Today, we continue our look at the sprinkling of oil in the leper's ceremony. As you recall, we began the discussion of the furniture of the Tabernacle. We pick up today inside the Tabernacle a the fourth piece of furniture. (You might want to read Sprinkling - Part 1, if you have not.)
In front of the dividing curtain (veil) of the tent was the fourth piece of furniture. It was a small golden Altar used to burn the incense. Everything on this altar had to be in perfect order or it was not accepted by God. There was even a special mix of ingredients for the incense that could not be used anywhere else. Since this represented our prayers going up to the Father it is no wonder that the Spirit has the job of making intercession for us. There is no way we can communicate with God properly unless the Spirit helps. To be His child guarantees our Father will listen to us. Look what Jesus promised if we are right with him If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.(Matt 21:21,22) In America most people think God cannot do miracles because we don't see them being performed. They are looking at it wrong because there is absolutely no limit to the things God can do. The problem is with us because God said we must not doubt and of course we don't believe anything we cannot see or touch. In order to have a "faith that doubts not" a person must be so close to God that they think and behave just like the Master. Jesus had the Spirit of the Father in him and he did many miracles. It would be great to be in tune with God so that we could work the miracles of the Father in the world around us.
The golden Lamp Stand represents the need for our witness to other people of the Good News which we have received. The stand had seven oil lamps on it with a wick for each lamp. This is another example of oil being used in a multiple of seven. Jesus tells us that he is the truth and that we are his lights of truth in this world. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; (Phil 2:15) It is the Spirit that makes us a blameless light because in our natural flesh we always walk in darkness. These middle three pieces of furniture (table (discussed in Part 1), the Altar, and the lamp stand) were all in the same room and we are responsible to use them every day. Do not neglect the word of God, prayers or witnessing. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip...How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation. (Heb 2:1,3) A Christian must not let their salvation slip at any time. Not only is it important to keep ourselves ready to meet with God at any time but to be earnest about Jesus is the only way for us to be a light to the world.
No one could go through the veil into the most Holy Place without being killed by God. This inner room contained the golden Ark of the Covenant. This is the sixth piece of furniture and probably the most famous. It was a portable chest with beautiful carvings and totally covered in gold. Inside were placed the two tablets of commandments, a golden pot of manna, and Aaron's rod. This box reminded the people of God's covenant with them and His divine guidance. In the New Testament we find that in place of an ark we have the Holy Spirit. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. In Moses' day the children of Israel were led by the Ark which carried God's glory but they lived after the flesh and they died in the wilderness. God will use us in His plans if we abandon our natural desires and follow the leading of the Spirit. There is a glorious eternity waiting for His obedient children. We are aware that God also uses unsaved people in His plans but they receive no credit and their end is still Hell with all unrighteous people. God's Spirit is alive and well on earth today so why don't we let Him lead our life?
The seventh piece of furniture is actually part of the sixth. It is the lid to the ark and is called the Mercy Seat. There was a gold plate in the middle of the lid and two winged cherubs spreading their wings over the seat (plate.) It represented the grace of God and His glory actually show out from over the seat. And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat. (Heb 9:5) The parts all fit together just like God's care, guidance, mercy and glory are all parts of our Salvation. We are given the privilege of sharing in the glory of God but it costs us something. It sounds good to say that we must die while we still live but it simply means to give up the ways of this world in order to live for Jesus Christ. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor 4:11) Are we dying every day in order for the Spirit to manifest Jesus in us? Many church people are so much like the world that duplicating the life of Jesus is impossible. When the Spirit shines forth we will find our part in the glory of Jesus.
The old nature is a failure in all seven of these areas and this separates us from God. Each of the seven sprinkles (seen in the furniture) show an area of need in our life and the Spirit is able to bring us the provision of Jesus as the solution. Most people have felt a longing to be right with God and desire to have real peace in their life. This will happen when our faith in the invisible Savior becomes greater than our desire for earthly comfort. Jesus has addressed our impurity but we must humbly seek all that He has for us. Living a godly life must be received into our heart the same way we accept our Salvation. Our yearning to know God must compel us to live a holy life. The strength of this lifestyle will make it possible for us to love others. It is amazing the difference between a life of keeping everything for yourself and a life of giving to other people. There is no greater life than to live for God in the proper way and then someday to walk the streets of gold for eternity.
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