tabernacle

Calling Day 1 Into Inheritance

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:1-14
Haggai 1:1-11
Revelation 21:1-5

Calling, Day 1

“We will not neglect the house of our God!”
(Nehemiah 10:39, emphasis mine)

“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. (Exodus 36:1-2, emphasis mine)

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ.
(Romans 12:4-5)

You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? Because of My House that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. (Haggai 1:9)

The Lord has always carefully guarded, and given clear instruction for,
His dwelling place among His people.

In the Old Testament, chapter after chapter overflow with specificities on not only building the tabernacle, but also regarding its operation and management.

God’s heartbeat is, and always has been,
to be in deep relationship with His people.
Thus, He placed high priority upon
the place where He would meet with them. 

Moses’ original site of communion with God, the Tent of Meeting, gave way to the moveable Tabernacle where God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. This was eventually replaced by Solomon’s temple in the holy city of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70AD.

Over time, as Jews multiplied and spread, synagogues became the gathering places for worshipping and studying the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament). In fact, the Greek word for “assembly” is “synagogue”!

Finally, after Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within everyone who trusts in the Lord for their eternal salvation.
The new tabernacle was the very heart of every believer!

Whether it was the Tent of Meeting,
the Tabernacle in the wilderness,
the temple in Jerusalem,
a synagogue in the ancient Roman world,
or your local Bible-teaching church,
each of these represent something precious to the heart of God,
a meeting place with His people. 

Just as God protected and cherished those dwelling places in the Old Testament, so does He lavishly love and care for how the Church, local and global, lives out its calling to advance the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians is like the handbook for church life, detailing out our identity, our mission, and our calling. Before you check out because you aren’t on staff at a church, or maybe only attend on occasion, sink into this truth:

Every believer is the Church.

Please, as fellow member of this beautiful Body called Church, I plead with you to read every word of Ephesians with us as we study.
Our words are meaningless without His.
Our studies merely point to His truth.
So, if you’ve made it this far without reading His Words Before Ours, please back up and read today’s selection from Ephesians 1:1-14!

As you read, drink it slowly, deliciously; let the message wash over you, bringing renewal.
These are the words of the Lord God for His precious Bride, the Church.
These words are for us as His Beloved, the place where He dwells!

Because, here’s the ravishing secret, we are His inheritance and He is ours!! 

I’m giddy with excitement every time I consider this glorious reality!
Come! Look!

To the saints…
Grace & peace to you, (Read: washing over you and embracing you on all sides)
from God our FATHER (how wondrous!)
and Christ Jesus our SAVIOR (breathtaking love!).
(Ephesians 1:1-2)

And just like that, we are ushered into a book of radical love and steadfast truth with a warm embrace.

In the first 14 verses, we, the Church,
every saved-from-sin-rescued-from-death believer, are hereby declared…

Blessed
With every spiritual blessing available in the infinite heavenly riches of Christ.
(verse 3)

Chosen
Set apart from before the beginning of time to be blameless and holy before the Lord.
(verse 4)

Adopted
With every right and every inheritance given to us, not based on our works, but solely because He lovingly chose to love us.
(verses 5-6)

Lavishly Covered
With His limitless gifts of redemption, forgiveness, and grace.
(verses 7-8)

Unified With God
Having been invited to understand the rich mysteries of how God has planned for our salvation and welcomed us, the Church, into the great gift of unity between ourselves and the godhead.
(verses 9-10)

Heirs
We are the recipients of this profoundly rich inheritance.
(verses 11-12)

Sealed
On hearing the freedom offered in Christ, having trusted Him as our only Savior and Lord, God poured His Spirit into our hearts, remaking our DNA to be like His own. Here is the proof of our salvation! The God who safeguards our souls by His Spirit until one, indescribable day, when our inheritance is seen with naked eyes and we behold the glory that is
God dwelling with us FACE TO FACE!
(verses 13-14)

Church!!
How wondrous is the love the Father has lavished upon us!
May our tongues never cease to praise Him for calling us into this inheritance!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Calling!

Pause 3 Day 7 The Best Places

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Pause 3, Day 7

The high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year,
and never without blood,
which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed…

Only the high priest.
Only alone.
Never without blood.

God’s presence is too holy of a place to enter recklessly, carelessly, or without fearful awe.

The care that had gone into every single, ornately beautiful detail in handcrafting the Tabernacle of the Old Testament was immeasurable. The finest craftsmanship, the most intricate details, and the most precise tools available were prevailed upon to build the Tabernacle. The place where God’s presence dwelled and the place of shared community between God and His people was the very best place available to all of Israel.

No other place was as sacred, as ornate, or as fearfully held in awe as the tabernacle.

The author of Hebrews 9 uses the extremely familiar setting of the tabernacle and its specially designed articles to set the stage for the gospel.

From His heavenly throne, to the ancient tabernacle, to our very hearts,
He only dwells in the best places.

Jesus, the perfect High Priest,
the only perfect One,
interceded on our behalf in the presence of God,
as He offered up His own blood
in place of ours,
for complete forgiveness of our sin!

If you have surrendered yourself fully to Jesus, then the same God who met with the long-ago Israelites in a tent, the same One whose throne room is surrounded by angelic beings, is the very same One dwelling inside you through His Holy Spirit.

He only dwells in the best places, Sister!

Today's Invitation

1) Pull out your Bible and read Hebrews 9 fully through 3 times.

2) Each time, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) Want to learn more about those intricate details and the heavy meanings God intended as He pointed ancient Israel towards the coming hope of the gospel?! Check out our Journey Theme, Tabernacle!

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Hebrews 9

Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves. 3 Behind the second curtain was a tent called the most holy place. 4 It had the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.

6 With these things prepared like this, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. 7 But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. 10 They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of the new order.

11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in effect while the one who made it is living. 18 That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. 19 For when every command had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people, 20 saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you. 21 In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the articles of worship with blood. 22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us. 25 He did not do this to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. 26 Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment— 28 so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause 3 Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 3!

The GT Weekend! Tabernacle Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The invitation to worship is an open one; we can meet with the Lord any time or place. Make a notecard with the model of worshiping at the Tabernacle found in this Journey. Use it as a reminder to regularly seek the face of God through worship.  

 

2) In the busyness of our lives, it’s easy to ignore the actual state of our soul. Stopping seems counterintuitive but deep, honest soul assessment is a means of being most effective in the ministry and relationships God has put us in.  Spend some time today to sit with the Lord. What do you need to share with Him? Where do you need Him to breathe life back in your soul? 

3) The offer of life with God both now and eternally is available to us all if we would accept it. If you have decided to live life with God through a relationship with Jesus, what helped you accept that free gift? Who in your life is ready to hear the Good News? If you haven’t decided life with God yet, what is holding you back? What questions do you need to wrestle with before you choose to believe? Email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com to talk those questions through, we would be honored to “listen”. 

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 62:5-8  back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

5Rest in God alone, my soul, 
for my hope comes from him. 
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, 
my stronghold; I will not be shaken. 
7 My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. 
My refuge is in God. 
8 Trust in him at all times, you people; 
pour out your hearts before him. 
God is our refuge. 

Prayer Journal
Father God, I praise You for the offer of new life with You through Your son Jesus. I long to sit with You. Let my soul rest in You because my hope comes from You. You are my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I WILL NOT be shaken. As I claim these promises in my life, Lord, awaken my faith in You. In Your faithfulness, in Your character, in Your pursuit of me. God as You work in my life, let that overflow into the people around me that need You. I desire the words of Your Good News to be evidenced in my life; that my actions and words might align. Less of me, more of You, God.  

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Tabernacle Day 13 Heart Work

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:14-20
Exodus 16:1-35
Philippians 4:1-21
1 John 1:1-10 

Tabernacle, Day 13

Cleaning is not a relaxing pastime for me.
I enjoy the fruits of my labor, but not so much the process itself.
Therefore, when I recognized the time had come for some deep cleaning, I mustered up my best Rosie the Riveter mindset and believed, “We can do it.”
I gathered my cleaning supplies:
my Bible, journal, pen, and a box of Kleenex, and sat down.
It was time to do some cleaning in the Tabernacle of my heart. 

Growing up, I remember reading a small book entitled My Heart Christ’s Home. Since the Holy Spirit dwells within us as Christians, the analogy of my heart being like an actual house has resonated with me for years. Sometimes I struggle putting into words the intangible aspects of faith; the concept of my heart being His home helps my thinking become concrete. 

I knew that my heart needed a good cleansing due to the weight and weariness I’d been feeling the last few weeks. Today, tears had already been leaking from the corners of my eyes, and I had yet to actually plumb the depths of my heart. 

I cry easily.
Often it is a telltale sign that the Lord is doing something within. Some Sundays it’s the sweet mercy of the Lord that I have any mascara left before reaching my car! However, today I recognized that simply releasing the tears was not enough;
my heart required more. 

So, I chose to acknowledge the depths and dig deeper.
I opened my Bible and my journal. At the top of a new blank page,
I wrote the deeply profound prayer, “Help, Lord.”
I pictured my heart in my mind’s eye and worked to see things from a more heavenly perspective. 

My heart opened to the living room where I had the television and radio simultaneously playing.
The window was open to the sounds of outside.
The ceiling fan spun to a steady rhythm of distraction.
My iPad had Netflix streaming with auto-play linking one episode after another.
The chaos crowded out loneliness,
but it also deafened my ears to the voice of the Lord inviting me to sit with Him.
He promised to lead me by quiet waters,
but I had refused to be still.
As I surveyed the room, I quieted my heart, and spent time reflecting on Psalm 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God.” 

I walked into the kitchen of my heart, surveying the dynamics.
A dish or two in the sink, but found nothing ridiculous until I opened the refrigerator door. There I discovered containers of manna far past their expiration dates. As I took them out and set them on the counter, I remembered the days I first tasted them:
a Bible verse that jumped off the page one morning,
a prayer time with a dear friend,
the encouraging card I received in the mail.
All of them were sweet blessings,
but they were not to be my only source of nourishment. 

I found myself writing in my journal,
asking the Lord’s forgiveness for the lack of consistency in my time with Him and in His Word. Jesus said, “Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
My soul desperately needs healthy, continuous nourishment from God’s Word. 

The bathroom was the next room to tackle. Here the soap scum on the shower door captured my attention. Social media likes and comments covered the surface clouding my ability to see with clarity. More often than not, social media posts bring me timely refreshment as those I follow post encouraging words and truths. More than once the Lord has surprised me by speaking through the words of others as I scroll. However, as I cried with the Lord this day, I realized just how much residue remained behind from the time spent on social media. 

Lord, help me keep my eyes focused on You. 

Finally, I stepped into my bedroom, noticing the dark drapes pulled closed and heaviness filling the space. Oh Lord, help, I thought, sitting on the edge of the bed, hanging my head. 

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
I will be with you
when you pass through the waters,
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,
and the flame will not burn you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3) 

As His Words of truth began to flood my mind, I sensed the drapes nudge open.
“In place of your shame, you will have a double portion.” (Isaiah 61:7)
I glanced at the window to discover what had appeared as drapes to actually be shrouds of shame blocking the light. They began falling into heaps on the floor as the Lord reminded me He had not given me a spirit of fear.
My identity is based in Him, and Him alone, regardless of how my current circumstances compare with society’s definition of success. 

By now I had a pile of Kleenex in front of me, tear-stained journal pages,
and a heart much lighter.
I ended my time with the Lord thanking Him for residing within me and for the deep cleaning power of His Presence and Word. 

Rosie the Riveter I am not, but thank the Lord,
He is the King of Kings and Lord of lords.  
Through Him, we truly can do all things,
even clean the Tabernacle of our hearts! 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Tabernacle Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Tabernacle!

Tabernacle Day 12 Drawn In: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Drawn In!

The Questions

1) Who is included in “brothers and sisters”?

2) What is meant by “through the curtain that is His flesh”?

3) Why does the author use the terms “sprinkled clean” and “washed in pure water”? What significance do these phrases have?

Hebrews 10:19-22

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.

Original Intent

1) Who is included in “brothers and sisters”?
To get a broader picture of this language, we look back a few chapters to Hebrews 3. The author has just finished up his discussion on Jesus needing to become “like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest..” (2:17) This reference to “brothers and sisters” refers to all of humanity. Jesus became 100% human and struggled as we do with temptation to sin, but He overcame it all perfectly! Christ became as his “brothers and sisters” in this regard, but 2 verses later in 3:1, the author makes a distinction which he carries through the remainder of the book. “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” This reference is entirely different. Rather than including all of humanity, this “brothers and sisters” phrasing is smaller, more intimate, and carries 3 distinct marks. First, these brothers and sisters are “holy”, having been made righteous and their sins removed by the blood of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. Second, they all “share in a heavenly calling”, meaning they are set apart, collectively and together, for the specific purpose of growing God’s kingdom and bringing Him glory. Third, they share a common “confession”, that is they each, personally, claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Throughout the remainder of Hebrews, the author uses “brothers and sisters” to demarcate the collective Body of those who have committed to following Jesus.

2) What is meant by “through the curtain that is His flesh”?
In the Old Testament Tabernacle, which was a portable place of worship where the Israelites would go to meet with God, there were 3 sections. First, there was the courtyard, followed by the Holy Place, followed by the Holy of Holies. Separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was a thick curtain (or veil), with its purpose being to further display God’s supreme holiness. In Leviticus 16:2, the Lord God gives the priest, Aaron, strict instructions to never enter the Holy of Holies, with the exception of once a year, or He would surely die for God’s presence dwelled there in the Holy of Holies. Hebrews 10:20 says, “He (Jesus) has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh).” The author is stating this glorious truth: Jesus is the new way through the curtain! We no longer need to depend on a single High Priest to give us access to God vicariously through himself once a year. Through Jesus’ flesh and blood sacrifice, we have been bought, we have been made righteous, we are permitted access to enter into God’s very presence for ourselves!

3) Why does the author use the terms “sprinkled clean” and “washed in pure water”? What significance do these phrases have?
Remember that Hebrews was written to a Jewish audience, and these phrases would have had perfectly clear ties to the Tabernacle for them. The laws and rituals of Tabernacle worship were routinely common for each of them, so the phrases “sprinkled clean” and “washed pure in water” would have immediately brought to their minds images of Tabernacle worship, specifically referencing the Bronze Basin. Anytime a priest entered the Tabernacle, he was required to stop and wash at this Bronze Basin before proceeding. To rush madly into God’s presence without washing was grounds for immediate death (Exodus 30:20). Because the author knew his intended audience, he chose a word picture that would help his hearers understand that, while the water from the Bronze Basin may have washed their bodies clean, only God through Jesus could wash their hearts!

Everyday Application

1) Who is included in “brothers and sisters”?
Though the author was originally writing to Jews and had no idea how many centuries would pass and people would still be reading his words, the Holy Spirit did know. The growing group of “brothers and sisters” the author had in his mind’s eye was infinitely larger than he could imagine. It would span the across time, encompassing all men, women, and children who chose to trust Him as their Savior. That’s me! And, I pray that is you also! While wildly exciting, this phrasing also carries weighty duty. The precious truths we will unpack in today’s Digging Deeper Study are for believers. The incredible gift of coming before God, right into His sanctuary, having been made whole, is only for “brothers and sisters” who each, personally, hold unswervingly to Jesus Christ for salvation from sin and death. This should at once fill us with gratitude and worship, while also breaking our hearts for those outside the familial circle of unity with Jesus. Who, in your sphere of influence, doesn’t know of the hope of Christ? Pray intentionally for opportunities to share truth with them that they too might enjoy the wonder of being drawn in to deep worship!

2) What is meant by “through the curtain that is His flesh”?
Do you live as if you’ve been redeemed and bought and set free from duty, obligation, and fearful performance? Does your life look like worship in the middle of your everyday because of that gift? When the relationship tension strains, when the budget doesn’t balance, when the dog vomits on white carpet, again, has your heart learned the rhythm of authentic worship? Worship takes practice and intentional self-discipline as we learn to listen to the Spirit’s voice as He Himself teaches us how to dance. Worship isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it. Because of access through Christ’s own flesh, because we can go “through the curtain”, we are in His presence at every moment…the wonderful and the yucky ones. Each moment is an opportunity for worship, what will you do with yours?

3) Why does the author use the terms “sprinkled clean” and “washed in pure water”? What significance do these phrases have?
A clean heart? No sin to mar it? No stumbles over words you wish you hadn’t said, no angry thoughts or rash deeds, no underhanded attempts to gain control, no jealous eyes, lustful heart, or dishonest hands, just a clean heart. There is only one who can provide that!
No amount of rule-following, church-going, generous giving, or well-crafted apologies can give us a clean heart, and we know it. Sure, we can justify our deeds all we want, explain away that God is exactly who He claims to be in the Bible, and “put off” getting right with God for another time, but none of that changes reality. To have a clean heart, we need a righteous intercessor, because we simply can not become right on our own. No amount of water washing is good enough. Whether you’ve crossed the line of faith or you haven’t, the temptation to keep washing in plain old water will always be there. Just try harder next time, compensate for the way you treated her, but nothing will hide our hearts before the God of the Universe. How desperately we need the blood of Jesus to cleanse us eternally from dead works?! (Hebrews 9:14) Whatever your everyday mess looks like, hold fast to the truth that forgiveness for your heart, and a new way to live, is being held out by the hands of the crucified Christ!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Drawn In!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Tabernacle Week Three!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Tabernacle Day 10 Scapegoat

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 9:1-10
Leviticus 16
Isaiah 53
Hebrews 2:14-18
Hebrews 13:11-15

Tabernacle, Day 10

Sisters, the more I study the Bible,
the more I write these Journey Studies,
the more vividly aware I become of
how little I know about God and His love letter to us.
Familiarity with His Word will do that….make you hungry for more of Him. 
Transparency is central to all of us at Gracefully Truthful, so,
know that we are right here with you, journeying and learning more of our Savior together. 

What we share on these pages….
you’re glimpsing our hearts,
you’re seeing Jesus with the same fresh eyes that we are.
These aren’t just cleverly crafted words to us,
These are the result of hours and hours of pouring over His Word that we might know Him better. 

This precious Word, intricately crafted by the Father God as He wove together every single word to declare His love, making known to us the way of salvation and intimacy with Him.
No detail lacks intentionality.
Even the parts we think are boring. 

Just a few months ago, I didn’t even know that each portion of the tabernacle symbolized anything. I feel completely unworthy of sharing what I’ve learned with you, but the beauty in this is a reminder that
we don’t need to be a certain age to study the Bible,
we don’t need a degree in Theology,
we don’t even need to be a follower of Jesus for a certain number of years. 

The first time I read the Bible cover to cover was in fifth grade. Even today I remember dozing my way through the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus and Numbers.
Boy oh boy were those books a bore! I wondered why God even included them in the Bible!
What did they really have to do with ANYTHING?  

In books and movies, the most fascinating characters to me are those who, being incredibly intelligent, are able to map every little detail of their lives. Their knowledge of every supporting character is so thorough, they know exactly how to evoke the intended response. Sometimes you may be confused by their response or action, but as the story unfolds, you realize that every action was part of a well-intentioned plan.  

I didn’t sidetrack there!
That is a picture of how God wrote the Bible. The more we study His story, watching it unfold, it becomes evident that even those incredibly boring books, full of instructions and lists, are all part of His well-intentioned plan.  

The Day of Atonement is also known as Yom Kippur.
One day a year, the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies (the most sacred section of the Tabernacle) to offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people that God would forgive them and remove their sin. Throughout the year, people would offer sacrifices for their individual sins, but this one was corporate as a whole nation before Yahweh.  

Two perfect goats were selected for the annual sacrifice.
One goat would be slaughtered and the spilt blood would be sprinkled in the Holy of Holies to “atone” (Hence, “Day of Atonement”) for the sins of the people. A second goat, a scapegoat, would be sent into the wilderness to “remove” the sins from off the people, carrying them away.  

The High Priest would place his hands on the scapegoat’s head, symbolizing all of Israel’s sin for that year being transferred to the goat. Then the goat would be sent into the wilderness,
never to return again.  

God specifically set up the Tabernacle,
the intricate details of the sacrificial system,
all the feasts and countless minutia we will never fully grasp,
to paint a picture with deep, beautiful strokes.
A portrait of all the coming Messiah would be for us, both at the cross and beyond, into eternity.

Jesus is our High Priest, giving us access into the Holy of Holies that we might have an intimate and close relationship with the Holy God of the Universe.
Jesus is our sacrificial Passover lamb, offered up to free us from sin, just as Israel was freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.
Jesus is the Scapegoat of the Day of Atonement, taking our sin, being crucified “outside of the city” (Hebrews 13:11) and removing our sin from us “as far as the east is from the west”. (Psalm 103:12)

Jesus is the fulfillment, the perfect fulfillment.
Every picture painted in the Old Testament, finds its beginning and ending in the heart of God as He very intentionally invites each of us to be partakers in the life that will never end.  

The delicate detail put in place hundreds of years before Jesus came, long before prophets even began prophesying of His coming – Is incredible!  

The Lord does NOTHING without a specific and perfect purpose.
Nothing about Him or His love is reckless.  

How incredible it is to know that He loves us THAT MUCH!
He had a great plan to redeem us, but it wasn’t a simple plan.
The more I learn this, the more I realize I will never be able to grasp the great and mighty Love of the Lord.
And the more I learn that, 
the more I fall in love with Him.  

So sisters… 

Leviticus and Numbers,
and every “boring” book or chapter in between…all have a purpose. 
They all point to His redeeming plan and incredible love for us! 

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Tabernacle Day 7 Purpose & Pieces: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Purposes & Pieces!

The Questions

1) Who is the High Priest referenced and how did he “pass through the heavens”?

2) What “confession” are we to “hold fast to”?

3) Why is it significant that the High Priest has been tempted “in every way we are”?

Hebrews 4:14-16

 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Original Intent

1) Who is the High Priest referenced and how did he “pass through the heavens”?
Verse 14 continues by answering exactly who this High Priest is: Jesus Christ. The name “Jesus” meaning our Savior, and the title of “Son of God” signifying complete authority as God and Himself having the full nature of the Divinity. This is the Son of God who had been promised to come to earth centuries earlier through the prophets, and even hinted at as far back as the Garden of Eden. There is no question in the original hearer’s minds, Jesus Is God. The only God, the Great I Am, co-equal with God the Father and pre-existing with God the Father before Time itself began. The bold statement leaves zero room for any other conclusion or theory. Jesus wasn’t a “good man”, a “popular prophet”, or a “figment of imagination”. No, Jesus is the Son of God. The Messiah, the Savior of the world, who “passed through the heavens” by setting aside His rightful Glory, in order to come to us for one purpose: to reconcile us to Himself by becoming our High Priest.

2) What “confession” are we to “hold fast to”?
The “therefore” at the beginning of verse 14 links the full words in the first question to this phrase, “let us hold fast to our confession.” Because Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through the heavens and become our High Priest, we can confidently hold fast to our confession. The “confession” is clarified by a cross reference to Hebrews 10:23 which states, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” The confession is the same one Paul speaks of when he instructs non-believers to “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) The author of Hebrews is encouraging his listeners to not turn away from the gospel they both confessed with their lips and believed in their hearts. Jesus alone can save us and keep our souls for all eternity; we are to guard that and keep it at our forefront.

3) Why is it significant that the High Priest has been tempted “in every way we are”?
Later in Hebrews 5:2, the author writes, “He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.” In my arrogance as a parent, sometimes (er, often…), I get greatly annoyed with the little owies and complaints and fringe injustices that my children want me to listen to. They want real compassion, they want someone on their side, they will even ask me things like, “Have you ever had a splinter go into you hand?” What they want to know is am I really “there with them”, or am I just so far superior that I could care less about their childhood aches and pains. What would be arrogance on my part, is something the Lord will never do to one of us as His children. Abuse? He’s experienced it. Disrespect? Yes. Injustice? Ridicule? Harsh words? Rejection? Abandonment? Loneliness? Fear? Stress? This High Priest who passed through the heavens came that He might be our High Priest, a very “with us” God, One who has experienced the highs and lows and everything in between that we have, yet was without sin, that He might fulfill His purpose, sacrificing His blameless self that we might have direct, unabated access to His Glorious Throneroom!

Everyday Application

1) Who is the High Priest referenced and how did he “pass through the heavens”?
I love finding the “gospel in a nutshell” in just a few short words scattered all throughout Scripture, and this verse doesn’t disappoint! Sometimes, we need to intentionally slow way down when we think about Jesus and God, and ask obvious questions, then allowing ourselves to wrestle with the answer. Not a “church-y” answer, but one that’s well though through, one we know exactly what every word in our response means. For example, consider if someone asked you the following questions. Take some time to slowly and thoughtfully write down your answers that involve more than a few words. Put some meat on the bone of what you believe! Consider if someone were to ask you: Who is Jesus? Why did He die? How can one man take away “all the sin” of the world? Why do Christians say that Jesus is God? Enjoy your time of discovery then share it with a friend, challenging them to do the same!

2) What “confession” are we to “hold fast to”?
It’s one thing to mentally understand what the author is saying in these verses and be able to follow his reasoning, but it’s quite another to put it into everyday, practical practice. When the cereal explodes from the minivan….we need the gospel at the forefront to remember that we are sinners just like our children, and we make plenty of bigger messes in our relationships and other areas, yet the High Priest intercedes on our behalf! When a spouse blows up over something you know you didn’t do and your first reaction is to jump to anger….we need to keep the gospel at the forefront. The gospel that says man’s anger never accomplishes the righteousness of God and that, if Jesus can stand in our place, though we woefully are undeserving, we can offer the same grace in a loving way.
The gospel, we need it every single day. We must immerse ourselves in it by daily reading His Word and connecting with the Lord through continual prayer. This is what the author means when he urges, “let us hold fast to our confession!”

3) Why is it significant that the High Priest has been tempted “in every way we are”?
How often do we easily fall into thinking, “I’m the only one like this. Only I struggle in this area. I’m alone.”? These are lies straight from the Enemy of our Souls and we must fight against them with Solid Truth. Truth that says we are never alone, we have been bought with a price, Jesus is “for us”, there is no condemnation or shame for those in Christ Jesus. These are truths to win a battle with! Take time to slowly think through the soundtrack that plays in your mind as you go through your day today. Where are you critical, performance based, without grace, and freely distributing negative words to yourself and others? Challenge yourself to fight back with truth. Arm yourself well with Scripture, and hold tightly to the glorious gospel, knowing you were bought with the precious blood of the High Priest who knows exactly what it’s like to be you!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Tabernacle Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Tabernacle Day 3 Relationship Rules

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 11:22-28
Psalm 51:16-17
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Micah 6:6-8
Luke 10:25-28 

Tabernacle, Day 3

Don’t play in the street.
Don’t touch the stove.
Don’t climb on the bookshelves. 

Sometimes, kids think all parents say is NO.
As my girls are growing up, they have commented how I am mean or never let them do anything fun.
Of course, they are exaggerating, and as adults we laugh at their limited perspective. 

But then we do the same thing to God.
We complain about all the RULES.
We think He’s trying to take away all our fun; when in reality, He desires our good. 

Just like we want to keep our children safe, God wants to protect us. Just as we LOVE our little ones and long to watch them grow and learn, God wants that intimate RELATIONSHIP with us too.  After all, we ARE His children! 

In Hebrews we are reminded that God’s discipline is not only for our GOOD, but so that we can“share in God’s holiness!” In the book’s thirteen chapters, the author proves how JESUS provides a NEW and better way to relate to God.  

We see without a doubt that God longs for us to know Him deeply and personally.  This RELATIONSHIP then transforms us.  All we do stems from our love for God, in response to His love for us. 

In the Old Testament, God established a covenant with the nation of Israel. 
He provided them with rules covering EVERY single aspect of their daily lives.
We can easily get “stuck” reading through Leviticus, with all the regulations regarding what they could eat, what they could wear, how they could cut their hair, what days they could work.  Not to mention all the offerings they had to bring and the exact ways they needed to be prepared and presented.

We might start to think God is pretty legalistic, and demanding.
We are mistaken. 

Look DEEPER… 

As the Israelites made their way from Egypt to Canaan, they set up a Tabernacle every time they camped.  There, God dwelt AMONG them. 

This was VERY different from the distant gods the pagan people of the land worshipped.  

God DID give specific instructions for building of the Tabernacle, both in material and directions for construction. He also laid out clear directives for how to worship and even enter the Tabernacle. (See Exodus 25 to 30! Yes, it took 6 chapters for all the instructions!) 

Again, we might look at all these rules and picture God as a domineering dictator. We would be very, very WRONG! 

The Israelites were coming from Egypt, where people worshipped gods galore. 

Pharaoh himself was considered a god, but even he prayed to the gods of fertility, agriculture, astrology, knowledge, magic, and the afterlife.
In all, the Egyptians had over 40 false gods, each one demanding sacrifices in return for their favor and blessing. 

When the Israelites escaped after 400 years of slavery and made their way to Canaan, they were bombarded with new false deities.  

While the Israelites had a transportable Tabernacle, the people of Canaan had elaborate temples where gods and goddesses were worshipped.  Just as these temples were in the center of the city, life revolved around pleasing one deity after another.  

The people were at the mercy of the gods, hoping they sacrificed enough, but never knowing for sure how the gods would respond.  

The Canaanites went to great lengths in attempt to earn the gods’ favor, including severe fasting, mutilating themselves, and even sacrificing their children.  

God, in His GOODNESS, was working to protect His people from this awful lifestyle of emptiness and brokenness.
He offered a very DIFFERENT way to worship;
He offered a RELATIONSHIP! 

God is NOT a dictator. 
In Deuteronomy 30, God reminds the Israelites of their CHOICE to obey and be blessed, or turn away and experience His discipline. 

Unlike the deities of the time, GOD made it VERY clear what He expected, and ALWAYS followed through on His promises to bless His people when they obeyed. 

Thousands of years have passed since the days of the Tabernacle, but we have the same opportunity to CHOOSE to “love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  

As we give ourselves to God, we are delighted to discover that we are
NOT regulated by a long list of do’s and don’ts.
Rather, LOVE is the ONE “rule” we live by. 

With Christ, we aren’t left wondering if we’ve “done enough.”
We rest in knowing that HE did all of the work for us.
When He died in our place, paying the debt we owed because of our sin and giving in exchange His completed, perfect righteousness to us, HE finished the work on our behalf. 

From Genesis to Revelation, we see a beautiful story of redemption as the Creator God reaches out to US so that we can KNOW Him and become like Him. 

What about YOU?
God is inviting YOU to be in RELATIONSHIP with Him,
to let Him transform HOW you live and ultimately WHO you are.
Will you let God’s rule bring your freedom TODAY? 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Tabernacle Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Tabernacle!