We May Not Always Be Facing The Rising Sun ... Called and Empowered ... Lord, Reveal Your Glory ... : Exodus 26-29

We May Not Always Be Facing The Rising Sun, But We Should Always Be Facing The Risen Son!

Exodus 26:1-37

From the outside, it was a ‘tent’. On the inside, the tabernacle was a place of great beauty. Many look at Christ, and see ‘no beauty that we should desire Him’(Isaiah 53:2). The believer looks at Christ, and says, ‘You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard’(Mission Praise, 788).The ‘veil’ has been removed (2 Corinthians 4:3-4,6). Our sin had separated us from God, hiding His face from us (Isaiah 59:2). When Christ died, ‘the curtain of the temple was torn in two...’(Mark 15:37-38). He has changed everything (Hebrews 9:7-8,11-12). Once, we were ‘separated... alienated... strangers... far off’. Now, we are ‘in Christ Jesus’- ‘brought near in the blood of Christ’(Ephesians 2:12-13; Hebrews 10:19-22).

Exodus 27:1-19

We highlight two interesting phrases - (a) ‘as you were shown on the mountain’(8); (b) ‘towards the sunrise’(13, New International Version). We need both ‘the Scriptures’ and ‘the power of God’(Mark 12:24). Our faith is based on divine revelation - ‘according to the Scriptures’(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We are ‘not’ to ‘go beyond what is written’(1 Corinthians 4:6). Face the risen Son - We may not always be facing the rising sun, but we should always be facing the risen Son! The revelation, the resurrection, the Scriptures, the Son - these are the great focal-points of our Christian Faith: God has revealed Himself, Christ has risen. Encouraged by the Scriptures, and empowered by the Son, we face the risen Son and we say, ‘I will proclaim the glory of the risen Lord’(Romans 15:4; Matthew 28:18-20; Mission Praise, 14).

Called And Empowered

Exodus 27:20-29:9

The ‘lamp’ was ‘set up to burn continually’(27:20) - ‘May we be a shining light... Let the flame burn brighter...’(Songs of Fellowship389; Mission Praise, 743). A ‘royal priesthood’, we have been called by God - to let His light shine (1 Peter 2:9). He has called us to serve Him (28:1 John 15:16; Acts 20:28; 13:2; 9:15; Hebrews 5:4). The divine call is accompanied by a divine empowering - ‘the Holy Spirit sent from heaven’(1 Peter 1:12). We are precious to God - Our ‘names’ are written on His heart (9-12,21,29-30; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; John 10:3). In Christ we are cleansed(29:4 1 John 1:7), anointed(29:7; 1 John 2:27) and robed(29:5-6,8-9; Isaiah 61:10). In Christ, we have ‘the best robe’(28:2; Luke 15:22; Revelation 7:9-10,13-14). In Him, we are ‘consecrated’ by the Word and ‘anointed’ by the Spirit(28:3,41; John 17:17; 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-14).

Lord, Reveal Your Glory As We Worship You.

Exodus 29:10-46

There is a great contrast between the many sacrifices of the Old Testament and the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:25-28; 10:1-4, 10-14). Looking to Christ, we focus attention on verses 42-46. For God’s people, ‘the tent of meeting’ was a special place concerning which God said, ‘I will meet with you, to speak there to you. There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory’(42-43). Let us pray that, in both the pulpit and the pew, there will be the glory of God. Aaron and his sons were ‘consecrated to serve’(44). We look beyond them to Christ who ‘came... to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many’(Mark 10:45). He dwells among us (45; John 1:14). He has provided for us a ‘better’redemption than the redemption of Israel from Egypt - He is ‘much more excellent’(46; Hebrews 8:6; 9:23-24).