Under New Management
In her book Maya Mysteries, Wendy Zoba seeks to understand the bloodiness of the ancient Mayan system of sacrifice. History and archaeology show that the Maya practiced elaborate rituals of atonement, centered around child sacrifice. As Zoba explains it: “The Maya understood the need for blood. They have shown us there isn’t enough human blood in all the world to satisfy the gods and tell us the power of the sacrifice cannot be found in the blood of humans sacrificed by human hands. When warfare increased toward the end of the dynasty, and the Maya took captives, did they send them to the fields to work? No. They sacrificed them hoping that more blood would bring atonement. What did all that blood avail the ancient Maya? The answer is nothing. The Maya thought that offering human sacrifices would bring them closer to God. But the gods were not appeased, even when the bloodletting intensified. Zoba concludes, “The gods were not satisfied,” and thus the Maya did not receive forgiveness for their sins.
To us the ancient Mayan rituals seem primitive and barbaric. Yet many people feel the same way about the sacrifices of the Old Testament, and even about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Why does the Bible have so much to say about blood—specifically blood sacrifice? What do bloody sacrifices have to do with daily life in a postmodern world? The answer is found in Hebrews 9:22 which says, “In fact, the law requires nearly everything to be cleansed with blood, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” This is always a universal principle of divine justice for all people in all places. The human race has fallen into sin. We have turned against God in rebellion, refusing to obey him and choosing instead to go our own way. As a result, we deserve to die. This is what God’s justice demands. We have sinned against his infinite majesty, and nothing less than life itself can pay the debt that we owe. Blood is the price for sin. It is the only thing that can make us right with God. Although the Maya were wrong about many things, deep down they knew that the only way they could approach their gods was based on blood. That brings us to our big idea that God demands His people approach Him through the blood and cleansed by a bath.
Let’s pray:
This morning, we have two points, the first point is, Approach. We will be covering the material in Exodus 38 but won’t be reading the entire text because we have already covered it in Exodus 27 and 30. This first point covers verses 1-20. The construction phase of the entire tabernacle complex is underway. Two weeks ago, we saw the tabernacle, the Tent, where God would dwell among His people, being built. We saw the making of the four curtains that constituted the ceiling of the tabernacle and what they were made from. We also saw the making of the two vertical curtains that would be inside the tabernacle, one at the entrance and the other, the veil, which would separate the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant would sit. And we saw what they were made from. We studied the significance of the cherubim that were embroidered on the first ceiling tent and the veil, which the priest would see as they performed their duties in the tabernacle. We also saw the precious metals, the gold, silver and bronze, that were used to construct the tabernacle and the significance of them. Finally, we learned that the tabernacle foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, who would come to tabernacle among His creation.
Then last week we saw the making of the four items of furniture that were in the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place and the significance and meaning of each one. We learned that each item also foreshadowed Jesus Christ. The Ark of the Covenant that sat in the Holy of Holies foreshadowed His redemption for us on the cross. The Table of Showbread taught us that Jesus is our provider and the Bread of Life. The Lampstand taught us that Jesus is the Light of the World and gives life. And the Altar of Incense taught us that He intercedes for us before God. The entire tabernacle complex was God’s way of letting His people know that a sacrificial system was needed for the forgiveness of their sins, but it was only a temporary system. The sacrificial system foreshadowed His son, Jesus, coming into the world, dying on a cross, being raised from the dead and saving us from our sins.
This morning, we moved outside the tent into the courtyard. The courtyard was the boundary marking the Tabernacle area where God would dwell with His people. The first item of furniture that an Israelite would have come to in the courtyard as they approached God was the Altar of Burnt Offering. This altar was 7.5 feet square and 4.5 feet tall. It was made from acacia wood and overlaid with bronze. It had four horns, one at each corner, made from the same piece of bronze as the altar itself. And there was a bronze grating under its ledge halfway up the altar giving it the appearance of a giant BBQ grill complete with utensils: pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans, that were all made from bronze. It was also to be portable so four rings were fashioned one on each corner and poles were made for it from acacia wood overlaid with bronze. The Altar of Burnt Offering was completely covered with bronze which signified being a distance away from God’s presence or the Ark. Bronze symbolized the judgment of God.
One of the jobs of the priest was to keep the fire in the altar always burning since it would have constantly been in use. Leviticus 6:12-13 says, “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.”
The Israelites presented many different sacrifices such as the whole burnt offerings that were presented every morning and evening for their atonement. Fellowship offerings presented as a celebration of being in covenant friendship with God. Sin offerings presented for purification and atonement for specific sins. Guilt offerings presented for inadvertent offenses against holiness. And then one day a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest presented sacrifices for his sins and the sins of the people.
These offerings began with the worshipper putting their hand on the perfect and unblemished animal’s head symbolic of the innocent animal taking on the guilt and sin of the worshipper. The worshipper deserved to die because of their sin but by placing their hands on the animal’s head it was sacrificed as their substitute. Ryken says, “The worshiper was saying in effect, “This is my sacrifice. Let it be offered in my place, Lord, and may you accept its death as the wages of my sin.” This altar was where God provided substitutionary atonement through the shedding of blood. It would have been a place of bloody sacrifice because blood was the requirement for anyone who wanted to approach God (Big Idea). As soon as the worshipper entered the courtyard they would be confronted by this altar and be reminded that they were sinners and deserved to die but that God was a gracious God and had provided a way for them to be reconciled to Himself. As they came to the Tabernacle, again, to make atonement for their sins, they were being taught that the only way to God was through the blood of a sacrifice. But God was also teaching the Israelites that bringing sacrifices to the altar was temporary. This is seen in that the blood of animals could not take away their guilt and sin but could only cover it. God wanted them to believe in and be saved in the one to come, the Messiah, the spotless lamb, who would take away the sin of the world.
God demands the same for us today. As sinners we deserve death and our debt needs to be paid in blood too, but God through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the cross, paid the debt himself. The bronze altar symbolizes Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross for our sins and that those who put their faith in the shed blood of Jesus are justified before God. Romans 3:23-25a says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” Wendy Zoba identifies the Maya’s tragic mistake: “They did not know ‘the power of the blood of God spilled by God himself.’” The only way we can be justified, and approach God is by the blood of Jesus. If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior. If you have never been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, you can be today. That brings us to our first next step which is to Admit that I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried and rose again, and confess Jesus as Lord of my life. If you marked that next step or want to talk more about taking that step, please put your name on the front of your communication card.
The second item of furniture in the courtyard was the bronze laver. We are not told anything about its size and only thing we know is that it was made of bronze. It consisted of a stand and a basin which held water for washing. Aaron and the priests were to wash their hands and feet before they presented sacrifices on the Altar of Burnt Offering and before they entered the tent of meeting to perform their duties before the Lord. As the priests performed their bloody service to God they needed to constantly be washed by the water from the bronze laver. It was of dire importance that the priests wash before performing these duties or they would be killed. This symbolized God’s grace in washing away their daily sin. Again, like everything else in the tabernacle, the bronze laver foreshadowed Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Levy says, “The laver speaks of Christ as our sanctification.”
As a kingdom of priests, the bronze laver reminds us we have been sanctified to serve Jesus. And to serve him in true holiness we need to be constantly cleansed from the daily sins we continue to commit. This happens as Jesus, guiding us by His Holy Spirit to become more like Him, “washes us with water by the word.” The "washing of water by the word" describes the cleansing power of Scripture, which sanctifies and purifies believers' souls and thoughts. The Altar of Burnt Offering and the Bronze Laver both symbolize our journey of salvation. First, we, as sinners, need to be justified by Jesus’ atoning blood once for all on the cross and second, we, as sinners, need to be sanctified by the pure water, that is the Word and obedience to it, that makes us holy before God by washing away the corruption of our daily sin.
Then we learn something new in Exodus 38:8 about the bronze laver which says, “They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” The Bible doesn’t tell us very much about this but taken at face value, we learn that there were women who were organized into service to the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. They may have been doorkeepers, greeters, singers, or musicians. They may have been involved in prayer and fasting or helping in some practical way with the preparation of the offerings for sacrifice. However they were serving the Lord, these women were able to use their gifts for the glory of God. We also learn that these women gave their mirrors for the bronze laver to be made. This goes back to the beginning of chapter 36 when the people were bringing their offerings for the construction of the tabernacle. And here this act of giving is singled out by Moses at this particular point in the narrative.
The Egyptians were well-known for making cosmetic objects such as mirrors, mostly in copper or bronze. The mirrors were then put in a handle of wood, stone, ivory or metal which were probably carved with representations of their gods. These mirrors would have been given to the Israelite women by the Egyptian women as they were leaving the morning after the Passover. This was probably the first time that the Israelite women would have possessed something this beautiful and something that could show them how beautiful they were when they looked into it. But when Moses gave the call to bring a freewill offering of various items, these women unselfishly brought these bronze mirrors, willing to make the sacrifice. These women who gave their mirrors did not seem to idolize their outward appearance. They wanted to give what was probably the costliest and the best that they had to offer for the beauty of the tabernacle and for the glory of God.
What can we learn from this? 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Like the women who gave up their mirrors, which focused on outward appearances, we need to be willing to give up those things that focus on outward appearances and can become our idol. Things such as being consumed with outer beauty, self-centeredness, pride, hypocrisy, judging others to make we feel better. And the appearance of being righteous such as the Pharisees whom Jesus called whitewashed tombs. They were spotless on the outside but were defiled by sin on the inside. We need to focus on our hearts instead of making an idol of our outward appearances. That brings us to our first next step which is to Glorify God by sacrificing those things in my life that I make an idol of my outward appearance.
The next thing that was constructed was the courtyard. First, our approach to God required blood. Second, our approach to God results in a bath. Third, our approach to God is restricted by a boundary. The courtyard measured 150 feet by 75 feet. The fence around the outside stood seven and a half feet tall and was held up by 60 posts, hooks and bands and consisted of curtains of finely twisted white linen. The white linen symbolized the righteousness that encircles God and the fact that it was made of cloth symbolized that the whole complex was temporary. The posts were wooden, and their bases were bronze again symbolizing divine judgment, and the hooks and bands were silver symbolizing redemption. The curtain for the entrance of the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, matching the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Place, the veil and the lowest ceiling curtain except for the cherubim. The curtains connected the tabernacle as the place where God dwelled and that there was only one way to Him. The entrance to the courtyard and the entrance to the Holy Place symbolized that Jesus is the only way to God.
The purpose of the courtyard was to be a boundary that set apart the holy ground of the tabernacle from the rest of the camp. It was a visible reminder that you could not casually approach God. Only those who were to be there and had brought the appropriate sacrifice could enter. Also, it was no ordinary affair to approach God. They were to do so soberly, thoughtfully and in fear of the Lord. God is holy and we can’t approach Him on our terms, such as doing good works, keeping the law, mixing different religions or going to church to just check off a box. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that we must enter through the narrow gate. Jesus is the narrow gate, and we must come through Him based on his shed blood on the cross. Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” This was the only entrance to the courtyard and was an open invitation to enter in but only on God’s terms. Van Meter says, “It is not ‘come as you will’ even though it is ‘come as you are.’”
That brings us to our second point, Accountability, which covers verses 21-31. First, they were accountable for the witness of God’s house. In verse 21 the tabernacle is referred to as the “tabernacle of the testimony or witness.” The tabernacle was God’s witness to the covenant relationship between Him and His people. It was a witness that everyone in the covenant relationship was His and He was their God. Everyone who approached God in the proper way, meaning they came through the appointed entrance, gave the appropriate sacrifice of blood and washed at the laver, through the acts of the priests, were shown to be in covenant relationship with God. The tabernacle was a visible reminder of that relationship and that God truly dwelled among his people. What does this mean for us today? Matthew 16:18 says, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Jesus promised that His church would give testimony throughout the ages that He is Lord and is present with His people. The presence of the church universal for more than 2,000 years is testimony to God’s faithfulness to that promise. In fact, Idaville Church, is proof of God’s faithfulness. He has placed us here for His glory, honor and praise and we are accountable to build our church according to God’s commands and instructions. We do this by serving, giving, and witnessing of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so others will come in and experience His salvation, His provision, His light and life and His intercession. Van Meter says, “We must keep the curtains up and the door open and point all who will enter to the altar and to the basin.”
Second, we are accountable for the wealth of God’s house. After identifying the tabernacle as His witness to the covenant, God expected an inventory of the wealth that went to construct it. God through Moses appointed Ithamar, the son of Aaron the High Priest as the head accountant. We are reminded in verses 22 and 23 that Bezalel made everything that God commanded alongside Oholiab, the expert engraver. Moses probably placed this statement here, so the people knew that the tabernacle was for all Israelites not just the Levites and that it took people from every tribe of Israel to construct it. Also, Bezalel and Oholiab were accountable to Ithamar for all the freewill offerings collected and used or not. We are given the total amounts of gold, silver and bronze used in constructing the tabernacle but not about how much of the other materials were used. This is probably because the gold, silver and bronze were the costliest, symbolized closeness to God and showed the beauty and opulence of the tabernacle.
We see the generosity of the Israelites as they gave a wave offering of a ton of gold and over two tons of bronze. A wave offering was a voluntary presentation of offerings in honor of their covenant king. The silver was by far the most used at over three tons. This silver came from the census that God commanded in chapter 30. It was accumulated from the 603,550 men who were twenty years old or more who gave the required half-shekel. With this accounting, Calvin says, “Moses now shows that this entire sum was collected and paid without fraud and so applied as that none should be lost.” This was an example of faithful stewardship of the people’s resources to build the tabernacle. No way could the builders be accused of taking the offerings for God’s work for themselves. We also need to be faithful stewards here at Idaville Church with the resources given for God’s work here, in our community and the world. We must be vigilant to be above reproach in all financial matters. Currid says, this will be “a great witness to the world and keeps them from condemning us of hypocrisy.”
David Murray, a contemporary pastor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shares a fictional account to illustrate the relationship between the old covenant and the new covenant. Many years ago, a business was started for the purpose of supplying office supplies. It was called Office Administration. This business supplied quality stationery, envelopes and pens. Business began to boom. It was a success. But with the advent of technological developments soon the need for stationery, envelopes and pens began to wane as more and more people were using the latest technology. Before long the warehouses of Office Administration began to be filled as there was less demand for their product. The board of Office Administration eventually took over the company and began to make changes for supplying office supplies in a new era. There was a buyout and eventually, after the deal was concluded, the son of the original owner was put in charge. Soon the warehouses began to empty as they were replaced with personal computers and office software. Business again began to boom. The name Office Administration was retained but under this name were added the words “Under new management.” It was still in the same business, but Office Administration was now supplying products that were more suited to the new era in which it was operating.
Many people are under the false impression that there is no continuity between the old covenant and the new covenant. They (falsely!) believe that the old covenant (or Old Testament) was about works or law, and that the new covenant (or New Testament) is about grace and faith. The fact is that the old covenant was about the administration of grace just as much as the new covenant is. The Old Testament was in the business of God graciously redeeming sinners and the New Testament is in the business of God graciously redeeming sinners, as well. The difference, of course—and it is a significant difference—is that the new covenant is “Grace Administration under new management.” And that new management is Jesus Christ! What this means is we must not lose the plotline of Scripture. The story of the Bible can be described as God’s administration of His grace. Throughout the biblical narrative God’s covenant of grace is both revealed and advanced. And His covenant of grace became most clear under Jesus’ administration of the new covenant and yet the fundamental business of God has never wavered. That is something we can be praising God for daily.
Opening: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 1120–1132.
Closing: https://brackenhurstbaptist.co.za/category/bible-teachings/old-testament/pentateuch/exodus/ Doug Van Meter