Amen. Take your copy of God's word and turn with me once again to the book of Exodus. This time, Exodus chapter 25. Exodus 25. Exodus 25 for now, verses one through nine. Hear the word, the living God. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they may bring an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart, you shall take my offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them, gold, silver and bronze, blue, purple and scarlet thread, fine linen and goat's hair, ram skins dyed red, badger skins and acacia wood, oil for the light and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense. Onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it. This is the word of the living God and we say, thanks be to God. Amen. Please be seated. Let's pray together. Now, living God, we pray that the praise of our lips would move us to Your voice speaking to us, to our ears, through the preached Word. We pray that You would help us, for we are full of distractions and worries and fears, and so we need the Holy Spirit to unclog our spiritual ears, and to make straight a path for the Word to find proper reception in our souls. So we pray that you would help us. In Jesus' name, amen. The furniture in a person's house, or even a particular room in that house, tells us something about that individual, doesn't it? Think about your own house, your apartment, where you live. Maybe it's a room, maybe it's a grand mansion. But wherever you live, think about the furniture there. And some of that furniture points to previous memories. In fact, someone else might walk into your house and they may say, why is this here? They may not say that out loud, but they may be thinking that. And of course, if they were to ask that, you would say, well, this is what it means to me. We got this on our trip here, or this person who died that we love gave us this. Sometimes you look at paintings on the wall. It may or may not be your taste, but you think, that points me to something. about this person. Every once in a while, you'll find someone who just says, I don't really care, I just need furniture, so I went to IKEA and this is what we got. But even there, there was a little bit of some taste. The person's taste. I like this, I don't like this. It points us to things in the past. But sometimes, the furniture in the house points us to an expectation that they have. For if you were to walk in anyone's dining room, you will perhaps find a table. I was seated at a house this past Friday at a table. And there was a large table with many chairs. And I thought to myself, this would be a great table to have a lot of people sitting at. And of course, in that moment, there were a lot of people seated at that table. There is the expectation with some of our furniture that something is going to happen in the future. The furniture of a house tells us something about the individual who occupies it. and what they've done in the past, but it also gives us a clue as to what they think may happen in the future. The furniture in God's house in the Old Testament was just like that. We're going to consider, boys and girls, the furniture of the tabernacle today. The furniture of God's movable house. You remember, he freed them from slavery, promised to be with them and be their God, and bring them into a land. Now this tent would give way to a temple, which would give way to Christ and his church. But the furniture in the house tells us something about the occupant of the house. But it also teaches us that the occupant of the house has something in view which is to come. One scholar, Roberts, has argued that the people of Israel went from building for Pharaoh to now building for the Lord. Isn't that what we have in this text? The Lord God says in verse 2 to Moses in this long speech, if you remember from last week, 25, chapter 25 all the way to 31 is a speech from God to his people through Moses about what this tabernacle and its furniture is to look like. God says, speak to the children of Israel that they may bring me an offering. So now, the people are contributing. They're taking of their stuff that God's temporary house may be built. Now, what happens in chapter 25 with this furniture? Well, in verses one through nine, there's a collection by the people. We'll look at that. And preparation is then made for the items, the furniture, if you will, of the tabernacle. An ark and its instructions are given as long, I mean, as well as a very special cover. that is to cover the ark. There's a table, a food table, boys and girls, that is going to be designed. And then there is a lamp. A table, a lamp, and a place to meet with God. This is the furniture. of the tabernacle. So let's walk through this chapter and then at the end, hopefully glean some lessons for our time today. Because as we've seen already, this tabernacle would give way ultimately to what God had in mind. God, the occupant of this house, had a greater table and a greater light and a greater ark in view. So let's walk through this text. Verses 1 through 9 we just heard read a moment ago. This is a taking of the collection. God actually gives his people the privilege of contributing. And notice, boys and girls, the things that they can bring. Things that make sense, like gold and silver and bronze. Good metal. Money kind of metal. But then perhaps some strange things. Badger skins? Ram skins that are dyed red? Fine linen? These undoubtedly would have been things that some or all the people of Israel would have had at this point in their journey. Perhaps much of this would have been taken when they took from those of Egypt, when they plundered the Egyptians by God's hand on the way out. But notice verse two says, from everyone who gives it willingly. with his heart. The collection was a willingly given collection from the hearts of the people. Now the materials used, gathered, collected, would be for the construction of this tabernacle. Perhaps gold and other metals gathered would be used for things like the gold which covers the Ark of the Testimony, the Ark of the Covenant, hides perhaps, gathered so that they may make this tent, the building itself. But a collection happens. Now let's look at some of this furniture that is to be built, to be constructed from this offering of the people. Verse 10, and they shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold. Inside and out you shall overlay it and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. Shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them in its four corners. Two rings shall be on one side and two rings on the other side. And you shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark that the ark may be carried by them. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony, the Ten Commandments, the testimony which I will give you. Notice verse 11 says that this wooden box was to be covered with pure gold. This obviously would point to the radiance of the presence of God. When the light of the lamp of this tent would hit that gold, there would be shining, shimmering rays of glorious light. This wooden box would display the very glory of the presence of God. Now inside, In verse 16, we read that this is to be the ark of the testimony. If you read elsewhere in the Old Testament, Numbers chapter 10, verse 33, or Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 8, this ark is called the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. The testimony put inside would be the ten words, the ten commandments. You remember, the old covenant made with the people of God through Moses at Mount Sinai was a covenant which carried along the promise of Jesus to come, but was a covenant about how to live as a nation in the land. It's a covenant with blessings and curses. And now a special box is to be made to keep those precious words in, a box or an ark of the covenant. Now, there's something else that we should consider about this particular box. 1 Chronicles 28, verse 2, David calls this a footstool of God. Now, boys and girls, God does not have feet. He doesn't have legs. God is a spirit and does not have a body like men or women. But this place would almost be like a footstool, a place where God's presence would rest. His feet, as it were, would rest. Interestingly enough, in ancient Near Eastern culture, many times pagan deities often had boxes which were considered footstools where treaty documents were stored. Could very well be that the true and living God is demonstrating his power over all the deities of this world. My terms and my place of worship. They are true. They are real. This box had a particular kind of cover. All furniture is constructed differently. Look at verse 17. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width, and you shall make two cherubim, that's angels, two cherubim of gold, of hammered work, you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it, of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you, and there I will meet with you. And I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim, which are on the ark of the testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel." Now this box had a particular cover. Verse 18 says that this mercy seat was to have engraven cherubim on it. And what's interesting is the cherubim all throughout the Bible are particular angels, perhaps a particular kind, a particular class. God gives visual instruction, but obviously these are spiritual beings. We know not fully what they look like, but the cherubim guard holy places throughout the Bible. We've seen angel guards before, haven't we? When after the fall, God preaches the gospel to Satan. That fallen angel, there will come a seed of the woman. You will bruise his heel, but he will crush your head. Work will be difficult now for you, Adam. Eve, childbirth will now be painful for you. Thorns and thistles will cover the ground, but he will come. And then you are to be removed from the garden. And there was, as it were, angelic guards guarding the place, that Eden-like temple. But we'll see this again. Look at chapter 26, verse 1, when they make the tent itself. Exodus 26, one. Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple and scarlet thread with artistic designs of cherubim. You shall weave them. God is essentially saying you're going to make pictures on this tent, you're going to carve out of gold cherubim because I will make my presence known to you in this place. And the angelic heavenly ranks of cherubim surround me. I am the God who dwells between the cherubim, and that is where I will come to meet with you. It will be as if heaven and earth will merge and I will meet with you there. This ark becomes then like a throne of God. First Samuel, chapter four, verse four, so the people went to Shiloh that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who dwells between the cherubim. Isaiah later. His prophetic writings, Isaiah 37, verse 16, says this, Oh, Lord of hosts. God of Israel, the one who dwells between the cherubim. You are God, you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth. So the God who dwells between the cherubim makes his presence known, so it shouldn't surprise us that throughout all of the Old Testament there is a steady refrain. We have a God who dwells between the cherubim. Now. We are in the new covenant, aren't we? Turn over to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 4, Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 16, there we read these words. Let us therefore, because we have a great high priest, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. We may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You see, we often hear that read and we think to ourselves, yes, because of Jesus, I can go way up there spiritually with my prayers. But God is a God who has made His presence known to us and has condescended to us. God tells Moses, I dwell between the cherubim and you are to make Statues of these cherubim, because I want to remind you that I'm putting my presence in your midst. You're going to come meet with me here. In the new covenant, yes, God, boys and girls in heaven, as it were, here's our prayers, but God has come to us. We meet with God here. Well. The top. The cover of this ark is called a mercy seat. You could translate that atonement cover. Because something very special would happen here. This ark would be in the holy of holies. It would be that place where the high priest, Leviticus chapter 16, 1 through 34, on the day of atonement would come in. And the blood of the covenant, the place of atonement for God's people, would cover this mercy seat. So think about the picture that we have already. God having furniture built, which reminds his people of who he is and what he expects to come. What does he expect to come? Meeting with people through blood. Now if you're a Christian, that ought to start causing alarm bells to go off in your ears. God will meet with me? And over the terms of his covenant, there is shed blood. Think about it, this box would have inside of it the Ten Commandments. Over top of it, two statues, as it were, of angels. God promising to meet the people of God there. And what would cover that mercy seat? Blood. The furniture of God's temporary house tells us something about what God envisions is going to come. Dwelling with his people. But verse 22 becomes a central verse of this entire chapter, perhaps this entire long speech. And there I will meet with you. And I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim, which are on the ark of the testimony. God is going to meet with his people. He's going to speak with their representatives. And this place will be the place where blood covers the very terms of his covenant. Well, we continue to study the furniture of this house and we learn about a new item in verse 23. You shall also make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its height, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold all around. You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. And you shall make for it four rings of gold and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. The rings shall be close to the frame as holders for the poles to bear the table. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold that the table may be carried with them. You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. And you shall set the showbread," or in Hebrew, bread of the presence, on the table before me always. Now, in addition to this ark, this box where God's covenant words were to be kept with a cover where God promised to meet with his people, and have animal blood constantly covering that mercy seat, that place of atonement. Now we're given instructions for a particular table, a table for showbread or bread of the presence. This bread symbolizes communion with God. I wonder if God will ever use a table with bread again in the life of his people. You can read of this table in Leviticus 24, verses 5 through 9 for more detail. Each new Sabbath day, 1 Samuel 21, verses 6 and 7, tell us. Each new Sabbath day, the priests would eat the preceding week's bread as new bread was placed there. Week after week, month after month, year after year, new, hot, fresh bread, as it were, was put there. pointing to the people's communion with God. Matthew Henry does a splendid job talking about this. A Puritan in the 1600s says that this bread symbolizes several things. It's a reminder of God's provision to them. When has God provided bread for this people already? Well, Manna, you remember. See, the furniture of God's house tells us something about what God has done in the past. But Matthew Henry says it's also a reminder of current communion with God, as well as thirdly, a type of spiritual provision. Now, when you hear the word type, don't think kind. That's what we use today. What type of candy bar do you like? What type of car do you drive? But in biblical discussions, a type is a thing. Which points to something greater, the anti type to come. So we say King David is a type of Christ. Jesus is the great and ultimate king. David pictures him in the old covenant, doesn't he? But there are things that can be types. Bread. can be a type, something which is a real thing, which is smaller and simpler, which points to something greater that is to come. What is Matthew Henry on about here with this type? He says it is a type of spiritual provision in the church to come in Christ. Spread points to something that God has in mind, I will be the true bread for the kingdom of priests who ate the bread in the tabernacle. What happens in the New Covenant? Did you know that in the New Covenant, every believer is called a priest? Who eats of the true and living bread in the New Covenant? Every believer. This table tells us something. This piece of furniture tells us something about what God has in view for what is to come. Well, the text continues. We learn about a new item in verse 31. Boys and girls, this place would have been dark without light. So? Look what happens in verse 31. You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold. Now imagine how many things have been made out of gold so far. There aren't actually a lot of lights in this place, but you light just a few lights and imagine that light shining off of all of the gold in this room. You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shafts, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs and flowers shall be of one piece. And six branches shall come out of its side. Three branches of the lampstand out of one side and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch with an ornamental knob and a flower. And three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch with an ornamental knob and a flower. And so for the six branches that shall come out of the lampstand. On the lampstand itself, four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece. All of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it. And they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. And its wick trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made of a talent of pure gold with all these utensils. And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. A box covered with a pure gold mercy seat with angels carved on top. A table for bread and a golden lampstand. It might have been difficult to think, what is this lampstand going to look like? But it would have been constructed to look like a growing tree. Perhaps the tree of Genesis 3, 22. tree of life. Perhaps it was constructed to look like this, to resemble the burning bush, already a part of God's people's story. But this lamp would be burning all the time and would provide light in an otherwise darkened tent. It's almost as if God is saying, I am a God of light who will shine in darkness. Or perhaps, as some scholars point to, since it's always burning, symbolizing God's presence, as the people of Israel encamped around it would be sleeping, God would be saying, I am still with you. I am the God who is with you when you sleep and when you wake. Now, again, these instructions may sound strange to us, but in addition to looking like a tree, this lampstand would have had seven lamps. You thought, You may think, well, I thought it was six, but three on one side, three on the other, one in the center, seven lamps. I wonder if the number seven has any important value for us. Look at verse 32, six branches shall come out of its sides, three and three, as well as verse 37, you shall make seven lamps for it. Matthew Poole, the Puritan of the 1600s, says that these seven lamps point to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Is there anywhere else in the Bible, by the way, where the number seven points to the Spirit? Turn over with me to the book of the Revelation, Revelation chapter four. Revelation chapter four and verse five. A picture of the throne room of heaven is given to us in Revelation chapter 4. There we read this in verse 4. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes, and they had the crowns of gold on their head. And from the throne proceeded lightning, thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Again, I commend to you our sermons years ago in the book of the Revelation. Doesn't need to be taken as seven different spirits, but as the manifold and complete presence of the Spirit of God. The number seven is the number of completion. There's one Holy Spirit, and He is an infinite, full Spirit worthy of worship and honor along with the Son and the Father, who is forever blessed, our Triune God. It's almost as if the Lord envisions that the furniture of His house is going to tell the people something about their journey, as well as point to expected things to come. It will involve things like paintings on the wall in our house that say to the world, hey, this is something we got when we were here. This is something that we got when we were there. But it also involves furniture items that point to the expectation. Think about that first time that you and your spouse picked out a table. Maybe it was in your poverty days where all you could afford was one table and two chairs. But you had in view the idea that one day this table would be filled with people, perhaps children, grandchildren, friends from church. You have in view in that moment the idea that the furniture points to something that you expect to come. God's house has furniture which points the people of Israel to memories, but also to that which is to come. And that which is to come, boys and girls, that which was in the mind of God was that all of this, the furniture and the tent, would ultimately point this people in expectation to Jesus, who would be the true tabernacle, who would come and dwell. God would literally take his presence have it dwell among his people, a light in the darkness. Wouldn't you love to just open John chapter one, where it's almost as if tabernacle language is used. The light shines in the darkness. Hmm. We've seen that before. God tabernacles among us. Hmm. Have we seen that before? It's almost as if this tent and all of its furniture preaches Jesus is coming. And my table will be full, God says, of people from every nation and tribe and tongue who will be blood-covered people. Well, what do we do then? The furniture, it's interesting. Helps us to think about Jesus who is to come, perhaps. But we're new covenant people. We don't have a tent and furniture in our midst anymore that God has prescribed. But I think there are some lessons for us, and so let's close with those lessons. Let me give you just four. The first is this. Just as God did for them, he does for us now. He lovingly provides reminders of his presence among his people. Think about this tabernacle. There's food regularly there with a table, light, a place where God says, you're going to meet with me. He labored on this issue last week. I don't want to labor too long on it again, but this whole endeavor was God saying in this old covenant way, In an incomplete way that will be fulfilled in Christ, I will dwell with you. And I'm even going to give you reminders of my presence. Light, bread, an ark of the covenant. But a second lesson for us is this. God graciously allows his people to contribute to his gathering place. Now think about this. This might have been a weary people. They've just gathered around the mountain, thunderings and lightning claps. Moses, you go speak with God because if we do, we will die. Moses is now up on the mountain, they're waiting. And the instruction is, I want you to go down there and I want you to tell them that they can offer out of what they have. To me, offerings and sacrifices to construct the place where I will. Tabernacle with them. You know. The Lord God still does that today, and I'm not talking simply about your ties and offerings to a local church, although, yes, perhaps that is something that is related as well. But what is the church? It's not this building. Or any other church building of any true church that dots the landscape of this globe. Oh, Christ said his church is his body and he's going to take people and he's going to make arms and legs and toes and feet and ears. He is the head. We are his body, and God actually uses us and our meager efforts in his work, doesn't he? Dwells in our midst. And if all of these walls and this roof were to be torn down tomorrow, We hope that doesn't happen. But if it were, there would still be a church. And we might meet outside, we might meet in a hotel room or a local elementary school, and there gathered would be Christ's temple, his people. And think what happens in our midst throughout our week and months and years of our life together. People are donating, aren't they? They're donating their time, they're donating their encouraging words, they're donating their money, they're donating their gifts and talents unto the Lord. God is taking willingly from his people whatever they have, that his people might be his true and ultimate temple. Don't think too meagerly about what an opportunity we have to serve the living God through our lifestyle of giving. Yes, giving of money. giving of our words and our talents. And think about how the living Christ has literally cared for you from the moment that you've been saved to this present day through the lives and lips and hearts and hands of other people. There's a type, if you will, here. I want you to tell the people of Israel, take from all your stuff and you're going to construct me a house and furniture. Now, what does he say to the church? My son, my king on Mount Zion has built a church. I'm going to gather from you resources that my name may be hallowed in your midst week in and week out. You might think I'm just a simple sinner saved by grace, and yet God not only has saved you, he's given you the opportunity to take from the gold, silver, bronze, and badger skins of your life that his people might be encouraged by his words and the temple that is his church. But there's a third lesson here. And that's a lesson that's going to become important for us over the next few chapters. God regulates how his meeting place is constructed. Notice all the times that I had to say the word cubits, certain numbers, certain measurements. God was very specific. Now there were better carpenters in Israel than myself, thankfully. But they would take this data and they would say, this is exactly what this box, this cover, this table, this lamp is to look like. God prescribed every last detail of it. He collected from the people, they took all of this stuff, the craftsmen made it according to God's design. Brothers and sisters, it is the same today. But it's a spiritual worship now, isn't it? God actually regulates what his church and his church's worship is to look like. His pattern is different, we're not making boxes and lampstands anymore. But what we do when we gather and who we are by his command is something that he regulates. During the Reformation, this came to be known as the regulative principle of worship. We gather on the day which He prescribes for us. We do what He has told us to do, but we're not worried about cubits in a box anymore. We're worried about singing, and praying, and preaching, and sacraments, and confessing of the faith. You might think to yourself, I really like this Grace Baptist Chapel, but we kind of do the same thing every week. Different songs, different verses, different sermon text, but it's the same thing. Pastor Ryan gets up there, he does this. Or one of the elders gets up there and they do this. And then we sing these songs and then we... It's what God asks us to do. The cubits and inches and measurements of God's house here is what he regulates. But what's interesting is that this people was told to collect. Soon there's going to be another collection. And it's going to involve gold. But that collection is going to be a problem, isn't it? We'll get there, Lord willing, but Exodus 32, Moses is delayed from coming down the mountain and people get bored, don't we? People gathered together to Aaron and said, come, make us gods that we shall go before us. For as to this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Don't we like that so often? God dwells in our midst, he's doing powerful things in our midst. And in a manner of weeks, months, just a few years, we're ready for other gods. And Aaron said to them, break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me. So all the people, they had a collection. All the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and he fashioned it with an engraving tool and made a molded calf. Then they said, This is your God, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt. So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow is a feast to your English translation is going to say the Lord. And that's a perfect translation. But the underlying word here would be Yahweh. I want you to understand it wasn't as though the people said we need a completely different God. Let's do another thing. Take a collection new God. It's we're going to take up a collection and we're going to image God in ways that he hasn't prescribed for us. We're going to worship Yahweh with our collection according to our minds. I. That's a feast to Yahweh. Aaron intends to lead these people in praising Yahweh, but not according to the way that God had told them. What's the very last verse of chapter 25? And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. Oh beloved, there are many ways that the Lord uses our gifts and talents and personalities to serve him throughout the week, to sing his praise in family worship, to read books, to share with our friends. But when we tabernacle on his day with Christ in our midst, he is the one that determines the cubits of our praise. Well, a final lesson for us and one with which we will close is this. As it relates to the furniture then, and as it relates to Christ now in the new covenant, God is met. God meets with his people under a blood-covered covenant. Where does he meet with them? Well, he meets with the people's representatives because not all of them could go in, which is why it's so precious that the book of Hebrews tells every single Christian, run in boldly to God's throne room. You ever thought about that? We take that for granted. I'm a Christian. I have access to God. Yes, you do. A few selected people would have had access to God on behalf of the people in that very special place, that holy of holies. But where would he meet with them? Verse 22 of Exodus 25. And there, the mercy seat, the place of atonement, the place where blood would be poured out. Leviticus 16. That is the place. or he meets with his people. In other words, God is saying to Moses, through Moses to the people, I will meet you under the blood. I will meet you under the blood. There my covenant demands will be sprinkled with sacrificial blood. Brothers and sisters, is that not where we have come in Christ? It's no longer a place with a box and beautiful carved angels. It's in Christ. He is our mercy seat. He is the priest who pours out blood, and the blood happens to be his own. And he covers God's demands with his own blood. And there, the triune God meets with you. And I know that it's not a tent, and I know that it's not a box. It's so much better, but sometimes physical items help us, don't they? It is as if Jesus has been put in your path, Christian, so that you may hear, this is where I meet with you. You want to know where God is in your suffering? In Christ for you. You want to know where God is in the moments of your great joys? In Christ, right in front of you. God has placed his tabernacle right in front of you and says to you and says to the corporate church, this is where I meet with you. the blood of Christ, the mercy seat, the tabernacle. You see, Christ is the true and better ark, the true and better mercy seat, the true and better priest, the true and better blood. It is all of Christ. And here's the reality, friend. Some of you have come into this place today, and you think you're okay. Because after all, you're a decent human being. You don't really seem to hate your neighbor. You don't do all the bad stuff that your coworkers have done. And yet God is saying to you, I will only meet with you because of your sins, your defilement, your rebellion against me, your hatred openly, or perhaps more subtly, your hatred of me. I will only meet you at the mercy seat. You are off constructing your own furniture of this world, your own tent to meet with God, and God says, this is my tent. Where is your tent, O Lord? It is Christ. John, chapter one. He tabernacles among us, I will only meet. You are only fit to meet with me if you're under the blood. Have you come to Christ, friend? Which tent are you in? What furniture are you building? Because the living God has placed his light, his bread, his blood, and his covenant in Christ for you. Come. We sing a hymn written in the 1700s. I love the title. Dear Refuge, dear refuge of my weary soul. The fourth verse, we've sung it together before in this very room, says this. Thy mercy seat is open still. Here, let my soul retreat. With humble hope, attend thy will and wait beneath thy feet. Thy mercy seat is open still. Here, let my soul retreat. With humble hope, attend thy will. and wait beneath thy feet. The hymn writer is essentially using the imagery of this passage to say, now in Christ, the weary soul finds refuge, not in a tent in the Middle East, but in Christ. The furniture of a person's house tells us a lot about that person. What they want us to know about them and what they envision will happen in the future. God's house, his tent in the desert, told this people about what God had done in the past for them and what he was ultimately going to do when he sent his son to be a ransom for anyone who would come. Let's pray. Now, oh, Lord, we pray that as we think on these things, Christ's precious presence That's the very tabernacle of God, the mercy seat, the place where you meet with your people is on our hearts and minds. We pray that you would strengthen us by your grace and meet with us even here now in Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.