The Levites who Offered Sacrifices in the Tabernacle and the TempleWhen reading through the book of Exodus, we can see Moses as an image of Jesus who was born through the body of a woman into this sinful world. Just as Jesus was brought up in this sinful world, Moses was brought up in the Egyptian royal palace as an Egyptian prince. Yet, Moses knew that he was a Hebrew. Likewise, even though Jesus was in the body of a man, the blood that flowed within Him was pure and His thoughts were God’s.Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren, and fled to the wilderness. When he was eighty years old he encountered God and returned to the land of Egypt in order to lead the Israelites out of it. Afterward, ten plagues came upon the land of Egypt. In the final plague, God killed all the firstborns in the land of Egypt. As we can see in Exodus chapter 11, the Israelites were completely separated from the Egyptians. The Church is referred to as the ‘ecclesia,’ which means ‘distinguished multitude.’ Just as, “The light was divided from the darkness,” “The waters above were divided from the waters below,” “The waters were gathered to one place and dry land appeared” (see Genesis 1:4-9), this work of separation is repeated. Likewise, those—Jews and Gentiles—who realize through the Word of God that their sins are forgiven and are born again become a part of a group that is separate from the rest of the world, referred to as the Church. The Jews who put blood on the lintel and doorposts and stayed inside the house were spared from the angel that struck the land of Egypt. Likewise, we discovered the blood of Jesus through the Bible and we believe that through His blood God has forgiven us who are sinners. There are many people in this world who try to lead a self-righteous life through religious deeds and efforts. Yet, we who believe in the Bible solely have faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and are protected by it. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word that is God testifies that the blood of Christ has forgiven our sins. When we discover this Word in our hearts it becomes our testimony, and it is through this Word that we come to praise God in our lives.In this manner, the Jews survived the Passover and crossed the Red Sea with Moses as their leader. They came to the Red Sea that was full of water but when Moses raised his staff, the water was divided and a tremendous number of Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Once the Israelites crossed the sea, however, the waters flowed again and engulfed the Egyptian Pharaoh and his armies who were in pursuit of the Israelites. Again, we can see here how God completely separated the Israelites from the Egyptians.After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai in the wilderness. In Genesis chapters 15, 16, and 17, we are introduced to a woman named Hagar who gave birth to the son of a bondservant. In Galatians chapter 4 it says, “which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children” (verses 24-25). And it is at this Mount Sinai that the following event took place. It was at Mount Sinai that Moses received the commandments from God and wrote down the law. The Israelites tried to keep this law, but they were so consumed by their own thoughts that they did not recognize Jesus Christ. After establishing a nation, the Israelites tried to keep the law that they had received at Mount Sinai in Jerusalem, but they failed.In reference to Abraham’s wife, Sarah, it says, “but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26). This is saying that there was righteousness from God that was apart from the law, that is, God’s righteousness. It is the eternal life of God shown to us through the cross of Jesus Christ. Thus, just as the tribe of Levi was separated in Exodus, we who are separated from the world by faith in Jesus Christ through the Bible came to have an incredible position.Moses who had come down from Mount Sinai saw the Israelites worshipping golden calf and broke the tablets of stone on which the laws were written. Let’s think of this in terms of its great historical significance. What is the meaning behind the stone tablets being broken? The stone tablets had been made by God and written on by Him. Before the stone tablets were broken, God gave instructions on how to build the tabernacle. Among these laws He referred to Aaron and his sons.When Moses, however, saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, he broke the stone tablets. Another event occurred in relation to this. When Moses commanded, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” (Exodus 32:26), the sons of Levi stood with him. Then they took out swords and killed their brethren. Moses then went back up Mount Sinai to receive another set of tablets of the Law. This second set of tablets was cut by Moses and then inscribed upon by God. The fact that God wrote on the tablets of stone made by a Levite reveals that Jesus Christ would come as a man and accomplish on this earth the will of God who is in heaven. The tabernacle, where the Israelites worshipped God, was established only after this second set of tablets of the covenant was inscribed.In Exodus chapter 28, we can see what kind of garments Aaron and his sons would wear. Also, through the Old Testament, we can search and find the prophecies concerning the Priest whom God would send into this world. After the second set of tablets of the Ten Commandments had been given, the Israelites built the tabernacle. There, the Levites served God. If you read Numbers chapters 1 to 4, you can see an image of the Levites who assisted the priests. The book of Leviticus shows how the Levites observed the Law of God and offered sacrifices. Just as the Levites were determined to serve in the tabernacle, their central figure being Aaron the high priest, the Bible shows that the Church, which spreads the gospel in the age of the Church, is established through its central figure Jesus Christ.In Numbers chapter 4, there is a detailed record of how the Levites and priests together moved the tabernacle. The tabernacle that journeyed for hundreds of years came to stand in the land of Israel as the great temple that was built by King Solomon in approximately 900 B.C. When the Israelites were wandering around in the wilderness, this tabernacle was repeatedly moved, built and arranged. It was covered with leather and seemed an insignificant based on its outer appearance. Yet, inside, it was covered in great amounts of gold and shone brilliantly. The tabernacle appears before us like an image of Jesus Christ who came in the form of man, but inside of Whom there was eternal life and pure blood flowed. The temple built by King Solomon was at least four times wider and three times taller than the tabernacle. Its outer appearance was also built very extravagantly. Yet, its interior was the same as that of the tabernacle. The temple reveals that Jesus came in the form of man, was rejected by His people, was crucified and was resurrected, and after all this He will come to this world again, in an extraordinarily glorious form. This is just like God giving Adam Seth, a son in his likeness, in place of Abel who had been stoned by Cain.Even the amazing temple built by Solomon in his time of glory was ultimately just a witness to reveal Jesus Christ. That temple was destroyed. All things made by human hands fall. The temple and tabernacle were merely prophetic evidence witnessing Jesus Christ who was to come into this world in the flesh and who would later appear in glory.