“In God’s House” (Ch. 14) & "Priests Clothed" (Ch. 15)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch

“In God’s House” (Chapter 14)

Exodus 25:8–9 NIV

⁸ “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. ⁹ Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

“God’s Home(s)”

• Eden: life and communion

• Mt. Sinai: sacrifices, meals, communion, & promises

• Tabernacle

• Most detail provided in Scripture of any of God’s dwelling places

• Based on a heavenly pattern

• God’s people lived in tents, and he would dwell in a tent in the midst of them.

God’s “home consisted of a tent, surrounded by a courtyard, which was surrounded by the people of Israel, and beyond them was the world that needed the God of Israel.” - Edward Welch

Pictures of God’s Character

• The tabernacle’s design and composition revealed much about God’s character:

• Royalty

• Fine white linen, purples, blues, and reds, gold, silver, and bronze

• Righteousness

• Bronze Altar - people need to be forgiven and cleansed before going into God’s house.

• Purity

• Laver - the necessity for washing/cleansing

• Light and Life

• Golden lampstand shaped to remind of the tree of life in Eden

• Provider

• Table of the bread of presence - God’s care for Israel.

• Divine hospitality

• Grace and Beauty

• Altar of Incense - the sweet smelling aroma rising to the heavens represented the prayers of God’s people brought into the presence of God.

• Holiness and Glory

• Most Holy Place and Ark of the Covenant - God’s throne in God’s throne room

• Only allowed access once a year by the High Priest

• God’s glorious presence came to dwell among his people.

“The tabernacle was a visual representation of God’s world along with specific instruction on how his people were to come near. Each detail was intended to prepare humanity to recognize Jesus when he came and gathered all these details into himself.” - Edward Welch

“Priests Clothed” (Chapter 15)

For Glory and for Beauty

Exodus 28:1–2 NIV

¹ “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. ² Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.

• God clothes us to make us beautiful and glorious to stand in his presence.

“God has designed our clothes, and they will make us quite presentable.” - Edward Welch

Characteristics of the Priestly Clothing

• Special - Consecrated

• Costly

• Ornate

• Holy - made of same linen and yarns of the tabernacle itself, gold plate on turban: “holy to the Lord”

“...image bearers—human beings—were the ones intended to represent God most accurately. The tabernacle, indeed, reflected his glory, but walking, living tabernacles were always the plan. The priestly coverings pointed to the Spirit-filled tabernacles that were to come, when we would all be made holy in Jesus Christ.” - Edward Welch

• Representative - names of the 12 tribes engraved on stones on the shoulder pieces and on the jewels of the breastplate.

“The high priest carried the people everywhere, even into the Most Holy Place.” - Edward Welch

• Wisdom - Urim and Thummim represented wise judgment in consultation with the Lord’s will.

“The image of God in humanity was being restored. The discernment and wisdom lost at Eden were available because God was with his people.” - Edward Welch

• Royal - Turban with royal, crown-like overtones

“When you take a step back, it becomes clear: the priestly garment mimicked the tabernacle... The priest was a living version of the tabernacle. The priest and tabernacle both imaged God.” - Edward Welch

Psalm 84:10 NIV

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

“The priests were blessed to be attendants at God’s residence, but their presence there pointed to a much greater reality: his presence with his people would be so intimate that he would actually reside within them.” - Edward Welch

“We look ahead and see that we are, both singularly and corporately, living tabernacles, and a tabernacle is where God resides with his people.” - Edward Welch

1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

“The Father over us, Jesus with us, and the Spirit in us—all this intimacy is now in view in the priestly story.” - Edward Welch