120306 - Exodus 25-26 - search the scriptures, for... it it is they that bear witness of Me

Tuesday SOAP: Seeing Christ in the Tabernacle's details - and reflecting on how wonderful it is to be seen in Him, rather than in the old Adam, in whom all die. Without Him, we labor for that which does not satisfy, we stumble in the darkness, yet we have no cloak for our sin. In Him, I am satisfied; I have light for my path; I have died, and my life is hidden with Christ in God.

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S: "And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly." (Exodus 25:30)

"You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. "(Exodus 25:31)

"And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams' skins and a covering of goatskins on top." (Exodus 26:14)

O: I can't begin to appreciate the theological significance of all the details of the Tabernacle. But I can see a few things that obviously represent Christ. The bread of the presence (Literally, "bread of faces"), sometimes translated "showbread." This makes me think of the "Angel of His presence" as well as the Bread of Life. Christ spoke of Himself as a grain of wheat (John 12:23-24) that had to fall to the ground and die, like grain ground to make bread. Bread and wine have symbolized Christ since before the Exodus (Gen. 14:18). Christ said the bread represented His body. (Matt. 26:26, John 6:57-58)

The candlestick reminds me that Christ is called the true light, (John 1:9) and said He was Light of the world. (John 8:12, 9:5)

The Mikceh, or outer "covering" of the Tabernacle makes me think again of my recent discovery of the covering of the Ark, (Gen. 8:13, http://bit.ly/yGE2Jy), and how the same word is related to "hidden," "treasure," "sheepfold" and even "perfected." If we picture God looking down on the Tabernacle, the covering would be the first thing seen. For some reason, the ESV translation leaves out the word, "red," which is very significant: it is "Adam." The worshipers within are covered with something that is at the same time "Adam" (See Gen. 5:2, 1 Cor. 15:45) and sacrificial animal! (John 1:29, Rev. 5:6)

A: Just as the Father wanted to see Jesus in every detail of the peoples' worship, I need to look at things until I see Him as well. Is there a strange detail of geneology? Something about it may point to Christ, our Boaz, risen, with healing in His wings. An unusual legal detail? Perhaps He is our Kinsman-Redeemer who restores our inheritance, our heritage, and our legal status. A symbolic detail? It could that God meant the Rock to be smitten once for all, and afterward petitioned.

P: Oh, Father, how quickly I am prone to give up in confusion instead of wrestling for the blessing to see and be captivated by Christ. Make my heart like that of Rebekah, who, when she saw Isaac, alighted off her camel as if hindered by it. When I think of your predetermined plan and foreknowledge to deliver Him to death for me, how it pleased you to bruise Him, how He was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world and how it is through the blood of His cross that I am reconciled at last to You, I want to see Him Whom my soul loves - on every page of your Word, in my own conformity to His image, and face to face when I kneel at last before Him.

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