The Tabernacle
Lecture Three
Foundation and Basic Structure
NB: Normally in this series of studies, lecture three would deal with the meaning of and fulfilment in both our Lord Jesus and His Church of the four faces seen in Ezekiel’s vision, John’s revelation and on the standards of the encampment of Israel in the wilderness. This has, however, been dealt with in some detail in a separate series of studies, we will go straight on with the foundation and basic structure of the Tabernacle.
The Boards of The Tabernacle
Exodus 26:15-29 and 36:20-34. In a nutshell, the Boards of the Tabernacle represent the believers who constitute the church of Jesus Christ in this age of grace. Now 1 Cor 12:27 says that we are the Body of Christ and members in particular. Believers are the basic structure of the church, not bricks and mortar. 1 Pet 2:4-5., Eph 2:21, 2 Cor 6:16. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit – God no longer inhabits tents, buildings or cathedrals, but us, His people. We are the ones being “fitly framed together” as a glorious dwelling place for God. Several characteristics of these boards speak clearly to us today:
1. Made of Shittim wood. Another name for acacia wood. This tree grew in desert places, barely drawing enough from its barren surroundings to survive. It was known for being thorny. What a picture of us before we come to Christ. Scratching a living in desert places (not like the godly man of Psalm 1:1-3 who is like a tree planted by rivers of water) barely drawing enough to survive. And how true too that before Christ begins His work of grace in our hearts we are so often thorny!
2. Trees cut down. If the trees were to be used at all, they had to be cut down, removed from their place of barrenness. It could not remain there and still be used. It happened to Moses, to David, to Saul to Peter. When we come to Christ we have to make a clean break with the past, we have to be uprooted from the soil of the world and planted by the river of life. The best time to leave behind old things and unchristian habits is right at the beginning. Don’t mess around. Many have tried to patch up the old life/tree where it is and make it presentable. It never works, we must be cut down, stopped in our tracks, removed and replanted, it must be new life in Christ.
3. Boards were refined. The wild acacia tree would never be a carpenter’s choice for making beautiful wooden furniture! It is known for being knotty, and the trunk can often grow twisted and warped. It’s a bad choice, naturally speaking. But if the carpenter is Jesus of Nazareth! When we grow in the barrenness of the world, we end up with so many knots and twists in our lives. But God specialises in using the useless. 1 Cor 1:26-29. Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-4. The Lord straightens us out, heals us, sets us free, takes away the knots of fear and rejection. He smoothes over the gnarls of bitterness and anger, frustration and resentment. The finished boards end up looking so smooth, thanks to His gentleness (Ps 18:35) and compassion, kindness and forgiveness. In the building of the Tabernacle God gave special skills and anointings to certain ones and it is the same today. He gives certain ones special anointings to prepare the boards. There is also of course the Holy Spirit working with and through the Word of God and through
ones and it is the same today. He gives certain ones special anointings to prepare the boards. There is also of course the Holy Spirit working with and through the Word of God and through tered in the righteousness of Christ. The key to understanding these bars lies in understanding their original purpose in the structure.
The boards standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, still lacked something to hold them together and give the whole structure strength and stability. The boards were firm in the foundations, and couldn’t move from side to side, but could sway back and forward, coming out of alignment with each other. It would have also rendered the structure vulnerable to strong winds on the broadside. This is where the bars came in, they held the boards together in alignment, giving the whole structure strength and stability. There were five bars and I believe Ephesians 4 gives us their identity.
Verses 11 and 12 tell us that Christ has given five ministry gifts to His church – Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. Verses 13 and 14 tell us their purpose – to perfect the saints, so that the church is no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Verse 16 points out the end result, that we grow up into Him (maturity in Christ – maturity of the Body) fitly joined together.
I believe that God has given us these special ministry gifts – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – to help set things in order and keep them in order, to bring the saints into alignment with one another, reaching a maturity that gives stability and strength.
There are many Scriptures that speak not only of our need to be joined to each other, but to also be exposed to the five fold ministry gifts in the church. (1 Cor 12, Eph 2:20-22, Heb 13:7,17 etc). It is vital that believers be exposed to the maturing, stabilising, encouraging ministries of the five fold gifting, just as the boards were exposed to the bars – joined by rings. A pile of bricks only becomes a house when fitly framed together. It is one reason why as pastor of the church I often consider carefully the ministries the folk are being exposed to, and there are times I will call in known prophets, apostles, evangelists and teachers, that in being exposed to all, we might progress towards unity, stability and maturity.
One interesting question concerns the format of the five bars. Did all five stretch across all boards, or did the middle one only cover all and the other four were shorter? Some have proposed that the fifth bar “shooting through the middle” actually went literally through the middle of the bars, through holes! I think that might have weakened the boards and the basic structure. Whatever the answer, the principle is the same.
