In the introduction to Section II Created Unto Good Works we discussed the book of Hebrews and how it taught us the superiority of the priesthood of Christ. He is our great high priest and our representative who partners with us by his blood, water and Spirit.
The book of Hebrews is all about the contrast between the Torah Law given by Moses and the covenant of the Spirit given through the broken body and blood of Christ. Our complete focus must be on Christ, however as Paul said we can learn from the Old Covenant Law.
What I want to do in the next few lessons is go back to the blueprint of the Tabernacle of Moses to teach you how you can use this as a pattern for your personal devotion unto God. Hebrews 8:5 tells us that the physical temple was a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. It is a blueprint for spiritual truth that if we come to understand it will help us to tap into the spiritual heavenly realms where Christ dwells. Moses was told to make everything according to the pattern that was shown to him. Just as the Tabernacle had to be made in a specific way, so the priests had to perform their service in a prescribed manner, which was the pattern of worship for the priest under the Old Covenant. If you look at this picture you will see the furniture that was used in the Tabernacle of Moses.
It will also help you in understanding to refer to the picture below giving you a view of the Tabernacle from the outside. What I want to do in the next series of lessons is walk you through the Tabernacle of Moses taking you to every piece of furniture that was made with specific instructions to teach us about the heavenly realities of Christ. Under the Old Covenant the priest had to follow the prescribed order of worship in their daily service to God by offering up a morning and evening blood sacrifice. It was to be a continual sacrifice that went on 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Exodus 29:38–42 speaks of a twice daily offering in the morning and at twilight. This twice daily offering was known as the continual burnt offering and was offered at the door of the tabernacle on the Altar of Burnt Offering or the Bronze Altar. To go further into the tabernacle, you had to first come to the altar and present a blood sacrifice or offering it was the only way to approach the manifest presence of God. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah meaning “ascent, stairway or steps,” and derives from the basic Hebrew verb, alah, meaning “to go up, climb or ascend.”
The first step to a personal relationship with God is laying down our lives at the cross.
What I want you to do in these next few lessons is to use your imagination. I want you to imagine yourself walking through this daily pattern just as the old covenant priest did because you are a new covenant priest. If you do this, it will develop in you an ancient rhythm of how to enter into the manifest presence of God living the cruciform life of Christ by faith working through love.
The priest had a daily routine of sacrificing the burnt offering in the morning and the evening. In a similar manner we need to develop a routine. You might be more of a morning person, or you might be more of a night person, but we need to develop a consistent daily routine of dedicating our lives to God. I personally like to spend more time in the morning doing my devotion of prayer and study. Spiritual discipline is about being intentional and consistent. It’s about sacrifice, but it’s not about dead works which is us striving in our own strength.
Sacrificing is about surrendering to the grace of God and cooperating with the Spirit.
Repentance from dead works, faith towards God and the doctrine of baptisms all apply when we are approaching the throne of grace. We don’t ever leave the foundational doctrines we learn to apply them and put them into daily practice because our spiritual lives are built into them. It’s like building a house with the whole purpose of developing a more intimate relationship with Him so that we live our lives in His very presence becoming His dwelling place. Now for the priest to enter into the presence of God they could not come to Him empty handed.
The priest had to have an offering to present to God. Under the Old Covenant there were five prescribed offerings. Each of these offerings has a symbolic significance of its own, but ultimately, they all pointed to the One Sacrifice of Christ. For the priest to enter into the tabernacle he first had to go to the Altar of Burnt Offering and offer up his blood sacrifice there.
The Altar of Burnt Offering or as it was also called the Bronze Altar was a very large grate almost like a barbecue pit. As a matter of fact, it was so big that all of the other pieces of furniture that were in the tabernacle could fit into this one piece. At the entrance of the tabernacle of Moses and later the temple of Solomon located in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah was the Bronze Altar.
The Bronze Altar which was at the entrance into the temple courtyard was where blood sacrifice was made and it was believed to be the place where Abraham offered up the sacrificial lamb in place of his son Isaac. It was the place where David worshiped and purchased the place of land for Solomon to build the Temple. It’s where the Temple Mount is still located today.
The altar of sacrifice was made of bronze and bronze in the Bible typifies judgment upon sin. The pathway to approach God has always been by way of sacrifice. It’s to acknowledge that you have fallen short of the glory of God and that you are a sinner who deserves death. The Bronze Altar prophetically speaks of the redemptive message of the cross.
The Bronze Altar is where the covenant was enacted through the shedding of blood, and it was the only way that the priest could enter into the temple and fulfill the nation of Israel's worship. It was about sacrifice, death, blood and the giving of life. This spoke of the all sufficiency of the Altar of the Cross of Christ. There is no other way to enter into the presence of God without first accepting the One Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). We must first of all look to the all sufficiency of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all of our sins. We cannot approach God based on our own self effort.
The message of the cross is that if you want the life of Christ then you have to lay down your life at the cross.
Let’s look at the book of Romans 3:21-25: But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Redemption, propitiation, justification and reconciliation are all terms that are used in the New Covenant to describe the word of the cross.
The vast majority of people that read the Bible don’t really understand the significance of these terms and what they really mean. I want to clarify each of these words because as I do it will give you a fuller understanding of the work that was accomplished when the lamb of God was offered up as a blood sacrifice and the resulting grace that flows from the throne of the lamb.
Redemption is a term denoting being paid for and bought. It can mean taking possession of what was bought or releasing and making free what was bought. It can also mean deliverance or being set free due to a ransom being paid.
Propitiation is one of those words that we just don’t use anymore so most people have no idea what it means. In the Old Testament the word was used mainly in Leviticus and Exodus and it always had to do with the blood sacrifices and its cleansing power to cover sins, like the blood applied which delivered the children of Israel during the Passover. In the New Testament it has to do with the sacrifice of Christ removing the barrier between God and man.
The temple veil was torn from top to the bottom when Jesus died signifying that the propitiation of Christ sacrifice has forever removed the barrier separating God and man through the body and blood of Christ.
The cross is where mercy and judgment meet together. To reject covenant is to reject the God who established the covenant as the means of being in a relationship with Him. The righteous and the wicked have always been divided by the cross. In our covenant understanding of the Lord’s table Paul reminded us that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Jesus told us to make the main thing the main thing keeping our focus on his death, burial, resurrection, ascension and return to this earth. The practices of the New Testament church were focused around the cruciform message of the cross. It was a simple life focused on repentance, faith, baptisms, fellowship and sharing the redemptive story of covenant in a world full of false gods.
The word of the cross is the gospel, but you can’t separate the good news of redemption from the bad news which is if you reject the redemption of the cross the only alternative is judgment.
Go read Hebrews 10:26-31 because the author is giving us a stern warning. You put yourself under the wrath of God by rejecting his blood covenant. Go read the first chapter of Romans. Paul talks about this same thing when discussing the Lord’s supper in I Corinthians chapter 10 saying therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Forgiveness from sins has everything to do with being identified with Christ's death. Eating the flesh and drinking the blood is total identification with the sacrifice of Christ and being baptized into his body. When we become untethered from the cross that’s when we begin to drift into sin, corruption, idolatry and false doctrine.
Tethered describes something that is tied up and restricted. The cross brings liberty from sin and brings restriction to the fleshly desires of the lower nature at the same time. Mercy, judgment and holiness meet at the cross.
Justification or its synonymous term righteousness has to do with moral standing before God, the result of forgiveness, which assumes the shedding of blood. Israel’s history and theology developed around the promised land, the covenant, the temple and its sacrifice system. The sacrifice system was established for the purpose of cleansing sin and making worshipers morally acceptable in the sight of God. This redemption was accomplished by the transference of sin from the worshiper to the animal, while the innocence of the animal that shed its blood was credited to the worshiper (Lev. 5:6 and 7: 18). The animal was accepted on the worshiper’s behalf. Guilt and innocence, forgiveness, and righteousness were inextricably bound to sacrifice.
In such a light, the death of the Messiah was understood sacrificially in the New Testament as a sin offering and those who put their faith in him as a sacrifice will be justified, declared righteous in God’s sight. Paul stated his wholehearted desire to be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. (Phil. 3: 8–9). Such crediting of righteousness or justification derives directly from the sacrificial system, which was the commonly understood framework for the death of the Messiah. It is on this clear understanding that we see the righteousness of God was simply the revelation of God’s sacrificial offering of the Messiah which established the innocence and forgiveness of the worshiper.
Justification simply means that we have been acquitted. We are all lawbreakers and we all deserve punishment, but Christ took our place. He justified us or acquitted us of all of our crimes so when the Father looks upon you, he sees the blood covenant and in Christ: you are made right, cleansed, forgiven and given freedom from sin, but not the freedom to sin.
The barrier between God and man has been removed due to the sacrifice of Christ.
At the same time the barrier between Jew and Gentile has been removed due to the sacrifice of Christ. The temple veil was torn from top to the bottom when Jesus died signifying that the propitiation of Christ sacrifice has forever removed the barrier separating God and man through the body and blood of Christ.
The martyr Stephen told us in Acts 7:48-49 that the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord?
It’s always been God’s intent to dwell within the heart of man which is to be a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Justification simply means that we have been acquitted. We are all lawbreakers and we all deserve punishment, but Christ took our place. He justified us or acquitted us of all of our crimes. The word righteousness can many times be used as an alternative, so the word is pretty much synonymous to justification. It basically means that when the Father looks upon you, he sees the blood covenant and in Christ you are made right, cleansed, forgiven and given freedom because you are identified with him.
Reconciliation is the result of redemption, propitiation and justification which paid for our sins through the sacrifice of Christ acquitting us of all guilt and bringing us back into union with the Father making us children of God. We’ve been made part of the family of God by legal birthright as a result of being born from above through the blood of Christ. Grace flows from the river of the cross and places us into the family of God. It is all because of this that we offer up our bodies as living sacrifices.
Blood covenant is about partnership and grace is the gift that brings us into participation of all that Christ has provided to us through the cross. There is no other way to enter into the presence of God except through the blood of the Cross. Repentance from dead works means that we cannot approach God based on our works, but based on our faith in the work of Christ for us. Self-effort ends by putting our faith in the all sufficiency of the cross.
The pathway to approach God has always been the way of sacrifice.
The Bronze Altar is where the covenant was enacted through the shedding of blood, and it was the only way that the priest could enter into the temple and fulfill the nation of Israel's worship. It was about sacrifice, death, blood and the giving of life. The Altar of Burnt Offering is about being baptized into Christ's body. To enter into God’s presence, we must lay down our lives which is the offering up our lives a living sacrifice. It’s not a one-time thing, but a daily reminder and a daily dedication as we practice our daily spiritual discipline.
As we offer up our lives during our morning and evening sacrifice then we must next approach the Bronze Laver. After the priest offered up his blood sacrifice he then went to the Bronze Laver. Basically, this was like a big bathtub made out of solid bronze.
The Aaronic priests were ordained and entered into service at the age of 30. When this happened, they had to come to this Bronze Laver and be baptized in it. This was a once and for all thing. Jesus was baptized into water at the age of 30 and when we received salvation, we followed our Savior into the waters of baptism. However, as the priests daily ministered in the Tabernacle they daily had to come to this Bronze Laver and clean themselves.
As we walk in this world ministering as a priest of God, we get dirty spiritually...we sin. Therefore, we need to be cleansed. We don’t have to be re-born again or be baptized again, we only have to wash our hands and feet, which represents our service to God and our walk with Him. The washing that we submit to is not natural water, but the living word of God. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to wash us clean. When we look into the Bible, it is like looking into a mirror.
The Bible is God’s holy looking glass that reveals our sin. At the same time, the Bible is also like a tub of hot water that the Holy Spirit uses to cleanse us, as we allow Him to. The Holy Spirit scrubs us down real good where we’re dirty with the word of God. It is here at the Bronze Laver that we look at the reflection of the word of God and allow it to renew our minds, reminding ourselves of the great promises God has given us in Christ (Romans 12:2).
Spiritual discipline is about complete surrender as a priest worshiping and serving under the power of the Spirit, blood and water.
The sacrifice of our bodies is about daily allowing the power of God’s word to renew us so that we will be strengthened to fulfill our duties as priests.
It’s all about sacrifice. Sacrifice can be a dirty word many times to believers today. When I mention the word sacrifice what mental pictures go off in your mind? You could think of the hard work of an athlete or maybe a Satanist. It might even be that you think of the hard work someone does at a job or the sacrifice of a mother for her child.
As I use the word sacrifice, I want you to think of it as an offering. An offering is something we freely give. Jesus freely offered Himself upon the Cross-for our sins. I have already said that the Old Covenant sacrifices pointed towards the all sufficiency of the cross. However, the New Covenant also speaks about spiritual sacrifices that we as New Covenant priests should offer up to God.
These sacrifices are not to add to the sacrifice of the Cross, but are the result of a thankful heart which has been given eternal life through the One well-pleasing sacrifice of Christ.
Romans 12:1 Paul said, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”. In this text we are urged by the ‘Mercies of God’ to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him. The motivation for offering our bodies to God is His mercy. Mercy gave to us when: We did not deserve it (Ephesians 2:4-5). We did nothing to work for it (Titus 3:5). We were enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Mercy triumphed at the Cross and reconciled us back to the Father’s heart so we could worship Him with our whole lives.
Our bodies are to be living sacrifices which point to us willingly laying down our lives and surrendering.
Under the Old Covenant, the animal was killed and placed on the Altar of Burnt Offering, then the freshly poured out blood was to be placed on each corner of the altar as an atonement for sin. The Bible says in Leviticus that the ‘life is in the blood’. The very life of the sacrifice was completely offered up at the altar. Jesus said if anyone wishes to come after Me let him: Deny himself (Matthew 16:24a). Lay down his life (Matthew 16:25). Take up his cross (Matthew 16:24b). Come follow me (Matthew 16:24c). It is to be part of our daily spiritual discipline which is dedicating our bodies to be holy sacrifices.
One of the words for holy is set apart. As a holy sacrifice we are to be set apart wholly unto God. There are two aspects of being set apart: Number one we are to be set apart from sin to worship God. Number two we are to be set apart for the work that God has called us to fulfill. Israel was not only commanded to build a Tabernacle by which they could worship God, but they were also commanded to conquer the promised land.
As members of the ‘Body of Christ’ we each have a ministry to fulfill while we are still in this body. There is a promised land or ministry for each one of us to conquer and enter into. To be able to do this we must daily offer up our bodies and living holy sacrifices which is pleasing to the Father. When Jesus came into the world to offer up His body as a living and holy sacrifice, the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. This is part of our spiritual worship: to offer up our bodies so that they may bring glory to the cause of Christ. As sons and daughters of God we should desire to be pleasing to Him, by offering our lives completely to Him.
Offering up our bodies helps us to not be conformed to this present age (Romans 12:2).
The word for conformed in the original Greek language is Suschematizo (Strong’s # 4964). It basically says, not to follow the fleeting fashions of this world or be molded into their image. Man was created in the image of God to worship Him, be like Him and bring glory to His name. If you refuse to offer up your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to Him daily, then you will end up worshiping the creature instead of the Creator. In Romans 1:23-25 we see that those who worship the creature instead of the Creator ultimately turn themselves over to the defiling of their bodies through idolatry, sexual sin or both.
Offering up our bodies is the first step to the transformation of our minds.
We can only fulfill God's will as we allow Him to have full control of our lives. The offering up of our bodies is the first step towards giving God full control of our lives. It is something that we have to do daily as a part of our routine of spiritual discipline. As we offer up our bodies to God during our morning and evening sacrifice and allow our minds to be transformed through the word of God, then we will begin to walk in His purposes for our lives.
God desires our worship and the beginning of our spiritual worship is the offering up of our bodies. Our bodies are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, but if we do not present our bodies unto Him wholly then we will not be filled fully. Jesus presented Himself fully unto the Father and was filled without measure by the Holy Spirit. We must follow His example so we may be filled with the fullness of the Spirit.
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Next Lesson: Lesson 24 - Part II The Sacrifice of Our Bodies
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