38 The Tabernacle the Epistle to the Hebrews, if we would understand why God interrupted the description of the pattern for the Jewish tabernacle, in order to give His instructions con- cerning the Levitical priesthood? The priesthood was a vital part of the Law of Moses. And the Law was "a shadow of good things to come" in Christ Jesus (Heb. 1O: 1) . Aaron and his sons typified Christ and His church, believer-priests. Yet Christ is far "better than" Aaron in His Person; He is "a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." He is far "better than" Aaron and all his descendants in His ministry; for He ministers in a better tabernacle, as the Mediator of a better covenant, established upon better promises than the Law of Moses could ever offer. His is an enduring, unchangeable priesthood. He offered a better sacrifice, with a better hope of a better resurrection. As our eternal Priest, His blood avails for all eternity. His prayers for us avail before His Father's throne. He deals gently with "the ignorant and erring." How gently He deals with His own! And thank God! His work of redemption is forever done! No more does He have to suffer the bitterness and cruelty of the cross. No more does He have to endure the scoffing, the scourging, the mockings of the wicked men who nailed Him to the tree! Once He wore a crown of thorns. But now He lives, forever "crowned with glory and honour," one day to appear in glory "crowned with many crowns." How can we help but love Him? Let us repeat for emphasis, that not one soul who hears this message may miss the meaning: As our Priest, Christ shed His blood for ·our sins. As our Priest, He ever lives to make intercession for us at the throne of grace. When we sin, He is our Advo- cate with the Father, our Lawyer, our Mediator. He takes
39 The Tabernacle our part against Satan's accusations. He has never lost a case in the court of heaven! Nor will He--ever! As our Priest, He deals gently with us. He "knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 10 3: 14) . He disciplines and chastens and trains us for service, bringing us to the place of confession of sin, for- giving, loving, patiently leading us on toward His Pres- ence and Home! Satan desired to have Peter, that he might sift him as wheat; but the Lord said to Peter, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31, 32). If we would know what kind of prayer He is offering to the Father on our behalf, we need only turn to the seventeenth chapter of John, there to read some of the most sacred, soul-inspiring words that ever fell from the lips of the Son of God. It is His High Priestly prayer, not only for Peter and James and John; not only for those who knew and loved Him when He was on earth; but for "them also who" should "believe" on Him "through their word" (John 17:20). That includes us; it includes every child of God of all the Christian era. Aaron and His Sons-A Type of Christ and His Church Surely we have had overwhelming proof from Hebrews that Aaron, in his ministry, was a type of Christ, our Great High Priest. Now his sons represented Christ's church, believer-priests: Their names were closely associated with Aaron's; even so we bear the name of Christ, for we are called "Chris- tians." They had the same calling; no one other than a son of Aaron or his descendants could dare enter into the priesthood. Likewise, our Lord says unto us, "As my
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