One Big Object Lesson
Hebrews 9:1-5
Emmanuel Christian Church 8.3.25
INTRODUCTION: Did you ever say to your parents: “I don’t know why I
have to study ____________ (fill in the blank with your least favorite subject
in school)!”? In response they might have said: “It’s important to know,
one day you’ll need to use it- then you’ll be glad you learned it!” To which
you might have responded with something intellectual like: “No way!”
All too often I think we have that same attitude when it comes to the
knowledge and understanding of certain things in the Bible- especially
things in the Old Testament. “Strange names, strange places, strange
events; what do they have to do with ME, or anything that’s happening
today?” Well- EVERYTHING! You wouldn’t build a house without first
digging down and laying a foundation; you wouldn’t buy a car with no
wheels or engine; you wouldn’t get in an airplane with no wings!
PROPOSITION: EVERYTHING in the Old Testament ultimately points us
to Jesus. Every detail recorded in its pages is there because God wants us
to understand something about Himself and His plan for our salvation
through His Son Jesus. To put it simply, you might say that the Old
Testament is one big object lesson!
In our text for today, we’re going to encounter five of those lessons
in the first five verses of Hebrews chapter 9. There’s a special name for
these lessons- they are called “types”. Now, the Old Testament is filled
with “types”- NOT JUST the five we’ll see in today’s text. Here’s a simple
definition of what I’m talking about:
“A type is a person, thing or event in the Old Testament that foreshadows
a person, thing or event in the New Testament.”
In some sense, types are like prophecies pointing to the future. Not
only do they help us understand the things of God, they build our trust in
what He says by giving us proof that His plans span all of human history
and His promises are absolutely trustworthy.
TRANSITION: So let’s get to our text- see if you can pick out our five
“types”.
Hebrews 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also
an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the
lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy
Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy
Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark
of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff
that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark
were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But
we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
Did you get all five?
THE TABERNACLE
- A type of God’s presence among His people.
- Remember what we discovered last week?
- The word “tabernacle”, meaning “tent” is the same word used back in
John 1:14
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.
- Every “made-up” false god is distant from its worshippers (that’s why
they make idols to represent their false god).
- Our God put on flesh (pitched His tent) and came down to be among
us, as one of us!
- One of Jesus’ prophetic names speaks to that very fact: “Emmanuel”
which means “God with us!”
- Remember this important point from last week- the original Tabernacle
was portable so that it could be moved with the people of God
wherever they were.
- The presence of God was seen over the Tabernacle in the pillar of
cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
- It was the center of the camp, with the 12 tribes of Israel positioned
around it.
- Paul makes this dramatic point to the Christians of his day:
1 Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact,
brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all
passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud
and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the
same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that
accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
THE LAMPSTAND
- A type of the “light” God’s Word.
- The lampstand was the ONLY source of light in the Holy Place.
- It was made of 75 pounds of pure gold.
- In today’s value, that’s almost 4 million dollars worth of gold!
- The light of God’s Word exists in two distinct forms.
- Inscribed (the written Word of Scripture)
Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
- Incarnate (John 1:9)
John 1:9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the
world.
APPLICATION: If we want to know the truth, we talk about “shining the
light on it”, or looking for the “final word” on the subject. It is no
coincidence that truth, light and THE word- are all terms that link
together.
Our biggest challenge today is NOT the lack of truth, but rather the
multiplication of many so-called truths! People hold to all kinds of ideas
that they believe to be true- even though their “truths” contradict each
other!
Truth ISN’T many things to many people. Truth is singular- it is what
it is! BUT what is it? Jesus answered that question for us as He prayed for
all of His disciples at the Last Supper:
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
God’s Word (inscribed and incarnate) SHINES LIGHT on ALL of life’s most
important subjects:
- How did we get here?
- Where are we going?
- Why are we here?
- What’s right and wrong?
- What happens when I die?
- Who is God?
- Who is Jesus?
Without these answers to life’s questions, we really are “stumbling in the
dark”! Far from hidden, the answers to all these questions are as close as
the pages of your Bible! (3 chapters a day!)
THE TABLE OF SHOWBREAD
- A type of God’s people in His presence.
- 12 loaves signifying the 12 tribes of Israel.
- These twelve loaves became known as the “presence bread”, or the
“bread of the face”.
- The loaves represent the FELLOWSHIP that exists between the
people of God in the presence of God.
- The Apostle Paul speaks of this same fellowship aspect when he says of
the Lord’s Table:
I Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks
a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break
a participation in the body of Christ?
APPLICATION: Whenever WE share in the bread of the Lord’s Table, we
participate in TWO distinct forms of fellowship- with God (vertical) and with
each other (horizontal) as members of the one body of Christ. The Lord’s
Table is NEVER, EVER “Just me and Jesus”!
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
- A type of our privilege of prayer to God.
- King David wrote in Psalm 141:
Psalms 141:1 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice
when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may
the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
- Jesus prayed:
Luke 5:16 “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
- Jesus taught prayer:
Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray…”
- We are commanded to pray:
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: Prayer should NEVER be a chore! It is a privilege. Can you
imagine what it would be like if we prayed to God like we text our best
friend?
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
- A type of God’s throne in Heaven.
- Its location was ultra sacred: the “Holy of Holies”, not just the “Holy
Place”
- Its access was limited to the High Priest alone, and ONLY on the Day
of Atonement!
- It was literally a “box”. It originally contained three things:
- The stone tablets of the 10 Commandments (a reminder of God’s
standard of JUSTICE)
- The jar of manna (a reminder of God’s PROVISION).
- Aaron’s staff that had budded (a reminder of God’s PROVIDENTIAL
POWER)
- In a sense, each of these three things pointed to human weakness
and sin (No one could keep the 10 Commandments, without the
daily manna, God’s people would have starved in the desert, the
budded staff was to silence the grumbling against God’s chosen
leaders)
- The MOST significant thing about the Ark of the Covenant was the
MERCY SEAT!
- It was the literal “lid” on the BOX. It covered over, and concealed the
three contents that reminded of human weakness and sin.
- It was the place where the “shikinah”, “glory light of God” dwelt in the
otherwise darkened “Holy of Holies”.
- It was where the High Priest would offer the annual blood sacrifice for
the sins of the people.
CONCLUSION: Everything in the Tabernacle ultimately pointed to the
Mercy Seat- a picture of God’s throne in Heaven. Two Scriptures give a
sobering perspective on that throne before which we will all one day stand.
One speaks of JUDGMENT:
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done
while in the body, whether good or bad.
JUDGMENT is what we all deserve. For those who have not been washed
clean of their sin through the blood of Christ, judgment is all they will
receive.
The other Scripture speaks of that throne from the perspective of MERCY:
Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith
we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted
in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. 16 Let us then
approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Whether God’s throne in Heaven is your seat of judgment or mercy
depends completely on the relationship with Jesus that you choose in this
life.
As the Scripture says:
Hebrews 3:15 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as
you did in the rebellion.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 salvation.
“… now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of
Ezekiel 18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and
get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?
