RETURN TO SYLLABUS
A STUDY OF THE TABERNACLE
LESSON #15
THE FURNITURE (THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST)

MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 18:2

• THE BRAZEN ALTAR OR ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING EXO 27:1-8 ; 38:1-7
• THIS WAS THE VERY LARGE BRONZE ALTAR IN THE OUTSIDE COURTYARD WHERE THE PRIESTS SACRIFICED ANIMALS TO GOD ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE. IT WAS MADE OF WOOD COVERED WITH BRONZE.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE:
• WOOD = HUMANITY
• THE BRAZEN ALTAR IS A TYPE OF THE CROSS GAL 3:13
• GEN 22:6 ANOTHER EXAMPLE
• BRONZE/BRASS = SUFFERING/TESTING/JUDGMENT
• THE JUDGMENT OF SIN OCURRED AT THE CROSS (2CO 5:21)
• NUM 21:9 MOSES MADE A SERPENT OF BRASS.
• JOH 3:14-15 SAYS THIS WAS A TYPE OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS
• THE FIRE IN THE MIDST OF THE ALTAR WAS AT ITS HOTTEST. HERE THE PRIEST COULD NOT SEE THE SACRIFICE BEING CONSUMED (MAT 27:45-46)
• SO THAT MAN COULD NOT LOOK UPON JESUS IN THE DEPTHS OF HIS AGONY ON THE CROSS, GOD MADE IT DARK IN THE DAYTIME.
• THE CONSTRUCTION DETAILS:
• 3 CUBITS HIGH = THIS INDICATES THE PARTICIPATION OF THE TRINITY AT THE CROSS.
• 4 HORNS = FOUR IS THE NUMBER OF THE 4 CORNERS OF THE WORLD, (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST), THEREFORE, THE CROSS HAS WORLDWIDE SIGNIFICANCE AND IS FOR EVERYONE ON EARTH.
• IF A PERSON WAS GUILTY OF A CRIME IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, HE RAN TO THE TABERNACLE OR TEMPLE AND CAUGHT HOLD OF THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR IN REPENTANCE AND WAS THUS GUARANTEED A FAIR TRIAL. (IKI 1:50-53)
• WE, TOO ARE GUARANTEED REFUGE, BUT ONLY IF WE COME IN REPENTANCE.
• THE HORNS SIGNIFY STRENGTH, STABILITY, AND AUTHORITY.
• JESUS IS CALLED THE HORN OF SALVATION LUK 1:69 PSA 18:2
• THERE WERE 2 CARRYING STAVES OR POLES = JESUS AS RECONCILER AND SAVIOR. (COL 1:20)
• IT IS THROUGH THE CROSS THAT JESUS RECONCILES GOD TO MAN AND MAN TO GOD.
• THE UNIQUE STORY OF THE BRASS OUTER WALLS:
• ORIGINALLY THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR WERE TO BE MADE SMOOTH AND POLISHED UNTIL THE REBELLION OF KORAH AND HIS FOLLOWERS
• READ NUM 4:4-5,15 NUM 16:1-7,18-21,26-27, 31-33, 35-40
• THE SIGNIFICANCE:
• ORIGINALLY WHEN MAN CAME TO THE ALTAR HE WOULD SEE HIMSELF IN THE REFLECTION.
• HOWEVER, WHEN THE SURFACE WAS MADE HAMMERED BECAUSE OF SIN, MAN COULD NO LONGER SEE HIS REFLECTION IN THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR. THE SINS OF A VERY HUMAN PRIEST (KORAH) PREVENT MAN FROM GETTING A CLEAR PICTURE OF HIS OWN SINS.
• THIS IS A REMINDER THAT SPIRITUAL PRIDE AND THE SEEKING OF AN OFFICE GOD HAS NOT GIVEN IS DEALT WITH SEVERELY.

• THE BRAZEN LAVEREXO 30:17-21 ; 38:8
• THIS WAS A VERY LARGE BASIN OF WATER LOCATED IN THE OUTER COURTYARD BETWEEN THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING AND THE TABERNACLE BUILDING.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE:
• BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION, IT HAS A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE = AFTER A PERSON RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS HEART BY IDENTIFYING HIMSELF WITH CHRIST’S SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS, THE BELIEVER’S SINS ARE FORGIVEN. HOWEVER, AFTER BEING SAVED, THE BELIEVER STILL PERIODICALLY COMMITS SIN. THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION, BEING MADE HOLY IS A GRADUAL PROCESS.
• HOW DOES THAT OCCUR? READ JOH 13:8-10 EPH 5:26
• THE PRIESTS WASHED CEREMONIALLY EVERY DAY HERE AT THE BRAZEN LAVER = THE BELIEVER IS TO READ THE WORD DAILY BECAUSE IT WASHES US. (JOH 17:17 EXO 30:19-21)
• WE NEED CLEANSING FROM THE PLACES WE GO AND THE THINGS WE DO.
• REMEMBER WHEN JESUS WASHED THE DISCIPLES’ FEET AND PETER SAID HE WAS NOT WORTHY TO HAVE JESUS WASH HIS FEET. READ JOH 13:5-10
• JESUS MADE A BIG POINT THAT PETER WAS ALREADY CLEAN BECAUSE HE WAS A BELIEVER, BUT HE STILL NEED PERIODICAL CLEANSING BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATION WITH THIS WORLD SYSTEM.
• THIS LAVER WAS MADE OF HIGHLY POLISHED BRASS EXO 38:8
• BRASS = JUDGMENT. BELIEVERS ARE TO JUDGE THEIR OWN LIVES IN LINE WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
• WHEN MAN LOOKS AT HIGHLY POLISHED BRASS, HE WILL SEE HIMSELF AS HE REALLY IS.
• THERE WERE NO DIMENSIONS GIVEN TO MOSES FOR THIS LAVER. WHY?
• IT SIGNIFIES THE IMMEASURABLE FULLNESS OF GOD ABLE TO REVEAL EVERY AREA OF EVERY LIFE, AND THE DEPTH OF EVERY MAN’S SIN.
• THE WATER WAS SPRING WATER FROM THE SMITTEN ROCK.
• READ EXO 17:6 AND 1CO 10:4

• THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD EXO 25:23-30 ; 37:10-16 LEV 24:5-9
• THIS WAS A TABLE ON WHICH THE PRIEST PLACED 12 LOAVES OF BREAD.
• THE LOCATION:
• THIS TABLE WAS IN THE HOLY PLACE WHERE ONLY THE PRIESTS COULD ENTER BAREFOOT. IT WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTH WALL.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABLE:
• WOOD = HUMANITY
• COVERED WITH PURE GOLD = CHRIST’S DEITY IN ULTIMATE PERFECTION
• THIS IS THE FIRST TIME PURE GOLD IS USED FOR ANY PIECE OF FURNITURE.
• THERE WERE 2 BORDERS OF PURE GOLD AROUND THE TOP OF THE TABLE.
• THE LOWER BORDER KEPT THE SHEWBREAD FROM FALLING OFF= JESUS KEEPS US FROM FALLING AWAY. (JOH 10:28)
• THE UPPER BORDER WAS A CROWN = JESUS IS CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR BY THE FATHER AFTER HIS COMPLETED WORK. (HEB 2:9)
• THERE WERE 2 CARRYING STAVES OR POLES = THEY REPRESENT JESUS AS OUR SHEPHERD AND OVERSEER 1PE 2:25
• THE 4 GOLDEN RINGS FOR THE 2 POLES = THEY REPRESENT A PICTURE OF HIS PERFECT LOVE FOR ALL THE WORLD’S HUMANITY.
• TABLE CHARACTERISTICS:
• THE HEIGHT OF THE TABLE WAS LOW SO THE PRIEST HAD TO HUMBLE HIMSELF AS HE MINISTERED HERE.
• WE, TOO, MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES AT THE FEET OF JESUS CHRIST.
• THE SHEWBREAD LEV 24:5-9
• THE CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNIFICANCE:
• THE LOAVES OF BREAD WERE MADE OF FINE FLOUR = FINE WHITE FLOUR IS A PICTURE OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
• THE KERNEL OF GRAIN MUST BE BEATEN, THEN GROUND, AND THEN ENDURE THE HEAT OF THE OVEN = THESE ACTIONS REPRESENT CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS BEFORE AND DURING CRUCIFIXION. (JOH 12:24)
• THEY USED 12 LOAVES IN 2 STACKS = 12 IS THE NUMBER REPRESENTING OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT PEOPLE OF GOD.
• THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL AND THE 12 DISCIPLES.
• THE LOAVES ARE BEFORE GOD AS A MEMORIAL JUST AS WE ARE. READ 2CO 2:15
• THE LOAVES ARE SET IN ORDER JUST AS WE ARE TO BE IN ORDER IN THE CHURCH.
• THE INCENSE ON THE TOP OF THE LOAVES WAS BURNED, BUT NOT THE LOAVES = CHRIST IS THE PLEASANT FRAGRANT AROMA TO GOD ON OUR BEHALF.
• THE LOAVES LAY FOR 7 DAYS BEFORE GOD, THEN IT WAS REPLACED EVERY SABBATH WITH NEWLY BAKED LOAVES.
• THE OLD BREAD SERVED AS FOOD FOR THE PRIESTS IN THE COURTYARD NEXT TO THE BRAZEN ALTAR. (LEV 10:12-13)

• WE AS NEW TESTAMENT PRIESTS ARE TO FEED UPON CHRIST READ JOH 6:51

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WASHING BY THE WORD OF GOD AT THE LAVER AND THE FEEDING ON THE WORD AT THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD?
• THE FIRST (THE LAVER) CLEANSES OF PERIODIC SIN IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER.
• THE SECOND (THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD) NOURISHES THE GROWTH OF THE BELIEVER.

• EXO 25:31-40
• EXO 30:1-10
• LEV 24:1-4
• PSA 141:2
• REV 21:23
• EXO 30:34
• 2CO 4:6
• LEV 10:1-10
• ISA 11:2
• REV 1:12-13
• EXO 27:20-21
• LEV 24:1-4
• EPH 5:8
• DAN 5:1-5,23-28
• 2TIM 2:19-22

• MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 8:12