Exodus 38:9 And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11 And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
Two things of note happened this week. In Toronto, the city decided to protect terrorists as they raised their flag in a prominent location. The Jews do not get that privilege nor do they get protection. As we have mentioned before, Canada is in big trouble because Canada has rejected the true God for a long time, but in the past ten years they have become more hostile toward Israel. They give lip service, but their actions speak volumes for where Canada stands when it comes to Israel. It is not a good place to be.
Then this week the corrupt government’s budget passed. There were some tricks played to get it to pass.
In spite of the fact that we have a minority government in Canada at this time, they were able to pass this very expensive and wasteful budget. The government has an agenda. It is following the path of the communist government of China. The governments of Canada have for years assumed that they need to be the providers of the needs of the people. Every government promises some “carrots” to lure people to their side.
Most people have been happy to receive the “hand-outs” that the governments promise. They fail to realize that it our tax dollars that the government uses to buy our loyalty. Most of those tax dollars are used for worthless ventures including the salaries of the many government employees.
Government is not to be the provider of the needs of the people. That is God’s place. He provides the rain and the sunshine and the warmer temperatures and the wind, etc. He protects against diseases and pestilence. He can also send disease and pestilence and drier conditions. God wants to bless man, but He cannot bless man as He would want to when man rejects Him. Lost people have sought for a substitute for God. They have willingly accepted godless governments as that substitute. Enough of the godless people have been willing to accept a certain brand of corrupt government. From time to time the government changes, but the general philosophy of government remains the same. Over time, governments become more controlling and enough of the people are willing to accept this overreach. Eventually this blindness of the lost leads to an oppressive government like what China has. Canada is headed that way. It is God Who limits the advancement of evil. Eventually, He will remove all the saints from the earth and will bring in the antichrist who will deceive the lost into embracing him. He will be happy to take the adulation afforded him. He will eventually show who he really is and will force his wicked agenda upon the world. His rule will be ruthless. Due to the mercy of God, his rule will only last seven years. Those will be very destructive years. It is important to trust in the true God now and enjoy His blessings. Only those who trust in the true God will be removed from this earth prior to the antichrist’s wicked rule.
The book of Acts reveals how the first century churches flourished. The Roman government was in charge at that time. They were an anti-God government. God directed the true churches on how to function in the midst of an oppressive regime. True churches were established, and the Gospel spread in spite of the economic uncertainties. There was also much greater persecution of true Christians then than we are currently experiencing. It is quite possible that we will see persecution on the rise in the not too distant future. There are already politicians who are becoming quite vocal in their opposition of the truth.
Canada is not a Christian nation, and never has been. There have been times when true Christians have had a greater impact on society than they currently have. None of this is a surprise to God. It should not be a surprise to true Christians either. We need to focus on that which is essential and important.
In our text we see that God wanted a place for the people to come to worship Him in a formal manner. God knows that we need the encouragement of other saints. True saints do not need the flattery of the ungodly. If a church is seeking the approval of the world, it will be a failure to God.
The court described was designed for groups of Jews to come together to bring sacrifices and offerings to the Lord. This court was one hundred and fifty feet by seventy five feet. It could not accommodate all the people at one time, but it could hold a number of people at once.
God provided all that was needed for His people to be able to come into His presence in a way that was protected from the elements. It was also an opportunity to be separated from the distractions around them.
In today’s world, Christians live amongst ungodly people. Our neighbours and co-workers may not be saved. We need to learn how to be a good testimony in those environments. We also need a place where we can gather with other God-fearing people and fellowship with them. That is what the local church is all about. There will be lost people in a true church. However, they do not dominate the atmosphere of a true church. Everything in a true church is designed to glorify God.
In our text, the court described was well made to withstand the winds and also to be able to be assembled and disassembled often. The nation of Israel would spend forty years wandering in the wilderness. During that time, they needed to be reminded that even though they were being punished for their rebellion against God, He would not forsake them. He was still going to be there, showing Himself to be their God and protector and provider.
This court was designed by Him to remind them of His care for them. Again, we must remember that this court was particular to the nation of Israel. However, we can see that the local church is also designed to be a reminder to the saints of the place where God wants to meet with His people. It is also to be a light to the community at large. In recent years, religious structures have been attacked in Canada. The government has encouraged animosity against these places. Most of them are not true churches, but in the eyes of the world, they represent God.
It is important for true churches to behave as the house of God they need to be. We are to be the pillar and ground of truth. We are not off in a colony somewhere. We are established in a secular world.
Our church is situated right next to a bowling alley. During the bowling season, that place receives more attention than we do. People are more concerned about entertainment than they are about truth. There will be no bowling allies in hell. There will be no entertainment there at all. There will be no bowling allies in heaven either. There will be no need for entertainment there. The attention in heaven will be toward God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who enter that place will be content to be in Their presence. Be sure you are being trained for an eternity with the God and Saviour of the world.
Pastor Bartel