Let me share with you a view of creation (the literal six-day Miracle when God made the heavens and the earth, the whole universe in fact) that is “fresh” to me. In fact, I am thrilled over it!

God creating this world (earth) as a “house” in which He and mankind can live and enjoy fellowship. Yes, God abides in Heaven … but often in the Old Testament He came down (a theophany it’s called) to spend time with man!

Earth as a … HOUSE … with a basemen, a main floor and an attic! (Three parts, three levels … if you will allow me this illustration!) Maybe better said … “the seas, the earth and the heavens.”

There are specific facts given Creation Week about God making the earth (main level), the oceans (basement) and the stars (attic) in the sky!

Then Genesis 7:11 agrees … “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the (1) fountains of the great deep broken up, and the (3) windows of heaven were opened.”Yes, with (2) the earth being judged for its flagrant wickedness!

Job also, living/writing on (2) earth and describing our Great God … “Which alone spreadeth out (3) the heavens, and treadeth upon the (1) waves of the sea.” Job 9:8

This incisive view of habitable creation is actually prevalent throughout Scripture. Earth … as a “house.” As a dwelling place! A place for God to “visit” mankind!

Now … leaving earth and considering the Holy Mount once again, Mount Sinai. It also had (1) a “base,” then (2) a “midsection,” and yet finally (3) a “summit, peak, apex.”

It too is created as a “Dwelling Place” (a three-tiered house) for God and Moses and the people of Israel to KNOW God’s Company!

The people at the (1) base, Moses and a few leaders at the (2) mid-section … but Moses alone with God … at the (3) top!

Now … and the point of today’s Lesson … the Tabernacle in the wilderness! Help me think. Does IT perhaps have three levels, three tiers of Fellowship with God?

YES INDEED!

And “Outer Court,” a “Holy Place,” then the very “Holy of Holies!”

God dwelling with His Creation!

Three epochal Moves of God! Of His desire to be with man!

Most clearly in the “Tabernacle” as a “House.” As “God’s House,” at which He invited the Jews to come worship Him!

But nearly as clearly in the “Holy Mount” Events!

And, when closely considered and studied, in the very Creation of the “earth,” as a “House” too!

Wow!

Looks like everything God has done … has shown His Heart to be one of “Love,” and of deep “Longing” to be with His people! In Communion, in Fellowship!

1 John 1:3 accents this exciting Concept, putting it into New Testament parlance … “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Amen!

John (and the Disciples) had sweet “fellowship” with God and His Son (Jesus)! And he is (in this verse) INVITING US to join them (the Disciples) in Fellowship with both GOD THE FATHER and HIS DARLING SON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

The Purpose of the Tabernacle!

The Purpose of Mount Sinai!

The purpose of Earth itself!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I am about to suggest to you that there are correlations (quite a few) between the Mount where God came down and gave Moses the Law … where God so manifested His Presence … and the Tabernacle God planed and had the Jews build!

And be aware, the whole Book of Leviticus is consumed with that Tabernacle, how to approach it and properly worship within its august shadow!

God descended upon that holy Mount!

God descended upon that holy Tabernacle!

God dwelt on that holy Mount, His Shekinah Glory!

God dwelt on that holy Tabernacle, again in resplendent Shekinah Glory!

God spoke from that Holy Mount!

God spoke from that holy Tent/Tabernacle!

(And again, the whole Book of Leviticus is essentially God speaking from the Tabernacle, teaching and admonishing!)

God had some writing done (with His Own Finger … Exodus 31:18) from that holy Mount!

And sure enough … God had some writing done (a Lot of It) from that holy tabernacle! (The Book of Leviticus, as I just reminded you.)

There was “Fire and Smoke” (indicating God’s Presence) on that holy Mount!

There was “Fire and Smoke” in that holy Tabernacle, too! (The Altar of Incense!)

These parallels continue, many more than I’ve spotted yet, I sincerely suspect.

The point being?

GOD DEARLY WANTED TO DWELL WITH HIS PEOPLE IN EDEN … BUT SIN INTERVENED.

SO GOD MADE A WAY TO DWELL WITH HIS PEOPLE AT SINAI … THOUGH IT WAS STATIONARY.

AND WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR ISRAEL TO MARCH TO CANAAN (THE PROMISED LAND) … GOD MOVED HIS PRESENCE FROM A STATIONARY MOUNTAIN TO A MOVEABLE TABERNACLE!

And that, dear fiends, is how badly God hungers to love/fellowship/commune with His creation, His Own people!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Glory to his Name!

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Earlier this morning I have flown from Roanoke, Virginia down to Chattanooga, Tennessee … near our home.

In fact, I have just landed.

So, sitting in the airport … I am writing this Lesson!

Give me about an hour and it will be completed. Yes, it takes that long at least!

God is good!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lesson has now been written and posted. (“THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS … MOUNT SINAI AND THE TABERNACLE, AN AMAZING COMPARISON!)

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I know I’ve perhaps spent too long preparing for this Leviticus Series. With weeks of foundational study in both Genesis and Exodus.

But I (really) never realized how the Pentateuch is arranged so beautifully! Genesis (man going away from God, beginning with the “Fall”). Then Exodus (man being called back toward God, ending with the “Tabernacle,” God’s Home on earth). Followed by … Leviticus (man now, via bloodshed, capable of constant fellowship with God)!

But back to Exodus this morning … I’d like to show you something else about the “Presence” of God and the very “Heart” of God.

Read this please: “And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which SOUGHT THE LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the CLOUDY PILLAR (SHEKINAH GLORY) descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the CLOUDY PILLAR stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and WORSHIPPED, every man in his tent door. 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses FACE TO FACE, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.” Exodus 33:7-11

God “dwelling/communing/fellowshipping/talking” with man!

The “PRESENCE” of God, among His people.

This is God’s very “Goal” for humankind!

Then one more corollary thought today …

When Moses descended the Mount that second time… “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that THE SKIN OF HIS FACE SHONE while he talked with him.” Exodus 34:29

Then a typically human reaction … “And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were AFRAID to come nigh him.” Exodus 34:30

So in verse 33, Moses is veiled! “And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a VAIL on his face.”

There’s parallelism here!

Moses spends 40 more days on the Mount (where God lives) … and the radiant, divine Glory of God gets all over Moses! His very face shining!

It seems … God’s Glory/Presence now upon Moses, within Moses!

Quickly … add a “veil!”

Now … we have a symbol of the Tabernacle itself, just prior to its actual building! With God inside (the Holy of Holies) and a “veil” hung to keep man away, to save his life. (Only blood atonement and only by a qualified priest could avail, could equip any man to so enter!)

Moses, God-inhabited!

Yet Moses veiled, as was the Tabernacle.

And Aaron and the people fearful of approaching Moses!

Next … we find that Glory abiding on/over the (newly constructed) Tabernacle itself! (Exodus 33:7-11 above, for example.)

Now, look what has just happened … GOD’S VERY GLORY HAS BEEN MEDIATED (MOVED) FROM THE HOLY MOUNT (SINAI) TO THE TABERNACLE OF MEETING … VIA MOSES THE INTERCESSOR!

And God’s Presence has now in our lives been mediated, moved, INTERNALIZED into our very bodies … via the Intercessory/Cross of Calvary Ministry of our Saviour (Jesus Christ), a greater Intercessor than Moses could have ever been!

Yes, God the Holy Spirit now lives in each of us believers … because of Jesus’ Finished Word on Golgotha’s Hill, on the Cross.

Wow!

THE PRESENCE OF GOD … lost in Genesis, regained in Exodus … but maintained (personalized) and elongated in Leviticus!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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This Lesson was written and posted late yesterday afternoon, around 5:00 pm in fact. Solely due to my travel schedule. See the “Standing with the Bagwells” page for details. So I am not posting today’s new Segment until later this morning. I do not want anyone to miss it!

Moses was, among other things, an intercessor for Israel. Much as the High Priest Aaron would later be an intercessor for the whole Nation of Israel on its annual Day of Atonement, most fully described in Leviticus 16.

And the apex of Moses’ intercessory ministry was (undoubtedly) in Exodus 32-33, AFTER Israel had so egregiously sinned in that well-known “golden calf” debacle!

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 32:7-8

“Have corrupted” (the Hebrew verb “shachath”) is the same word used back when the pre-Flood civilization went so corrupt. And so is the noun “way” (spelled “derek”) common to both apostasies!

“And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” Genesis 6:12

Wow!

This blatant idolatry (back to the golden calf event) is perhaps the furthest mankind has drifted from God since the dark days of Noah, days that precipitated the Flood.

Pretty bad!

And just as God determined to destroy the world by flood waters … He would now destroy these Jewish people! Astounding!

“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will DESTROY them with the earth.” Genesis 6:13, hence the Flood.

God to Moses regarding the sensual “calf worship” … “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may CONSUME them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” Exodus 32:10

Intercession needed … or Israel is gone!

God’s Wrath is burning that HOT!

By the way, the sin of Israel (golden calf worship) occurred right in the middle of the Tabernacle Corpus of Exodus. Chapters 25-31 being dedicated to the instructions for building that Edifice. And then chapters 35-40 being involved with the actual building of it, that special Place.

So … the “apostasy” of these idolatrous Jews occurs right in the middle of God trying to build a Sanctuary where He can come down and live with His people! Where they can commune with Him and worship Him!

Wow!

But then watch Moses … with God threatening to destroy Israel!

The man becomes an intercessor par excellence!

But in a special way.

God (angry, but righteously so) and Moses (a picture of Jesus) … “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a GREAT SIN: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an ATONEMENT for your sin. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” Exodus 32:30-32

See it?

Moses, willing to die to appease God’s Wrath!

Willing to die to bring atonement, propitiation!

Yes, he is the consummate Old Testament intercessor!

All of which points to JESUS!

The Consummate Intercessor of all eternity!

Jesus, not only willing to die for our sins (a veritable death sentence in each of us) … BUT ACTUALLY DOING SO!

And thereby, God’s Wrath fell upon His Only Begotten Son … there on Calvary two thousand years ago!

Bringing about my salvation, via faith in Jesus’ Blood!

Providing atonement for you and me!

Folks, these are the very principles which make the Book of Leviticus such a fundamentally vibrant Necessity in Scripture.

Bloodshed!

Forgiveness!

The Need for a Mediator!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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