This article continues our study of the realities in the gospel foreshadowed in the Tabernacle and the laws in Leviticus. We are still “in the Outer Court”, looking at the altar offerings and the laver. The last article showed that Christ is our sin offering.
Without the camp. Sin offerings were carried without the camp and burned:
“And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt… And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation” (Lev 4:11-12, 21; cf. 6:11; 8:17; Exod 29:14; Lev 9:11; 16:27).
Hebrews explicitly connects Jesus’ sacrifice with this ritual:
“We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Heb 13:10-14).
The exhortation for us is clear: we must go unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach, for there is nothing permanent in our present lives, so we seek the coming of the everlasting city, the new Jerusalem, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Voluntary, freewill offerings. Burnt offerings and peace offerings were voluntary, freewill offerings:
“If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD” (Lev 1:3; cf. 22:18).
“And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will… And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will” (Lev 19:5; 22:29; cf. 22:21, 23).
The substance behind this shadow is Christ’s willing offering of himself:
“As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep… Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:15, 17-18).
Jesus gave up his own will that God’s will might be done. He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt 26:39). Following this pattern, he taught his disciples to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:9b-10). So we sing, “Take my will and make it thine; It shall be no longer mine” (Hymn 163).
Whole burnt offering. All of the burnt offering was turned to smoke on the altar, representing complete dedication to the LORD:
“If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd… the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD… And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice… the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD” (Lev 1:3, 9, 10, 13).
The reality behind this pattern is the essence of the first and greatest commandment: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut 6:4-5).
In full obedience Jesus dedicated himself entirely to his Father: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psa 40:8; cf. Heb 10:5-10). “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2Cor 8:9). “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:6-8).
Jesus exhorts his disciples to following his example:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37).
Similarly, Paul echoes the language of the burnt offering: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph 5:1-2).
We commit ourselves to reflect these realities through the hymns we sing:
“When my love for man grows weak, When for stronger faith I seek, Hill of Calvary! I go To thy scenes of pain and woe. There behold his agony Suffered on the bitter tree; See his anguish, see his faith, Love triumphant still in death! Then to life I turn again, Learning all the worth of pain, Learning all the might that lies In a full self-sacrifice” (Hymn 222).
“Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee” (Hymn 163).
Peace offering. The peace offering was the only sacrifice that could be eaten by the offerer (Lev 7:11-21; Deut 27:7). Meal and drink offerings were also part of this meal of fellowship, which was a wonderful harbinger of the memorial of our Lord:
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:53-57).
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:26-28).
Paul and Luke draw out the connection to the peace offering: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1Cor 10:16; cf. Luke 22:17, 19). Here they are following the pattern of the peace offering: first the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled and then the flesh was eaten.
Sacrifice of thanksgiving. Peace offerings were a gesture of thanksgiving:
“If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried… Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings… And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning” (Lev 7:12-13, 15; cf. 22:29).
“What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD” (Psa 116:12-19).
“And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GoD” (Amos 4:5).
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, he gave thanks for the cup and for the bread:
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks <2168 eucharistio>, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves… And he took bread, and gave thanks <2168>, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me: (Luke 22:17, 19).
Consequently, the memorial service is sometimes called “the eucharist”, that is, “the giving of thanks”:
“Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks <2169 eucharistia>, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks <2168 eucharisteo> well, but the other is not edified” (1Cor 14:16-17).
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks <2168> always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:19-21; cf. Col 1:12-14; 3:12-17).
The laver. The washings in the laver foreshadow our baptism into Christ for the remission of sins. Ananias exhorts Saul, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16; cf. 2:38). This echoes David’s prayer: “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin… wash me, and I shall be whiter than the snow” (Psa 51:2, 7).
In this way, we have our consciences cleansed: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:14; cf. 9:9). “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22; cf. 10:2).
The laws of purification. Leviticus 11-17 was part of the Outer Court section of Leviticus. Lessons based on these laws are developed throughout the New Testament, as the following examples indicate:
- Food (Lev 11; Mark 7:18-23; Acts 10-11; Col 2:16; 1Tim 4:3-4).
- Childbirth (Lev 12; Luke 2:21-24; Gal 4:4-5).
- Leprosy (Lev 13-14; Mark 1:40-45 || Matt 8:1-4 || Luke 5:12-16).
- Issue of blood (Lev 15; Mark 5:25-34 || Matt 9:20-22 || Luke 8:43-50).
- Day of Atonement (Lev 16; Heb 9).
The tent of the Tabernacle: Jesus and his body
Now we enter into the tent of the Tabernacle, to see the reality behind the sanctuary where God dwelt, filled with His glory (Exod 25:8; 29:45-46; 40:34-38). The gospel of John testifies that Jesus was the reality behind the shadow:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth… For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:14, 17-18; cf. Exod 34:6-7; 33:20).
“Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:18-22).
This claim of Jesus to be a temple was twisted by the false witnesses at his trial (Matt 26:60-61; Mark 14:57-59) and by his revilers at the cross (Matt 27:39-40; Mark 15:29-30).
That the Lord would seek out people to dwell in was foretold by the prophet Isaiah:
“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa 66:1-2).
The reference to “this man” points to Jesus himself and those who make up his body. Believers, individually and collectively, are the temple of God:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1Cor 3:16-17).
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Cor 6:19-20).
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2Cor 6:16-18; cf. Lev 26:11-12).
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph 2:19-22).
These exhortations are powerful. We as individuals are to live holy lives because God is dwelling in us, and we as the collective body of Christ are to behave ourselves appropriately, because we are built up together as a holy temple, a habitation of God.
The Holy Place (Leviticus 18-24)
The first part of the Tabernacle was the Holy Place, which was restricted to the priests. It contained the Seven-branched Lampstand, the Table of Shewbread, and the Altar Incense. The Holy Place section of Leviticus contains the second greatest commandment: “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Lev 19:18; cf. Matt 22:39; Mark 12:31).
The truth casting these shadows is centered on the saints. Believers are made to be a royal priesthood:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ… But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1Pet 2:5, 9a; cf. Exod 19:6).
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5-6; cf. Rev 5:9-10 RV; 7:15; 20:6; Isa 61:6).
We willingly take on this responsibility when we sing of our consecration:
“Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of thy love; Take my feet, and let them be Swift and beautiful for thee. Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King; Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold; Not a might would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt chose. Take my will and make it thine; It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; It shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love; my Lord, I pour At thy feet its treasure store: Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee” (Hymn 163).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One