GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES THIRTEEN
GOD’S ECONOMY IN ALL THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

God’s Economy as Revealed in the Old Testament

Message Three
God’s Economy as Revealed in Exodus

Scripture Reading: Exo. 12:1-13; 5:1; 14:13-31; 16:14-15; 17:6; 19:1-7; 20:1-3; 25:8-9

I. Historically, Exodus continues Genesis; however, Exodus portrays the corporate aspect of the spiritual experience of God’s people, whereas Genesis portrays primarily the individual aspect; these two aspects represent the complete spiritual experience of God’s people—Gen. 50:26, Exo. 1:1:

A. The book of Genesis concludes with a dead man in a coffin in Egypt; this indicates that God’s chosen people were in a situation of death in Egypt; the situation of the children of Israel in Egypt under Pharaoh’s tyranny is a full picture of the life of fallen mankind in the world under the usurping and enslaving hand of Satan and his evil power of darkness—Gen. 50:26, Exo. 1;11-16.

B. Exodus is a book of pictures that portray God’s salvation as revealed in the New Testament; the Passover portrayed in this chapter is an all-inclusive type of Christ as our redemption to begin our experience of God’s salvation—12:1-13.

II. God’s complete salvation for His chosen people includes the Passover, the exodus from Egypt, and the crossing of the Red Sea—v. 1-13, 5:1, 14:13-31:

A. The Passover signifies redemption—Exo. 12:1-13.

B. The exodus signifies the going out of the world—5:1, 7:4-5, 12:31-32, 35-36, 41, 51.

C. The crossing of the Red Sea signifies baptism—14:13-31, 1 Cor. 10:1-2.

III. In the wilderness the children of Israel experienced God’s provision—the heavenly manna and the living water out of the cleft rock—Exo. 16:14-15, 17:6, 1 Cor. 10:3-4:

A. To partake of manna is to have a heavenly diet and to be reconstituted with a heavenly element—Exo. 16:14-15:

1. God’s intention in His salvation is to work Himself into us and to change our constitution by feeding us with heavenly food—Exo. 16:4 note 1.

2. What helps us most in our daily living with the Lord is the eating of Christ as the heavenly manna—John 6:32-33, 35.

3. Only those who have been reconstituted with Christ are qualified to build up the church as God’s dwelling place today—Eph. 2:21-22.

B. Christ was smitten for us so that living water could flow out of Him to quench our thirst—Exo. 17:6, John 19:34, 7:37-39:

1. The water of life we are drinking is the Triune God flowing out to be our life—4:14.

2. The water of life is in resurrection; therefore, when we drink this water, we become people in resurrection—7:37-39.

C. As we eat and drink of Him, the Triune God works Himself into our being—Eph. 3:14-19.

IV. At the mountain of God (Mount Horeb), the children of Israel received a revelation concerning God and the tabernacle—Exo. 3:1, 24:13, 19:1-7, 20:1-3, 25:8-9:

A. God’s people received the revelation concerning God Himself that they might be separated unto the holy God as His sanctified people—Exo. 20-24.

B. By the revelation of God Himself, we refer to the law; the law is a portrait of God—25:16, 21:

1. The Ten Commandments are a type signifying Christ as the portrait of God, as the expression of God’s image—24:12, Col. 1:15.

2. The law is also a portrait of God; by studying the commandments of the law, we can see that God is love and light and that He is holy and righteous—Psa. 19:7, 25:10, 119:2.

V. In addition to receiving the divine revelation concerning God Himself, the children of Israel received the divine revelation concerning God’s economy that they might be built up together with God in His divine Trinity as His dwelling place on earth for His testimony—Exo. 25-40:

A. That God’s people were to be built up together with Him is indicated by the materials which were to be used for the building of the tabernacle; for instance, the boards of the tabernacle, like the ark, were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold; the boards of acacia wood overlaid with gold signifies God’s people being built up together with God to be His dwelling place—37:1-5:

1. The entire tabernacle was God’s testimony; as we have pointed out, the two tablets of law were called the testimony, the ark was called the ark of the testimony, and the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of testimony; for this reason, the entire tabernacle, from the inside to the outside, was considered the testimony of God—30:26.

2. The Triune God is actually His own dwelling place, for the dweller and the dwelling are one; the dweller is the dwelling place—Deut. 12:5.

B. In the Old Testament God’s testimony was the tabernacle, and in the New Testament it is the church, the Body of Christ; in eternity this testimony will consummate in the New Jerusalem, which is also called a tabernacle—Eph. 1:23, Rev. 21:3:

1. In the Old Testament the tabernacle was with the children of Israel, and in he New Testament the tabernacle is firstly Christ and then the church as the enlargement of Christ; in eternity there will be the ultimate, consummate tabernacle, the New Jerusalem—John 1:14, Rev. 21:3.

2. The tabernacle is enterable; an entry into the tabernacle is available to us today—John 1:14.

C. Finally, God’s chosen and redeemed people received the divine revelation concerning God’s priesthood with all its offerings and its services—Exo. 25:9-40.

VI. The direction of the book of Exodus is toward the building of the tabernacle—25:8-9, 40:1-2, 34-35:

A. What God desires to have is a corporate expression of Himself through His called and redeemed people—Gen. 1:26, Eph. 1:23.

B. Exodus is an account of how God saved His chosen people and gave them a heavenly vision so that they could build His dwelling place on earth—Exo. 12:1-13, 5:1, 14:13-31, 25:8-9:

1. The purpose of Exodus is to reveal God’s full salvation for the building up of His dwelling place—v. 8-9.

2. God’s chosen people are saved all the way from their fallen condition to God’s dwelling place—Eph. 2:1-22.

C. Exodus begins with slavery in Egypt and ends with the tabernacle covered by and filled with the glory of God on account of His redemption—Exo. 40:34-35:

1. The book of Exodus consummates with God’s tabernacle, His dwelling place, filled with His glory—v. 34-35.

2. The entire Bible consummates in the New Jerusalem as the eternal tabernacle filled with God’s glory—Rev. 21:2-3, 10-11.

 

Ministry Excerpts:

INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE AND CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

A further contrast between Genesis and Exodus is seen in the difference between individual experience and corporate experience. The experience in Genesis is primarily individual, but the experience in Exodus is corporate. Abraham, for example, was called as an individual. Even what the Lord gained by transforming Jacob into Israel was an individual matter. Jacob had twelve sons, but all except Joseph were below the standard. The entire experience portrayed in Exodus, on the contrary, is corporate. The redemption, the leading, the revelation, and the building are all corporate matters.

In our spiritual experience there are two sides, the individual side and the corporate side. No doubt, the individual side is basic, but the corporate side is richer, higher, and greater. The ultimate consummation and completion of our experience as believers is not individual; it is corporate. In Genesis we have the basic, individual experience, but in Exodus we have the ultimate, corporate experience.

Consider as an illustration the use of the name “Israel” in these two books. The book of Genesis concludes with an individual Israel, but the book of Exodus concludes with a corporate Israel. Exodus 14:30 says, “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.” In this verse the word “Israel” is used in a corporate way to refer to all the Israelites. But in Genesis the name “Israel” is used in a personal and individual way to refer to the transformed Jacob (Gen. 35:10, 21). In Genesis Israel is an individual person, but in Exodus Israel is a corporate people. The individual Israel at the end of Genesis can be compared to a little sprout of a seed, but the corporate Israel at the end of Exodus is like a full-grown tree bearing fruit. The corporate Israel, composed of the descendants of the individual Israel, is the increase and enlargement of the individual Israel. In Exodus 40 we have not an Israel limited to one person, but an Israel enlarged to be a corporate entity composed of the descendants of the individual Israel. It is vital that we see this.

Furthermore, in Exodus salvation is not an individual matter; rather it involves all the children of Israel. At the time of the exodus from Egypt there were approximately two million Israelites, all of whom were saved simultaneously; they passed through God’s judgment at the same time.

On the one hand, we Christians were saved individually and personally. However, on the other hand and in the eyes of God, we were saved together. We were saved corporately. This is Paul’s concept in Ephesians 2:6, where we are told that we were raised up together and seated together in the heavenlies. The word “together” in this verse means with one another. In the eyes of God, we all were raised up at the same time. Peter was not raised up at one time; Stephen, at another; and Paul, at still another. No matter when we were born, we were all raised up in Christ corporately at the same time.

Although we were redeemed collectively, in a sense, we are called individually. None of us was called when the Apostle Paul was called. Concerning God’s calling, there is an individual element; however, with God’s redemption there is nothing individual, but everything is corporate.

We have pointed out that at the end of Genesis we have an individual Israel. But in the last chapter of Exodus, we have a corporate vessel, God’s habitation, God’s dwelling place with man on earth. Through this contrast we can see the difference between the line in Genesis and the line in Exodus. In Genesis there is the line of individual spiritual experience, whereas in Exodus there is the line of corporate experience. In Genesis basically two people, Abraham and his wife, came out of Chaldea, but in Exodus over two million people came out of Egypt. What a contrast!

THE GENERAL SKETCH

The general sketch of Exodus firstly shows how the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt (1:8-14). Then it reveals that the children of Israel were redeemed and saved (12:27; 14:30). After their redemption and salvation, the children of Israel were led by the Lord in the wilderness (13:17-18, 21-22; 17:1; 19:1-2; 40:36-38). They were led by the pillar of cloud and by the pillar of fire. Furthermore, manna rained down from heaven, and living water flowed from the cleft rock. In their journeys the children of Israel eventually were brought by the Lord to Mount Sinai where they received a revelation of God’s eternal purpose, which is to have His dwelling place on earth (25:8-9, 40). After receiving this revelation, they built the tabernacle for God’s habitation (39:32; 40:2, 34-35).

Exodus is not only a book telling how the Israelites got out of Egypt; it is a book of redemption, supply, revelation, and building. The exodus from Egypt was simply the beginning. This was followed by the supply, the revelation, and the building.

THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

The central thought of Exodus is that Christ is the redemption, salvation, and supply of God’s people and the means for them to worship and serve God so that in Him they may be built up with God together for them and God to meet, communicate, and dwell mutually. We see Christ throughout the book of Exodus. As the Passover, He is the means of our redemption. As the great salvation for God’s people, He saves us out of the hand of Pharaoh, Satan. As the manna and the living water, He is our life supply. Furthermore, the Red Sea signifies Christ’s death in which we are baptized (1 Cor. 10:2). Romans 6:3 says that those who are baptized into Christ are baptized into His death.

In Exodus Christ is many other items: the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, the seventy palm trees and twelve springs at Elim, and the tabernacle with all its furniture. Through the tabernacle and its furniture, God’s redeemed people could serve Him and worship Him. This indicates that Christ is the means by which we serve God and worship Him. God’s chosen people are to be built up together into one entity, the tabernacle, where God and man may mutually meet, communicate, and dwell. In Christ we and God, God and we, are built together, meet together, and dwell together. This is the central thought of the book of Exodus.

THE SECTIONS

We may outline the sections of Exodus in a simple way. The book is arranged in five sections: enslaved (1:1-22), redeemed and saved (2:1—15:21), led (15:22—18:27), receiving revelation (19:1—34:35), and building the tabernacle (35:1—40:38). Having this introductory word before us, we shall get into the details of this book in the following messages. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 1)

THE PASSOVER AS A TYPE OF CHRIST

All Christians know that Christ is the Lamb of God who accomplished redemption for us (John 1:29). However, not many have seen a clear picture of Christ as the redeeming Lamb of God. This picture is presented in Exodus 12.

You may not understand the significance of certain details in this picture. For example, why was the blood put on the lintel and the doorposts (12:22) rather than on the roof? Why did God tell the children of Israel to use a bunch of hyssop to sprinkle the blood on the lintel and doorposts? What was the reason for eating bitter herbs along with the flesh of the lamb? We could ask question upon question. Few Christians are able to answer questions such as these.

We all need to see a clear picture of Christ’s redemption. Although the New Testament reveals the various aspects of redemption, these aspects are not systematized in a doctrinal way. John 1:29 says that Christ is the Lamb of God, and in 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul speaks of Christ as the Passover. Here and there in the New Testament we see aspects of Christ’s redemption. In Exodus 12, however, we have a complete picture. We need to consider this picture carefully; then to interpret it properly, we need to turn to other portions of the Word, especially to the New Testament.

The Passover is a type of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul says that “Our Passover, Christ, has been sacrificed.” Here Paul does not say that Christ is our lamb; he says that Christ is our Passover. But how could the Passover be sacrificed? The answer is that Christ is not only the Passover lamb, but also every aspect of the Passover. The lamb, the bread, and the bitter herbs are all related to Christ. In principle, therefore, Christ is not only the lamb of the Passover, but the very Passover itself.

The word Passover means that the judgment of God passes over us. In Exodus 12:13 the Lord says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Eventually, the Passover became a proper noun in English. The proper noun Passover has its source in the words “pass over” in 12:13.

But why is Christ called our Passover? According to Exodus 12, God passed over the children of Israel because the blood of the Passover lamb had been sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts of their houses. The children of Israel had been commanded to eat the flesh of the lamb in their houses. This indicates that the house was to be their covering under which and in which they could eat the flesh of the Passover lamb. The house that covered them was to have blood sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts. When God saw the blood, He passed over the children of Israel. Hence, this passing over was due to the sprinkled blood. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 23)

EXODUS FROM EGYPT

The children of Israel did not make their exodus from Egypt of their own accord or by their own power. If they had been left to themselves, they never could have come out of Egypt. The exodus was accomplished by the saving God. Firstly, God subdued Pharaoh, the one who had usurped the children of Israel, and then He subdued all the Egyptians (12:29-33). As we apply this principle to our experience, we see that God comes in to subdue Satan, everything and everyone that stands with Satan, and also our environment. When the children of Israel made their exodus from Egypt, the whole environment was subdued by God. Everything was set for the children of Israel to leave Egypt. Even if they had wanted to remain in Egypt, the environment would not have allowed them to remain. They had no choice except to leave.

According to the picture in the book of Exodus, God’s salvation includes the aspect of the Passover and the aspect of the exodus. It was easy for God’s people to observe the Passover, but it was not easy for them to have an exodus. The difficulty lay in the fact that the exodus required a suitable environment. Suppose the situation in Egypt did not allow God’s people to leave. How then could they have made their exodus? It would have been impossible. The exodus required a thorough subduing of the environment. Israel’s exodus was the result of a long struggle between Moses and Pharaoh. It was preceded by twelve negotiations with ten plagues. This indicates that it is not easy for God to deliver His chosen people from the usurping hand of Satan and from the world. All genuine Christians have experienced the Passover, but only a small minority of believers have experienced the exodus. The reason for this is that certain aspects of their environment have not yet been subdued. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 26)

CROSSING OF THE RED SEA

In 1 Corinthians 10:1 and 2 Paul says that “our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” This indicates that the crossing of the Red Sea was a type of baptism. The cloud here refers to the pillar, which was the Lord Himself as the One leading the people.

First Peter 3:20 and 21 indicate that the passing of Noah’s ark through the flood was also a type of baptism. By the ark and through the water Noah and the members of his family were saved from God’s judgment and from the evil, corrupt, and condemned world. The same flood which judged the world also separated those in the ark from the world. After the flood waters had abated, Noah and his family found themselves in a new realm, in a new world, where they could serve God. The flood had separated them from the old realm and had brought them into a new realm. Immediately after coming out of the ark, Noah built an altar and offered sacrifice to the Lord (Gen. 8:20).

The principle is the same with the crossing of the Red Sea. In Egypt the children of Israel were involved with the evil, corrupt, and condemned world and were under God’s judgment. The Passover, which typified Christ, saved them from God’s judgment, just as the ark, also a type of Christ, saved Noah and his family from God’s judgment. Furthermore, just as Noah’s family needed to be saved from the world through water, so the children of Israel also needed to be saved from Egypt through water. With the children of Israel we see both the blood and the water. The blood of the Passover lamb saved them from God’s judgment, and the water saved them from the tyranny of the Egyptians. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 29)

THE MANNA AND THE LIVING WATER

In chapter sixteen we have a clear picture of manna, and in chapter seventeen, the record of the living water flowing out of the smitten rock. This sequence is not accidental; it is according to the Lord’s sovereignty. The same sequence is found in John 6 and 7. In John 6 we read of the heavenly manna, and in John 7, of the living water. This is a further indication that the sequence of the manna and the living water is according to God’s sovereign arrangement.

In His work of creation God prepared the rock spoken of in Exodus 17 and placed it in exactly the right spot geographically. When the children of Israel came to that place, the rock was waiting for them. In chapter seventeen we are not told that Moses was commanded to look for a rock or to bring a rock to the people. Rather, there is the clear indication that the rock was already there. Just as God had prepared the Red Sea to serve as a baptistry for the children of Israel, so He had prepared a rock, probably a very large one, to serve as a type of Christ in chapter seventeen.

After God created man, He placed him in a garden with the tree of life and a flowing river. The tree of life corresponds to manna, which satisfies man’s hunger, and the flowing river corresponds to the living water, which quenches man’s thirst. In Genesis 2 the tree of life is mentioned before the river. But in Revelation 22, the river of water of life is mentioned before the tree of life. According to Revelation 22:1 and 2, the tree of life grows in the river. Why does Genesis speak first of the tree of life and then of the river, whereas in Revelation 22 the order is reversed? In the beginning stage the tree of life is followed by the river, but in the ongoing stage the tree of life grows in the flowing river.

This is a picture of our spiritual experience. When we first heard the gospel, we received God’s word. To receive the word is to receive manna. After we received the word, the Spirit began to flow in us like a river. This was the sequence at the beginning of the experience of salvation. Now as we go on in spiritual experience, the Spirit as a flowing river brings us the supply of the word, the manna. At the beginning of our Christian experience we have first the word and then the Spirit, first the manna and then the living water. But as our experience of salvation continues, the order is changed, and the Spirit supplies us with the word. Psalm 36:8 says, “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” This verse refers to the initial stage of the experience of God’s salvation. Here the fatness of God’s house (the word) precedes the drinking of the river of God’s pleasures (the Spirit).

It is significant that the children of Israel had the experience of living water recorded in chapter seventeen after they had begun to eat manna. Immediately after they began to partake of manna, they were led to a place where there was no supply of water. Far from being accidental, this sequence of events took place according to God’s sovereign arrangement. This sequence is part of the accurate and complete picture of God’s full salvation presented in Exodus. As we have pointed out again and again, Exodus is a book of pictures portraying God’s salvation. As we consider these pictures, we need to worship God for His sovereignty. In His creation He made the necessary preparations. Then, at the proper time, He led His people into the place where the rock was waiting for them. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 40)

THE LAW BEING THE LIVING WORD OF GOD

In the light of this, I would ask you to consider Moses’ experience of spending forty days in communion with God on the mountain. When he came down from the mountain, he had something more than ten commandments inscribed on two tablets of stone. He was a man who had been thoroughly infused with God’s element. During those days of communion on the mountain Moses experienced a divine infusion, the infusion of God’s substance into his very being. However, this matter is not given its rightful place by Christians, who mainly say that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and that when Moses saw the children of Israel worshipping idols, he threw down the tables of stone in anger and broke them. The Bible indicates that Moses had received not only two tables of stone, but that the very element of God had been infused into him and caused his face to shine. Although Moses could cast down the two tablets and break them, he could not get rid of the transfusion he had received during his time of fellowship with God on the mountain.

In principle, this is also true in our experience with the Lord. Although we may not be able to keep the commandments, we cannot get rid of what is transfused into us when we hear God’s words in times of communion with Him.

In my ministry I have often told people that if we abide in the Lord according to John 15, we shall spontaneously live out the life of the vine tree. Certainly there is no need for the branches of a vine to strive to keep any commandments. They simply abide in the vine and live out the life of the vine. Although I have ministered along this line, I have wondered about John 14:21 and 23, two verses which seem very much like the commandments in Exodus 20. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me,” and verse 23 says, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” To a certain extent at least, these words of the Lord Jesus seem to be a repetition of the word in Exodus 20. The reason for this is that, as far as the basic principle of life is concerned, the Old Testament and the New Testament are the same. In ourselves, we are not able to keep the commandments of God in the Old Testament or of the Lord in the New. Regarding this matter, Paul said in Romans 7 that it is not possible for us to keep the law. In particular, Paul deals with the commandment concerning covetousness, a commandment which concerns not only our outward behavior, but also our inward condition. Although we in ourselves are not able to fulfill all the commandments, we can abide in the Lord and experience Him abiding in us that we may be infused with Him. Consider once again Moses’ experience on the mountain. Because he had received a marvelous transfusion from God, he could abide in God, and God could abide in him. As a result of such an infusion and mutual abiding, Moses could keep God’s commandments, not by his own efforts, but by the substance of God which had been infused into him.

At this point, I would like to call your attention to the title of this message: “The Law Being the Living Word of God Infusing His Substance into His Loving Seekers.” The law is not only a list of divine commandments; it is the living word of God which infuses God’s substance into those who lovingly seek Him. If we consider the Ten Commandments only as laws and then try to keep them, we are not proper in our approach to the law. We should not apply the Ten Commandments in this way. On the contrary, we should be those who love God and seek Him. In this matter, we should be like Paul in Philippians 3, one who was pursuing Christ out of love and even running after Him. Out of love for the Lord, we should pursue Him, contact Him, and abide in His presence, dwelling together with Him. If we do this, day by day we shall be infused with God. Then automatically we shall walk according to God’s law. We shall keep the requirements of the law, not by our own efforts, but with what has been infused into us of the Lord through our contact with Him. Once we have been thoroughly infused with God’s substance, He Himself from within us will keep His own law. We should remember that the law was given on the mountain of God, the place where God’s people could be infused with His substance. Thus, we should not regard the law simply as His commandments, but as the word of God and the testimony of God, which not only express Him, but also infuse His substance into those who seek Him in love. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 52)

THE TABERNACLE TYPIFYING THE ENLARGEMENT OF CHRIST

As we have pointed out, the book of Exodus may be divided into two main parts: the first part consists of chapters one through twenty-four, and the second part, chapters twenty-five through forty. The first twenty-four chapters are a record of preparation, and the last sixteen chapters are a record of the building of the tabernacle. The first nine verses of Exodus 25 are crucial. When we begin to read this chapter, we may not pay adequate attention to these verses. We may have little interest in the different materials mentioned. In 25:1-9 the emphasis is not on the furniture— the ark, the incense altar, the lampstand, the showbread table, the laver, and the altar—but on the tabernacle. In verse 8 the Lord says, “And they shall make for Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” The sanctuary here is the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place. This sanctuary typifies the church. According to the context, we can see that this sanctuary is not an individual person; rather, it is a corporate people, for God speaks of dwelling “in their midst.”

These verses are related to the vision of the tabernacle, not to the vision of the ark. To be sure, the ark typifies the individual Christ. The tabernacle, however, typifies both the individual Christ, the Head, and the corporate Christ, the Body. The New Testament reveals clearly that the individual Christ is the Head. But this Head must have a Body. The Body of Christ is the church. In Ephesians 1:22 and 23 Paul speaks of the church which is Christ’s Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. In Exodus we have not only the ark-Christ, but also the tabernacle-Christ, not only the individual Christ, but also the corporate Christ.

If we apply the type of the tabernacle only to Christ individually, everything about it may be objective and doctrinal. There will be very little place for spiritual experience. But if we realize that the vision in Exodus is not merely a vision of Christ as the ark but also of the tabernacle as the enlargement of Christ, the church, we shall realize the need for experience. To repeat, in Exodus we have not only the ark, but also the tabernacle. This means that we have not only Christ, but also the church. In 25:8 God did not say, “They shall make for Me an ark that I may be expressed.” He said, “They shall make for Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”

It is vital for us to see that the second section of the book of Exodus is concerned with the tabernacle as a type of the church as the enlargement of Christ. In order for Christ to be enlarged into the church, we need to have many spiritual experiences. For this reason, as we consider chapters twenty-five through forty of Exodus, our emphasis will be more on experience. This certainly does not mean that I reject the doctrinal aspect. The point here is that the emphasis is on Christian experience more than doctrine. My burden is to show that this portion of the Word is full of experiences.

Again and again, I wish to emphasize that in chapters twenty-five through forty of Exodus we have a vision of the tabernacle not merely as a type of Christ, but especially as a type of the church, Christ’s enlargement. In order for Christ to have the Body, the church, as His enlargement, we need to have much experience of Christ. If we do not experience Christ, there is no way for Him to be enlarged, to have the Body, or to have the tabernacle as the enlargement of the ark.

Both the ark and the standing boards of the tabernacle were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. This indicates that the tabernacle is the enlargement of the ark. In the same principle, the church is the enlargement of Christ. The process by which this enlargement comes into being requires the genuine experience of Christ. (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 81)