Transcript PPt - Old Testament Worship

Texts
Old Testament Worship
• Worship in the Old Testament started
out as private or family worship. The
first incident mentioned is that of Cain
and Abel (Genesis 4). By the time of
the exodus and the Law given at Mt.
Sinai, the emphasis became national
and ceremonial.
• This is true for the Israelites, and so
little record is given for the Gentile
world that it is difficult to come to any
conclusions about them.
• Hints are given along the way for
Gentiles, and perhaps one of the best
known outside of the Law of Moses is
that of Cornelius in New Testament
times. His prayers and alms went up
before God acceptably (Acts 10:1-4).
• Worship is universal. All human
persons have the innate desire to
worship something. Worship has its
root in the necessity of the human
soul to recognize something or
somebody greater than one’s self.
• It may be the God of heaven, it may
be any number of worldly interests, it
may even be one’s own self
judgments. In every person’s life, one
can find respect, devotion, honor, and
service paid to something.
• The basic idea of worship is service.
The English word comes from
“worthshipe” (Middle English), and
“weorthscipe” (Old English). A
common definition includes:
• “1 a. The reverent love and devotion
accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred
object. b. The ceremonies, prayers,
or other religious forms by which this
love is expressed…
• …2. Ardent devotion; adoration.”
(The American Heritage® Dictionary
of the English Language, Fourth
Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton
Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003.
Published by Houghton Mifflin
Company. All rights reserved.)
• Some basic ideas for the Hebrew
language include:
• caghadh, "prostrate," occurring in
Isa 44:15,17,19; 46:6, but rendered
(English Versions of the Bible) "fall
down." In Dan 2:46; 3:5-7,10,15,18,
28, it (Aramaic ceghidh) is "worship"
(English Versions of the Bible),…
• …7 times associated with "falling
down" and 5 times with "serve."
`abhadh, "work," "labor," "serve," is
rendered "worship" by English
Versions of the Bible in 2 Kings
10:19,21ff: "the worshippers
(servants) of Baal.“…
• …" In Isa 19:21the Revised Version
(British and American) has "worship
with sacrifice and oblation" (the King
James Version "do sacrifice"). Isa
19:23the King James Version has
"served,“…
• …the Revised Version (British and
American) "worship." `atsabh,
"carve," "fabricate," "fashion," is once
given "worship," i.e. "make (an object
of) worship" (Jer 44:19, the American
Revised Version margin "portray")….
• …The Old Testament idea is
therefore the reverential attitude of
mind or body or both, combined with
the more generic notions of religious
adoration, obedience, service.
(International Standard Bible
Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database
Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft)
• The basic worship of the Old
Testament shows monotheism among
the earliest persons, though
polytheism reigned later among the
Gentiles in the time of the Law of
Moses.
• It seems that prayers and offerings
were offered by the patriarchs, who
evidently were in charge of priestly
functions for their families. Wherever
they pitched their tents, they built
altars, simple mounds of earth and
stone, and the animals offered were
edible.
Cain and Abel
• “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep,
and Cain a worker of the ground. In
the course of time Cain brought to the
LORD an offering of the fruit of the
ground,…
• …and Abel also brought of the
firstborn of his flock and of their fat
portions. And the LORD had regard
for Abel and his offering, but for Cain
and his offering he had no regard.”
(Genesis 4:2-5 ESV, and all following
quotations)
• This incident is the first mention of
worship actions in the Old Testament.
Numerous questions arise:
•
1. How did Can and Abel know to
offer sacrifices?
•
2. Did they learn it from their
parents or directly from God?
3. Did they offer at the same spot?
•
4. Did they offer before their father
Adam as their priest?
•
5. If so, did Adam approve of
Cain’s offering?
• 6. Does the word “also” in reference
to Abel’s offering mean 2 offerings?
• 7. Was a harvest offering a thank
offering as in later times?
• 8. Was an animal offering, a blood
offering for sin?
• Further thought should be given to
additional scriptures:
• “Cain was very angry, and his face
fell. The LORD said to Cain, "Why are
you angry, and why has your face
fallen? If you do well, will you not be
accepted?...
• …And if you do not do well, sin is
crouching at the door. Its desire is for
you, but you must rule over it"
(Genesis 4:5-7).
• “By faith Abel offered to God a more
acceptable sacrifice than Cain,
through which he was commended as
righteous, God commending him by
accepting his gifts. And through his
faith, though he died, he still speaks”
(Hebrews 11:4-5).
• A very interesting statement is made
by the Lord to Abel, “sin is crouching
at the door.” Scholars are divided as
to what this means.
• Some conclude that the Lord is
warning Cain about his course of life,
and if he continues in rebellion to
God, sin will continue to come
through the door of his life and heart.
Such a conclusion is reasonable if
that is what the word for “sin” means.
• However, more than 100 times in the
Old Testament, this Hebrew word for
“sin” is used to mean “sin offering”
(Adam Clarke, Vol. I, p. 59).
• If it is true in the case of Cain, then he
is told that he could yet offer a second
sacrifice, a bloody offering for sin, and
be acceptable to God.
• This lends credence to the idea that a
harvest offering was a thank offering,
while a bloody offering was a sin
offering. This bloody offering involved
the giving of a life.
• The little word “also” enters in (v. 4).
This suggests that Abel brought a
thank offering, and in addition, he
also brought a blood offering for sin.
• This may be lent additional proof in
the fact that the Greek word for “more
acceptable” (plei/ona – Hebrews 11:4)
refers to quantity, not quality. It
generally refers to “more…a greater
sum…several” (see Arndt & Gingrich,
p. 689).
• This can either mean Abel brought a
greater amount of what he offered, or
that he offered two kinds of offerings.
There is also the fact that Abel’s
offering as a blood offering demanded
the giving of a life.
• It demanded the whole animal, the
entire gift. Cain’s offering was only a
portion of his harvest. Some OT
students conclude that both Cain and
Abel offered bread offerings as the
harvest offering.
• Again, the fact that Abel offered by
faith requires that he had instruction
from God as to his offering. To do
something by faith is to do what God
instructs.
• Noah did all that God commanded
him in building the ark (Genesis 6:22),
yet he did it by faith (Hebrews 11:7).
Doing God’s commands is acting by
faith.
• This distinction, given so plainly in the
New Testament by implication,
indicates that Cain did not follow
God’s instructions. His offering was
not by faith, it was by his own
inclinations and desires.
• One must conclude that Old
Testament worship was highly
significant to God, as it indicated the
place that God was held in the minds
of men.
Nadab and Abihu
• Numerous blunders were involved the
mistakes of Nadab and Abihu, sons of
the High Priest Aaron, when they
burned incense before the Lord.
Most seem to pass lightly over the
incident as if strange fire were the
only problem.
• “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of
Aaron, each took his censer and put
fire in it and laid incense on it and
offered unauthorized fire before the
LORD, which he had not commanded
them….
• …And fire came out from before the
LORD and consumed them, and they
died before the LORD….
• …Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is
what the LORD has said, 'Among
those who are near me I will be
sanctified, and before all the people I
will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his
peace” (Leviticus 10:1-3).
• A paramount concept, often
overlooked, is when the Lord said, “I
will be sanctified, and before all the
people I will be glorified,” v. 3.
• The context from chapter 9, where
instructions were given for various
actions of worship, “as the Lord
commanded” is seen in vv. 6, 7, and
10, as well as in 10:15.
• The emphasis in the complete context
is that Moses gave the priests the
exact instructions of the Lord, and
those instructions were to be carried
out to the letter.
• The fact that so much detail was
involved in these commands of the
Lord indicates how important they
were. Any other actions did not
sanctify and glorify God.
• Disobedience has never glorified
God.
• The clear fact is that Nadab and
Abihu did not obey God.
• Whatever they did, or failed to do,
was in conflict with the Lord’s
instructions.
• They were either presumptuous,
rebellious, or ignorant.
• The latter is the least probable.
• About the fire, God-originated fire
consumed the sacrifices at the altar
(9:14).
• The fire at that altar was to be kept
burning continually (6:13), and the
altar fire was considered a holy fire
since it came from God.
• This fire signified the presence of God
to the Israelites.
• This surely points to the significance
of using the correct fire.
• In the burning of incense, one
commentator writes that one priest
gathered ashes from off the altar in a
golden vessel, another brought a
vessel full of the proper mixture of
incense,…
• …a third brought a censer with fire
and put coals upon the incense altar,
and the priest, whose turn it was to
burn incense, then put the fire upon
the incense (Clarke, Vol. I, p. 537).
•
•
•
•
Numerous questions help to point to
blunders of Nadab and Abihu.
Were they to be burning incense at
all?
Was it their lot to burn incense?
Did Aaron know about this and did
he try to restrain his sons?
•
•
Was this strange incense as well
(Exodus 30:9)?
Why did both men go in, when only
one priest was to burn at a time?
•
Was this the proper time to offer
incense, that is, between the
sacrifice of chapter 9, and the meal
to be eaten (10:12-15)?
• Did the sons violate the Holy of Holies
as the incense was to go into that
room? Did they part the veil that the
incense smoke might go over the
Mercy Seat?
•
•
•
Did they presume on a prerogative
that belonged only to God, what
God “commanded not”?
Where did they get the common
fire?
Could it signify God’s presence?
• As priestly sons of Aaron, did they
assume they could do as they
pleased?
• Was this done in ignorance or
presumption?
• Is it possible they were rebellious?
• Some scholars indicate the possibility
of jealousy.
•
Since laws about drunkenness are
given immediately after this
incident, v. 9, is it possible Nadab
and Abihu had been drinking
intoxicants?
•
Was their blunder in principle the
failure to distinguish between the
holy and the common, the clean
and unclean, v. 10?
•
•
•
Did their blunders sanctify God?
Could their worship prefigure
accurately the worship of the
church?
Did their disobedience accomplish
God’s purpose in the Law of
Moses?
• Why punishment so severe?
• “For (as bishop Hall well observes
here) "It is a dangerous thing, in the
service of God, to decline from his
own institutions; we have to do with a
God who is wise to prescribe his own
worship,…
• …just to require what he has
prescribed, and powerful to revenge
what he has not prescribed."
• (from Matthew Henry's Commentary
on the Whole Bible: New Modern
Edition, Electronic Database.
Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson
Publishers, Inc.)
• This incident, quite distinctively,
shows how important unto God is
worship.
• One cannot trifle with God’s
commands, nor presume upon the
silence of God.
• Both principles were violated by
Nadab and Abihu.
• They rejected the commands of God.
• They presumed they could offer fire of
their own choice.
A Marvelous Psalm
1 Chronicles 16:8-35
• “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call
upon his name;
• make known his deeds among
the peoples!
• Sing to him; sing praises to him;
• tell of all his wondrous works!...
• …Glory in his holy name;
• let the hearts of those who seek
the LORD rejoice!
• Seek the LORD and his strength;
• seek his presence continually!”
• This is the great psalm of
thanksgiving by David when the
Ark of the Covenant was brought
into the tent. It is remarkable in
its principles of praise, glory, and
thanksgiving.
• It emphasizes many things that
please God in worship. It is the
same as portions of Psalms 96,
105, and 106.
• It is a psalm to summon people into
the presence of God,
• it calls for remembrance of great
providence,
• it extols the praise and homage of
God,
• and it calls for rejoicing in salvation.
• One commentator gives it thus:
•“Design to thank the Lord:
• Let God be glorified in our praises.
• Let others be edified and instructed.
• Let us be encouraged by our triumph
and trust in God….
• …Let God’s word be a matter of
joy and praise.
• Let God’s former mercies to
ancestors be extolled.
• Let salvation be in our praise,…
…Let our offerings be a subject to
His glory.
Let universal monarchy be the joy
of all people.
Let salvation be in our praise,…
• …Let God be the Alpha and
Omega of our thanks and praise.
give thanks unto Jehovah, with
the conclusion:…
• …v. 36 blessed be Jehovah.”
•
• (from Matthew Henry's
Commentary on the Whole Bible:
New Modern Edition, Electronic
Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
• It surely points up that God
cannot be pleased with mere
hoofs and horns:
(Psalms 69:30-31)
• “I will praise the name of God with
a song;
• I will magnify him with
thanksgiving.
• This will please the LORD more
than an ox
• or a bull with horns and hoofs.”
• How important is it really to follow
God’s instructions in worship?
• Are these examples in the Old
Testament worth one’s study?
• Should Christians pay any heed to
these examples?
• One very important comment about
the worship of the church is found in
this context of 1 Chronicles 16:42:
“Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets
and cymbals for the music and
instruments for sacred song.”…
• …Query, Did God ever ordain
instruments of music to be used in his
worship? Can they be used in
Christian assemblies according to the
spirit of Christianity?...
• …Has Jesus Christ, or his apostles,
ever commended or sanctioned the
use of them? Were they ever used
any where in the apostolic church?...
• …Does the use of them at present, in
Christian congregations, ever
increase the spirit of devotion? Does
it ever appear that bands of
musicians, either in their collective or
individual capacity, are more spiritual,
or as spiritual, as the other parts of
the church of Christ?...
• …Is there less pride, self-will,
stubbornness, insubordination,
lightness, and frivolity among such
persons than among the other
professors of Christianity found in the
same religious society?...
• …Is it ever remarked or known that
musicians in the house of God have
attained to any depth of piety, or
superior soundness of understanding,
in the things of God?...
• …Is it ever found that those churches
and Christian societies which have
and use instruments of music in
divine worship are more holy, or as
holy, as those societies which do not
use them?...
• …And is it always found that the
ministers which affect and
recommend them to be used in the
worship of Almighty God, are the
most spiritual men, and the most
spiritual and useful preachers?...
• …Can mere sounds, no matter how
melodious, where no word nor
sentiment is or can be uttered, be
considered as giving praise to God?
Is it possible that pipes or strings of
any kind can give God praise?...
• …Can God be pleased with sounds
which are emitted by no sentient
being, and have in themselves no
meaning?...
• …If these questions cannot be
answered in the affirmative; then,
query, Is not the introduction of such
instruments into the worship of God
antichristian,…
• …and calculated to debase and
ultimately ruin the spirit and influence
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?...
• …And should not all who wish well to
the spread and establishment of pure
and undefiled religion, lift up their
hand, their influence and their voice
against them?...
• …The argument from their use in the
Jewish service is futile in the extreme
when applied to Christianity.”
• (from Adam Clarke's Commentary,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c)
1996 by Biblesoft)
Amos 6:5:
• “I believe that David was not
authorized by the Lord to introduce
that multitude of musical instruments
into the divine worship of which we
read; and I am satisfied that his
conduct in this respect is most
solemnly reprehended by this
prophet;…
• …and I further believe that the use of
such instruments of music, in the
Christian church, is without the
sanction and against the will of God;
that they are subversive of the spirit
of true devotion, and that they are
sinful….
• …If there was a woe to them who
invented instruments of music, as did
David under the law, is there no woe,
no curse to them who invent them,
and introduce them into the worship
of God in the Christian church?...
• …I am an old man, and an old
minister; and I here declare that I
never knew them to be productive of
any good in the worship of God; and I
have had reason to believe that they
were productive of much evil….
• …Music, as a science, I esteem and
admire: but instruments of music in
the house of God I abominate and
abhor….
• …This is the abuse of music; and
here I register my protest against all
such corruptions in the worship of the
Author of Christianity….
• …The late venerable and most
eminent divine, the Rev. John Wesley,
who was a lover of music, and an
elegant poet, when asked his opinion
of instruments of music being
introduced into the chapels of the
Methodists said,…
• …in his terse and powerful manner, "I
have no objection to instruments of
music in our chapels, provided they
are neither HEARD nor SEEN.“…
• …I say the same, though I think the
expense of purchase had better be
spared.”
• (from Adam Clarke's Commentary,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c)
1996 by Biblesoft)
2 Chronicles 29:25
• “Moses had not appointed any
musical instruments to be used in the
divine worship; there was nothing of
the kind under the first tabernacle….
• …The trumpets or horn's then used
were not for song nor for praise, but
as we use bells, i.e., to give notice to
the congregation of what they were
called to perform, etc….
• …But David did certainly introduce
many instruments of music into God's
worship, for which we have already
seen he was solemnly reproved by
the prophet Amos, Amos 6:1-6….
• …Here, however, the author of this
book states he had the
commandment of the prophet Nathan,
and Gad the king's seer; and this is
stated to have been the
commandment of the Lord by his
prophets:…
• …but the Syriac and Arabic give this
a different turn-"Hezekiah appointed
the Levites in the house of the Lord,
with instruments of music, and the
sound of harps, and with the HYMNS
of DAVID, and the HYMNS of GAD,…
• …the king's prophet, and of NATHAN,
the king's prophet: for David sang the
praises of the Lord his God, as from
the mouth of the prophets.“…
• …It was by the hand or
commandment of the Lord and his
prophets that the Levites should
praise the Lord; for so the Hebrew
text may be understood:…
• …and it was by the order of David
that so many instruments of music
should be introduced into the divine
service….
• …But were it even evident, which it is
not, either from this or any other place
in the sacred writings, that
instruments of music were prescribed
by divine authority under the law,…
• …could this be adduced with any
semblance of reason, that they ought
to be used in Christian worship? No:
the whole spirit, soul, and genius of
the Christian religion are against
this:…
• …and those who know the church of
God best, and what constitutes its
genuine spiritual state, know that
these things have been introduced as
a substitute for the life and power of
religion;…
• …and that where they prevail most,
there is least of the power of
Christianity….
• …Away with such portentous baubles
from the worship of that infinite Spirit
who requires his followers to worship
him in spirit and in truth, for to no
such worship are those instruments
friendly…
• …See the texts in the margin; also
the use of the trumpets in the
sanctuary, Numbers 10:2, etc., and
the notes there.”
• (from Adam Clarke's Commentary,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c)
1996 by Biblesoft)
• Do you suppose our pulpits are filled
with this kind of preaching today?
• Wonder why not?
• Was that old-time Methodist preacher
willing to stand up for truths where
our preachers today are not?
Jereboam’s Worship
• “When he had torn Israel from the
house of David, they made Jeroboam
the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam
drove Israel from following the LORD
and made them commit great sin.
• The people of Israel walked in all the
sins that Jeroboam did….
• …They did not depart from them, until
the LORD removed Israel out of his
sight, as he had spoken by all his
servants the prophets. So Israel was
exiled from their own land to Assyria
until this day.” (2 Kings 17:21-23)
• One of the most prominent examples
of rejected worship in the Old
Testament is what Jereboam led the
nation of Israel, the Northern
Kingdom, the ten rebellious tribes, to
do.
• As a result of these man-made
changes, God used Assyria as the
“rod of mine anger” (Isaiah 10:5) to
put them into bondage, a bondage
from which they never escaped, and
a bondage in which their lost their
distinctive identity.
• The things which Jereboam led them
to do included:
• Placing golden calves placed in Dan
and Bethel;
• Building houses in high places;
• Appointing priests that were not of the
tribe of Levi;
•
•
•
•
Ordaining a feast in the eighth
month to rival the Passover in the
seventh month;
carving Asherahs;
worshiping the hosts of heaven;
serving Baal;
•
•
•
causing their children to pass
through the fires;
using divinations and
enchantments.
(1 Kings 12:25-33; 2 Kings
17:7-18)
• All of these changes occurred due to
Jereboam devising them in his own
heart (1 Kings 12:33).
• Is this not where all unacceptable
worship begins?
• When Jereboam had charge under
Solomon of the labor of the house of
Joseph, the prophet Ahijah met him in
the field and gave him a solemn
promise and warning.
• Ahijah took a new garment off of
himself, tore it into 12 pieces, and told
Jereboam to take 10 of the pieces.
• This indicated God would give
Jereboam rule over 10 of the 12
tribes of Israel.
• Ahijah concluded his prophecy to
Jereboam by telling him that God
promised him a “sure house” if he
would keep God’s commandments
(1 Kings 11:28-38).
• However, Jereboam distrusted his
own people, thus he started different
worship to keep his people from
returning to Jerusalem.
• Worst of all, he distrusted God.
Rather than build a temple he thought
2 golden calves would suffice.
• It is thought the calves were the same
size as the cherubim on top of the Ark
of the Covenant, but most likely, they
were cheap imitations made of wood
and overlaid with gold.
• It is significant that Jereboam used
the same words as did Aaron at Mt.
Sinai, saying that these calves were
the gods who brought them out of the
land of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28; Exodus
32:4-8).
• He thus laid claim to no new worship,
but the same worship as in the
wilderness.
• Had Solomon’s recent idolatry
contributed to Jereboam’s actions
(1 Kings 11:3-8)?
• The feast that he ordained was to the
day one month later than the
Passover. He may have claimed a
later date due to a later harvest in the
northern part of Palestine where most
of his people lived.
• Jereboam imitated the Egyptian rulers
in that he made himself a theocratic
king. He not only ruled the 10 tribes
as king, but he also served in priestly
functions of offering sacrifices for the
people (1 Kings 12:32-13:1).
• One of the calves was placed in Dan,
a remote northern site, but the other
was placed in Bethel, near to the
remaining faithful tribes of Judah and
Benjamin.
• Was this a deliberate insult, or a
temptation to draw Judah away?
• It is thought the Levites had the grace
to refuse any part of this worship, so
men of the lowest order were
ordained to be priests.
• Jereboam actually snubbed the
Levites, and they left their homes and
went to the Southern Kingdom of
Judah (2 Chronicles 11:13-15).
The Tabernacle A Type
• One of the more important texts
concerning Old Testament worship is
the study of the Tabernacle in the
Wilderness. While encamped at Mt.
Sinai, Moses was given explicit
instructions (Exodus 25-30).
• Those instructions were carried out
minutely by men inspired of the Lord
(Exodus 35-40). Later, it is found that
one of God’s major purposes was to
prepare for the gospel (Gal. 3:24).
• Thus the study of type and antitype is
most important.
• The Tabernacle was a provisional tent
where the Lord met with His people.
• It was designed to be portable, within
it was placed the sacred Ark of the
Covenant that symbolized the
presence of Jehovah.
• The Tabernacle was surrounded by
an outer court, also included in the
instructions.
• An exact pattern was shown:
• “And let them make me a sanctuary,
that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly
as I show you concerning the pattern
of the tabernacle, and of all its
furniture, so you shall make it….
• …And see that you make them after
the pattern for them, which is being
shown you on the mountain.” (Ex.
25:8-9, 40)
• “Then you shall erect the tabernacle
according to the plan for it that you
were shown on the mountain.”
(Ex.26:30)
• “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of
the tent of meeting was finished, and
the people of Israel did according to
all that the LORD had commanded
Moses; so they did. According to all
that the LORD had commanded
Moses,…
• …so the people of Israel had done all
the work. And Moses saw all the
work, and behold, they had done it;
as the LORD had commanded, so
had they done it.
• Then Moses blessed them.”
• (Ex 39:32, 42-43)
• The materials used included metals,
fabric, skins, wood, oil, spices, and
precious gems. The superintendent
of the construction was Bezaleel, of
the tribe of Judah, with Aholiab of the
tribe of Dan, who was “skilled in all
manner of workmanship” (Exodus
31:2, 6; 35:30, 34).
• In the outer court, one hundred cubits
by fifty cubits, stood the Altar of Burnt
Offering, as well as the Laver at
which the priests washed prior to
entering the tent (Exodus 27:1-19;
30:17-21).
• The court faced the east.
Altar and Laver in Outer Court
• The Tabernacle itself was thirty cubits
long, ten cubits wide, and ten cubits
in height. The tent was placed at the
western end of the court, and it also
faced to the east.
• Within the Tabernacle was the Table
of Showbread on the north wall, the
Candlestick (in reality oil pots) on the
south wall, and the Altar of Incense
on the west before the veil that
separated the two rooms, the Holy
Place and the Holy of Holies.
• The Table of Showbread contained
twelve loaves of unleavened bread to
be eaten each Sabbath day by the
priests.
• The candlestick was to be left burning
continually with oil added each
morning and evening.
• The incense was to be burned each
morning and evening, and the
kindling fire was to come from the
burnt offering altar in the outer court.
• That fire was kindled by God.
The Holy Place
Incense, Oil Lamp, Shewbread
• Within the Holy of Holies was the Ark
of the Covenant, with the Mercy Seat
as the cover. The blood of atonement
was to be sprinkled on the Mercy
Seat once each year by the High
Priest.
Ark of the Covenant
Mercy Seat
• Particular attention was paid to each
of these items of tent and furniture, as
well as the makeup of the incense,
and even the garments of the priests
as they offered for the people.
• These actions all were types to be
followed by the antitypes in New
Testament worship.
• They were shadows that preceded
the substances.
• They were all “according to the
pattern.” If not, they would not teach
what Jehovah intended them to
teach:
• “So then, the law was our guardian
until Christ came,” (Gal. 3:24).
•
• “Now these things took place as
examples for us, that we might not
desire evil as they did” (1 Cor. 10:6).
• “For whatever was written in former
days was written for our instruction,
that through endurance and through
the encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).
Types
• Several things are necessary for one
to understand types and antitypes.
–1. It must be a true picture or
representation of what it prefigures.
–2. It must be of Divine appointment.
Only God can make a type and an
antitype.
For it to teach God’s truth, it must
proceed from God.
–3. It prefigures something future.
A scriptural type and predictive
prophecy are in substance much
alike.
They both point to something future.
Types in the Old Testament
• 1. Adam was a type of Christ.
• “Nevertheless death reigned from
Adam until Moses, even over them
that had not sinned after the likeness
of Adam's transgression, who is a
figure of him that was to come”
(Romans 5:14).
• “So also it is written, The first man
Adam became a living soul. The last
Adam (became) a life-giving spirit”
(1 Corinthians 15:45).
• 2. Moses was a type of Christ
• “For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
• Or, grace and reality came in Christ.
• 3. The Law of Moses was a type of
the gospel of Christ.
• “For the law having a shadow of the
good (things) to come, not the very
image of the things,” (Hebrews 10:1).
• 4. Aaron was a type of our High
Priest, Jesus Christ.
• “Now in the things which we are
saying the chief point (is this):…
• …We have such a high priest, who
sat down on the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”
• (Hebrews 8:1).
• 5. The paschal lamb was a type of
our Lamb, Jesus Christ.
• “On the morrow he seeth Jesus
coming unto him, and saith, Behold,
the Lamb of God, that taketh away
the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
• “Purge out the old leaven, that ye
may be a new lump, even as ye are
unleavened. For our passover also
hath been sacrificed, (even) Christ:”
• (1 Corinthians 5:7).
• 6. The brazen serpent was a type of
Jesus Christ.
• “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness, even so must the Son
of man be lifted up;” (John 3:14).
• 7. Melchizedek was a type of Christ.
• “whither as a forerunner Jesus
entered for us, having become a high
priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20).
• “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem,
priest of God Most High, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter
of the kings and blessed him,”
• (Hebrews 7:1).
• “Behold, the man whose name is the
Branch, and he shall grow up out of
his place; and he shall build the
temple of Jehovah, and he shall bear
the glory…”
• “…and he shall sit and rule upon his
throne; and shall be a priest upon his
throne; and the counsel of peace
shall be between them both”
• (Zechariah 6:12-13).
• Jesus is king and priest at the same
time!
• This is a very significant type and
antitype, as it shows Jesus is now the
Christ who is reigning on his throne
during the Christian, or church age.
Types in the Tabernacle
• 1. The Holy of Holies is a type of
heaven.
• “But Christ having come a high priest
of the good things to come…entered
in once for all into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption”
• (Hebrews 9:12).
• “For Christ entered not into a holy
place made with hands, like in pattern
to the true; but into heaven itself, now
to appear before the face of God for
us:” (Hebrews 9:24).
• 2. The Holy Place is a type of the
church.
• “Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holy place by the
blood of Jesus,” (Hebrews 10:19).
• 3. Incense prefigures prayers.
• “Let my prayer be set forth as incense
before thee; the lifting up of my hands
as the evening sacrifice” (Psalms
141:2).
• 4. The Table of Showbread was a
type of the Lord’s Supper.
• The Hebrew word for “bread” is
literally “bread of His presence.”
• “for I say unto you, I shall not eat it,
until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of
God…and I appoint unto you a
kingdom, even as my Father
appointed unto me, that ye may eat
and drink at my table in my kingdom;
• (Luke 22:16, 29-30).
• 5. The “candlestick,” or oil lamp is a
type of the gospel of Christ, the truth.
• “In him was life; and the life was the
light of men…There was the true
light, (even the light) which lighteth
every man, coming into the world”
• (John 1:4, 9).
• 6. The washing at the laver is a type
of washing, or baptism, into Christ.
• “And now why tarriest thou? arise,
and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on his name”
• (Acts 22:16).
• Christians are to “enter into the holy
place by the blood of Jesus Christ”
(Heb. 10:19), thus the antitype refers
to the Lord’s church.
• First, their bodies are “washed with
pure water” (Heb. 10:22), which refers
to baptism as the antitype of washing
at the laver.
• The mention of “hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience” (v.22) refers to
the blood of Jesus Christ (v. 19), the
antitype of the blood of Atonement
sprinkled at the Mercy Seat.
• Such sprinkling takes place at the
washing, giving added emphasis on
the importance of baptism for the
remission of sins.
• Christ entered into the holy place not
made with hands, heaven itself (Heb.
9:24), thus the most sacred room of
the Tabernacle is a type of heaven.
Prior to entering the Holy of Holies,
the High Priest had first of all to enter
the first room, the Holy Place.
• Does this not give strong emphasis
about being a part of the Lord’s
church before one can enter heaven?
Conclusions
• Numerous conclusions can be drawn.
One is again impressed about how
valuable is the Old Testament. It is
most worthwhile to study worship
texts out of the Old Testament, due to
the fact of what they teach us about
how God related to them.
• Principles of respect and devotion to
God and His wishes have never
changed since creation. Great will be
the gain if men teach and preach
types and antitypes, as well as the
historical perspectives of worship.
– God will be sanctified and
glorified.
– God will not be glorified by manoriginated worship, devised to
please men.
– God will consider such worship as
false.
– God will not accept such worship.
– God’s punishment awaits those
who flaunt His instructions.
– God’s holiness demands severe
punishment.
• Since these things have been written
for our example and admonition, we
best listen.
• “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let
all the earth keep silence before him”
(Hab. 2:20).