I love how Old Testament truths convey such deep meaning for New Testament saints. It really makes me marvel at the cohesiveness of Scripture. It truly is a miraculous book! One such case is found concerning the foundation of Moses' tabernacle. Have you ever considered this foundation?
Exodus 30 tells us that every man was asked to give a shekel as an atonement for his soul (vs. 15). What was this shekel for? Well, in Exodus 38, we see that these shekels had a divine purpose. These shekels were to be made into "sockets", in which the boards (walls) of the tabernacle were to stand upon. These sockets were the foundation which held the rest of the tabernacle in place. Do you realize the implications here? It's beautiful!
The foundation of the tabernacle was "atonement"! That which was given as "atonement money" was later used as the foundation for "the church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38)! This Old Testament "church" literally stood upon atonement. Just as the tabernacle had no standing or support of its own, but relied upon these atoning sockets, so does the church today have no true foundation apart from the atoning blood.
It has been said that this may have been the viewpoint Peter was speaking from when he said, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Pet 1:18-20).
Oh how much more secure is this "foundation of atonement" now in our New Covenant era! To deny this foundation is most unwise! To deny our Lord's atoning blood is to refuse the ONLY true foundation laid upon which true worship and acceptable service are built: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11). His is the ONLY sure foundation; a tried and precious cornerstone (Isa 28:16)!
How grateful we are today that no matter where we may find ourselves, this atoning-blood foundation always "standeth sure" (2 Tim 2:19)!
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