screen made of finely twisted linen in blue, purple and scarlet.
The one and only gate is a representation of Christ as the only way through which one could fellowship with God and worship Him. To do this, one must enter in through the gate to the place where God dwelled. Jesus said in his famous “I am” statements:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) and“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)
He also said:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
The act of entering the gate to the tabernacle was significant to the Israelites. By entering, one could find forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God. The first thing that one saw upon coming through the gate was the brazen altar, which served as a reminder of man’s sinfulness and his need for a blood sacrifice in order to be fellowship with God. One needed to repent and offer sacrifices for their sin. Those who did not repent were not entering this “narrow way.”
The Brazen Altar of the Tabernacle
The brazen altar, bronze altar, or altar of sacrifice was situated right inside the courtyard upon entering the gate to the tabernacle. The Hebrew root for altar means “to slay” or “slaughter.” The Latin word alta means “high.” An altar is a “high place for sacrifice/slaughter.” The altar stood raised on a mound of earth, higher than its surrounding furniture. This is a projection of Christ, our sacrifice, lifted up on the cross, His altar, which stood on a hill called Golgotha.
The altar was made of wood from the acacia tree and overlaid with bronze (usually symbolic of judgment on sin in the Bible), measuring 7.5 feet on all four sides and 4.5 feet deep. Four horns projected from the top four corners and a bronze grating was inside to hold the animal.
The altar was the place for burning animal sacrifices. It showed the Israelites that the first step for sinful man to approach a holy God was to be cleansed by the blood of an innocent creature. For a sin offering, a person had to bring an animal — a male one without blemish or defect from the flock or herd — to the priest at the tabernacle gate.
“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)
By laying his hand upon the head of the offering, the person was identifying with the sacrifice. His sin and guilt was being moved from himself to the animal. The priest would then slaughter the animal, sprinkle its blood in front of the veil of the Holy Place, burn the sacrifice, and pour the rest of it at the bottom of the altar. Blood is a significant agent of atonement (covering for sin; click on link to read more detailed definition) and cleansing in the Old Testament.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” (Leviticus 17:11)“The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)
The Significance of the Tabernacle Sacrifices
Although the blood of the sacrifices covered over the sins of the Israelites, they had to perform the sacrifices year after year, for they were not freed permanently of a guilty conscience. However, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came as the ultimate and last sacrifice for mankind when He offered up His life. As Isaiah prophesied, the Christ would be like a lamb that is led to slaughter and pierced for our transgressions. His blood was sprinkled and poured out at the cross for us. The Bible says much about this:
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:24)“For you know that … you were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:13-14)“We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. …By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. …And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” (Hebrews 10:10, 14, 18)God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Horns were a symbol power and strength in biblical times. When the sacrifice was made, blood was dabbed on the horns of the altar, signifying the power of the blood to atone for sins. In the same way, there is mighty power in the blood of Christ. Jesus is the “horn of our salvation” (Psalm 18:2, Luke 1:69).
The animal sacrifices bore reference to the Passover lambs, which the Israelites slaughtered in like manner to save their firstborns from the last plague of God's judgment on Egypt (Exodus 12:1-13). Similarly, as the Passover lambs were eaten after they were slaughtered, some of the sacrificial lambs also were eaten. Just as the sacrificial lambs were sacrificed and eaten, so Jesus' body was sacrificed and "eaten." It was no coincidence that on the night before the Passover when Jesus was crucified, He “took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’” (Matthew 26:26). Earlier Jesus had taught His disciples:
“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” (John 6:53-56)
Jesus Himself is the Lamb of God as well as the Passover Lamb for those who believe in Him.
The Laver of the Tabernacle
The laver, or basin, was a large bowl filled with water located halfway between the brazen altar and the Holy Place. Although God did not give specific measurements for the Laver, it was to be made entirely of bronze. The priests were to wash their hands and their feet in it before entering the Holy Place.
The laver was located in a convenient place for washing and stood as a reminder that people need cleansing before approaching God. The priests atoned for their sins through a sacrifice at the brazen altar, but they cleansed themselves at the laver before serving in the Holy Place, so that they would be pure and not die before a holy God.
The application for believers today is that we are forgiven through Christ’s work on the cross, but we are washed through His Word. We need to be washed daily in His Word to cleanse ourselves, so that we can serve and minister before Him.
“…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)“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)

The Menorah of the Tabernacle
After washing their hands and feet at the laver, the priests could enter the Holy Place, which was the first room in the tent of the tabernacle. There were three pieces of furniture in the Holy Place: the menorah, the table of showbread and the golden altar of incense.
The menorah, also called the “golden lampstand” or “candlestick,” stood at the left side of the Holy Place. It was hammered out of one piece of pure gold. Like for the laver, there were no specific instructions about the size of the menorah, but the fact that it was fashioned out of one piece of pure gold would have limited its size.
The lampstand had a central branch from which three branches extended from each side, forming a total of seven branches. Seven lamps holding olive oil and wicks stood on top of the branches. Each branch looked like that of an almond tree, containing buds, blossoms and flowers. The priests were instructed to keep the lamps burning continuously.
“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)
The lampstand was the only source of light in the Holy Place, so without it, the priests would have been moping around in the dark. The light shone upon the table of showbread and the altar of incense,enabling the priests to fellowship with God and intercede on behalf of God’s people. Just as the lampstand was placed in God’s dwelling place so that the priests could approach God, Jesus, the “true light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9) came into the world so that man could see God and not live in spiritual darkness anymore. 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)
Jesus is represented by the main branch of the lampstand, and we as believers are represented by the six branches that extend from original branch. Having believed, we are now living as “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) who draw our source of light from Jesus, the true light. Jesus calls us “light of the world” and commands us to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 14, 16). Not only so, but the branches serve as a picture of Jesus’ description of our relationship with him: “I am the vine, you are the branches … apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Two other significant symbols that can be seen from include the fact that it was made of pure gold (not gold plated) and had seven branches. Pure gold is a representation of the deity and perfection of Jesus Christ, and seven is the number of completeness in the Bible. The believer is made complete by the perfection of Christ.

The Table of Showbread of the Tabernacle
The table of showbread was a small table made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It measured 3 feet by 1.5 feet and was 2 feet, 3 inches high. It stood on the right side of the Holy Place across from the lampstand and held 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The priests baked the bread with fine flour and it remained on the table before the Lord for a week; every Sabbath day the priests would remove it and eat it in the Holy Place, then put fresh bread on the table. Only priests could eat the bread, and it could only be eaten in the Holy Place, because it was holy.
“Showbread” also was called “bread of the presence” because it was to be always in the Lord’s presence. The table and the bread were a picture of God’s willingness to fellowship and communion (literally speaking, sharing something in common) with man. It was like an invitation to share a meal, an extension of friendship. Eating together often is an act of fellowship. God was willing for man to enter into His presence to fellowship with Him, and this invitation was always open.
Jesus exemplified this when He ate with tax collectors, prostitutes and the sinners of Jewish society. But this was more than just a gesture of friendship on earth. Jesus came to call sinners to Him, make them right with God, so that they could enjoy everlasting fellowship with God.
“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)
God so desires our fellowship that He was willing to come to earth from heaven as our “bread of life” to give eternal life to all those who would partake in it. At Jesus’ last Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus described Himself as bread again:
“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)
Jesus’ broken body is our only access to fellowship with God. Today, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or communion, to remember this important truth. And today, as in the day of Moses’ tabernacle, God still desires to have fellowship and sit down for a feast with His people.
“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 of the Tabernacle
The golden altar of incense, 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 Holies. This altar was smaller than the brazen altar. It was a square with each side measuring 1.5 feet and was 3 feet high. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. Four horns protruded from the four corners of the altar.
God commanded the priests to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, the same time that the daily burnt offerings were made. The incense was to be left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It was made of an equal part of four precious spices (stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincense) and was considered holy. God commanded the Israelites not to use the same formula outside the tabernacle to make perfume for their own consumption; otherwise, they were to be cut off from their people (Exodus 30:34-38).
The incense was a symbol of the prayers and intercession of the people going up to God as a sweet fragrance. God wanted His dwelling to be a place where people could approach Him and pray to Him.
“…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
The picture of prayers wafting up to heaven like incense is captured in David’s psalm and also in John’s vision in Revelations:
“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 golden altar, furthermore, is a representation of Christ, who is our intercessor before God the Father. During His days on earth, Jesus prayed for the believers. He was like the high priest of the tabernacle, who bore the names of each of the Israelite tribes on his breastplate before God. Just before He was betrayed and sentenced to death, Jesus interceded for His disciples and all believers, asking God to guard them from evil and sanctify them by His Word, and that they may see God’s glory and be a witness to the world (John 17:1-26). Today, Jesus still is our high priest at the Father’s side, interceding for God’s people:
“Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
Since we have been forgiven of our sins through the blood of Christ, we also come boldly in prayer in Jesus’ name. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are praying based on the work He has done and not on our own merit. It is in His powerful name that we are saved and baptized, and in His name we live, speak and act.
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
The horns of the golden altar were sprinkled with blood from the animal sacrifice to cleanse and purify it from the sins of the Israelites (Leviticus 4:7, 16:18). Just as the horns on the brazen altar represent the power of Christ’s blood to forgive sins, the horns on golden altar signify the power of His blood in prayer as we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:15-16)
The Holy of Holies and the Veil
Within the Holy Place of the tabernacle, there was an inner room called the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place. Judging from its name, we can see that it was a most sacred room, a place no ordinary person could enter. It was God’s special dwelling place in the midst of His people. During the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, God appeared as a pillar of cloud or fire in and above the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube — its length, width and height were all equal to 15 feet.
A thick curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This curtain, known as the “veil,” was made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. There were figures of cherubim (angels) embroidered onto it. Cherubim, spirits who serve God, were in the presence of God to demonstrate His almighty power and majesty. They also guarded the throne of God. These cherubim were also on the innermost layer of covering of the tent. If one looked upward, they would see the cherubim figures.
The word “veil” in Hebrew means a screen, divider or separator that hides. What was this curtain hiding? Essentially, it was shielding a holy God from sinful man. Whoever entered into the Holy of Holies was entering the very presence of God. In fact, anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies would die. Even the high priest, God’s chosen mediator with His people, could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling once a year, on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement.
The picture of the veil was that of a barrier between man and God, showing man that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He can tolerate no sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The veil was a barrier to make sure that man could not carelessly and irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence. Even as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to make some meticulous preparations: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins.
“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7)
So the presence of God remained shielded from man behind a thick curtain during the history of Israel. However, Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross changed that. When He died, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it. (The Jerusalem temple, a replica of the wilderness tabernacle, had a curtain that was about 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width and four inches thick.) Furthermore, it was torn from top down, meaning this act must have come from above.
As the veil was torn, the Holy of Holies was exposed. God’s presence was now accessible to all. Shocking as this may have been to the priests ministering in the temple that day, it is indeed good news to us as believers, because we know that Jesus’ death has atoned for our sins and made us right before God. The torn veil illustrated Jesus’ body broken for us, opening the way for us to come to God. As Jesus cried out “It is finished!” on the cross, He was indeed proclaiming that God’s redemptive plan was now complete. The age of animal offerings was over. The ultimate offering had been sacrificed.
We can now boldly enter into God’s presence, “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)
The Holy of Holies is a representation of heaven itself, God’s dwelling place, which we have access now through Christ. In Revelations, John’s vision of heaven — the New Jerusalem — also was a perfect square, just as the Holy of Holies was (Revelation 21:16).
“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. …But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:24-26)

The Ark of the Covenant and Atonement Cover
Within the Holy of Holies, shielded from the eye of the common man, was one piece of furniture comprising two parts: the Ark of the Covenant and the atonement cover (or “mercy seat”) on top of it. The ark was a chest made of acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold inside and out. It was 3 feet, 9 inches long and 2 feet, 3 inches wide and high. God commanded Moses to put in the ark three items: a golden pot of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. We will discuss these three objects in further detail below.
The atonement cover was the lid for the ark. On top of it stood two cherubim (angels) at the two ends, facing each other. The cherubim, symbols of God’s divine presence and power, were facing downward toward the ark with outstretched wings that covered the atonement cover. The whole structure was beaten out of one piece of pure gold. The atonement cover was God’s dwelling place in the tabernacle. It was His throne, flanked by angels. God said to Moses:
“There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:22)“Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.” (Leviticus 16:2)
Other Scriptures also speak of God’s throne:
“…the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.” (2 Samuel 6:2)“O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.” (Isaiah 37:16)
Above the ark and the atonement cover, God appeared in His glory in “unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16). This light is sometimes referred to as the Shekinah glory. The word Shekinah, although it does not appear in our English bibles, has the same roots as the word for tabernacle in Hebrew and refers to the presence of the Lord.
Because the ark was God’s throne among His people, it was a symbol of His presence and power with them wherever it went. There are quite a number of miracles recorded in the Old Testament surrounding the ark: With the presence of the ark, the waters of the River Jordan divided so the Israelites could cross on dry land, and the walls of Jericho fell so that the Israelites could capture it (Joshua 3:14-17, 6:6-21). Yet the ark could not be treated with irreverence because it was also a symbol of God’s judgment and wrath. When the Israelites fought their enemies the Philistines during the time of the prophet Samuel, they disregarded the commands of the Lord and took the ark out to the battlefield with them, “summoning” God’s presence. God caused the Philistines to win the battle and “the glory departed from Israel, for the ark of the Lord was taken” (1 Samuel 4:22). However, God showed His power to the Philistines when He caused their idol, Dagon, to fall to the ground when the ark was placed next to it, and several Philistine cities were plagued heavily when the ark was in their midst (1 Samuel 5). Ultimately, the ark was returned to Israel.
Articles in the Ark of the Covenant
What may seem strange to us today is that, hidden in the special golden box representing God’s presence were not treasures and precious gems, but three unlikely items: a jar of bread, a stick and two stones. What were these curious keepsakes and why did God want them in His ark?
The three articles represented some of the most embarrassing and disgraceful events in the history of the Israelites.
First, the pot of manna:
“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)
God had provided this bread-like food for the Israelites when they grumbled during the wanderings in the desert. It was bread from heaven! He continued to provide the food daily and faithfully, but the people were not one bit thankful. They complained and wanted something else. The pot of manna was an uncomfortable reminder that despite what God had provided for them, the Israelites had rejected God’s provision.
Second, Aaron’s staff that had budded: The people, out of jealousy, rebelled against Aaron as their high priest. To resolve the dispute, God commanded the people to take 12 sticks written with the names of the leader of each tribe and place them before the ark overnight. The next day, Aaron’s rod from the house of Levi had budded with blossoms and almonds. God confirmed his choice of Aaron’s household as the priestly line.
“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 staff reminded the Israelites that on more than one occasion, they had rejected God’s authority.
Third, the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments: God had chosen the Israelites as His special people. For the Israelites to qualify for that distinction, God had demanded one thing. They must obey His Law, the Ten Commandments. This was a conditional agreement:
“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)
The Israelites had said heartily, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do,” in response to God’s covenant (Exodus 19:8). But how did they fare in fulfilling their end of the contract? Miserably. It was impossible for them to keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. Over and over again, they violated God’s holy Law, and God made it clear to them the consequences of their sin by sending plagues, natural hazards and foreign armies upon them. The stone tablets in the ark were a reminder that the Israelites had rejected God’s right standard of living.
These three articles were preserved in the ark throughout Israel’s history as an unpleasant symbol of man’s sins and shortcomings, a reminder of how they rejected God’s provision, authority and right standard of living. It pointed to man as a helpless sinner.
It may have been uncomfortable to think that God’s splendor was so close to the three articles associated with man’s sinfulness. But this is where God’s provision comes in. When God looked down from His presence above the ark, He did not see the reminders of sin. They were covered by a necessary object — the atonement cover.
The Atonement Cover
Every year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. Bringing burning incense to shield his eyes from a direct view of God’s glory, he sprinkled blood from a bull onto the atonement cover for his and his household’s sins, then sprinkled blood from a goat for all the sins of Israel. God promised that when He saw the blood, it would cover over man’s sin. (To atone for means to cover over — hence the name atonement cover.) God did not see the sin anymore but the provision instead, and it appeased His wrath.
The Israelites found acceptance with God by believing His word to be true — that when their sins were covered by blood, God temporarily overlooked their sins as it they had been obliterated. But Jesus Christ has become our permanent atonement cover. Through Jesus’ blood, our sins have been covered over. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, but the provision: His own Son. Jesus lay down His life for us as an innocent sacrifice so that God would look on us and see His perfection.
The atonement cover was God’s throne in the midst of the Israelites. God is on His throne today in heaven and Jesus, our high priest, is at His right side. When we come to God now, we approach a throne of grace.
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Articles in the Ark — Revisited
The three items in the ark that served as a sore reminder of man’s shortcomings have taken on a different meaning since Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sins. Let’s review the three articles and see how they point to Christ.
First, the pot of manna: When Jesus came and walked on earth, he didn’t reject God’s provision. Rather, He became God’s provision to us. Manna, the bread from heaven, in itself did not impart life. But Jesus told us that He is the true bread from heaven.
“Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. I am the bread of life. 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 6:32, 48-50)
Second, Aaron’s budding staff: Jesus didn’t reject God’s authority. Instead, He submitted Himself to the Father’s will and died on the cross.
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)
But He came back to life like Aaron’s budding rod, “the firstfruits from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:15-26)
Third, the Ten Commandments: Jesus didn’t reject God’s right standard of living. He lived a sinless life and obeyed God’s law perfectly, becoming our perfect sacrifice and intercessor. His sacrifice instituted a new covenant that was not based on the Law.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:20-22)

GOD'S HERITAGE IN HUMANITY

The Lord's portion is His people."-- Deu_32:9.
"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."-- Eph_1:4.

WE DO not become God's property when we consecrate ourselves to Him, but only awake to see that we are already His, and assume that manner of life which they should live who are not their own, but have been bought with a price (1Co_6:19-20). The three symbols of God's care of His own, as enumerated by Moses in his Song, are exquisitely beautiful.
"He kept him as the apple of his eye" (Deu_32:10). Almost instinctively we raise our hand to protect the eyes if anything threatens us, and it is thus with God's care to us. How carefully the eye is preserved from impurity and evil by the strong bony socket in which it is set, by the eyebrows and lashes which catch the dust and grit, by the eyelid closing over, and the tear-water washing it. Thus the soul which God loves may pass through the evil of the world without taint or soil, because of His gracious keeping power.
"As an eagle" (Deu_32:11). When the young eaglets are able to fly, but hover about their nest, unwilling to venture from the cliff, the mother-bird breaks up their aerie home, drives the fledglings forth on to the air, compels them to use their wings, flutters beneath to catch them if they are inclined to fall, and bears them up on her strong wings until they can fly alone. So it is in life that sometimes God has to break up the happy conditions to which we have been accustomed from our birth, and drive us forth. But it is for our good since only so can we acquire the glorious powers of sustained flight on the wings of the wind.
Divine leading (Deu_32:12). God teaches us to go as a mother her little child; His hand leads and guides our tottering steps (Hos_11:3-4).
The Epistle to the Ephesians gives us a list of the blessings, like a string of pearls, which God our Father, the Owner and Lover of our souls, heaps upon us, and is waiting for us to appropriate and use (Deu_1:3). His love to us is no passing fancy, but the carrying out of an eternal purpose. He redeems us from the love and power of sin; He abounds towards us with the riches of His grace; we are kept and sealed by the Holy Spirit; and ultimately shall be presented before Him, without blemish, to the praise of His glory.

Great is the maker our Lord , And great is his making

The greatness of single picture always captures both the observer and the admirer, how greatly has the maker made these things. How can man in all the world capture the richness of his creation in ones hand

Yet we at time boast of the things we have. God has made us in all his glory that we may give glory to the maker; how owns all making, not to boast on something we do not have permanent ownership in his world. God says that we should have treasures in heaven and not on earth, God says were you heart is there you will be so will be you treasure. Let us offer ourselves to the maker that he may make are treasures in heaven.