Starving Tent Servers

Jesus’ sacrificial offering of His life to save mankind from our fallen state is said to have been patterned after the sacrificial offerings made in the Old Testament Tabernacle.  From their comparison we get references like, “Lamb of God” or “like a lamb led to slaughter”. The author of Hebrews in the New Testament explains how Jesus is the eternal High Priest, another likeness to the service in the Tabernacle.  Check chapter 8 of the book for specifics on this reference.

In fact, throughout the entire book of Hebrew there are parallels drawn between Jesus’ sacrifice and that of the Tabernacle.  Chapter 13 contains a pointed reference that I would like to focus on today. Verse 10 of this chapter states, “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.”  Ok. Without context that statement is just weird. I mean, who are these “tent” servers and what is this altar? Let’s put some meat on this one.

The tent servers referenced in this passage are the Levites and the priests that served in the Tabernacle by Old Testament law.  They would be the ones who completed the sacrifices and offerings in the Tabernacle (tent) according to the statutes handed down from God to Moses and then to the Jewish people.  To dig deeper into these statutes read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The reference made in Hebrews to “those who serve the tent” is a direct correlation to the Old Covenant service in the Tabernacle.  

Reading on in Hebrews we find this statement, “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.” (13:11)  We find in those books of the law previously mentioned that according to the instructions of the law, the blood of the animals sacrificed on the brazen altar in the “outer court” of the tabernacle would be used inside the holy place and at times in the holy of holies for the sanctification of the vessels used in the tabernacle and as atonement for the people of Israel.  There were instructions on what would happen with the body of these sacrificed animals depending on what type of sacrifice was being made. In some instances, all or a portion of the sacrificed animal would be eaten by the priests and those who served. In most instances the bodies of the sacrificed animals would be disposed of by burning which happened outside of the Tabernacle area and even outside of the Israelite camp around the Tabernacle.  This is important to note, and of particular interest to us in today’s blog, because of the next thing the author of the book of Hebrews states, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.”

There it is again, a reference to Jesus’ sacrifice of life being similar to that of the sacrifices made in the Tabernacle.  But in this reference there is also the great contradiction between what Jesus did, and how He did it, and that which was done in the Old Testament.  The book of Hebrews, certainly details the similarities between Jesus’ sacrificial act and that which the Jew’s did under the law. The similarities are intended, after all, by an all knowing God.  But, Jesus’ sacrifice was also eternally more powerful and infinitely more important in scope than the sacrifices made on the altars of the Tabernacle. The author of Hebrews diligently enlightens the reader to this truth.  In the Old Testament, sanctification happened only inside the tabernacle. Jesus chose to be sacrificed outside of the gates of Jerusalem, or in other words, outside the camp.

Jesus poured out His blood on All!  He was raised up on a cross for all to see and He was pierced.  His blood flowed from His body, not into a bowl to only be handled by a priest under the law, but onto the ground - into the earth.  Not inside the veilings of a sanctuary, but outside the camp in a thoroughfare did Jesus make His sacrifice. Jesus’ blood was poured out for all!  No little here and little there with Jesus’ sacrifice.  His was a lot, everywhere! More than enough, not just enough!

Now we have an altar - we have a sacrifice - which the old covenant cannot serve, which the priest of the old way cannot eat.  Our sacrificial Lamb, in the form of Jesus Christ, was sacrificed outside the gate, outside the earthly, man made Tabernacle. His blood didn’t just get sprinkled in the holy of holies.  It flooded it and the rest of the Tabernacle, the camp and even heaven and earth with grace and power, with forgiveness and eternal righteousness! Now you and I eat from an altar, as priests ourselves of a New Covenant, made pure, free from sin and sanctified for service to our God.

Amen and Hallelujah!

Hebrews 13:10-13