Into The Holy of Holies March 8, 2015 Sermon #670

Into The Holy of Holies

INTRODUCTION: Last Sunday I taught on the “passage of praise” through worship and into the Holy of Holies. I told the congregation that Psalm 12-134 were the steps Psalm or Psalms of Accent…that the Hebrew word to praise and the word to play came from the same route. 

Psalm 150:1-6(NKJV) – 1Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 3Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

ILL: Praise is the foreplay toward a conception!

I. The Court of the Temple

Exodus 38:1-8(NKJV) – 1He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits. 2He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze. 3He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze. 4And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar, under its rim, midway from the bottom. 5He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles. 

6And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. 7Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards. 8He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

A. The Altar of Bronze was where the sacrifice was made - The Cross!

Hebrews 9:16-22(NKJV) – 16For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, ”This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”  21Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

B. The Bronze Sea was the sign of the Holy Spirit! 

Exodus 38:8(NKJV) – 8He made the Laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

C. The “Table of Showbread” was the communion of the 12 tribes

Exodus 37:10-16(NKJV) – 10He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.

D. The “Lamp Stand” was the light

Exodus 37:17-24(NKJV) – 17He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 19There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 

20And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. 22Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.

E. The “Table of Incense” was prayer

Exodus 37:25-29(NKJV) – 25He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 29He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.

II. The Ark of the Covenant

Exodus 37:1-9(NKJV) – 1Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 

7He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

What was inside the Ark?

1. Gold Pot of Manna - God’s provision

2. Rod of Aaron - God’s Authority

3. Tables of the 10 Commandments - God’s Law

Conclusion: All were covered by the blood - God’s Grace!