Why was Abel's
sacrifice more acceptable to God than Cain's?
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain." Heb. 11:4.
To what did his
sacrifice point forward?
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,... but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who
verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." 1 Peter
1:18-20.
By his
sacrifice, what did Abel obtain?
"He obtained witness that he was righteous." Heb. 11:4.
With what
sacrifice did God command Abraham to worship Him?
"And He said unto him, Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she
goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old... And he took unto him
all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against
another." Gen. 15:1, 10.
How did Jacob
manifest his faith in the promised Redeemer?
"And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to
Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac." Gen.
46:1.
What did the
lord command Moses to have made?
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of
Israel, that they bring me an offering; ..and let them make Me a sanctuary: that
I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:1, 8 (Acts 7:44) (Heb. 8:5). "Moreover
thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue,
and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make
them." "And thou shalt make curtains goats' hair to be a covering upon
the tabernacle: even curtains shalt thou make." "And thou shalt make a
covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers'
skins." Ex. 26:1, 7, 14.
How many
apartments had the sanctuary?
"And the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the
most holy." Ex. 26:33.
What was in the
first apartment?
"For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the
candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the
sanctuary." Heb 9:2.
What other
article was in the first apartment?
"And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the
veil." Ex. 40:26 (Ex. 30:1-6).
What was
contained in the second apartment, or the most holy place?
"And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest
of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid
round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's
rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." Heb. 9:3-4 (Ex. 40:20,
21).
By what name was
the cover of the ark known?
"And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in
the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee." Ex.25:21.
Where was God,
by the symbol of His presence, to meet with Israel's high priest?
"And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from
above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark
of the testimony." Ex. 25:22.
What was in the
ark, under the mercy seat?
"And He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten
commandments... And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put
the tables in the ark which I had made." Deut. 10:4, 5.
When this
building was completed, for what purpose was it used, and who daily officiated
in the first apartment?
"Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into
the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God." Heb. 9:6.
Who only was
allowed in the second apartment? How often? And for what purpose?
"But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not
without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people." Heb. 9:7.
How does one
commit sin?
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
And what is the
wages of sin?
"The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23.
When one of the
common people thus sinned, what must he then do, to save his life?
"And if anyone of the common people sin through ignorance, while he
doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord,... then he shall
bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin
which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin
offering, and slay the sin-offering in the place of the burnt
offering." Lev. 4:27-29.
What was done
with the blood?
"And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and
put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all
the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar." Lev. 4:30.
How was the body
of the sin offering to be disposed of?
"This is the law of the sin-offering: In the place where the burnt
offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most
holy. The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it; in the holy place
shall it be eaten." Lev. 6:25, 26. See verse 16.
After making an
offering for himself, what did the high priest next do?
"And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots
upon the two goats; one lot for the lord, and the other lot for the
scapegoat." Lev.16:7, 8.
What was done
with the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell?
"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the
people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he
did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and
before the mercy seat." Lev.16:15.
Was it necessary
to make this atonement?
"And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the
uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in
all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation,
that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." Lev. 16:16.
After the high
priest came out of the sanctuary with the sins still on him, having atoned for
them in the most holy place, what did he next do?
"And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the
tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: and
Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess
over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and
shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness." Lev.
16:20, 21.
Then who bore
the sins of the people, after the high priest had put them off, and the camp was
cleansed from them?
"And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a
land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." Lev.
16:22.
The sanctuary in the
wilderness was constructed under the direction of Moses, in accordance with the
pattern shown him in the mount (Ex. 25:7-8, 40; Heb 8:5).
Enclosing this wilderness
tabernacle was a Court (sometimes called the Outer Court) which was made of
white curtains attached to poles (Ex. 27:9-18) , and was about 75 feet wide by
150 feet long (based on an 18-inch cubit). Within the Court was the Altar of
Burnt Offering, the laver and the Tabernacle. This altar was also called the
Brazen Altar since there was a second altar, the Golden Altar, inside the
Tabernacle. This outside Altar (Ex. 27: 1-9) was hollow inside and overlaid with
brass, and was 5 feet high and 7 1/2 feet square. Upon this altar were placed
the animals that were offered as burnt sacrifice. Just beyond, stood the brass
laver (Ex. 30:18-21), where the priests washed before entering the Tabernacle.
The earthly sanctuary (Ex.
26:1-37) was a tent with wooden walls, 4 layers as a roof covering, and gold and
beautiful curtaining inside. About 15 by 45 feet in size, this Tabernacle was
portable, so it could be taken apart and moved from place to place in the
journeys of Israel through the wilderness. Divided by an inner veil into two
rooms or apartments, it was the holiest place on earth. The priest entered the
First Apartment every day with blood, and went past the seven-branched Golden
Candlestick, with its seven lamps of fire (Ex. 25:31-40); past the Table of
Shewbread, containing the dedicated bread that stood before the Presence of the
lord (Ex. 25:23-30); and on to the Altar of Incense, or Golden Altar (Ex.
30:1-10), from whence the smoke of a specially prepared incense wafted up, over
the top of the dividing veil (which did not reach to the ceiling) and into the
Holy of Holies beyond. Upon the Golden Altar and dividing veil, the priest
sprinkled some of the sacrificial blood (Lev. 4-5). A partial description of
this may be found in Hebrews 9:1-7. All of the furniture within the First and
Second Apartments was of solid gold, or covered with gold.
The Second Apartment, or
Most Holy Place (Ex. 26:33) contained the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 26:17-22).
Between two Cherubim was the glory of the Shekinah the Presence of God (Ex. 26:
22; 40:34). Beneath it was the Mercy Seat, a solid gold slab that covered the
top of the Ark, wherein lay the foundation of God's government: the Moral law of
Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3-17) which was written by the finger of God on stone
(Ex. 24:12) and then placed in the Ark (Ex. 40:20). All of mankind is to be
governed by those holy precepts, even down to the end of time (Rev. 12:17;
14:12) and beyond (Rev. 22:14; Isa. 66:22). Only once a year, on the Day of
Atonement, did the high priest enter the Second Apartment to cleanse the
Sanctuary and the people of sin (Lev. 16:30, 33-34 and all of the chapter; Dan.
8:14).