Sermon Notes 07 September 2025

Pastor Ryan Perry Sermon 07 September 2025

Verses:  Exodus 25–40; Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9

Main Idea
God walked with humanity in Eden and redeemed Israel from Egypt. He then chose to dwell among His people in the wilderness through the Tabernacle.

Key Points
From Eden to Exodus

• Eden was the first temple, where heaven and earth overlapped.
• Sin drove humanity out. Egypt became an anti-Eden of oppression.
• God’s redemption through the Exodus brings His people into the wilderness—a place of testing and renewal.

• The Tabernacle as God’s Tent
  • Not a palace, but a tent — God humbled Himself to dwell with His wandering people.
  • Structurally mirrors Eden: lampstand as the Tree of Life; cherubim guarding the Most Holy Place; precious materials reflect creation’s goodness.

• The mercy seat as God’s throne — surrounded by cherubim, reminding Israel of Eden’s lost presence, but offering access through sacrifice.

• God’s Holiness and Human Access
  • The Holy of Holies was veiled, guarded by cherubim, showing that sin still separated humanity from God.
  • Yet through the priestly system and sacrificial blood, God made a way for His presence to be near His people.
  • Even in the wilderness, God’s mercy said, “Come near.”

• Fulfillment in Christ
  • John 1:14—“The Word became flesh and dwelt (σκηνόω, ‘tabernacled’) among us.”
  • Jesus is the true mercy seat: final sacrifice, and greater High Priest.
  • At His death, the veil tore, showing access to God available to all.

Application
God meets us in our wilderness. You don’t have to be in the Promised Land for God to dwell with you — He sets up His tent in the middle of your struggle.

• God’s presence is both holy and merciful. Like Israel, we need atonement; like the disciples, we now have Jesus who gives full access.
• We are God’s dwelling place today. The church is now His tabernacle, and our lives are living sanctuaries where His glory is revealed.

Closing Word
The Tabernacle reminds us that God does not wait for us to have it all together—He comes into our wilderness. But it also points us forward to Christ, who brings us back to the true Eden, the final temple of the New Jerusalem, where God will dwell with His people forever.