God has always had mediums, or means of grace, to communicate Himself to His people. But rather than looking to the old grandeur of the tabernacle with longing, we should remember that all those things pointed forward to Christ and the greater fellowship to be had between God and His people in new covenant worship.
If you are around a Reformed church long enough, you will probably hear the term means of grace. This refers to the divinely established ways we encounter and commune with God as we learn and experience His grace through Christ’s redemption. These include the ability to hear the Word as it is read (1 Tim. 4:13) and proclaimed (Rom.10:14–17), the avenue to God in prayer (Col. 4:13) and supplication through Christ (John 14:13), and the sacraments or “visible words” of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:26) and baptism (Acts 22:16; Eph. 5:26). But do we think about these means as benefits themselves, reflecting the level of intimacy and access we have to God won for us by Christ and His covenant? One way to appreciate these means is to reflect on the parallel means of grace before the era of the New Testament church. When we see the parallels, it can make us even more grateful for the benefits of the new covenant won by Christ’s work.
Old covenant worship looked different from new covenant worship. When reading Exodus and Leviticus, perhaps some of us have longed to see the majesty and immanence of tabernacle and temple worship of the old covenant. It certainly communicated the glory and grandeur of God in relation to His people. Tabernacle worship also communicated the deep divide between God and His people. Tabernacle worship communicated the majesty and eminence of God. Between the people of God and His presence were barriers of curtains and veils. People communed with God, but through intermediaries of priests. All the elements of our communion with God and seeing of grace were there, but placed behind walls of separation. The tabernacle itself was divided into three main sections. The courtyard contained a large altar for sacrifice (Ex. 27:1–8), along with a basin for the priests to wash in before and after sacrifice (Ex. 30:17–21). While not directly parallel, one is reminded of the image of washing in baptism as one sees the basin communicating a similar necessity of cleansing to enter the presence of God. God’s holy presence was demonstrated by the whole tent of the tabernacle, where only the priests could enter the next section of the Holy Place.
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