Spiritual Pattern Part 4

And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.

And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

INTRODUCTION

Well, good evening Southpointe, we are in the study on the Wilderness Tabernacle.

Last week we were discussing the 4 coverings and we got thru the first 2, which are Fine-twined Linen and Goats’ hair.

Now tonight we are on:

The Covering of Rams’ skins.

The first 2 coverings, Fine Linen or goats’hair does not have suffering.

But Skins can’t be got without sacrifice.

Rams’ skins dyed red suggest both death and transformation.

Where in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is before us as the “Man of Sorrows,” with dyed garments, as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world

So in this covering, the Ram’s skins we have Christ on the Cross, and in the goat’s hair we have Christ in the Resurrection and in the fine linen we have Christ in the Glory.

Now understand this Rams’ skins dyed red speak to us as Christians.

We, Christians are indebted to the transforming power of the atoning blood which makes us fit to dwell in His Holy presence.

Now if you remember this the Goats’ hair which is pure white was place under the Rams’ skins dyed red, the red one.

Now catch this: Purity in the sight of God can only be enjoyed under the blood.

We must be crucified with Christ before we can enter into resurrection life.

So my question to you tonight: Are you willing to die to self that we might be made alive unto God?

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

Notice that the white covering, Goats’ hair, was under the crimson covering, the red one, Rams’skins.

This should be a constant reminder to keep under the covering of the blood of the Lamb.

Remember in the book of Exodus, how the blood of the Lamb or young goat was applied to the doorpost.

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!

But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

We must stand under the covering of the blood.

2. The Covering of Badger Skins

Some think that it shouldn’t be Badger Skins, but it should read a seal skins.

Badger skins was being used for waterproof, not for beauty, but for protection.

This covering may typify Christ in His rejection.

My Servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him.

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

How Christ was rejected and to look at Him upon that Cross was not a pretty sight.

The Badger skins was not a thing of beauty. But it could withstand the heat of the day, and when exposed to the storm, it was able to protect that which was under it from the rain, wind, whatever came it way.

Think about Christ our Lord, how He was misunderstood being make a curse for us.

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

To the world there was no beauty in Him but to the Father, He was all glorious.

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Those who looked upon the Tabernacle they saw the badger skins and saw nothing of the hidden glory within.

Christ may still be to the world “a root out of a dry ground” but to the Christian who now has access within the veil He is altogether lovely.

One last teaching on the four coverings which they could represent a fourfold experience the Christian has of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The Holy of Holies — Fine-twined linen

The Holy Place --- Pure goats’ hair

The Court of Sacrifice — Rams’ skins dyed red

The Wilderness without— badgers’ skins

One last teaching on the four coverings which they could represent a fourfold experience the Christian has of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

In our natural state we could only see the blessed Redeemer as the badger skin covering, no beauty, no attractiveness, because we had no sense of our guilt or need.

In the “rams’ skins dyed red” we have been cleansed and changed by the power of His atoning blood through faith.

In the “goats’ hair” covering we experience what it is to be made clean, delivered from the power of sin, hid in God, and kept by His almighty, overshadowing power.

In the innermost curtain of “fine twined linen” we are walking in the light, as He is in the light, beholding His glory and filled with all the fulness of God.

Is this what you are experiencing? Do you know what it is to live within the Holy of Holies, in sweet unbroken fellowship with the Holy One?

This is your privilege in Christ Jesus.

Now I want to talk to you about this Wilderness Tabernacle was a mobile.

It was mobile due to the fact that God was guiding them to the Promised Land. They were not to comfortable because this was not their home. The Promised Land was where they were going.

So let’s look at the guide Presence of God.

On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.

This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.

Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.

In this way, they traveled and camped at the LORD's command wherever He told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.

If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the LORD.

Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the LORD commanded. Then at the LORD's command they would break camp and move on.

Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on.

The origin and formation of the Pillar of cloud is a mystery.

The Pillar is a type of the incarnation of the Son of God. God was in the pillar: and God was in Christ.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

To those outside the pillar may seem only a column of smoke, but to those who through the atoning blood had witnesses the glory within.

So we are going to start with what this pillar was to the Israelite.

The pillar was the visible evidence of the invisible God.

Now to us as Christian, Jesus Christ is to us what the pillar was to Israel, the visible expression of the invisible God.

The pillar was the visible presence of the Eternal God.

The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

This is what I want you to think about: The Wilderness Tabernacle was what concealed God’s Presence, then the temple came along, and then Christ came into the picture.

Until that day

The glory was hid until the veil was rent, being the veil of His flesh, then the glory shone forth in the coming of the Holy Ghost.

Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit.

At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.

They left the cemetery after Jesus' resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

Then we became the temple for the Spirit of God to live in.

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

Then we became the temple for the Spirit of God to live in.

The Pillar was the guarantee of abundant supply.

The Israelite as long as that were abiding with the Pillar all their needs were met.

Think about the manna fell daily from heaven. The waters from the smitten rock followed the guiding pillar.

I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground.

In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.

All of them ate the same spiritual food,

and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

God promises are there to those who abide in Him.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.