BRAZEN BELIEVERS – Heaven Meets Earth – Part 4 (Foundation, Service and Harvest)

BRONZE BASES – FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS

Not only are all the pegs made of copper (bronze), but all the strategic foundational elements are also bronze. Anywhere a person can enter or exit the court or God’s dwelling place (the tabernacle), have bronze bases supporting it. A base is considered to be a separate architectural feature, which is the bottom of something. It is the structure’s support or foundation, like when you pour a concrete foundation for a new home. Some foundational truths for the body is that we “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise…” (Psalms 100:4). Worship of the Lord is essential to oneness and to entering into relationship with Him. We become what we behold. If we don’t worship God, we will end up worshiping something or someone else. We were created to worship Him.

Another foundational truth is that Jesus is the foundation for the church, the chief cornerstone (2 Corinthians 3:11; Isaiah 28:16). This said. Ephesians 2:20 also tells us that “God’s household is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.” When the leaders of the church are operating according to the will of God, people can easily flow into the presence of the Lord. A good friend shared this analogy with me: “Avenues are usually free of congestion and traffic accidents. When leaders do their own thing, it’s like a major intersection in Los Angeles when the traffic light goes out. Traffic moves, but very painfully. A traffic cop must come in to temporarily fill in for the errant light just as God can temporarily fix things. But don’t become complacent with the traffic cop. It is neither his duty nor his desire to fill in for that light permanently. Lights are meant to shine.”

BRONZE UTENSILS – SELF-SACRIFICIAL SERVICE

All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service were bronze (Exodus 27:19). I have to admit that I usually just tolerate useful tools. I delegate all handyman projects to my husband. He loves doing them and I love them being done. I know when he goes out of town on business I appreciate useful tools much more. I still prefer a man attached to that tool. I’m so un-mechanical it’s almost funny. I know I trivialize usefulness and I think most of Christ’s body does too. Life is less difficult with useful tools. They make necessary work easier. And most important of all those useful tools (mechanical types in the body) bless all of us. My husband’s main love language is service. He washes the cars, mows the lawn, cooks for company, etc, etc, etc. I do appreciate these things and feel very blessed.

Remember Jesus didn’t think himself too good to do useful tasks. Washing the disciple’s feet was not only an act of love, but menial labor. Those dirty, stinky feet needed to be cleaned. Biblical love is self-sacrificial service, not just a feeling (Heb 12:28).

BRONZE CLASPS – UNITY FOR HARVEST

Last but not least for copper in the tabernacle. There were fifty bronze clasps joining the goats’ hair tent together (Exodus 36:18). Scripturally, fifty is the number for jubilee, freedom or deliverance. These bronze clasps in the tabernacle point to unity within the church enabling the church to reach the world. The goats’ hair tent was the covering for the tabernacle, which touched the tabernacle itself. This is a picture of the harvesters and evangelists in the body who reach out to bring the people in. God gave me a word in relation to this:

The goats’ hair tent represents those individuals who touch the unsaved (the harvesters). Just as Sampson’s strength was in the keeping of his Nazarite vows in not cutting his hair so the strength of the harvester is in the joy of the Lord.

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seeds, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing in the sheaves with him” (Psalms 126:5-6).

I’ve researched Samson in relation to harvesters and received a wealth of knowledge, which is for another time. Suffice it to say that the saved are called sheep and the unsaved are referred to as goats. One day the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), but for now the Lord wills that not one shall perish (2 Peter 3:9). Those believers who ask for the lost as their inheritance (Psalms 2:8) and actually all believers, are called to go out into the harvest fields for they are white (John 4:35-42).

What are we harvesting? Souls to live eternally with Christ. Recently, I felt led to ask a friend of mine to join me in a Bible study. The only problem was that I cared too much about what she thought and was afraid to ask. I forgot that I had been praying for her for over two years! I was finally obedient and invited her. To be only told “I’d love to, but I hate to go to those things alone. Would you pick me up?” Would I! Wow. The fruit is so ripe it’s falling from the tree into our hands.

We need to boldly pray that the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into the fields and orchards (Matthew 9:37-38). And we still need to pray that our supervisors, the apostles, rise up and take their place. If we aren’t about our Father’s business, this fruit can be wasted. Either the birds of the air can eat the fruit or it can fall to the ground and rot.

I got so excited when I read Ed Silvoso’s book, That None Shall Perish. The prayer evangelism he describes is supported in the Exodus picture of the goats’ hair tent touching the Tabernacle, God’s house of prayer touching a lost world (the goats’ hair). When we touch a person’s hair, it implies a caring relationship. How do I care for my fellow man? By loving them by sacrificing my own agenda and comfort, and being connected to the Lord of Love. Each believer is called to show that we really love God by loving our neighbor. Both God and the world around us are looking for the Church’s substance our natural and supernatural substance. We all need to move into a new level of sincerity so: “Let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]” (Ephesians 4:15a AMPL).

Remember that part of the word for “bronze” in the burnished bronze feet of Jesus (Rev 1:15, 2:18) means frankincense. (See PART 1 – HEAVEN’S WILL http://wp.me/p2k1dQ-55) We ARE to be frank-incense. To be frank is to be free, forthright and sincere; and thus, our lives will be unmistakably evident to a lost and dying world. Incense is the very material that produces a pleasing odor when burned. Living our lives as a daily sacrifice is a pleasing prayer. We are to be the fragrance of the Lord, the smell of the Holy Spirit, which — in Christ — will cause life and passion to come forth.

Won’t you be a vessel where heaven touches earth?

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

~ Robin Main

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Written October 24, 1998 – Sapphire Throne Ministries – Robin Main. Copyrighted – If you are going to copy this, please copy it right by giving attributions to this source. Blessings!

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