<description>In Exodus 26, every detail of the tabernacle points to a God who is both wonderfully near and utterly holy. Though the veil once kept sinners at a distance, Jesus Christ has torn that barrier down, opening the way for us to draw near to God with confidence, faith, and hope.
The post God’s Holy Tabernacle appeared first on Mt. Rose OPC.</description>

In Exodus 26, every detail of the tabernacle points to a God who is both wonderfully near and utterly holy. Though the veil once kept sinners at a distance, Jesus Christ has torn that barrier down, opening the way for us to draw near to God with confidenc

Old Testament Reading



The Old Testament reading is Exodus chapter 26, and it is a long passage. We’ll read the whole chapter. And as we do, we’ll always keep in mind that this is the word of God. This is God’s infallible and inerrant word.



So let’s hear God’s word this morning. Exodus chapter 26.



Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with 10 curtains of fine twine linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns. You shall make them with cherubim, skillfully worked into them, the length of each curtain shall be 28 cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains shall be the same size. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise, you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set. The loops shall be opposite one another, and you shall make 50 clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.



You shall also make curtains of goat’s hair. For a tent over the tabernacle, 11 curtains shall you make. The length of each curtain shall be 30 cubits, and the breadth of each curtain 4 cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps in the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned ram skins and a covering of goat skins on top.



You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 10 cubits shall be the length of a frame and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. There shall be two tenons in each frame for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. You shall make the frames for the tabernacle. 20 frames for the south side, and 40 bases of silver you shall make under the 20 frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side, 20 frames, and there 40 bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame. And for the rear of the tabernacle westward, you shall make six frames, and you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. They shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them. They shall form the two corners. And there shall be eight frames with their bases of silver, 16 bases, two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.



You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.



You shall make

God’s Holy Tabernacle

<description>True saving faith is not found in our own goodness, but in Jesus Christ alone. Romans 10 reminds us that salvation comes by believing in the heart, confessing with the mouth, and calling on the name of the Lord who saves all who trust in Him.
The post The Good Confession appeared first on Mt. Rose OPC.</description>

True saving faith is not found in our own goodness, but in Jesus Christ alone. Romans 10 reminds us that salvation comes by believing in the heart, confessing with the mouth, and calling on the name of the Lord who saves all who trust in Him.
The post The

Old Testament Reading



The Old Testament reading is Deuteronomy chapter 30, verses 11 through 14. And this is the infallible and inerrant word of God. For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven that you should say, who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it. Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it. But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can do it.



New Testament Reading



We’ll turn now to Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10 for our New Testament reading. And this is also our sermon text today. Romans 10 verses five through 13. Romans 10, five through 13. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.



Confessing Faith



Well, since today we had the privilege and the blessing to witness the baptism of Riley and also to hear her profess her faith in Christ, I thought it would be appropriate for us to take a break from our study of the book of Exodus, which we have been going through, and instead to turn to this passage from Romans, this passage in which the author, the Apostle Paul, he deals with the significance of a person confessing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.



As you know, there are many varieties of faith in this world. There are all kinds of belief systems. There are all kinds of religions that call for faith. Even a worldview or a philosophy that denies the existence of God, that requires a kind of faith as well for somebody to embrace it, to believe it. And of course, there are all sorts of things in this world that we are tempted to put our trust in, to put our hope in. We might look to things such as money, success, a relationship to give us that purpose, that significance, that joy that our hearts desire. And when we put our trust in these kinds of things, when we look to these things and hope in them, we are exercising there too a kind of faith.



And so there are many kinds of faith, but there is only one faith that brings us salvation. There is only one kind of faith by which our sins are forgiven. There is only one faith that brings us eternal life, and that is faith in the person and in the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.



And this morning, we have heard Riley declare to us that she affirmed those questions that I put to her. She proclaimed before us her faith, her faith for her salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the question I want to ask you is, how about you? Is your faith, is your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ alone? This is a big question. There is nothing less than your eternal destiny. Nothing less than heaven or hell hangs in the balance on this question. Is your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?



Now, not everyone who says that they believe in Jesus has true saving faith. The faith that brings us salvation, the faith by which our sins are fo

The Good Confession

<description>The golden lampstand in the tabernacle symbolized Gods light as truth, righteousness, and salvation, shining in the midst of a dark world. Today, as believers, we are called to be the new lampstand—reflecting Christ’s light through our faith and lives to illuminate the spiritual darkness around us.
The post The Light of the World appeared first on Mt. Rose OPC.</description>

The golden lampstand in the tabernacle symbolized Gods light as truth, righteousness, and salvation, shining in the midst of a dark world. Today, as believers, we are called to be the new lampstand—reflecting Christ’s light through our faith and lives to

Old Testament Reading



Our Old Testament reading, and this is our sermon text as well, so you might wanna keep your place there in your Bibles. The Old Testament reading is Exodus chapter 25, verses 31 through 40, and this is the inerrant, the infallible word of God.



Let’s hear God’s word. You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it. Three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower on the other branch. So for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms with their calyxes and flowers. And a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it, and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made with all these utensils out of a talent of pure gold, and see that you make them after the pattern for them which is being shown you on the mountain.



New Testament Reading



And now let’s turn to Revelation chapter 21, Revelation chapter 1, for our New Testament reading, Revelation 1, verse 12 through 20. Revelation 1, verses 12 through 20. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead, but he laid his right hand on me, saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.



The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.



The Context and Construction of the Golden Lampstand



You can turn back to Exodus 25 if you haven’t already. This is our sermon text. And as I said, we are working our way through the book of Exodus and we are in the section of Exodus now where the Lord is giving instructions to Moses on how the tabernacle and all of its furniture, all the items in it are to be constructed. Of course, the tabernacle was the place where God would dwell among his people in the wilderness. And also when they came into the promised land, God would be in the midst of his people in the tabernacle.



And as we’ve gone through these instructions, you probably noticed that God is working from the inside out. The first thing that he told Moses how to build was the Ark of the Covenant. And the Ark of the Covenant was located in that innermost part of the tabernacle, the room that is called the Most Holy Place. And then after that, the Lord gave instructions, which we saw last week, on how to make the table that would hold the bread of the presence or the showbread. An

The Light of the World

<description>The table of showbread in the tabernacle symbolized God’s intimate presence and provision for His people, representing the covenant of fellowship between God and Israel. Through Jesus Christ, this communion is fulfilled and expanded, inviting us into unbroken relationship with our perfect Heavenly Father who is always with us, offering love, mercy, and life.
The post The Bread of the Presence appeared first on Mt. Rose OPC.</description>

The table of showbread in the tabernacle symbolized God’s intimate presence and provision for His people, representing the covenant of fellowship between God and Israel. Through Jesus Christ, this communion is fulfilled and expanded, inviting us into unbr

Old Testament Reading



Our Old Testament reading is Exodus chapter 25, verses 23 through 30. And this is the infallible and inerrant word of God. Exodus 25, 23 through 30. You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it, and you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide and a molding of gold around the rim. And you shall make four rings of gold and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. Close to the frame, the rings shall lie as holders for the poles to carry the table. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. And you shall make its plates and its dishes for incense and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings. You shall make them of pure gold and you shall set the bread of the presence on the table before me regularly.



New Testament Reading



You can keep your place there since this is our sermon text and turn to the New Testament to Acts chapter 17 for our New Testament reading. Acts chapter 17 verses 22 through 31. This is the Apostle Paul’s address to the Areopagus in Athens, after he had seen all of the various idols that the people of that city worshiped. So Acts 17 verses 22 through 31.



So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God. What therefore you worship is unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being. As even some of your own poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring. Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine image is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.



The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.



The Significance of the Tabernacle



In this section of Exodus, God is giving Moses very detailed instructions on how the tabernacle was to be built. And just to remind ourselves of the overall significance of the tabernacle, we can say that there were two things that made the tabernacle a glorious thing, a place of glory. First of all, the tabernacle was the place where Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, where he made his dwelling place on earth among his people. The Old Testament sometimes refers to God as the one who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two cherubim, as we saw last week, they were made out of pure gold and they were on top of the mercy seat, which itself was on top of the Ark of the Covenant. And it was there in the tabernacle above the cherubim that God said that he would be present among his people. And that in itself is sufficient to make the tabernacle the most glorious structure ever built by human hands. It was because this is where the Lord dwelt. He was with his people. His home, you could say, his tent, was among the people of Israel in that tabernacle.



But the seco

The Bread of the Presence

<description>The Ark of the Covenant, carefully crafted according to Gods design, symbolized His holy presence among His people and pointed forward to the ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ. It revealed both Gods justice in His law and His mercy through the atonement cover, known as the mercy seat, where sin was covered by sacrificial blood; this was ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s sacrifice, who is our true and lasting mercy seat. This reminds us that God dwells with us today, offering victory over sin and enemies through faith in Jesus, who is always present to save and sustain us.
The post The Ark of the Covenant appeared first on Mt. Rose OPC.</description>

The Ark of the Covenant, carefully crafted according to Gods design, symbolized His holy presence among His people and pointed forward to the ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ. It revealed both Gods justice in His law and His mercy through the atone

Old Testament Reading



Our Old Testament reading is Exodus chapter 25, verses 10 through 22. And this is the infallible and inerrant word of God. Exodus 25, 10 through 22. They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold inside and outside, shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.



You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold. Of hammered work shall you make them on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another. Toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.



New Testament Reading



Keep your place there in Exodus and turn with me to Romans chapter three for our New Testament reading. Romans 3, 21 through 26. Romans 3, 21 through 26. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.



Context of the Tabernacle



It’s been a couple of weeks since we were last in Exodus. And so just to review what’s happening at this point in the book, we’ll just set the context for you. The Israelites are at Mount Sinai. The Lord has just made his covenant with them. And God has called Moses by himself to come up to the top of the mountain to meet with him and to receive these instructions that he will give to him. And Moses tells us that he entered the glory cloud, that cloud that was on top of Mount Sinai in which God’s presence dwelt. He went into the presence of the Lord there. He was there for 40 days and 40 nights.



And the first thing that the Lord told Moses was that he was to take up a special offering of all the various materials that would go into making the tabernacle and all the various parts of the tabernacle. And then in verses eight and nine, the Lord tells Moses to tell the Israelites to build this tabernacle exactly after the pattern of the one that the Lord showed to Moses on the top of the mountain. And so in verses eight and nine, which we did not read this morning, but just right before our passage, verses eight and nine say, and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst, exa

The Ark of the Covenant

Mt. Rose OPC is congregation of believers in Jesus Christ who seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior through the means of:
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