Outline Studies in the Old Testament for Bible Teachers Part 6

Jour. 4. Kad.-bar.--Des. Par.--Ret. 7.) Wat. roc. Kad. 8.) Rep. Ar.

Jour. 5. Kad.-bar.--Ed.--Riv. Jor. 9.) Bra. ser. 10.) Vic. ov. Amo.

11.) Dea. Mos.

IV. =Res. Wan.= 1. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. Tra.

5. Rel. Ed.

Review Questions

State the route of the first journey. What was the great event of this journey? What was the second journey? What events are named with this journey? What was the third journey? What two events took place with this journey? What was the longest journey? Name four places of this journey? Name two events near its close. What was the last journey? What events took place at this time? Where was the last encampment of the Is'ra-el-ites? What inst.i.tutions originated during this period? What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people? How did it give them liberty?

What was the influence in military affairs? What were its results upon the religion of the people?

FIFTH STUDY

Inst.i.tutions of Israelite Wors.h.i.+p

PART ONE

In the Old Testament we note certain forms and inst.i.tutions for wors.h.i.+p, and as some of these received their shaping during the wilderness life of the Is'ra-el-ites, we give a brief account of such inst.i.tutions at this place in the history.

I. Earliest of all inst.i.tutions for wors.h.i.+p we find the =Altar=, and throughout the Old Testament the altar wors.h.i.+p stands prominent.

1. =Its Principle=, the root idea underlying the altar, was of a meeting between G.o.d and man. As the subject always came to his ruler with a gift in his hands, so the wors.h.i.+per brought his offering to his G.o.d, whether Je-ho'vah, the G.o.d of Is'ra-el, or Ba'al, the divinity of the Ca'naan-ites.

2. =Its Origin= is unknown, but it was early sanctioned by a divine approval of the wors.h.i.+p connected with it (Gen. 4. 3, 4; 8. 20; 12. 8).

3. =Its Universality.= There was scarcely a people in the ancient world without an altar. We find that the wors.h.i.+p of every land and every religion was a.s.sociated with altars. (See allusions in Isa. 65. 3; 2 Kings 16. 10; Acts 17. 23, to altars outside of the Is'ra-el-ite faith.)

4. =Its Material.= Among the Is'ra-el-ites it was of earth or unhewn stone. Where metal or wood was used it was merely for a covering, the true altar being of earth inside. The laws of Is'ra-el forbade any carving of the stone which might lead to idol wors.h.i.+p (Exod. 20. 24, 25).

5. =Its Limitation.= In the patriarchal age the chief of the clan was the priest, the altar stood before his tent, and there was but one altar for the clan, which thus represented one family. When Is'ra-el became a nation only one altar was allowed by the law, carrying out the idea that all the Twelve Tribes were one family (Deut. 12. 13, 14; Josh. 22. 16).

Yet the law, if known to the Is'ra-el-ites, was constantly ignored by the prophets (1 Sam. 7. 9; 1 Kings 18. 31, 32).

6. =Its Prophetic Purpose=, as revealed in the New Testament, was to prefigure the cross whereon Christ died (John 1. 29; Heb. 9. 22; 1 Pet.

3. 18).

II. The =Offerings=, as fully developed and named in the law, were of five kinds, as follows:

1. =The Sin Offering.= 1.) This regarded the wors.h.i.+per as a sinner, and expressed the means of his reconciliation with G.o.d. 2.) The offering consisted of an animal. 3.) The animal was slain and burned without the camp. 4.) Its blood was sprinkled on the altar of incense in the Holy Place (Lev. 4. 3-7).

2. =The Burnt Offering.= 1.) This regarded the wors.h.i.+per as already reconciled, and expressed his consecration to G.o.d. 2.) It consisted of an animal, varied according to the ability of the wors.h.i.+per. 3.) The animal was slain and burned on the altar. 4.) Its blood was poured out on the altar, a token that the life of the wors.h.i.+per was given to G.o.d (Lev. 1. 2-9).

3. =The Trespa.s.s Offering.=[4] 1.) This represented the divine forgiveness of an actual transgression, whether against G.o.d or man, as distinguished from the condition of a sinner represented in the sin offering. 2.) The offering consisted of an animal, generally a ram, though a poor person might bring some flour. 3.) The animal was slain and burned on the altar. 4.) The blood was poured out at the base of the altar (Lev. 5. 1-10).

4. =The Meat Offering.=[5] 1.) This expressed the simple idea of thanksgiving to G.o.d. 2.) It consisted of vegetable food. 3.) The offering was divided between the altar and the priest; one part was burned on the altar, the other presented to the priest to be eaten by him as food (Lev. 2. 1-3).

5. =The Peace Offering.= 1.) This expressed fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d in the form of a feast. 2.) It consisted of both animal and vegetable food. 3.) The offering was divided into three parts, one part burned upon the altar, a second eaten by the priest, a third part eaten by the wors.h.i.+per and his friends as a sacrificial supper. Thus G.o.d, the priest, and the wors.h.i.+per were all represented as taking a meal together.

Blackboard Outline

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | I. =Alt.= 1. Prin. 2. Orig. 3. Univ. 4. Mat. 5. Lim. 6. Proph. Pur.| |II. =Off.= | | 1. Si. Off. |Sin. rec. G.|An. |Sl. bur. |Spr. alt. inc. | | 2. Bu. Off. |Con. G. |An. |Sl. bur. |Pou. alt. | | 3. Tre. Off.|For. trans. |An. |Sl. bur. |Pou. ba. alt. | | 4. Me. Off. |Tha. Gd. |Veg. |Alt. pri. | | | 5. Pea. Off.|Fel. G. |An. veg.|Alt. pri. wor.| | +--------------+------------+--------+--------------+----------------+

Review Questions

What two inst.i.tutions of the Old Testament are here presented? What shows the universality of the altar in connection with wors.h.i.+p? What is said of the origin of the altar? Of what material were the earliest altars made? What was the religious idea in the altar? What prophetic purpose did the altar have? Name the five kinds of offerings. How did the sin offering regard the wors.h.i.+per? What did the sin offering express? Of what did the sin offering consist? What was done with the offering? What was done with the blood? What was the design of the burnt offering? Of what did the burnt offering consist? What was done with the animal?

What was done with the blood in the burnt offering?

Wherein did the trespa.s.s offering differ from the sin offering? Of what did the trespa.s.s offering consist?

What was done with the sacrifice? What did the meat offering express? Of what did it consist? How was the meat offering used? What was expressed by the peace offering? Of what did it consist? What was done with the peace offering?

PART TWO

The Tabernacle

1. When the family of A'bra-ham grew into a people its unity was maintained by regarding the altar--and but one altar for all the Twelve Tribes--as the religious center of the nation.

2. To the thought of the altar as the meeting place with G.o.d was added the conception of G.o.d dwelling among his people in a sanctuary and receiving homage as the King of Is'ra-el (Exod. 25. 8).

3. Thus the altar grew into the Tabernacle, which was the sanctuary where G.o.d was supposed to dwell in the midst of the camp. As was necessary among a wandering people, it was constructed of such materials as could be easily taken apart and carried on the march through the wilderness.

In considering the Tabernacle and its furniture we notice the following particulars:

I. =The Court=, an open square surrounded by curtains, 150 by 75 feet in extent, and occupying the center of the camp of Is'ra-el (Exod. 27.

9-13). In this stood the Altar, the Laver, and the Tabernacle itself.

II. =The Altar of Burnt Offerings= stood within the court, near its entrance. It was made of wood plated with "bra.s.s" (which is supposed to mean copper), was 7 feet square and 4 feet high. On this all the burnt sacrifices were offered (Exod. 27. 1; 40. 29), except the sin offering.

III. =The Laver= contained water for the sacrificial purifyings. It stood at the door of the tent, but its size and form are unknown (Exod.

30. 17-21).

IV. =The Tabernacle= itself was a tent 45 feet long, 15 feet wide. Its walls were of boards, plated with gold, standing upright; its roof of three curtains, one laid above another. Whether there was a ridge-pole or not is uncertain. It was divided, by a veil across the interior, into two apartments, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Exod. 36. 8-38).

V. =The Holy Place= was the larger of the two rooms into which the tent was divided, being 30 feet long by 15 wide. Into this the priests entered for the daily service. It contained the Candlestick, the Table, and the Altar of Incense (Heb. 9. 2).

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM SHOWING LOCATION OF THE OBJECTS WITHIN THE TABERNACLE COURT.]

VI. =The Candlestick= (more correctly, "lampstand") stood on the left side of one entering the Holy Place; made of gold, and bearing seven branches, each branch holding a lamp (Exod. 25. 31-37).

VII. =The Table= stood on the right of one entering the Holy Place; made of wood, covered with gold; 3 feet long, 1 feet wide, 2 feet high; contained 12 loaves of bread, called "the bread of the presence"

(Exod. 37. 10, 11).

VIII. =The Altar of Incense= stood at the inner end of the Holy Place, near the veil; made of wood, covered with gold; 1 feet square and 3 feet high. On it the incense was lighted by fire from the Altar of Burnt Offerings (Exod. 30. 1, 2).