MOSES' TABERNACLE - A PATTERN FOR INTIMACY: PT. 4

 A TIME OF TRANSITION

Jesus refers to His followers as sheep.  Let us look at some of their characteristics.

Sheep are…

• submissive
• completely dependent on the Shepherd
• responsive to love and care

but sheep also …

• are easily panicked
• are gullible
• are vulnerable to fear and therefore stampede easily
• are vulnerable to mob psychology, so they are easily influenced by a leader – whoever that leader might be
• have only one defense – to run
• are easy prey to enemies
• are easily flipped over and cannot right themselves without the Shepherd
• need a lot of care
• are not concerned about the Shepherd's needs – only their own.
• are not concerned about pleasing the Shepherd, but rather are focused on pleasing themselves.

What does this have to do with Moses' Tabernacle and your intimacy with the Lord you ask? As a young believer you come to the Lord as His sheep, and you are lovingly cared for by the Great Shepherd. However, after a while there is a need for a transition in your thinking. Consider these facts….

1. In Moses’ Tabernacle sheep could go no further than the Brazen Altar. They could not approach the Brazen Laver, not to mention the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
2. Sheep were unable to be intimate with the Shepherd since they are a different species from Him.

Do you see the spiritual implications for you and me? If we continue to think of ourselves only as sheep we will never experience true intimacy with the Lord, and our growth in Him will be stunted. The Father is not preparing a Marriage Feast for His Son and His sheep. He is preparing one for His Son and His Bride! Now let us look at the characteristics of a bride.

A bride…

• Grows in intimacy with her Husband and seeks to please Him
• As a result of this intimacy, knows not just His acts but understands His ways
• Partners with Him
• Is in covenant with Him
• Represents Him in His absence. (People will judge Him by how she looks, speaks and acts.)
• Carries His Name
• Bears and raises His 'children' – His fruit
• Submits to His leadership
• He is her covering, therefore she knows that He takes care of all of her needs - just as He does with His sheep. This frees her to focus on their relationship, and on taking care of His business.

In ancient Jewish weddings the bride immersed herself in a body of water called a “mikvah” prior to the marriage. Her immersion symbolized the profound transition that was about to take place in her life. We can see a similar pattern in Moses' Tabernacle where only the priests were allowed to wash at the Brazen Laver in preparation for entering the Holy Place – a place of intimacy with the Holy Lord.

Today you and I must first ensure that we change our mindset from being simply a dependent, self-absorbed sheep. We must embrace our life as the Bride of Christ preparing for her Beloved Bridegroom! Then we can move on to our “mikvah” – the Brazen Laver experience.

To be continued…