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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Dressed for Success

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Dressed for Success

While studying for the Roman Catholic priesthood, Donald Smarto performed the role of the cardinal in a religious play. To help him look the part, his monastery arranged for him to borrow ornate robes from the cardinal of his diocese. “I was excited by this,” Smarto writes in his autobiography, “and when they arrived, I went to my room, locked the door and carefully removed the red cassock with matching sash and scarlet cape from the suit bag.”

Smarto’s clothes were fit for a priest, but as he wore them, they became an obsession: “Though each evening the play began at eight o’clock, I found myself putting the cardinal’s robes on earlier and earlier. It only took about half an hour to fasten all the buttons, but by the last days of the performance, I was dressing by two o’clock in the afternoon, five hours before the beginning of the play. I would strut back and forth in front of a full-length mirror, and as I did, a feeling would come over me. I stood for the longest time looking at my reflection, and I liked what I saw.… I had a sense that I was holy—and not only because I was imitating my superiors. I simply didn’t think I was a sinner; I felt confident that my works pleased God.”

Not long afterward, Smarto’s false confidence was shattered, and he saw what the person under the robes was really like. It happened at the movies: The film was a satire of priests and nuns in Rome. They were wearing elaborate, if not garish, garments. In the film, an amused audience was mesmerized as the clerics strutted around in garments lit by flashing neon tubing.… Then a bishop came on the stage in the movie. Dressed in a beautiful vestment studded with sparkling gems, he walked out slowly from behind a curtain. As he walked, however, a large gust of wind ripped open his vestment, revealing a rotted skeleton underneath.

“In an instant, my mind said, That’s me.… I immediately blocked out the thought.… “That’s not me!” I said with the intensity with which Peter denied Christ.… I wanted to push the film images out of my mind, but it didn’t work.… I kept talking to myself and to God to try to make myself feel better. “Make this feeling go away,” I said to God. “I am not a hypocrite. I am not an actor. I’m a good person!” I kept thinking of all the good things I did.… Yet, these thoughts didn’t bring consolation.”

We all try to dress ourselves up for God. But somewhere deep down, Don Smarto was starting to discover something we all need to learn: Even if we wear clothes fit for a priest, we are not good enough to stand before God. If ever a man needed to be good enough to stand before God, it was the high priest of Israel. He had the awesome responsibility of entering the tabernacle to meet with God. In order to do this properly, the high priest had to wear the clothes God told him to wear. He had to wear the ephod with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders. And he had to wear the breast piece of decision that kept God’s precious people close to his heart.

Today, we are going to learn about the rest of the clothing the high priest was to wear and the clothing his sons were to wear as they all served the Lord and the people in the tabernacle. They needed to be dressed for success, meaning they had to wear exactly what God specified, and they couldn’t deviate from it, or they would be punished by death. Dressed righteously and obediently in these clothes allowed Aaron to stand in holiness before the Lord. The same is true for us today but instead of the high priest of Israel standing in holiness before the Lord for us, we have God’s high priest, Jesus Christ, standing before the Lord in holiness for us. This is possible because Jesus willingly went to the cross as the sinless sacrifice for our sins and rose again by the power of God and right now, today, he sits on the right hand of the father interceding on our behalf.

But we aren’t off the hook. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” We must live a sanctified life as God demands holiness from us. Only by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior can we stand before the Lord in perfect holiness. But after our salvation, our personal holiness is seen in our obedience to Him, in our walking fruitfully and faithfully, in our conscious and serious faith, in our submitting to His will and in our walking in the fear of the Lord. This is called sanctification or the process of being made holy by God, and we will see these things in our scripture this morning as we study the rest of the high priestly clothing. That brings us to our big idea this morning that God demands His people stand before Him in perfect holiness.

But before we dive into our scripture, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for drawing us to yourself this morning here in this sacred place. We worship you because you are the only one worthy of worship. We honor and glorify you because you are our great God, our good, good father. Open our hearts and minds to your Word and help us to focus on you and you alone. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us as we learn from your Word this morning. In Jesus name, Amen.

Our first point is, Faithful to the Lord, found in Exodus 28:31-39. This is what God’s Word says, “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die. “Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord. “Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.”

The two major articles of clothing for the high priest were the ephod and breast piece. Everything else was considered minor but still necessary and they had to be made to God’s exact specifications. The first article mentioned is the “robe of the ephod” (picture). It is called this because it was worn under the ephod and accentuated the beauty of it. The robe was a one-piece, seamless woven article of clothing made entirely of blue cloth. The color blue signified heaven just as the color blue did in the tabernacle curtain and other high priestly clothes. The robe was something like an oversized sleeveless night shirt that hung down around the high priest’s ankles. The sides would have been gathered in by a sash which will be mentioned later. There was to be an opening for the head in the robe’s center and a collar was to be woven so it would not tear. The collar had to be sturdy enough to handle the daily wear and tear of the high priest pulling it on over his head again and again. The high priest’s one-piece, seamless woven robe reminds us of Jesus’ one-piece seamless woven undergarment that he wore to the cross. In John 19:23, we see that the soldiers would not tear it but instead gambled for it and so fulfilled scripture. The gospel writer, John, was identifying Jesus Christ as our high priest in going to the cross interceding for our sins.  ​​​​ 

Then they were to make decorations of pomegranates around the hem of the robe. These pomegranate decorations were to be made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn. In Exodus 39, where we see the robe actually being made, we are told that it was to also be made of finely twisted white linen which meant the robe was made of the same material as the entrance curtain to the tabernacle. Pomegranates were an important fruit in Palestine. They were the size of an orange and had dark red flesh. They signified abundance, beauty and fruitfulness. Then they were to make gold bells that were to be attached to the hem of the robe alternating between the pomegranates. In Exodus 39, we are told the bells were to be made of pure gold. According to ancient Jewish sources there could have been anywhere from twelve to three hundred and sixty attachments to the hem of the robe including the pomegranates and the bells (picture). As the high priest performed his duties before the Lord there would have been a constant tinkling of bells heard.

Even though the robe was a minor article of clothing, God commanded that Aaron was to wear it when he ministered. Then we are told what the bells were for. The sound of the bells was to be heard when he entered the Holy Place before the Lord and when he left, so he would not die. What did this mean? For the people outside the tabernacle it meant that the high priest was alive and ministering before the Lord. For the Lord it meant that the God-appointed high priest had entered the tabernacle dressed as He commanded as his representative of the people. The bells signified that the high priest was faithfully performing his duties, in God’s prescribed way, in holiness before the Lord and that he was safe in God’s presence. “When he enters the Holy Place . . . and when he comes out” means that the entire time he was ministering to the Lord, the sound of the bells prevented the high priest’s death. The pomegranates and the bells signified that the high priest was performing his duties faithfully and fruitfully. He had come before God faithfully dressed and he was the one person who was truly connected to God, daily coming into his presence in the Holy Place. Being connected to God reminds us of John 15 where Jesus says, “we are the branches, and He is the vine.” We will not bear fruit if we are not connected to the vine. We can only walk fruitfully and faithfully when we are daily connected to Jesus. As God’s representatives on this earth, he commands us to pursue, grow and multiply disciples and to serve Him and serve others, loving God and our neighbors. That brings us to our first next step which is to Walk fruitfully and faithfully as God’s representative on the earth.

The next article of clothing that was to be made was a plate of pure gold which was to have the words, “Holy to the Lord” engraved on it like a seal. These words were to be engraved on the gold plate just like the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were to be engraved on the onyx stones that sat on the shoulder pieces of the ephod and the precious stones that sat on the breast piece. This signified permanence, in that when the high priest came into the Holy Place properly dressed, he was considered by God holy and able to intercede for the people. The pure gold plate was to be attached to the front of the turban with a blue cord. Just like the building of the ark was mentioned before the building of the tabernacle, the gold plate is mentioned before the turban. The gold plate was more important than the turban and it indicated that Aaron bore the guilt involved in the sacred gifts and offerings the Israelites consecrated and brought before the Lord. Even though these gifts and offerings were for the people’s atonement for their sins, they were sinful because the people were sinful. The turban with the gold plate had to be continually on Aaron’s forehead as he ministered before the Lord bearing witness to his intention to bring acceptable gifts and offerings to the Lord. There was never a time that Aaron could come into the presence of the Lord in the Holy Place without the gold plate. If he did, the people’s gifts and offerings would not be acceptable meaning that they would not obtain God’s forgiveness for their sins. Also, Aaron would probably have been slain by the Lord for his disobedience.

The gold plate was a conscious and serious reminder, to both Aaron and the Israelites, that his actions on their behalf was done in faith to receive God’s grace and mercy in the forgiveness of their sins that would make them “holy to the Lord.” Their faith that what Aaron was faithfully doing saved them from their sins, not the plate on his forehead. Our faith today also needs to be conscious and serious. We must not just go through the motions in our faith. If we do go through the motions, and remember God knows our hearts, our “offerings” will not be acceptable to Him. Imagine taking communion thinking of it as just a snack and not a remembrance of “Christ’s death until he comes again.” I Corinthians 11:27-29 says, “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

Or imagine participating in baptism and treating it as only a refreshing “swim” or “bath” and not as the outward sign of an inward change of a heart conversion toward the Lord. Or imagine just coming to church and treating it as a checkbox or just to look good and pious to your friends and not coming to be in the awesome presence of the Lord in order to worship, praise and honor Him with other Christians. Our faith must be conscious and serious in order to be “holy to the Lord.” That brings us to our second next step which is to Take my faith seriously and be conscious of living it out faithfully.

Next, we see three more minor articles of clothing commanded by God to be made for the high priest. A tunic of fine white linen, a turban made of fine white linen and an embroidered sash. In Exodus 39, the tunic and the turban are to be woven. The tunic would have been a long shirt-like garment like the robe but worn under the robe next to the skin (picture). The turban would have been a headdress made by wrapping fine white linen cloth which was woven around the high priest’s head (picture). Ancient Jewish sources say that it took eight yards of material to make the high priest’s turban. The covering of the head in ancient times symbolized subordination and so by wearing the turban itself, Pink says, it “intimated his (the high priest) subordination to God, his obedience to God’s commands and submission to His will.

The last article of clothing for the high priest was the sash; also called a belt or girdle (picture). The sash would have kept the high priest’s robe and tunic tight to his body as he performed his priestly tasks. The sash was to be the work of an embroiderer and in Exodus 39, we are told the sash was to be made like the curtain of the tabernacle, the ephod and the breast piece, with finely twisted white linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. Sashes were a symbol of rank and usually worn by kings, high officials and priests. Josephus, a Jewish historian, says that the sash wound several times around the body with its ends hanging down to the feet. It would have been thrown over the priest’s shoulders as he performed his priestly duties. The sash or girdle was the equipment of faith and a means of strength. We see this in Luke 12:35-36 in the NKJV: “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.” This means we are to be ready for Christ’s return. We are to be active in service or engaged in God’s work until he returns, and we are to be faithful in testimony, letting our light shine before men so they see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. We see that in Matthew 5:18. An inactive believer will sooner or later become a worldly one, so we need to be careful, watchful and always ready to do what the Lord has commanded us to do. That brings us to our third next step which is to Be engaged in God’s work, letting my light shine and being ready for Christ’s return.

Now that God had commanded Moses what Aaron was to wear while he ministered before the Lord and how that clothing was to be made, He now turns to what Aaron’s sons, the high priest’s deputies were to wear as they ministered to the people and the Lord. We see this in our second point, Fear of the Lord, found in Exodus 28:40-43. This is what God’s Word says, “Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honor. After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. “Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.”

Notice that Aaron’s sons do not get a robe, ephod or breast piece. But they were to have tunics, sashes and caps made for them. These articles of clothing were simpler than Aaron’s but their role was still important and so their clothing had to be made as the Lord specified. They were still special but could not be compared to the glory and beauty of the high priest’s garments. But Aaron’s sons were still to have clothes of dignity and honor even though they had a lesser office and lower position. The word “caps” is a different kind of headdress than the high priest’s turban. It can be translated as “bonnet” or “headband.” It seems that they were made of less material, and the overall shape was more rounded than the turban.

God then commanded Moses that after putting these clothing on Aaron and his sons, he was to anoint, ordain and consecrate them so they could serve the Lord as priests. These three things would prepare them to be His servants. “Anoint” represents “filling with and continual reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. “Ordain” means they have been given the equipment to discharge God’s ministry he has called them to. Consecrate or “sanctity” literally means to make clean referring to the spiritual and moral separation of the priest from all defilement. That’s from Morgan’s commentary. We will study the consecration ceremony next week.

Finally, the last garment to be made for Aaron and his sons were white linen undergarments. These would have been long undershorts that reached from their waist to their thigh and would have been worn next to their skin. Whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar to minister in the Holy Place, they had to wear these linen undergarments so they would not incur guilt and be killed by the Lord. This points us back to Exodus 20:26 where God prohibited steps on their altars so that their private parts would not be exposed. These undergarments were to be worn to ensure their modesty before the Lord as they performed their priestly duties in His presence. This would distinguish the Israelite priests from the pagan priests who regularly performed their sacred rituals in the nude. We are told for the second time that God’s instructions were to be followed to the letter or death could have been incurred. It was a serious matter to come into the presence of the Lord and so everything had to be done to his perfect specifications. They needed to have a healthy “fear of the Lord” or reverence for Him. Coming into God’s presence is always a matter of life and death. This is true for us as well. Will God accept us or reject us? Will he condemn us for our sins, or will he accept us on the basis of a holy sacrifice? This question will be answered once and for all on the day of judgment, when every person will stand before God. Then only the holy will survive, for as Hebrews 12:14 says, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.” You may think then, “How, then, can anyone stand before the Lord?” (Big Idea)

We began this sermon with the shocking discovery of Don Smarto’s sin. God used a film to show the aspiring young priest that underneath the proud robes of his own righteousness he was dead in sin. But there is more to the story. As Smarto returned to his monastery that night, he struggled to justify himself before God. He walked out into the surrounding cornfields to walk in the moonlight. Soon the moon was covered with clouds, and the night turned black. As Smarto stumbled around in the darkness, with his heart pounding, he cried out to God, “Tell me I am doing the right thing. Tell me that everything I do pleases you. Speak to me clearly!” When he was almost in despair, Smarto heard a strange humming sound and walked toward it. He reached out in the darkness and touched a solid piece of wood. It was only a telephone pole. But as he looked up, the clouds began to part, and he could see the crossbar that held up the phone lines. There, silhouetted against the moonlight, was the form of a cross. Don Smarto was standing at the foot of the cross, looking to Jesus for his salvation. He writes: “Now I knew, I really knew, that Christ had died for me. It was coupled with the more important revelation that I was a sinner, that I was not the good person I had thought I was a moment before. All at once I embraced the telephone pole and began to cry. I must have hugged that piece of wood for nearly an hour. I could imagine Jesus nailed to this pole, blood dripping from his wounds. I felt as if the blood were dripping over me, cleansing me of my sin and unworthiness.”

You know, there is nothing on our own that you or I can do to please God. We can’t earn our salvation, and we definitely don’t deserve it. And also I am not the good person I would like to think that I am. And neither are you. We are all covered with the filth of our sin. What we need is someone to stand for us before God in perfect holiness. So, we look to our holy high priest—the Lord Jesus Christ—and hold on to the cross where he died for our sins. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that enables us to stand before God. This is what it means to be dressed for success: we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus and without salvation in him we will spend eternity in hell separated from God. But when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can be assured of spending eternity in heaven with our good God and with His one and only son, our Lord and Savior. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior and are feeling prompted by the Holy Spirit this morning to know more, please go to the back of your communication card on the top right where it says, “Send me info about” and mark the top one “Becoming a follower of Jesus” and I will be in contact with you. It is the most important and urgent decision you can ever make.

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, as we close our service this morning and go about our separate ways, help us to remember what you have taught each one of us this morning. Don’t let us just go about our merry way and forget what a privilege and responsibility our faith should be. Help us to remember that we can’t stand before you in our own holiness but only because of the perfect holiness of your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to take our faith seriously and be conscious of living it out faithfully. Help us to walk fruitfully and faithfully as your representatives on the earth. And help us to be engaged in your work, letting our lights shine and be ready for Christ’s return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Opening: Ryken’s commentary on Exodus

Closing: Ryken’s commentary on Exodus

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Labor of Love

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Labor of Love

Have you ever wanted to know exactly what God will be for you? Or what he wanted you to do? Decision-making can be difficult, and when it’s time to make an important life choice, people often wish that God would come right out and tell them what he wants them to do. What college should I go to? Which job should I take? What church should I attend? Is God calling me to be a missionary? Is it time to relocate? Whom should I marry? Which medical treatment should I choose? Life is full of decisions, and when it comes to the tough ones, it would be nice to know exactly what God has in mind. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Ideal Toys and Tyco Toys marketed a plastic toy known as The Magic 8-Ball which kids used to try and figure out the future. The toy looked like a large, black billiard ball and was filled with liquid, with a flat window on one side. This is where the answers to life’s questions would appear, as if by magic. Someone would ask a question and shake the ball. Everyone else would crowd around to see what answer would show up in the window: “Yes.” “No.” “Maybe.” “Ask again.” There are times when we want to know God’s will for our future, when we wish he would give us something like the Magic 8-Ball. Am I supposed to go here or there? Is it this or is it that? Should I stay or should I go? Tell me, Lord: Is it yes, no or maybe?

In his infinite wisdom, God has not provided a guidance system to shake and then wait for his divine will to appear. However, God did give his people a way to make decisions in the Old Testament. Israel’s high priest carried the tools for knowing God’s will in his front pocket—the Urim and Thummim. By studying these strange devices in their total Biblical context, we can come to a better understanding of how God guides his people today. That brings us to our Big Idea that God desires His people be led by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we want to hear from you this morning. So, we pray that your Holy Spirit will fill us with your wonder and majesty and open our eyes and ears to your Word and the magnificent things in it. Give us wisdom and discernment and help us to apply what you teach each one of us to our lives this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

There are two points this morning, the first is Make, found in Exodus 28:15-28. This is what God’s Word says, “Fashion a breast piece for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It is to be square—a span long and a span wide—and folded double. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

“For the breast piece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breast piece. Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breast piece, and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breast piece on the inside edge next to the ephod. Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. The rings of the breast piece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breast piece will not swing out from the ephod.”

Last week, we were introduced to the clothes that the high priest of Israel would be required to wear as he ministered before God and to the people in the tabernacle. The high priest was responsible to keep the lampstand lit and to take care of exchanging the bread on the Table of the Presence each Sabbath. He was also to make sacrifices for his sins and the sins of the people and to offer fervent prayers on behalf of the Israelites to the Lord. While he performed these duties, he was to wear special clothes that were holy, glorious and beautiful, like the Lord was. These clothes were to be made by skilled workers to whom God had given wisdom to in such matters. These clothes showed what it took for sinful man to come into the presence of God – they needed to be holy, glorious and beautiful. The high priest was chosen by God to represent the people before the Lord and the Lord before the people. But he could only be the mediator between a sinful people and a holy God when he was dressed in the glorious and beautiful righteous robes made specially for him per God’s instructions.

Even though the breast piece was mentioned first back in verse four, when the Lord gave instructions on making the clothing He started with the ephod. Today we will study the Lord’s instructions on making the breast piece which is intimately linked to the ephod. The ephod was made for the breast piece not the other way around because the sole purpose of the ephod was to support the breast piece. We see the importance of the breast piece in that sixteen verses and 400 words are used to describe the making of it and only nine verses and 196 words are used to describe the making of the ephod.

The first thing we learn about the breast piece is that it was to be used for making decisions or judgments as some versions say. The second thing we learn is that it was to be made by skilled craftsmen just like the ephod was supposed to be made. The breast piece would also be made by the same skilled workers who would make the tabernacle. The third thing we learn is that it was to be made like the ephod with gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and of finely twisted white linen. The fourth thing we learn is that the breast piece was to be square and folded double. After being folded double, the size of the square was to be a span long and wide or nine inches square. The breast piece probably covered the entire chest and stomach of the high priest. It would have been a very prominent article of clothing which would be symbolic of the covenantal relationship between the Lord and His chosen people, the Israelites.

This covenantal relationship would be seen by what would sit on the breast piece. The breast piece would have four rows of precious stones, three stones to a row, twelve stones total. The stones were to be mounted in gold filigree settings that were probably woven into the breast piece so the stones would be permanently connected to it with no possibility of randomly falling out. The stones represented God’s chosen people and His chosen people could not be “plucked” out of his hand. The same is true for those who are counted as His sheep today. John 10:27-29 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

The stones are named here in our scripture but there is a lot of ambiguity as to what the actual Hebrew translations were. Only six of the stones seem to match up across different versions of the Bible. But scholars do believe that the stones were all different colors and had some kind of special meaning for the tribes whose names were engraved onto them to represent them. The stones were different in form, hue, character, beauty and value just as the patriarchs of the twelve tribes were. But each was set in gold and rested equally on Aaron’s heart as he served before the Lord in the tabernacle.

According to the NIV, the first row of stones consisted of carnelian which was probably a “red” stone, a chrysolite which may have been some shade of “green” and a beryl. Some versions say “emerald” of which beryl was part of that family. The second row was to consist of a turquoise, a lapis lazuli which was probably a “blue” stone, and an emerald which may have been a “white” color. The third row was to consist of a jacinth which was probably an “orange” color, an agate, and an amethyst which was probably a “purple” color. And the fourth row was to consist of a topaz maybe a “yellow” or “blue green” color, an onyx which may have been another shade of “red” and a jasper which may have been a “green” color.

It really doesn’t matter what the exact stones were but the stones were important for what they represented. We are told in our scripture that the twelve stones represented the twelve sons of Israel. There was to be one stone for each son and that son’s name was to be engraved like a seal on them. We discussed “engraved like a seal” last week with the two onyx stones engraved with the names of the sons of Israel and mounted on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. This would have been a delicate and precise work done by a gem cutter. The names on the breast piece may have been the same as the names on the ephod or they may have included Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph’s sons, and excluded Joseph and Levi.

Secondly, the stones are important because they were in the Garden of Eden and will also be in the New Jerusalem when Jesus returns. In Ezekiel 28, the prophet Ezekiel is commanded by the Lord to take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre. Scholars don’t know for sure who is alluded to here, but it may have been comparing the earthly King of Tyre to Adam in the Garden of Eden, who both fell because of their pride. Whoever it is talking about, in Ezekiel 28:13, we see that the following stones that were said to be in the Garden of Eden: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Then in Revelation 21:19-20, we see the following stones that make up the foundation of the New Jerusalem: jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, ruby, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, turquoise, jacinth, and amethyst.

John Mackay says, “The priest in his mediatorial role may have been thought of as representing mankind in their innocence in Eden before they fell into sin and became estranged from God. It was the priest’s role to affect a return to that early harmonious relationship.” The stones that the high priest took into the tabernacle before the Lord represented that all the people were going before the Lord. He was in effect making atonement and sacrifice for his sins and the sins of the people and the high priest would be reminded of the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world. When he went into the tabernacle to do this “work” he was restoring the people back into a right relationship with God as it was in the Garden. But he was also pointing to Christ, His work on the cross and his high priestly duties in Heaven. The work of Christ would enable us to live in the New Jerusalem, of which the foundation would be made of the precious stones found in the high priest’s breast piece.

The stones mounted on the breast piece was also representative that each person and tribe of Israel was precious to the Lord just as the twelve stones were precious. All people of the world are precious to God but especially those who believe in His son, Jesus. The placement of these precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel was also important. They were placed over the heart of the high priest. The heart was representative of love and affection. The high priest loved and was to have the best interest of the people he served at heart. I believe that it is hard to intercede for someone you don’t care for or get along with. One of the ways you can change your heart for those you don’t get along with is to pray and intercede for them. If you are genuinely praying for someone you don’t like, sooner or later God will begin to soften you towards them and God will start to soften them towards you. Remember Jesus said to pray for your enemies and those who persecute you and he modeled that for us during His life and on the cross.

Whenever the high priest went into the tabernacle, the names of the twelve sons of Israel were on his shoulders and over his heart. This was a labor of love for the high priest. He carried the weight of the people on his shoulders, the place of strength, which was symbolic of their guilt, before the Lord. He also carried the weight of the people on his heart, the place of love and affection, which was symbolic of his intercession for the people, before the Lord. As a “royal priesthood” we are also to love, care and be concerned for our fellow human beings even those we don’t necessarily like or get along with. If we are privy to their burdens and requests, we should be willing to carry them and intercede for them. But this should be especially true for our family, friends, and our church family. As God’s “royal priesthood” on the earth, we should be willing to carry other’s burdens heavy on our shoulders. And we should be willing to carry other’s prayers heavy on our heart, interceding for them before the Lord. ​​ 

So, whose needs, burdens and prayers are heavy on your shoulders and hearts this morning? Who are you personally praying for, helping, reaching out to, caring for and loving? If no names come to our minds, we aren’t living the Christian life properly. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we are praying for our own needs and concerns, then we should be praying for the burdens, needs and concerns of our neighbors. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” That brings us to our first next step which is to Carry the burdens and prayers of my family, friends and my church close to my heart and intercede for them before the Lord.

Now that the breast piece had been explained, Moses receives the instructions on how the breast piece was to be attached to the ephod. Notice that Moses is given detailed and meticulous instructions but at the same time, we don’t really have a complete picture of what the different pieces of clothing looked like. God is a God of detail and order, but He is also mysterious. In our humanness we want to know all the exact details, but God’s ways are not our ways. The ephod was to support the breast piece and so it needed to be attached to it. The braided chains of pure gold made like a rope in verse 22 are a repeat of the instructions in verse 14. The two gold chains had already been made and attached to the filigree settings on the shoulder pieces. Then two more gold rings were to be made and fastened to the top corners of the breast piece. The two gold chains attached to the shoulder pieces were then fastened to the rings at the corners of the breast piece connecting the top of the breast pieces to the shoulder pieces of the ephod (picture).

Then two more gold rings were to be made and attached to the bottom corners of the inside of the breast piece next to the ephod. And two more gold rings were to be made and attached to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod just above the waistband. The shoulder pieces must have extended down from the shoulders to the waist of the high priest. Then we are told that the rings at the bottom corners of the breast piece are to be tied to the rings at the waistband of the ephod by blue cord. (picture). The reason for this was to keep the breast piece from swinging out from the ephod. Everything was to stay tightly connected to the body of the high priest. The high priest would be working before the Lord in the tabernacle and so his clothes had to be functional as well as holy, glorious and beautiful.

That brings us to our second point, Means, found in Exodus 28:29-30. This is what God’s Word says, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus, Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.”

This section shows the two purposes of the breast piece. The first purpose was to represent Aaron and the high priest that would succeed him. When Aaron entered the Holy Place he bore the names of the sons of Israel, as a labor of love, over his heart as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Every time that Aaron went into the presence of God, God was reminded of his people, and that Aaron came on their behalf. Not that he had forgotten his people but that they were secure before the Lord. Pink says, “Their position or standing before God was neither affected nor altered by their changing circumstances, infirmities or sins.” Also, as the official representative of God’s chosen people, what Aaron did would have the same effect as if the entire nation had done the same thing. The high priest symbolized all the people of Israel. We see the same thing in Christ as well. 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.” If we believe that Jesus bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders, willingly went to the cross, died for us and rose again, his righteousness becomes our righteousness before God.

The second purpose of the breast piece was for divination. If you remember, the breast piece was folded double and so it became a pocket on the chest of the high priest. The high priest was to put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece so that they would also be over Aaron’s heart when he came into the presence of the Lord. With the Urim and the Thummim in the breast piece, Aaron would always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. What were the Urim and the Thummim? The short answer is we do not know for sure. What we do know is that they were something tangible that was used to make decisions, but we are never given an exact description of them. Urim means “lights” or sometimes is translated “curses” and Thummim means “perfections.” There are lots of theories about what they were. They were probably two or more-colored stones, probably a combination of black and white or “light” and “dark” stones. One or more would be pulled out or a number of them would be “rolled” as dice to get a decision. It may have been like “casting lots” like we see in Acts 1 when Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve apostles.

This would not have been the normal means of hearing from God but kind of a last resort appeal to God for guidance. It was not used for individual guidance but when guidance was needed for the entire nation of Israel, and for something only God would know. For example, whether or not to go to war or when the Israelites were to stay in camp or pack up and move. The first way they were to receive guidance from the Lord would have been to look to the written law, the Book of the Covenant, including the Ten Commandments. The next way they were to receive guidance would have been a word from God through Moses or later through a prophet. The third way would have been through prayer. Then, as a last resort, they would have prayed using the Urim and Thummim. After praying to God, and as the high priest pulled out one or more stones, they would have taken it as God revealing his sovereign, divine will and direction to them.

Also, this could only be done by the high priest as he allowed and guided the process. Numbers 27:21 says, “He (meaning Joshua) is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” Lastly, they don’t seem to have been used after the reign of King David. We are told twice in verse 30, that Aaron bore the means of making decisions “over his heart” before the Lord. This shows the value of God’s people and His covenant with them and his desire to reveal himself to them. It also shows the value of the Urim and Thummim.

God has not chosen to give us all a Urim and Thummim to help us make decisions. First, he has already told us what our most important decision should be. The most important decision you can ever make is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He was still working out His plan of salvation through the Israelites, but now he speaks to us by His son. Hebrews 1:1-2a says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” So, you can make the most important decision of your life today by doing three things. One, you must admit that you are a sinner. Two, you must believe that Jesus came to earth to die on a cross for your sins and rose again by the power of God. And three, you must confess Jesus as Lord of your life and live the rest of your life in obedience to Him. Maybe you are ready to take that step this morning. If so, check the second next step on the back of your communication card. Admit I am a sinner, believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and confess Him as Lord of my life. If you made that decision this morning, I will be in contact with you.

Another way that God leads us is by His word, the Bible. The Bible is God-breathed and our source of teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness. We see this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. God’s Word should guide our daily conduct on this earth. The third way God leads us is by His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our source of revelation, wisdom and power from God. Ephesians 1:17 says, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Sinclair Ferguson says that knowing God’s will “comes through a combination of the study of God’s word (where we learn the great principles of his will), a heart which is submitted to the Lord of the word, and the help of the Spirit who illuminates the word and leads us into a true application of its principles.

We don’t have the Urim and the Thummim, but we do have the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to guide us in making the godly decisions the Lord wants us to make. (Big Idea) And that’s so much better. So if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then his guidance will never fail you. You are his treasured possession. He always carries you close to his heart. If you follow him, he will not let you wander off in the wrong direction. By the teaching of his perfect Word, by the leading of his Holy Spirit, and by the guidance of his daily providence, he will direct you in the way that you should go. So, do you want to know God better? Do you want to fall deeper in love with Jesus? Do you want to know God’s will for your life? If so, this third next step is for you which is to Be led by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word in making decisions in my life. An important part of having a full table (full table picture) in our relationship with Jesus is to daily read, study and obey God’s Word and be attentive to the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As Roxey comes to lead us in a final hymn and as the ushers prepare to collect the tithes and offering, let’s pray: Thank you for this time that we could spend together in praise, worship, and thanks to you for who you are and the many blessings you give each one of us. Help us to allow your Word to be a light to our feet and a lamp to our paths as we go about our lives this week. Help us to apply what you’ve taught us today so we can grow in our faith and come to love you more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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