S T A T I O N 2

TRANSCRIPTION

Thousands of years and many broken relationships later, the world had become a very dark place. Our people had grown into a nation of 2 million, but Pharaoh and his people had enslaved us to build cities for his gods, false gods.

When we saw our God deliver us from the Egyptians through the Passover and saw the Red Sea part, we knew that we served the one true God. He took us into the desert and our entire nation heard  God declare the Ten Commandments from on top of the mountain. 

I had had the privilege of speaking with God on many occasions and hearing his audible voice, but with the Ten, EVERYONE heard his voice. God was demonstrating that He was holy and we needed to respect Him, but He was also showing that He wanted relationship with all of His people, not just the leaders. He wanted everyone to personally experience His shalom. 

Sadly, when the people heard His voice and saw His power, they trembled with fear, standing at a distance, just like in the Garden. They said to me, 

“Moses, you speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”

They wanted me to be their mediator. 

God still desired that personal relationship so he set up the tabernacle as the place His people could come to meet with Him. It was humble on the outside but filled with the glory of God. Everything was a replica of what I saw in heaven. God was setting up a way for His people to approach him. When a person sinned, he would take an animal from his flock and bring it to the tabernacle. The priest would interview the man and inspect the animal. 

“Let me see your ram. It must be perfect, God doesn’t permit second quality sacrifices… yes… it looks good. A worthy sacrifice. What is your sin for which you need atonement?”

“I lied to my neighbor. I’ve confessed it to him and made things right between him and me, but now I need to make peace with God.”

“I see. Here, lay your hands on its head. May your sin be upon this creature and may it pay for your sin.”

The man looks into the scared eyes of the ram and realized his selfish sin came with a cost. He was going to lose one from his flock, and the animal was going to lose its life.

The priest would then take the blood of the animal and sprinkle it on the altar and pour the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. This was all done in the outer court of the Tabernacle.

Once each year, my brother, Aaron, the high priest, would enter the Most Holy Place to sprinkle the blood of a goat on the Mercy Seat to atone for the sins of the nation. 

The very presence of God was there, above the mercy seat, above the ark of the covenant. To get there, the Aaron would pass through a dark, thick curtain with cherubim embroidered on it, guarding the path into God’s presence (reminding us of what we had lost in the Garden of Eden). He couldn't go whenever he wanted. He could only go one time a year, and that was to atone for his sins and the sins of all the people. 

The tabernacle allowed us to reconnect with God, but the more we studied His laws, the more we realized our sinfulness. Every time we sinned we had to offer another animal from our flocks. The cost of our sin curbed our behavior some, but as hard as we would try, we would still break God’s law, even in small ways. We lacked shalom and always felt some separation from this God that loved us so. 

Are you haunted by your past sins? The same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year can never make perfect those who draw near to worship. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Those sacrifices are a reminder that your efforts to make yourself right with God have failed. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves.

But God loved you so much that He has sent Me.