Holy Form, Holy Function (Exodus 26:1-6, 31-35)

A-Smith

The Tabernacle • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented a month ago

Exodus 26:1–6

Exodus 26:31–35

Tabernacle

Ecclesiastical Architecture

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Scripture

26:1“Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.

31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.” (Exodus 26:1-6, 31-35)

Introduction

In 1896, architect Louis H. Sullivan published a piece in Lippincott’s Magazine titled “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered.”[1] Business was changing. With the advancement of building mechanics, electrical power, elevators, plumbing, and central air, there rose a demand for tall office buildings. This was new to architectural design. Sullivan wanted to recommend how architects should design these buildings. In his article, he made a statement that would become famous. Sullivan wrote,

“It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman – of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul – that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”[2]

We may be more familiar with the shorter alliteration “form follows function.” Sullivan argued that architects should design each floor (their form) based on their intended use (their function). To support his thesis, he appealed to nature and natural law. He argued that it is a law of nature that an object’s form supports the function to which it is directed “whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds…”[3]

Sullivan’s saying has become well-known. Racing cars are designed differently than family minivans. Movie theaters are designed differently than libraries. Moreover, form can communicate meaning. Form can incorporate symbolism to express ideas, values, or truths. For example, the designers of the Lincoln Memorial chose the form of a Greek temple to associate Lincoln, the defender of democracy, with the birthplace of democracy.

The Tabernacle

In Exodus we learn that God intended the tabernacle to be His “dwelling place” with the Israelites. To that end, God gave Moses detailed instructions for the structure, including its materials and construction, its layout, its furnishings, and even the garments to be worn by the priests. Those details are found in Exodus chapters 25 through 40. Describing the tabernacle in full would take a few months of sermons. So, this message will illustrate one part of it. We will discover that God’s design for the tabernacle form not only supported the function of the Israelite sacrificial system, but it also taught the Israelites visually about God’s holiness and their need for the Redeemer.

In chapter 26, God describes the main tent. The tent was made with ten curtains of fine fabric each measuring roughly six feet by 42 feet depending on how you measure cubits. The curtains were fashioned with fine twinned linen with blue, purple, and scarlet yarns. Images of cherubim, the angels who guard God’s heavenly throne, were worked into the fabric. These ten curtains were sewn together in sets of five to make two large curtains, which were attached by fifty gold clasps. The curtains were draped over a frame of acacia wood overlayed with gold. Furthermore, the fabric was covered with a layer of goat hair and then two protective layers of skins from rams and sea cows. The fabric was pegged to the ground like a tent. Like a tent, the tabernacle could be moved from place to place as the Israelites travelled through Sinai and into Canaan. The Israelites would move, but God’s presence would remain with them.

Inside the tent, the tabernacle was divided into two compartments by a veil. The easternmost compartment was called the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. The other compartment was called the Holy Place. God instructed Moses to place the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. In the Holy Place, just outside the veil, God ordered Moses to place a table on the north side and a lampstand on the south side.

Significance

God’s instructions to Moses were detailed, but not arbitrary. Not long before, God had delivered the Israelites from slavery through the Exodus. The Israelites had been in Egypt for over 400 years. For many of those years, they were slaves of Pharoah. But God remembered His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He remembered His gospel, which He first promised in the Garden of Eden. He freed His people from the yoke of Pharoah through great miracles and the destruction of the Egyptian army. At Sinai, He gave His people His law. He would sustain them miraculously for forty years in the harsh wilderness. The tabernacle would remind the Israelites of those facts, lest they forget.

In their 1965 book, Christ and Architecture, Donald Bruggink and Carl Droppers write how the tabernacle form was intended to convey historical and theological messages to the Israelites. Bruggink and Droppers write,

“The plan of the tabernacle must be understood in relation to God’s great act of revelation in the history of his people Israel. The tabernacle, like most of Israel’s worship, looks back to God’s great act of deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. The furniture of Israel’s worship was designed to call to the attention of the worshippers this mighty act of God. The laver of bronze would remind them of their escape through the Red Sea, the table of shewbread would by its presence speak of the God who fed them on manna in the wilderness. The lampstand and the table of incense would call to mind the pillars of fire and cloud by which they were led through the wilderness. In the Holy of Holies stood the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence, which contained the Tables of the Law written on Mount Sinai. The Holy of Holies was to remind the people of God’s giving of the Law, and just as the people were commanded not to touch the foot of the mountain when Moses went up to talk with God, so too the people had to stay outside the Holy of Holies. Only once a year could even the High Priest, representing the people of Israel (even as Moses had represented them) enter into God’s presence. In short, the architecture spoke of God’s love in his deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt and his giving of the Law.”[4]

Still, there is more. Notice that God designed a tabernacle complex with three levels. The first level is the Most Holy Place. This is a level where only the High Priest may enter and only once a year. This is God’s throne room. His presence would be above the Mercy Seat over the ark. The second level is the Holy Place. This is the place where only the priests may enter and work. It contained furnishings that reminded the Israelites of their need for sacrificial cleanliness for sins prior to entering the presence of God. The third level is outside the tabernacle tent. This is the only place where all the people may go. This is the location where sacrifices were made before being brought into the Holy Place.

Now, recall the beginning of Genesis. God established a similar arrangement in creation, but a little different because it was unmarred by sin. At the center, God planted a garden (Gen. 2:8). The garden was located the land of Eden. Outside Eden was wilderness. In the garden, God dwelt with His people just as He did in the Holy of Holies. The garden was His throne room on earth and Adam was the first “priest” instructed to “work” (עָבַד, ʿavad) and “keep” (שָׁמַר, shamar) it. Man was commanded to multiply and fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). As God’s image bearers, we were mandated to extend the garden, extend God’s holy presence, throughout the earth. We were commanded to fill and subdue the earth for His glory.

Sadly, we rebelled. Since rebel sinners cannot dwell in the presence of a holy God, we were driven out of the garden, out of God’s throne room, and out of God’s presence (Gen. 3:23). God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to the east of the garden to guard against any attempt to return. Being driven away from God is characterized as being driven east of Eden. The tabernacle was placed along an east to west axis. Just as with Eden, moving east took the individual farther away from the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Cherubim were woven into the fabric of the veil that separated us from the Holy of Holies reminding the Israelites of the cherubim who guarded the entrance of the garden to prevent our reentry. The tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s holiness, human sin, and our separation from Him. Moreover, the Holy of Holies did not have a back door. There was only one way to approach God and that one way required a blood sacrifice.

Yet, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son, our perfect High Priest, to enter the heavenly Holy of Holies bearing the blood of a perfect one-time sacrifice. With the shedding of His blood on the cross, Jesus reconciled us to God. The veil that once divided us from God’s presence was torn in two (Matt. 27:50, 51). The relationship that we lost in the garden, was repaired on Golgotha. It is for this reason that the writer to the Hebrews could declare,

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 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 with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-22).

Application - The Chapel

Where does this leave us? With the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, there is no more need of a tabernacle or temple and a sacrificial system. The veil that separated God from us was torn in two. The tabernacle and the temple are gone, never to return. Yet, the church has recognized that form is an important element in Christian worship. Form not only reinforces true worship, but it also communicates theological teachings. Let us consider the Chapel.

Orientation

The Chapel is built along a west to east axis. This is traditional for Latin churches. There have been various explanations for this. In the book of Daniel, the prophet would open the windows of his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, get down on his knees, and pray to God three times a day (cf. Daniel 6:10). This was the tradition of the Jews during the diaspora. In most of the Roman Empire, facing Jerusalem would have been towards the east. The earliest Christians also faced east when praying, perhaps following the example of these early Jews. Another view is that in Matthew 24:27, Jesus declares, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Some believed that Jesus’ second coming would come from the east. Thus, they argued we should orient our worship in that direction. Another explanation is that entering the church from west to east symbolizes going from the evil of the present world to the glory of the New Jerusalem to come. This eastward orientation became so widespread in Western churches that regardless of the actual compass direction of the building, the wall that the worshippers faced is called the “East Wall.” Yet, we are not certain of the original reason. Even Origen, preaching in the third century said, “For the fact that we kneel to pray, for instance, and that of all the quarters of the heavens, the east is the only direction we turn to when we pour out prayer, the reasons for this, I think, are not easily discovered by anyone.”[5]

Layout

Cross. The Chapel structure is designed in the traditional Latin form, although with some variations to reflect the history of San Antonio. Many Latin churches are designed in the shape of the Latin cross (crux immissa, crux ordinaria). The cross shape represents the crucifixion of Jesus. Over the centuries, Christians created variations of the cross to represent a particular nation or group. If you have dealt with our national cemeteries, you may have seen some of those variations available for headstone emblems. The Chapel was designed in the shape of the Lorraine Cross (also known as the Cross of Anjou). This shape consists of one vertical bar (stipes) crossed by two shorter horizontal bars (patibulum).

Narthex. When you enter the Chapel, you arrive in the narthex. The term comes from Greek (νάρθηξ), which was a giant fennel plant. The reason this term was used has been lost to history. It is the foyer or entryway into the church. The narthex was designed to allow people who were not allowed into the congregation to still hear the service. These people would include catechumens (those preparing for baptism) or penitents (those who committed serious sins). This separation from the congregation was intended to highlight one’s spiritual growth and passage towards full inclusion in the church. Just as the movement from west to east symbolizes the movement from the present evil world to the new Jerusalem, entering the narthex symbolizes the journey from the secular to the sacred. It should remind us that the church’s mission is not only to welcome, but to transform. The narthex is a place to prepare before entering the main area. It is a place to prepare ourselves for holy worship.

Nave. Moving east from the narthex, we enter the nave. The nave is the place where we gather for worship. The term comes from the Latin word navis meaning “ship.” We get our English word ‘navy’ from this term. When worshippers looked up at the vaulting of the church, its keel-shape reminded them of an upside-down ship or ark. They viewed themselves as gathered in an ark. Water plays a key role in the Bible. Water was God’s instrument to destroy all flesh in the time of Noah (Gen. 6:13). God used the water of the Red Sea to destroy the Egyptian army that was pursuing the Israelites (Exod. 14:27-28). One early Christian symbol for the church was a ship. Like Noah’s ark, the building is designed to remind us that the church is God’s ark of protection and salvation.

Chancel. The chancel is the front part of the church where the service is conducted. It is distinct from the nave where the congregation sits. The term comes from the French word chancel (shan-‘sell), which is derived from the Latin word cancellus (kan-‘sel-uhs) meaning “lattice.” This is because the area is typically enclosed by a lattice screen or railing. You can see our small chancel railing. For those who have been with the Chapel long enough, you may remember when we had a Chancel Choir. The chancel is an elevated platform. It is three steps above the nave representing the Trinity. The chancel is where the most essential features are located.

Baptismal Font. The baptismal font (Latin, fons, “spring of water”) has varied considerably over the centuries as its form and location have changed (whether aspersion, affusion, immersion, or submersion). Baptismal fonts have been located by the church doors, in a separate baptistery, or in the sanctuary near the pulpit, like here in the Chapel. Sometimes they are designed to be three-sided pointing us to the Trinity. Other times, like ours, it is eight-sided pointing us to the Old Testament practice of circumcising infants eight days after birth.

Pulpit and Lectern. As viewed by the worshippers seated in the nave, there are two speaker stands in the chancel on your left and right side. For some reason, the Chapel was designed opposite of the normal. Normally, the stand on your right is called the lectern. The word lectern comes from the Latin word meaning ‘to read’ because it functions as a reading stand. It usually has a large Bible and is used by lay readers to read the Old Testament and epistle lessons, to give announcements, and to lead the congregation in prayer. The stand normally to your left is called the pulpit. The word comes from the Latin pulpitum meaning “platform” or “staging.” It is used by the pastor to read the gospel lesson and preach the sermon. There are Biblical references to pulpits. In Nehemiah 8:4, Ezra stood on a pulpit of wood high above the people when reading the law to them. In 2 Chronicles 6:13, Solomon prayed on a brazen scaffold. Normally, the left (or north) side of the church is called the gospel side, while the right (or south) side of the church is called the epistle side.

In Matthew 22, the Sadducees came to Jesus hoping to trap him with a hypothetical about the resurrection, which they denied. They gave Jesus a levirate marriage scenario where seven brothers married the same woman in succession after the previous one died. In the resurrection, they asked, whose wife will she be? Jesus made short work of their impertinent question by pointing out that they neither knew the Scriptures nor the power of God. In the resurrection we will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Then Jesus continued with a profound statement. Please follow it closely. In Matthew 22:31-32, Jesus exclaimed, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” There is a lot to unpack in these two verses, but please do not miss the rhetorical question that Jesus posed to them. Jesus asked, “Have you [Sadducees] not read what was said to you [present tense, second person, plural – the Sadducees] by God?” Think about Jesus’ question carefully. Jesus admonished the Sadducees because He insisted that God had spoken directly to them in the Scriptures and yet they missed it. God is not silent. He speaks to us through the Scriptures. The Bible is not simply a record of what happened long ago. It is much more than that. The Bible is God’s speech to us. God speaks to us in His Word through the reading and especially through the preaching.

Many years ago, we had a chaplain who would always preach standing down in the nave. He refused to preach from the pulpit; he said he did not want to elevate himself. He wanted to be a humble pastor. Unfortunately, he missed the point. I do not want to be too hard on him. I do not believe theology and architecture is taught in many seminaries. Sadly, we have forgotten much from our church history. He meant well; he just did not know. The situation reminded me of Chesterton’s Fence from G. K. Chesterton’s 1929 book, The Thing. The most concise summary of Chesterton’s Fence is “Do not remove a fence until you know why it was put up in the first place.” It is a good lesson. Understand something before we reject or tear it down.

Remember what Jesus taught us about the Scriptures. They are God’s speech to mankind, particularly to His church. Pulpits are not raised to elevate the preacher; they are raised to elevate the preached Word. When a minister of the Word is faithfully and accurately expositing the Scriptures from the pulpit – and not simply expounding on his own thoughts – it is as if God Himself is speaking to His people. In fact, the form of a well-designed pulpit is constructed to obscure the man. The function is not on the seeing, but on the hearing. I believe we know that instinctively. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27). If we belong to Jesus, if we are His sheep, then we will hear His voice when it is preached. The message given to us on a Sunday may be funny, it may be interesting, it may even be inspiring and motivating, we may have enjoyed it. Yet, we can tell whether we have heard the voice of our master, or whether we have heard the voice of a man. After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus taught them from the Scriptures about Himself. After His departure, the disciples said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures” (Luke 24:32)? How often does the preaching open the Scriptures to you; how often does the preaching cause your hearts to burn within you?

I have read that the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield, Illinois mounted plaques in their pulpits for their preachers to see every time they ascended the steps. The plaques quote the Greeks who came to Philip in John 12:21. The Greeks came with this request, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” The form of this raised pulpit has an intended function for both the pastor and for us. For us, when we see this pulpit, it should remind us that we are not here to be entertained or to hear the musings of a man. We have come to see Jesus. We have come to hear the voice of our master. For the pastor, when he sees this pulpit, and especially when he ascends its steps, it should strike him with the awesome and fearful responsibility that lays upon his shoulders. It should be a visible reminder that God holds him accountable to faithfully proclaim His Word to His people.

Communion table. There are many more elements of the chapel that we could describe, but we will conclude with the Communion table. Different traditions call it the altar, the Lord’s table, or the holy table. We could spend several sermons addressing Communion but let us focus on the table. In the Ancient Near East (ANE), meals carried significance beyond refreshment and sustenance. Eating together, sharing a meal, was often performed to seal the ratification of a covenant between parties (cf. Gen. 26:26-31). It created a tie or bond among the diners. As we gather in this Chapel, we do not have a veil before us, reminding us of a separation from God. We have a table. This is not simply a table on which to lay objects. We have a table upon which we share a fellowship meal with the great God of creation. This table reminds us that through the body and blood of Jesus, we are reconciled to the Lord God, as Adam once was in the Garden of Eden. Moreover, when we look at this table, we should live with the anticipation of the marriage supper of the lamb at the end of history (Rev. 19:9). “Blessed are those who are invited” (Rev. 19:9).

Form follows function. Form also conveys meaning, consciously or not. When you see a church that is indistinguishable from a warehouse, do you get the sense that you are coming to the holy or the transcendent? When a church is designed like a theater, is the message that you are there to come into the presence of the eternal God, or that you are there to be entertained? When a minister with a wireless headset mic is prancing around on a stage like he is giving a TEDTalk, is he conveying the seriousness of handling the Word of the Lord? Perhaps. Yet please do not think that these are idle or insignificant questions. God thought enough about the architecture of the tabernacle to give us exact and detailed instructions about its construction and significance. We should not be cavalier about our worship. I return to Bruggink and Droppers who write,

“Architecture for churches is a matter of gospel. A church that is interested in proclaiming the gospel must also be interested in architecture, for year after year the architecture of the church proclaims a message that either augments the preached Word or conflicts with it. Church architecture cannot, therefore, be left to those of refined tastes, the aesthetic elite, or even the professional architect. If the gospel of Christ is worthy of accurate verbal proclamation week by week, it is also worthy of faithful architectural proclamation, where its message speaks year after year”[6]

Conclusion

We are blessed to gather each week in a Chapel with rich symbolism. Let its form point us always to the function of proper worship, our justification in Christ, and the glory of God. Let us understand the meaning it conveys and value it has on us and our worship. Yet, beware. It is easy to cross the line from appreciation to idolatry. The early church gathered in private homes. They eventually fled into the catacombs to hide from persecution. During a period of religious persecution in Scotland, a period known as the Killing Time, Covenanters were forced to meet secretly in fields or caves. It may be God’s plan that we similarly suffer for our faith. We may lose this house and we may have to meet secretly in private homes or fields. If that day comes, and if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and proclaim God’s Word rightly, we will continue to be blessed until He comes again. This building will pass away, but His church will stand forever. Amen.

Bibliography

Bruggink, Donald J., and Carl H. Droppers. Christ and Architecture: Building Presbyterian / Reformed Churches. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965.

Origen. "Homilies on Numbers." In Ancient Christian Texts, edited by Christopher A. Hall, Thomas C. Oden, & Gerald L. Bray, translated by Thomas P. Scheck. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2009.

Sullivan, Louis H. "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered." Lippincott’s Magazine, March 1896: 403-09.

[1] (Sullivan 1896) [2] (Sullivan 1896). [3] (Sullivan 1896). [4] (Bruggink and Droppers 1965, 3-4) [5] (Origen 2009). [6] (Bruggink and Droppers 1965, 1)

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