We Are The
Hebrews 9: 1-4 Now the first covenant had regulations for
worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first
room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called
the
These key verses from Hebrews reflect on the first covenant
God had established with His people. This covenant had an earthly sanctuary; a
place where the very presence of God could dwell on
earth. The Ark of the Covenant would carry that presence before them. The
Israelites would go forth with the
Now the
And so the presence of God in our lives will also part the raging waters we face and we can proceed on dry ground into the territories God has laid out for us to conquer! Anything is possible when God goes before us! But unlike the first covenant, we have direct access to God now. The new covenant was fulfilled through Jesus Christ and the best part is that we are the new earthly sanctuary!
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
Christ is in us. We are no longer separated from God. When His blood was shed for the remission of our sins on Calvary's hill, there was a passing from the first covenant into the new covenant:
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Matthew 27: 50-51
With the temple curtain being torn, the separation between God and His people was likewise rent asunder. We are now the Ark that carries the covenant. People should be able to see the presence of God within us as we go forth. But the enemy is so good at distracting us. He is so crafty at beguiling us. His strategy is to get us to take our eyes off of God and onto something in this world. To detour us in our walk; so people cannot see the glory of God within us. To damage our witness for Christ. We must be prepared to combat this by making sure we have in our Ark the same things our key verses teach us were in the original earthly sanctuary.
First of all, we need to make sure that we have the gold jar of manna in our Ark. When Moses was leading the Israelites for forty years there were many times the people grumbled against him. One such time was when they were concerned about what they would eat. They somehow remembered their slavery with fondness because of the "pots of meat" they had. We were slaves to the world as well when God set us free. Like the Israelites, we too can start to think too fondly of the slavery we were in. But God provided for the Israelites by literally raining bread down upon them. They called it manna and it kept the people fed for forty years. Every day without fail, God would provide.
Then Moses said, "This is what the L ord has commanded: Fill a two-quart container with manna to preserve it for your descendants. Then later generations will be able to see the food I gave you in the wilderness when I set you free from Egypt." Moses said to Aaron, "Get a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Then put it in a sacred place before the L ord to preserve it for all future generations." Aaron did just as the L ord had commanded Moses. He eventually placed it in the Ark of the Covenant--in front of the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. Exodus 16: 32-34 (NLT)
We too must place manna in our Ark. It must serve us as a reminder that God alone is our provider. The enemy will constantly show you everything you do not have so you cannot possibly appreciate what God has given you. Keeping the manna in our Ark will protect us against this scheme. Remember:
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Now, we may often disagree with God about what our needs are but that is usually because we blur our wants and our needs together. What you want is an opinion, what you need is a fact. God deals with the facts of your life beloved. Every day for forty years he provided manna from heaven for the Israelites and every day we have lived He also has provided the manna we have needed to get through the day. We need to always remember that our provider is God. Keep a jar of that manna in your Ark and you will not forget.
Secondly, we need to make sure we have the budded staff of Aaron in our Ark as well. During the travels of Moses and the Israelites, there arose a rebellion:
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites--Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth--became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?" Numbers 16: 1-3
