Exodus 26

35:4–29) We can give to God only that which He has first given to us, for all things come from Him. “Everything comes from you,” said David in his prayer, “and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chron. 29: niv).

Not only did God create the materials that the people brought to Him (Isa. 66:1–2), but He also worked in their hearts so that they were willing to give generously (see 2 Cor. 8:1–5, 12). In fact, the people brought so much that Moses had to tell them to stop (Ex. 36:6–7)!

Several different kinds of materials were needed: precious metals (gold, silver), bronze, fabrics (yarn, fine linen, and goat’s hair), wood, skins, olive oil, spices, and precious stones. It’s been estimated that a ton of gold was used in the tabernacle as well as over three tons of silver. Where did all this wealth come from? For one thing, the Jews had “spoiled” the Egyptians before leaving the land (12:35–36), and no doubt there were also spoils from the victory over Amalek (17:8–16). God saw to it that they had everything they needed to build the tabernacle just as He had designed it.

According to 30:11–16, Moses collected a half a shekel from each man of military age, and according to 38:21–31, all this silver amounted to 100 talents plus 1,775 shekels, a total of 301,775 shekels. (There are 3,000 shekels in a talent.) This came from 603,550 men who were twenty years of age and older. This silver was used to make both the sockets on which the posts stood and the hooks for the curtains.

God equips the workers (31:1–11; 35:30—36:7) Whether it’s for building the tabernacle in the Old Testament, building the church in the New Testament, or building our lives and ministries today, the Holy Spirit of God must equip us and enable us to do the job. God gave Bezalel and Oholiab the skill and wisdom they needed, but He also equipped the craftsmen who worked under them, and led by the Spirit, in obedience to the Word, they constructed the tabernacle and its furniture.

God appointed Bezalel and Oholiab to direct the work, for without leaders there would be chaos, but He called for craftsmen to volunteer to assist them (35:10). We are born with different abilities, and at conversion, we received different gifts from the Holy Spirit, to be used for the good of the church and the glory of God (1 Cor. 12:1–13; Eph. 4:1–16; Rom. 12). “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2: nkjv). The Jews built a tent that long ago turned to dust, but we’re helping to build “a habitation of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22) that will glorify God eternally.

God must be put first in everything (25:10–22; 37:1–9) There were six special pieces of furniture associated with the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant is mentioned first. A wooden chest forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high, it stood in the Holy of Holies where God’s “shekinah” presence rested. On it rested the golden mercy seat which was God’s throne (Ps. 80:1; 99:1; 2 Kings 19:15, all niv).

The ark had many names besides “the ark of the covenant” (Num. 10:33). It was called “the ark of God” (1 Sam. 3:3), “the ark of the Lord” (Josh. 3:15), “the ark of the Lord God” (1 Kings 2:26), “the ark of the testimony” (Ex. 25:22), because the tables of the law were in it, “the holy ark” (2 Chron. 35:3), and “the ark of [God’s] strength” (Ps. 132:8). The ark represented the power and authority of God in the camp of Israel, and this is why it’s named first. This is the Old Testament illustration of Matthew 6:33.

The ark also teaches us about Jesus Christ. It was made of wood, which speaks of His humanity, but was completely overlaid with gold, which speaks of His deity. According to Hebrews 9:4, within the ark were the tables of the law (Ex. 25:16), a pot of manna (16:32–34), and Aaron’s rod that budded (Num. 16— 17). These objects tell us that the law of God was in Christ’s heart and He perfectly obeyed and fulfilled it (Ps. 40:6–8; Heb. 10:5–9); He is the Bread of Life who gives eternal life to all who receive Him (John 6:32); and He lives by the power of an endless life so we can be fruitful for God (Heb. 7:16).

The golden mercy seat upon the ark had a cherub at each end and their wings overshadowed the ark. Once a year, on the day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices on the mercy seat (Lev. 16). This made atonement for Israel’s sins for another year (vv. 29–34). The fulfillment of this type was when Jesus Christ died once for all for the sins of the world and took away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:11—10:14).

Frequently in Scripture you find the image of finding safety “under His wings.” Sometimes this refers to the mother bird protecting her young (Ps. 57:1; 63:7; Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34), but it can also refer to being under the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies (Ruth 2:12; Ps. 17:8; 36:7–8; 61:4; 91:1, 4).

Moses was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies where God spoke to him from the mercy seat and revealed His will for the people of Israel (Ex. 25:21–22; 29:42; 30:6, 36; Num. 7:89; see Ps. 91:1). God’s people today have access into God’s presence through the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:19–25), for He is our “mercy seat” (propitiation, Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2). Because of His blood shed for us, the throne of God is for us a throne of grace.

The ark of the Lord and the pillar of cloud led the way as the Jews marched from place to place (Num. 10:33–36). In their pilgrim journey, the people of God get their directions from the throne of God and follow the glory of God.

God is present to nourish His people (25:23–29; 37:10–16) As the priest walked into the holy place from the outer court, on the right he would see the table of “presence bread,” on the left the golden lampstand, and ahead of him the golden altar of incense standing before the beautiful veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies.

The table was three feet long, a foot and a half wide and twenty-seven inches high. Like the ark, it was made of acacia wood covered with gold, another reminder of our Savior’s humanity and deity. Jesus is the Bread of Life who took upon Himself a human body that He might come to this earth and die for our sins (John 6:26).

Twelve loaves of bread were baked each week, following the recipe given in Leviticus 24:5–9. The text doesn’t explain how big these loaves were, but from the amount of flour required, they must have been quite large. It’s likely that the flour was provided by the people as a gift to the Lord. Each Sabbath, the old loaves were removed and eaten by the priests in the holy place, and the new loaves were put in their place.

When the bread was placed on the table, it was always accompanied by incense, which was probably burned in one of the special utensils (Ex. 25:29). The use of incense suggests that the bread was actually a “meal offering” to the Lord (Lev. 2:1–11) in thanksgiving to Him for “daily bread.” If the flour was a gift from the people, it was their sacrifice of thanksgiving to God for His provision for their needs.

The loaves are called “showbread” (Ex. 25:30) or “presence bread,” literally “bread of faces.” The presence of twelve loaves of bread in the holy place couldn’t help but remind the priests that they were serving the twelve tribes of Israel, God’s chosen people. Through these loaves, the twelve tribes were presented before God and God was present with them in their camp, beholding their worship and their daily walk. The tribes were also represented by the jewels on the breastplate and the shoulders of the high priest (28:6–21). When you combine the images of the jewels and the loaves, you learn that the Lord feeds His people, bears them on His shoulders, and carries them over His heart.

But there’s also a sense in which the loaves remind us that Israel was called to feed a hungry world the spiritual bread the Lord had given them. They gave the world the Word of God, which is bread (Matt. 4:4), and Jesus who is the Bread of Life (John 6). Unfortunately, they turned from the Lord and ate at heathen altars, and God had to discipline them.

Paul compared the church to a loaf of unleavened bread (1 Cor. 5:1–8; see 10:16–17), and our task is to preach the Word and tell sinners about Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Since the twelve loaves were considered a meal offering, there would have been no leaven in the dough (Lev. 2:1–11), and God’s people must keep themselves from all impurity. We aren’t here to feed ourselves; we’re here to feed a hungry world.

The loaves of bread were very special and were not to be eaten carelessly, even by the priests. Any priest who was defiled and ate the bread or any of the sacrificial meat that belonged to the priests, was in danger of death (Lev. 22:3–9).

God enlightens our worship and service (25:31–40; 27:20–21; 37:17–24; Lev. 24:1–3) The candlestick was hammered out of about seventyfive pounds of gold, but we aren’t told its dimensions. It was undoubtedly a beautiful work of art with its six branches decorated with almond flowers, buds, and blossoms. The six branches and the central shaft provided seven lamps which were fed by oil and kept burning constantly (Ex. 27:20–21; Lev. 24:1–4).

Since there was no way to let in natural light from the outside, the golden lampstand was the only source of light available in the holy place. Without it, the priests couldn’t have carried on their various ministries. God wants us to offer Him intelligent worship, not ignorant worship (John 4:19–24; Acts 17:22–31; Rom. 1:18–25), and to do that, we need the light of the Word of God to guide us (Ps. 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23).

Aaron and his sons were to trim the lamps each time they offered the incense on the golden altar (Ex. 30:7–8). We shall see later that the fragrant burning incense represents prayer ascending to God, and the Word of God and prayer must go together (Acts 6:4): Prayer is enlightened by the Word (John 15:7), and the Word is opened up to us as we pray (Ps. 119:18; Eph. 1:15–23). Both the study of the Word and the exercise of prayer must be energized by the Holy Spirit, who is symbolized by oil (the lampstand, Zech. 4:1–7) and fire (the altar, Acts 2:3–4).

But the candlestick also reminds us of the people of Israel, chosen by God to be “a light to the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6; 49:6). However, the lampstand wasn’t in the outer court of the tabernacle where everybody could see it, but in the holy place where only God and the priests could see it. How, then, does it symbolize Israel’s witness to the Gentiles? Israel’s relationship to God in sacrifice and worship determined the strength and extent of their witness. It was when they turned from the worship of the true and living God and began to worship idols that they lost their witness to the Gentile nations.

Jesus Christ also came to be a “light to the Gentiles” (Luke 1:79; John 8:12), and that light is spread through the witness of the church (Acts 13:47–48; Phil. 2:14–16; Matt. 5:14–16). In Revelation 1:9–20, our Lord stands in the midst of seven lampstands which represent the seven churches of Asia Minor in John’s day. In the tabernacle, there was one lampstand, beaten out of one talent of gold, representing the one nation of Israel and its witness. Though the church is one people, it spreads the light through many individual assemblies in many places in the world.

The lights in the seven lamps on the lampstand were fed by oil that was especially prepared for that purpose (Ex. 27:20–21). Just as the people brought the fine flour for the baking of the loaves, so they brought clear oil for the maintaining of the lights on the lampstand (Ex. 25:27–28; 35:10, 14). Zechariah 4:1–4 informs us that this oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit of God, without whose power we can’t glorify Christ (John 16:14) or effectively witness of Him (Acts 1:8). “Without Me,” said Jesus, “you can do nothing” (John 15: nkjv).

What was done by the priests in the sanctuary was done for the Lord (Ex. 28:1, 3–4, 41; 29:1) and before the Lord (27:21; 40:25; Lev. 24:4). It mattered not that the people in the camp were ignorant of what the priests were doing, because God saw it all, and their task was to please Him. The most important part of a Christian’s life is the part that only God sees. If God is pleased by what He sees, and our conscience is clean before Him, then we don’t have to worry about what people think or say about us (1 Cor. 4:1–5). He will accept our ministry and bless it.

We have three more pieces of tabernacle furniture to study: the incense altar; the laver; and the brazen altar. Then we want to look at the tabernacle structure itself, the framework, the coverings, and the veils. As we study, our emphasis will continue to be on the God of the tabernacle and what He does for His people.

God hears the prayers of His people (30:1–10, 34–38; 37:25–29) The altar of incense was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and was a foot and a half square and three feet high. It was the tallest piece of furniture in the holy place. It had an ornamental gold rim (“crown”) around the top and golden “horns” at each corner. It stood before the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the holy place, and the priest burned incense on it each morning and evening when he trimmed the lamps.

In the Bible, burning incense is often a picture of prayer. “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense,” David prayed (Ps. 141:2), and John saw the elders in heaven with “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8; see 8:3–4). Whenever the priest burned the incense, it was a call to the people for a time of prayer (Luke 1:8–10).

The fire for burning the incense came from the brazen altar where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12–13; Num. 16:46). This suggests that true prayer must be based on the work of Christ on the cross and on our complete dedication to God. A true fervency in prayer isn’t a religious emotion we work up ourselves; rather, it’s a blessing that God sends down as we yield ourselves to Him. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.” Coldhearted praying is not effective praying (James 5:16).

In order to please God and not be in danger of death, the priest had to use not only the right fire on the altar but also the prescribed mixture of spices for the incense (Ex. 30:34–38). Nadab and Abihu tried to worship God with “false fire” and were killed (Lev. 10). Any Israelite who tried to duplicate this special incense for his own personal use would be cut off, which could mean death.

Prayer isn’t simply a jumble of words we mix together with the hope they’ll be heard by God and answered. The Bible names some of the “ingredients” of prayer—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, petition, submission (1 Tim. 2:1; Phil. 4:6)—and even gives us a pattern to follow (Matt. 6:5–15). You can be sure that the priest didn’t rush into the tabernacle, quickly burn the incense, and then rush out. No, he prepared himself and reverently approached the altar, knowing that he was in the presence of the holy God.

Because of the work of Christ on the cross, believers today can go through the veil into the very presence of God, and there present their worship and petitions in the name of Jesus (Heb. 10:19–25). Our living, reigning Priest-King, Jesus Christ, is interceding continually for us in heaven (Rom. 8:33–34; Heb. 4:14–16; 7:19–28), and the Holy Spirit also intercedes in our hearts (Rom. 8:26–27). While it’s good to open and close the day with special prayer, as the priests did, it’s also good to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and stay in communion with the Lord all during the day.

The priests were warned not to use this golden altar for anything other than burning incense (Ex. 30:9), for there are no substitutes for prayer. No amount of sacrificing can take the place of true praying. The golden altar wasn’t a place for making bargains with God or trying to change His mind (James 4:1–4; 1 John 5:14–15). It was a place for adoring Him and praying, “Thy will be done.”

It’s worth noting that the special incense had to be “salted” (Ex. 30: niv), for salt is a symbol of purity and of a covenant relationship (Lev. 2:13). “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Ps. 66: nkjv). We’re commanded to lift up “holy hands” as we pray, and to remove “anger or disputing” from our hearts (1 Tim. 2: niv). If God killed every believer today who didn’t pray as He has ordered, how many of us would survive a prayer meeting?

Once a year, on the day of Atonement, the priest had to apply blood to the incense altar in order to make it ceremonially clean before God (Ex. 30:10). Even in our praying we can sin!

God receives His people’s sacrifices (27:1–8; 38:1–7) When a worshipper came to the tabernacle to offer a sacrifice, the first thing he met was a white linen fence, 150 feet long and seventy-five feet wide, that surrounded the tabernacle and created a courtyard area where the priests ministered. The tabernacle proper stood at the west end of this courtyard, and at the east end was a thirty-foot entrance to the enclosure. Here the priests met the people who came to offer sacrifices and examined each animal carefully to make sure it was acceptable. The worshipper would put his hand on the animal’s head to identify with the offering (Lev. 1:1–9), and then the priest would slay the animal and offer it on the brazen altar according to the regulations given in Leviticus 1—7.

There was only one entrance to the enclosure and therefore only one way to get to the altar of God. When God puts up a fence and assigns the way in, nobody has the authority to question it or change it. Jesus claimed to be the only door (John 10:9) and the only way to God (14:6), which explains why Peter said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: nkjv). In today’s pluralistic society, many people like to think that every way is acceptable to God, but that attitude leads to death (Prov. 14:12; 16:25; Matt. 7:13–27).

The brazen altar was a hollow “box,” seven and a half feet wide and four and a half feet high, made of acacia wood covered with bronze. In Scripture, bronze is often identified with judgment (Num. 21:4–9; Deut. 28:23; Rev. 1:15). Two and a half feet from the top, inside the “box,” was a bronze grating on which the priests kept a fire burning (Lev. 6:8–13) and through which the ashes of the wood and the sacrifices fell. Because they were part of offerings dedicated to God, these ashes were considered ceremonially clean and were collected on the east side of the altar. Regularly, the priests carried these ashes outside the camp to a clean place (1:16; 4:12; 6:10–11).

Unlike the golden altar of incense in the holy place, the brazen altar was a place of bloodshed and death, for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9: niv). If a sinner could manage to enter the tabernacle courtyard and wash in the laver, that wouldn’t save him, nor would he be forgiven if he entered the holy place and ate the bread or burned the incense. The way into the presence of God began at the brazen altar where innocent victims died for guilty sinners. In short, the brazen altar takes us immediately to Calvary where the Son of God died for the sins of the world (Matt. 26:26–28; John 1:29; 3:14–16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24).

Each morning, the priests were to offer a burnt offering on the brazen altar (Ex. 29:42–43), a picture of total dedication to the Lord (Lev. 1). That would be a good way for each of God’s children to begin the day, presenting ourselves in total dedication to God as “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1–2).

Preachers and evangelists sometimes invite people in their congregations to “come to the altar,” but there are no altars on earth that are ordained of God or acceptable to God. Why? Because the death of Jesus Christ took care of the sin problem once and for all (Heb. 9:25–28). No more sacrifices can be or should be offered. The Lord’s Supper (Communion, Eucharist) is a reminder of His sacrifice, not a repeat of His sacrifice.

The only “altar” believers have today is Jesus Christ Himself who bears on His glorified body the wounds of the cross (Heb. 13:10; Luke 24:39; John 20:20). As a holy priesthood, believers “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2: nkjv, italics mine). We present to Him our bodies (Rom. 12:1–2), our material wealth (Phil. 4:18), praise and good works (Heb. 13:15–16), and a broken heart (Ps. 51:17).

God wants His people to be clean ( 30:17–21; 38:8) In the tabernacle courtyard, the laver stood between the brazen altar and the tent, and the priests and Levites had to stop there regularly to wash their hands and feet. If they entered the tent or served at the brazen altar without first washing, they were in danger of death.

The Lord didn’t specify either the size or shape of the laver, nor do the instructions say anything about how it was carried when the nation was moving to a new location. The size and shape of the laver wasn’t the important thing; it was the contents of the laver that really mattered. It held clean water, and the supply was replenished all day long by the Levites.

In Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37–39), while water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; Eph. 5:25–27). The laver, then, typifies the Word of God that cleanses the mind and heart of those who receive it and obey it (John 17:17). The fact that the laver was made out of the bronze mirrors of the Jewish women (Ex. 38:8) is evidence that it typifies God’s Word, for the Word of God is compared to a mirror (James 1:22–26; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Under the Old Testament economy, there were three ways to achieve ceremonial cleansing: by water, by fire, or by blood. We are cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross, and when we confess our sins, that blood cleanses us (1 John 1:5—2:2). But when we disobey God, our hearts and minds are defiled by sin (see Ps. 51), and it’s the “washing of the word” (Eph. 5:26) that restores us.

But the Old Testament priests became defiled, not by sinning against God but by serving God! Their feet became dirty as they walked in the courtyard and in the tabernacle (there was no floor in the tabernacle), and their hands were defiled as they handled the sacrifices and sprinkled the blood. Therefore, their hands and feet needed constant cleansing, and this was provided at the laver.

When He was with them in the Upper Room, our Lord taught His disciples this same lesson by washing their feet (John 13:1–15). When we trust Christ to save us, we’re “washed all over” (v. 10; 1 Cor. 6:9–11) and don’t require another bath, but as we go through life, our feet get dirty and we need to be cleansed. If we aren’t cleansed, we can’t have fellowship with the Lord (John 13:8), and if we’re out of fellowship with the Lord, we can’t enjoy His love or do His will. When we confess our sins, He cleanses us, and when we meditate on the Word, the Spirit renews us and restores us.

Twice David prayed, “Wash me” (Ps. 51:2, 7), and God answered that prayer (2 Sam. 12:13). But Isaiah told the sinners of his day, “Wash and make yourselves clean” (Isa. 1: niv), which suggests that we need to clean up our own lives and put away the things that defile us. Paul had this in mind when he wrote, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).

For the priests, washing in the laver wasn’t a luxury; it was a necessity. Keeping themselves clean was a matter of life and death!

God wants His people to appreciate and enjoy His blessings (26:1–37; 27:9–19; 36:8–38; 38:9–20) “Honor and majesty are before Him,” wrote the psalmist; “strength and beauty are in His sanctuary” (Ps. 96:6). The strength of His sanctuary is revealed in its construction, and the beauty is revealed in its adornment.

Strength. The tabernacle proper was a solid structure over which the beautiful curtains were draped. Twenty boards of acacia wood, fifteen feet high and twenty-seven inches wide, overlaid with gold, formed the north and south walls, and eight similar boards formed the west wall. Each of these boards stood on two silver bases made from the shekels (“redemption money”) collected from the Jewish men of military age. Since the structure stood on the uneven ground, these bases were necessary for stability and security. God’s sanctuary didn’t rest on the shifting sands of this world but on the solid foundation of redemption. The fortyeight boards were further strengthened by four long rods (cross-bars) that ran through golden rings on each board.

At the east end of the tabernacle stood five posts on which a linen curtain hung, beautifully embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. This was the door into the holy place. Some students believe that a rod ran straight through the boards of the north and south walls, connecting them to the end pillars and adding even more stability to the framework.

Beauty. Gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white are the major colors used in the hangings and coverings of the tabernacle. The linen fence around the sacred area was white, reminding us of the holiness of God. The thirty-foot gate at the east end of the tabernacle was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet against the white background. Blue is the color of the sky and reminds us of heaven and the God of heaven. Purple is the royal color that speaks of the King, and scarlet makes us think of blood and the sacrifice of the Savior.

The holy place and Holy of Holies were covered with four different coverings (curtains) that draped over the walls and hung down to the ground. People looking at the tabernacle would see the leatherlike outmost covering composed of badgers’ skins (“sea cows,” (niv), which protected the other coverings as well as the tabernacle proper and its furnishings. Beneath that protective covering was a curtain of rams’ skins dyed red, then a fabric woven of goats’ hair, which may well have been black, and last of all a beautiful covering of fine linen embroidered with cherubim in blue, purple, and scarlet. Between the holy place and the Holy of Holies, the veil hung from golden clasps, supported by four pillars. It was embroidered with cherubim in white, scarlet, blue, and purple. Hebrews 10: says that this veil typifies the body of Christ, for when His body was offered on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). Some students see a parallel between the four gospels and the four pillars that supported the veil with the four colors. Purple speaks of royalty—the gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of the King. Scarlet reminds us of sacrifice—the Gospel of Mark, the gospel of the Suffering Servant. White speaks of the perfect Son of Man—the gospel of Luke, and blue points to heaven—the gospel of John, the gospel of the Son of God who came from heaven to die for our sins. Appreciation. No matter how common the tabernacle may have appeared to outsiders, everything within the sanctuary was costly and beautiful, and it all spoke of the Savior who the people of Israel would give to the world. Godly believers in the Old Testament realized the treasures they possessed in God’s house. Listen to David’s testimony: One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple (Ps. 27:4). Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells (26: nkjv). We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple (65: nkjv). And the sons of Korah wrote: How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. … Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will be still praising You (84:1–2, 4 nkjv). What Old Testament believers had in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, God’s people today have in Jesus Christ. The furnishings and the ceremonies point to Christ and reveal the many glorious aspects of His character and the salvation He gives to all who trust Him. Every spiritual need of the Jewish people was met in the provisions of the tabernacle, and in Jesus Christ we have everything that we need “for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Any approach to the Christian life that adds anything to the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture is not the right approach. All fullness dwells in Christ (Col. 1:19) as well as all the fullness of the Godhead (2:9). In Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (v. 3), and we must “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (3: nkjv). In Christ God’s people have every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), and He is all they need. To the believers who loved God and wanted to please Him, the holy sanctuary was the source of food and drink for their souls. “Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings [the Holy of Holies]. They feast on the abundance of your house” (Ps. 36:7–8). In like manner, believers today feast on Jesus Christ and find in Him all the satisfaction they need.