Sermon #37[1] Hebrews
Notes
Title: The
Text: Hebrews 9:1-5
Subject: Christ Our
Date: Tuesday Evening –
Tape # W-16b
Introduction:
The
purpose of the Holy Spirit in this chapter is threefold:
1. To show the
pre-eminence of Christ over the tabernacle, its furniture, its
priesthood and its sacrifices. They were all fulfilled by him.
2. To show how all which had
gone before in the Levitical covenant were types and pictures of Christ, our
only sin-atoning High Priest and Sacrifice, having no power in themselves to
save (Heb. 10:1-4).
Hebrews 10:1-4 "For the law having a
shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make
the comers thereunto perfect. {2} For then would they not have ceased to
be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more
conscience of sins. {3} But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year. {4} For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
3. To show us that all the
Levitical ceremonies, sacrifices and services of the first covenant have come
to their appointed end (Heb. 10:9;
Hebrews 10:9 "Then said he, Lo, I come
to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the
second."
Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Tonight, I want us to look at
Hebrews 9:1-5. The Title of my message is The Ark of The Covenant.
Illustration: Raiders Of The Lost
The
ark of the covenant was the most sacred of all things in the Jewish worship of
the Old Testament. If you could find that ark, what would you find? Read
Hebrews 9:1-5.
Hebrews 9:1-5 "Then verily the first covenant
had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. {2} For
there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and
the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. {3} And
after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
{4} Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round
about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's
rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; {5} And over it the
cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak
particularly."
Here
the Apostle describes the tabernacle, the ark, and those things which were in
the ark.
·
The Golden Pot that had Manna.
·
Aaron’s Rod that budded.
·
The Tables of the Covenant.
·
The Cherubims of glory.
·
And the Mercy Seat.
Thank
God, no one has ever found that ark! If anyone were the find it, foolish men
and women would make an idol of it, make pagan pilgrimages to the “holy land”
to see it, and worship it. But in its day, under the ceremonial, typical
religious service of the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was one of
those “ordinances of divine service” which beautifully typified and
pictured the Lord Jesus Christ and our redemption by him.
Tonight,
I want to stir up our hearts to seek him of whom the ark speaks, the Lord Jesus
Christ, by showing you what can be found in him.
All the
“ordinances of divine service” all the rites and ceremonies, and the “worldly
sanctuary” itself, the tabernacle, were types of Christ. You will never
understand the Old Testament Scriptures until you see that everything in the
Old Testament Scriptures represents, points to, and pictures Christ, our
Substitute (Luke. 24:27; 44-45).
Proposition: In our text this evening,
the Holy Spirit uses the tabernacle and the furniture in it to show us the
excellence, pre-eminence, and glory of Christ.
1. The Tabernacle – Christ –
Glorious within/Humble without.
2. The Brazen Altar – Christ’s
sufferings and death.
3. The Laver – Christ our
Fountain, opened for cleansing.
4. The Candlestick – Christ the
Light of the World.
5. The Table of Shewbread –
Christ the Bread of Life.
6. The Altar of Incense –
Christ our Intercessor.
7. The Veil – Christ the Door.
8. The Ark of the Covenant –
Christ our Reconciliation.
Tonight we will go into “the
Holiest of all”, by the “golden censer” of our Savior’s merits,
asking God to show us Christ our ark, and let us see what can be found in the
ark.
The
ark of the covenant is a beautiful type of Christ. It was made out of shittim wood,
overlaid on the inside and the outside with pure gold, representing both the
incorruptible humanity and glorious deity of our Savior. The ark was the symbol
of God’s holiness, power, and glory. It was carried about from place to place
upon the shoulders of the priests by staves, fitted into rings attached to the
ark. Even so Christ is carried throughout the world upon the shoulders of
chosen men through the preaching of the gospel.
I have preached several
sermons to you, showing how that the ark is a type of Christ. But today, I want
us to look inside the ark. What can be found in the ark, Christ Jesus? – Six
Things:
I. If you could go behind the veil with the High Priest
on the day of atonement, into the holy of holies, the very first thing that
would strike your eye would be “the cherubims of glory shadowing the
mercy-seat.” Those cherubs represent God’s preachers (Ex. 25:18-20; Ps. 80:1; Isa.
6:1-7).
Exodus 25:18-20 "And thou shalt make two
cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the
two ends of the mercy seat. {19} And make one cherub on the one end, and
the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make
the cherubims on the two ends thereof. {20} And the cherubims shall
stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their
wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat
shall the faces of the cherubims be."
Psalms 80:1 "O Shepherd of Israel,
thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the
cherubims, shine forth."
Isaiah 6:1-7 "In the year that king
Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and
his train filled the temple. {2} Above it stood the seraphims: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly. {3} And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full
of his glory. {4} And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. {5} Then said I, Woe is
me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the
LORD of hosts. {6} Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
{7} And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched
thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."
We know that these cherubs represent gospel
preachers because they are the same as those living creatures before God’s
throne which John saw, when he was called up to heaven to behold the throne of
God (Rev. 4:6-11).
Revelation 4:6-11 "And
before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the
midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full
of eyes before and behind. {7} And the first beast was like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and
the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. {8} And the four beasts
had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes
within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. {9} And when those beasts
give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for
ever and ever, {10} The four and twenty elders fall down before him that
sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast
their crowns before the throne, saying, {11} Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for
thy pleasure they are and were created."
Now
hear what I say, it is not possible for a sinner to find, know, or come to God
apart from the instrumentality of a gospel preacher (Rom. 10:14-17; James 1:18;
1 Pet. 1:23-25; 1 Cor. 1:23; Heb. 4:12).
Romans 10:14-17 "How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? {15} And
how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of
good things! {16} But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? {17} So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Illustration: Philip and the Eunuch.
God’s preachers
are not priests. We detest idolatrous priestcraft, be it Roman, Anglican, or
Mormon. But God’s preachers are his angels, his messengers of mercy and grace
to his people in this world. And they ought to be treated as such (Isa. 52:7).
Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth
peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that
saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"
A. Their eyes are always toward the
Mercy-Seat!
B. Their message is the message of sins
forgiven by blood atonement!
C. The glory of God is revealed by the
message they proclaim!
II. You
would not look long at the cherubim. Their eyes, their faces, their wings
direct your attention away from themselves to the mercy-seat. That
mercy-seat represents Christ, God’s
Propitiation (Ex. 25:17, 21-22; 1 John 4:9-10; Rom. 3:24-26).
Exodus 25:17 "And thou shalt make a
mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length
thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof."
Exodus 25:21-22 "And thou shalt put the
mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that
I shall give thee. {22} And there I will meet with thee, and I will
commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims
which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I
will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."
Romans 3:24-26 "Being justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {25} Whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; {26} To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus."
1 John 4:9-10 "In this was manifested
the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through him. {10} Herein is love, not that we
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins."
Illustration: Aaron on the Day of Atonement.
The Publican.
The
one room school – That is Propitiation.
The
Mercy-Seat is the place of…(Heb. 9:12).
·
Substitution!
·
Sacrifice!
·
Satisfaction!
Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us."
III. Standing in the holiest of all with Christ, our
Aaron, our great High Priest, suddenly, we realize that we are standing before
the mercy-seat, the symbol of God’s
Presence.
With blood upon the
mercy-seat, covering the broken tables of the law there we see the glory of God
in the pardon of sin by the sacrifice of Christ (Lev. 9:23-24; Isa. 6:1-6; Ps.
85:9-11).
Leviticus 9:23-24 "And
Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and
blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
{24} And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the
altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw,
they shouted, and fell on their faces."
Psalms 85:9-11 "Surely his salvation is
nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. {10} Mercy
and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
{11} Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down
from heaven."
Isaiah 6:1-6 "In the year that king
Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and
his train filled the temple. {2} Above it stood the seraphims: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly. {3} And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full
of his glory. {4} And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. {5} Then said I, Woe is
me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the
LORD of hosts. {6} Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the
altar:"
God not
only meets us upon the mercy-seat – In Christ, God abides with us. No matter
where you are, if you are in Christ, the name of the place is Jehovah-Shammah,
the Lord is there. Your life is hid with Christ in God! (Isa. 43:1-5).
Isaiah 43:1-5 "But now thus saith the
LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not:
for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
{2} When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
{3} For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:
I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. {4} Since
thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved
thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. {5} Fear
not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather
thee from the west;"
IV. Now, let’s do by faith what no mortal man could ever
do, let’s lift up the mercy-seat and look inside the ark. Remember now, I am
talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. What do you see? I see the two tables of
the law of God, which we have broken. The broken law, our sins, is under the
mercy-seat, under the blood. This broken law, under the blood, represents
God’s Purpose.
·
The Law was written upon tables of stone, representing both the
hardness of our hearts and the inflexibility of God’s law.
·
The law represents our curse and condemnation by reason of sin.
·
This law was always kept in the ark, under the mercy-seat (Ecc. 25:16,
21), representing perfect redemption by Christ.
Exodus 25:16 "And thou shalt put into
the ark the testimony which I shall give thee."
Exodus 25:21 "And thou shalt put the
mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that
I shall give thee."
·
And that perfect redemption of
his elect is the purpose of God (Rom. 8:28-31).
Romans 8:28-31 "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. {29} For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. {30} Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. {31} What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us?"
NOTE: The law of God, being perfectly satisfied by Christ,
cries as strongly for our salvation as the grace of God. We are, in Christ,
free from the law!
V. Look again, there is something else inside the ark.
There is Aaron’s rod that budded. That rod represents God’s Power.
Aaron’s
rod that budded is the gospel of Christ, the Man whom God has chosen (Num.
17:10).
Numbers 17:10 "And the LORD said unto
Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token
against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me,
that they die not."
A. Christ was smitten by Moses’
rod – The Law – The Rock.
B. The water of life flows out
to sinners by Aaron’s rod – the Gospel.
C. The gospel of Christ is the
power of God, before which Dagon must fall! (Rom. 1:16-17).
Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. {17} For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written, The just shall live by faith."
VI. I see one more thing inside the ark, the golden pot
which had manna. That golden pot of manna is a picture of Christ God’s Provision. (Ex.
16:33-34).
Exodus 16:33-34 "And Moses said unto
Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before
the LORD, to be kept for your generations. {34} As the LORD commanded
Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept."
·
It was a golden pot.
·
It was a big pot – holding an omer of manna.
·
It had manna – The Bread of Heaven.
All God’s provision for sinners is in
Christ Jesus. His name is Jehovah-jireh – The Lord will provide (Eph. 1:3).
·
Provisions of Grace!
·
Provisions of Providence!
·
Provisions of Eternity!
Application: Come to the Ark Christ Jesus!
1. The way is open.
2. All who come to God by
Christ are forever saved!
3. All you need, all God
requires, all that heaven can bestow is in Christ, the Ark.