[Moses has led the people of Israel out of Egypt and its bondage.  The deliverance was anything but easy.  It was through God’s mighty hand that Israel gained its freedom and Egypt was rendered powerless.  Egypt would never again be the super power for the known world, as it once was.  Israel followed Moses to Mount Sinai where they saw the presence of God upon the top of the mount and heard to voice of God deliver the Ten Commandments (Exo 19-20).  Then, after delivering the first pretenses of the law, God begins to do a new and unique work within and for Israel, God calls for the building of the tabernacle.] 

A.     The Treasure for the Tabernacle (vs 1-2; cf. Exodus 35.4, 20-29) [– A Willing Offering] 

1.      The Provision for God’s Honor (Num 18.20-21, 24; Deut 18.1-8; Neh 13.10-14; cf. Num 18.26-29) [– The tithe is for the ministry of our Lord.  The tithes were to be given to the Levites and the Priests as their inheritance and provision for their service toward Almighty God.  Hence, we discover that the biblical purpose for the tithe was to provide for the ministers that served before our Lord.  The division is further delineated in Scripture when we see that a tithe of the tithe was to be given to the priesthood.  The Scriptural principal is still the same, the tithe was given to the ministers who performed the ministry of the Church.] 

[Numbers 18:20-21 ²⁰ And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. ²¹ And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.]

[Numbers 18:24 ²⁴ But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.]

[Deuteronomy 18:1-8 ¹ The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. ² Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. ³ And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. ⁴ The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. ⁵ For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever. ⁶ And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose; ⁷ Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD. ⁸ They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.]

a.       [Clearly, what most Churches do today with the tithes that are offered is far from this biblical standard.  The tradition that has developed among American Christian Churches is that the tithes are used to build and pay on facilities and ministries first and then whatever is left over is given to the actual ministers and their families.  This is a tradition that is far from the principles given within the Bible.  It is a paradigm that clearly needs to change.] 

b.      [Nehemiah’s stern corrections (Neh 13.10-14) – After Nehemiah had led the building of the wall around Jerusalem and restored the temple service and worship, he retuned to the kings service as cup bearer for a while.  At some point later Nehemiah is allowed to return to Jerusalem.  Upon his return he discovered that something had gone terribly wrong.]   

(1)   [He discovered that one of Israel’s enemies (Tobiah) was living inside the temple. Nehemiah made short and direct work of correcting this error (Neh 13.7-9)] 

(2)   [He discovered that the priesthood was neglected in the tithes (Neh 13.10-14)] 

[Nehemiah 13:10-14 ¹⁰ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. ¹¹ Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. ¹² Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. ¹³ And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. ¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. ]

(3)   [He discovered that the people of Israel were buying, trading and working on the sabbath day, which Nehemiah also corrected with vigor (Neh 13.15-22).] 

(4)   [He discovered that the rulers of Israel were inter-marrying with the gentiles around them (Neh 13.23-29) – This would be comparable to a Christian marrying a non-Christian.] 

c.       Just what is the point to be gleaned here?  [If God is going to be honored through the ministry of His glorious Word, then His ministers and their family must be fully supported.  God has revealed within His Word how He intends for that support to be administered.  The question is, will His Church and people hear and heed His revealed will and plan.  Today, Churches have developed a different plan, that seems to work, has a portion of God’s plan within its method, but is not really what our Lord has revealed.  Is Jesus Christ, the living Word of God manifest within the written Word of God, the Lord of the Church or isn’t He?  If God is to be honored in the ministry of His Church then Churches must yield to God’s provision according to God’s Word.] 

2.      The Provision for God’s House (Exo 25.1; Heb 7.1-2; 1 Chron 22.1-4, 14-16; Ezra 1.8-11; 3.7; 6.3-5, 8-10) [– The question that arises then is how are Churches supposed to pay for the wonderful buildings they wish to build in honor of their God.  We have very specific examples given in scripture that reveal God’s plan for building a physical center of worship.  The offering is for God’s House] 

a.       [God provided for the tabernacle through a free will offering (Exo 25.2).  Israel was asked to bring a special freewill offering for the building of the tabernacle.  Someone might say, well this was easy because Israel had not been commanded to give tithes to the Lord yet.  Perhaps, yet we discover that the principle of tithing was one that was evident much earlier in Israel that the giving of the law.] 

(1)   [Abraham, it is said in  Hebrews, tithed to Melchisedec (Heb 7.1-2)] 

b.      [God provided for the temple through King David’s free will offering (1 Chron 22.1-4, 14-16)] 

[1 Chronicles 22:1-4 ¹ Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. ² And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. ³ And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; ⁴ Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. ]

[1 Chronicles 22:14-16 ¹⁴ Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. ¹⁵ Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. ¹⁶ Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee. ]

c.       [God provided for the second temple through king Cyrus and Darius (Ezra 1.8-11; 6.3-5, 8-10) and a free will offering (Ezra 3.7).] 

[Ezra 1:8-11 ⁸ Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. ⁹ And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, ¹⁰ Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. ¹¹ All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. ]

[Ezra 6:3-5 ³ In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; ⁴ With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: ⁵ And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. ]

[Ezra 6:8-10 ⁸ Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. ⁹ And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: ¹⁰ That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. ]

[Ezra 3:7 ⁷ They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. ]

d.      [The principle to be gleaned here is that while building a physical House for our Lord we must not neglect how we honor our Lord by neglecting how we support his ministers.] 

B.     The Testimony of the Tabernacle (vs 8) – The tabernacle revealed: 

1.      The Presence of God (vs 8; Job 1.1,4-5; Gen 18; 2 Chron 6.18; 1 Cor 3.16-17) [– “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” – Mankind has always sought after the presence of God.  In Egypt polytheism was the revelation of both the knowledge of the necessity of God and mans desire to come into the presence of God.  With the building of the tabernacle God was giving Israel and the world a physical representation of the presence of God.  It was not necessary for mankind to have a tabernacle in order to worship and honor God.  We know this because:] 

a.       [Job honored, worship, and knew God.  Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible written.  We learn in this book that Job:] 

(1)   [Job worshiped and sought God (Job 1.4-5)] 

[Job 1:4-5 ⁴ And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. ⁵ And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. ]

(2)   [God knew and honored Job (Job 1.1,8)] 

[Job 1:1 ¹ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. ]

[Job 1:8 ⁸ And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?]  

b.      [Abraham honored worshipped and knew God.  We find places in the Bible where Abraham actually walked and talked with God (Genesis 18)] 

c.       [No house can contain God (2 Chron 6.18) – King Solomon, having built the Temple in Jerusalem began his prayer with this admission:] 

[2 Chronicles 6:18 ¹⁸ But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!]

[Hence, the very real truth, the Tabernacle, Temple, and a Church building is not representation of the singular presence of God.  Instead, it is all about the unifying and edifying (building up) of God’s people for God’s work.  A Church is all about training and preparing God’s people for His service.]

d.      [To a lost and dying world the Church represents that place where they can come into the presence of God, here the message of God, and become the living temple of God, when they receive the Lord Jesus Christ into their heart and life.] 

[1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ¹⁶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.]

e.       [The truth of the Tabernacle, Temple, and physical Churches today is that they are meant by God to be places where people could and can hear about the one living God and discover how to come into His glorious presence.] 

2.      The Presentation of God (Exodus 40.34-38; cf. 13.21-22; Eph 1.13-14; Matt 18.20) [– “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: ²² He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” – Once the Tabernacle was built and dedicated the shechinah glory came to rest over the tabernacle.  This cloud and fire was a manifestation of the presence of God to Israel and all who would come upon Israel.  There could be no doubt that God was present with Israel so long as this cloud and fire rested upon and guided the Taberrnacle.] 

a.       [Where is this glorious manifestation today – Someone might suggest that Churches are not really places of the presence of God today, for if they were wouldn’t there be such a manifestation today. The manifestation today is far greater that that of the shechinah glory.  For with the cloud and fire there was a sense of direction and the presence of God, but there was always a separation in that one could never touch nor be touch personally by God.] 

b.      [God’s Indwelling Presence – Today Christians experience the personal, intimate presence of God within them through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which is given to every born again believer.] 

[Ephesians 1:13-14 ¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.]

c.       [God’s Exponential Presence – Then when ever two or more Christians gather in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ there is the supernatural manifestation of the presence of God through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in there midst.] 

[Matthew 18:20 ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. ] 

3.      The Passion of God (2 Pet 3.9) [- A lost person in hearing about the supernatural manifestation of Almighty God in the midst of the Church of our Lord would say, “You’re mad.” But the born again believer must loudly proclaim, “Glory to God and Hallelujah.”  The lost man state his objection because he does not know and cannot know the presence of God until he realizes and responds to the passion of God for him.  While we Christian sense and know the touch and moving of God among us.  What is the passion of God revealed in the Tabernacle, Temple, or Church building?] 

a.      [That all might be saved and experience for themselves the very presence of God.] 

[2 Peter 3:9 ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.]

C.     The Truth within the Tabernacle (vs 9) [- According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. ] 

1.      The Symbols in the Tabernacle [– Everything used to build the tabernacle and the way the materials were constructed all point to our Lord Jesus Christ and his propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.  For example:] 

a.       [The altar of sacrifice was made of wood a type of humanity, covered with brass a symbol of judgment, with four horns representing the proclamation of judgment.  The sacrifice was killed and laid upon this altar as a payment for sin, and the blood was placed on the horns to satisfy the judgment demanded.  All of which our Lord Jesus Christ took care of for us.] 

b.      [As a Church body build a Church Building there should be the same care in its construction and use.  A Church Building should help the Church Body bring people to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and assist in the mentoring and training of God’s people.] 

2.      The Salvation from the Tabernacle [– All of the symbols and types contained within the tabernacle, and the very construction of the tabernacle itself focused upon one eternal truth.  Giving mankind access to a holy God.  The Tabernacle was a picture and promise of the full atonement that would come and did come in our Lord Jesus Christ.  We now have access to our Lord through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.] 

CrossRoads Baptist Church, November 4 2007