Why do we follow the pattern?  The way God set up the church as a spiritual rendition of the Old Temple should make it obvious.  If you change any one of those things, it loses its significance.  We would no longer fulfill the real meaning behind each carefully planned (from before the beginning) detail.  Is that really important?  God thought so.
            And see that you make them after their pattern, which has been shown you in the mount. Exod 25:40.  God made that statement to Moses immediately after giving him the detailed instructions for building the tabernacle and its furnishings.  The Hebrew writer sees its importance and repeats it in Heb 8:5:  They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”  In fact, this is so important that Stephen even included the reference in his sermon, the one that got him killed (Acts 7:44)!
            If it was important then, and every part of it has a parallel in the church today, why wouldn’t it still be important?  In fact, you find Paul saying several different times something akin to this:  That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 1Cor 4:17.  We are supposed to be doing the same things in every congregation of God’s people all over the globe.  Am I really going to tell God I don’t see the importance of following things He designed so carefully in such intricate detail?  The only reason I even have the opportunity to complain is because God was gracious enough to let me in here to start with.
            The Greek word for “pattern” is used 15 times in the New Testament.  Two of the words it is sometimes translated by are “example” and “ensample,” defined as “a model for imitation.”  Everything from “You have us as an example” to “Your baptism is a form (pattern) of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection” (Phil 3:17; 2 Thes 3:9; Rom 6:17).  The Bible is full of patterns!  To deny their importance is ignorance or obstinacy.  And if you have followed this all the way through, ignorance is now no excuse.
 
Show yourself in all respects to be a model (pattern) of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, Titus 2:7.
 
Dene Ward
 

These make more sense when you read them in order.  Scroll down for parts 1 and 2.
            So let’s take a closer look at the old Temple itself.  We have already seen the altar and the laver, both outside the Temple proper.  Now we move into the first room, the Holy Place.
            On one side wall stood the table of shewbread, one loaf for each tribe, Ex 25:23, 30.  Do we have anything to do with “bread” in the church?  That one is easy—the Lord’s Supper.  1 Cor 10: 16,17 tells us that because we are all members of the one body, we partake of the one bread.
            Across from the shewbread stood the lampstands.  Pay close attention to these verses:
            Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. Num 8:1-3
            What could lampstands have to do with the church?  Do you see anything in the church that matches it?  Yes, you do.
            Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Rev 1:12-13,20.
            The lampstands are the churches.  Do you realize what that means when Jesus threatens to take them away?  He is saying that if they do not repent they are no longer worthy to be called his churches.  Paul tells us that we are supposed to be shining “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” as “lights in the world.”  Our actions can glorify His name or debase it.  We won’t get to keep that “lampstand”—our identity as a church—if we are not careful how we behave. 
            At the back of the Holy Place stood another altar, the altar of incense.  Ex 30:1.  Where is the incense today?  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Rev 5:8
            How about music in the Temple worship?  Look through 2 Chronicles 29 and you will see that God authorized through Gad the Seer, not just singing, but also many kinds of specific instruments in the Temple.  When God wanted instrumental music He knew exactly how to command it.  Now look at all the other parallels we have seen.  Everything literal becomes spiritual:  bloody sacrifices become living sacrifices, incense becomes prayers.  What do all these musical instruments become in the first century church?  The ultimate spiritual instrument:  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, Eph 5:19.  A capella singing now makes the greatest sense.
            Then we come to the veil, the curtain that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it…And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.  Exod 26:31, 33.
            Here is one place where the pattern does not hold.  That veil no longer exists either literally or figuratively.  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Matt 27:50-51. 
           But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent  not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, Heb 9:11-12.  When the veil tore, Jesus went through it giving us access to God that those Old Testament people did not have.    Notice:  the pattern does not hold here because GOD changed it, not man.  The veil was torn “from top to bottom.”  That veil is no longer needed.
          And there is yet another parallel with a difference.  The high priest went into the Most Holy Place once a year “with blood not his own,” Heb 9:25.  Instead he carried animal blood, blood which was insufficient for lasting forgiveness.  Jesus entered that Holy Place—Heaven itself—“once for all” with “his own blood,” Heb 9:12.
          Every aspect of the old temple, every piece of furniture and every action that took place in it, has a parallel in the church.  Do you still think God doesn’t think patterns matter?  If you are still not convinced, meet with me one more time, tomorrow.
 
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Eph 3:8-12
 
Dene Ward
 

Please read these articles in order.  If you missed part 1, scroll down and begin there.
         Aside from patterns, people have a lot of trouble with prophetic language.  That’s why you hear about the thousand year kingdom.  They simply don’t do the work, looking through the scriptures for the obvious fulfillments—the patterns! 
            But you have come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. Heb 12:22-24.
            Could there be any plainer passage to prove that Mount Zion equals the heavenly Jerusalem equals the church?  “Zion” and “Mt Zion” is used over and over in the prophets, speaking of the restored kingdom, and in almost every instance includes an obvious reference to the Messiah in the context.
            So what was literal Mt Zion?  It was the Temple Mount, the place where Abraham offered Isaac, and later the same range on which God offered His Son as the lamb promised to Abraham on that dreadful day so long ago.  So now you have another equal sign:  Hebrews says Zion in the prophets equals the church, not a literal mountain, but a spiritual kingdom and spiritual Temple.
            Now start considering everything you know about the literal Temple in the Old Testament.  It was the place where God dwelt.  He had promised in the Law (e.g. Deut 12:5) that He would choose a place for His name to dwell.  When Solomon built the Temple, he offered a prayer asking God to dwell in that Temple.  God sent his presence in answer to that prayer, 1 Kings 9:3.  What about the church?
            So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Eph 2:19-22.  The church is now the Temple, the dwelling place of God.
            Who served in the literal Temple?  Priests offered sacrifices there, Ex 29:44,45.  Who serves in the figurative Temple, the church?  No, we don’t have a clergy of backwards collars.  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1Pet 2:9.  We are all priests in this Temple, and we offer sacrifices too.  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Rom 12:1.
            The priests in the Old Testament Temple had to wash themselves in the laver before serving, Ex 30:18-20.  We, too, must be washed before we can serve in God’s new Temple, Mt Zion.  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Heb 10:22.  Isn’t baptism the obvious reference?
            We have already answered a few questions, haven’t we?  Now we understand why we must keep the church pure, why we cannot tolerate sin among us.  We are the place where God dwells, and He will leave this place as surely as He left that literal Temple when His people no longer obeyed His instructions.  And we also know one reason for baptism—to cleanse us for service in His temple as priests.  We also know that we offer ourselves as sacrifices, not just on Sunday, but every day of our lives.  Just as those priests gave their lives to serving God, we give ours.  It is our vocation, not our hobby, not our own little social club, but a holy calling.
            And this is only the beginning.
 
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:1-3
 
Dene Ward

My mother made most of my clothes growing up, and also made things as difficult as sport coats and dress slacks for Daddy.  I did my best to follow in her footsteps, but am not nearly the seamstress she is.  I do, however, remember buying patterns and making maternity clothes for myself and baby clothes for the boys.  Lucky for them, they received a lot of gifts so I didn’t have to do that very long!  Then my sewing machine died and everyone got off easy instead of having to wear my crooked seams and gathered sleeves—which weren’t supposed to be gathered.  I guess I could blame it on my vision, but really, even if I could see better, I would still have crooked seams and gathered sleeves.
            However, one thing I remember well was that if I didn’t follow the pattern, nothing turned out right.  The seams didn’t match, the zippers didn’t fit in where they were supposed to, and forget about making the stripes and plaids meet—it was simply impossible. 
          A lot of people follow patterns—architects, electricians, plumbers, masons.  If they don’t follow the blueprints (patterns) their customers are very unhappy.  So what is the big deal about needing to follow a pattern in the church?  Why does every generation think it’s not only impossible but unnecessary?  Maybe because we haven’t told them why we follow the pattern, maybe because we don’t know why either.
            So we get questions like these:  Is it really necessary to follow the examples set in the New Testament?  How do we know which examples to follow?  A lot of people go haywire and forget common sense, throwing out ridiculous scenarios to try to circumvent the need to do what God has plainly shown us He wants to be done.
            So for the next few days we will examine a few things about patterns in the church, things I bet you never knew were there.  But they aren’t really that difficult to see if you have the mind to see them instead of one that wants to see what it wants instead.  Set aside your preconceived notions, and your ill-conceived ones too, and join me for the next three days.
 
Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 2Tim 1:13
 
Dene Ward

I thought we had gotten past this.  A few years ago I even saw an article or two on the subject, but I guess not everyone read them.  So just the other day I saw someone make a comment to a godly, single woman in her late 20s that it was up to her to change her marital status and it was the only way for her to actually reach full maturity and understand responsibility in her life.  I know that young woman fairly well and I know she is probably more mature than the person who made that unwise and considerably unhelpful comment, no matter how long she has been married nor how many children she has.   

In the first place, how is it “up to her” to get married?  That kind of thinking is the reason so many young Christian women “settle,” winding up in inappropriate marriages to ungodly men, sometimes even abusive men.  Young ladies—it is far more dangerous to your soul to marry the wrong man than it is to stay unmarried.  Period.

And as for maturity?  I have seen so much whining on Facebook from young mothers who suddenly find they have to sacrifice for their children—give up some sleep, give up some “me time,” even give up their daily Starbucks--that I would be careful about tossing that accusation around lest it be thrown back in my face with evidence that would shame me.

The only thing the scriptures require of you is to be an obedient and faithful servant of God and you can do that regardless of your marital status.  Paul, in fact, seemed to believe you might even be a better servant if you stayed unmarried.  1 Corinthians 7 gets skimmed over to the point that all anyone sees is his admonition to stay single “for this present distress.”  That is not all he says about staying single.  “To the unmarried and widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am,” (v8) comes several paragraphs before “the present distress” even enters the discussion.

Jesus also said that marriage was not a requirement to be his disciple.  For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.  Matt 19:12.  No, women are not “eunuchs,” but then Jesus is speaking figuratively in that last clause—some people choose not to marry for the kingdom’s sake, including women.

The scriptures show us several women who made that decision.  Anna did get married as a young woman—but she became a widow after only 7 years, which means she might have been as young as 21, according to the marriage customs of the day, and then she chose to remain single for the rest of her long life.  She used that time to serve at the Temple.

You need to understand one thing before we look at these other women.  Women in the Bible are often identified as “the wife of” someone, not because a woman has no identity without a husband, but for the sake of identification.  There were at least 7 Marys in the New Testament.  How are you going to tell them apart without last names?  So we have Mary the wife of Cleophas.  We have Mary the mother of Mark.  We have Mary Magdalene, meaning she was from the village of Magdala. 

And we have Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus.  Never is a husband mentioned.  In fact, Luke tells us that the house where they lived was “Martha’s house” (10:38).  Understand this:  Jewish women did not inherit their husbands’ estate—the sons did.  That means Martha was wealthy enough on her own to have her own home.  And she used her home to house her family and open it to the Lord and his disciples.  It must have been a large, well-appointed house.
And that brings me to the Mary who allowed the church to meet in her home when Peter and James were thrown into prison (Acts 12:12), probably another widow who chose not to remarry.  Then there is Nympha who allowed the church in Laodicea to meet in her home (Col 3:15).  And let’s not forget the obvious—Lydia, who immediately upon her conversion insisted that Paul and Silas stay in her home, another case where no husband is in the picture.  Understand this—all three of these women put themselves in danger of persecution when they did this, but their conviction and commitment to the Lord went all the way.  Where is the “immaturity and lack of responsibility” in that?

We tell church members that they are responsible for what they do, that they cannot blame it on “the decision of the elders.”  It is up to me to know what they are doing and speak up if I think they are doing something sinful.  We tell our young people that they must develop their own faith, that they cannot get into Heaven on their parents’ coattails.  Guess what?  Wives must have their own faith too.  So why would anyone think that a single woman, or man for that matter, cannot have his or her own faith?  Why would we think that having a spouse is necessary to please God?

I know plenty of young single people—and some not so young any more—who are living full and godly lives, spending time in the Word, serving the church and their community.  That is what God will judge them on. 

…Each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor, 1 Cor 3:8.
[God} who will render to every man according to his works, Rom 2:6.

…And the dead were judged…according to their works, Rev 20:12.

Did you see a spouse in there anywhere?  Neither did I.  It is up to you what you do with your life.  Not being married does not make you a second class citizen of the kingdom.

I have nothing against marriage.  I have been married for 47 years.  My husband has helped me become a better Christian.  But don’t let anyone push you into marriage.  Don’t “settle” for someone who won’t make you a better servant of the Lord.
 
But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and is divided. So also the woman that is unmarried and the virgin is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 1Cor 7:32-34
 
Dene Ward