A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A Thousand

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The Description
• a. The Altar
• b. The Court
• II. The Significance

TRANSCRIPT

Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 27:1-19. So far, we have considered the construction of the Tabernacle and all the furniture that went into it. The Tabernacle was the place to worship God, to enter His presence, and to behold His glory. It was the place where the people would meet the God of heaven. Therefore, specific instructions were given on how the Tabernacle was to be built to communicate God's perfect holiness as well as His covenant love for His people.

As mentioned previously, the only way the people could come before the Almighty God was through the offering of an animal sacrifice, signifying their sins had been atoned for. Therefore, this is where the altar comes into the picture, and the altar was situated in the courtyard. This passage is about the altar and the court.

Some people find it very tedious to study the construction of the Tabernacle and all the furniture inside and outside with all the measurements. Rather than being bogged down by all the details, we want to understand the spiritual significance of these things and what they mean to us. The title of our message is ‘A Day in Thy Courts is Better Than a Thousand’. This title is taken from Psalm 84:10. Two things we want to learn from this message: the description and the significance.

I. The Description

a. The Altar

From verses 1 to 8, the Bible speaks about the altar for making sacrifices. The altar was the largest piece of furniture at the Tabernacle, measuring about 7 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 4 feet high. It was constructed in the shape of a square with horns at each of the four corners.

In the ancient world, the horn was a symbol of strength and power, and since the altar was used for offering sacrifices, it had to do with salvation. As the psalmist David said in Psalm 18:2, ‘The LORD is the horn of my salvation’.

Later on, people would hold onto the horns of the altar for safety or security when accused criminals were being pursued by their adversaries. Sometimes they would run to the altar and cling to the horns for protection. You can read about that in 1 Kings 1:50-51, as well as 1 King 2:28.

The altar was made of wood overlaid with brass or bronze, which was a combination of copper and tin. Why was bronze used? There were practical reasons for this—bronze was more durable and heat-resistant than most metals, so it was the right material for the altar. But most likely, there was also a spiritual meaning. Up to this point, notice that all the furnishings inside the Tabernacle were made of gold. However, the altar outside the Tabernacle was made of bronze.

The inside of the Tabernacle, especially the Holy of Holies, represented the place where God dwelt, so it was only fitting that His throne was surrounded with splendour. Therefore, the Ark, the table of showbread, and the lampstand were all golden. Even the fixtures inside the innermost part of the Tabernacle were made of gold. (Exodus 25:1-40, 37:1-28) Interestingly, everything inside the Tabernacle was made of gold, while the surrounding sockets that held up the poles for the tents were made of silver. (Exodus 26:19, 38:27) Then, in the courtyard outside the Tabernacle, where the altar was placed, everything was made of bronze.(Exodus 27:1-3, 38:30-31)

One theologian made this interesting observation, which I thought was very meaningful. He said the closer the people were to God, the more precious the metal, beginning with bronze, then silver, and finally gold—fit for the King of Kings. That is a wonderful way to look at the different precious metals being used in the Tabernacle.

The altar was outside in the courtyard. It was made of bronze, as were the utensils. There were pans and shovels for removing the ashes from the altar. There were basins for collecting and sprinkling the blood of the animals, long forks for turning the meat over the flame, which the people and the priests were allowed to eat, and fire pans for collecting live coals when the Tabernacle had to be transported from place to place. All of these were made of bronze.

Around the halfway mark of the altar, there was a net covering, also made of bronze. Some theologians believed this was intended to allow air to flow from underneath as the sacrifice was burned over the flames above. It also allowed the fat of the animal to drip down. Just like everything else in the Tabernacle, the altar was designed to be portable, so it came with carrying poles made of wood and overlaid with bronze. The altar itself was hollow, meaning the four sides were solid, but there was nothing inside except the net covering.

b. The Court

Then from the altar, God moved on to speak about the court where the altar would be placed, from verses 9 to 19. The Tabernacle itself was surrounded by a fence, which marked its boundaries. It measured about 75 feet by 150 feet—a total area of more than 10,000 square feet. By way of comparison, it would be the size of four tennis courts. The Tabernacle itself took up about 1,000 square feet; the remaining 9,000 square feet was the courtyard. There were 60 pillars resting on 60 sockets, joined by white linen curtains. The fence was about 8 feet tall, meaning that, from the outside, the children of Israel could see the top of the Tabernacle and the smoke rising up from the altar, but they could not see the things happening inside the Tabernacle.

There was an entrance for the court, made of the same material as the inside of the Tabernacle—white linen with blue, purple, and scarlet. Some scholars have tried to determine the meaning of the four colours: white, blue, purple, and scarlet. Some say they signify the four gospels; others say they represent the saving work of Jesus Christ. Blue represents His heavenly origin, purple His kingship, scarlet His sacrificial death, and white His sinless perfection. But the Bible does not say what those colours were supposed to symbolise, so all these suggestions are mere speculations.

The same principle applies to the large entrance, which was about 30 feet wide. Again, some people say that the wide entrance was a symbol of God's mercy—that He welcomed the people to come into His grace. However, when considering the number of people entering the courtyard and the number of animals they brought, the width of the entrance was more of a practical necessity than a lesson in theology.

If you consider the Tabernacle and the court, you will notice there were three main sections: the court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Remember, there was a similar situation back at Mount Sinai. Only Moses was allowed to go up the mountain and meet with God; he was the mediator, the man who represented God before the people and the people before God. The elders could approach God and even commune with Him, but they could only go halfway up. Then, at the bottom of the mountain, were the rest of the people, who were not allowed to go up at all; they had to stay at a distance. (Exodus 19:12-13, 20-24; Exodus 24:1-2, 9-11)

The Tabernacle was constructed in a similar way. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place. He was the mediator, the man who represented God before the people and the people before God. (Hebrews 9:7, Leviticus 16:2, 34) The rest of the priests were allowed to go halfway—they could enter the Holy Place but not the Most Holy Place. (Exodus 28:43) The rest of the people were kept outside; they could enter the courtyard but not the Tabernacle itself. (Leviticus 17:3-5) Perhaps one more group of people should be mentioned—the Gentiles, who were not allowed to enter at all. Later on, in Leviticus 22:18-19, they could enter if they had come to faith in the God of Israel and received the sign of circumcision.

When King Solomon replaced the Tabernacle with the temple in Jerusalem, there were two courtyards: an outer courtyard and an inner courtyard. The temple during King Herod's time had four courts. Only the priests were allowed to enter the innermost court. Outside was the court of the men of Israel, followed by the court for the women of Israel. Finally, the outermost court was for the Gentiles. God never mentioned anything about keeping the women out; the division between the Tabernacle and the court was intended to teach the children of Israel that they were separated from the holy presence of God because of their sins.

That was one of the reasons Jesus came and died. He did His saving work by His death and resurrection. Our Lord Jesus tore the dividing veil that kept sinners from entering the Most Holy Place; Jesus opened the way to God. But Jesus did not only tear down the dividing veil between God and man—He also tore down the dividing wall that separated Jews and Gentiles. This is why Galatians 3:28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Dear friend, contrary to what the world thinks of Christianity—that it is a ‘white man's religion’—any sinner, regardless of race, nationality, culture, or gender, whether male or female, can come by faith through Jesus Christ to God Himself. Do you realise that today, Southeast Asia has the fastest-growing number of Christians in the world, with China having the highest numbers—about 44 million Christians? Praise be to God that He has also brought you and me to salvation through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

II. The Significance

So much for the description of the altar and the court. Let us move on to consider the significance and what it means to us. In those days, when the children of Israel went to the Tabernacle, the first step was to walk through the entrance into the courtyard. It was a busy place, full of people, priests, and animals, and immediately they were confronted with the biggest piece of furniture at the Tabernacle—the brazen altar. They knew that they could not come before a holy God because of their sins, and that was the purpose of the altar: for them to offer sacrifices.

What lessons can we learn from here? Today, there are people who try to come to God through other ways. They try to come to God by their own obedience, by making themselves good enough for God, or through some charitable works they have done. Some want God to accept them as they are, without having to repent of their sins. When everything else fails, they assume there is a back door to heaven. ‘Well, God is loving; He is gracious and merciful. Surely He will accept me.’ No, He won't. There is no other way. Sinners cannot come before a holy and just God except through a sacrifice. If they trust in Jesus, then the sacrifice has been made for their sins, and they can come into God's presence by virtue of Christ's death and the shedding of His precious blood. There is no other way—only through the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour.

There was only one altar for the entire nation of Israel, and it was constantly being used. There were four main types of sacrifices according to the book of Leviticus:

• There was the burnt offering, which was a general sacrifice for sin and represented complete surrender and total consecration to God.
• There was the grain offering, which was about the harvest; part of the harvest was dedicated to God with thanksgiving for all the blessings He had showered upon their lives.
• There was the fellowship offering, where part of the animal was sacrificed to God, and the rest was eaten by the worshippers, signifying their reconciliation with God.
• Then there was the sin offering and guilt offering, where the sin of an individual or the sin of the entire nation was atoned for.

So there were different sacrifices being offered.

The book of Exodus was written about 1,400 years before Jesus Christ, and the Temple was destroyed in AD 70, whereby the sacrificial system stopped because there was no more Temple to make sacrifices. So for the next 1,000 years, can you imagine the number of animals being sacrificed? Thousands and thousands of bulls, goats, lambs, and pigeons were offered, but it was still not enough. The people were always committing more sins, and there were always more sacrifices to make.

That is why Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." All the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the one ultimate sacrifice that would take place when Jesus Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin forever. Jesus did not make His sacrifice on the brazen altar in the Tabernacle; He did it by dying and shedding His precious blood on the cross of Calvary.

Maybe you can turn with me to Hebrews 9:24-26. Allow me to read for you: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Today, when you and I approach God, we come by way of the Cross. Jesus is the only altar and sacrifice we need. As we used to sing, ‘Jesus Paid It All’. When we have our sins forgiven (through Christ), there's no need to offer any more sacrifices. However, there is one sacrifice we still need to make, and that is to offer ourselves to God. As Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." In a sense, God does not command us to bring a sacrifice, but He wants us to become that sacrifice. He wants us to consecrate ourselves to Him.

The problem with many people is that they do not want to give themselves to God. They will give things to God. By that, I mean they will give money to God, even though they may not be as generous as they seem to be. They may be willing to give a certain amount of their time; they may be willing to be engaged in spiritual services or to volunteer for church work. But they will not give themselves. Yet without ourselves, all these other gifts mean nothing to the Almighty God.

God does not want your money, your time, or your resources without yourself. You are the one for whom Jesus died; you are the one He loves. So when the Bible speaks of the living sacrifice, the reasonable service, it means you—the one God wants. It is so sad that people try to substitute things for themselves. What God wants is for us to totally surrender and completely consecrate ourselves to Him, and that is a most reasonable service.

Perhaps one more lesson we can learn from this passage is that the children of Israel loved to go into the courtyard of the Tabernacle. How do we know? There were numerous times when they sang with great joy as they entered into the courtyard and offered their sacrifices. Allow me to quote just one example from Psalm 84. Maybe you can turn with me as we conclude. Psalm 84:2 says, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." Then look down to verse 10, "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

So each time when the children of Israel came into the courtyard and offered their sacrifices—whether it be the burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering, the sin offering, or the guilt offering—they came with great joy. They knew in their hearts that it was better to be with God in the courtyard, even just standing in the doorway, than to be out there in the world.

Dear friend, is this the attitude of our hearts every time we come to church? Though we no longer bring those offerings like the children of Israel, those spiritual elements are still represented in our worship each time we come. Is it not true?

• In the Holy Communion, we are reminded of how we are reconciled to God through the blood and death of Jesus Christ.
• In our prayer, we commune with God and ask Him to forgive us of our sins.
• In our tithes and offerings, we give thanks to God for His bountiful blessings that He has showered upon our lives.
• In our services, we consecrate ourselves to serve the one living and true God.

There are many things in life that will fight for our attention and take our eyes away from the worship of God. It could be extra money that you can earn if you work on Sundays. It could be entertainment or the pleasures of life. It could be friends coming from overseas, and you want to attend to them. Or even non-tangible things like bitterness, anger, unhappiness, laziness, or inconveniences. The question is: Will anything be able to keep us from worshipping God, or will we be able to say, ‘No, nothing. It is better for me to be in the church, in the house of God, even if it is only for one day; it is better than a thousand days away from God. Even if it is only standing in the doorway, or being the doorkeeper of the church, we would rather be here than elsewhere in the world.’ Will you be able to say that? “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.” (Psalm 84:10) Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we give Thee thanks for how, as we consider this portion of Scripture, we learn of all the specific instructions given in the construction of the altar, which was placed in the courtyard where the people entered to make sacrifices. We learn spiritual lessons that we may apply to our lives today. We, who have been forgiven of our sins by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, though we no longer need to bring sacrifices unto Thee, there is still one sacrifice we need to make, and that is to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Thee, as Thou hast commanded us in Thy word.

We want to totally consecrate and surrender ourselves unto Thee. We want to serve Thee with all our hearts, minds, and strength. And even as we come for worship, may our hearts rejoice just as the people of old, as they entered into the courtyard, sang with great joy. For it is better to be in Thy courts than a thousand days. O Lord, we want to have this attitude as we come for worship.

So as we come for worship, we consider all the spiritual elements of our worship. As we are reminded in our Holy Communion, we are reconciled to Thee through the death and blood of Jesus Christ. In our prayers, we commune with Thee and give Thee thanks, and also ask of Thee to forgive us. In our tithes and offerings, we come with thanksgiving. Indeed, Thou hast blessed us so abundantly—how can we not give thanks? And in our services, we are reminded that we ought to consecrate ourselves as we serve the one living and true God.

O Lord, may Thou continue to teach us and remind us, and may the Spirit of God work in our hearts in such a way that all of us will have this attitude of the psalmist: ‘For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.’ In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

Exodus 1:1-7

From Prosperity to Persecution

From Prosperity to Persecution

Exodus 1:8-14

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

Exodus 1:15-21

The Faith of Jochebed

The Faith of Jochebed

Exodus 1:22-2:10

Moses in Egypt

Moses in Egypt

Exodus 2:11-15

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Exodus 2:16-25

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-9

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Exodus 3:10-15

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Exodus 3:10-15

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

Exodus 3:16-22

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

Exodus 4:1-9

Send Someone Else

Send Someone Else

Exodus 4:10-17

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-20

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

Exodus 5:10-21

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

Exodus 5:22-6:5

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Exodus 6:6-12

Faithful or Unfaithful

Faithful or Unfaithful

Exodus 6:13-27

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

Exodus 6:28-7:7

The First Plague - The River of Blood

The First Plague - The River of Blood

Exodus 7:14-25

The Second Plague - The Frogs

The Second Plague - The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

The Third Plague

The Third Plague

Exodus 8:16-19

The Fourth Plague

The Fourth Plague

Exodus 8:20-32

The Fifth Plague

The Fifth Plague

Exodus 9:1-7

The Sixth Plague

The Sixth Plague

Exodus 9:8-12

The Seventh Plague

The Seventh Plague

Exodus 9:13-35

The Eighth Plague

The Eighth Plague

Exodus 10:1-20

The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

Exodus 11:1-10

The First Passover

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-13

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-28

Departure From Egypt

Departure From Egypt

Exodus 12:29-42

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This Do In Remembrance of Me

Exodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

Redemption and Consecration

Redemption and Consecration

Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Exodus 13:17-22

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Exodus 14:1-14

Crossing the Red Sea

Crossing the Red Sea

Exodus 14:15-31

The Song of Praise

The Song of Praise

Exodus 15:1-21

Will You Obey Or Not?

Will You Obey Or Not?

Exodus 15:22-27

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

Exodus 16:1-3

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

Exodus 16:1-10

The Test of Faith

The Test of Faith

Exodus 16:11-20

Lessons About the Sabbath

Lessons About the Sabbath

Exodus 16:21-36

Do Not Test God

Do Not Test God

Exodus 17:1-17

Lift Up Your Hands

Lift Up Your Hands

Exodus 17:8-16

The Blessedness of Reunion

The Blessedness of Reunion

Exodus 18:1-12

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Exodus 18:13-27

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

Exodus 19:1-6

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Exodus 19:7-15

God Reached Out And Spoke

God Reached Out And Spoke

Exodus 19:16-25

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-3

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Exodus 20:4-6

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Exodus 20:7

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Exodus 20:8-11

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Honour Thy Father And Thy Mother

Exodus 20:12

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Exodus 20:13

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Exodus 20:14

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Exodus 20:15

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Thou Shalt Not Lie

Exodus 20:16

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Exodus 20:17

The Response To The Ten Commandments

The Response To The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:18-21

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

How God Wants Us To Worship Him

Exodus 20:22-26

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Why Would God Allow Slavery?

Exodus 21:1-11

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a life

Exodus 21:12-17

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eye

Exodus 21:18-36

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

The Punishment Deters The Crime — property laws

Exodus 22:1-15

The Character Of God

The Character Of God

Exodus 22:16-20

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Reaching Out To The Down-And-Out

Exodus 22:21-24

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of God

Exodus 22:25-31

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But Truth

Exodus 23:1-9

Remember Who God Is

Remember Who God Is

Exodus 23:10-19

What Must We Do To Have Victory

What Must We Do To Have Victory

Exodus 23:20-33

How We Ought To Worship God

How We Ought To Worship God

Exodus 24:1-4, 7

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?

Exodus 24:4-8

Responding To God’s Invitation

Responding To God’s Invitation

Exodus 24:9-18

The Right Attitude Of Giving

The Right Attitude Of Giving

Exodus 25:1-8

There I Will Meet You

There I Will Meet You

Exodus 25:9-22

Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?

Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?

Exodus 25:23-30

Let Your Light So Shine Before Men

Let Your Light So Shine Before Men

Exodus 25:31-40

The Veil That Separates

The Veil That Separates

Exodus 26:1-37

A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A Thousand

A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A Thousand

Exodus 27:1-19

Who Can Represent Us Before God?

Who Can Represent Us Before God?

Exodus 27:20-28:14

How Can We Know God’s Will?

How Can We Know God’s Will?

Exodus 28:15-30

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

Exodus 33:12-23