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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Overcoming
the Enemies
of Health
THE TABERNACLE
GOLDEN ALTAR
Lesson
11
Exodus 30:1-9 NKJV. "You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width; it shall be square; and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.
The golden altar was eighteen inches square, KJV calls it four square. The four corners have often been labeled as Saviour, Baptizer, Healer, and Soon Coming King. It was thirty six inches high, made of acacia wood, then overplayed with gold. There were gold rings for the poles overlaid with gold to go through to carry the altar.
The golden altar had a two fold meaning, it spoke of Jesus our great high priest now seated at the right hand of the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us, Hebrews 7:25. It also spoke of prayer, praise and worship, for it held the holy incense that was burning continually before the presence of God.
Both the lamp stand and the incense on the golden altar were lit by coals of fire that were brought from the brazen altar. Jehovah Himself, ignited the brazen altar with fire from heaven. The fire was to burn continually. When Israel was on the march, coals were taken from the brazen altar and carried in utensils to the next campsite, these coals were then used to start the next fire. God's fire from the altar of sacrifice is the only fire that He will allow to light the altar of prayer, praise and worship. Worship that is based upon any foundation other than the crucified and risen Christ, will result in eternal death.
Lets trace a day in the life of a believer priest. The believer priest enters the outer court with a sacrifice, he walks to the laver, there he is stripped of his own garments and washed by the high priest, who pours the clear water over him from head to toe. He is then clothed in fine garments which have been dedicated to The Lord. After meditating upon his sins and upon the innocence of the animal to be slain. He lays his hand on the animal as if to transfer his sin to it. He then takes a knife and cuts the jugular vein of the animal. Some of the blood is caught in a basin. The carcass is dressed and placed on the grate of the brazen altar.
The believer priest is aware that it is not the altar that puts away sin, but the sacrifice that is upon it. He knows that the result of sin is death, and that God will accept the death of the innocent in place of the guilty.
Some of the blood of the lamb is placed on the right ear lobe, the right thumb and the right big toe of the believer priest. This is followed by a touch of the holy oil in the same places. The ears are now dedicated to God and have the right to hear from Him. The thumb has been anointed to indicate that the believer priest is to serve both God and man and the toe because the priest must walk a dedicated life before both God and man. The cleansing and the anointing is not something that the believer priest can do for himself, it is done for him by the high priest.
The high priest represents Jesus who is our high priest, He is the one who separated us, the believer priests, unto Himself and His service. First He applies the blood of the lamb to us and then the oil of the Holy Spirit.
After a fresh application of the water, the blood and the oil, the priest enters the Holy Place. The lamp must be attended to. The oil is replenished, the wick trimmed and fresh incense placed on the golden altar. Fragrance fills the Holy Place, and penetrates the veil into the Holiest of Holies. The garments of the believer priest become impregnated with the distinctive, sweet smell of the Holy Place.
After spending time in the Holy Place, the priest is ready to serve at the brazen altar, instructing those who come to confess their sins, to have faith in God's lamb. Teaching that the purpose of the altar is not to kill, but to trade lives. The innocent taking the place of the guilty, and the guilty taking the place of the innocent.
After ministering at the brazen altar, the believer priest moves once more to the laver, to inspect himself in it's polished surface. At the laver, he is able to see himself as God sees him. Any uncleanness that has been acquired while serving is made evident to him and he then takes the water and cleanses himself before he enters into the Holy Place.
The Holy Place is the place of communion and is full of light, the light that is supplied by the lampstand. When Jesus who is the light came into the world, men rejected that light. Because their deeds were evil, they tried to put out the light. They thought they had succeeded when they nailed Jesus to the cross. But they hadn't, God had moved the light into the holy place where it was only visible to those who believe.
In the glow of this light the believer priest, after a day of service, moves first to the lampstand. Here he replenishes the oil and checks the wick to see that it is properly positioned in the oil. Does it need to be trimmed?
After checking the wick he moves once more to the golden altar to place a fresh supply of fragrant incense upon the coals. Incense upon the altar speaks of prayer, praise and worship. Hebrews 13:15, through Jesus, our altar, let us offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks. Psalms 141:2 says, "Let my prayer be set before thee as incense" Revelation 5:8 says that there are twenty four bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints before God. In heaven the angel of God stands over the altar of God with a golden censer full of incense that he mingles with the prayers of all the people of God. The fragrance of the incense is in the presence of God. According to Hebrews 7:25, Jesus our high priest ever lives to make intercession for us. He takes our prayers, praise and worship, mingles it with heaven's incense and presents it to God.
The golden altar stood just before the entrance to the Holiest of Holies. The veil that separated the two compartments was made of linen and had embroidered upon it two cherubim. Cherubim were stationed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden, to keep people out. Even though the veil was made of linen, it might as well have been made of steel and operated by electronic instruments that clanged it shut. Moses was the only one who could enter with out exercising great caution. When the cloud descended on the tabernacle, Moses was instructed to enter because God wished to speak to him. All others feared to enter.
All of Israel's worship seemed to speak in loud tones of the separation of God from the ordinary worshiper. Only one tribe was permitted to camp closely around the tabernacle. Of that tribe only one family was allowed to enter the holy place and of that family only one man was allowed to enter the holy of holies.
Once a year, after great preparation and with much fear and trembling, the high priest lifted the veil and entered into the throne room of God. With him went the blood of the innocent substitute. Without the blood, no matter how elaborate the preparations, he could not stand in the presence of God and live.
Hebrews 10:1-24 NKJV. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God.'" Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will
we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, 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. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,..."
Today the veil has been rent and we can enter into the Holy of Holies with out fear. Because of the blood which Jesus shed once and for all and then carried into the heavenly Holy of Holies, we can enter boldly, with full freedom into the presence of God. For us, it is better than it was for Moses, He had to wait to be invited. We don't, the Father is always glad to receive us. So great is His salvation, we ought to rejoice and follow the daily plan of the priest of old. Starting our day washed in the word. Receiving a fresh application of forgiveness, a new touch from the Holy Spirit, a time of prayer, praise and worship. A day that is lived as unto Him, in service, and finished with Word, prayer, worship and praise.
Overcoming
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But, sometimes, we don't feel like offering prayer, worship and praise. Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are so bad, we don't feel like praising. When prayer, worship and praise are offered in the face of great problems, that is the highest form of faith. This kind of praise and worship is called "towdah" and it will break the circumstances. This is the kind of praise that Paul and Silas offered when they were in jail. The kind of praise that opened the bars and gave them freedom, Acts 16:25-26.
We are the chosen of God, a called out, peculiar people who are to show forth the praises of God. We have the assurance that Jesus will always be with us. We have been given much. Of those to whom much is given, much is required. Let me tell you about Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron's sons.
Aaron and his four sons had just undergone seven days of consecration, they were ordained to the priesthood. Aaron, who is the high priest, begins to offer the national sin and peace offerings. Then he raises his hands to the people and blesses them. Now, Moses and Aaron go into the tent of the meeting, come back out and again bless the people.
The Shekinah cloud of glory appears, fire comes from heaven and consumes the sacrifice. The people are shouting and many are "slain" in the Spirit. Aaron must have thought, glory to God, this is going to be some kind of a great meeting. There is a great throng of people with their sacrifices waiting to get to the altar. Aaron goes back in to minister before the Lord. While Aaron is inside, Nadab and Abihu decide to rearrange God's plan of worship. Maybe they thought that God's method was to slow to accommodate the crowd, anyway, they take strange fire (fire that was not from the brazen altar) put it into censers and add incense. The result was immediate, lightening came from heaven, and they died.
Aaron was mute with grief, Leviticus 10:3. Because he was sanctified and dressed in the garments of priesthood, he was not allowed to touch the bodies of his sons. Relatives were called in to tend to the burial. When Aaron and his other sons started to tear their clothes and bewail the deaths, Moses stopped them by saying "do not do that lest you bring wrath on all of the congregation, and also lest you die." Leviticus 8-10.
What Moses was saying to him was you have a responsibility to declare before the people, by your actions, that God is just and good and that they need not fear Him. To whom much is given, much is required.
Do you think that Aaron and his other two sons felt like ministering before the people and worshiping and praising God? At the moment they may have felt like "I don't want to do this anymore, let someone else have the honor of being priest." Seven days, that must have seemed very long, go by. The eighth day arrives. Time to enter the Holy Place with his remaining sons and partake of the communion meal. Time to remove the extra place settings from the table.
They were no doubt very tired in body and emotionally exhausted. Can you hear Aaron saying to the Father? "Oh, God, I have no appetite to eat of this meal, my body is weary and my heart is heavy. Surely, Lord, you would not wish me to pray, praise, and commune in this condition."
Can you hear the Fathers reply? " Take and eat Aaron, absorb my strength into your weakness. I do not ask you to partake because you are worthy, I ask you to partake, because you are needy."
Time spent at the golden altar will bring great joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. "Towdah," praise and worship in the midst of our circumstances will bring joy and it will also bring deliverance. At the golden altar we minister to God, we exalt Him because He is worthy of our praise.
There maybe someone reading this who needs a fresh touch of forgiveness, and a new application of the Holy Oil of God. If you want to hear from Him and walk before Him once more, this is the day.
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
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