Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

Louie Giglio, a Christian speaker and author, has written a book called “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” which is where the title of today’s message comes from. He says this in the first chapter: “The enemy wants to crush you. He wants to steal from you everything you value. He wants to kill everything in your life that’s good. He wants to destroy you. If he can claim victory over your mind, he can claim the victory over your life. But you don’t have to let him get a foothold. For you have been invited to an intimate relationship with the almighty. Your Good Shepherd has set a table before you... and the enemy has not been invited to join.” ​​ 

For about the last five months, I have been using the metaphor of a table to speak about our relationship with the Lord. We permanently give the Lord a seat at our table when we are obedient to his commands, trust in his plan for our lives, do what is right instead of what is popular or going along with the crowd, being thankful for what he has done for us, and use our gifts, talents and abilities for his glory. Along with those, our relationship should be grounded in God’s Word, in prayer, striving to be holy as he is holy, becoming more like Jesus daily.

This morning, we are going to look at a tragic event in the history of the Israelites. Moses has been on the mountain with the Lord for forty days and forty nights. God has given Moses the blueprints for the tabernacle and the Ten Commandments. Moses is about to come down from the mountain, start the building project and usher the people into a glorious relationship with the Lord where they will worship Him as His chosen people and with Him as their God. This is truly a mountaintop experience for Moses, but it is about to come to a screeching halt because all is not well at the foot of the mountain.

The Israelites are not being obedient to God’s commands, they are not trusting in His plan for their lives, they are doing what is popular and going along with the crowd instead of doing what is right, they are not thankful for what God has done for them, and they are not using their gifts, talents and abilities for his glory. This causes their worship of the Lord to be contaminated, their gifts to be corrupted, and their morality to be compromised. ​​ In a nutshell, the one true God who desires to be in relationship with them has been removed from their table, and they have given Satan, the enemy, a seat at their table. They needed to learn that they couldn’t serve God and Satan at the same time; it had to be one or the other. The same is true for us today. The Bible says you can’t serve two masters, and so we must also decide who will have the seat at our table, the Lord or Satan. Praise the Lord that we serve and worship a God, who desires to be in relationship with us. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires a permanent seat at our table.

Let’s pray: Lord, we thank you for the opportunity and privilege to be in your house this morning. We thank you for your desire to reveal your heart to us. Help us to be willing to bring our hearts and minds in alignment with yours. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us as we learn from your Word today. Open up our hearts and minds to what you want us to learn and share with those we meet this week. Amen.

There is one point this morning, Idolatry, found in Exodus 32:1-6. This is what God’s Word says, “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So, the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, warning us about Israel’s history, says that this event should be an example to us to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things and to not think we are standing firm but to be careful so that we do not fall. We fall when we sin, and instead of repenting, we compound our sin with more and more sin. In our scripture, this morning, we are going to notice that the Israelites succumb to several sins. By continuing to give into temptation, they gave the enemy a seat at their table. All these sins are still relevant for us today and we must fight the temptation to succumb to them, as well.

First, we give the enemy a seat at our table when we disobey God’s revealed will that comes from His Word and His Holy Spirit. The people realize that Moses has been gone “so long” and has not come down from the mountain. “So long” literally means “caused shame.” They felt that Moses had shamed them by not coming back in a timely manner. They believed that Moses and God should be on their timetable, and they are ready to get this show on the road. Moses’ absence has exposed the hearts of the people as they are impatient, disappointed, and frustrated that their expectations aren’t being met.

Moses has been gone for forty days and forty nights. The number forty in the Bible often symbolizes a time of testing or judgment. We remember the forty days of rain during the Great Flood, the forty years that the disobedient Israelites wandered in the wilderness and the forty days that Jesus was tempted by Satan. It is possible that these last forty days and nights have been a specific time of testing from the Lord not only for the people but for Aaron as well, as we will see later.

The people’s disappointment, frustration and impatience have caused them, first, to sin in their hearts and, second, to commit sin. Sin always starts in our hearts and if it is not checked we will succumb to it as well. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for it is the wellspring of life.” ​​ So, with this going on in their hearts they “gathered” around or literally “against” Aaron. They come as a hostile crowd making demands of him possibly seeing him as an obstacle to what they wanted to do. They demanded Aaron to “come.” “Come” means “get up” or “arise” and it was said violently to get him to do what they wanted. They may have thought that Aaron would be reluctant to their course of action and needed to motivate him by prodding him to act. Next, we see how the sin in their hearts manifested. They demanded that Aaron “make them gods who will go before them.” This was blatant disobedience to the will of God for His people. Ephrem the Syrian, wisely commented that the absence of Moses simply gave the Israelites the opportunity to “worship openly what they had been worshiping in their hearts.” Think about this: the people didn’t have an idol before this, they simply conjured one up out of the wickedness of their own hearts.

They had been freed from slavery in Egypt by the Lord but once again it was proving to be more difficult to get Egypt out of the Israelites than it was to get the Israelites out of Egypt. Remember, at the first sign of trouble in the wilderness, a food shortage, they wanted to run back to Pharaoh where they said, in Exodus 16:3, “we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Now they wanted to appropriate Pharaoh’s religion of idolatry. They wanted tangible gods that could be seen and touched. Again, we are no different today. We see the same pattern of sin in our own lives as we are always ready to go back to the Egypt of our sin and dabble in it for a little while.

There is some scholarly debate about which commandment or how many different ones they were violating. They were violating the second commandment to make no graven images of the Lord “in the form of anything in the heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” Some think that they also violated the first commandment to have no other gods before the Lord. The word “gods” is Elohim and can be either singular or plural. When we look at the NASB, which is the closest translation to the original, we see “make us a god who will go before us.” Then some also believe that they violated the third commandment to not misuse the name of the Lord their God when Aaron later calls the golden calf “Lord.” But it doesn’t matter which commandment or how many they violated; one was enough.

The people wanted a god “who will go before them.” “To go before” is used of God’s Presence in the pillar of cloud and fire that has led them since they left Egypt. Moses is not there, God is not there, and they are worried and anxious about who is going to lead them to the Promised Land. All they had to do was look up at the top of the mountain and see the fire which meant God’s presence was still with them. They had seen the fire descend on top of the mountain before and had seen Moses go up to it and come down from it many times. There was no reason to think that Moses or God had abandoned them. But that is how Satan works. He whispers half-truth and lies that make us question God’s presence, provision and protection, which causes us to be disobedient to the Lord.

The other way the Israelites disobeyed the Lord was by blatantly breaking the vows they made to Him. No less than three times had the Israelites promised to obey the Lord. In Exodus 24:3, they said, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” And then in Exodus 24:7-8, they made their vow with blood. “Then he (Moses) took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

The second way we give the enemy a seat at our table is by distrusting the Lord’s plans and promises. The Israelites didn’t trust the Lord enough to wait on Him to reveal His will to them. And they set off to work things out on their own and in their own way. How does distrust happen? It happens when we forget what God has done for us. It causes us to turn back to our wicked ways and our comfortable lives that we had before. The Israelites had spiritual amnesia. Psalm 106:21-22 says, “They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.” They witnessed the plagues with which the one true and living God defeated the Egyptian gods. They walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. They had seen the glory of God in the pillar and when He descended on Mt. Sinai. And they had seen His miraculous provision and protection and yet they did not trust Him.

Of course, again, we did the same thing today. We distrust the Lord when something doesn’t go our way, or our prayers don’t get answered the way we want them to. We also distrust when we don’t believe God is moving fast enough for us in one area or another or we forget what He has done for us in the past and His promises for our future. When these things happen to us, we can distrust the Lord’s love, care and concern for us and the next thing we know we have given the enemy a seat at our table. That brings us to our first next step which is to Trust in the goodness of God, wait on His timing and continually praise the Lord for what He has done for me. When we consistently do these things, we give the Lord a permanent seat at our table (Big Idea).

They also showed their distrust for Moses, God’s mediator, when they said they did not know what had become of “this Moses” who brought them up from the land of Egypt. In their minds he was delayed causing them to think the worst: Moses has abandoned us, or he’s been killed in the fire on the mountain. They used three tactics in confronting Aaron with their demands. First, they used evasive language and half-truths. Again, all they had to do was look to the top of the mountain and see the fire to find out where Moses was. Second, they disparaged and disrespected Moses who had already gone to bat for them with God numerous times. Third, they downplayed the Lord’s role in their salvation from slavery in Egypt and his presence, provision and protection so far in the wilderness. In fact, they ignored the Lord altogether not even mentioning his name. It is easy for Satan to undermine the truth when we keep God out of the picture.

Third, we give the enemy a seat at our table when we do what is popular or go along with the crowd instead of doing what is right. We see this as Aaron gives in when he is confronted by the angry mob. The language seems to indicate that they had been hounding Aaron until he gave in. His words “take off” or better translated “tear off” seem to be as violent as the people’s demand to “come, make us a god.” He demanded that they bring him the gold earrings that were in the ears of their wives, sons and daughters. He may have demanded these items because they were readily available. He may have also thought they would refuse to “tear off” their earrings, so he wouldn’t have to give in to their demands. This may be true, but Aaron should have said “NO” and called on Hur, who Moses left in co-charge with him, and the seventy elders to stand up against the people’s demands.

But he didn’t stand up to them and he found out that he was wrong. ​​ It says, “all the people”, meaning the majority, tore off their earrings and gave them to Aaron. Again, the wording seems to indicate they “tore” the earrings from their ears showing their commitment to their idolatry and willingness to pay the cost of having a “god” made to lead them. Also, there were probably some Israelites who were just going along with the crowd here as well. Again, today, we are guilty of following the crowd. We let others pressure us to do what is wrong and we do what is popular in our culture instead of what is right. We must take a stand and do what is right in the Lord’s eyes not men.

Fourth, we give the enemy a seat at our table when we distort our worship of the Lord. The first thing they did to distort their worship was to corrupt their God-given gifts, talents and abilities. The people corrupted their God-given “plunder” that they had received from the Egyptians as they left Egypt. God had provided gold and other resources for His people to make the tabernacle, His house, where he would meet with them and they would worship Him. Aaron used that same gold to make an idol in the likeness of a “molten” or golden calf as we have come to call it. Aaron also corrupted his God-given talents and abilities by fashioning or etching the idol to resemble a “bull” using a “graving tool” which would have been used by an engraver. This would have taken skill on his part and instead of using that skill for the glory of God he used it for his own glory and the glory of Satan.

Even if Aaron was not making an idol this was not the role that God had for him. He was called to be the High Priest of Israel and help the people to worship the Lord in the proper way. The Lord had chosen Bezalel to construct the tabernacle and all its parts. In Exodus 31, God told Moses he had “filled him (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.” This shows how easy it is for our God-given gifts, talents and abilities to be distorted by sin. This is a warning for us today to not abuse the many kinds of gifts God has given to us.

There seem to be two different thoughts about how the molten calf was made. The reason for the different thoughts is because the wording in the Hebrew is not clear. The first thought is that it was a solid gold idol that was cast in the shape of a calf. The second thought is that the shape of the calf was made from a wooden frame overlaid with gold. This second thought coincides with how God commanded Moses to make the ark, the table of shewbread, and the frames for the tabernacle. They were to be made with acacia wood and overlaid with gold. This does make sense as later, Moses, in Exodus 32:20, “burned the golden calf with fire and ground it to powder,” but we are just not sure.

The second thing they did to distort their worship was to contaminate their worship of God. Why did Aaron fashion a calf? It was probably an image of a full-grown bull that would have been worshipped not only in Egypt, where they worshipped live bulls, but also in Canaan. An idol of a bull was associated with the strength and power of the deity. To use any image as a symbol for God is idolatry but to use a bull would have been considered blasphemy and as Moses calls it, “a great sin.” After Aaron had fashioned the molten calf or bull, “they said, this is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” “They said” is representative of a response from the people. The people contaminated their worship of the Lord by attributing what God had done for them to this dead idol. They also used the same words as the Lord when He introduced the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:2: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” The covenant was ratified between the Lord and the people because He had brought them out of slavery in Egypt. Now they were saying that it wasn’t the one true God who had saved them but this graven image.

Aaron also contaminated his worship of the Lord as he did two things. First, when he saw what they were saying, he built an altar before the golden calf. This was not a casual event. He wasn’t content in just substituting this idol for Yahweh, he chose to build an altar to it, even when he didn’t have to. Aaron may have built the altar in the way that God had mandated, with earth and undressed stones. And he seems to try to cover up the wickedness and cover his bases for later under the umbrella of proper worship.

Notice where Aaron builds this altar. It was directly in front of the god he had fashioned. This was an element of pagan worship done so the god could see the offerings made to it and the people would know that their sacrifices had been accepted. Do you remember where God’s altar was to be placed in respect to His throne? The altar was outside the tabernacle and God’s throne was in the Holy of Holies behind the veil. There was no direct line of sight. The Israelites had to be obedient to perform the sacrifices the Lord demanded and to have faith that He would see and accept them. But they wanted a tangible god that they could see and manipulate for their own purposes.

The second thing Aaron did was make a proclamation that “tomorrow, shall be a feast to the Lord.” Aaron set up an idol and then dignified and sanctified it by saying they were worshipping the Lord. The reason Moses gave Pharoah to let them go was so they could hold a festival to the Lord. Maybe Aaron wanted to associate this feast with that event, again, so he could say he was doing what the Lord ultimately wanted. The appropriate feasts and festivals would be originated by the Lord such as the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Aaron seems to be doing all he could to make this idolatrous worship close to looking like proper worship of the Lord.

By saying they were worshipping the Lord with this idol, they were creating another religion, opening the door to abandon the true worship of God. The worship of the golden calf was open apostasy, it was idolatrous, immoral, and insulting to God. Sproul comments: “The cow gave no law and demanded no obedience. It had no wrath or justice or holiness to be feared. It was deaf, dumb, and impotent. But at least it could not intrude on their fun and call them to judgment. This was a religion designed by men, practiced by men, and ultimately useless for men.” We give the enemy a seat at our table when we distort our worship of the one true God. We can do this today when we use God’s name to push our own agenda, when we say all religions lead to Heaven and when we endorse syncretism, meaning we combine many religions into one and worship it.

The third thing they did to distort their worship of God was to compromise their morals. The next day they “rose early” meaning they were eager to engage in worshipping the golden calf. This is contrasted with Moses getting up early to seal the covenant in Exodus 24:4, which says, “He (Moses) got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.” Next, they offered burnt and fellowship offerings and sat down to eat and drink. Again, this sounds a lot like how God had instructed Moses in the worship of the Lord but notice they did not include sin offerings. It may have looked like “proper” worship on the outside buy inwardly it was contrary to the will of God and attaching His name to it didn’t change that.

What they did next is not totally clear again because of the translation of the Hebrew word. The NIV says they “indulged in revelry.” The King James and the NASB say, “rose up to play” and the Amplified Bible says, “got up to play (shamefully – without moral restraint). The Hebrew word for “revelry” can have sexual overtones or can just mean “having innocent fun.” This could have been a drunken orgy or singing and dancing with abandon as David did before the Lord. But no matter what they were doing as they worshipped before the golden calf it was still idolatry, they were still distorting their worship of the one true God.

We must be careful not to fall into the same trap. In our church culture today, we hear of churches not even preaching the Word of God. They are saying that God is love and there is no Hell, and everyone will end up in heaven sooner or later. Some are preaching “feel good” messages never mentioning the word sin or the need to be saved from their sin. They may even disregard what the Bible calls sin, so they don’t upset anyone. Some churches may even focus on themselves getting the glory instead of God. People don’t want a holy God who speaks and confronts them. We must also be careful because we can do things “in the name of the Lord” but still not worship the Lord. And we can still have some orthodox acts of worship (they had a feast and made offerings) but worship unacceptably. When we distort our worship of God we give the enemy a seat at our table. That brings us to our second next step which is to Worship God the way He demands and requires giving Him all the glory and honor He deserves. When we consistently do these things, we give the Lord a permanent seat at our table (Big Idea).

Tony Merida tells this story in “Exalting Jesus in Exodus.” A few of our pastors and interns took a trip to Boston recently (written in 2014) to explore the idea of sending a church planting team to New England. The need for churches in the Northeast is great. One Christian leader there calls the area north of Boston “the desert.” Some estimate that it is currently one percent evangelical at best. As our friends described their culture to us, they pointed out that people worship in the Northeast. Some people worship the Red Sox. Others, in the world of academia and research, are slaves to ambition. In Salem, Massachusetts, they statistically have more witches than Christians. The Northeast is no different from anywhere else in the world. Left to ourselves, we will worship something other than the living God. To paraphrase John Calvin, “The human heart is an idol factory.”

In “No God but God,” Os Guiness and John Seel comment on how important this topic is: “Idolatry is the most discussed problem in the Bible. . .. There can be no believing communities without an unswerving eye to the detection and destruction of idols.” Idolatry is putting something or someone in the place of God. Anything you seek to give you what only Christ can give you (joy, security, peace, meaning, identity, and/or salvation) becomes an idol. Common idols today include money, sex, a person, approval of people, competence and skill, secure and comfortable circumstances, beauty, brains, success and/or ambition.

Idolatry has everything to do with each of us because it centers on the human heart. We need to replace our idolatrous attachments with genuine affection for the Triune God. As A. W. Pink has written: “Man must have an object, and when he turns from the true God, he at once craves a false one.” But this statement can also be reversed. The way to reduce our craving for false gods is for our minds and hearts to be intoxicated with the Spirit of the one true God. That brings us to our final next step which is to Have genuine affection for the one true God and for my mind and heart to be intoxicated with His Spirit. When we consistently do these things, we give the Lord a permanent seat at our table (Big Idea).

As Gene & Roxey come to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heaven Father, in Jesus’ name, you are a great God, the one true and living God. You are all-powerful and have already conquered the world, sin and the grave. Help us to obey your commands, to trust in you alone, to do what is right, and to worship you in the proper way that you have taught and commanded us to do. Help us to remember your goodness, wait on your timing and praise you always for who you are and what you have done for us. Give us genuine affection for you and help our mind and heart to be intoxicated with your Spirit. Amen.

 

Opening: Giglio, Louie. Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at your table

Conclusion: Merida, Tony. Exalting Jesus in Exodus (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Book 2) (p. 191). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Holy Spirit and Time

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Holy Space and Time

A well-known example of using the Lord’s Day for witness comes from the life of Eric Liddell, the famous Scottish Olympian who later became a missionary to China. Liddell’s story is told in the film Chariots of Fire. His best race was the 200 meters, and he was expected to win the gold. However, one of the qualifying heats was scheduled for Sunday. As a devout Presbyterian, Liddell was adamant in his refusal to run, much to the consternation of Britain’s racing officials. In the end, Liddell ended up competing in an entirely different event, the 400-meter race. “When I was about to run in the finals,” he later wrote, “the trainer handed me a little note. I opened it and read the words, ‘Them that honour me will I honour.’ ” By keeping the Lord’s Day holy, Liddell honored God and gave a living testimony of his faith in Jesus Christ. As it turned out, God honored Liddell by giving him the strength to win the gold medal at 400 meters. But Liddell’s obedience to the fourth commandment made him a champion for Christ even before he approached the starting blocks.

The fact that you all are here this morning is a good thing because today’s passage is about honoring the Lord by observing His sabbath and keeping it holy. Now that the instructions for building the tabernacle were complete, the Lord ties the tabernacle to His command for a sabbath rest. Why is the Sabbath mentioned at this particular time? It’s because the tabernacle was a place of worship and observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy involved their worship of the Lord. If the Sabbath was not observed as the Lord commanded, proper worship would not take place and so the tabernacle would not be used properly. The whole reason for the tabernacle in the first place would not be realized. Also, it comes now in our narrative because the tabernacle was God’s home on earth which was fashioned after God’s home in heaven. Just like Eden was the place where Adam met with God, the tabernacle would be the place where the Israelite people would meet with the Lord. By tying the idea of sabbath rest to the tabernacle, God’s dwelling among His people anticipates the restoration of the new Eden, the new heaven and new earth at the end of the age, where God would again walk and talk with those who believe in Him.

Whereas the tabernacle was to be a “holy space” where God would meet with his people, the Sabbath day was to be a “holy time” where they were to rest in the Lord and come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of who He was. This was the way the Lord mandated that His people would come to know Him better, which was why we will see that the penalty for any disobedience of the Sabbath law was so harsh. These penalties are not as physically harsh for us today but spiritually speaking, the penalty for disobedience to God’s sabbath laws still have harsh repercussions. That brings us to our big idea that God desires His people to observe His Sabbath rest.

Let’s pray: Our Father who is in heaven, pour out your Holy Spirit on your people gathered in your presence together this morning. Fill us, so that our hearts and minds may be opened to what you have to say to us, and so that our lives may be transformed and conformed to your will. May Your Spirit guide our thoughts, words and actions, so that they will reflect Your love and truth. We want your message to take root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen

To better understand God’s instructions on the sabbath here in Exodus 31, we need to look at the history of the sabbath in God’s Word. First, we need to go all the way back to creation. Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

After God had finished creating the world in six days, He rested on the seventh. Now God didn’t need to rest but he wanted to establish a rhythm of life for His people so they would be able to enjoy and work in God’s completed creation and walk and talk with Him. But once sin entered the world, mankind was not able to enjoy that type of fellowship with the Lord anymore and their work became wearisome and difficult. More than ever before human beings would need that rhythm of rest every seven days. Ever since, God’s redemptive plan has been to bring mankind back into the enjoyment of His presence and provision.

To that end, God took Abraham’s descendants as His chosen people and in Exodus 16:23 gifted a “sabbath rest” to them. “He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” In the wilderness, when the people complained of being hungry, the Lord sent manna to them to eat. They were to collect enough manna each day for that one day and then on the sixth day, they were to gather enough for the seventh day as well. Then on the seventh day they were to have a day of sabbath rest which was holy to the Lord.

The sabbath day of rest was to remind them that the Lord had saved them from slavery and from Pharaoh as a harsh taskmaster. Every sabbath day they would be reminded of not only God’s creative work in making the world but His redemptive work of saving them from the physical hardship they endured in Egypt. It would also renew their strength from their work in the present day. The seventh day was also to be a day of spiritual rest as it was to be a “holy sabbath” set apart to the Lord. As they rested physically, they were to rest in Him spiritually and strengthen their relationship with him.

Then in Exodus 20:8, as part of the Ten Commandments, we see these words, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The seventh day was not just a day to do whatever they wanted to do. It was to be dedicated to the Lord for his worship and service. The seventh day was to be sanctified and set apart for sacred use. He didn’t want the Israelites to work seven days a week thinking that it was their efforts that were supplying their needs. God wanted them to rely on Him to provide what they needed when they needed it.

Next, in Exodus 23, we see God reiterating the sabbath for a third time with His people. This time he repeated that his sabbath rest was for their work animals, any slaves born in their households and the foreigners living among them. He also instituted the sabbath year in which they were not to plow their land so the poor in their community would have enough to eat. The Sabbath rest is tied to God’s compassion for all people and animals here. And that brings us to our present scripture this morning.

Our first point is, Sabbath, found in Exodus 31:12-17. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

Just like in chapter 30 and so far in chapter 31, the first thing we notice is the phrase, “Then the Lord said to Moses.” As we have seen numerous times this means that Moses is to listen up because what follows is divinely commanded, making it of the utmost importance. Moses is to tell the Israelites that the Lord commands them to observe “his” Sabbaths. They were to keep the Sabbath days because they were literally his. He instituted it, He modeled it at creation, and he commanded it as their covenant King. The sabbath was a “covenant sign” between him and the Israelites meaning it was to be a reminder of what the Lord had done for them in the past and what He had promised to do for them in the future. And it was for the generations to come, meaning it was a perpetual sign, that as it was observed week in and week out, it would be faithfully passed down to each generation.

This was not the first covenant sign that God had instituted. The rainbow was part of His covenant with Noah; and circumcision was part of the Abrahamic covenant. Also, at the Passover, the blood on the doorposts was a sign for the angel of death to pass over the house of those faithful to the Lord. These physical signs themselves were not significant, but they became significant because God’s promises had been attached to them. These were all signs of the redemption that God wanted for his people in order to bring them back into his presence like in the Garden of Eden. We see signs of redemption in the new covenant today: baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the Lord’s Day.

By placing the Sabbath law immediately after His instructions for building the tabernacle, he showed that the Sabbath was to take precedence over the tabernacle. The Israelites could not use their “work” as an excuse to not observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be one day in seven where the people would cease their work and reflect on God and His character. It was a holy time to refocus their lives every week on their purpose for living which was to “know that Yahweh was Lord” and by coming to “know” this they would become more like Him. It was also a holy time to refocus on the purpose of the covenant which was to make them holy. The covenant relationship was a sanctifying relationship, and the Sabbath was part of that process.

Yahweh was their Lord and He was the one who would make them holy. They could never become holy on their own. Only through the help of the Lord and through their obedience to His laws, statutes and commands could they become holy as He was holy. They would also come to a better understanding of who He is and what He had done for them, and it would set them apart as His holy people among the other nations in the land. The command is then repeated showing them how important it was they observe the Sabbath. It was important not only because the Lord would make them holy but the sabbath would be “holiness” to them meaning that through their obedience they would become more like Him in words and actions. Proof of their growth in knowing the Lord and becoming holy would be observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy.

We also see the importance of the Israelites observing the Sabbath by the penalty attached to it. Because the seventh day was a holy Sabbath to the Lord to desecrate it meant death for the law breaker. To desecrate the Sabbath meant to treat God’s holy day as an ordinary day. Because it was the Lord who had instituted it as a special sign, to disregard it and treat it like any other day was rebellion against Him. This was more than just mere disobedience. It was a person saying that they didn’t accept the Lord’s authority, and they didn’t respect and revere Him as their covenant king. It also said that they didn’t want to “know” the Lord, didn’t want to be set apart as holy to the Lord and wanted no part of the covenant with the Lord. And because God had created them and saved them, He had the prerogative to have them put to death for their disobedience to His commands.

The Lord then reiterated the fourth commandment clearly making it a requirement as if there was any question of it. They were to work for six days and then the seventh day was to be a “Sabbath of rest.” A “sabbath of rest” is literally “a Sabbath of Sabbatism” meaning that the entire day was to be devoted to rest and no work was to be done. By tying the Sabbath to His work of creation, to keep the Sabbath meant the people were proclaiming that they didn’t create the world, God did. And that they were not self-sufficient, that they were relying on Him to provide for them and that they were putting their lives completely in His hands. The sabbath law also pointed to their obligation to work. The Sabbath law not only mandated one day off a week for physical and spiritual rest, but it also mandated that His people were to work the other six days a week.

The Lord then repeated the penalty for breaking the Sabbath law. Anyone who did any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. If we read verse 14 and thought there was one punishment for the desecration of the Sabbath and another for doing work on the Sabbath, verse 15 seems to put that to rest. Violators of the Sabbath law were intentionally severing their ties with God and the terms of His covenant. The law breaker was in effect saying that they wanted all seven days for themselves and begrudged God His holy day. Rejection of the fourth commandment was a rejection of God. We see this sentence being carried out in Numbers 15:32-36. “While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” So, the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Enns comments, “This penalty seems harsh, but not when we realize what the Sabbath was intended to do. By not keeping the Sabbath, the Israelite was showing that he or she was not interested in knowing [God].” We need to remember that any disobedience that undermined the integrity of the Israelite community was dealt with harshly by the Lord. By not remembering the Sabbath and by not keeping it holy the community was undermined just as much as disobeying the fifth commandment of honoring your father and mother. Ryken says, “The way to destroy a nation is to destroy the family, and the way children can destroy the family is by disobeying their parents.” And I believe by not observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy is a way to destroy people’s relationship with the Lord. If the church is a holy space and the Sabbath is a holy time where we as a congregation come together to worship the Lord, come to know Him more and become more like Him, then if we stop observing the Sabbath and are teaching our children by our example to not observe the Sabbath, then we can destroy our church and our nation in the same way as not honoring our fathers and mothers. In this way, spiritually speaking, the penalty for disobedience to God’s sabbath laws can have harsh repercussions. I think we are seeing the consequences of this in our society today.

 

So what does this mean for us today? Observing our Sabbath day, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, should still be important to us. Gathering together as Christians this one day a week is the way that God has ordained us to get to know Him. Gathering this morning at Idaville Church is a way to holiness. The way God wants to make us holy is in community not necessarily individually in isolation. Sure, we can come to know God and strive for holiness individually but that is not the primary way God wants to develop holiness in us. We were made to worship the Lord and as we worship the Lord, he equips us to walk worthily with Him and as we walk with Him we desire to work for Him. Worshipping, walking and working for the Lord should be done in community together and not alone.

 

By choosing to observe the Sabbath with other believers we testify to the world around us that we are the Lord’s people and are connected to His church. And vice versa, by not choosing to observe the Sabbath tells the world that we are not committed to being the Lord’s people and are not connected to His church. God uses the Sabbath to sanctify us and as we keep the Sabbath holy it has a way of keeping us from sin and close to God. When we sanctify God’s holy day, God uses it to sanctify us. I like this quote by Ryken, “We stop working and instead rest in God’s peace. We stop producing and rest in God’s provision. We stop accomplishing and rest in our identity in Christ. We stop acquiring and rest in God’s care. We stop worrying and rest in God’s sovereignty.” The Lord’s Day should be a vacation for our souls.

A few questions for us today: Do you want to know God? Do you want to grow in your relationship with Him? Do you want to become holy as He is holy? Do you want to truly worship the Lord, walk worthily with Him and desire to work for Him? Then according to His holy scriptures and commands, we must observe the Sabbath and keep it holy which for us today means being in church on the Lord’s Day worshipping the Lord together, walking together with the Lord and working together for the Lord. That brings to our first next step which is to Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy so that I can know the Lord more and He can develop holiness in me.

Remembering the Sabbath is clearly important to God as he mentions it no less than five times in the book of Exodus. Reiterating it again would have heightened the Sabbath command in the eyes and hearts of the people. The Sabbath was central to his plan of redemption for his people. They were to observe the Sabbath and “celebrate it for the generations to come. “Celebrating” the Sabbath meant that the Sabbath was not to be a burden on the people. It was to be one day out of seven for the physical and spiritual rest of God’s people and a weekly occasion for, as Mackay says, “joyful and grateful remembrance of all that the Lord had done for them.”

The Lord then reiterates that the Sabbath would be a sign forever that the Lord created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed. The God who had redeemed the Israelites from Pharaoh and was fashioning them into a royal priesthood and His holy people was the same God who created them and was determined to bring them back into harmony with himself. “Rested” is translated “Abstained from work” meaning that God didn’t stop the work of creation because he was tired, but because he had finished his work of creation. “Refreshed” means that the Lord stopped creating to “catch his breath.” This is a picture of God being satisfied with His completed work of creation and calling it “very good.” The repetitions found at the end of our first point stressed the foreverness of observing the Sabbath and impressed upon the people that failure to obey this covenant sign was a serious breach of the covenant relationship between the Lord and His people.

That brings us to our second point, Stone Tablets, found in Exodus 31:18. This is what God’s Word says, “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”

After forty days and forty nights, the Lord has finished speaking to Moses. He has spoken to Moses about the blueprints for the tabernacle and the entire Book of the Covenant Law. And now we come to the moment we have anticipated since Exodus 24:12, which says, “The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” God gives Moses the two tablets of the covenant law which was the Ten Words or Commandments that God spoke to the people back in chapter 20.

These two tablets probably contained the same Ten Words on each tablet. In ancient times two copies were written, one for the covenant king and one for his subjects. Each copy would be kept in their respective god’s temple. They would be read periodically so each party would know and remember what the terms of the covenant were that they had agreed to. In this case, both tablets would be put in the Ark of the Covenant since God’s temple on earth and that of the Israelites were the same place. These tablets were made of stone meaning that the covenant written on them was fixed, unchanging and permanently binding. The two stone tablets were probably modestly sized because they would have to fit in the ark which was approximately 4 ft. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. and also included a jar of manna and Aaron’s budded rod. Also, Moses would have to be able to carry them down the mountain.

The two tablets were inscribed by the finger of God. They were supernaturally written by the Lord meaning their source was God, their authority came from God, and they had his stamp of approval. The finger of God would have conveyed His power as it was the finger of God that brought the plague of gnats upon Pharoah.

As we have learned this morning, God’s Sabbath rest is connected to creation, connected to His provision, connected to His covenant law, connected to His compassion and connected to the tabernacle. God’s Word connects His “Sabbath rest” to events in redemptive history. There is one more event in redemptive history that the Sabbath rest points to. The weekly Sabbath is a reminder of our divine eternal rest which is the joy of heaven together with God. It is the promise of a Sabbath rest when we have finished the work that God has commissioned us to do on this earth. After a life devoted to pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples, we are promised an eternal rest with the Lord.

God “resting” on the seventh day anticipated the eternal rest which is the consequence of the finished work of Christ on the cross. The reality of an eternal rest in heaven requires salvation in Christ and obedience to Him and His commands. By faith the believer is one who has ceased from trying to work for or earn their salvation and enters into a saving relationship with God that will usher them into that eternal rest. Coates says, “The Sabbath speaks of things being brought to completion, so that there is no more work to be done; all is finished, and there is holy rest for God and His people” That brings us to our second next step on the back of your communication card which is to Live like Jesus has already completed His work of salvation and am ready to enter into the Lord’s eternal rest.

This eternal rest is anticipated in Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” As I close out the study of our scripture, I want to recite a Jewish prayer: “Come, let us welcome the Sabbath in joy and peace! Like a bride, radiant and joyous, comes the Sabbath. It brings blessings to our hearts; workday thoughts and cares are put aside. The brightness of the Sabbath light shines forth to tell that the divine spirit of love abides within our home. In that light all our blessings are enriched, all our griefs and trials are softened.” Who would not welcome such a day?

I finally want to end with some humorous Mother’s Day illustrations: The children of Family Circus were once discussing babies. One of the young experts announced: "Storks don't bring babies. They come UPS." Some of the other children had different ideas, but the best was saved for last. "Babies," said one, "are connected to their mothers by a biblical cord." This was spotted on a church sign "If evolution is true, how come mothers still have only two hands?" A mother was putting her son to bed on the eve of his fifth birthday. She was trying to communicate that birthday idea to him. "Kevin," she said, "this is the last night of your fourth year. Do you understand that?" Kevin was ready to communicate with his hands. For a full year, he had shown people four fingers for his four years, and now he was ready to add a thumb. Seeing his four fingers, his mother nodded and said: "When you go to sleep tonight, you'll still be 4-years-old. But do you know how old you'll be in the morning, when you wake up?" Kevin nodded enthusiastically, added his thumb to his four little fingers and said, "Tomorrow, I'll be a handful!"

Not sure if this is a Mother’s Day illustration but I thought it was funny. A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his mother asked him, "Son, do you know how many women a man is allowed to marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His mother was shocked. "What do you mean, 16?!" "It's easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the pastor said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."

As the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings and as the praise team comes to lead us in a final song, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, we thank you for bringing us to this holy space so that we can spend this holy time worshipping You this morning. May we continue to walk with You this week and help us to faithfully work for You as we live in this world. Help us by your Holy Spirit to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy so that we can know You more and so that You can develop holiness in us. Also, help us to live like Your Son, Jesus, has already completed His work of salvation on the cross and let us be ready to enter into Your eternal rest. May Your peace fill our hearts as we depart, and may we carry Your love and light into the world. Amen.

Opening: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 968.

Conclusion: Andy Cook is the former pastor of Shirley Hills Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia.  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

/by

Bob (Bezalel) The Builder

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Bob (Bezalel), the Builder

In his book “The Fall of Fortress”, Elmer Bendiner describes one bombing run over the city of Kassel:

Our B-17 (the Tondelayo) was barraged by flak from Nazi​​ anti-aircraft​​ guns. That was not unusual, but on this​​ occasion​​ our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a twenty-millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple. On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but eleven had been found in the gas tanks—eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted​​ by​​ us. Even after thirty-five years, such an awesome event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn. He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer.

Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them. One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually, they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now.”​​ What an incredible story of sacrifice and service! “That’s all we can do; we wish we could do more.” These are the people God will bless, people who will do whatever they can with whatever they have to serve God and others. The Israelites were those people. The funds for the Tabernacle were raised​​ through willing hearts.

The priests served God and the people with willing hearts and the tabernacle was built by willing servants. God continues to search for Spirit-filled workmen and women today who are willing to submit to His call on their lives. And who will serve Him and others for His glory alone and not their own. God desires willing servants who have willing hearts and are motivated by His love for them.

The instructions for the Lord’s “tent” that would dwell​​ amid​​ his people, that was started back in Exodus 25, is now coming to completion. God has given Moses detailed instructions for how his “house,” the tabernacle and the courtyard, is supposed to look when finished and has given detailed instructions about the materials that are to be used to construct it. The same is true for the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Shewbread, the Lampstand, the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Altar of Incense and all the accessories, implements, etc. that go along with them. God also gave detailed instructions on the clothing that the High Priest and “assistant priests” were to wear as they ministered before the Lord and exactly what materials were to be used to make them.

Now, as we turn the page to Exodus 31, the Lord will specifically appoint and equip two workmen to oversee all the construction and manufacturing of everything discussed in the last six chapters. The Lord will also equip those who have not been specifically called but will have very important parts to play in making his “tent” according to everything the Lord commanded. Why is the first part of this chapter important to us today? It’s because “we,” everyone in this place this morning, are the Lord’s workmen and women. We have all been called and given gifts, abilities and talents by the Lord and His Holy Spirit to “build up” his house and kingdom in the place He has put us, which is here at Idaville Church. And we are to use those gifts, abilities and talents to serve Him​​ and others. So don’t be mistaken, dismayed or discouraged; we all have God-given abilities that we have had from birth, and we all have God-given gifts that we have had since our conversion. God is pleased to give us all distinct gifts and abilities to be used for His glory, praise and honor. Now, we may think our contribution is insignificant but that’s not true. Everyone’s work and service are significant and important. What God desires is willing and obedient servants who will submit to His call on their lives. And who He can then lead and guide in the task He has set before them, which is to Pursue, Grow and Multiply Disciples! That brings us to our big idea this morning that God is communicating to us through this passage:​​ God desires to call and fill His people with His Spirit so they can serve Him and others for His glory.​​ Now I am not talking about being filled with the Spirit at conversion but a daily filling of the Spirit to accomplish the calling God has placed on our lives.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we want to glorify you this morning with our praise, honor and worship. Help us through your Holy Spirit give you the awe and holy fear that you deserve. We pray that you would open up your Word to us so that we can fall deeper in love with you, so that we can better serve and obey you and so that we can spread you Gospel in all the places each of us work, play and live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We have two points this morning. The first is,​​ Skilled Craftsmen, found in Exodus 31:1-6. This is what God’s Word says, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the​​ tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you.”

God has finished showing Moses the specs for His “tent” where He will dwell among His people, and for all its furnishings, etc. God has been giving Moses very specific instructions using words and pictures. Nothing has been left to​​ chance,​​ and He expects his instructions to be followed to the letter. The Lord then tells Moses who will build this magnificent structure and again God will be very specific, and nothing will be left to chance. As we studied chapter 30, we noticed that four times it stated, “Then the Lord said to Moses.” And after each time, the Lord showed Moses another important part of the tabernacle and its purpose. And we see it again in the beginning of chapter 31. We know it’s significant because it is its own verse. God is about to say something important again and he needs Moses and us to take notice and to pay attention, so we miss it. The word “see” emphasizes this same point. Moses is to notice who the Lord is putting in charge of the building project.

It may have come as a shock to Moses that he would not be building God’s “tent.” But he would be the consultant, so to speak, for the entire project as he was the one who received the instructions directly from God. And this will be important as we continue our study: Moses had not been chosen and equipped to build God’s tent. He was not gifted with those abilities. Moses had been chosen and equipped to lead God’s people just as Aaron had been chosen and equipped to be the high priest of the Lord’s chosen people. God chose and equipped His willing servant, Bezalel, to build the tabernacle. Bezalel was the son of Uri, who was the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah.​​ So,​​ who was Bezalel? He wasn’t a priest. He doesn’t seem to be an elder of the Israelites. He seems to be an ordinary Israelite that God has specifically chosen for a certain task. “Chosen” literally means “called” by God. God personally​​ knew this individual and specially chose him for a specific purpose. I just want to remind you all that if you are a Christ-follower this morning, God knows you personally and has specially called you for a specific purpose, as well.

Like we have seen other times in the Bible, names matter, and here is no exception. The name, Bezalel, means “in the shadow of God” or “in the protection of God.” Then we get a short genealogy of Bezalel. His father was Uri, whose name means “light” or “light of Jehovah.” And then his grandfather is Hur, whose name means “free” or “at liberty.” Hur is probably the same person who was an elder of the Israelites and helped Aaron hold up Moses’ arms as Joseph and the Israelites fought the Amalekites back in Exodus 17. Hur is also mentioned as being left in co-charge with Aaron when God called Moses to come up the mountain. And as we continue back in Bezalel’s lineage, we have his great-grandfather, Caleb, g-g grandfather, Hezron, 3rd​​ g-grandfather, Perez, and finally his 4th​​ g-grandfather Judah the son of Jacob. This is important because Bezalel is the seventh in the line from Judah. Seven is the number of​​ perfections​​ in the Bible meaning that Bezalel was God’s perfect choice to be in charge of building his “tent.”

Now, we know that the tabernacle and all its furnishings and purposes point us to Christ and so do the names mentioned here. “In the shadow or protection of God” is familiar to us from Psalms 17:8 which says, “Hide me in the shadow of your wings” and Psalms 57:1 which says, “And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by” and Psalms 63:7, “Because you are my help, I sing or rejoice in the shadow of your wings.” The “shadow of your wings” speaks of a place of intimacy, of protection, and of fellowship with the Lord. And this point us to Christ because Jesus is the one who occupies the closest relationship with the Father. John 1:18 says, “The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father.” Next, “the light of Jehovah” is​​ familiar as Jesus calls Himself “the light of the world” in John 8:12 and in 1 John 1:5 it says, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Finally, “free” or “at liberty” tells us of Christ always doing the will of His Father and voluntarily going to the cross to save us from our sins. Hebrews 10:9 says, “Then he said (Jesus), ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will” and John 10:17 says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.” Finally, Judah means “praise” and Jesus was the praise of His Father and was always praising His Father. We​​ saw​​ this in Luke 10:21.

Next, we see God equipping his servant, Bezalel. God filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God meaning that God was the source of his gifts, abilities, talents and skills. And they were also under the control of the Spirit, enabling Bezalel to design, construct and oversee the building of the tabernacle, etc. and to do it according to God’s perfect will and instructions. Now, this was not a NT being “filled with the Holy Spirit” at conversion. This was God endowing His Spirit onto a person so His purposes could be fulfilled. This is the first time in the Bible that anyone has been filled with the Spirit of God. And it wasn’t Adam, Abel, any of the Patriarchs, Moses or Aaron but an ordinary Israelite that God chose to do His work by His Spirit.

What did the Spirit fill Bezalel with? According to the NASB, the Spirit filled him with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Bezalel was born with innate talents and abilities given to him by God at birth which probably had to do with overseeing, construction, designing, etc. Now he was being supernaturally filled and empowered by the Spirit of God to perfectly complete the purposes of God. According to Ryken’s commentary, “wisdom, is the gift to understand what is needed to fulfill Yahweh’s instructions; discernment, is the talent for solving the inevitable problems involved in the creation of so complex a series of objects and materials; and skill, is the experienced hand needed to guide​​ and accomplish the labor itself.” Again, these three giftings point us to Jesus Christ. Isaiah 11:1-2 says, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on​​ him,​​ the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the​​ Lord.

Bezalel was also gifted with “all kinds of craftsmanship.” He would be able to make artistic designs for working in gold, silver, bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and any other craftsmanship that would be needed to accomplish his task. Bezalel, by the Spirit of God, became an expert in all the ways needed to build the tabernacle. As we have stated before, even the metals used in constructing the tabernacle points us to Christ. Gold speaks of the “divinity of Jesus” and “glorifying the Father” seen in John 10:30 which says, “I and the Father are one” and in John 17:4, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Silver speaks of “redemption” and of course Jesus was the only one through whom our redemption could come. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Bronze speaks of “divine judgment” and of course Jesus was the only one who could carry the weight and judgment of our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” To “cut and set stones” also points us to Christ. The stones refer to the two stones which would be on the shoulders of the high priest’s ephod symbolizing the twelve tribes being carried on his shoulders into the presence of God as he interceded on their behalf. Jesus Christ is the one who now intercedes on our behalf before God. It also speaks to the twelve stones on the breast piece of the high priest. This symbolized that the high priest loved the​​ people of God and had their best interest at heart. This is true of Jesus as well.

Next, God, specifically mentions another person who would play a major role in the building of the tabernacle. The word, “behold,” is like the word “see” earlier in that what follows is important. God appoints Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan to assist Bezalel. Again, names are important. The name Oholiab means “the tent of the Father.” Isn’t that amazing? Oholiab’s name looked forward to him one day helping to construct the “tent” of the Lord in which He would dwell in among his people as they traveled through the wilderness. This name also points us to Christ as John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (Greek, tented) among us.” And now today the Holy Spirit dwells inside of every Christ-follower. This was all foreshadowed by the person God appointed to assist Bezalel. Oholiab’s father’s name is also interesting. The name Ahisamach means “brother of support” which would refer to the fact that Oholiab was a fellow-helper to Bezalel in the work of the tabernacle.

We see the sovereignty of God in His choices of these two men. Oholiab was from the tribe of Dan, the smallest of the Israelite tribes and when Jacob blessed him, he called him a “snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.” This refers to the tribe of Dan being involved in apostasy and idolatrous worship. Judah was arguably the most influential tribe in that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Also, when the Israelites marched out at God’s command, the tribe of Judah led Israel, and the tribe of Dan brought up the rear. This signifies that all of Israel was represented in the work of building God’s “tent” and that God can use anyone and everyone He chooses and who submits to His calling on their lives. We see this truth in verse 6. These two men were not the only ones who worked and served to build the tabernacle and its furnishings, etc. There are others​​ who were not mentioned specifically but notice that God also gave them ability and skill to make everything He had commanded. They were divinely​​ empowered,​​ which was more than simply given skills. God put wisdom into those who already had wise minds meaning they were in tune with God’s desires and would make the right decisions and choices.

This is all true for us as well. God has given us abilities and talents at birth. As Christ-followers, we have been gifted by the Holy Spirit with certain gifts that are to be used to serve the Lord and His people in the church. Also, God can use anyone and everyone he chooses but we must be willing to submit to Him and His calling on our lives. And He gives wisdom to those of us who are wise and in tune with His desires so we can make the right decisions and choices in furthering His kingdom on earth. (Big Idea) That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is​​ Submit to God’s​​ will​​ and​​ calling​​ on my life in order to​​ accomplish​​ the task He has for me.

That brings us to our second point,​​ Special Assignment, found in Exodus 31:7-11. This is what God’s Word says, “the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand—and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

After the Lord informed Moses about the skilled craftsmen who would build the tabernacle, he reinformed Moses of the special assignment He called them to. This special assignment was to build His house, His “tent,” that the Lord would dwell in among His people. Talk about​​ honor​​ and a privilege. He is the one, true and living God and he deigned to come down from Heaven and dwell with His sinful creation. The building of this beautiful and magnificent structure was the most special of assignments. The Lord then listed the items again that were to be built, constructed, designed, etc. I am not going to go over them again, but I don’t want us to forget that everything listed points us back to Christ. The tabernacle points us to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Ark of the Covenant points us to His throne in Heaven. The mercy seat points us to His grace. The lampstand points to Him being the “light of the world.” The table of the shewbread points to His provision. The bronze laver points us to His power to wash our sin away. The altar of burnt offering points us to His forgiveness and the altar of incense points us to His intercession for us before the Father.

An interesting thing that came up in the commentaries I wanted to pass on is in verse 10 that states, “and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.” In the Hebrew these seem to be three separate phrases, and the first phrase may be speaking about the coverings for the different furnishings that were put on when traveling in the wilderness. These garments have not been mentioned yet in our narrative, but they seem to be alluded to here. Also, this section is framed by the words “Make as I have commanded you.” Everything to do with the tabernacle was divinely appointed beforehand. They were to exactly replicate God’s instructions to Moses. But most commentators believe there was a form and a function to the building of the tabernacle. God gave specific instructions about what He wanted but he also gave wisdom and discernment to the craftsmen and women doing the work.

If you remember, God did not give any dimensions for the bronze laver that the priests were to wash in before serving the Lord in the tabernacle and courtyard. I am sure that God gave Moses words and pictures to​​ guide him, but the craftsmen and women had freedom to take the materials, colors, shapes and sizes and create something beautiful, true, good and worthy of being the Lord’s “tent” and the items that went in it. In God’s sovereign control, everything was done exactly how God instructed. We can see this truth in the writing of God’s Word as well. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “all scripture is God-breathed” and 2 Peter 1:21 says that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God inspired men to write His desired​​ product, the Bible, but He clearly used the personalities and grammatical inclinations of the men who wrote. The same is true for the tabernacle.

But God had high standards. What they created had to be good and not idolatrous. What they created had to communicate the truth of God Himself. What they created had to be beautiful and artistic because they were made in the image of God. He is the epitome of perfect goodness, truth and beauty. Lastly, Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the craftsmen and women were obedient to the will of God. They did everything just as God commanded them to. This is seen in Exodus 39-40 where eighteen times it says they did “as the Lord commanded Moses.” Exodus 39:42-43 says, “The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded.​​ So,​​ Moses blessed them.” And we know all this true because when the tabernacle was done and set up the Lord took up residence in it. Exodus 40:34 says, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” This would not have happened if they didn’t do everything “as the Lord commanded.”

I want to conclude by asking you this question. As we are all workmen and servants of God, given the task to Pursue, Grow and Multiply Disciple – which is the Great Commission, are you using your God-given gifts and abilities for His glory or your own? Listen to these two​​ contrasting illustrations from Ryken. First, when Henri Matisse completed his masterful paintings in the Chapel of the Rosary at Venice, he stepped back and proclaimed, “I did it for myself.” One of the Catholic sisters overheard him and immediately objected, “But you told me you were doing it for God.” “Yes,” Matisse replied, “but I am God.”

Second, Johann Sebastian Bach is famous for signing his works with the letters “sDg,” meaning soli Deo gloria—to God alone be the glory. This was a pious act. However, the important thing was not the letters Bach added to his music, but the notes themselves, which were a testimony to his faith in God. In the same way, every workman and woman whose gifts, abilities and talents are under the lordship of Jesus Christ will use them for God’s glory (Big Idea). Also, there is a warning coming for us in chapter 32, about who we are using our God-given gifts, abilities and talents for. In the next chapter, we will see how the Israelites, Aaron included, used their gifts to make a golden calf for idol worship. So again, will you use your gifts for God’s glory or for your own or Satan’s glory; will you use them for your own gratification or in service to the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength? That brings us to our second and last next step which is to​​ Use my God-given​​ gifts,​​ abilities​​ and​​ talents​​ for God’s glory and not my own.

As the praise team comes to lead in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let pray, Our Lord and our God, our Savior and King, we thank you for the privilege to read and study Your Word. Help us to obey its words and commands and trust in its promises so that we can serve you and others better as we live our lives in the world. Thank you for choosing and calling us into your service. Help us to daily submit to your will and rely on your Holy Spirit to accomplish the task you have for us. Thank you for the gifts, abilities and talents you’ve given to us, and help us to use them for your glory and not our own. We pray all this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: Glen S. Martin, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B&H Publishing Group, 2002), 132–133.

Closing: Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 970.

 

 

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The Power to Change Your Life

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The Power to Change Your Life

 

Again,​​ Christ is Risen!​​ Hallelujah!​​ Welcome to the most wonderful celebration of the year. Today we celebrate together the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. More than two thousand years ago, God’s plan of redemption altered the world forever. The power of sin and death was broken through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ that first Easter. Death was defeated​​ and true life, God’s life triumphed. Today’s sermon is titled, “The Power to Change​​ Your​​ Life” and maybe you are thinking, “I don’t know if I have the power to change.” “I don’t know if I have the power to change my attitude or my outlook on life.” Or, “I don’t know if I have the strength to continue on in this marriage​​ or this job.” Or, “I don’t know if I have the ability to break this addiction.” Or, “I don’t know if I can truly forgive this person who has hurt me.” Or, “I don’t have the power to love my enemies.” “I don’t know if I have the power to live the life Jesus is calling me to live; I don’t know if I have the power to change my life.”​​ 

 

The good news today is that you don’t have the power to change and transform your life, to become a new creation, to live the life Jesus is calling you to live. That’s why we need a Savior! And that’s the good news of Easter! You may be wondering, “How is that good news?” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in the flesh to live among us, to show us how to live. He then took our sins upon Himself and died for them on a cross, defeating the power that sin, and death had over us by raising from the dead three days later! And as a result of the resurrection, every person who has received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior now has the power of God within them, not only to change their life but to live a victorious, abundant life.​​ That brings us to our big​​ idea this morning​​ that​​ God desires His people to live a victorious and abundant life.

 

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, a man who​​ persecuted​​ Christians and then experienced a radical life change through an encounter with Jesus, knew that his life depended on Jesus and the power of the​​ resurrection. Philippians 3:10​​ says,​​ “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection.” That was the goal of Paul’s life—to know Jesus and to know the power of His resurrection in his everyday life. Paul’s ability to get through every day was dependent on Jesus and His power living through him. And Paul wanted the same thing so badly for his friends as well. Ephesians 1:19–20​​ says, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.”​​ 

 

This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”​​ Think about this! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead and now gives Him the ability and authority to rule over the universe is available to you and me. The Greek word for “power” is the word​​ dunamis​​ which is where we get the word for​​ dynamite. To have the power of​​ resurrection​​ in your life is to have dynamite power. And the Apostle Paul said, “I want to know it! Give me a piece of that! It’s my goal in life to know Christ and to know the power of His resurrection.” And he prayed that we would know it as well. The good news of Easter is that Jesus Christ not only died for your sins and offers you forgiveness today, but that same power that raised Him from the dead two thousand years ago is available to change your life right now.

 

So, what Is Resurrection Power?​​ It’s the Power to Cancel Out Your Past, Present, and Future Sins.​​ So many people walk through life carrying around the weight and burden of their past failures, their past mistakes, and their past sins. They become overwhelmed by regret over the past. When I​​ say,​​ “cancel out your past,” I’m not talking about denying it or saying it never happened.​​ Cancel​​ means to eliminate,​​ “to remove, or to delete.”​​ Have you ever gotten halfway through a project and thought, “Man, I wish I could start over; this is​​ not turning out the way that I had planned”? A lot of people feel that way about life. “I just wish that I could start over. I’ve made so many mistakes. There are so many failures, problems, and bad decisions, I​​ just wish I could hit the delete button and start over.”​​ 

 

Some people can’t seem to let go of their past, and as a result they let their past control their present and dictate their future. They live in a constant state of regret. They continually second-guess themselves because they’re tortured by painful memories. God says, “That’s unnecessary. You don’t have to walk around with a heavy load of guilt, old hurts, and painful memories.” You might be asking, “How can that be?” Paul says​​ in​​ Colossians 2:13–14, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”​​ Let me say that again: Christ has done away with the record of charges against you by nailing it to the cross.​​ 

 

This verse says, “He forgave all our sins.” What is sin? Sin is an archery term.​​ It​​ doesn’t just mean to shoot and miss the target with our lives; it means to turn our backs and shoot in every direction​​ but at the​​ target. We completely ignore the true target of pleasing God with our lives, and​​ we set our sights on seductive targets that don’t save us or satisfy us; they​​ make​​ us feel miserable and empty. Here’s the good news: God offers complete forgiveness. He says that He cancels every record of the charges against​​ us,​​ and He forgives them all. The words that God uses in the Bible to describe how He forgives us are words like “blot out,” “wipe out,” “washed away,”​​ and​​ “canceled.”​​ 

 

That means our sins are not only forgiven,​​ but they are also​​ forgotten. That doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t know the sins that you’ve committed. It just means He didn’t come to rub them in; He came to rub them out. He didn’t come to condemn you; He came to change you by saving you from your sins. John 3:17​​ says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”​​ Do you remember the​​ toy,​​ Etch A Sketch,​​ growing up. You drew something with the knobs, and when you messed up, what did you do? You flipped it over and shook it to wipe the slate clean, and then you started over. The Bible says that God has the ability—because of the sacrifice of Jesus, His death and resurrection—to take​​ all​​ the messes and sins and regrets in your life and wipe them clean. That happens​​ now​​ we​​ trust​​ Him alone to be our Savior.​​ 

 

But it gets even better than that. In​​ Jeremiah 31:34 it says, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” That​​ must​​ be one of the most amazing verses in the whole Bible. God, who made the whole world and everything in it, chooses to forget your wrongs, your mistakes, your past failures, and your sins, and when you come to Him, confess your sins, and ask Him to forgive you, He cancels your past. For those of you who are here today and have received Christ at some point in your past but are limping through life in sin, the same thing applies. When you come back to Him and confess your sins and​​ ask Him to forgive you, He receives you, forgives you, wipes the slate clean, and cancels those sins off your record. How can God do this? What is the basis for this kind of forgiveness?​​ Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When Jesus Christ died on the cross, one of the last​​ things​​ He said from the cross was, “It is finished.” In the Greek, those three words are actually one word. It literally means “paid in full.” Canceled! God says that’s what Jesus did on the cross—He paid for every sin you’ve ever committed. He stamps “paid in full” across each one. That’s why there is​​ now​​ no condemnation for you​​ because​​ He canceled our past sins,​​ failures and mistakes.​​ 

 

Resurrection Power is also the​​ Power to Give You a New Identity.​​ What’s an identity? An identity is something that defines you. In our culture, we define ourselves by our race, our religion, our political party affiliation, our sexual orientation, our gender. We find our identity in our occupation, our hobbies, or maybe where we went to school, or even in our looks, our clothes, or whom we are dating or married to. Sometimes people have a hidden identity that shapes their lives and their decisions—an addiction; a weight issue; a health issue; living with the label “adopted,” “divorced,” or “poor”; or maybe they don’t feel very​​ smart,​​ or they feel unwanted or unloved.​​ How we identify ourselves​​ is​​ so much about what we do or what we’ve done, our successes and failures,​​ or​​ what others have done to us.​​ 

 

The resurrection brought with it the power to change all of that! Because Jesus conquered sin and death, we don’t have to be defined any longer by our sinful failures, our past mistakes, or even what others think about us. Our identities can now be shaped by God’s success in conquering our sinful failures and His ability to give us new life. When we come to God​​ and put our faith in Jesus Christ alone as our personal​​ Lord and​​ Savior and receive His gift of salvation, God​​ calls us a​​ friend of God, blessed, loved, new creation, saint, disciple . . . and​​ a child of God.​​ John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”​​ We are children of God! Out of His grace, He has adopted us into His family and says, “You are My child;​​ Call Me Father! That’s your new identity.”​​ We are His, and He is ours!​​ 

 

You may be thinking, “How do I know that this is true?”​​ 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “And he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees​​ everything,​​ he has promised us.” What this means is that you can let go of any image of yourself that is not from God. You can stop accepting what others have said about you, how others have labeled you, how you have labeled yourself, and how others have defined you. And you can start believing what God says about you—that​​ you are His​​ child,​​ and He is your Father. That’s how He defines you! When you are a child of God, you are not defined by your feelings. You’re not defined by the opinions of others or by your circumstances. You’re not defined by your successes and failures. You’re not defined by the car you drive, the money you make, or the house you own. You are defined by God and God alone—and He identifies you as His own! The thing is, if you don’t know who you are, you’re vulnerable to other people telling you who you are.​​ But here’s the truth:​​ “You are who God says you are, and no else gets to have a say in the matter.” Tim Keller​​ says,​​ “The only person in the universe whose opinion counts looks at me and He finds me more valuable than all the jewels in creation.”​​ Because of the power of the resurrection, you are now identified with​​ Christ,​​ and you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you. He has given you a new identity.​​ 

Next,​​ Resurrection Power​​ is​​ the Power to Fill You with Strength to Face the Challenges of Each Day.​​ Here’s one of the most powerful truths you will ever hear about Jesus: We are not only saved by His death, but we are also saved by His life. That means that​​ the​​ risen Jesus lives inside of us by His Holy Spirit. His divinity inhabits your humanity! That means you can face each day in the strength of​​ the​​ risen Savior. Regardless of what happens to you, whatever difficulties you might face, whatever curveball life may throw at you, you have the power to stand in there and face it. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Think of the prospect of having​​ the​​ risen Jesus living His life out through your life. The possibilities are endless!​​ 

 

Life is​​ unpredictable. One minute you feel like you’re sailing along and everything is going fine, and the next moment you’re dealing with a crisis. Life is full of stress, heartache, disappointments, setbacks, trials, and tragedies. How in the world can we face these twists and turns, these roadblocks, or even these life-altering dead ends? It’s the power of​​ the​​ risen Christ in our lives sustaining us through His Holy Spirit and carrying us with His grace and power.​​ Romans 8:11​​ says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”​​ That means the Holy Spirit of God, the One who was involved in creation, the One who came upon the disciples at Pentecost like a mighty rushing wind, the One who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, has been given to you for daily life!​​ 

In “Miracles of Courage,”​​ Monica Dickens,​​ tells the story of David, a​​ 2-year-old​​ with leukemia,​​ who​​ was taken by his​​ mother, Deborah, to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, to see Dr. John Truman. Dr. Truman​​ specializes in treating children with cancer and various blood​​ diseases​​ and his​​ prognosis​​ of a 50-50 chance​​ was devastating.​​ The countless clinic visits, the blood tests, the intravenous drugs, the fear and pain​​ were almost too much to bear. And the mother's ordeal can be almost as bad as the child's because she must stand by, unable to bear the pain herself. ​​ 

 

When he was three, David had to have a spinal tap--a painful procedure at any age. It was explained to him that, because he was sick, Dr. Truman had to do something to make him better. "If it hurts, remember it's because he loves you," Deborah said. The procedure was horrendous. It took three nurses to hold David still, while he yelled and sobbed and struggled. When it was almost over, the tiny boy, soaked in sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and gasped, "Thank you, Dr. Tooman, for my hurting."​​ Imagine that was your child, going through cancer at age 2,​​ with​​ all the testing, treatments, etc. How could you endure? How could David or your child be able to thank the doctors even though they were hurting him? You would have the power to go from suffering to victory because Jesus Christ conquered the grave and​​ His​​ “sustaining grace” power​​ would be there to carry you and your family through whatever life throws at you. It would be there to carry you​​ through every​​ twist and turn​​ and​​ would​​ continue to​​ be there in the future.

 

Here’s a great promise: The Bible tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. And that nothing—not trouble or hardship or danger—will be able to separate you from that love of Jesus! Romans 8:38–39 says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”​​ How can that be?​​ It’s because we serve a resurrected Savior who still operates in​​ resurrection power! And He promises to fill you with that same power to give you strength to face the challenges of each day.​​ 

 

So what does the resurrection mean to you today? For some people, it’s just an ancient event.​​ For others they’ve​​ been to the tomb, and nobody’s home. He’s not there. Christ is alive! Many of you are desperate to make a change in your life. Because He is alive, He gives you the power to change. He will give you the power to get started, and He’ll give you the power to keep going. But here’s the truth: You can’t do it in your own strength. You don’t have the power to do it on your own. You were made to depend on Jesus!​​ Some of you​​ may feel you can’t​​ let go of your past failures and mistakes​​ and for you​​ Jesus Christ offers forgiveness. He promises to cancel your sins and wipe them off your record. He offers you a chance to start over!​​ 

 

Some of you​​ may feel like a failure, a loser, or a has-been. Maybe your identity is wrapped up in what you have done or what has been done to you. God offers you the chance to have a new identity. He wants to bring you into His family and give you a new title—accepted, forgiven,​​ a​​ beloved child of God. Some of you​​ may​​ feel powerless over the challenges you are facing right now. What if you had the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, giving you peace, giving you strength, giving you the power to face those issues head-on—the power to change your situation? The resurrection means that no situation is too hopeless! No problem is too big for Jesus! He’s still in the resurrection business—and He has the power to change your life!​​ 

 

Today, if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this could be the day of your salvation. If you are feeling prompted by God, this morning, knowing you need to make a change in your life. You’ve been​​ trying to live this life without Jesus and it’s not working. You can accept Him as your Lord and Savior by admitting you are a sinner, believing that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for your sins and was buried and raised again, and by confessing Jesus as Lord of your life. If you take this next step, Romans 10:9 says, “you will be saved.”

That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is to​​ Admit I am sinner, believe that Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again and confess Jesus as Lord of my life.

 

If you are already a born-again Christ-follower, maybe you​​ still​​ struggle with your identity and letting​​ go of your past failures and mistakes.​​ Today can be the day you accept the fact that you are a child of God and start to live in the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of you. That brings us to the​​ other​​ next step, this morning, which is to​​ Accept my identity as a child of God and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray:​​ Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name,​​ we worship you today for your love for us that sent your one and only Son to earth to live as we do, and then to die on a cross for our sins and be raised after three days. We worship you for giving us a new identity as your children.​​ Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace​​ of Easter Sunday, every day.​​ Give us​​ hearts of thankfulness​​ for your sacrifice.​​ Let us have eyes that look upon​​ Your grace and rejoice in our salvation.​​ Help us to walk in that mighty grace​​ and tell your good news to the world.​​ All for your​​ honor, praise and​​ glory. Amen.

 

​​ Used by permission West Ridge Church, Dallas, Georgia

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Sniff Test

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Sniff Test

William Wilberforce was a member of British parliament in the late eighteenth-century and early nineteenth century. He was a devout, Bible-believing Christian who also fought vigorously against slavery. He was friends with William Pitt, who was the prime minister at the time, who was, at best, a nominal Christian, which means he was a Christian in name only. One of Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ favorite stories to tell was about one time when William Wilberforce brought his friend William Pitt to hear the preaching of the eminent evangelical preacher, Richard Cecil. Lloyd-Jones tells the story of their different responses to Cecil’s preaching of the gospel. Lloyd-Jones says, “Richard Cecil preached and expounded the glories of the kingdom of God and the relationship of the child of God to the Father, and Wilberforce was in ecstasy, rejoicing, reveling in this glorious truth, and he was wondering what was happening to Pitt.” At the end of the service, they walked out, and we can imagine what Wilberforce was wondering: “What an amazing sermon. I wonder what the Lord is doing in William Pitt’s life. I hope he is listening.” And so, Wilberforce was longing to hear the report and he did not have long to wait. Lloyd-Jones says, “Just as they got outside the vestibule, Pitt turned to Wilberforce—who had been so ravished by the exposition of the truth of God—and said, ‘I didn’t understand a word of what that man was talking about, what was it?’”

In preaching the gospel, Richard Cecil set forth the aroma of Christ. And this aroma was the fragrance of life to William Wilberforce. And yet that same word was the smell of death to William Pitt. The same is true today. There are some who hear the Word of God and the name of Jesus Christ and cherish it, appreciate it and apply it to their lives. To them it is the fragrance of life. Then there are others who hear the Word of God and the name of Jesus Christ and remain indifferent to it. They remain dead in their transgressions and sins. They may even revile it, mock it and reject it. To them it is the fragrance of death.

This morning, we are in Exodus 30:22-38, and it’s all about smells. We will study the aroma of holiness and what that smells like and then we will study the aroma of prayer and what that smells like. These smells are the fragrances of life. But the opposite is true too. If we are indifferent or opposed to striving for holiness and indifferent or opposed to prayer then those smells will be the fragrance of death. In 2 Corinthians 2, the apostle Paul uses a metaphor for the procession, the celebration, that would take place in the streets of Rome after a major military victory over a foreign foe. In the procession, the conquering general would bring up the rear and before him priests would swing their censers with sweet-smelling incense burning in them and the savor would permeate the street. The aroma would be a welcoming fragrance for the returning victorious soldiers. But for the wretched, defeated captives, many of whom were being led to their own execution, that same aroma would be the smell of death.

The question, this morning, is “how do you smell?” Do you smell like the fragrance of life? Do you smell like Jesus? Or do you smell like the fragrance of death. This morning, we want to take a “sniff test” of ourselves as it pertains to holiness and prayer in our lives. God wants us to smell like Jesus. He wants us to strive for holiness and he wants us to come into His presence with the appropriate prayer life. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to be the aroma of Christ.

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity and privilege to be in your house this morning. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us as we learn from your Word today. We thank you for your desire to reveal your heart and your Word to us. We humbly ask that you give us insight and wisdom, to heed the warnings, to claim your promises and to follow the principles in it. Help us to be willing to align our hearts with yours and to be obedient. Help us to grow in our faith and in our love for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point is the Aroma of Holiness, found in Exodus 30:22-33. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.’”

Just like last week, we start out with the phrase, “Then the Lord said to Moses.” Again, it is its own verse and is significant because God is finishing something in order to start something new. He wants us to take notice and to pay attention to what He is about to say, because He doesn’t want us to miss it. We notice that the instructions for the anointing oil are broken down in three parts. First, instructions are given for making the oil. Second, instructions are given for the authorized uses for the oil. And third, there are warnings given for the unauthorized use of the oil. In order to make the oil, Moses is to take four specific spices and olive oil and make it into a sacred anointing oil through the work of a perfumer. Now this doesn’t mean that Moses is going to make the sacred oil, but he is to supervise the making of it. We will learn in chapter 31 that God has chosen Bezalel and filled him with the Spirit of God and given him skill, ability and knowledge to make everything God commanded Moses to make. And He has appointed Oholiab and other craftsmen, whom He has given skill to help Bezalel. Moses will supervise to make sure the work is done to God’s exact specifications.

We are given the exact spices and the exact weight of each spice that is to be used to make the anointing oil. It consisted of five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant calamus or cane and five hundred shekels of cassia. These ingredients were then mixed with a hin of olive oil. Five hundred shekels amounted to approximately 13 pounds and a hin, a measure of volume, amounted to approximately a gallon. When we add up the dry ingredients, we come up with approximately 39 pounds that would have been mixed with a gallon of olive oil.

These spices are described as “fine” meaning they were of the best quality. Nothing but the best was good enough for God’s sacred anointing oil. Liquid myrrh was a resin that came from the bark of a southern Arabian tree. The cinnamon was a very rare and highly prized fragrance that came from the bark of small trees imported from Ceylon and India. The fragrant calamus or cane also came from India but was grown in Arabia and Syria. Cassia was a coarser kind of cinnamon that also came from the bark of a tree. All thirty-nine pounds of these spices would be blended together by a professional perfumer to make the sacred anointing oil. The perfumer would have taken these dry ingredients and steeped them in the olive oil, possibly by heating them, so the spices were absorbed into the oil. The oil was then pressed out of the mixture, retaining the aroma of the spices. The relatively small amount of oil became the sacred anointing oil.

The oil was sacred and holy because it was set apart by God for His special use. It would be used to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils and the basin with its stand. A few drops would have been sprinkled on the surface of each item, consecrating them and making them most holy and set apart for God’s use. “Most holy” refers to anything that has been consecrated for the purpose of worship in the Lord’s presence. Once these items were consecrated, the NIV says, “that whatever touched them would be holy.” Now holiness is not contagious. For instance, Aaron, once consecrated and set apart as holy, wouldn’t be able to pass his holiness onto his sons. They needed to be consecrated themselves to be holy. What this phrase means is that now that these items were consecrated and made holy, only holy people and other holy things, who had been consecrated and set apart, could touch them. ​​ 

Next, Moses was to anoint Aaron and his sons using the sacred anointing oil, so they could serve the Lord as priests. Once they were anointed, they were holy and allowed to enter the Tabernacle and use the holy things in the worship of the Lord. Moses was to tell the Israelites that this sacred blend of anointing oil was God’s for the generations to come, meaning it was specially dedicated for use only in the Lord’s house, and that could not be altered for as long as God said it was so. And because the oil was the Lord’s, there were restrictions placed on it. First, it was not to be poured on men’s bodies, meaning it could not be used on ordinary people. It could only be used on those who would be consecrated as priests. Second, the people were not to make any oil with the same formula. Now this didn’t mean that the people couldn’t make oil with the same exact ingredients, it meant that they couldn’t make oil with the same exact ingredients and same exact measurements. They were to respect the sacred anointing oil and the things that God had set apart as holy.

This oil would be the sweetest smelling stuff because it was God’s sacred oil made with his special blend. Because of how sweet it smelled; we can understand why others would want to copy it for themselves. But this was prohibited and could only be used for His purposes. It would have been a serious affront to God to make this sacred oil for personal use, so he warned them that anyone who duplicated it and or put it on anyone other than a priest would suffer the consequences. The consequences were severe because of the lack of proper respect for the commands and Presence of the Lord. The consequences for that person were to be “cut off from his people.” The punishment was up to the Lord’s discretion and could have meant excommunication or even death.

The incense was symbolic of holiness as it was used to set apart the Tabernacle, all its furnishings and their accessories, etc. and Aaron and his sons. We have also been consecrated as holy because of the righteousness of Christ and set apart to be the Lord’s royal priesthood. Being set apart by God should cause us to strive for holiness and living holy lives. So, the question is, when it comes to holiness, do you smell like Jesus? Do you have the aroma of Christ permeating from you? Here is the “sniff test.” First, holiness is expensive. Just like the sacred anointing oil was expensive to make, living holy lives is costly. It means treasuring Christ more than anything else in our lives and surrendering our lives completely to him. It means taking up our cross, dying to self and offering our lives as living sacrifices. And when we as a body of believers all strive for holiness together, the expense is shared among us all, as we exhort and encourage each other in the pursuit of holiness.

Second, holiness is extensive. When the tabernacle and all its furnishings and accessories were anointed, the smell would have permeated the entire place and even outside in the courtyard. The aroma was intentional and was symbolic of the pleasantness that worship was to the Lord. When we all are striving for holiness together, our worship is pleasing to God. And we show the world how beautiful and sweet smelling the aroma of Christ is. And the hope is they want the aroma of Christ in their lives as well. Third, holiness is exclusive. No imitations were allowed and His sacred oil was to be used exclusively for the Tabernacle and the priests officiating there. Anyone who sought to duplicate it and or use it for themselves in any way would be “cut off” from his people. God was and is serious about His holiness and ours as well. When we are living holy lives, our worship of the Lord will be authentic, our worship will be focused on God alone and our worship will be done in Spirit and in truth.

When that happens in our body here at Idaville Church, our fellowship and worship together will be special, we will be humble before the Lord and will have the aroma of Christ permeating from us. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” So, do you pass the holiness ‘sniff’ test? Are you daily taking up your cross and following Jesus and treasuring Christ above all else? Are you doing your part in this body of believers to make sure that the aroma of Christ permeates every square inch of our worship and service? Are you serious about authentic worship and prayer? These are heart and attitude issues that must reflect the mind and heart of Christ. That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is to Strive for a holiness that is expensive, extensive and exclusive before the Lord.

That brings us to our second point, The Aroma of Prayer, found in Exodus 30:34-38. This is what God’s Word says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”

Again, we see the phrase, “Then the Lord said to Moses.” This time it is not its own verse, and in the Hebrew, it is a little different from verse 22. The difference is that this section on incense is a continuation of the section on anointing oil. They are connected and we are, again, to listen up because God has something else important to say. Again, Moses is to take another four specific spices and make a fragrant blend of incense through the work of a perfumer. Moses will again supervise Bezalel, Oholiab and the other craftsmen as they prepare the incense, and he will make sure the work is done to God’s exact specifications.

Again, we see the same pattern as the oil. First, there are the preparations to make the incense. Second, the authorized uses for it. And third, the warnings for unauthorized use of it. The four spices, gum resin, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense were to be blended into a fragrant blend of incense using the same amounts of each spice. It was then to be salted and pure and sacred. We aren’t told how much of each spice was to be used only that the amounts were to be equal. Gum resin or “stacte” refers to resin droplets from a shrub. Onycha was part of a shellfish which gave off a pungent odor when burned. Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin made from several Asian plants. Its own odor is not very pleasant but when mixed with other spices, it enhances their fragrance. Pure frankincense is a fragrant, milky resin made from several related varieties of tree found in southern Arabia.

The use of salt could have been for a couple of reasons. It could have been used as a preservative when making large quantities of incense. It may have been used to make the incense burn quicker and brighter. It could also have been symbolic of the binding and permanent covenant between the Lord and His people. Leviticus 2:13 says, “Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.” Or the reason for the salt could be for all of the above. Once the batch of incense was prepared, a portion of it would be very finely ground and placed in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where God would meet with Moses. The Testimony refers to the Ark of the Testimony or Covenant that sat behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies. If you remember a couple of weeks ago, we studied the altar of incense which was in the Holy Place. In 30:6, we are told that the “altar was in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony – before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony.” Most scholars agree that this is saying that the very finely ground incense was then put on the altar of incense, probably in a censer on top of it, where it would be burned by the priest, before the Lord.

This incense was to be considered most holy to the Israelites. Interestingly, the anointing oil is only called sacred, even though the Tent of Meeting, the furnishings and their accessories will be “most holy” once they are consecrated. This difference is probably due to the incense itself being closer to the Lord as he dwelt in the Holy of Holies. No one was allowed to make incense using the same formula because it was holy to the Lord and set apart to be used for His purposes alone. Again, we see pretty much the same warning attached to the incense as to the anointing oil. Whoever made incense like the Lord’s must be “cut off from his people.” They weren’t allowed to make this fragrance in order to enjoy it for themselves. ​​ Again, the consequences of being “cut off” was subject to the discretion of the Lord, either excommunication or death. When we studied the altar of incense, we learned that it was the place of prayer. It was where Aaron would go to speak and meet with God and bring the intercessions of God’s people before Him. The incense was symbolic of the sweet-smelling prayers of God’s people as the smoke of the incense rose to heaven. So, the question is, when it comes to your prayer life, do you smell like Jesus? Do you have the aroma of Christ permeating from you? Here is the prayer “sniff test.”

First, our prayers should be pleasurable to the Lord. Are our prayers selfish and self-centered? Or are our prayers saturated with Christ? If they are, they will have a pleasing aroma to the Lord as they rise to heaven, just like the incense burnt on the altar in the Holy Place. We must also pray in Jesus’ name and according to the passion of the Lord. What is the passion of the Lord? The passion of the Lord is that His name will be glorified to all nations. Second, are our prayers costly to us? Again, the incense was expensive and not easily acquired. It is interesting that the place where the incense was burnt, and intercession was made is called an altar. For our prayers to be acceptable to God, sacrifice needs to be made, and a cost needs to be paid. Our acceptable prayers should be a sacrifice. We have already talked about, without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we could not come into the presence of God in prayer. But we also must sacrifice our time, our desires and our plans for our prayers to be acceptable to the Lord. We must pray according to the will of God, not our own will. We must pray for the desires of God’s heart, not for the desires of our own hearts. And we must spend much time in prayer and pray without ceasing. Our prayer life should have the proper attitude and lifestyle of prayer. Third, our prayers should prioritize God. The priority of our prayers should be for and to God alone. Our prayers must not draw attention to ourselves, and they must be sincere.

So do you pass the prayer “sniff” test? Are your prayers pleasurable to the Lord? Are your prayers acceptable to God through your sacrifice and their costliness? Are your prayers prioritizing God and His glory? That brings us to our second next step on the back of your communication card which is to Strive for my prayers to be pleasurable to the Lord, a costly sacrifice for me and prioritized to and for God alone.

John Currid illustrates the aroma of Christ in an exchange from the life of the famous British general Charles George Gordon, who put down the rebellion at Taiping. As Currid explains, “The government wanted to reward him with money and titles, but he refused all those honors. He was finally persuaded to accept a medal inscribed with his various military engagements. After his death, this medal could not be found. He had had it melted down and the proceeds given to the poor children of Manchester during a particularly severe famine. He wrote in his diary the following words, “The last and only thing I have in this world that I value I have given over to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

What do you have that is of any value? You have your time and talents, you have your money and possessions, your labor and leisure. You have your pursuit of holiness and your prayer life. Whatever you have belongs to Jesus—who bought you by his blood—and it should be consecrated for his use and service. Will you take the last and only things you have in this world and use them for his glory? Will you strive to be holy as God is holy? Will you strive to pray like Jesus prayed? If you will, then you will smell like Jesus and the aroma of Christ will permeate your life. If every one of us in this place this morning will strive for the holiness of God and strive to pray as Jesus prayed, our church will smell like Jesus and the aroma of Christ will permeate this place and our community around us. I hope and pray that it will be so. ​​ 

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final hymn and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Our Lord and our God, in Jesus’s name, we thank you for being with us this morning as we have gathered to worship you. We give you all honor, glory and praise for who you are and for what you have done for us. Holy Spirit, we ask that you would help us to have the aroma of Christ permeate our lives and spread to those we come in contact with. Help us to strive for a holiness that is expensive, extensive and exclusive before you Lord. And help our prayer life to be pleasurable to you, a costly sacrifice for us and prioritized to and for you alone. We give you all glory, honor and praise. Amen.

Opening: https://gracevalley.org/sermon/the-aroma-of-christ/

Closing: Ryken’s Commentary on Exodus

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The Golden Telephone

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The Golden Telephone

A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started working east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read ‘Calls: $10,000 a minute.’ Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and around the United States, he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor. Finally, he arrived in Massachusetts. Upon entering a church in Boston . . . behold – he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read “Calls: .35 cents.” Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, “Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church, I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only .35 cents a call. Why?” The pastor, smiling benignly, replied: “Son, you’re in Boston, Massachusetts now, home of the Boston Red Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins and the New England Patriots!” You’re in God’s Country, and now it’s a local call.

I couldn’t resist using that illustration and it got me thinking about golden telephones. There is actually a Wikipedia page about them that says, “Golden telephones have been a symbol of opulence, decadence, power, wealth, and elitism.” In 1930 when Vatican City was built it was connected to the International Telephone and Telegraph lines. The Catholic Church in America presented Pope Pius XI with a golden telephone. In 1957 the US ambassador, Arthur Gardner, presented a golden telephone to the Cuban dictator Batista for repealing long time price controls on telecommunications in Cuba. And there’s a story of iconic artist Andy Warhol giving away a golden telephone to Jim Morrison of the Doors explaining that with it you can talk to God.

This morning, we will be studying Exodus 30:1-10 and as we do, we want to pay attention to God’s instructions about the next piece of furniture inside the Tent of Meeting, Israel's Golden Telephone or better known as the Golden Altar or the Altar of Incense. Ancient Israel was not given a golden telephone, but a golden altar. Like a golden telephone, it was where Aaron and Moses would go to speak to God. It was the closest that anyone, other than the high priest once a year, could come to be in the Presence of God. Today, we will study the Pattern of the altar and the Privilege of prayer to discover how important prayer is to God and how important it should be in the lives of God’s people. The priests didn’t have to worry about having to make long distance calls to God and neither do we. God wants us to draw near to Him coming into His presence in prayer. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to be people of prayer.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege of being in your house this morning. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and let us not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we study your Word. Help us to take to heart all the words from your holy scriptures so that we may be careful to obey them and daily live them out. Thank you for your promise that even though heaven and earth will pass away, your words will not. Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds and help us to apply what we learn today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point is Pattern found in Exodus 30:1-6. This is what God’s Word says, “Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.”

Last week, we finished up a section which included chapters 28 and 29, talking about the priests, their garments and their consecration. Aaron, the high priest, and his sons, the deputy priests, will play a crucial role in the religious life of the Israelites. They will be the intermediaries between God and the people. They will perform animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of the people’s sins, for their dedication to the Lord and to live in peace and fellowship with Him. They will also interpret the Law, teach the people to obey it and be an example to them. Now, only after the priests were properly clothed and consecrated, does God continue to instruct Moses on the third and final piece of furniture in the Holy Place. This is arguably the most important piece as it will be where Aaron would burn incense before the Lord and intercede for the people.

Before we look at the pattern for this altar, let’s look at the purpose of it. This altar was for the burning of incense but what did it signify or symbolize? My big idea gives it away, but our scripture doesn’t specifically tell us, so how did I come to that conclusion? I believe there is enough circumstantial evidence in our scripture today and in God’s Word to make an informed decision. Here are some theories about the purpose of the Altar of Incense or the Golden Altar. In the enclosed space of the Tabernacle, the fragrance of the incense would fill the Tent of Meeting, and its smoke would rise to Heaven. So, some have surmised that it was some form of tribute to God, or a sign of His holy presence, or a sign of royalty and kingship, or even an air-freshener to mask the smell of the dead animals and their blood used as sacrifices. It is also thought that it was to protect the priests as the incense would conceal the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, keeping the priests from coming face to face with the holy presence of God.

All these theories are plausible but as we study the Bible we see another picture of the meaning of the incense. Psalm 141:1-2 says, “I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” And in Luke 1, we see Zechariah, who was serving as the priest before God in the temple, fulfilling his duty to burn the incense on the altar. We see these words in verse 10: “And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.” Revelation 5:8 says, “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” And lastly, Revelation 8:3-4 says, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” From this evidence, I along with most commentators have concluded that the purpose and symbolism of the Altar of Incense is intercessory prayer.

Now, let’s look at the pattern of this altar. This altar was small, much smaller than the Altar of Burnt Offering in the courtyard. This one was a cubit or eighteen inches square and two cubits or three feet tall. It had horns probably on all four corners which symbolized the power and the efficacy of the altar, and the prayers lifted up there. The efficacy of the altar speaks to the power of praying people and of God producing His desired effect when His people are obedient to do it. The Altar of Incense was made of acacia wood. Acacia wood was one of the local sources of wood growing in the Sinai area. It grew to between 15-25 feet high and would have been suitable timber for woodworking. It was also resistant to insects, very durable and would not decay. The entire altar of acacia wood was to be overlaid with pure gold, just like the Ark of the Covenant and the Table of the Showbread. It was gold because it was close to the presence of the Lord. It was to have gold molding around it like the Table of Showbread to keep any items from falling off of it. It was also to be portable like the other pieces of furniture with two gold rings, on opposite sides. Only two rings were needed for the small size of this altar. The poles used to carry it were also to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.

Next, we see the position of the Altar of Incense. It was to be put in front of the curtain or veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies before the Ark of the Testimony and the atonement cover. It was probably placed directly in front of where the mercy seat was on the other side of the veil. This position was strategic as it was directly before the Lord, where He would meet with Moses and Aaron. I believe this is more evidence that the purpose and symbolism of the Altar of Incense is for the prayers of God people raised up to heaven like incense (Big Idea).

Before we move on, let’s look at the picture of this altar. I find it fascinating how this altar is connected to the first altar, the Altar of Burnt Offering. This connection would be instilled in the priests because at the same time they were offering incense on this altar, morning and evening, the daily sacrifices were being offered outside on the other altar. In fact, the fire for burning the incense came from the Altar of Burnt Offering. The High Priest had to deal with the first altar before he could approach the second one. Only after the sin offering and the twice daily offerings of the lambs could he come to the Altar of Incense to intercede for the people before the Lord. His prayers could only come after his propitiation. Only after atonement could there be intercession. You can’t come before a holy God in prayer if you haven’t been atoned for. There are people who would want God to save them in their time of need without surrendering their lives to Him as their Lord and Savior. Galatians 6:14 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Paul says the only thing we can boast about is the cross of Christ. We don’t get the benefit of the Golden Telephone if we bypass the cross.

In this way, the two altars are a picture of the Gospel. The Altar of Burnt Offering symbolizes the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the Altar of Incense symbolizes the living, resurrected, ascended Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again and now as our High Priest intercedes for us before God in Heaven. Again, the Tabernacle and its furniture, the priests and their garments, are all symbolic of Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. God accepts us and our sacrifices of prayer only based on the death and resurrection of his son Jesus. Ephesians 5:2 says, “and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Prayer is coming into God’s presence and communing with Him and the only way we can come into the presence of God is through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

So, if you want to approach God in worship, prayer and fellowship you must first accept Jesus as your Savior and then as Hebrews 4:16 says, you can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Maybe that is where you are today. You know there’s a God. But you haven’t surrendered your life to Him yet. You have just been using Him like a genie in a bottle. So, the question for us all is have you been to the first altar? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If so, welcome to the second altar. But if you haven’t, today can be the day of your salvation and then you can come to the Golden Altar, lifting your prayers and petitions before the Lord knowing that you are doing the will of God and He hears you. That brings us to our first next step which is to Accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and then bring my sacrifices of prayer before Him. If you made that decision this morning, please mark your communication card so I can be in contact with you.

That brings us to our second point, Privilege, found in Exodus 30:7-10. This is what God’s Word says, “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.”

God commanded Aaron to burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tended the lamps on the lampstand and again at twilight when he lit the lamps. The incense was to burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. The application for us is that we are to “pray without ceasing” which we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and we are to persevere in prayer which we see in Luke 18:1 in Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Aaron, the High Priest, was given a special privilege to intercede for the people. Remember, he carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders and over his heart. God gave him the strength and love to intercede for the people before the Lord. Intercession is a function of the priesthood, and so, if you have been saved through the sin offering of Jesus Christ, you have the privilege as God’s “royal priesthood” to pray and intercede for others. 1 Peter 2:5 says, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” These spiritual sacrifices are our worship including prayer that is holy, acceptable and pleasing to God. We have been given the wonderful opportunity to pray for others and ourselves and there are benefits to prayer. The Psalmist prays in Psalm 91:2, “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” “Prayer can soothe our souls, not just change our circumstances.” ​​ 

Prayer is also a necessity in our relationship with the Lord. Many times, in the Gospels we see Jesus praying to His heavenly Father. I have always thought that if Jesus felt the need to pray then I definitely need to cultivate my prayer life. James 5:13-16 talks about the necessity of prayer: “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

And in 1 Samuel 12:23, Samuel even goes so far as to say that he would be sinning against the Lord if he didn’t pray for God’s people. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount”, “Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God… Prayer is the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about Christians as much as our prayer life.” So, we need to be praying continually throughout our day, and we need to persevere and not give up praying even when it’s hard or we aren’t getting answers right away or the ones we want.

We also see the power of prayer here. There is a connection between the lampstand and the Altar of Incense. At the same time the incense was ignited, so was the lampstand. Pink says, “The maintenance of the light was inseparable from the service of the altar.” Remember the lampstand symbolizes Jesus as the Light of the World. It is also symbolic of us shining our light in the world. How can we do this? We can only shine our light by being plugged into the Light of the World, Jesus. This is why Paul coveted the prayers of the church, why Jesus commanded His followers to pray for laborers and why David prayed morning, noon and night. Our prayers show our dependency on the Lord for His light and life and aligns our will with the will of God so that His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Prayer is also a matter of obedience. God’s Word commands us to pray so we should strive to become people of prayer (Big Idea). So, do we truly grasp the necessity and obedience of praying? Do we understand how powerful prayer can be? Do we understand that if we neglect prayer, we can’t expect our work and service to God to be healthy and fruitful? Do we take the opportunities in our church to pray with one another? It is good, necessary and pleasing to God to come to Him not only alone in our prayer closets, but as the New Testament frequently emphasizes, also in corporate prayer. We see this in Acts 12, 1 Timothy 2, and Colossians 1. Even the Lord’s Prayer, which we recited earlier uses plural pronouns to emphasize the corporate nature of prayer. By praying for and with others we become invested in each other’s struggles and triumphs. Prayer acts as a glue that binds the church together. Prayer makes us stronger. We have a number of opportunities at Idaville Church to pray together. We gather to pray on Friday afternoons at 1:30 and Wednesday evenings at 7:30. And if those times don’t work for you then talk to me about when the best time is for you because prayer is that important. That brings us to our second next step which is to Strive to become a person of prayer both individually and corporately.

The Altar of Incense, like the Tabernacle and the other furniture, also came with specific instructions. The priests could not burn “other incense” on this altar. Only the incense prescribed by God and prepared according to His instructions could be burnt on it. Also, no other type of offering such as the burnt offering, grain offering or drink offering could be offered on the golden altar. “Other incense” is literally “foreign or strange incense.” This could relate to incense used for worshipping other gods or even using every day or personal incense on this altar. Using any incense other than what God prescribed would profane it. God’s prescribed incense was holy and set apart and as such could only be used according to His instructions. The application for us is that we must pray according to the will of God and in Jesus’ name. We aren’t to be legalistic with our prayers using them as a means of earning God’s acceptance. Praying does not save us or make us righteous; only Jesus can do that. We must not confuse the two altars.

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was to atone for the altar of incense. In Leviticus 16, we see that Aaron first had to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat and then take the blood of the sin offering and sprinkle it on the horns of the golden altar before the Lord. Like the Altar of the Burnt offering, this altar didn’t sin, but because sinful human beings were attending it, it needed to be atoned for. Pink says, “Our prayers are so faulty, our praises so feeble, our worship so far below the level of what it ought to be, that even our ‘holy things’ need to be cleansed by the blood of atonement. How humbling this is!” The altar of incense was most holy to the Lord and had to be atoned for with the blood of the sacrifice. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ applied to our hearts that makes our prayers acceptable and pleasing to God.

Robert E. Lee once said, “Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray--to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight--all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word 'concern' out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice.” (Big Idea) Let us be people who are serious about prayer. Let us be people who pray without ceasing and persevere in prayer. Let us be people who are passionate about prayer and who make it their practice to pray. Let us be people of prayer.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. May you be honored and glorified by our lives as we live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week. Help us to cultivate a life of prayer as we realize the necessity and the power of prayer. Help us to pray without ceasing and to persevere in prayer. Let prayer be our practice and our passion so that we can become the people of prayer that you desire. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening https://ericcressey.com/the-golden-phone/

Closing https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/prayer.htm

 

 

 

 

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The Big Picture

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The Big Picture

One of the true masterpieces at the Art Institute in Chicago is a massive painting by Georges Seurat called Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886). When standing close to the picture, an observer can only see tiny dots—millions of them. Seurat pioneered the artistic technique known as pointillism, in which tiny points of color are applied to canvas with the tip of a brush. From a foot away, all anyone can see are the beautiful colors. But from a distance, a picturesque scene emerges. Parisians are sitting in the park on a Sunday afternoon, or strolling with their parasols, gazing serenely at the River Seine. From the proper vantage point, Seurat’s little points of color become part of a bigger picture.

Something similar is happening as we finish our study of Exodus 29. Since the beginning of chapter 25, Moses has been on Mt. Sinai with the Lord and He has been giving Moses exacting detail after detail for the Tabernacle and everything and everyone associated with it. He showed Moses the plans for the Tent of Meeting, the pieces of furniture to put inside, what the courtyard was to look like and the apparatus that was to be in it. Then God gave instructions on who the priests were to be, who would serve Him in the tabernacle, what they were to wear and how they were to be consecrated and ordained. We learned detail after detail about what sacrifices needed to be offered and last week, we learned who was allowed to eat of the sacrifices, what was to happen to the high priestly garments and how Aaron and his sons were to commune with the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

This morning, God will continue to drill down, instructing Moses about the actual seven-day ordination service for Aaron and his sons. It would be easy to get lost in all the details like in Seurat’s painting, all those pretty dots of color. But as we have learned, the Tabernacle, the furniture, and the sacrifices all point us to Jesus Christ and that is such a beautiful picture. At the end of the chapter, God steps back to reveal the big picture, the reason for all the detail, the reason why He brought His people out of slavery in Egypt in the first place, the reason why everything has pointed us to Jesus Christ. And when we step back, a beautiful picture emerges of His ultimate purpose to bring glory to his name by saving and sanctifying his people, and by doing so, able to dwell with His people and be their God. That brings us to our big idea, this morning, which is that God desires to reveal His glory in dwelling with His people.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we humbly come before you, this morning, seeking your presence and your guidance. Open our hearts and minds to receive your Word and give us wisdom and clarity to understand your message to us. We ask that you speak to us through your Holy Spirit so that our hearts and minds are transformed. Let your Word be a light in the darkness, healing to the sick and wounded, and a source of hope for all who hear. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen."

The first point, this morning, is Do, found in Exodus 29:35-41. This is what God’s Word says, “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it and anoint it to consecrate it. For seven days, make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy. “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

Last week, we ended learning about the peace or fellowship offering which was to culminate in Aaron and his sons eating a communion or covenant meal with the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. As we begin studying our scripture, this morning, God is giving more detail as He instructs Moses on the exact procedure to ordain Aaron and his sons. God first commands Moses to “do” for Aaron and his sons everything He showed him previously. This means getting the sacrifices – the bull and two rams, and the grain offering ready, washing, dressing and anointing Aaron and his sons, and then offering the three sacrifices on their behalf. These sacrifices included a sin offering, a burnt offering and a peace offering. Aaron and his sons were to be marked on the outside of their bodies from head to toe with the blood of the ram for the ordination. And Moses, Aaron and his sons were to make wave and heave offerings to the Lord of the choicest parts of the animal and grain offerings. Lastly, the high priestly garments were to be anointed, and Aaron and his sons were to sit down to a communion or covenant meal with the Lord, which marked the inside of their bodies, signifying that Aaron and his sons were entirely consecrated to the Lord.

We learn that the elaborate ordination ceremony was to last seven days. The process to have access to the Presence of God was not something that could be easily achieved; it wasn’t meant to be quick and easy. This week-long ceremony was to show the Israelites the importance and the seriousness of the holiness of God. His holiness meant that sinful human beings couldn’t approach Him without special provision being made. A holy God could not dwell with them the way they were. So, Aaron and his sons needed to be completely cleansed, being forgiven of their sins and consecrated to the Lord in order to fulfill their duties in the Tabernacle. This is seen in offering seven days of sacrifices.

A bull was to be sacrificed each day for seven days as a sin offering. These offerings were in addition to the three sacrifices mentioned earlier. Only the sin offering needed to be repeated, not the burnt or peace offerings. Aaron and his sons had already dedicated themselves to the Lord and had communed with Him symbolizing having peace with God, but they needed atonement and cleansing of their sin daily. Imagine witnessing these seven bulls being sacrificed for your sins. This would have reminded Aaron and his sons that the animal sacrifices only provided temporary covering. It also would have revealed their sinfulness to them and showed them how deep God’s grace was for them. Gibson says, “They like us needed to be reminded how far they fell short of God’s standards.”

Next, the altar also had to be purified by making atonement for it for seven days. It wasn’t that the altar had sinned, but sin is contagious and even the putting of the sin offerings onto the altar would defile it. So, it had to be cleansed, consecrated and set apart, so it was fit for the holy use that God intended for it. Even the altar needed to have removed what shouldn’t be there, so it could be consecrated as holy. The setting apart of the altar symbolizes God’s acceptance of the blood of the sacrifices made for the forgiveness of the people’s sins. The altar also had to be anointed and consecrated for seven days. This was done by anointing the altar each day with the same special anointing oil used to anoint Aaron and his sacred garments. We see this in Exodus 30:28. The atonement and consecration of the altar for seven days would make it holy and whatever touched it would be holy. “Whatever” could also mean “whoever” and so this probably means that now that the altar was consecrated or holy, only whatever or whoever was holy could touch it. The priests who were consecrated would be allowed to come into the presence of the Lord and use the holy implements and the sacrifices that were consecrated would be allowed on the altar.

Once the altar had been atoned for and consecrated, God instructs Moses about the daily sacrifices to be offered on the altar. Aaron, and his sons were consecrated and ordained so they could minister to the Lord and the people and part of their ministry was the offering of the daily sacrifices. First, they were to make regular offerings each day of two lambs a year old, one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight. These continual daily sacrifices would be at the heart of the Israelites sacrificial system. The lambs needed to be young, a year old, and without blemish symbolizing their innocence and purity. A lamb is a docile, submissive animal, willing to go wherever it's shepherd leads them and will even go to their death silently and without a fight. That’s why an unblemished lamb a year old was the perfect foreshadowing of Christ, the pure, perfect and innocent Son of God, who would willingly go to the cross to be the sacrifice for our sins. The twice daily sacrifices were in anticipation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I want us to seriously ponder and realize what God is doing in these sacrifices. Everything is foreshadowing the sending of His son to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin. The institution of the morning and evening sacrifices weren’t just random ideas God implemented. Every single day, 360 days a year, morning and evening, young, innocent and unblemished lambs were slaughtered and sacrificed on the Altar of Burnt Offering. That is 720 lambs sacrificed a year. I don’t want us to miss how God is connecting the daily sacrifices to Jesus’ sacrifice, some 1300 years before the crucifixion. Jewish oral law and tradition places the morning sacrifice at about the third hour or 9:00 am and the evening sacrifice at about the ninth hour or 3:00 pm. And so, on the day Jesus was crucified we see this in Mark 15:25, “Now it was the third hour when they crucified Him” and we see this in Luke 23:44-46, “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour, because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” And having said this, He died.” Jesus was hung on the cross at the time of the morning sacrifice and died on the cross at the time of the evening sacrifice. Do you see what God was doing when he implemented the daily sacrifices in the wilderness? God commanded, as Garrett says, “that these two lambs would be sacrificed, day after day and year after year, as a picture of the ultimate sacrifice of His own precious Son.”

With each meat offering, in the morning and at twilight, they were to also make grain and drink offerings to the Lord. The grain offerings consisted of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives. And the drink offering consisted of a quarter of a hin of wine. A tenth of an ephah of fine flour would have equaled about a bushel. And a quarter of a hin of oil and wine would have equaled about one quart each. Fine flour and oil from pressed olives indicated that the ingredients were of the highest quality. The drink offering would be poured out at the base of the altar to symbolize the priest’s complete devotion to God and to His service. The combination of the meat, grain and drink offerings resembled an ordinary domestic meal symbolizing that all good things came from God and the fellowship that the Lord and the people were to enjoy at the house of the Lord. These offerings would be a pleasing aroma meaning that the Lord would be pleased with His people for their obedience in making these sacrifices to Him.

Now that God had instructed Moses what to do for the seven days of ordination and introduced Aaron and his sons to their priestly duties, He brings it full circle to the main point of it all which brings us to our second point, Dwell, found in Exodus 29:42-46. This is what God’s Word says, “For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

These offerings of two lambs, and a grain and drink offering, were to be made regularly and continually at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, for the generations to come. This requirement symbolized to the Israelites that they needed their lives to be cleansed and consecrated entirely to the Lord anew each day. The sacrifices would remind the nation of their consecrated status as God’s holy and chosen people. There was never any reason that these sacrifices were not to be made. It didn’t matter what the weather was like or if the nation was at war or even if there was no food or animals available, these sacrifices were still required. Even in exile, when the sacrifices stopped, some like Daniel were careful to observe the offerings by a sacrifice of prayer, petition and confession before the Lord. We see this in Daniel chapter nine. The reason these sacrifices were not to stop was because the Lord, as the source of all things, is still to be worshipped whether as provider or withholder of all things for His people.

The Lord wanted Israel to understand that they were sinful human beings and nothing that they could do themselves could take away their sin. And so daily they needed His atonement and forgiveness so that He could continue dwelling with them. The Lord also wanted them to know that their worship of Himself was not to be limited to the Sabbath day or Feast days, only, but they were to worship Him daily. God desires that his people regularly and continually bring their spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise, and confession before Him as an act of worship. Matthew Henry says, “Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer-time must be kept up as duly as meal-time. Those starve their own souls, who keep not up constant attendance on the throne of grace.” That brings us to our first next step which is Bring sacrifices of prayer, praise and confession, continually, as an act of worship, before the Lord.

It was at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, where the Lord would speak to Moses as the covenant mediator, and to Aaron, the High Priest and the people’s representative. And through them, He would meet with His chosen people, the Israelites. He would meet with them through the sacrifices and at the altar where they were offered. And he would meet with them through Moses, Aaron and the priests. In verse 43, we see that the “place” will be consecrated by God’s glory. The place is talking about the Tent of Meeting, but we notice that it’s consecrated in the next verse. So, it seems that God is talking about the Israelites here. They will be consecrated by God’s glory because His presence is in the place, the rituals and with Moses and Aaron. This is important for us today because Jesus is foreshadowed in the place, the rituals and in Moses and Aaron meaning that God speaks and meets with us through the person of Jesus Christ. We must have Jesus in order to meet and speak with the Lord. Once the Israelites are consecrated, God will consecrate the things that allow for the ministering of His people and Himself. This includes the Tent of Meeting, the altar, and Aaron and his sons who will serve Him as priests. Also, notice that God is the one who consecrates everything and everyone here.

And then at the very end of chapter 29, we see the purpose for everything that has come before. The Lord wants to dwell among the Israelites and be their God and He goes all the way back to Egypt. Exodus 6:7 says, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” He reminds them He is the I AM, Yahweh, the one and only true God and it was Him who saved the Israelites for His glory. He was the one who directed them, sustained them and defended them. He did all this because He loves them and wants to dwell with them, which will reveal His glory to the nations. The reason for building the Tabernacle, the furniture, the courtyard, instituting the priesthood, etc. was so that God could dwell among His people and be their God. He could not do that until they had been freed from slavery to Pharoah, until His “tent” was built in the midst of their tents, and until the priests knew how they were to function in the sacrificial system the Lord was setting up to make atonement for the sins of the people. Because God is holy, he could not dwell with His people until they were made holy. They could only be made holy by offering the ritual sacrifices.

God ends with the statement, “I am the Lord their God.” This was God’s signature on the love letter called Exodus. He loved His chosen people so much that He wanted a relationship with them. He wanted to speak to them, meet with them, reveal Himself to them and dwell with them. All because He wanted to reveal His glory to a lost and dying world. He saved them for His glory and the tabernacle was where He would come in glory. Everything He did was so they would understand the meaning of their salvation and continue in their sanctification. God has done the same for us today. He loves us and wants a relationship with us. He wants to speak to us and meet with us. He wants to reveal Himself to us and dwell within us. He wants to be our Lord and God. But we need to be holy, and He makes us holy much the same way He consecrated and set apart the priests. He washes us with His blood, He clothes us with the righteousness of Christ, He anoints us with the Holy Spirit. He did all this so He could dwell within us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” ​​ 

It is mind boggling that a holy God would want to come and live inside of us, a sinful people. But He wanted us to know Him as our Lord and God who saved us from our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I like how Ryken sums this chapter up: “This is the big picture—the ultimate purpose for what God is doing in this world. With all the difficulties and distractions of daily life, it is easy for us to get lost in the details. We are so busy toiling at our work, worrying about our finances, struggling with our limitations, enjoying our entertainments, pursuing our pleasures, and grasping our ambitions that we forget to step back and see what God is doing. So take a look: God is making a holy place for his dwelling, so that our lives will display his glory” (Big Idea). Let us be people who do step back and see what God is doing. Let us be people who take seriously that God dwells in us and wants to display His glory to the world through us. Let us be people who are obedient to the commands of Christ so that the world will take notice and want to have the living God come and dwell inside of them. This is how our lives will display His glory. That brings us to our last next step which is Display the glory of the Lord with my whole life.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege of hearing from your word today. As we leave this place, may the message we have received take root in our hearts and guide our steps. Help us to bring sacrifices of prayer, praise and confession, continually, as an act of worship, before you and may we glorify you with our whole life. Empower us to live according to your will and let your light shine through us. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen."

Opening: Ryken Commentary on Exodus

Closing: Ryken Commentary on Exodus

 

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Foretaste of Glory Divine

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Foretaste of Glory Divine

Charles Simeon, the great preacher at Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, England, was one in a long line of persons who received forgiveness through the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. When Simeon began university, he was not yet a Christian. This explains why he was so alarmed to receive—shortly after his arrival—a summons from the head of his college requiring him to take Holy Communion in three weeks’ time. Simeon panicked. “The thought rushed into my mind,” he later wrote, “that Satan himself was as fit to attend there as I; and that if I must attend, I must prepare for my attendance.”

 

Desperate for help, Simeon bought a Christian book called The Whole Duty of Man. As he read it, he began to cry out to God for mercy. Eventually Simeon began to feel the first glimmerings of hope. He writes: “It was an indistinct kind of hope, founded on God’s mercy to real penitents. But in Passion week as I was reading Bishop Wilson on the Lord’s Supper, I met with an expression to this effect: “That the Jews knew what they did when they transferred their sin to the head of their offering.” The thought rushed into my mind, What! May I transfer all my guilt to another? Has God provided an offering for me, that I may lay my sins on his head? Then, God willing, I will not bear them on my own soul one moment longer. Accordingly I sought to lay my sins on the sacred head of Jesus; and on the Wednesday began to have a hope of mercy; on the Thursday that hope increased; on the Friday and Saturday it became more strong; and on the Sunday morning (Easter Day) I awoke early with those words upon my heart and lips, “Jesus Christ is risen to-day! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” From that hour peace flowed in rich abundance into my soul; and … I had the sweetest access to God through my blessed Saviour.

The mercy that Charles Simeon received—forgiveness, peace, joy, and access to God—come to everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation. It is interesting, isn’t it, that he knew that he was unworthy of taking Holy Communion and that it wouldn’t mean anything to him if he did. Jesus became his sin offering and he gave a burnt offering of dedication and commitment of his life to God and was able to then live in the peace of God that came from access to God through Jesus.

This morning as we study our scripture found in Exodus 29:22-34, we will continue our look at the consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons, who would become priests. Last week, we studied the first two offerings, the sin offering and the burnt offering. The first step was confession of sin followed by a declaration of dedication to the Lord to His service. The next step was to live in the peace and fellowship that came with being in a relationship with God. That brings us to the third offering which we started to touch on last week, the “peace” or fellowship offering. It foreshadowed the Lord’s Supper when we remember Christ’s crucifixion and celebrate the salvation he brought us by dying on the cross. In the Lord’s Supper, we experience a foretaste of that heavenly banquet, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. The Lord’s Supper is an appetizer for the feast that will commence on the day when Christ comes again. But for now, joy belongs to every Christian who eats at the Lord’s Table, partaking of Holy Communion. We have peace and fellowship with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ, and this is just a foretaste of Heaven, a foretaste of Glory Divine. Because of Jesus Christ and His salvation, it is possible for us to be in a relationship of “peace” and fellowship with God. That’s our big idea this morning that God desires to be in a relationship of peace and fellowship with His people.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we approach your throne this morning with surrendered hearts and minds to your Holy Spirit. Open our eyes and ears to what your Spirit wants to say to us. Teach us your holy Word and help us to obey all of your commands. Show each of us truths that we can share with those who don’t know you. Help us to apply those truths to our own lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point is Contribution, found in Exodus 29:22-28. This is what God’s Word says, “Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord. After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share. “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons: the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.”

Last week, we studied how God instructed Moses to consecrate and ordain Aaron and his sons as priests so they could serve God in the Tent of Meeting. We learned that there were to be three sacrifices made to the Lord. The first was a sin offering which always came first. It was a young bull without defect, that atoned for the sins of the priests, giving God’s forgiveness to them. The second was a burnt offering which was a ram without defect, symbolizing the offerors total dedication and commitment to the Lord. Once the sins of the priest were dealt with, they now were fully dedicated and committed to and for His service. The third sacrifice was the peace or fellowship offering, which was also a ram without defect. The blood from this ram was placed on the lobes of the priest’s right ear, the thumbs of their right hand and the big toes of their right feet. This signified that they belonged to God from head to toe and that they should listen differently, work differently and walk differently because they served the one true and living God.

As we pick up our scripture this morning, we are in the middle of the “peace” offering. This offering was not to symbolize being at peace with God. The sin offering had already taken care of that. This offering was to symbolize living in the peace and fellowship of God. The peace of God is the peace that we have because His presence is with us and, no matter what trouble is all around us, we know that He is in control. This peace gives us a sense of security and well-being knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to his purpose. We see that in Romans 8:28. God’s peace also surpasses and transcends all human understanding and is experienced through our faith in Jesus Christ and his work on the cross. This is an offering of someone who is already at peace with God because they have been forgiven of their sins and have dedicated their life to Him. This morning, we will learn more about the peace offering and the three different relationships of the priests that are seen in it.

We ended last week with Aaron and his sons and their garments being consecrated with the blood of the ram and the anointing oil. The first thing we learn today is that the peace offering consisted of the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and the fat around them and the right thigh. These were considered the choicest and the most valuable parts of the sacrifice and as such belonged to the Lord. We also learn that this is the ram of ordination for Aaron and his sons. The word “ordination” literally means the “filling of the hands.” This filling will be seen in a number of ways. One, their hands will be filled with offerings to the Lord so as to not appear before him empty-handed. Two, their hands will be filled with meat and bread from the Lord that will be theirs to eat. Three, their hands will be filled with the task they were to perform. Their task was to oversee and administer the sacrificial system and to teach the people God’s laws and set the example by being in obedience to them.

The peace offering included not only a meat offering but a grain offering as well. The grain offering consisted of one of each of the three types of bread that Moses was to make and bring to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. One of the round loaves, one of the thick loaves with olive oil mixed in and one of the thin loaves, along with the fatty portions of the ram and the right thigh, were to be put in the hands of Aaron and his sons and offered to the Lord. This was done as a wave or “heave” offering. A “heave” offering was one that was held up or “presented” before the Lord. It was symbolic of offering themselves to Him. After presenting their offering, Moses was to take it from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. This would be a pleasing aroma to the Lord, meaning that the offeror has willingly obeyed the Lord, and the Lord is pleased with them. The offeror is now living in the peace and fellowship of God (Big Idea).

One of the differences with the peace offering, as opposed to the sin and burnt offerings, was that not all of it was burnt completely up on the altar. Portions of this sacrifice could be eaten by the priests and the offeror of the sacrifice. The only two portions that could be eaten, after first being offered to the Lord, were the breast and the right thigh. Why the breast and right thigh? The animal sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and He was the fulfillment of the sin offering, the burnt offering and the peace offering. In scripture the breast symbolizes love and affection. The ephod with the twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel, were on Aaron’s heart or breast. This signified that the high priest loved the people that he was interceding for and held them close to his heart. God loved us so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for us so we could live in peace and fellowship with Him. He holds us, his children, close to His heart.

The right thigh symbolizes power and strength. Because God understands everything we are going through, His strength is all we need to make it through the tough times. His strength is reliable and powerful enough to see us through any trial. Feeding on the breast and thigh or the love and strength of Jesus means that because of his great love for us, that caused him to willingly go to the cross, and because his strength is all we need, we should surrender ourselves to Him, accept His will for our lives and trust in His timing and control. When we are living in peace and fellowship with God, he will work out his good purposes for our lives and will be the source of our peace. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” ​​ 

Next, Moses was to take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the Lord as an offering. This would have been done by lifting it up and moving it forward and backward towards heaven. Waving the breast and heaving the thigh before the Lord symbolized that all good things were the Lord’s and impressed upon the priests that he in his grace was sharing a portion with them. After offering the breast, it became Moses’ share as the officiating priest of the consecration ceremony. Later, once Aaron and his sons were ordained, the right thigh would become the portion for the officiating priest and the breast would become the portion for Aaron and his sons. Moses was then to consecrate the breast and the thigh of the ordination ram as they were to always be treated as holy. In the future, these two parts of the peace offering were to be a regular contribution from the Israelite people offered to God, who in return graciously gave to Aaron and his sons.

 

This brings us to the first relationship we see in the peace offering. The relationship between the Israelites and the priests. If you remember from last week, the priests had to rely on God for everything. God was to be their inheritance, their possession and their portion and he would generously supply all that they would need. By requiring the people to give a contribution from their offering, God supplied food for the priests and their families. As a priest serving the Lord in the Tabernacle, they needed to trust that God would supply all they needed. This speaks to pastors today. They are provided for by the tithes and offerings given to God for His use in the church and community. But it also speaks to all of us. As a royal priesthood, in which every believer has the priestly duty to serve the living God, God has promised to supply our needs. By supplying the needs of Aaron and his sons, we are encouraged that God will supply our needs as well. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” That brings us to our first next step on the back of your communication card which is: Trust that by God’s love for me and through His strength, He will supply all of my needs according to His sovereign plan for my life.

 

That brings us to our second point, Clothes, found in Exodus 29:29-30. This is what God’s Word says, “Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them for seven days.”

 

Aaron’s garments were sacred or holy to the Lord and so they were to be handed down to his descendants so they could also be anointed and ordained in them. The son who would succeed his father as high priest was usually the oldest living son and when he came to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place, he was to wear the high priestly clothes for the seven days of the consecration and ordination ceremony.

 

This brings us to the second relationship in our scripture this morning. The relationship between Aaron and his descendants after him who would become the high priest. Passing down the clothes, told the next generation that it wasn’t about them but about serving the Lord. Each high priest was to perform their duties just like the previous one, in obedience to Him. Aaron and every high priest to follow were sinful human beings and would die at some point, meaning that nothing was made perfect through the priestly line of Aaron. Only in our High Priest, Jesus Christ, could perfection be had. The priestly line of Aaron would only exist until God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Jesus offered Himself as the once and for all sacrifice to atone for our sins and will be our High Priest forever.

 

That brings us to our third point, Communion, found in Exodus 29:31-34. This is what God’s Word says, “Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred. And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.”

In the next stage of the consecration and ordination ceremony, the ram’s breast and thigh were to be cooked in a sacred place, meaning the tabernacle courtyard. Cooked probably means that the meat was boiled and then possibly “browned” on the altar. Aaron and his sons were to partake of a covenant or communion meal with God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. In addition to the meat of the ram, the meal also consisted of the bread that had been offered to the Lord. This sacrifice had been applied to the priests on the outside of their bodies, now it would be applied on the inside, signifying they were completely consecrated and ordained. They were to eat these offerings that were given for the atonement made for their ordination and consecration. This meant that the peace offering, as Ross says, “was to be lifted up to God in lieu of their own lives. They were lifted up as gifts, but also as a substitution, an atonement or covering for themselves.” This should remind us that we too have a substitute, Jesus Christ; a sacrifice who died in our place to make atonement for our sin, allowing us to live in peace and fellowship with God.

 

Then we see two regulations for the eating of this sacrifice. One, only the priests could eat of this offering because it was sacred or holy. God had specifically instructed these portions be consecrated as sacred and only those persons whom he had set apart as holy could partake of them. Two, if any of the meat or bread was left over till morning, it had to be burned up and not eaten. This was again because it was sacred. They couldn’t be treated as “leftovers” because once it was offered to the Lord, it became his and could not be treated in any other ways but in the way he prescribed. Since the offering was holy, God was the only who could have control over the remains. These regulations were to impress the holiness of God upon the people and the fact that they were to be holy as well.

 

This brings us to the third relationship in our scripture this morning. The relationship between the priests and God which is the most important for us today. The peace offering symbolized that the offeror was now living in fellowship and peace with God. He had saved them to be in a relationship and enjoy life with Him. This sacred meal with God also points us to the gospel. Once we come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we are invited to eat at His table, communing with Him in the Lord’s Supper. This speaks to our continuing relationship with Jesus reminding us of the question: Is my table empty or full? Spurgeon says, “Let not this distinction be forgotten; the eating of the sacrifice is not intended to give life, for no dead man can eat, but to sustain the life which is there already. A believing look at Christ makes you live, but spiritual life must be fed and sustained.”

 

It is a sacred privilege to sit down for a meal with the living God, to partake and celebrate Holy Communion in a relationship of peace and fellowship with Him. The nineteenth-century missionary John Paton was reminded of this when he first served the Lord’s Supper to the natives of New Hebrides. Paton had left Scotland to evangelize tribes of cannibals. After years of patient witness, they finally came to Christ. Here is how Paton describes their first celebration of Communion: “For years we had toiled and prayed and taught for this. At the moment when I put the bread and wine into hands, once stained with the blood of cannibalism but now stretched out to receive and partake the emblems and seals of the Redeemer’s love, I had a foretaste of the joy of glory that well-nigh broke my heart to pieces. I shall never taste a deeper bliss till I gaze on the glorified face of Jesus himself.”

 

Participating in Communion is a sacred privilege and a foretaste of glory divine in heaven. It is also a picture of a healthy, continuing relationship with Jesus that we can only have when we are living in peace and fellowship with Him. Eating the bread and drinking from the cup is personal. No one can do it on your behalf, and no one can have a relationship with Jesus for you. You must have a personal relationship with Jesus accepting Him as your Lord and Savior and living your life for Him. Second, eating the bread and drinking from the cup must be inward. We must actually eat the bread and drink the cup, symbolically taking the body and blood of Christ into our bodies. Just being in the sanctuary when others take communion doesn’t mean you have participated. This means we must also take it seriously. Three, eating the bread and drinking the cup is active. Our relationship with Jesus must be active. We must continue to become more like Jesus, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, studying God’s Word, praying and spreading the good news of salvation. The Great Commission, to pursue, grow and multiply disciples, is the action of a person who is in a relationship of peace and fellowship with God (Big Idea) and this is what God desires for His people. That brings us to our last next step which is to Be in a personal, inward and active relationship of peace and fellowship with God.

 

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final song and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time we can spend in your presence as a body of believers. Thank you for your salvation and as we take Holy Communion in a few weeks, we look forward to eating at your table, remembering your sacrifice on the cross for our sins. We also look forward to eating at your table in heaven one day. Help us to live our lives on this earth with an urgency in obedience to you, striving for holiness and to become more like your son, Jesus, daily. Help us to trust you to supply all of our needs according to your sovereign plan for each one of us. Help us to strive for a personal, inward and active relationship of peace and fellowship with you. Lord, help us to glorify and honor you with all that we say, think and do as individuals and a congregation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Opening: Ryken’s Commentary on Exodus

Closing: Ryken’s Commentary on Exodus

 

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Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

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Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

How many have ever sung the children’s song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes?” It is a children’s song that goes back to 1912 and can be sung to the tune of “London Bridges Falling Down.” The words are on the screen so sing it with me: Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Eyes and ears and mouth and nose, Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. And the idea was to repeat it two or three times, and to do it faster each time as you do the motions. I found this variation online. Let’s try this together: Ankles, elbows, feet & seat, feet & seat. Ankles, elbows, feet & seat, feet & seat. Hair & hips & chin & cheeks, Ankles, elbows, feet & seat, feet & seat.

When we think of someone being dedicated or committed, what or who do you think about? Here are a few stories of people who were dedicated, committed and did not give up: Walt Davis was totally paralyzed by polio when he was nine years old, but he did not give up. He became the Olympic high jump champion in 1952. Lou Gehrig was such a clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him play on their team. But he was committed and did not give up. Eventually, his name was entered into baseball's Hall of Fame. And lastly, Woodrow Wilson could not read until he was ten years old. But he was committed and became the twenty-eighth President of the United States.

So I want to use that song and those stories, this morning, to develop the idea of dedication and commitment. If we include the variation, notice how many body parts are mentioned: head, shoulder, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, ankles, elbows, feet, seat, hair, hips, chin and cheeks. The body parts go from top to bottom and head to toe of the human body. And in those stories notice that it said they didn’t give up and they were committed. This concept of “from head to toe” will be important this morning as we study our scripture found in Exodus 29:10-21, and as we talk about dedication and commitment.

In our scripture, we continue with the consecration of Aaron, the high priest and his sons, who will be priests under him. We will see three sacrificial offerings that will be made during the consecration ceremony. These offerings must be made for the high priest and his sons to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle. They will be forgiven, dedicated, and marked during the ceremony to follow, that will set them apart to serve the Lord. God demands that His priests be fully dedicated and committed to Him. And as Christians, God’s “royal priesthood, we are also held to that same high standard today. We have been saved and called to be a “royal priesthood” and commanded to pursue, grow and multiply disciples. Our lives and our abilities must be fully dedicated and committed to that Great Commission. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God demands His people be fully dedicated and committed to Him.

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, as we look into your Word, will your Holy Spirit arrest our hearts, minds and souls. Let us totally focus on you and allow your Spirit to speak to us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear what it is you want us to learn and share from our scripture this morning. Empower us to allow it to permeate our very being. We give you honor and glory for the power of your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ​​  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

There are three points this morning. The first is, Priests Forgiven, found in Exodus 29:10-14. This is what God’s Word says, “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. Then take all the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines outside the camp. It is a sin offering.”

Chapter 29 is all about the consecration of the priests who would serve the Lord and the people in the Tabernacle. The animal sacrifices and the cereal offerings have been presented or brought before the Lord at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron, the high priest, and his sons, his deputy priests, have also been brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. It is interesting to note that so far in the consecration process, everything has been done for Aaron and his sons. They have not taken any active part in the process. Their interaction has all been passive. This is because in the consecration ceremony they were to be ministered too. Once they were consecrated and ordained as priests, they would be the ones ministering to the Lord and the people. So how do we see their passivity? First, in Exodus 28:1 God commanded Moses to have Aaron, and his sons brought to him “from among the Israelites.” Again, as I have mentioned the past couple of weeks, they didn’t earn it, choose it or deserve it. God chose them from among His special people to be His priests to serve Him, just like we have been chosen by God to serve Him as a “royal priesthood.”

Second, they were “brought” to the entrance of the Tabernacle foreshadowing Jesus bringing us to God. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” Three, they were “washed” foreshadowing the believer’s salvation and baptism. Fourth, they were “clothed” with their special garments which foreshadowed us being clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Fifth, Aaron, as the high priest, was anointed with oil. Oil in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit so this anointing foreshadowed our being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Sixth, we will see next week that their “hands will be filled” as they are ordained. And seventh, also next week, we will see that they will be “sanctified” which foreshadowed our being set apart to and for God and in and by Christ.

Aaron and his sons look the part of the priests on the outside. ​​ However, they are still full of sin and filth on the inside and that is what Moses was to take care of in the next step of the consecration process. In order for the priests to be ordained, three sacrifices had to be brought before the Lord over seven days. The first sacrifice was the biggest size-wise, the most important and had to come first because it was a sin offering. This sacrifice would atone for the sins of the priests, giving God’s forgiveness to them. We are going to see a pattern emerge as we study these three sacrifices. The first thing that had to be done was to select the sacrifice. We saw in verse one that Moses was to select a young bull without defect, and it is this bull that is to be brought to the front of the Tent of Meeting. The second thing that had to be done was that Aaron and his sons were to lay their hands on the head of the sacrifice. This was not a simple laying on of hands but a “leaning” on; of putting significant pressure on the bull’s head. This action identified the priests with the bull as the sacrifice for their sins. Spurgeon says, “The Hebrew word means more than lightly placing the hand. It was pressing hard on the bull’s head. They leaned on the victim, loading him with their burden, signifying their acceptance of its substitution, their joy that the Lord would accept that victim in their stead. When they put their hands on the bull, they made a confession of sin.”

I want us all to stop and dwell on this action that is to take place. God is teaching His people the principle of substitution. That what is about to happen to this bull should happen to them. As they watch the bull burn on the altar, the bull they have just leaned on with their sinful hands, they realize that they were the ones who deserved to die. God in His mercy allowed a substitute to take their sin and to die in their place. Currid says, “What we see is a case of transference (or substitution), in which the unholiness and impure nature of the priesthood are transferred to the animal. The animal is then sacrificed, thus making atonement for those men.” Do you see the picture of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in this sacrifice? Only a spotless sacrifice, without defect or sin could be our substitute and redeem us. Do you ever stop and think and realize that we are the ones who deserved to die. But God in His mercy allowed His one and only son to take our sin on him and to die on the cross in our place. This should deeply move us to be fully dedicated and committed to God (Big Idea).

The third thing that had to be done was to slaughter the bull immediately. This is what it meant to slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There could be no second thoughts and no compromise. God was teaching His people that the only way to deal with their sin was the immediate death of the sacrificial animal. The fourth thing that had to be done was to sprinkle or place the blood and then burn the sacrifice on the altar. There had to be blood because that was the only way atonement for sins could be satisfied. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Moses was to take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with his finger and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. The animal’s shed blood indicated that a life has been surrendered as the extreme penalty for sin and that life was wholly dedicated to the Lord. Applying the blood to the horns of the altar and to the base of the altar, or to the top and bottom of it, signified that God had accepted the sacrifice offered in the sinner’s place. It was also a permanent reminder of what had taken place. In Leviticus 8:15 we learn that the blood purified and consecrated the altar. This was the only way that blood could be disposed of because the lifeblood of all creatures belonged to the Lord who created all things.

Next, the fat on the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them were to be burned on the altar. These were considered the choicest or best parts of the sacrificial animal and so were offered symbolically to the Lord. And the useless parts, the flesh, hide and intestines, were to be burned outside the camp. This foreshadowed the death of Christ who was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem. Hebrews 13:11-12 says, “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.” Outside the city was considered unclean and a place of disease and death. Jesus had to be crucified outside the city and suffer God’s curse against our sin. This sin offering should remind us of and prompt us to seriously dwell on the sacrifice of Jesus who was our sin offering and that only through his death on the cross could we be forgiven of our sins. Also, this sin offering was necessary because the priests were sinful men and needed to be cleansed just like everyone else. Lastly, the majority of the bull was to be burned up because it was a sin offering and not a sacrifice to be enjoyed as was a fellowship offering.

That brings us to our second point, Priests Dedicated, found in Exodus 29:15-18. This is what God’s Word says, “Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. Cut the ram into pieces and wash the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.”

The second sacrifice was one of the two rams. Again, we see the same pattern as with the first sacrifice. The sacrifice was selected, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head which symbolically received the sins of the priests, it was slaughtered immediately, the blood was splashed against the altar on all sides and the entire ram was burned on the altar. This sacrifice was a “burnt offering.” It was the order of things that a burnt offering followed a sin offering. The significance of the burnt offering is total dedication to the Lord. Once the sins of the priests were dealt with, they now fully dedicated and committed themselves to the Lord for His service. This was significant because the priests had to rely on God for everything. They would not receive an inheritance of land in the Promised Land and/or tribal allotments as the other tribes would. God was to be their inheritance, their possession and their portion. This sacrifice symbolized giving themselves fully to the Lord and signified their wholehearted devotion to Him (Big Idea).

The burnt offering also made atonement for the sinner which involved ransoming and purification. The sacrificial animal was to be a ransom payment for the life of the sinner. Notice that with the burnt offering all four sides of the altar were splashed with the blood and that blood was smeared and poured on the top and the bottom of the altar, respectively, with the sin offering. This symbolized that the entire altar, from top to bottom, from head to toe, was purified. The altar was fully dedicated to the Lord. Next, we see that the ram was cut into pieces, the inner parts were washed and put with the head and other pieces. This signified that everything was done in a particular and specific way, not haphazardly, but just as the Lord commanded it to be done. His specific instructions to Moses will not only apply to the Tabernacle, etc. but to the sacrifices as well. This offering was symbolic of “food” given to the Lord and no other could partake of it. When burned on the altar it would be a pleasing aroma to the Lord meaning that the offeror has willingly obeyed and wholly dedicated themselves to Him. And God is pleased with them for bringing their offering. This sacrifice reminds us of Jesus Christ who was wholly dedicated to his Father’s work and in obedience willingly went to the cross to cleanse us of our sin. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Durham says, “Jesus’ sacrifice was a fragrant offering filling heaven with holy perfume. We must imitate Him through our obedience and sacrifice of love to others.” That brings us to our first next step which is Imitate Jesus Christ through my obedience and sacrifice of love to others around me.

This brings us to our third point, Priests Marked, found in Exodus 29:19-21. This is what God’s Word says, “Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar. And take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.”

The third sacrifice was the second ram and was considered to be a kind of “fellowship” or “peace” offering. Again, we see the same pattern as with the first two sacrifices. The sacrifice was selected, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head which again symbolized it received the sins of the priests, it was slaughtered immediately, and the blood was splashed against the altar on all sides. But we notice something different in the pattern. Before the blood is splashed against the altar, the blood is first applied to the priests themselves. It is very significant as to where the blood was applied. It was applied on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. The right side of the body stood for a man’s strength and the priests were reminded to serve the Lord in His strength and not their own. And God wanted the “life blood” of the sacrificial animal to mark the priests consecrated to Him. The blood has been applied to the altar and has seeped into the surrounding ground. Its purpose, so far, was to cleanse the place but not the person. The blood being applied from the top to the bottom of the priests signified that they belonged to God from head to toe and were fully dedicated, committed and consecrated to their task. Davis explains it like this: “This act implied the complete dedication of life and ability to the service of God. Symbolically the blood put on the right ear sanctified that organ to hear the word of God; that which was put on the right hand set the hands apart in their performance of mediatorial work. The right foot spoke of the sanctified walk of the life of the priest as an example to others.”

And Ryken says this, “We have been set apart to serve. Our ears belong to God. He wants us to listen to his Word. Our thumbs belong to God, too, along with the rest of our hands. God wants us to serve him with all our strength. Even our big toes belong to God, which is something to think about every time we put on our socks! God wants us to walk with him as we make our way through the world. We have a high and holy calling. We have been ordained as priests to serve the living God.” The priests were stained with the blood of the sacrificial ram, and so, they should listen differently because the blood was on their ears. They should work differently because the blood was on their thumbs. They should walk differently because the blood was on their toes. That brings us to our second next step which is to Listen differently, work differently and walk differently as God’s royal priesthood in the world.”

Now it was time for the priests to be consecrated. Moses was to splash blood against all four sides of the altar. And then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the special anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. It was this action that consecrated Aaron, his sons and their garments setting them apart to serve the Lord and the people. This would complete what will already be done in the sin and burnt offerings. God accepted Aaron and his sons, clothed in their special garments, to serve in the Tabernacle. Blood signified forgiveness and oil signified purity and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Spurgeon says, “Yes, brethren, we need to know that double anointing, the blood of Jesus which cleanses, and the oil of the Holy Spirit which perfumes us. It is well to see how these two blend in one . . . It is a terrible blunder to set the blood and the oil in opposition, they must always go together.” This purity, forgiveness and indwelling of the Holy Spirit made the priests and their garments holy and acceptable to God.

Speaking of their garments, I found this interesting account in Leviticus 10. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, two of the priests who would be consecrated like we just studied, offered unauthorized fire before the Lord. This was contrary to God’s command, and they were consumed by fire from the presence of the Lord and died. Verse 5 says they were carried from the camp still in their tunics. Their garments were so holy that although the priests were destroyed for their sin and ungodliness, their clothes were intact and still holy to the Lord.

In the December 1987 Life magazine, Brad Darrach wrote: "Meryl Streep is gray with cold. In Ironweed, her new movie, she plays a ragged derelict who dies in a cheap hotel room, and for more than half an hour before the scene she has been hugging a huge bag of ice cubes in an agonizing effort to experience how it feels to be a corpse. Now the camera begins to turn. Jack Nicholson, her derelict lover, sobs and screams and shakes her body. But through take after take--and between takes too-Meryl just lies like an iced mackerel.

Frightened, a member of the crew whispers to the director, Hector Babenco, 'What's going on? She's not breathing!' "Babenco gives a start. In Meryl's body there is absolutely no sign of life! He hesitates, then lets the scene proceed. Yet even after the shot is made and set struck, Meryl continues to lie there, gray and still. Only after ten minutes have passed does she slowly, slowly emerge from the coma-like state into which she has deliberately sunk. Babenco is amazed. 'Now that', he mutters in amazement 'is acting! That is an actress!'" Total dedication amazes people. How wonderful to be so dedicated to Christ that people will say, "Now that, is a Christian!" (Big Idea). Let us be people who are fully dedicated and committed to the Lord. Let us be people who because of our total dedication to Christ, people will sincerely say about us, “Now that, is a Christian.” That brings us to our last next step which is to Fully dedicate and commit myself to the Lord.

As the praise team comes to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s close in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this time together as your people, to come together and be strengthened by your Word. Help us to Imitate your son, Jesus Christ, through our obedience and sacrifice of love to others around us. Help us to listen differently, work differently and walk differently as your royal priesthood in the world. And as we live this out daily, help us to be fully dedicated and committed to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Huddle Up

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Huddle Up

Coach Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers and former football coach, tells about the time in 1991, while coaching football at the University of Colorado, that he challenged his entire team to play beyond their normal abilities. He had heard that we spend 86 percent of our time thinking about ourselves and 14 percent of our time thinking of others. The coach was convinced that if his team could stop thinking about themselves and begin to think of others, there was a whole new source of energy that would be available to them. He challenged each of the team members to call someone they admired and loved and tell that person that he was dedicating the game to them. The team member was to encourage this person to carefully watch every play they made, because it was all dedicated to them. McCartney planned to distribute sixty footballs, one for each player to send to the person he had chosen, with the final score written on the football. The team that Colorado was playing was their archrival, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, on their home turf in Lincoln, Nebraska. Colorado had not won a game there in twenty-three years. But Coach McCartney had just challenged his players to play beyond themselves, to play for love. The Colorado Buffaloes won that football game. The score that was written on sixty footballs was 27–12 (adapted from What Makes a Man?, 12–13).

Love is a powerful motivator. Love empowers a mother to run into the flow of merging traffic to save her child. Love compels a husband or wife to dedicate their life to their dying spouse. Love provides added energy at work when you do for a living what you love to do. But have you ever thought about the fact that love motivates obedience and service? God called a select group of men as priests who would play a vital role in the life of the people of Israel. These needed to be men not only called but so in love with their God that their motivation was always to please him through their obedience and service. The same is true for us today. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. And every Christian is called to be part of His “royal priesthood” and to please Him with their obedience and service. How much do you love God? Do you love him enough to sacrifice everything to and for Him. We aren’t going to be willing to sacrifice everything to God unless we are falling deeper in love with Him every day and living in obedience and service to Him. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God desires His people to obey and serve Him out of their deep love for Him.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, give us eyes to see and ears to hear your Word and your Holy Spirit this morning. May we come humbly, seeking your wisdom and instruction for our daily lives. May we be open to your Spirit’s prompting and conviction as we strive to become more like your son, Jesus. Help us to be obedient to pursue, grow and multiply disciples? Help us to love you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to surrender all of ourselves to you. We pray for spiritual renewal and revival in ourselves, our church and in our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our first point this morning is Summary found in Exodus 29:1-3. This is what God’s Word says, “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil. Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.”

God is still talking to Moses and giving him instructions on the mountain. These first three verses are a summary of the consecration process, and we learn a few things from them. One, Moses as the covenant deliverer and mediator will be the one to assume the priestly right, given to him by God, to conduct the consecration ceremony. Later in Israel’s history, the high priest would consecrate and ordain subsequent priests. Two, we are told who is to be consecrated. The word “them” points back to chapter 28 where Moses receives instructions for making the clothes that the high priest, Aaron, and his sons, Aaron’s deputy priests, would wear. Aaron and his sons would wear these clothes as they were consecrated to the Lord. We saw this in chapter 28, verse 41. Three, we also learn what they were to be consecrated for . . . which was to serve the Lord, first and foremost, and also the people as priests in God’s house, the Tabernacle. The word consecrate means to “be set apart” and to be made clean from spiritual and moral defilement. They were to be set apart to do the exclusive sacred work of the Lord they were called to; they would no longer do what was ordinary or common. Without undergoing this process of being made holy, they could not serve the Lord as priests.

Four, Moses is told what he needs to gather for the consecration ceremony. He was to “take” a young bull and two rams without defect. The word “take” refers to something being selected to be used in divine worship as commanded by God. These animal offerings were to be a true sacrifice for Aaron and his sons. “Young” and “without defect” meant that these sacrifices were suitable for a holy God and that the worshipper’s love for God was seen by bringing the highest quality animal or animals to be sacrificed. Consecration could not happen without the sacrificial shedding of blood and so in bringing these sacrifices that were “young” and “without defect”, the priests showed they were obeying and serving the Lord out of a deep love for Him (Big Idea).

Moses was to also gather ingredients for “cereal offerings.” He was to make three different types of bread. The first type was round loaves using the “finest” wheat flour without yeast. “Finest” means it was not ordinary flour but flour that had already been refined. The bread was to be made without yeast but would still be of the highest quality as the animal offerings were. The second was thick loaves without yeast with olive oil mixed in, probably to make the loaves firm so that they could be presented as offerings. The third type was thin loaves or some versions say “wafers” that were made without yeast and brushed with olive oil. This offering parallels the “peace” or “fellowship” offering in Leviticus 7:12 which is offered as an expression of thankfulness towards the Lord. The solemn consecration ceremony was to begin in an atmosphere of thanksgiving and could not happen without true fellowship with God.

The “cereal” offerings were to be eaten on the same day they were offered leaving none for the next morning. Also, notice that the offering of unblemished rams and unleavened bread reminds us of the Passover night back in Exodus 12. Moses was to prepare the three different types of bread, put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and two rams. To “present” meant to be “brought near” to the entrance of the tabernacle. The way the bread was made showed how special the consecration meal was to be and the formality of it. Bringing the animals and cereal offerings formally to the tabernacle was part of the first step in the consecration process.

Now that the consecration ceremony has been summarized and Moses has gathered the items needed for the ceremony, we come to our second point, “Set Apart”, found in Exodus 29:4-9. This is what God’s Word says, “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breast piece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban. Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. “Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.”

There were a number of steps to the consecration ceremony. The next part of the first step was to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting, present them before God and wash them with water. They would have come only in their undergarments so as not to be exposed to the people or before God. Then they would wash from head-to-toe symbolizing spiritual purification and baptism. They were already called by God to salvation and were now to be washed or “baptized” as an outward sign of being “set apart” for God’s work. They would not be allowed to go inside the tabernacle, handle the holy things and serve in the Holy Place, until they were spiritually cleansed and set apart represented by their washing. This presenting and washing parallels our own salvation and baptism. Titus 3:4-7 says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

The second step was to dress Aaron in the special clothes that God commanded Moses to have made for the high priest. Aaron is dressed first because he was the high priest and the embodiment of the priesthood. The white linen tunic would have been worn over the undergarments. The blue robe of the ephod would have been worn over the tunic. The ephod would have been worn over the robe and the breast piece would have been worn over the ephod. The ephod was to be fastened on Aaron by its skillfully woven waistband. Lastly, the turban was put on Aaron’s head and the “sacred emblem” which is the same as the plate with “Holy to the Lord” engraved on it like a seal, would have been attached to the turban. Some versions say “diadem” instead of the sacred emblem. Diadem gives the sense of a crown and is a sign of consecration and rule. The high priest would rule over the tabernacle as God’s appointed leader of the priests.

Now that Aaron had been dressed properly, he was anointed with a special anointing oil. This special oil, described in Exodus 30, consisted of liquid myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, fragrant calamus and cassia and olive oil. Mackay says, “‘Anointing’ represents God’s choice and designation for a special task.” The anointing oil was used to set apart Aaron for divine service. He is now allowed in the Tabernacle to serve God and would not be considered a trespasser in His eyes. Aaron could now serve in the tabernacle out of his deep love for the Lord and in obedience to Him (Big Idea). It also seems that Aaron as high priest would have been anointed in a certain way that the other priests weren’t. He would be anointed by pouring the special oil over his head which would have caused it to run down through his beard and clothes. Psalm 133:2 says, It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. This would have been a generous amount of oil which represented God’s abundant blessing in consecrating Aaron as high priest. After Aaron was dressed and anointed, his sons were brought and dressed in their tunics and caps. Notice that they were not anointed with oil at this time, but we can surmise that his sons were anointed at some point in the consecration ceremony probably by just applying oil to their foreheads.

The Hebrew root of the word “anoint” is the source of the word “Messiah.” This points us to Jesus, our high priest and king, who was divinely “set apart” and empowered by God for his work of salvation. Jesus was anointed when he was baptized by John the Baptist at the beginning of his earthly ministry. He was not baptized for repentance but to be “set apart” to bring salvation to sinners. He was baptized by the Holy Spirit to be our high priest becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins and today he intercedes for us in heaven giving us direct access to God’s grace and mercy. Today, God “sets us apart” to be His royal priesthood and “anoints” us by the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Lastly, sashes were tied onto Aaron and his sons. This was done to them all at the same time signifying that they shared the responsibilities and dignity of serving the Lord as His priests in the tabernacle. This priesthood was theirs by a lasting ordinance. God had chosen Aaron and his descendants to serve Him as priests. They didn’t choose it, deserve it or earn it and they didn’t buy the position or take it by force. God sovereignly and providently choose Aaron, his sons and his descendants to be the priests in the tabernacle forever.

Now that the preparatory steps had been taken, it was now time to “ordain” Aaron and his sons. “Ordain” literally means “filling of the hands” referring to inducting someone into the rights and privileges of an office. “Filling of the hands” signified their privilege and duty to perform the sacrifices and to make offerings before the Lord. They would also teach God’s holy laws and statues to the people and help them to obey them. It also referred to the provision of the Lord as he “filled their hands” with all that they would need to perform the priestly tasks in the tabernacle. I like how Hamilton puts it, “So before the clergy enter into this sacred moment (referring to the ordaining to come), they first need a washing; then second, a covering; and third, an anointing; One removes anything that should not be there. The second provides the clothing that the priests need to wear in order to expedite their priestly ministry. The third provides what is not there, a supernatural endowment, an anointing with oil.”

We see a lot of parallels in these events for us as Christians and being called into the “royal priesthood” by God. One, we have been washed by the blood of Jesus and clothed in his perfect righteousness. Galatians 3:26-27 says, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Two, we have been “anointed” by God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection has ordained us as priests. All Christians have been chosen by God to serve Him in this capacity. We didn’t choose it, earn it, or deserve it. And we all are to share the responsibilities and dignity of serving the Lord as a “royal priesthood” as it is our duty and privilege to serve the Lord in the church and in the world. Three, God has “filled our hands” providing all we need to fulfill our role as priests for his honor, praise and glory. That brings us to our first next step which is to Serve the Lord as a “royal priesthood” in the church and in the world for His honor, praise and glory.

I want you to imagine that your favorite football team is in a huddle; they’re behind by one point with ten seconds to go, and the ball is on the five-yard line. They’re just about ready to score. The fans in the stadium are on their feet. They know the next play is crucial, but the team just stays in the huddle and talks. Eventually, the referee blows a whistle, throws his yellow flag, and steps off a five-yard penalty for delay of game. But the team seems oblivious to what’s going on. They remain in their huddle, just holding hands and talking. And finally they burst out of the huddle cheering, run to the sidelines and out of the stadium, and get in their cars and go home. Every fan would be frustrated and angry about that kind of action because a huddle is not an end in itself. The purpose of the huddle is to plan the strategy for the next play and to give encouragement to those who are participating. And it would never happen that a team would just huddle and then hurry home. Or would it?

Sometimes this is an accurate portrayal of the church. There’s a spiritual conflict going on in the world, and we gather weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays to worship the Lord, learn from His Word and to find inspiration and strategy for living the Christian life. But the problem is that sometimes we treat this “Holy Huddle” as an end in itself. We measure the church’s effectiveness by the number of people in the holy huddle and by the inspiration of the hour, and then we disperse and disappear until next week. Our measurement needs to change. Our motivation, first of all, to come to this “house of God” on Sundays and Wednesdays to worship the Lord together, should be out of our deep love for Him (Big Idea). That love is shown as we worship our Lord and Savior in spirit and in truth and give him the honor, praise and glory that he is due. It should also be a time of spiritual growth and inspiration to live out the Christian life and to receive instructions on how to make an impact for Jesus Christ in the world. We are to serve the Lord as priests, pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples. As a Christian, as a believer in Jesus Christ, we have been anointed to be obedient and serve the king, offering sacrifices of praise and service every day not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. And know this: God is watching us, and He will judge our obedience and service in the future. Believers will not face any judgment for their sin, but they will face the judgment for their obedience and servanthood. One day I will be standing before Almighty God giving an account of my obedience to God and my service in His church and in the world.

For what kind of service has God set you apart? What is He asking you to do in helping others in your church discover God’s call? What is God asking you to do in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, with those who do not know him as their Lord and Savior? Are you being obedient in pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples? Do you love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and live out all that it entails. We must take this time we have been given on this earth seriously. After all, we are the salt of the earth and a light to the world. It is imperative that out of our deep love for God, we put on those priestly outfits and go to work. That brings us to our second and final next step which is to Put on my priestly outfit and go to work, obeying and serving the Lord.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final song and the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, as we leave this huddle today, please don’t let us leave thinking this is all you have called us to. We have lifted your name up in praise and worship, we have been given ways to apply your scripture to our everyday lives and we know what our marching orders are. Help us to be obedient and to serve you faithfully in the priestly office you have ordained us to. We ask that you Holy Spirit would now guide us as we go out into the world to pursue, grow and multiply disciples in all the places we live, work and play. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Opening: Glen S. Martin, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B&H Publishing Group, 2002), 133.

Conclusion: Glen S. Martin, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B&H Publishing Group, 2002), 133.

 

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