Where Do We Meet with G-d?

Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
2/25/12

The Mishkan was the portable Tabernacle or tent built by the Israelites in the desert and was a place for G-d’s presence to dwell. It was divided by curtains into an inner and outer court. The inner court held the Ark which contained the two Stone Tablets and the outer court contained the Bread of the Presence, the Menorah and the Golden Altar of Incense.

The focus of the Tabernacle was to worship and to enter into His Presence and manifest His Divine Forgiveness.

Exodus 25:22, ‘There I will meet with you. I will speak with you from above the ark-cover, from between the two k'ruvim which are on the ark for the testimony, about all the orders I am giving you for the people of Isra'el.’

Later Solomon’s Temple was built as a permanent structure but was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and then later, Herod’s Temple was built but was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. It was at that time the centrality of Jewish life was shifted to the synagogues.

The Tabernacle was not very large; measuring approximately 30 by 15 feet in the outer court and 15 by 15 feet in the inner court. The Ark or ‘arown in Hebrew was about 45 inches wide, and 27 inches high and deep.

The primary purpose of the Mishkan was to provide a place where man might meet with G-d. It was not intended to be a place for horizontal interaction among people, but a vertical intersection with G-d Himself!

The Ark Cover or Lid above the Ark is the Kaporet; the place of atonement! This is misinterpreted as the Mercy Seat. The correct word is Kaporet or Place of Atonement.

It is where the cherubim were looking down at the blood shed and placed by the High Priest once yearly on Yom Kippur. G-d would look down and sins would be forgiven!

G-d said He would meet with us there. The word for ‘meet’ in Hebrew is ‘ya’ad’ which is the root word from which ‘moadim’ is derived and is used in Leviticus 23 when the festivals of the L-rd are described as appointed times when G-d meets with us. In meeting Him we transcend time and space and really enter in what may be conveyed as a fifth dimension.

Ya’ad reversed is Yada which the word for knowing, intimate union and knowledge as was described with Adam and Eve; we know the L-rd as He speaks to us and reveals Himself to us.
In Exodus 25:22, G-d says not only will He meet with us but He will also speak to us. The word used is ‘davar’. Davar means the real thing! He only speaks the real thing or He doesn’t speak! When G-d speaks we are changed.

The Kaporet was the supreme feature of the Mishkan; the true meeting place from where He would speak.

‘Aron represents G-d’s holiness with the Torah (tablets) or Law inside. The Kaporet or lid represents G-d’s grace, forgiveness and atonement. We don’t meet with Him in our sins or our own righteousness! We only meet with Him is in His finished work where the blood has been placed on the Kaporet.

Romans 3:25, ‘God put Yeshua forward as the kaparah for sin through his faithfulness in respect to his bloody sacrificial death. This vindicated God's righteousness; because, in his forbearance, he had passed over [with neither punishment nor remission] the sins people had committed in the past.’

The Greek word for kaporah is ‘hilastērion’; the place of propitiation. Atonement provided by offering a substitute.

Numbers 7:89, ‘When Moshe went into the tent of meeting in order to speak with ADONAI, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the ark-cover on the ark for the testimony, from between the two k'ruvim; and he spoke to him.’

The wings of the cherubim formed a canopy approximately 30-40 inches across with the angel’s faces looking downward at the kaporet; looking at the blood having been placed there. They were looking at the forgiveness of sin!

1Peter 1:12, ‘It was revealed to them that their service when they spoke about these things was not for their own benefit, but for yours. And these same things have now been proclaimed to you by those who communicated the Good News to you through the Ruach HaKodesh sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things!’

It is as if the angels long to understand the amazing finished work of the Messiah. Have you come to the realization that your sins are truly forgiven in Him? It is almost incomprehensible how much He loves us and it is by His Mercy He has forgiven us not by our works.

1 John 4:10, ‘Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.’

Romans 3:24-25, ‘By God's grace, without earning it, all are granted the status of being considered righteous before him, through the act redeeming us from our enslavement to sin that was accomplished by the Messiah Yeshua. 25 God put Yeshua forward as the kaparah for sin through his faithfulness in respect to his bloody sacrificial death. This vindicated God's righteousness; because, in his forbearance, he had passed over [with neither punishment nor remission] the sins people had committed in the past.’

We meet the L-rd in His finished work!

How did Eliyahu (Elijah) meet and hear from the L-rd?

As recorded in 1 Kings 19, Eliyahu was full of self-pity. Ironically, the events recorded in 1Kings 19 were immediately after an amazing victory against the prophets of Ba’al. What happened to make Eliyahu loose confidence in the L-rd so much so that he wanted to die?

1 Kings 19:2, ‘Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, "May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven't taken your life, just as you took theirs!"’

The words of a powerful woman greatly affected him!

1 Kings 19:4b ‘"Enough!" he said. "Now, ADONAI, take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors."’

This passage could also be translated: ‘Too much, now, L-RD. Take my life. I’m no good.’

Twice in this chapter an angel ‘jolted’ him to get up and eat! He did eat and drink what was provided him by the angel and was able to travel for forty days and nights on that provision until he came to a cave and then the L-rd spoke to him.

1 Kings 19:9, ‘There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of ADONAI came to him; he said to him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?"’

G-d was questioning him getting him to look at himself! He was disheartened, cynical, hard-hearted and judgmental.

The passage continues as the L-rd takes him out of the cave to see the mighty blast of wind, an earthquake, fire and then he hears a quiet subdued voice!

1 Kings 19:12-13, ‘After the earthquake, fire broke out; but ADONAI was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. 13 When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?"’

It was in the still silent sound which can also be interpreted as the voice of crushed silence that the L-rd spoke!

Even so, he laments that he is the only one left. He was self absorbed! But G-d has no part of his complaint. Gives him an assignment as well as instructions to raise up Elisha!

As with Eliyahu, G-d makes the point that it isn’t all about us and that we are not indispensable. We need to get busy serving G-d and raising up others!

Further Reading: Psalm 80:1, 99:1, John 19:30, Galatians 2:16, 1 Chronicles 28:11, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:2, 1 John 4:19, Revelation 1:5, 13:8, John 3:14-15, 17, Daniel 10:19-20, Psalm 62:11-12