A Pattern of What Happens in Heaven

Exodus 25:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 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. 18 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. 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. 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.

23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

• In Genesis,

we saw God walk with His people Genesis 3:8 5:22 5:24 6:9 17:1

• In Exodus, God wants to dwell with His people Exodus 25:8 29:46

1. God wanted His people to bring Him an offering 25:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, 5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

2. God wanted an offering. 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

3. He has every right to ask for an offering

4. He had saved them from slavery

5. He gave them everything that they have

6. I should understand that when we talk about our offerings to God

7. We are actually the favored ones when we give the offering. We are not doing God a favor

8. God wanted the offering to be something that they wanted to give, willingly 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

9. Their generosity comes from their first giving themselves to the Lord II Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

10. They gave so much that they had to be restrained Exodus 36:6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

11. They gave because they realized He was really God and could ask what He wished

12. God told them what offering to bring 3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

13. God told them to bring exactly what was needed

14. They were willingly giving what they had to build the place where God would dwell with them

15. The Tabernacle was extremely expensive and would be by today’s standards as well

16. It was portable to be carried with the people of God wherever they went

17. God’s people always give back to Him what He has already given them I Chronicles 29:14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

18. God had given them the wealth of the Egyptians Exodus 13:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

19. They would also have gotten other things from the others they had fought with and defeated

20. Everything was to be built according to the pattern God wanted 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

21. God had shown Moses a pattern while he was on the mountain 40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

22. What we have here on earth is just a glimpse of the real thing in heaven Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

23. Everything we do here should be based on the pattern He wants us to follow

24. God wanted a sanctuary where He could live among His people 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

25. Everything we do should follow His pattern

26. We should have worship services that seek to follow the pattern we have seen in the Scriptures

27. Our giving should follow the pattern we see in Scripture

28. Our service and self-sacrifice should follow the Biblical pattern

29. He wanted an ark in the tabernacle 10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

30. This ark represented the power and authority of God in Israel’s camp

31. The ark is mentioned first

32. It represents our Lord Jesus Christ

33. The ark was the throne of God and His glory rested there

34. They were to put the testimony that God gave them in the ark 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

35. The testimony is the law, the tablets that have the ten commandments

36. The ark, where God was seated, had His law in it

37. They were to make a mercy seat 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.

38. The mercy was built on top of the ark

39. It was seated on the power and authority of God

40. It was over the law.

41. God promised to meet with them there 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.

42. They would meet under the wings of the two cherubims of gold that would have their wings spread over the mercy seat

43. Under the mercy and in the ark would be the testimony God gave them 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.

44. The law will drive you to need God

45. When you go to meet Him at His ark you will find His mercy above His law

46. Here we find forgiveness. This is where the shed blood is placed

47. God wanted a special table built for the shewbread 23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

48. The shewbread was a reminder that they were the people of God

49. It is similar to our Lord’s supper when we come and remember what He did for us

50. It is a symbol that we have fellowship based on the forgiveness we find at the mercy seat

51. They were to make a special candlestick 31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

52. The candlestick would have seven lamps 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

53. The candlestick was to give light in a very dark tent

54. We have come to Him obediently and willingly

55. We have given our offering

56. We want to follow His pattern for our life and ministry

57. We step to the mercy seat where we are forgiven

58. We see the shewbread which reminds us of our fellowship with God

59. And now we see the light that must be carried all over the world

60. Jesus is the light of the world and we are His servants to carry that light