The Messiah Mystery: A Lent StudySýnishorn

Clues in the House

What’s the farthest you’ve ever walked? Around the block? A mile or two or more?

After they were freed from slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel began a long walk to the Promised Land.  But this walk lasted 40 years.

On the way, God spoke with Moses, not only giving him the Ten Commandments but also passing on some detailed instructions on how to build a tabernacle.  A tabernacle was kind of like a church—only it was a huge tent. Because their journey was on foot, the tabernacle had to be portable so they could carry it with them.

The tabernacle’s huge tent was to be a place where they could gather in God’s presence and celebrate everything God did for them. It was also the place where they made sacrifices for their sins.  The tabernacle was where God’s holy presence could live near them.

And in this house, this huge tent, God put more clues about His promised Messiah.  Everywhere in this tent were clues to finding Him.

For example, there were two rooms in God’s house: a big room called the “Holy” and a smaller room called the “Most Holy.”  In the large room were three pieces of furniture: an oil lamp stand, a table with 12 loaves of special bread, and an altar for burning incense.

These are three clues pointing to Jesus, the coming Messiah:

• Jesus is the light of the world. 

• Jesus is the bread of life.

• Jesus is our intercessor, continually praying to God on our behalf.

The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments are another clue about the coming Messiah because they point to why He came.  The commandments teach us God’s standards, but they leave us with a problem.  Because no one can obey them precisely over a lifetime or even for one day, every person needs a Savior.  Each of us needs our sin covered by the blood of Jesus. 

Only Jesus’ blood makes it so that we can be with God all the time, forever.  His sacrifice was once for all.

Father, thank you for giving us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe.  And because you love us, you have left countless clues for us to discover, all leading to your matchless gift of Jesus, the Messiah.  How wonderful it is to know that all your promises come true.