Comments for February 15

v. 14 - There is no doubt that the covering of the tabernacle is symbolic of God's care and of the covering for sin effected in Jesus' death and resurrection by grace. Here we see a red (sinful - blood) covering covered over with the grace of God. It constitutes a refuge for us to go into in Christ. Ps.27:5, Isa.4:6, 25:4, Eze.16:10

v1 - ch.36:8 tells us that it was the 'wise hearted' that were involved in this work - not that God needed all this ceremony to satisfy some sense of pride or power over mankind, but because man needed it in order to learn how great his creator was. Let us not get our worship out of perspective. Let us lay store by the praise of our heavenly Father, and not by the ritual by which we do it.

v.31-33 In speaking of the veil which divided the holy from the most holy place we are given a great amount of detail. However the New Testament comment is that it is 'the flesh' Hebrews 10:20. We must take care that we do not get so bound up in the fine detail of the tabernacle that we overlook the basic message.

:24 In saying that the boards were to be 'coupled' together we are introduced to an idea which is applied to Jerusalem (Psalm 122:3) where the same word is translated as 'compacted'. The tabernacle was a shadow of something more permanent - the city which has foundations. That is not Jerusalem which now is but the heavenly Jerusalem.

v. 14 - "badgers" some say seals from the Red Sea; if so, the Red Sea would remind the Israelites of God's providential care.
In the Vulgate, the skins were dyed BLUE . . . . . . blue for (God).

Exodus 26:1-14 - The Coverings of the Tabernacle are here described for us. The ceiling of the Tabernacle was made of a curtain of fine twined (or 'doubled') linen embroidered with cherubim in scarlet, purple and blue. A lot of work needed to be employed to create blue and purple cloth in the ancient world, for the basis of these colours is extremely rare, and extremely costly. These colours were derived from a certain shellfish of the Mediterranean, the Helix ianthina of Linnaeus. Many thousands of these creatures needed to be crushed and processed to create even a little of the concentrated colour required to colour a garment. Over the ceiling of the Tabernacle there was a further tent or covering, made of (1) Badger's Skin - the "badger" is thought by Strong's to be a clean animal, possibly a type of antelope, (2) Ram's skin dyed red, (3) Goat's hair. All these materials point forward to Christ. The 'Antelope' skins were dyed blue in colour, reminding Israel of their Holy calling - Numbers 15:38; Deuteronomy 22:12. The Ram's skins pointed forward to the "Lamb of God" sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. The covering of Goat's hair reminded the Israelite further of the sin-offering and the covering involved which likewise pointed forward to Christ - Hebrews 9:11-22.

26:30 The repetition of the command that the tabernacle should be built according to the pattern shown really makes it clear that God requires that things of His making be made as He requires. The ecclesia is His building. We must, therefore, realise that the way in which we ‘build’ it must be according to the pattern laid out in Scripture. Man made rules are not acceptable.

The Tabernacle had to be able to be dismantled. God’s wonderful plans for His first earthly house obviously were designed for the type of life they lived. There has never been another nation with whom God had such a personal relationship.

The skins mentioned for the tabernacle are significant (v.14):

- The ram's skin, dyed red, signified the shed blood of Jesus.

- The badger's skin. The badger was an unclean animal and was not found in the east. And so, some think that an antelope was meant, others think sea creatures  like seals or porpoises.  These skins, of whatever animal, were dyed blue which signified heavenly grace.

The natural black goat's skin, of which the tent was made, signified the natural sin of Israel. Thus, sacrifice and grace were necessary to overcome sin to bring salvation. 

There would have been other skins used to wrap up the tabernacle for transportation.

The tabernacle was a temporary dwelling which looked forward in symbol and function to future permanence.

Paul echoes this situation when he talks of shedding our temporary mortal tabernacle for the permanent mantle of immortality (2Cor 5:2-4).

UNDER THE COVERS
 
The tabernacle is a lot like the word of God.  As it is described to us here we find that it's inner covering is made from something really beautiful.  "Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman." (Exo 26:1)  No doubt this was some of the finest fabric ever made and was fit for the King - God himself.
 
But not everyone got to see this beautiful creation.  Over the top of it were curtains of goat hair - not nearly so beautiful but needed for the tabernacle all the same.  Again, not everyone got to see the craftsmanship that went into the weaving of the goats hair curtains because they in turn were covered by rams skins dyed red.  That must have been an interesting sight but even they were covered by the final covering of hides of sea cows.  All that was seen from the outside of the tabernacle was black or gray oily sea cow skins.
 
In a way the Bible is very similar.  All we see from the outside is the cover and the words, and often, like the hides of sea cows, it doesn't look very inviting.  But as we get further in we discover God's love letter written to us in blood, the blood of his only son given for us.  And as we look further still we learn of God's righteousness and of the glory of God.  It doesn't look exciting on the outside, but the more we read it, the more we study it, the deeper we go, the more we will discover that it is more than we ever dreamed of, with treasures beyond our imaginations just hidden beneath the surface.
 
Open it and read it today to discover the treasures that are hidden between its covers.

V.15-30 The tabernacle, from its name as well as from its general appearance and arrangements, was a tent; but from the description given in these verses, the boards that formed its walls, the five cross bars that strengthened them, and the middle bar that "reached from end to end" gave it solidity.

v.31 - It was clear from this that God cared very much what it looked like, down to the finest detail.  There is a great debate in our community, and I guess there always will be, over whether it matters what things look like, and the opinions range from one extreme to the other.  I suppose what we must asses is whether the appearance that God demanded here was for the look of it or for the spiritual significance of it.  We need also to bear in mind that the ritual of the Old Covenant is not matched (indeed is opposed) in the New, in which we stand by grace.

26        All the details given show that the tabernacle was to be a movable structure that could be dismantled and moved easily thus showing that Israel were not to view the wilderness as a permanent resting place. This would have to wait for the time when the temple was built and the staves were taken out of the ark.

BIBLE STUDY EXPOSED
 
Imagine taking a cross section of the tabernacle, or better still, imagine yourself on the roof of the completed tabernacle and peeling it away layer by layer from the outside heading in.
 
The first covering we encounter are the hides of sea cows. From the outside that would be all we see. Not very appealing really. A dark grey covering, nothing to look at, but very practical and weatherproof. Exploring the layers of the tabernacle is a lot like exploring God's word. From the outside it looks like hard work, heavy going, but we can see or have heard of, it's practical benefits.
 
Let's peel back this layer and see what is underneath. The fist thing we notice is a colour change. The underneath layer is of rams skins dyed red. This is significant in that it takes us to the next level in our Bible study, showing us the Lamb of God whose blood was shed in order that God's people could be forgiven and live.
 
Curtains of goat hair are found as the layer under the red ram skins. They give us another colour change from red to white. Here we begin to see, as we explore God's word, God's holiness, righteousness and purity.
 
Then we come to the final cover, the one we have had to dig to find. This is where it gets really exciting as the glory of God, his beauty and majesty is revealed. This is where we see intricate patterns and splendour we would never have imagined. But exploring God's word is only the beginning. On lifting the last layer of the Tabernacle, the glory of God himself, his Son and his light are revealed to us in person.

26:1 Cherubim figure prominently in the manufacture of the tabernacle. They, so to speak, separated the worshippers from that which was within the tabernacle proper. In the same way that the cherubim turned every way to prevent Adam and Eve from returning to the tree of life - Gen 3:24

26:6     Notice it is ‘one tabernacle’ – clearly they were making one tabernacle so why emphasise that it is one? Clearly because we see in the one tabernacle the perfect fitting together of many elements – a foretaste of how we, the ecclesia, should be.

26:29 Pure gold is a very soft metal. The construction of the tabernacle was designed to enable it to be erected and dismantled and moved around at God’s will. If we were making a tabernacle for durability we would probably have used a harder metal to overlay the boards However the tabernacle was designed to reflect God’s glory. Gold is an ideal material for this, despite it being soft and easily damaged. So are we. We likewise are designed to reflect God’s glory but our ‘appearance’ is easily marred by the knocks of life but we are the material of God’s choosing to reflect His glory. Clearly the lesson is that we should realise the fragile nature we bear – that it is all too easy to damage that reflection of God’s glory in the knocks of life and so try to avoid contact with those elements which will do so.

Exo 26:5-6 - there are numerous mentions of 5 and 50 in this chapter. 5 is thought by many to be a number representing grace or mercy or life. There were 5 sacrifices (Gen 15:9) of heifer, goat, ram, dove and pigeon; David chose 5 stones, etc. The 50th year is a jubilee of liberty and freedom (Lev 25:8-31,39-41,54) - the number 50 may represent grace and mercy and life to a multitude and perhaps points to a freedom from sin and death upon Christ's return. 

26:36‘curiously wrought’ is the way in which Jesus in spirit is described – Psa 139:15 - in the Psalm. Here we learn something about messiah in the hangings for the tabernacle.

26:7   Goat’s hair occurs rarely outside the details of the tabernacle. There are two uses in the Song of Solomon. One of them is Song 4:1 where the bride groom described his beloved.  So the bride of Christ has characteristics of the tabernacle – the place where God met with man.  Are we a suitable dwelling place for Him?

26:22 The structure of the tabernacle is doubtless clear to us. The only way into the tabernacle and then the most holyplace was from the east. The comment here that there were six boards westwards simply confirms that there is only one way into the presence of God – His way.

26:32  We come across pillars of silver again – Song 3:10 – when Solomon’s stylised chariot is described. 

The amazing structural detail of the semi-permanent building

Have you noticed that this structure is perfectly designed for a travelling people? If you please forgive me for the analogy, but this is most analogous to a circus tent, which is large, semi permanent (it stays in place for weeks at a time) but has to be erected and taken down quickly and transported from place to place. Thus it needs to be lightweight, pack up into a small space, easy to assemble, break up into small parts that can be carried by hand, and flexible enough to be built without a foundation.

What is a foundation?

A foundation is something all permanent buildings have. It creates a flat base upon which to build so that the building remains square and level. It is hard and heavy so that the building doesn't subside. A foundation is wider than the walls of a building so that it spreads the weight over the maximum surface area. But a foundation, as desirable as it is, is only for permanent buildings. It takes a long time to make, and it can't be removed once it's in place. In 1Kin 7:10 we are told this detail about the foundation of the temple in Jerusalem: the foundation stones were big and costly. You can still see these in Jerusalem by the wailing wall. They're as permanent as permanent can be.

Was the tabernacle a tent?

Some refer to the tabernacle as a tent, but it wasn't. Notice in v15 that it was made of boards. This is the same kind of construction used in houses today. Rigid timber boards (actually, panels made up of boards, a frame and insulation) are stood upon a foundation and then screwed together to form the wall of the house. It's a much faster and more accurate way to build houses, only recently discovered in modern times, yet here in the Bible we have a design for such a building thousands of years earlier. The really amazing thing about the design of the Tabernacle though is that the boards had no foundations to go onto, a feat never achieved by modern building methods which always require a foundation.

How could a no-foundation building work?

The staggeringly simple detail that made the whole building work without a foundation was the "sockets" spoken of in v19. These could be hammered or fixed into the ground. Once this was done, a board could be carried to the sockets and placed with the bottom of the board on two sockets - while still lying on the ground. I think the sockets looked like the birthday candle holder you saw on your last birthday cake. Imagine two pins in the bottom of the board, inserted into a hole in each socket. With the bottom of the board unable to move, it would be simple to lift the other end of the board, with perhaps two people, and push the board upright. Once upright it would be tethered with ropes and tent pegs. This construction is truly amazing because it takes into account any undulating or non-level ground. Once the boards were all in place, there would be a wall as solid as any permanent building... as I said, this was no tent.

What does this mean to us?

Apart from the practical reasons for the tabernacle being made in this way, there was a further spiritual significance. In 1Cor 3:11 we read:

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

The tabernacle, which was constructed before Jesus, signified that the revelation from God about salvation was incomplete. The most important part, Jesus, hadn't been revealed yet. It is indicative of the life led by faith, which sees only incomplete detail of salvation, yet has faith that the rest will be taken care of by God.

"By faith [Abraham] dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb 11:9-10

26:27-28                 One bar was to reach from one end of the tabernacle to the other. This means it was 30 cubits long – see Exo 26:16,18– That is about 45 feet. (Nearly 14 metres). Shittim trees were not large so we have to conclude that each of the bars were made of wood spliced together.

26:1   We may speculate about how the curtains fitted together or how they actually covered the boards of the tabernacle. However this is one clear and simple point that comes from reflecting that God covered the tabernacle with curtains. The holy things of God were hidden from human eyes. They could only be seen by those – the priests – who were appointed to officiate in the things of God.

26:1  Whilst the AV has “Tabernacle” the word differs from the word used later in the chapter. On this occasion the word means “dwelling” indicating the purpose for which the tabernacle was made. It was the dwelling place of God on earth.

26:11  We notice in verse :6 the word “one” is used to speak of the tabernacle. The word “one” is used again here emphasising that it was to be “one”. God is seen in the unity of that which He designed. It serves as an example to us of how we should behave towards each other.

26:30 The record contains no details as to how the tabernacle should be erected. However they were not left to decide for themselves as Moses was shown in the mount how it should be erected. In like manner we are not left to ourselves to decide how the ecclesia should be built up. The instructions and method are laid out in scripture.

Exo 26:33

“And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”

THE NAVE, OR MOST HOLY PLACE – LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE

“THE Nave, or Most holy Place, of the Mosaic Tabernacle, which was ‘the figure of the true’, which the Lord pitches and not man’ (Heb 9:24; 8:2), was the enclosure containing the Ark of the Testimony, the Cherubim, and the smoking and flaming Glory of the Deity. In the true holies which the Lord pitches, similar arrangements obtain. The tabernacle of Moses erected was built of wood, curtains, gold, and so forth, but the building the Lord erects is raised up of living and enlightened beings, created in His own intellectual and moral likeness—1Cor 3:9,16; Eph 2:20,22; Heb 3:2. These are the heavenlies in Christ—Eph 1:3. The first is the heavenly, or the holy body, consisting of ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’, in the time preceding the advent of the Ancient of Days. The second is the most holy heavenly body, constituted of all who shall be accounted worthy to pass through the Vail, into incorruptibility and deathlessness; by being clothed upon with the ‘fine linen pure and bright’; and girded around the breast with the ‘golden girdle’. Thus we have the ONE BODY in two states—as it is before the Ancient of Days comes; and as it will be after that appearing.

The Nave at the present time is invisible. The Eternal Father, the Seven Spirits of Deity, and the Anointed Jesus, are the present known constituents of the Most Holy. When the veil of the flesh, which now obtains between the Nave and the Tabernacle of faithful mortals, shall be done away, ‘the approved’ will enter into the Most Holy, and be incorporated with it.”

Brother Dr. John Thomas, Eureka, Vol. III

The tabernacle was a sacred tent where God’s presence dwelt among His people. The Most Holy Place was the inner room of the Tabernacle, and later also the Temple (cf. 1Kin 6:1), separated from the rest of the Tabernacle by a large veil. It was the place where blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, as an atonement for sins, which only the High Priest could enter, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.

At some point in history, the Ark of the Covenant situated in the Holy of Holies got "lost" and after Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians, the Babylonian army destroyed the Temple and the Holy of Holies, 586 B.C. (2Kin 25:9). Yahweh ensured the safety of the Ark of the Covenant!

After their captivity, Zerubbabel (cf. Ezra 3:8; 5:2; Hag 1:1,2), Ezra, and Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem, including the wall and the Temple. Then some 500 years later, the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place was torn from top to bottom at Christ’s death (Matt 27:50,51). In Christ, there are no more barriers.

In 70 A.D., the Temple with the Holy of Holies was destroyed by the Romans, and there has been no Temple since.

The Temple will be rebuilt again and will be unlike any of the previous ones. Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48 clearly speak of this and is referring it to the time of the Millennium. The geographical dimensions divided by lot as given require geographical changes (Eze 45; 47; 48).  The healing waters that flow from this Temple (Eze 47:1-10) has never flowed from any of the previous Temples. God gave Ezekiel in a vision precise details, precise measurements concerning the plan for His Temple with its regulations, and to interpret Eze 40 to 48 figuratively or as a spiritual temple (cf. 1Cor 3:16,17; 1Cor 6:19) would contradict Scripture (Eze 40:4; Eze 43:10,11; Eze 44:5;cf. Exo 25:9). This Third Temple will be when the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, will no longer be divided (Eze 37:22). The name of Jerusalem will be changed to “The LORD is there - Yahweh Shammah" (Eze 48:35). This is the Biblical Third Temple where Yahweh will place His name.

Exo 26:1-30  The Tabernacle was designed to emphasise the oneness of the whole tabernacle. Complete unity in all its parts The 10 curtains of fine twined linen were coupled together in order that “it shall be one Tabernacle “(Ex 26:1-6.). The 11 curtains, covering (<168> - tent) the tabernacle (<4908> - dwelling place) were coupled together “that it may be one”(Ex.26:11). Five bars were used to hold each wall of the gold covered shittim wood boards together (Ex.26:26-28). The candlestick was “one beaten work of pure gold” (Ex.25:36). 

The lesson is clear for us today. If the ecclesia is to be an acceptable place for God to be among His people, our aim must be to seek harmony by being of one mindaround the Word of Truth. 

That “ye be perfectly joined togetherin the same mind and in the same judgment.”(1Cor.1:10) in ecclesial life. 

“In whom all the building fitly framed togethergroweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:” (Eph.2:21)  

“…the whole body fitly joined togetherand compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph.4:16). 

26:36 “needlework <7551>> is a general term which is clarified in Psalm 139:15 where it is translated “curiously wrought” so we see that the work of the hangings was not just sewn together but contained intricate work.

26:28 We have already commented on the length of the middle bar which reached the whole length of the tabernacle. From a structural point of view we can see how it would hold all the boards together. However there may well be a spiritual lesson which we should focus on. The bar joined the holy place and the most holy place.

26:32 here and elsewhere “Shittim wood” is specified for wooden items. When we realise that the wood spoken of is from a twisted, gnarled, small tree we appreciate the difficulties associated with its use in making straight, load bearing, parts or boards.

This is a reminder to us that “building” the house of God – our own lives primarily is not an easy task but requires skill and patience. The skill is seen in applying the principles of the gospel and the patience is required because we realise that we take time, often a long time, to “perfect” aspects of our thoughts and behaviour.

“Exo 26:2,3 explains that each of the two parts of that tapestry was composed of five strips, with each strip measuring 4 cubits wide and 28 cubits long. Five strips would be 20 cubits wide. When the two five-strip sections were joined together with golden taches [hooks], the length would be 40 cubits. This covering began at the front of the Tabernacle structure, which means the taches fell 20 cubits from the entrance of the structure. Under these taches the vail was hung. Thus do we reason that the Holy was 20 cubits long.

The Number Two (2)

The Gospel Age is often represented by the NUMBER 2, or its greater magnitudes 20, 200, 2,000. A 20-cubit length for the Holy fits the symbolism. Perhaps two is used because the fruits of this age of the spirit are nourished by the two sources of instruction, the Old and New Testaments.

The following examples of two in the Bible all relate in one way or another to the Gospel age, or to the nourishment and care of the saints during it:-

Two fishes (Matt 14:17)

Two pence (Luke 10:35)

20 years of oppression by Jabin (Judg 4:3)

20 years of Samson (Judg 15:20)

20 years of the ark at Kirjath-Jeari1Sam 7:2)

200 pennyworth of bread (Mark 6:37)

200 cubits to shore (John 21:8)

2,000 cubits from the ark to the Israelites (Josh 3:4).”

https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/09/14/study-3-the-tabernacle-construction-the-holy-the-most-holy/

for further reading (non-Christadelphian site).

26:4,5,10 The way that parts of the curtains were to be coupled together is not simply a description to aid construction. There is a spiritual lesson given to us in the repeated use of the word. It is about fellowship. A principle presented to us – 1 Corinthians 10:10, Eph 4:16

79:13 - We are the sheep, the sheep that belong to the shepherd from the previous Psalm - that shepherd which is David, which is Christ - which is our salvation. So let us echo the sentiments of this verse, and be prepared to shew forth God's praise to all generations. Ps.145:4, Isa.43:21, John 10:11-18.

80:18 reminds us of the words in John 6:66-69. Those who turned aside and walked no more with Jesus were termed 'disciples'. May we remain amongst those who say 'Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life'

Psalm 79 - This Psalm catalogues punishments from God for Israel's faithlessness. As such it becomes a pattern for events future to the time of the Psalmist.
v1 is quoted in Lam 1:10
v3 in Jeremiah 14:16
v5 is quoted in Revelation 6:10
v6 in Jeremiah 10:24-25
v10 in Joel 2:17
v13 in Jeremiah 23:1

Psalm 80 - This Psalm speaks of the purchasing of Israel out of Egypt in a similar way to which Isaiah speaks of the vineyard in chapter 5
:8 vine Isaiah 5:2
:12 broken down hedges Isaiah 5:5
:13 waste Isaiah 5:6
:15 vineyard Isaiah 5:1
:16 burned with fire Isaiah 1:7

SOMETIMES BAD THINGS HAPPEN
God's people are not exempt from bad things happening to them. In Psalm 79 and Psalm 80 we read of Israel and Jerusalem brought to their knees by foreign invaders. The children of Israel, the people of Jerusalem and Judah were all God's special chosen people. They took a special place in the heart of God. He gave them a land flowing with milk and honey but they sinned against God and failed to uphold their side of the covenant. They had promised to obey God, to have him as their only God, but instead had rejected him and worshipped and served idols instead of the living God. So God did what he said he would do if his people were unfaithful and he brought other armies against them to bring them to their knees and to turn them back to the living God. Israel and Judah suffered greatly under the attacks of these other nations and eventually they were taken from that land altogether.
Even though Israel and Judah were God's special people, they still suffered and bad things happened to them. Even though we are Christians bad things may happen to us too. When they do, let us humble ourselves and accept God's way knowing that in the end we will be with those who will praise him for ever.

79:5 Against the background of the destruction the Psalmist cries 'How long …' which is the cry (Revelation 6:10) 'of the souls under the alter' who clearly are the faithful. Do we sigh and cry for the abominations done (Ezekiel 9:4) or are we complacent about the state of God's land - our inheritance?

80:1 We have an interesting contrast with God being presented both at the 'shepherd' and Him that 'dwellest between the cherubim' On the one hand He is the one who takes care of His flock, on the other he is the one clothed in majesty - also see Exodus 25:22

79:8 In saying that they were ‘brought very low’ The Psalmist is seeing the fulfilment of the curses of Deuteronomy 28 in their experiences (See Deut 28:43)

80:2 These three tribes all resided on the West of the tabernacle (Num 2:18,20,22) so this is not an arbitrary grouping of three tribes.

Psalm 79  This Psalm was written at the time of Israel's exile and expresses a deep faith and confidence that God will punish their captors.

Psa 79:5  How long?  David while being pursued by Saul asks the same question four times. Psa 13:1-2

Psalm 80  A prayer for the restoration of Israel's faith, and for the political reunion of the nation.

The reference to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh (80:2) is positional.  They occupied the western side of the four-square tribal placement (Num 2:18-24). Thus the appeal to Yahweh for help in Ps. 80 was urgent - please help us before the sun sets this day.

NO SIN TOO BAD
 
There were some very low times in the history of Israel.  This seems to have been one of them.  Israel and Judah were prone to sin, and in their sin they often turned right away from the LORD their God.  It was for this reason that God would send enemies, famine or disease among his people with the aim of making them turn back to him again.  Sometimes it worked and the people would leave their idols and return to the LORD,  but for the most part this was short lived.
 
This prayer of Asaph may have been one of those prayers that helped Israel to return to the LORD.  His description of the state of the nation is nothing to be envied, but we know from history that God did turn back to his people several times even though they had done so wickedly.
 
Are we really that different to Israel?  Are we so far from sin that we do not have to repent and pray for restoration from the LORD our God?  No, of course not!  The encouragement we can get from Israel is that even though their sins were so bad and God had rejected them, he returned to his people when they pleaded for restoration.  In the same way, no matter how bad we are, we can always be forgiven if we just repent and pray that God will restore us.  "Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." (Psa 80:19)

The passage about God's vine brought out of Egypt (Psa 80:8-19), together with Isa 5:1-7, obviously gives rise to Christ's comments in John 15:1-14 about Him being the true vine. This is similar to Hos 11:1, where God's Son brought out of Egypt is primarily speaking of Israel the nation, but also of Jesus, God's Son.  The vine is Israel and Jesus.

79:8 - time after time we see that the faithful men of old understood perfectly that their salvation was by God removing their sins and forgetting them permanently, and that this is a result of our recognition of our low place before the greatness of God the creator.  Although this concept is not called grace until the New Testament, it is clear that the faithful of the Old Testament understood this was the way of their salvation.

79:10    The Psalmists cry to God appeals to His desire that men would recognise Him as supreme – hence ‘where is their God?’ being the cry of His enemies would stir Him into action that he might be acknowledged.

80:8     When speaking of bringing ‘a vine out of Egypt’ we have the basis for the parable of the vineyard of Isa 5.

Psa 80:3,7,19 a link to the priestly blessing Num 6:24-26

Yahweh took His vine (people) out of Egypt and transplanted it in the promised land. In this vineyard they flourished, from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Euphrates (80:8-11). Then the vineyard was invaded and the fruit picked (80:12). The Assyrians spoiled Israel. This punishment was a result of sin. Contrast this account in Ps. 80 with the Lord's parable of the vineyard in Matt 21:33-41 which portends the destruction of the temple, the massacre of over one million Jews, and the scattering of the rest in 70 AD.

80:13 The wild beasts devouring the land echoes Lev 26:22

79:2 The language of this verse shows that the punishments that came upon Israel were in fulfilment of Bible prophecy because Deut 28:26 provides the basis for this language.

80:15,17  The ‘branch’ who is the ‘son of man’ that God made strong for Himself is Jesus.

80:12 In speaking of the breaking down of the hedge – or Israel – the Psalmist is speaking about the same thing that Isaiah spoke of later – Isa 5:5

79:3  That there would be no one to bury Israel’s slain actually happened in the Chaldean captivity – Jer 14:16

The use of the Heb. word "paniym" in the KJV (Strng) <6440> in 6 different verses of this Psalm, vv. 2 and 9 - transl. 'before'; 3, 7 and 19 - transl. 'face'; v. 16 - 'countenance' are from the Hb. paniym which is a noun in the plural (altho always used as a singular). In its translation into the English word 'face' I'm reminded of the 'faces of the cherubim' over the mercy seat. Thus the shining of Gods presence from His 'throne' which we see embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Expanding upon the 'shine' of God's 'face' we are reminded of Moses' face in Exo 34:29,30,35 when he came down from the Mt. with the two tables of stone which God had given him and his face shone. And Matt 17:2 in the transfiguration of Jesus where his face did shine as the sun and Moses and Elijah were seen with him in the kingdom. All three constituents of the multitudinous body of the Christ in glory...upon a multitude of thrones in the Kingdom of God, disciples ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel Matt 19:28

79:13  David spoke of the nation of Israel as “sheep” – 2Sam 24:17 – and elsewhere – Psa 44:11,22 – so as their king David must have seen himself as their shepherd.

Psa 80:1 - subscription "Shoshannimeduth" (<7802> may refer to lilies which could suggest purity, Spring, Passover).

Psa 79:1 - perhaps not written in the days of David's Asaph.

Psa 79:3 - doesn't say there was blood shed IN Jerusalem.

Psa 79:13 - "will give thee thanks forever" - perhaps this is a lead in to the second coming of Christ when faithful believers will be given immortality.

Psa 81:1 - subscription "Gittith" [<1665> according to Brown Driver Briggs means "a wine-press" and perhaps there is an Autumn connection to the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:39-43) and/or Day of Atonement].

Psa 80:8 - the vine here is primarily Israel, but as David Simpson noted in his 2005 comments, Jesus represents the true vine (Hos 11:1;John 15:1-6).

Psa 80:15 - "branch"<1121>; Psa 80:17 - "son"<1121>.

Psa 80:17 - "the man<376> of thy right hand (recalls Benjamin and "thy right hand" is the place of honor and blessing)...the son of man<120>".

The above verses put together paint a picture of Israel coming out of Egypt as a first born son and also Christ who became a branch of the vine.

79:12     The idea of God recompensing into the bosom is quoted, along with Psa 50:3, in Isa 65:6 where Isaiah is speaking of the blessings upon Israel in the kingdom. So the terrible picture of desolation in this Psalm will have an end. That end will be the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth.

80:13     The way in which the Psalmist speaks of Israel being destroyed by the wild beasts is developed by the prophet Isaiah when speaking of the way that the nation of Israel were to be destroyed – Isa 5:6

80:3,7,19         How anxious are we that God will save us from the sorry state we are in? Or do we think we are doing quite well without His salvation?

Psalm 79

"O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance;
Your holy temple they have defiled;
They have laid Jerusalem in heaps." Psa 79:1 (NKJV)

Micah prophesied about this event in Jer 26:18 and Micah 3:12

Psalm 80

Notice the vine and vineyard mentioned in v8-16. The vine was brought out of Egypt (v8), so it is a figure of Israel. Notice how the rest of that passage tracks their journey from Egypt (the Exodus), their entry to the land of Canaan, and their establishment as a nation.

The Psalm helps us understand other scripture, such as the Song of Solomon (see 1:6, 8:11-12) and Isaiah (5:1-7), and the parables of Jesus (see Matt 21:28-41).

79:5-6 How great is our desire for God to intervene to resolve the world’s problems? Or are we so comfortable in our lives that we do not see a need for Christ’s return?

79:1     The statement by the Psalmist that the heathen had made Jerusalem “heaps” was a terrible foretaste of what the Chaldeans would do. Jer 9:11 – takes up the words of the Psalmist and says the same will happen again. It did in the days of Zedekiah.

FOR THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME

Of all the times we pray to God asking Him to do something for us, how often do we do it with the best motivation? I would like a comfortable life, to be free of pain, to feel the joy and relief of forgiveness, to see other people blessed as I would like to be, to have all our problems come to an end with the return of Jesus, and to have things go my way.

The psalmist had pain and insecurity. Huge problems had been heaped on his people. They faced the wrath of God, invading nations, death and scorn. If I was in his situation, I would be praying for deliverance too. But my motivation may not have been quite the same as his: "Help us, O God, our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your names sake." (Psa 79:9).

If it is for God's glory it will be for the ultimate best. Let's pray that whatever we ask will be done for the glory of His name.
 

79:9    In speaking of God as “god of our salvation” we meet a phrase which does not occur often. However one occasion is 1Chron 16:35 when David brought the ark to Zion.

80:8     Israel was the “vine” that was in Egypt. As a vine all Israel had to offer was fruit. That would have been obedience to God. Sadly that is what they lacked. Having been delivered from death by the resurrection of Jesus do we bring fruit to God?

79:1 In Lam 5:1-2 we see the same idea as we see here in the Psalm. Mourning over the desolation of Jerusalem. Is this our feeling at his time of gentile rule in the world?

79:1 Notice the Psalmist’s concern. The heathen have entered God’s inheritance. The Psalmist’s concern is not that he is suffering but rather that God is being belittled. This should teach us as to how we should react when His name is blasphemed or His laws are violated.

79:5 The Psalmist’s prayer “how long …” reflects his concern for the desolation of Zion. In addition he is concerned also that God’s name was blasphemed because of the desolation (79:10) and so he prays for help (79:9). Currently Jerusalem is not the “praise in the earth” that our God has planned. So do we mourn for Zion? Do we plead with God to intervene on behalf of His name and status?

80:8-12  the vine was the nation of Israel. However by the time of Jesus the nation was corrupt. Hence Jesus told the parable of the vineyard –Matt 21:33-44

80:3,7,9 In asking that God’s face would “shine” on them the Psalmist is asking for God to show His mercy as He did do Moses, whose face shone after the experience of seeing God’s character – Exodus 34

v.24 - This cannot surely refer to 'human' desires, as they are part of the thinking of the flesh, so the interpretation of this verse has got to be subject to scrutiny by the rest of scripture. Surely before we ask, our desires must be from the right motives. And one of our motives is that whatever we do should not stand in the way of the progress of God's purpose - 'nevertheless thy will be done'. And yet, having said this, here (and elsewhere) we have a verse that tells us that if we believe in what we request and do not doubt (is this possible?) we can have our request. Here there is further evidence to that statement that Bro. Peter Forbes made last month - it MUST be possible to influence God's actions in prayer. Matt.7:7-11, 18:19, 21:22, John 15:7, Jas.1:5,6, 5:15-18, 1John 3:22, 5:14,15.

v.9 Whilst the people cry 'blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' the leaders oppose them asking Jesus to restrain them. However one of the last things that Jesus says to the leaders is that the time will come when they will use the same words. Matthew 21:9 23:39 Mark 11:9 Luke 13:35

11:27-33 In turning the question of authority round Jesus is not avoiding the issue at all. he is focusing the minds of those who were questioning him on the testimony of the one who had spoken of him. Unless the priests and scribes were willing to acknowledge the authority of John then there was no point in continuing the discussion.

Looking again at the last week of Jesus' life I thought that this table of days in Mark might be of interest

Using the gospel of Mark as a basis it is possible, with relative certainty, to slot the other gospel records into this framework and thereby establish clearly what happened on each of the days of the week that culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus.

:21 When Peter draws Jesus' attention to the withered fig tree which had been cursed the previous morning Peter says 'behold the fig tree'. This conversation must have taken place somewhere between Bethany and Jerusalem - probably on the mount of Olives which is close by Bethany on the route that they would take to go into the city.

In the Olivet prophecy, which was spoken on the mount of Olives [Mark 13:3]. During that discourse Jesus also says 'behold the fig tree' [Luke 21:29]. Is Jesus actually pointing to the very fig tree he cursed a couple of days ago when he says this?

:1-11 Jesus left Bethany to go to Jerusalem - a short journey of a few miles. The entry into Jerusalem would not have taken very long. However apart from looking round the temple the record tells us nothing else about what the lord did that day. So it is clear that the record does not record all that took place that day. Thus we should conclude that the details of what are recorded are of great significance.

We are now only 5 days before the death of Jesus so chapters 11-16 cover a period of about seven weeks - the previous chapters have covered just over three years.

Mark 11:7  The very fact that Jesus was riding into Jerusalem, not on a high spirited war steed or prancing white stallion but on a colt, the foal of an ass, an animal associated with the pursuits of peace, should have been sufficient to show that it was as the Prince of Peace that He had come.

V.8 After the children of Israel left Marah (bitter) they came to Elim where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees (Exo 15:27).  There is much symbolism here which should be evident. Palms were a symbol of righteousness (Psa 1:1-3, 92:12).  They decorated Solomon's temple (2Chron 3:5) and figure prominently in Ezekiel's temple (Eze 40:16,22,26,31,34,37, 41:18,19,20,25,26). The righteous will display them before Christ in the future (Rev 7:9).

Such is the symbol that was strewn before Jesus (John 12:13), the righteous branch (Isa 11:1).

The fig tree represented Israel (v.13).  The Lord hoped to find fruit on the tree but did not.  Because the tree was unfruitful it was cursed (vs.14,20,21).  And so was Israel.  However, it was not the season for figs.  The Lord's curse, therefore, seems harsh. 

However, there was an expectation for Israel, and for ourselves, to bear fruit at all times (2Tim 4:2).

v.25 Time after time in scripture we are reminded that our forgiveness by God depends directly on our willingness and our efforts we make to forgive each other.

11:13    Jesus was looking for 'the first ripe fruit' spoken of in Mic 7:1. Both Israel and the tree, which represented them, were barren. The curse upon the fig tree would be restated later upon the nation.

V.21 The fig tree had changed from a seemingly healthy tree, to a shrunken corpse, a shadow of what it was just the day before. Peter was not blaming Jesus for what had happened, he was unable to understand how it was possible for such a change to take place in so short a time. Hence we have Jesus' comment in the next verse; "Have faith" What a lesson for all to-day.

v 13 Apparently, at this time, when leaves appear on the fig tree in the spring, any tree that will bear fruit has some early immature figs on it. Obviously this tree must not have had any of these, and therefore would not have borne fruit that summer. ref to Israel

Mark gives us a chronological account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-19). He received the adulation of the crowds, then went into the temple and looked around. He then went out to Bethany for the night.  Next morning He cursed the fig tree (the symbol of Israel not bearing fruit), and then re-entered the temple, and cleansed it of the traders. The morning after that, on their return to Jerusalem, the disciples noted the withered fig tree, and Jesus drew lessons from it for them.

Vs.15,16 This is Jesus' second cleansing of the temple.  For the significance of the two temple cleansings, see my note on John 2,3 Oct. 11th.

V.26 is not found in many manuscripts.

11:2 Notice that the colt had never been ridden before. It had not been ‘broken’. The colt represented human nature which no man so far had been able to tame. Jesus’ riding the colt showed that he had tamed human nature.

23 Our faith must develop to the point, that we know that we will be with Christ at this time. (Zech 14:4)

11:9   Psa 118 was a Psalm sung by the Jews at Passover time. In the past they would sing it without their being a deliverer. Now the Passover lamb was entering Jerusalem – but neither  the leaders nor the common people recognise it!

11:17 In saying ‘my house .. for prayer’ and ‘ye ... of thieves’ Jesus draws together two passages – Isa 56:7, Jer 7:11 – both of which were spoken to Israel in Jerusalem just before times of great trials of the inhabitants of that city. Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah when the Assyrians came against the city. Jeremiah spoke at the time of the Babylonian invasion.

Willingly ignoring details

The people flocking onto the streets had done their homework. Isaiah 9:9 speaks of Israel's king coming to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. None of them missed this symbolic act. And naturally they assumed that the rest of the chapter in Isaiah would be fulfilled too; namely the removal of the Roman occupier.

But this shows how important it is to notice the detail of scripture and not twist it to our own biased outlook. The Jews failed to notice (or ignored) v10 "he shall speak peace to the nations". So when Jesus came to Jerusalem, and to the Temple which was "a house of prayer for all nations" he fulfilled the scripture by clearing a place in the temple courtyard for the Gentiles to worship. The rest would have to come later.

11:24 Of course Jesus is not saying that God will give us whatever we want. The implication is that we will only ask for things which are ‘according to God’s will - 1John 5:14 - for that is how those whose sins have been forgiven should think.

11:2   It is only Mark in 1:13 who speaks of Jesus being with ‘wild beasts’ in the wilderness. So this is the second time Mark has spoken of Jesus having ‘dominion’ of the animals which echoes Psa 8:6-8

Summary of Chapter

11:1-10     Bethany and Bethphage -  colt found, Jesus rides to Jerusalem

11:11        Into Jerusalem and then to Bethany

11:12-14   From Bethany to Jerusalem – cursing the fig tree

11:15-19   Temple casting out money changers  back to Bethany

11:20-26   Next day cursed fig tree withered

11:27-32   In Jerusalem – the temple Scribes and chief priest questions Jesus “by what authority” (casting out money changers)

11:31  The inner reasoning of the leaders showed how their decision had compromised them. A faithful man would not have been troubled by what might happen to him. He would had made the right decision irrespective of what others thought.

 Mark 11:12,13,14,20,21.

If the fig tree was a symbol for the nation of Israel, and Jesus, after finding no fruit on it, curses it by saying, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again", how does this fact fit in with the many promises that there would be a restoration of the nation and God's blessing of it at the time of the end?

A short and, I believe, right answer sent in by my brother. Here it is -

11:3,6        Notice that whilst Jesus told the disciples that they were to say that the “lord” had need of the ass if asked when they were asked they said “Jesus”. So, we might conclude that in the disciple’s eyes at least Jesus was in fact “Lord” – their master, not simply yet another teacher.  

11:4    taking an animal that did not belong to the disciples would have been something that they would not have done. It was the act of a thief. The fact that the two disciples did just as Jesus did indicates their implicit trust in what he said to them.

HOUSE OF PRAYER

"My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Mark 11:17)

Jesus said these words as he was clearing the temple from the den of thieves who were ripping off the people who truly wanted to worship God. But his words reach right through time to touch us today. Let's have a think about the place where we worship and meditate on the words of Jesus as we do so.

"My house..." Jesus was quoting from God as recorded in Isaiah. It was His house. Not ours. This is not our church - it is His.

"My house will be called..." Not everyone who observes our place of worship is inside it. But whether inside or viewing from the outside, it still gets a reputation. What goes on inside? How would someone describe your place of worship? What sort of reputation does it have? Is it known, widely known, as a house of prayer?

"A house of prayer..." Prayer is what God's house was designed for. We are part of God's house, built up as living stones of God's temple. Are we doing our part to make God's house a house of prayer. Do we live lives of prayer?

"A house of prayer for all nations." There are two principles here. We need to be open to Anyone to come and pray or worship with us, and we must also be people who are dedicated to praying for the nations, praying for Gods word and the love of God to spread throughout the world.

Let's make sure God's house where we worship is a house of prayer for all nations.

11:2    We might think that the event happened just as described with the man not even expecting the two disciples coming to take the animal. Maybe Jesus had already made provision by speaking to the man some time earlier. It is clear from other event in Jesus’ life that he did plan and prepare for things that were to happen.

11:11  In looking round the temple Jesus was enacting the way in which the priest – Lev 14:37 – examined a house suspected of having leprosy before, in the most extreme case, causing the house to be demolished – which actually happened to Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

11:20  In telling us that the fig tree was dried up “from the roots” our minds are being directed to Hos 9:16 where the prophet speaks of the nation being dried up from the roots.

11:17 the Jews had gone so far as to place warning signs on the edge of the court into the temple area. Those signs warned gentiles that if they passed the sign they were responsible for their own death. Hardly a welcome to worship the God of Israel.

11:18 A characteristic of Jesus’ teaching and questioning was that it brought amazement – Luke 24 is the first time we see this but it is seen throughout his ministry also. For three and a half years Jesus had been teaching in this way but his audience were so used to hearing the religious leaders approach that Jesus continued to amaze them. The answer is to shun the sort of teaching of the leaders and replace it with Jesus’ teaching. A strong waring to us to read what Jesus said and think about that rather than simply see what others thought Jesus was talking about.

11:8the way people cast their garment son the ground for Jesu on the animal to ride over must have bene quite an impressive sight. It is hardly surprising that the Jewish leaders were troubled by what they were seeing. The Roman authorities also have considered it as a potentially very dangerous activity. Doubtless they were watching what was happening also.

11:9 When Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of the week leading up to passover there was great expectation amongst the people – hence the singing of Psa 118. However things changed abruptly as the city came into view as Jesus rode up the hill form the Kidron valley. On seeing the city Jesus “wept” –Luke 19:41 – because he knew exactly was coming to happen to the city and the temple. The joyful adulation of the crowd would turn to abject sorrow. That sorrow would only be remove din those who finally understood about the resurrection.

11:18 We might ask “why did the religious leaders ‘fear' Jesus?

The answer is clear. They were fearful that they would lose their status in the eyes of the people.

Are we  concerned about what those around us think of our commitments to Jesus?

11:27-28 The question “by what authority” from the Jewish authorities relates to the casting out of those that bought and sold and the money changers which happened on the previous day.