How does the tabernacle's construction foreshadow Christ's role as our mediator? A snapshot of Exodus 36:22 “Each frame had two tenons, fitted to one another; and they did the same for all the frames of the tabernacle.” Seeing Christ in the planks • Acacia wood – durable, incorruptible: Christ’s sinless humanity (Hebrews 4:15). • Gold overlay – costly, radiant: Christ’s full deity (Colossians 2:9). • Two tenons – a pair of joints that slid into silver sockets: His unique role as the one Person who fully unites God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5). • Uniform construction for “all the frames” – the consistency of His mediating work for every believer (Hebrews 7:25). Mediation pictured in the connections • Tenon inserted into silver: – Silver throughout the tabernacle symbolizes redemption (Exodus 30:11-16; 38:25-27). – Christ “became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), anchoring Himself to the redemptive price so His people could stand secure. • Vertical frames rising from earth yet plated with gold: – Humanity touched earth; deity reflected heaven—both natures joined in one Person (John 1:14). • Crossbars passing “from end to end” (Exodus 36:33): – A hidden bar ran through the center, unseen but essential—mirroring the ongoing intercession of the risen Lord (Hebrews 7:24-25). New Testament echoes • Hebrews 8:1-2 – Jesus ministers in “the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.” • Ephesians 2:20-22 – Believers are now “being built together into a dwelling place for God,” held fast by the same Redeemer. • Revelation 21:3 – “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,” the final fulfillment of His mediatorial work. Living within the finished work • Because the frames rested in redemption, our standing before God rests on Christ’s completed sacrifice, not our performance. • The unseen crossbar reminds us that His priestly intercession never ceases, even when we cannot perceive it. • Just as every plank had identical tenons, every believer has equal access to God through the same Mediator (Hebrews 4:16). |
    |