Brought Near

God's desire from the very beginning has been to dwell with His people. The tabernacle, described in Exodus and Leviticus, was not a complicated religious obstacle. It was a gracious invitation for sinful people to draw near to a holy God. Every element of its design carried meaning, and every element pointed forward to Jesus Christ. There was one gate into the tabernacle courtyard, one altar where sacrifice was made, and one basin where the priests were cleansed before drawing closer to God's presence. None of these were arbitrary. They were a picture of what was coming. Jesus fulfilled every part of that system completely. He is the gate, as He declared in John 10:9. He is the once-for-all sacrifice, as described in Hebrews 10:12, where it says He sat down at the right hand of God after offering a single sacrifice for sin. The priests in the tabernacle never sat down because their work was never finished. Jesus sat down because His was. He is also the cleansing water, washing His people through His Word. Because of Him, those who were once far off have been brought near, not by their own effort or willpower, but by His blood alone. Understanding the tabernacle also shapes how we live today. Romans 12:1 calls believers to present themselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Unlike the animal brought to the altar, a living sacrifice stays alive, which means it keeps choosing to lay itself down. This is a daily decision. It also means that when we fall short, the answer is not to start over from scratch or live under condemnation. Just as the priests washed their hands and feet before serving without needing to be fully bathed again, believers who have been cleansed in Christ simply need to confess and course correct. Confession is not condemnation. It is the path to cleansing and continued closeness with God. . . 🌐 https://theshed.church 🚗 Apple Podcast: Sermons At The Shed 📘 Facebook: theshedatprovence 📷 Instagram: theshed.church 🎵 TikTok: theshed.church 📺 YouTube: theshedatprovence