We can see in the last few Chapters that God is bridging the gap between Him and His people. This is temporary and a training ground (for submission to Him) for what is to come, the permanent bridge (built with the blood of Jesus) Christ Jesus will come and build the final church and be the head of it.
He continues this in Exodus 30
First we see, altar of incense to be able to create an environment for prayers and atonements to rise in its smoke to God.
Second, ransom money for our sins to build the tabernacle to be able to have a way to commune with God and for forgiveness. I note that everyone pays equal as we are all equal sinners, rich or poor. Now tis built on Christ as the cornerstone and by Christ. We know that Christ paid our ransom and purchased us with His Blood.
Third, the laver of brass (brass for judgement) for priests to wash in before being able to do the work of God to offer sacrifices for Gods peoples sins. We need to be cleansed. Now after Christ HE has cleansed us.
Fourth, anointing oil and instructions to use it. anointing oil was to sanctify, to set the anointed person or object apart as “holy”, at least temporarily. Anointing oil itself without instructions would be pretty worthless so God being a good father gives instructions.
Fifth, incense and perfume. Perfume makes us smell better as we are sinners and even wearing a covering or sacrifices don’t make us smell better so the perfume is a covering of our smell so we can be pleasing and it is even temporary and wears off. perfume with incense causes it to rise to the heavens.
There was nothing with lasting holiness on earth until Christ comes. Nothing sinless on earth until Christ comes. No permanent payment, satisfaction or sacrifice on earth until Christ comes. Everything we are reading about in these chapters are temporary as God makes a way that qualified and chosen men (as temporary intermediaries) have to clean themselves up to be holy every time there is a sacrifice for themselves or others.
We see here they actually have to pay to build the church and for the sacraments as the Savior has not come yet to tear the vail between the temporary provision and the permanent provision with no need for a place to sacrifice or priests to sanctify us, as Christ took care of the atonement for our sins, built the church through His sacrifice.
“every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord”
We had had to pay the ransom for our souls, until Christ did it. An impossible job through the law, which is still God’s point! Trying to work and pay for our payment for sins would never have ended with out the provision in Christ that we were given.
Brought to my attention in this book was that the punishments are of an (early) physical death in the old testament to illustrate there SURELY IS a death for sin, God instructed us to actually have to do with our own hands the punishments on perhaps even our own friends, and in the new testament we see a focus on a spiritual death from birth until we are born again in Christ. Perhaps because there was no way for a spiritual life with God until Christ came into our lives with payment in full. There was no way in the old testament to be born again, people could get a temporary sacrifice with the blood of an animal. kind of like paying a toll on the toll road in the freeway of life and after Christ the tolls have been paid as long as we stay with Christ. “GO SUNPASS” The toll roads say in Florida. For the Christian it is GO SON PASS. AMEN. As Christ has paid the passage for us, if we choose to follow His Way, His Truth, and His Life.
In verse 18 we seen an important foundation – communication written by the finger of God:
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Read it and ask the Lord to show you what all this means for your walk with Him.