Shadow to substance: The Tabernacle

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” - John 1:14

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” - Hebrews 9:11-12

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Key takeaway(s):

1. The tabernacle can be understood as an image of Christ.
2. We can gain a glimpse into God’s consistent method of propitiation (appeasing of God’s wrath) & expiation (removal of God’s wrath).
3. We are called to be a holy temple of God.

Overview:

This post is part 1 of a 3-part series of messages I had the pleasure of sharing at our 2010 church summer conference. The 2 additional components of this series overview the prophetic significance of The Jewish Feasts (click here to read) and Jesus in the Old Testament (click here to read).

One of the most amazing aspects of the Bible is when we encounter elements in the Old Testament that …

Christian Yoga = oxymoron

“The Outstretched philosophy is simple: we believe God will bless our sincere efforts at deepening a relationship with Him. He wants our fellowship and appreciates creative approaches to seeking His face. This is why Outstretched is dedicated to a Christ-centered pursuit of physical healing and spiritual growth through a practice of yoga.

This Christian approach to yoga simply allows us to combine these two essential goals: becoming physically healthy and spiritually healthy. We become more spiritually healthy through the yoga practice by calming our minds and quieting ourselves to the point that we can tune out the world’s frequency and tune into God’s frequency.”

The above text is a direct quote (emphasis added) from the first Christian yoga site that appears when I use Google to search “Christian Yoga”. As you read it, how do you feel? Apathetic? Troubled? Dismayed? Frustrated?

My reaction occurred in rapid fire succession as I read the aforementioned text:

• “Sincere efforts” - sounds like the post-modern emphasis of sincerity being a supreme virtue above God’s objective Truth, doesn’t it?
• “Creative approaches” - does this really work on Christians out there? Has God called us in accordance with Scripture to utilize creative approaches to seek Him or has He already delivered how we can accomplish this?
• “Christ-centred” - Seriously? Is this really Christ centred? Isn’t it as self-centred as Hinduism and Buddhism gets? Isn’t it about the “god” in ourselves? (notice the quote located on the book above). It also reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw expounding Hinduism’s

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What is the Abrahamic Covenant and its significance in history?

Question:

What is the Abrahamic Covenant and its significance in history?

Answer:

The Abrahamic Covenant is of utmost significance when it comes to our understanding of all human history and God’s plan of salvation. The unique mark of this covenant is found in the nature in which it was made and the resulting covenantal properties it held. A covenant is most often a bilateral agreement (between two parties) and can be formed in two principle constructs  –  conditional or unconditional. Another form (or subset) of an unconditional covenant is a unilateral covenant, which holds only one party obligated to fulfill its obligations in the agreement.

The term for covenant, berı̂yth [pronounced ber-eeth], originates from the Hebrew word bârâ’ [pronounced baw-raw’], which means “to cut”. The significance of this is found in the method in which covenants were oft entered into in the Jewish culture  –  by the cutting of an animal. To create a binding bilateral covenant, the two parties would bring the appropriate animals, cut them in half, and lay them on either side to create a pathway in the middle. Then both parties would walk through the newly created pathway, thus binding them to the agreement/covenant through the adherence of the terms therein.

With this foundation set, we can now look at Genesis 12:1-3 as the articulation of God’s covenant with Abraham and understand its nature as we look to the ceremony outlined in Genesis 15. In Genesis 12:1-3, we see the results of the covenant as a nation that is made and blessed with favour …