#bible – Page 6 – The Superior Word

Exodus 30:22-28 (The Holy Anointing Oil and the Holy Incense)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, August 21st, 2016Sunday, August 21st, 2016#bible, #bookofexodus, #bookofthecovenant, #christianity, #god, #holyspirit, #israel, #jesus, #lawofmoses, #mountsinai, Anointing, Anointing Oil, Book of Exodus, Book of the Covenant, Christ, Christian, Exodus, Hebrew, Holy Anointing Oil, Holy Incense, Holy Spirit, Incense, Jehovah, Law of Moses, Mount Sinai, Tabernacle, Yahweh, Yehovah 0 Comment

Exodus 30:22-38
The Holy Anointing Oil and the Holy Incense

It’s pretty wonderful to be around a lady who is wearing a pleasant perfume or a guy with a nice smelling cologne on. I don’t know if folks like being around me on Sundays because I douse myself in patchouli oil, but if you like that smell, the Superior Word is definitely the place to be.

Along with that, I rub a dose of olive oil into my beard after putting on the patchouli. That way my beard is shiny and the oil makes the patchouli last longer and its more pungent.

As far as incense, there isn’t much more pleasing than smelling it when it burns. The air fills with a wonderful aroma and the smoke, rather than stinging the eyes and nose, actually adds to the ambiance.

Because most incense is made in the orient, and because oriental religions tend to use it for a lot of crazy things like honoring the dead, Christian’s generally don’t seem to burn it as much as the general populace, but there is nothing unbiblical about having it going at any and all times.

As far as today’s passage, we will see both a wonderfully pleasant smelling anointing oil, and a most fragrant type of incense which was to be made and used as an offering to the Lord. As God doesn’t have a nose, at least in regards to the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle, then there must be a deeper meaning behind the fragrances that are so meticulously described.

And, as always, there is. Every single detail has been chosen to show us snapshots of the coming Christ and His work. As always, I think you’re in for a treat – a delight to the senses – concerning what lies just ahead.

Text Verse: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
⁷You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
⁸All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
⁹Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. Psalm 45:6-9

God is Spirit, and so who would imagine all of the detail that He created in the universe! There are aspects of creation that affect every one of our senses. In fact, our senses were designed to appreciate these various facets of the created order which surrounds us.

But because God is Spirit, the fact that we can appreciate these things shows us that He cherishes us, His creatures, enough to provide them for us in creation. And yet there is more. His word tells us, such as in this psalm, that He actually came and participated in the creation. As He did, we can see why such minute and exacting detail is given concerning those things which are to be set apart for Him alone. Think about this as we go through our verses today. It is all about Jesus and it’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Holy Anointing Oil (verses 22-33)

²²Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

This is the third of three times in this chapter that these exact same words are stated, v’dabber Yehovah el Mosheh lemor. They were last said in verse 17. Each time, the words are set off as their own verse. This time, the NKJV translates the same words differently. Instead of “then,” they say “moreover.” This is not incorrect as it is translator’s preference, but the words in the Hebrew are identical. They, being offset in this way, highlight that something new is coming and which will next be introduced for our waiting ears. “Get ready, something new and important is ahead!”

²³“Also take for yourself quality spices—

Moses is now instructed to obtain from the gifts of the people besamim rosh or “of quality spices.” The word rosh means the first, the chief, the head, etc. Thus this indicates that which is preeminent or the finest. They are to be pure in nature. The Hebrew here is especially emphatic – v’atah qah lekha, “And you take unto you.” Although others are noted as assisting in the preparation of this oil, it can be inferred that it is Moses who would personally supervise the gathering and preparing of it.

^{23 (con’t)}five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh,

The first spice named is mar deror or “myrrh of freedom.” Myrrh or mor comes from marar, or “bitter.” The name gives the sense of “distilling in drops.” It will be seen 12 times in the Old Testament. Of these, eight occurrences will be in the Song of Solomon. It will also be mentioned 3 times in the New Testament.

A specific amount is presented and therefore it has its own significance. Five hundred is most readily divided as 5x10x10. Five, as we have seen countless times, indicates GRACE. Ten is the number of DIVINE PERFECTION. “It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete” (EW Bullinger).

The word translated here as “liquid” is introduced into the Bible. It is deror. It is found only eight times in the Bible. It means freedom; hence, spontaneity of outflow, and thus clear. Therefore, it indicates both liberty and purity. This is the only time it is used of a liquid. The other seven times it speaks of liberty, such as the year of liberty, or as being released from captivity.

Myrrh comes from a shrub and can be obtained in one of two ways. The first is the purest form where it naturally exudes from the plant. This is the “myrrh of freedom,” or “free flowing myrrh.” Inferior myrrh comes from the bark when incisions are made in it. Myrrh is fragrant to smell, but bitter to the taste. Looking at the uses of myrrh in the Old Testament, the prominent idea which it symbolizes is love, but more especially, love in intimate union, but not necessarily sexual in nature.

^{23 (con’t)}half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels),

The next spice is qinnamon besem, or “cinnamon fragrant.” This is the first of just three times it is seen in the Old Testament and once in the New. It is from an unused root meaning “to erect.” It thus is applied to cinnamon bark which is found in upright rolls. This is to be provided in one-half the amount of the myrrh. The most basic way of obtaining the number 250 is 5x5x10.

^{23 (con’t)}two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,

The third spice is qaneh bosem, or “cane fragrant.” Qaneh comes from the verb qanah which means to acquire, purchase, etc. It indicates a reed as erect or a rod, especially one for measuring. Thus it is the source of the word canon which we use to indicate the authority of Scripture – as in the canon of Scripture. This spice is also specified to be two hundred and fifty in measurement.

²⁴five hundred shekels of cassia,

The last spice is qiddah, or cassia. It is introduced here and will only be seen one more time in Ezekiel. This comes from the same root as the word qodqod which indicates the crown of the head. The root is the verb qadah which means “to bow the head.”

From this we can see bark, as in shriveled rolls, resembling the crown of the head. This spice is said to have almost the same flavor as cinnamon, but its smell is more pungent, and it has a more coarse texture. The measurement is to be the same as the myrrh, five hundred shekels. Note the unusual forming of the numbers 500-250-250-500. In all, they equal 1500 shekels.

^{24 (con’t)}according to the shekel of the sanctuary,

A shekel is a set measurement of weight. In this case the weight required was to be of the shekel of the sanctuary. It is a standard shekel by which all other weights would be compared. This is the same terminology which was seen in verse 13 of this chapter.

^{24 (con’t)}and a hin of olive oil.

Although not certain, a hin is reckoned at about 3/4 of a gallon. One hin of shemen zayit or “oil of olive” is to be used.

²⁵And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil,

The purpose for all of these ingredients is for making miskhat qodesh, or “anointing oil holy.”

^{25 (con’t)}an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer.

Roqakh mirqakhat maaseh roqeakh – “ointment compound worked perfumer.” It’s an alliterational mouthful in the Hebrew because the three descriptions are all formed from the same root, raqakh, which indicates “to perfume.” The roqeakh or perfumer indicates a compounder; a person skilled in compounding drugs, incense, etc.

^{25 (con’t)}It shall be a holy anointing oil.

The Hebrew is literally “an oil of holy anointing.” Thus that which is anointed with it is considered set apart, or holy. It should be noted that if these proportions were simply pounded out and mixed together, it would make a thick, gooey mess.

Rather, these were softened by boiling in water to extract their essence. From this the oil and myrrh would be mixed in and boiled again in order to evaporate the water. This would be the specific job of the roqeakh, or perfumer. We will see in Exodus 37:29 that is it Bezalel who will perform this task. The care of the oil after it is made will go to Eleazar, Aaron’s son. The responsibility for making it in the future would go to the priests (1 Chr. 9:30).

²⁶With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony;

A particular order is given for the use of the holy anointing oil. First, the ohel; literally “tent,” of meeting would be anointed. This is the tent which covered the mishkan or tabernacle. Everything associated with the structure would be included. This is seen explicitly in Exodus 40:9 where it says tabernacle instead of tent –

“And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy.”

After the anointing of the tent, the first item to be mentioned is the Ark of the Testimony. Though the details for the construction of the Ark were given before the tent, it is the tent which will enclose the Ark, therefore the implements inside are noted after the enclosure itself. The Ark is in the Most Holy Place.

²⁷the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense;

Next in order are the items in the Holy Place, the Table of Showbread, the Menorah, and the Altar of Incense. The details for the Altar of Incense weren’t given until much, much later, but because it is enclosed within the Holy Place, it is mentioned now, in its proper order according to the room.

²⁸the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.

After the interior furniture, those outside the tent are next. Of note is that in Leviticus 8:11, it says that the altar and all of its utensils were sprinkled seven times. Just because the altar was outside and closest to the people in no way diminishes its immense importance in both what it signified to them and what it pictures in Christ.

²⁹You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy;

The anointing of the implements with the holy anointing oil consecrated them. They had been shaped by man, but they were now to be set apart to God. Only those who were also so set apart to God were, from this time forward, to touch them…

^{29 (con’t)}whatever touches them must be holy.

kal hannogea bahem yiqdash – “whatever touches them shall become holy.” In other words, if a person were to touch them, they were to already be holy according to the item being touched, or they were to be given over to the Lord so that He might deal with them as He saw fit. This is certainly the intended meaning of this verse because it is explicitly seen in the tragic account of Uzzah –

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.” 2 Samuel 6:6, 7

Uzzah was not holy according to the handling of the Ark and thus his life was forfeit to the Lord’s judgment because of his error.

³⁰And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

After the inanimate objects were consecrated, the consecration of the men who would serve as priests is then conducted. This actually only applies at this time to Aaron. The term mashakh is used here which indicates smearing. He is the one to be so anointed now. The term “and his sons” must be taken in the future sense concerning the ones who succeed him in his office.

As we saw in the last chapter, some of the oil will be mixed with blood and sprinkled on Aaron, his sons, and their garments, but this verse is not referring to that. Only Aaron will be fully anointed to act as the mediator and high priest, thus picturing Christ.

³¹“And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.

The Lord claims this mixture of oil exclusively for Himself. Anything anointed with it was solely His and was to be set apart to Him for all the generations that the law would remain in effect.

³²It shall not be poured on man’s flesh;

The wording here is specific in that it was not to be poured on the flesh of man. However, it was to be poured on Aaron, who was a man. Therefore, it shows us that Aaron, being high priest, was to be seen in type and picture as the coming Christ.

^{32 (con’t)}nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.

The wording here should read, “after its proportion.” The word is mathkoneth, and it indicates a measurement, quota, or proportion. The people were not forbidden from using these same ingredients, nor were they forbidden from using the same combination of them. What is forbidden is using the same ingredients and proportions of them. The intent is that what was reserved for the Lord’s use was to be only for the Lord’s use. This particular mixture was deemed holy and therefore the proportion itself has particular significance.

³³Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.’”

No person was to make the same compound as has been described here. Further it was never to be used on a layman. The word for outsider is zuwr and indicates “another.” No person who was not qualified by being chosen for the anointing was to have it put on them. The penalty for this was to be cut off from his people.

The word for “his people” is in the masculine plural. Therefore, it is being used in a particular sense. It is extremely close to the general term for people, but the specific form of the word consistently speaks of someone of his father’s kin. Any such person was to lose their rights of paternal kinship.

Holy anointing oil with a smell wonderful and sweet
Shall be made for the service of the Lord
The exact mixture when it was complete
Was set apart for Him alone, according to His word

With it, the articles of service would be anointed
And with it the priest would be anointed too
These things are according to what the Lord has said
And so in each detail is Moses to exactingly follow through

Thus, consecrated and holy were these things to be
And they would be that way throughout the time of the law
But they are only types of the coming Christ, you see
And so from these things, pictures of Christ we can draw

II. The Holy Incense (verses 34-38)

³⁴And the Lord said to Moses:

The words are very similar to verse 22, but they are not the same. It is as if what is said now is a continuation of what was started in verse 22, but with a different subject. The oil and the incense are being drawn together into one concept.

^{34 (con’t)}“Take sweet spices,

qah lekha sammim – Take to you sammim. The word sammim has no exact word which we can use to translate. A close choice would be fragrances; “Take to you fragrances.”

^{34 (con’t)}stacte

It is not exactly certain what nataph, or stacte is. The word stacte comes from the Greek translation of the OT. However, we can find out something from the Hebrew. The word nataph means “drop” as in a drop of dew. This word comes from the verb nataph which means something which distills gradually, and thus falls in drops.

It is a resin of some sort from a plant. However, it being unknown what resin, the substance is not what is important, but the act of dropping is. The verb nataph means to fall in drops, and so figuratively it means “to speak by inspiration” or to “prophesy.”

^{34 (con’t)}and onycha

Onycha or shekheleth speaks of the aromatic shell-fish. When burnt, its claw produces a strong odor. The word comes from the same root as shakhal, meaning a fierce lion. That root probably means to roar. The two words may meet in the thought of peeling off by concussion of sound.

^{34 (con’t)}and galbanum,

Khelbenah or galbanum is only found here in the Bible, but it is apparently well known to chemists. Different plants are known to produce it. When it burns, it has a strong and pungent odor which is not nice smelling by itself, but it is used to bring out the richer smells of other spices and it prolongs their burning. The word comes from khelev which means fat and thus the best or finest.

^{34 (con’t)}and pure frankincense with these sweet spices;

These words are reversed in the Hebrew. It says “…fragrances and pure frankincense.” In other words, the frankincense is in addition to the other spices. Levonah, or frankincense is introduced here. It comes from the word lavan, meaning “brick” and thus it gives the idea of “white,” perhaps because of its smoke. There is an adjective attached to the frankincense though. It properly reads u-levonah zakkah – “…and frankincense pure.”

^{34 (con’t)}there shall be equal amounts of each.

bad b’vad yiyeh – alone by alone there shall be. The sense probably means that they were beaten separately and then mixed together. Thus, the proportions would be equal in amount.

³⁵You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.

The fragrances, combined with the frankincense, was to be compounded as a perfumer would do. Older versions then say “mixed” or “tempered together,” but the word used is malakh, the verb form of “salt.” Thus, the mixture was to be “salted.”

Salt was considered an integral part of offerings to the Lord. This incense was to be offered to Him by the priests with salt, just as the people’s offerings were to be. This is seen in Leviticus 2 –

“And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Leviticus 2:13

Because of the ingredients and its salting, it is thus described with an adjective and a noun. It is tahor qodesh – pure, holy.

³⁶And you shall beat some of it very fine,

The word shakhaq or “beat” is now introduced. It will be used just four times. It means “to pulverize.” Also, the word daqaq, or very fine, is also introduced. It carries the same idea of being crushed or pulverized. The incense was to be completely crushed to powder.

^{36 (con’t)}and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you.

The portion that was taken from the main whole, after it was beaten fine, was to be placed “before the Testimony.” What this means is that it is the portion to be burnt upon the Altar of Incense. The compound was one large mass, but a portion was taken off, pounded and burnt at the regular hours of incense offering. The idea is that it would mix better and be easier to spread on the coals. Further, it would burn more purely and ascend more quickly.

^{36 (con’t)}It shall be most holy to you.

In contrast to the anointing oil, this is considered not just holy, but qodesh qadashim, or holy of holies. This implies that it was set apart for the use of the Lord alone as is next seen…

³⁷But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord.

This provision is similar to that of the anointing oil. No incense was ever to be made which was according to the same proportions. Instead, it was to be considered for the sole and sacred use of an offering to the Lord.

*^{38 (fin)}Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”

And again, the same prohibition is given concerning replicating this incense as was given for replicating the anointing oil. Any person who so made it was to be cut off from the rights of the paternal kinship.

Sweet smelling spices combined into one
Shall be used to make a holy incense for Me
And every detail points to the coming Christ, God’s Son
This is the reason for such specificity

The work that He will do is revealed in each sweet smell
And the salt speaks of Him and His work also
Every detail has a wondrous story to tell
And as you ponder each detail, their meaning you will know

And so look into the things as they are recorded for you
Ponder them and take each thing to heart
In so doing, there is a blessed reward; it is true
Marvelous things will this precious word to you impart

III. Pictures of Christ and His Work

As always, the Lord is giving us specific instructions, not just for us to see what the priests did and what was expected of them, but to show us types and pictures of Christ and His work.

The anointing oil was first said to be of besamim rosh, or the first or preeminent spices. Each is a foreshadowing of the preeminence of Christ.

Myrrh, comes from the word marar, or bitter. As I noted, the main significance of myrrh in Old Testament passages reveals the prominent idea of love, but more especially, love in intimate union, but not necessarily sexual in nature. Understanding the work of Christ for us, nothing could be more obvious.

The myrrh here is described as mar deror, or the myrrh of freedom. Without a doubt this signifies the bitterness Christ was willing to go through in His earthly life to secure our freedom. It is reflective of His words, cited in a synagogue in Nazareth which were read from the book of Isaiah –

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18

It should be noted that there are three times myrrh is mentioned in the New Testament. The first was presented to Him at His birth by the Magi (Matthew 2:11). Once it is recorded as having been used in His burial (John 19:39). The third time was in Mark 15 –

“Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.” Mark 15:23

Notice that the myrrh was mingled with wine to form a gall which would deaden His pain, but He refused it. Because of His love for us, He was unwilling to dilute the pure myrrh of freedom which was provided to redeem us. Our liberty, and our freedom from oppression, came at a very high cost indeed.

The qinnamon, or cinnamon is found four times in the Bible. Two point to Christ, two point to harlotry. The one in this chapter is used to picture Christ’s work. The one in Song of Solomon 4:14 is used of the description of the bride by the bridegroom – thus it pictures the redeemed of Christ. The two other uses are in Proverbs 7:17 where a harlot spices her bed with cinnamon and other fragrances, and in Revelation 18:13 which is connected to Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots.

The word comes from a root meaning “to erect.” Thus there is a house which is being erected by the Lord for His people, and there is a false one which is being erected by the false religious system of the world for those who would pursue her harlotry. One will stand forever; the other will be forever destroyed.

The third spice is qaneh bosem, or “sweet-smelling cane.” Qaneh comes from the verb qanah which means to acquire, purchase, etc. It indicates a reed as erect or a rod, especially one for measuring. It is the source of the word canon, which we use to indicate the authority of Scripture – as in the canon of Scripture. Thus, this spice is used to indicate the word of God which permeates throughout the anointing oil. It is reflective of Christ, the word of God who both embodies it and reveals it. His word is that which is used as the standard measure for the acquisition and purchase of God’s people.

The fourth spice is qiddah, or cassia. It is derived from the same root as qodqod which indicates the crown of the head. The root is the verb qadah which means “to bow the head.” In this, we see Christ’s submission to God in all ways. This is evident throughout the gospels which record His earthly ministry and it is well summed up in Hebrews 10 –

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
⁶In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
⁷Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.” Hebrews 10:5-7

This word qiddah, is found only twice in the Bible. The second is seen in Ezekiel 27:19 as one of the goods traded by the kingdom of Tyre. This leader of Tyre is used as an allegory for Satan by Ezekiel. Samuel Ridout explains the symbolism –

“For the world would make merchandise of the excellencies of Christ, and Satan, its prince, seek to rob the Lord of that which is His alone.”

The weight of the four spices was meticulously provided. In order they were 500-250-250-500. First, four is the number of that which is created; it is the world number. Individually, they each reduce to the digits 10 and 5 or divine perfection and grace. Cumulatively, they equal 1500 and thus reduce to 10, 5, and 3. Three signifies that which is real, substantial, complete, and entire.

Therefore, the four together point to the entirety of divine perfection and grace towards God’s creation. These, not surprisingly then prefigure the four gospels. As this is so and the weight of the first and fourth are the same, and the weight of the second and third are the same, we should find a pattern in the gospels according to the spices.

The first is myrrh and is what was presented in Matthew to the newborn Child. Myrrh speaks of bitterness, as in the bitter herbs of the Passover. Thus it reflects the King who came to die for His people as the Passover Lamb.

The fourth is the same weight and corresponds to John. Its root indicates bowing the head as an act of obedience and this is what the divine Son of God, portrayed in John, came to do. He came in obedience to the Father.

The second, qinnamon besem, or “cinnamon fragrant,” comes from an unused root meaning “to erect.” It reflects Christ in the book of Mark; the Servant, the builder of the house for His people.

The third, qaneh bosem, or “cane fragrant,” comes from the verb qanah which means to acquire, purchase, etc. It is the source of the word canon which we use to indicate “canon,” the authority of Scripture. In it we see Christ the Son of Man who acquired His people by fulfilling the law, the rod of God’s measurement.

The second and third spices were only one half the weight of the others. This speaks of lowliness. In contrast to the King in Matthew and the Son of God in John, the gospels of Mark and Luke speak of the Servant and the Son of Man – both lowly stations in relation to their counterpart.

Despite the lowly weight though of these two middle spices, only they are described by the term bosem, or fragrant. It is the life of the Servant, the Man – Christ – which was considered a fragrant offering to God. Though being lowly, or more rightly, because of the voluntary lowly station He took, there was an markedly sweet fragrance connected to it.

Each of these spices was said to be “according to the shekel of the sanctuary.” In other words, His work is according to God’s divine standard by which all else is compared. It is by Him and His work that all of the holy attributes of God are measured.

Next was the measure of olive oil. This is the vehicle by which Christ’s work was effected. It is the anointing of the Spirit upon Him. This was seen, for example, in Acts 10:38 where it says that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”

The spices, though differing in weight, all diffused into the oil evenly resulting in all being equally on display and none having priority over another. Thus we see in equal measure Christ the King, the Servant, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. Each radiates out equally, forever revealing the mystery of Christ.

To summarize, in the anointing oil we see Christ the King, the Myrrh of Freedom giving His life for our liberty; we see Christ the Servant, the builder of the house for His people; we see Christ the Son of Man who acquired His people by fulfilling the law, the rod of God’s measurement; and we see Christ, the Son of God, who stepped out of His eternal realm to do His Father’s will.

This oil, after it was made, was used to anoint the tabernacle, every piece of furniture, and the high priest, all of which has pointed perfectly and completely to Christ in our past sermons. The anointing of the Spirit was applied to every aspect of His life, work, and ministry – both past and ongoing – effusing out His fragrance in the great plan of redemptive history.

What is remarkable is that this anointing oil is described directly after the bronze laver. The laver was used as a means of cleansing from defilement. It signified sanctification from all that would hinder our walk with God. The anointing oil, is just the opposite. It signifies the anointing of the Spirit, an emblem of sanctification for our walk with God forward; propelling us ever forward.

After the Anointing Oil, the Holy Incense was described. Moses was told to take fragrances for this incense. The first is nataph, or stacte. The word means drop, but it is connected to the verb which means “to speak by inspiration” or to “prophesy.” This signifies the word of Christ; the divine word of inspiration and prophecy.

The next was shekheleth or onycha. The word comes from a root meaning to roar, and thus signifies the power of the word of Christ. He is the Lion of Judah and His word issues forth like a roar.

The third is khelbenah or galbanum. This comes from the word khelev which means fat and thus the best or finest. It therefore indicates that the work of Christ is the finest, the epitome of all works before God the Father.

This particular spice was noted as not nice smelling by itself, but it is used to bring out the richer smells of other spices and it prolongs their burning. Thus this aspect of Christ is what was not considered nice in and of itself. His work of fulfilling the law included His atoning death under the law. And yet, it is this that brings out all of the other aspects of His work and makes them everlasting for His redeemed.

The fourth ingredient is levonah, or frankincense. It comes from the word lavan, meaning “brick.” The concept of a brick in the Bible is one of human work. At the tower of Babel, the people made bricks in order to work their way to heaven. In Egypt, the people were forced to make brick without straw and were unable to perform their duties. In both instances, pictures were being made of man’s futile attempt at pleasing God through works. Their brick-making was tainted and unacceptable.

This spice for the incense is contrasted to that. It contains an adjective so that the words properly read u-levonah zakkah – “…and frankincense pure.” This pure frankincense symbolizes Christ’s perfect works which are acceptable to God.

With the four characteristics of Christ seen in the spices, we were then given the words bad b’vad yiyeh – “alone by alone there shall be.” The sense is that these aspects of Christ are separate, but when mixed together the proportions are equal in amount.

Once these were compiled, they were to be salted. In the Bible, no amount of salt is ever detailed. Because of this, it indicates an unlimited amount. Salt signifies covenant faithfulness, incorruptibility, and that which provides flavor. It was worked into the compound and each aspect reflects the work of Christ.

In the salt we see His covenant faithfulness, His incorruptible nature, and His adding flavor to the life which we are captured in, granting us a new taste, never before experienced. Through His word, represented by these four spices and salt, an offering can be made to God with is tahor qodesh – pure and holy.

After the incense was made, the next instructions were given which were that it was to be beaten very fine and placed before the Testimony. The incense was to be prepared so that it would diffuse in the quickest and most thorough manner.

To grasp this, the symbolism of incense needs to be understood. In both testaments, incense is directly equated with prayer, and thus the prayers of Christ in His ministry, based on His person and work, are what are being pictured Here.

It symbolizes the office of High Priest, mediating between God and man. This is why the incense was termed qodesh qadashim, or holy of holies. Only Christ’s prayers are truly acceptable to God because only He is without sin. Therefore, as our Mediator, our prayers are only acceptable to God through Him. But when we belong to Him and our prayers reach to God through Him, they are holy of holies; acceptable to God.

Finally today, in both the Anointing Oil and in the Holy Incense, there were similar prohibitions concerning making either in the same proportions and/or using them in an unauthorized manner. These carry the same connotation.

There is one Lord, one Christ, and one path to God, which is through what He has done. The Spirit of God does not reside on any outside of Christ, and people’s prayers are not heard by God outside of Christ. We are never to mix our worship of God, or our prayers to God, with those who are not of God in Christ.

This does not mean that we can’t have unsaved people in a church; that should be expected. Nor does it mean we can’t walk into a religious service of another faith to learn what they are up to or to perform a necessary function. The example of Naaman the Syrian performing his duties in the temple of Rimmon shows us this.

What it does mean is that we are not to participate in religious services with others who are not of the faith. Our worshipping with them is mixing the holy with the profane.

If we publically pray with Mormons, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. We are implicitly condoning their faiths in their own eyes. We are demonstrating, openly and publically, that the Spirit which anoints us, and the Christ who mediates for us, is on the same level as their false god. This is not to be condoned.

As we have seen today, everything about these two mixtures points to Christ and His work. The amazing thing is that because of Him, we too are now authorized to share in what these picture. We are anointed with the same Holy Spirit because of Him, and we are given the same right to offer our prayers to God through Him.

Who here has never called on Jesus and yet prays to God? I tell you now that the symbolism of these things, and the words of the rest of the Bible, show that your prayers are unheard by His ears. The only prayer God wants to hear from you is the prayer of accepting Jesus. Should you choose to do that today, you too will be anointed with the Holy Spirit and your prayers will then be holy and acceptable to the Lord. Choose life; choose Christ; do it today.

Closing Verse: “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. ¹⁵For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Next Week: Exodus 31:1-11 What they will build is no prefab… (Bezalel and Aholiab) (87th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Oil and the Incense

Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
These are the words He began relaying

Also take for yourself quality spices—
Five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh
Half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon
Two hundred and fifty shekels, for sure

Two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane
Five hundred shekels of cassia also
According to the shekel of the sanctuary
And a hin of olive oil, as you now know

And you shall make from these
A holy anointing oil, one set apart
An ointment compounded
According to the perfumer’s art

It shall be a holy anointing oil, so you see
Follow these directions ever so carefully

With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting
And the ark of the Testimony; as I to you tell
The table and all its utensils
The lampstand and its utensils as well

And the altar of incense; you shall anoint too
The altar of burnt offering with all its utensils
And the laver and its base, so shall you do

You shall consecrate them
That they may be most holy
Whatever touches them must be holy
These things are set apart to Me

And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, you see
And consecrate them
That they may minister as priests to Me

And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying
This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me
Throughout your generations, as I am now relaying

It shall not be poured on man’s flesh
Nor shall you make any other like it
According to its composition
It is holy, and it shall be holy to you, I submit

Whoever compounds any like it
Or whoever puts any of it on an outsider
Shall be cut off from his people
You shall stand by this instructive divider

And the Lord said to Moses:
Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha, as to you I teach
And galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices
There shall be equal amounts of each

You shall make of these an incense
A compound according to the art of the perfumer
Salted, pure, and holy will be its contents

And you shall beat some of it very fine
And put before the Testimony some of it
In the tabernacle of meeting
Where I will meet with you, as I now submit

It shall be most holy to you
Following these instructions you shall do

But as for the incense which you shall make, this I tell
You shall not any for yourselves make
According to its composition as well
It shall be to you holy for the Lord, only for His sake

Whoever makes any like it, to smell it
He shall be cut off from his people, so I now submit

Wonderful pictures of Christ and His work for us
Are revealed in the holy oil and incense of Israel
Every word shows us more hints of Jesus
And of His marvelous works each does tell

Thank You, O God, for such a wonderful word
Thank You for the mysteries which are hidden there
Each that we pull out speaks of Jesus our Lord
Thank you that in His goodness we too can share

For all eternity we shall sing to You our praise
Yes, from this time forth and for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 30:17-21 (The Bronze Laver)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, August 14th, 2016Saturday, April 28th, 2018#bible, #bookofexodus, #bookofthecovenant, #bronzelaver, #christianity, #god, #holyspirit, #israel, #jesus, #lawofmoses, #mountsinai, Book of Exodus, Bronze Laver, Christ, Christian, Exodus, Hebrew, Holy Spirit, Jehovah, Laver, Law of Moses, Mount Sinai, Tabernacle, Yahweh, Yehovah 0 Comment

Exodus 30:17-21
The Bronze Laver

Jesus said in John 13 that he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. It’s a verse we’ll revisit today, but it is a simple truth. If we take a nice long shower and then work on an art project in the den for an hour or so, we don’t say, “Gee, I have to go take another shower.” Instead, we just go wash our hands and that’s that.

In old Israel, the people wore sandals and the paths were dusty. When someone took a bath, afterwards they might go out for an evening walk. When they got home, they wouldn’t go take another bath, instead, they would just wash their feet as they came into the house. It would wash off the dust and that was that.

On the surface, this is what He was referring to. One is clean after taking a bath. However, they might do something that would later make them partially unclean, even though they were still completely clean in the overall sense.

The Bible uses this same terminology as a picture of our spiritual state as well. Just like almost every other actual thing that the Bible speaks of, there is an underlying spiritual connotation. The Bible speaks of building a house on a rock, but there is an underlying spiritual meaning which is being conveyed.

The Bible speaks of anointing something with oil. That pictures something else as well. If we can understand what something physical pictures on a spiritual level, then we can understand the root of what God is showing us. Today, we will see the instructions for another piece of tabernacle furniture. It will, just like everything else, show us spiritual pictures of Christ, His work, and how it relates to us.

Text Verse: “I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
⁸Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells.” Psalm 26:6-8

As far as taking a bath, I hope that the spiritual picture which that makes applies to everyone here. If not, you will need to correct that. If so, then the lesson of the Bronze Laver is another step for you to pursue. You’ve taken your bath; next you need to keep your hands and feet clean. Let’s see what this is picturing. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Bronze Laver (verses 17-21)

¹⁷Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

This is the second of three times in this chapter that these exact same words are stated, v’dabber Yehovah el Mosheh lemor. Each time, the words are set off as their own verse, and so it is as if we are being asked to pause and consider them.

Something new is being introduced which is calling out for Moses, and thus us, to ponder. As this has been a dialogue between the Lord and Moses, and as Moses is recording what was said, the words seem all the more remarkable. Instead of saying, “Then I was next instructed,” or “Then the Lord spoke to me,” it is very formal and precise.

Moses’ words are recorded then, not for himself alone, but for all who would read them in the future. It is as if they are saying, “Get ready! Something new and highly important is coming to your hearing. Stop and consider what lies ahead.” Now that we have so prepared ourselves, we can move forward into the “what” and “why” of the coming verses.

¹⁸“You shall also make a laver of bronze,

The kiyyor is introduced into the Bible here. It is a basin, or a laver. The word comes from an unused root meaning properly “to dig through,” and so it is could be a variety of things that are shaped out, as if excavated, like a pot, washbowl, pulpit, platform, or furnace.

In this case, it is a washbowl which Moses is instructed to make. It is to be made of nekhoshet, or bronze. As we have seen, bronze mainly symbolizes judgment, but also endurance.

Concerning judgment, it can be negative, such as in the case of bronze fetters being worn by those who have been sentenced for a crime, or in a pictorial judgment such as that found in the curses of Deuteronomy 28:23 where the punishment for disobeying the Lord is described as “…your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze.” That picture is one of rainless skies, heat, and anguish.

However, the judgment can also be one of purification and justification. This is seen time and time again as well. As this laver will be used for washing, we can already make the mental connection that the bronze will signify positive judgment in purification and sanctification.

^{18 (con’t)}with its base also of bronze,

The base in Hebrew is the word ken. This isn’t the first time it has been used, but it is the first time it is used in this sense. It means a pedestal or station, but also a base, estate, foot, office, place, or well. It is the same as the adjective and adverb ken which is an especially common word in Hebrew which means, “thus,” “so,” “rightly,” and so on. As a positive response to a question, one would say ken.

Scholars are divided on exactly what this ken is. Some believe it is a base upon which the laver sat. Others find it to be a shallow trough of some sort which would receive water from the laver when a spout was opened. This is not unlikely because throughout the Middle East, this was a common means of washing hands and feet. A practice which even continues to this day. No matter what, the use of the laver is known…

^{18 (con’t)}for washing.

No matter what the base actually is, what is unlikely is that the laver was simply a large bowl where the priests would go and dip their hands in as so many depictions show. The water would be defiled by the hands if this was what happened.

The two probable solutions to this would be either a separate bowl being dipped into the water to take some out, of which the text says nothing, or a type of spout which would allow the water to come out of the laver. The second seems much more likely, even though this is also not specified. No matter what, the laver’s use is known. It is for washing. Later, in Exodus 40, the full purpose for the laver is given –

“He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; ³¹and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. ³²Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Exodus 40:30-32

The laver was used for purification in connection with any duties associated with the tent of meeting and the altar, meaning the brazen altar. And, notice that it included Moses in this. Despite being the mediator and the one who was to perform the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons, Moses still was required to wash from the laver any time he did something in connection with the tent of meeting or the altar.

Though he was used by the Lord to establish the priesthood, he was still not free from the requirements of that priesthood. He was not above the precepts of the law which he was used to initiate.

Verse 18 contains all of the instructions given for the making of this bronze laver. What is more than remarkable is that nothing is said of its size, height, width, shape, or ornamentation. It is completely devoid of any further description. Nothing about how it was transported is mentioned either. This is completely different than any other article which has been made.

Though the size of the menorah wasn’t given, the amount of gold, which would determine its size, was. Concerning this laver, what is lacking in written instruction was certainly not lacking in minute detail for Moses to adhere to. As Moses has been expressly told several times, and is even repeated in Hebrews 8, we read this precept –

“According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” Exodus 25:9

So Moses was aware of any and all of the details concerning the making of this laver, and yet none of it is recorded. The omission of this detail then carries as much weight as that which has been included. Further, in contrast to this laver, the bronze sea and the ten lavers, which served the same specific purpose in the temple in Jerusalem, were exactingly described. They were intricately worked with elaborate designs. This detail is seen in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 4.

The only other thing about this laver which hasn’t been noted yet, but which will be seen in Exodus 38:8 is that… –

“He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”

Mirrors were not made of glass at this time in history. Instead, metals which were highly polished and exactingly shaped served as mirrors. The specificity concerning where the bronze for this laver came from cannot be without special significance.

The Greek translation of this verse from Exodus 38 says, “..of the women that fasted, who fasted by the doors of the tent of the testimony.” Two verses concerning such women lead us to a better understanding of who they were and why Exodus 38:8 is so specific concerning where the bronze came from –

“Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” 2 Samuel 2:22

“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Luke 2:37

What appears to be the case is that some of the women, at the time of the building of the tabernacle, gave up their mirrors which had been used for the earthly adorning of themselves and instead devoted themselves to the service of the Lord in the courts of the temple as a heavenly offering. In other words, what was once a means of obtaining earthly praise was given over for the purpose of receiving heavenly commendation. It seems that the offerings of these first women became a model for other women to follow during the times while the law was in effect.

^{18 (con’t)}You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.

This is the logical place for the laver because it was to be used for washing when either they went into the tent of meeting or when they ministered at the brazen altar. Before doing either, they were to first come to this laver and wash. In the next section of this chapter which concerns the holy anointing oil, it will say this in Exodus 30:25-30–

“It shall be a holy anointing oil. ²⁶With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; ²⁷the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; ²⁸the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. ²⁹You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy. ³⁰And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.”

As the laver and its base are considered most holy, and as the priests had to wash at it prior to participating in any of the duties associated with the most holy things, then this should teach us a lesson concerning holiness. There is a fount of cleansing which is needed, even for those who are consecrated and set apart for the service of the Lord.

As far as the exact placement of this laver, Jewish tradition says that it was placed between the entrance to the tent of meeting and the brazen altar, but not exactly between them. They say it was placed a little to the south. This is not found in Scripture however.

^{18 (con’t)}And you shall put water in it,

The details for the use of the laver are simply described here. It doesn’t say how much water, it doesn’t say how often to change the water or to fill it up, and so on. This is all that is given. It is completely different than, for example, the Menorah and the Altar of Incense, both of which are given almost minute detail as to their attendance.

¹⁹for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.

“Aaron and his sons” means the priestly line who would attend to the tabernacle and later the temple. This then is an explanatory statement concerning the priestly line throughout the time of the law. It is set in contrast to the verse from Exodus 40 that I mentioned a while ago.

That verse included Moses who would be the one exception to this rule throughout the entire period of the law. After Moses, the use of the laver would be solely for “Aaron and his sons,” meaning the priestly line which descended from Aaron.

It is these people alone who were to “wash their hands and their feet.” As these members picked up dirt and defilement, they needed to be washed in order to symbolize purification before the Lord. As the laver was considered most holy, then the water inside of it would be as well.

²⁰When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water,

The priests were required to make the daily sacrifices upon the altar in the morning and at twilight. They were also to tend to the Menorah and the Altar of Incense at these times. The Table of Showbread had its regular schedule, and the Ark of the Covenant was to be approached each year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.

For each of these times, and all others which are designated by the law, the priests were required to first wash their hands and their feet at this laver. Though it is almost neglected in written detail, its use was as frequent as any implement in the entire sanctuary, even more so!

^{20 (con’t)}lest they die.

These words are actually a part of the first clause. The NKJV has placed them at the end, indicating that death would be the result for not washing in any of the circumstances of this verse. However, the words “lest they die” are actually after “when they go into the tent of meeting.” The conjunction “or,” along with the words of the next verse, give us clarity.

This may seem like excessive punishment for such an infraction, but when considering the nature of the duties, the One to whom the observance was due, and the frequency of this being required, it makes good sense. As the Pulpit Commentary states it –

“Contempt of the simple and easy regulation to wash at the laver would imply contempt of purity itself; and so an entire hypocrisy of life and character, than which nothing could be a greater offence to God.” Pulpit Commentary

²¹So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die.

A second emphatic statement is made, repeating the substance of what had just been said. This brings to memory the time when Moses came to the burning bush and was told to take off his shoes. The most holy things were most holy, the ground within the tabernacle was deemed most holy because of the presence of the Lord.

In touching these holy articles with defiled hands, or in walking in the holy places with defiled feet, it would be reckoned as sin against the Lord and thus deserving of death. Their consecration did not bring them to an indelible state of holiness. Rather, they acquired defilement through their regular lives. To ensure that they maintained purity before the Lord, they were thus required to wash. This is reflected in the words of Leviticus 11:44 –

“For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44

*^21 (fin)And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The washing of the hands and feet during the ministering of their duties was to be olam, or forever to their generations. The word olam indicates that which is concealed. It is an indeterminate amount of time which simply extends on without knowing when it will end. Hence, the term “forever” is used.

In this case, forever is to be taken in the sense of the duration of the covenant which comprises the words we are looking at. As the covenant is annulled in Christ, it is no longer a requirement. But for as long as the generations of the law were to remain, the statute was in force for Aaron and his sons, meaning the priestly line who ministered before the Lord.

There is a Laver which is available to me
And from within it comes water to cleanse and purify
I am to attend to it always, even daily
And in coming to it, the water has power to sanctify

In washing with it, I am able my duties to complete
And from it the water has power to cleanse my soul
Through this washing, there is again fellowship so sweet
And my life remains steady before God, always under control

No matter how many times I come, the water continues to pour
From the Laver, there is no end to the cleansing flow
And so I will come to it every day for sure
And in my walk I will be purified, I know

II. The Symbolism of the Laver

This laver is the seventh implement to be described in relation to the tabernacle furniture. The first was the Ark of the Covenant, then the Mercy Seat, the Table of Showbread, the Menorah, the Brazen Altar, and then the Altar of Incense. This now is the final such implement.

However, it is actually the second one to be approached when entering the courts, immediately after the Brazen Altar. There is a great deal of difference between the two. The altar was made of wood and brass, but the laver is of brass only. The dimensions of the altar were given in detail, but no dimensions are given for the laver.

The transport of the altar is given in that it was to be covered and carried on poles placed into rings. However, nothing is mentioned about how the laver was to be moved and nothing is said about a covering for it.

The altar was used for burning with fire; the laver for holding water. Even though only the priests could work at the altar, many of the sacrifices for it came from the general population. However, the contents of the laver were solely for the use of the priests. There is thus a great difference in these two implements.

As I just said, and as verse 19 notes, this implement is solely for the use of the priests – for Aaron and his sons. But there is a truth to be found in this, if they didn’t use the laver to wash, they would still be Israelites, but they would not be allowed to perform the duties of a priest. This then shows us a spiritual truth.

When we as Christians interact with the world, we won’t stop being Christians. We are once and forever justified before the Lord because of what He did. However, as we become defiled by the things of this world, we lose our effectiveness to do the priestly things that we should be doing. Our fellowship with God is fractured, and our ability to minister properly to others becomes useless.

Therefore, the Bronze Laver points to Christ, just as all the other implements have. It is through the cleansing which comes from Him that we are made suitable to perform our proper priestly roles as Christians.

Concerning its composition, we have seen time and again that bronze signifies judgment. In the case of this laver, it is after the judgment on sin for justification which was seen at the altar. Therefore, this Laver is looking to judgment on defilement and thus it signifies purification. It is a picture of the continued purification of the believer because of Christ.

Despite having been justified through the altar sacrifice, we still see Christ’s inflexible righteousness which tests us, judges us, and which ends close fellowship with God when we continuously violate His precepts. This is a lesson that every born again believer should heed, but which is far too often ignored.

We may not lose our salvation, but we can lose the joy of it as we continuously stray away from what Christ expects. In understanding this, we can see then what the water which is contained within the Laver signifies. Surely, it cannot be overly difficult to see what it is.

As far as the makeup of the bronze, we were told that it came from the mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting. The Bible took the time to specifically note that, unlike almost all of the other voluntary offerings, this one was most specific.

It shouts out to us to consider what a mirror is used for. The Laver pictures Christ, as we have seen. He is the Word of God and from Him issues the word of God. Both are discerners of the hidden things. Christ is the active discerning of what is hidden in man, whereas the Bible is what passively allows man to see what is hidden in himself. The composition of the Laver being mirrors then points to what it says about the Word of God in Hebrews 4 –

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:11-13

The bronze laver, made from these precious mirrors, points to Christ’s ability to discern and judge the very thoughts and intents of the hidden heart of man. And so, if Christ is the Laver, then what issues from Him is symbolized by the water. As He is the Word of God, and the word proceeds from Him, then it is a picture of the word itself; the Bible.

So much is tied up in this because the Holy Spirit worked to ensure that we received the written word through the prophets and apostles. Jesus came and dwelt among us and spoke the word. But suffice it to say that it is the word which is pictured in the water.

As we have only one source for knowing Christ during this dispensation, then it must be that source, meaning the Bible, the written word of God which is our water of cleansing. Numerous verses in both testaments show us this. A direct one from Psalm 119 is –

“How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9

Another from the New Testament is again explicit –

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word…” Ephesians 5:25, 26

These and a host of other verses show us that this water symbolizes the life which flows from the Word of God. And especially for us during this dispensation, it is the written word meaning the Bible. Understanding that, there is more to see in the idea of washing.

In the ordination of Aaron and his sons which was recorded in Exodus 29, they were completely washed. That was a one-time washing only for ordination. However, they are now instructed to wash their hands and their feet each time they minister to the holy things. This then shows a contrast between the two types of washing.

Further, the first was done for them by Moses one time and never repeated, the other was done by themselves frequently. This contrast is seen in what happens to believers in Christ. The first conducted for them typified regeneration – moving from Adam to Christ, once for all. The second typifies on-going sanctification and constant spiritual cleansing. This is actually seen in Jesus’ washing of the disciples in John 13 –

“Jesus said to him, ‘He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’ ¹¹For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, ‘You are not all clean.’” John 13:10, 11

He uses two different words there for us to understand what is meant. The first is “bathed” or louó. It signifies the washing of the entire person; a full washing. This signifies cleansing from sin. The second word He used was “wash” or niptó. This indicates a simple washing of one’s own hands. It is an on-going process of keeping something clean.

What is seen is a contrast of what the Lord does for us in regeneration, and what we receive from the Lord in our sanctification. The regeneration is actively conducted by Him. It is once for all, and its effects are permanent, meaning forever. In our sanctification, we passively receive from Him as we actively cleanse ourselves with Him.

We open the spigot and we receive sanctification and cleansing through the washing of water by the word. This then is why the Laver comes after the Brazen Altar. The Altar speaks of justification before God because of the application of the work of Christ. The Laver speaks of sanctification before God because of application of His word.

We don’t need to have the blood reapplied, but we need to continuously apply the water, even to go back and minister as a priest at the altar. The holiness of God demands that in order to be in proper fellowship with Him, we must treat Him in the holy manner He deserves. Arthur Pink states this beautifully with these words –

“What is needed by the exercised believer as he is conscious of the blemishes of his service (the “hands”) and the failures of his walk (the “feet”), is to avail himself of that which the Laver and its water pre-figured—the provision which God has made for us in His Word. What is needed by us is a practical appropriation of that Word to all the details of our daily lives.” AW Pink

How sad it is to think that the water is right there for us if we desire it. The word is written, its precepts are available, and the yielding of our lives to it will bring us back into a right standing with our heavenly Father. And yet so few avail themselves of this fount of spiritual blessing.

It is there for us to draw from. Just as the priests had to go to the Laver and draw the water from it, we too have to draw from the word, using it to judge ourselves, to guide our lives, and to grow in a close and personal relationship with the Lord. Paul sums the thought up so well with these words –

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

In doing these things, we will keep ourselves from temptations, we will be kept from falling into evil practices, we will stay on the right path, and be able to resist the devil. The snares he sets for us will be evident long before we come close to them. This is the power of the word of God to affect our lives. The water of the Laver is our written word. In pursuing it, we can fulfill Paul’s admonition from 2 Corinthians 7:1 –

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

And this perfecting comes in two ways, symbolized by the two parts of the body which were washed by the priests. The hand washing was intended to signify purity in action, whereas the foot washing was to signify holiness in how they walked and conducted their lives. Together, they signify the right-now and the on-going. Our cleansing is to be for the task at hand as well as for the steps we take which lie ahead.

In this pursuit of the word though, there is more than just keeping ourselves from harm and growing in holiness. There is an aspect which anyone who reads the Bible daily will surely comprehend – relief and reinvigoration. When Aaron and his sons washed their feet, especially before the evening work, they would be tired from the labors of the day.

When the cool water came down on them, it would have been a blessing to their soul. This is what the Bible gives us each time we pick it up, looking for a moment away from the weariness of the labors of the world. Reading David’s psalms can lift even the most wiped-out soul from the pit of the most melancholy spell. Such is the power of the Word of God when we open the tap and let it flow upon us.

Having seen so far what the Laver is according to the word, we need to see what is missing concerning it according to that same word. As I noted, nothing is said of its size, height, width, shape, or ornamentation. It is completely devoid of any further description. In this, we see a picture of unlimited provision.

The Laver could have held a gallon or 1000 gallons. The omission thus tells us that we don’t need to know. It holds water and water will issue from it. That is all we need to know. And so it is with Christ. He is unlimited in scope, being very God of very God. And what issues from Him is therefore unlimited in scope.

His word is fully sufficient to cleanse and to keep on cleansing. He is sufficient to sanctify and to keep on sanctifying. He is sufficient to purify and to keep on purifying. From Him, the water never ceases. Every need is met, and every desire is fulfilled in Him.

But not only was the size of the laver not given, the transport of it was not detailed either. The transport of all of the other implements is detailed, even minutely, but nothing is said of this. No mention of it being covered is given, no words tell us of how it is moved.

This omission was purposeful in order to show us Christ once again. He is ever available for our cleansing. No matter where we move, and no matter what deplorable place we go to, there is always available to us the pure cleansing of the word. It will never depart from us. As long as we come to the tap, the water will flow. In this life, we will never search out all of the mysteries of His word, and in eternity, the water will never run dry. This is the promise of Revelation 22 –

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1

And there is one more omission concerning the laver, at least as far as Israel is concerned. It is mentioned 10 times in the books of Moses. It is seen 9 times in Exodus and once in Leviticus. All of these are in connection with the construction and consecration of the tabernacle. After that it is not mentioned again.

Instead, only the lavers for the temple are once again described. This is probably not by accident, but is intended to show us just how far Israel departed from the word of the Lord throughout its history. They were redeemed by God. Those who participated in the Day of Atonement received His covering, but the people never lived close enough to the Lord to be considered as cleansed from their daily walk.

It is the continued theme of the Old Testament. This is certainly why they were twice exiled and it explains beautifully the words of comfort for Israel which lie ahead someday when they turn to Christ. This is seen in Zechariah 13 –

“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1

The fount was opened for them, but they rejected Him. Therefore, they were exiled and God turned His focus to the Gentiles who have gladly received what is offered in these ancient types and shadows. However, Israel is being prepared for the day when the cleansing water will pour out for them.

Nationally, they will sit as chief among the nations. Spiritually, they will be purified by the water which flows from the throne there in Jerusalem. This is described in Ezekiel 47:1-12. The water will flow from the throne and be so abundant that it will even bring the Dead Sea to life. Only the swamps and marshes won’t be healed.

The note that the ritual for Aaron and his sons was forever to them throughout their generations is an anticipatory look into the true and eternal cleansing in Christ. The law failed, not because it wasn’t holy, but because man isn’t holy. Only through Christ can that be corrected. And in Him, it is completely corrected.

What we need to do now, in our present walk, is to pursue Christ. We should fill ourselves with His word, apply its precepts to our lives, and live always in a state of purifying ourselves to honor His holiness. We can hold onto the words of the Lord from John 15:3 that say –

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

But we also need to hold onto the truth that our one-time cleansing from a bath does not mean that we don’t need ongoing cleansings through self-washings. One has eternal value and can never be removed, whereas the other has right-now value which can affect so much of our earthly life as well as our heavenly rewards. As I’ve said, the tap is there. We just need to open it and wash.

If Christ is the discerner of our inner selves, then let us use what we have from Him for our own self evaluations; let us look into the perfect law of the Lord in order to discern our faults, and let us strive to mirror the Lord until the day when He looks at us and sees as much of Himself reflecting back into His precious, purifying eyes as is possible.

And for those who have never taken the first step, not of being sanctified by the word, but of being justified by the Lord, it’s time to make the decision to do so. No matter how much you wash your hands, the defilement will remain unless the sin of your soul is first washed away.

This is the problem with religion; always putting the horse in front of the cart. “I’m going to clean myself up and God will be counting me in for sure.” That’s not how it works. Only Christ can clean us up to make us right before God. After that, we use what Christ offers to keep ourselves clean. Let’s get it in the right order and you’ll be in the sweet spot for all eternity. Call on Jesus, receive His forgiveness, and then live for Him all the days of your life. Do it today!

Closing Verse: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

Next Week: Exodus 30:22-33 The wonderful smells must have been so intense… (The Holy Anointing Oil and the Holy Incense) (86th Exodus Sermon)

The Bronze Laver

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was relaying

You shall also make a laver of bronze
With its base also of bronze, for washing, as I submit
You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar
And you shall put water in it

For Aaron and his sons shall wash, as is meet
In water from it, their hands and their feet

When they go into the tabernacle of meeting
Or when they come near the altar to minister, by and by
To burn an offering made by fire to the Lord
They shall wash with water, lest they die

So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die
And it shall be a statute to them forever
To him and his descendants throughout their generations
As long as this law continues, they shall cease this never

Lord, in this simple Laver, we see marvelous pictures of you
And of the word which you have spoken as well
Help each of us to do those things we should do
And purify ourselves as the pictures of this Laver do tell

Let our actions be right and acceptable each day
May our steps be free from error; walking a path which is holy
And help us to wash ourselves with your word, we pray
Until the time when we stand there before the glassy sea

For marvelous are you, O God
And worthy are You of our seeking right living through Your word
And may we forever upon the holy path trod
Until the day when comes for us Jesus Christ our Lord

We long for that day and may it be soon we pray
Until then we will continue to pursue You day by day

Hallelujah and Amen…

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 (The Brevity of Man)

Charlie Garrett Moments, Old Testament, Other, Sermons, Special / Holiday, Special / Holiday (video), Weekly Video Sunday, July 24th, 2016Saturday, March 27th, 2021#bible, #christianity, #god, #holyspirit, #israel, #jesus, Book of Ecclesiastes, Christ, Christian, Death, Ecclesiastes, Hebrew, Holy Spirit, Jehovah, Life, Lord, Man, Solomon, Wisdom, Yahweh, Yehovah 0 Comment

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 (The Brevity of Man)

Charlie Garrett Ecclesiastes, Old Testament, Other, Sermons, Special / Holiday, Special / Holiday (Written) Sunday, July 24th, 2016Monday, July 25th, 2016#bible, #bookofecclesiastes, #christianity, #god, #holyspirit, #israel, #jesus, Book of Ecclesiastes, Christ, Christian, Ecclesiastes, Holy Spirit, Jehovah, Yahweh, Yehovah 0 Comment

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
The Brevity of Man

I take care of a friend’s house down the road from where I live. He’s a great guy who is now 90 years old. One day I asked him “What’s your secret to living so long?” “Simple,” He said. “Keep breathing.” I guess that helps.

The fact is though that life is short. I’ve lost several friends that I grew up with. One day they were there, and the next day they were gone. One of them was a member of this church. On a Saturday, just one year ago, I got a call from her daughter Sarah. “Uncle Charlie, mom died.”

I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t process the words. My mind simply went blank. “But, I just got an email from her yesterday. How can this be true?”

As each person that knew her heard the news, they had the same sense of shock. When my mother came to church Sunday morning, she literally broke out in weeping. Her sobs crushed what was left of my already shattered heart. For each of us, our memories of Kelly flooded over us like a tidal wave.

“What was the last thing I said to her? Could I have done more with her or for her? Was I the friend I should have been?” Every one of us had such thoughts. But when the last moment is over, it is over. Life is brief and for all of us, it is a terminal disease. Each one of us will come to that same end someday. It isn’t “if,” but rather “when.”

Text Verse: Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
²He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue. Job 14:1, 2

Whether we like it or not we’re all getting older… moment by moment, day by day, the clock keeps ticking as our life ebbs away. We race towards the future, looking for what’s ahead and we’re in continuous anticipation about the next big thing. But from time to time, we stop and look back and wonder where the years have gone. Usually we do this on anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

Solomon tells us this is the entirely wrong attitude to have. If you follow his life, this is what he did, but it ended up costing him. He was the richest and wisest man ever to live and yet he misplaced his wisdom.

At the end of his life, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s a hard book to follow unless you understand his premise. He contrasts life under the sun with life under the heavens. He tells us what is and what isn’t meaningful. In the end, nothing under the sun is meaningful. Instead, it’s what is under God’s heaven that has true meaning and purpose.

This is the point of what Solomon is trying to tell us and he sums everything up in chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes. We can take it as an axiom that no person lying on his death bed has ever uttered, “I wish I had worked more hours at my job.” No, when we encounter death, we look at things in an entirely different way.

For many who are blessed with a slow death, they at least get the chance to sort out their life with God. For those who die suddenly, they don’t get that chance. They were either right with Him or they were not. For those who were not, that is the saddest end of all. If you are here today, it’s because you are still alive. Solomon tells you what you need to consider now.

He will open his discourse noting that it is the youth to whom he is speaking. As the oldest man who ever lived, Methuselah, lived to 969 years, I think everyone here qualifies as a youth, at least in regards to him. So Solomon is speaking to you. Pay attention. There are valuable lessons to be learned from this superior word, and so may God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Solomon’s Words to the Young (Verses 1-8)

The beautiful and magnificent words of Ecclesiastes 12 comprise 1482 characters in 339 words of 14 verses in the NKJV, or 754 characters in 162 words if you read the Hebrew text. Solomon was writing to the youth of his time, and the words he wrote echo down through the ages and throughout all generations. He speaks, like Isaiah who would come later also speaks; about priorities –

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30, 31

But, though Solomon’s words are beautiful, some of them are a bit cryptic, especially verses 1-6. And so let’s take a very brief look at them together and see what he was trying to tell us.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:

In these opening words of the chapter, Solomon implores his reader to not wait on a relationship with God. Youth, and its many distractions, is still the perfect time to begin – and to strive to perfect – this relationship. With the passing of youth we experience the “difficult days.” They are days of trouble and days of trial.

First, pressures of family and work come up. No sooner are we getting through this phase than we reach the age of physical and mental deterioration. Such days are no longer in the distant future. Instead, they are days which draw near. And in the coming of that time, we say “I have no pleasure in them.”

Life loses the wonder of youth, it loses the joy of things being endlessly new and exciting. Instead, all becomes routine, life gets tedious, and the days tiresome. The alarm clock rings and we rise to do our duty once again. The excitement is gone, but for brief moments which are always too short. From time to time, we might even have the passing thought which the psalmist of old asked –

“How many are the days of Your servant?” Psalm 119:84

The pleasure of youth is gone and in place of it come questions about when life itself will end. Solomon asks us to remember our Creator in our youth, before such days arrive. As I’ve already noted how youthful each of you are, then be advised that he is speaking to you. Whatever your span of life will be, it is set and there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Moses understood this and he wrote something special for you to consider. From the oldest psalm in the Bible, we read these words –

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

²While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,

Here Solomon is referring to the loss of vision – macular degeneration, cataracts, and all the other eye problems we experience in this fallen world. I personally started losing my vision some years ago. It seems that every year or so since then, the number on my reader glasses has gotten a little larger.

Eventually, if our sight gets bad enough, the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, and all of the other things we love to see – all of these will simply fade into gray or even black.

But there is another type of blindness that is even worse. It isn’t physical at all. Rather, it is spiritual. It is a blindness we are born with. Jesus spoke of it to the leaders of Israel –

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41

We have a blindness to our own sinful state. It is so heavy over the eyes of our hearts that we simply refuse to see that it is there. Paul prayed that this blindness would be replaced with clarity of vision. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said this –

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21

Children, we are being asked to remember our Creator now, in the days of our youth, before the blindness of eternal darkness once and forever overtakes us.

^2 (con’t)And the clouds do not return after the rain;

The Hebrew reads, “And the clouds return after the rain. The “clouds returning after the rain” is a metaphor for continued physical problems constantly returning. As soon as it rains, the clouds begin to form again. It is continuous cycle of getting better only to have the same problem come right back. In the same way, our brains fog over and our thoughts become unclear as we age. Even if we remember something, we forget it again right away.

Before this sad state comes upon us, Solomon implores us to think on the things of God; to make the best possible use of our time. The psalmist of old gives us wonderful words of how we should spend these few moments of our existence –

“When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.” Psalm 63:6

David did just this and he was able to hide God’s word in his heart when he was young. It was a good thing he did, because in his later years, this would have become impossible. He had an affliction of the body which was so debilitating that he could never have directed his thoughts to the things of God unless they were already instilled in him –

“When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.” 1 Kings 1:1

Solomon saw this in his father David and he wrote words for us to consider –

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.” Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10

³In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,

Here Solomon calls the arms and legs “the keepers of the house.” The arms are what care for us, and the legs are what transport us. They are what keep the house of our souls fed, healthy, mobile, and able to continue functioning. But, as humans, we often tend to get the shakes in these areas with age. Body tremors, neuropathic problems, Parkinson’s, and other ravages of time and age all cause the keepers of the house to tremble.

Solomon asks us to consider our lives now, in our youth, before this happens. It is a sad thought that someone would start seeking God from His word at a time when he can’t even hold a book steady. Rather, the book of Hebrews admonishes us with these words, directed to us now while we still are able –

“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12

^3 (con’t)And the strong men bow down;

When he says that “strong men bow down” it’s obvious that as we age the ground gets closer to our faces… or is it our faces getting closer to the ground? Our backs hunch over, our knees bow, and these unnatural positions only increase our pains.

And so, I’d ask today that you consider while you have the chance, to strengthen yourself spiritually through Christ so that when your physical body wears out, you have the inner strength of His glorious Spirit to take you through these times of trouble. Two contrasting verses from the psalms will help instruct us in this matter –

“For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.” Psalm 31:10

“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.” Psalm 146:8

What a different end for those who know God and those who do not. For those in Christ, there is an eternity of strength which awaits them. For the others, there is only an eternity of pain which lies ahead after that life of pain. Remember your Creator now my children.

^3 (con’t)When the grinders cease because they are few,

Along with the other problems, Solomon goes on to tell us that our chewing will become more difficult with age due to the loss of our pearly whites! We’re fortunate today to have advanced dental capabilities, but the cost is often so high that we still let some of the missing teeth remain missing. Eventually for some, there is only the prospect of soft foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was a rare thing in ancient Israel for people to have all their teeth even at a young age. How much worse when they were older! Solomon was impressed that his bride to be had all of her teeth –

“Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.” Song of Solomon 4:2

His advice to this beautiful young bride would have been to enjoy her beauty, and to enjoy every meal, but also to pursue God while she was still young enough to possess both.

^3 (con’t)And those that look through the windows grow dim;

Again, Solomon reminds us of our coming vision problems. The eyes are called the windows to the soul. Eventually, the eyes dim and the food for our soul can no longer be consumed. His advice is that we not get to that point without first remembering our Creator; pondering Him and His goodness in our lives. Some of the greatest of the Bible suffered with vision problems.

Isaac lay in his bed for over forty years because of his blindness. Eli, the high priest of Israel and one of the very few people ever allowed to see the Most Holy objects of Israel’s tabernacle, eventually lost his vision as well. Moses was more fortunate. It says of him at his death –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

For those who are the redeemed of the Lord, who are willing to follow Him, many promises are made, including promises of sight to the blind –

“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

Remember your Creator now before the times of eternal darkness arrive and sight is no longer possible.

⁴When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;

The doors of which Solomon speaks are our ears. When we shut the doors to the street outside, we can’t hear what is happening out there. But that is where the joy of life is! The sound of the grinding speaks of women sitting at the millstones, chatting like birds and grinding out the grain for the evening meal.

It would have been the most common and delightful sound of all. Every Israelite would cherish the memories of such times. To not hear more of them would have been worse than almost anything else.

Likewise, the music we love, the voice of our loved ones, and the sounds of life all fade with age. With our bad eyes, we can’t read the Bible, and with our bad ears, we can’t even hear an audio Bible. Solomon would ask us to consider our Creator now, before such evil days steal away our chance to know Him intimately.

For those who know their Lord, He can and will cause the deaf to hear. Mark wrote about the marvelous work of Christ there on the dusty streets of Israel –

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. ³³And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:32-37

Christ does all things well because He is the God/Man. He is the One who promised restoration of all things, and through Him all things will be restored. Solomon finishes this verse with this thought –

^4 (con’t)When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.

Man tends to wake up earlier as he ages – with or without alarm clocks. The “daughters of music” are the morning birds which sing their joyous songs. But despite their marvelous sounds, there’s a big problem… We may be up early as they sing out their delightful tunes, but we can’t hear them because our hearing is shot! The daughters of music are brought low; their joyous whistling becomes nothing more than a dull sound to our deadened ears.

And there is also another type of deafness which man faces. It is the inability to hear the word of God as it speaks to his soul. The Lord told the prophet Isaiah to proclaim this to the people –

“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
¹⁰“Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

The people of Isaiah’s time are the same as people today. We refuse to listen, we refuse to heed, and we refuse to turn and be healed. The musical notes of the words of Scripture are brought low to our deadened sense. Oh God, if we would just open our hearts, you would fill our ears with sound and our eyes with light –

“So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” Exodus 4:11

⁵Also they are afraid of height,

The young are afraid of nothing. Heights are a challenge to be overcome. But to the elderly, even a small step ladder could mean a broken hip. High places begin to terrify and the ground is a safe haven from the terrifying heights. But even the old who know the Lord, who cherished their Creator in the days of their youth, are able to rise to the highest of heights to grant Him His just due –

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!” Psalm 148:1

^5 (cont)And of terrors in the way;

What once was something we laughed off without a care, later becomes that which terrifies us most. When we were young, we would go to the store without a second thought, but with age comes fear – “Will someone attack me if I go out?” “Those young ruffians on the corner sure look bent on evil.” “What if the car breaks down on the highway?”

Things that never caused us a moment of concern eventually fill us with dread. Age has worn us down and we can no longer look out for ourselves as we once did. Like a lazy person, we soon find excuses to not go out at all –

“The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!’” Proverbs 22:13

But for those who fear the Lord in reverence, there is no dread of what man, demon, or devil can do –

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

^5 (cont)When the almond tree blossoms,

When it’s in full bloom, the almond tree is covered with white blossoms. Solomon uses it as a metaphor for the head of the aged. Where there was once raven black, there is now a beautiful gray. Where blond curls were, there is now shiny silver. Solomon is being poetic and striking about the head of the aged. My beard was once a nice brown color, now it has assumed another look.

In the proverbs, Solomon says that for those who took the time to know their Creator in their youth, the blossoming almond tree bears a special honor –

“The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31

And in Isaiah, the Lord promises His people that this mark of the aged is no hindrance to His power –

“Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

^5 (cont)The grasshopper is a burden,

God created the grasshopper just as he created mosquitoes. For the aged, both are troubling. In the case of the grasshopper, even though their ears have trouble hearing the sound of the birds, the grasshopper’s song at night is as clear as crystal because of its peculiar pitch, even someone practically deaf can hear it.

And it never seems to end as you lie in bed with your old bones, wishing it were morning! The grasshopper drags himself along, robbing the aged of the little sleep that they try to get. Remember your Creator now… in the time of your youth, before such terrible times come.

^5 (cont)And desire fails.

What was once delightful becomes bland. What once stirred the soul eventually becomes wearisome. Work loses its joy; the desires of life fade. The anticipation of the caress of another is replaced with the desire to just get a bit more sleep. Ouch! That’s all I can say! In this regard, Moses was a blessed exception –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

The Hebrew of this verse tells us that Moses didn’t need Viagra. But for the majority of us, as age advances, our desires fail and the joys of youth are gone. Remember your Creator now, in the days of your youth, young man.

^5 (cont)For man goes to his eternal home,

The eternal home; the resting place for all souls. The KJV calls it the “long home.” And we will be there a long, long time. For us, there awaits a box in the ground, a fancy pine overcoat – longer than it is wide.

^5 (cont)And the mourners go about the streets.

In the time of Solomon, and even through the time of Jesus, professional mourners were employed to stand outside homes of people who died. If you were wealthy, you’d have lots of them, but whatever… the job could only mean one thing. Death had arrived and claimed another soul. The eternally hungry pit was fed once again and the sound of a person, unique from any other in all of human history, had been forever silenced.

Solomon asks us to consider this end, for it is one we will all share in. For those who are wise, there is to be relief from this pit – if… if we will just remember our Creator before the sickle comes to reap the sheaf of our life. In Christ there is hope –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25, 26

⁶Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,

Once again, Solomon implores us to remember Him – the one who loves us, who created us, who came to die for us. Before we know it, something will go wrong with our jar of clay – our human shell – and it will be too late. The silver cord is the spine and its marrow. Its loosening causes a stopping of all the nervous system and brings on the approach of old age and death. Or, if it gets cut unnaturally, death can be much, much quicker. Remember Him now, before your silver cord is loosed.

^6 (con’t)Or the golden bowl is broken,

The golden bowl is our head and its contents (or the lack thereof.) If it gets broken, or the brain pops a vessel, we’re on our way to the checkout counter. Our ticket is punched. I’ve known several people who died from head injuries – some from motorcycles, one more recently from a brain hemorrhage. To think of them is to miss them.

Even with modern medicine, once the golden bowl is broken, that’s pretty much it. Solomon would have us use our head now in the pursuit of God, while it can still be used for such a magnificent pursuit. There are brains there, but is there wisdom to use them?

^6 (con’t)Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,

The pitcher is that great vein which carries blood to the right ventricle of the heart – here called the fountain. The pitcher pours, the fountain receives, life continues on with each pump of the muscle. [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []. But the pump is known to fault, the vein is known to shatter, and the fountain no longer receives the lifeblood of the man [] [] [] [] [] ………

^6 (con’t)Or the wheel broken at the well.

The wheel is that great artery which receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart – here designated as the well. Modern science has the capacity to repair these things to some extent, but eventually they will wear out, unless something else goes first, When the wheel is broken, the cowboy has had his last roundup; the surfer has tucked into his last tube, and the mason has laid his last brick. Remember the Creator now, while the work of your hands remains an active task and not a forgotten memory.

Of verse 6, I’d like to tell you a story. I used to sit on the beach with a sign that said, “Bible Questions Answered; Don’t Be Shy!” One day a doctor from Pennsylvania walked up and asked a few questions. He went to church, but he figured all religions were the same. He was up for Buddhism and other New Agey things too.

Eventually, he asked some question or another, and I took him to this verse. I showed him Solomon’s words about the heart which are written here. He turned whiter than he already was and mumbled out, “How could he know this? How could Solomon have known this 2700 years ago?” That doctor went away a changed man with a new appreciation for the word of God.

⁷Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

These words find their origin in the very first pages of the Bible. It is an echo of what God did to Adam –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

From the dust we arose at the work of the Lord. By His breath, the dust was animated. The blood began to flow, air filled the lungs; the senses came alive. By His wisdom, it came to be. But by our folly, what was meant to last forever in pristine running condition, became a confining prison, filled with pains, sadness, and decay. The man forgot his Creator and man has suffered ever since –

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

But through Christ, a new body is promised, one that will never wear out, never tire, never decay. God has spoken; the second shall replace the first –

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:46-49

We are given a choice. Will we stay in Adam and face eternal decay, or will we choose God’s work in Christ and receive eternal life? How will you choose? Choose wisely, my children.

^7 (con’t)And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Yes, we are eternal beings. Scripture makes it clear that our spirit will return to God. When we meet Him, it will be for eternal salvation or it will be for eternal condemnation. A price must be paid for the life we have lived. It can be paid in the cross of Christ as our perfect Substitute, or it can be paid in our imperfect selves. I pray you make the right choice. The Bible shows a different end for those who are in Christ and those who are not –

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

⁸“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

havel havalim amar ha’qohelet ha’kol havel – “Vapor of vapors says the Kohelet; everything is vapor.” Breath on a cold day. Abel, or Havel, was given his name from a mother who realized the difference between life under the sun and life under the heavens. She longed, desperately, to return to that life under the heavens which she had lost, but it never came about. She’s still waiting, 6000 years later.

Without a doubt, outside of Jesus Christ, it is all meaningless. All our money, all our treasures, hard work, savings, relationships, desires, aims, goals, boastings…all of it – vapor. It will pass away and disappear into the nothingness from which it came. James understood this –

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” James 1:9-11

II. The Conclusion of the Whole Matter (Verses 9-14)

⁹And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.

The Lord came to Solomon in a dream at night and asked him what he desired. His answer was a wise one indeed –

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. ⁹Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:7-9

The Lord’s response to this request came immediately, and it overflowed with abundance –

“Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, ¹²behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. ¹³And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. ¹⁴So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3:11-14

In the next chapter, the fulfillment of the promise is recorded –

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. ³⁰Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ³²He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. ³³Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. ³⁴And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.” 1 Kings 4:29-34

Despite all that he was given though, he piddled his life away with worthless pursuit of life under the sun. In his old age, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in hopes that we would pay heed to what he had ignored. This life is vain indeed, my son. Look to the eternal; set your eyes on the Lord; and run the race with vigor – all the way to the finish line. Don’t look left; don’t look to the right. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

¹⁰The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.

Solomon’s personal life was wasted in the empty pursuit of vapor, but his words were exceedingly wise. In his case, we could rightly state the old adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.” His words were acceptable, even for inclusion in the word of God.

What is made clear here is that knowledge is important, but equally so we need to impart it to others. The knowledge of Christ is their only hope…don’t keep it to yourself. As with everything in the Bible, Solomon says these are “just the right words.”

They are upright and true –
They are the words of your Creator reaching out to you.

As it says in Hebrews concerning all of Scripture –

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

If this is true, and it is, then the power of the word of God, if properly presented, will cut through all barriers. And the power of the gospel can restore even the greatest sinner. But Paul asks an obvious question in the book of Romans –

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14, 15

Wisdom is receiving and applying the word of God to one’s life. Exceeding wisdom is turning around and sharing it with others.

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads,

Goads are prods used to move animals along. In this, Solomon is saying that the words of the wise are what prompt us toward God and an everlasting relationship with Him. And the words of the wise are thus the words of Scripture. They are what prod us towards a good and happy end. The apostle Paul found that kicking against the goads is painful indeed on the day he met the risen Christ –

“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” Acts 26:14

Are you here today kicking against the goads. You’re only hurting yourself. Christ is calling for you to live at peace with Him, not to fight His marvelous hand until your dying breath. Let the words of Christ be that which drive you to the refuge where the Lord God dwells, and where underneath are the everlasting arms.

^{11 (con’t)}and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails,

A well-driven nail holds fast. It will remain secure in the highest of winds and against the strongest of intruders. The home is safe, the tent stands firm, and the bleachers won’t buckle when the nails are well driven. The words of scholars, wise and learned men who have penned the word of God for us, are like this. They are tested and true. This is why the psalmist could unequivocally state –

“Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 (NIV)

Later in the same psalm, he gives us another insight into the nature of the word –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

A lamp is used to direct light, but light is a constant. It never changes. It travels at 186,282 miles per second… always. The word of God is what directs the light, and the light of the word never changes. The path for our feet will never falter when we place our trust in the contents of the word. Let these well-driven nails be your place of refuge now, while the time is called Today.

^{11 (con’t)}given by one Shepherd.

Who is this one Shepherd? It is Jesus – the eternal Logos; the Word of God. He’s both the Author and the Subject of the Bible. The words He gives us are all we need to properly guide our lives and to lead us into all righteousness. In adhering to His words, we are forever filled –

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The Shepherd that David looked on high to is the same Shepherd we eagerly anticipate –

“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11

He is our Good Shepherd; He is our Great Shepherd; and He is our Chief Shepherd. He is the guide of the flock, and His reward is with Him. His word stands firm, and His promises are true. Remember Him now, little children. Seek Him while He may be found.

¹²And further, my son, be admonished by these.

We can seek after wisdom from a thousand cultures and ten thousand wise men, but unless we pursue God as He has revealed Himself to us, the wisdom will fail and our knowledge will die with us. The words of the scholars, which have been given by the One true Shepherd have been provided as the roadmap for our lives. He created us, and therefore He alone can direct us as is fit and proper. Solomon understood this, and his words to you, my children, are as relevant today as they were when he said this. Allow the word of God to admonish you. Demonstrate true wisdom now, while there is time.

^{12 (con’t)}Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Isn’t this the truth! Imagine, Solomon wrote this almost 3000 years ago. He said even then that there is no end to the making of books at a time in history when hardly any books had been written! Just imagine how overwhelming the sight of a modern library would be for him today.

If we were to count only the books written about the Bible, we would be counting a very long time. I know several people, quite a few in fact, who have read book after book after book about the Bible, but they have spent very little time in comparison simply reading the Bible. What a waste of time.

Before I met the Lord, I read the entire collection of Edgar Allen Poe every year. Since I met Him, I have never read Poe again. And in all honesty, I’d rather go back and read Poe than most of the books that have been written about the Bible. They come and they go. They often enrich the author, but they do very little to enrich the soul. At least Poe could do that. If you want time well spent, the word is waiting. Pick the thing up and read it! If you do, you will be able to fulfill the words of the next verse…

¹³Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Oh boy! I can’t wait to hear! Solomon, the wisest man ever to live has some advice for us… for you, my children. Now! While still in your youth. Lean in and listen folks, the word is near you.

^{13 (con’t)}Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

Truly, it is the whole duty of man – to fear God, to obey His Holy Word, to “…fix our eyes on Jesus…” And, how do we keep his commandments? First, you have to learn them. Which ones apply still? Which ones are set aside? The commandments of God throughout the ages are many, but not all apply at all times. The ones that do now are neither burdensome, nor are they difficult.

To find this out though, you need to go to the source and read it. Immerse yourself in the Bible. It’s an amazingly deep well. So drink from it daily and then obey it in the context which applies for those who trust in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Solomon says that this is man’s all. There is no thing greater that we as human beings can do than to have a reverential fear of God and to keep the word which He has given to us. Shall we stand approved before Him on that great day? If we adhere to the precepts of the Bible, the answer is “Yes.”

* ^{14 (fin)}For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

A day of reckoning is coming. We will all face it and there is not a thing that we can do about its arrival. We can deny it, we can suppress it, we can… lie to ourselves about it, but that day will come – for each and every soul who has ever existed. On that day, the secrets of our hearts will be exposed and the hidden things will be brought to light.

The old saying, “Nothing is sure but death and taxes” understates the ability of people to finagle their way out of paying taxes. But one thing we can’t cheat is death. We’re all heading to our “long home” and we don’t know the day we will move into it.

The time is coming when we will all stand before God to give an account for ourselves. We will stand and receive judgment based on our words. As Jesus said, “…by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). The words Jesus wants to hear, and the words that justify us are laid out by Paul in Romans 10 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10

Let me explain to you how you can arrive at that point where you ae willing to utter those words…

Closing Verse: “All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
²⁵But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24, 25

Next week: Exodus 30:1-10 The symbolism of Christ in these verses is immense (The Altar of Incense) (83rd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for you. Though life under the sun may be exceedingly sorrowful and tedious, He promises those who trust in Him a glorious future of life under the heavens. So follow Him and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Exodus 29:38-46 (I Will Dwell Among Them and be Their God)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, July 17th, 2016Saturday, July 16th, 2016#bible, #bookofexodus, #bookofthecovenant, #christianity, #god, #holyspirit, #israel, #jesus, #lawofmoses, #mountsinai, Book of Exodus, Book of the Covenant, Christ, Christian, Exodus, Hebrew, Holy Spirit, Jehovah, Law of Moses, Moses, Mount Sinai, Tabernacle, Yahweh, Yehovah 0 Comment

Exodus 29:38-46
I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

If you’ve read through the Old Testament, you may have gotten kind of tired of all the offerings that are mandated in it, especially in Exodus and Leviticus. I actually had a friend quit reading the Bible because of them. It seemed brutal, pointless, and overly excessive to her.

Reading the pages one after another and not understanding what is actually going on can certainly lead to that kind of conclusion. Be honest, it seems tedious at times, doesn’t it? Even the Lord said that he had had enough of Israel’s burnt offerings. If you don’t believe me, check Isaiah 1:11.

But the reason was because of the manner in which they were offered, not because it wasn’t the right thing to do. The Lord had called Israel and had given them these rules for a reason. It was first so that they would be His people and He would be their God. There was to be communion with Him through their offerings.

But they got to the point where communing with God was a chore and not a joy. They mechanically offered what the law required and there was no true fellowship in what they did. The second reason for the required offerings was to show us something else. These offerings under the law, like every other detail of what we have seen, were given as a type and shadow of Christ to come.

I know that the thought of analyzing a bunch of sacrifices and offerings may seem dull, but its not. If you still aren’t impressed with the verses ahead when we get done today, I’ll give you a full refund on your time. But I just don’t believe you will ask for it. If you truly love what Christ has done, then those things which picture Him will be worth the time you spend looking into them.

Text Verse: For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”2 Corinthians 6:16

The Lord said in our sermon verses today that he would dwell among the children of Israel and that He would be their God. He said in 2 Corinthians 6 that He would dwell among us and be our God. Doesn’t that at all get your curiosity up? How do the two accounts tie together? How can the morning and evening sacrifices of ancient Israel point us to our current position with God?

Well, stay awake and pay attention for the next 30 or 40 minutes and you’ll see. One thing is for sure, we can’t find out if we don’t open the book and study it. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Lamb, Morning and Evening (verses 38 & 39)

³⁸“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:

The consecration of the altar was explained in the previous verses, especially in verses 36 and 37. Now, immediately following that description, the account moves directly into the establishment of the daily offerings to be made on the altar.

The purpose of the ordination rites which were described, both for the priests and for this altar, is explained in these verses today. They are the end design to which that ordination is subservient, which is the worship of God and an acknowledgment to Him that all things come from Him.

It would make no sense to ordain the priests and consecrate the altar if there was not an ultimate purpose for their ordination and its consecration. Therefore, it shows that the intent for those consecrations find their fulfillment in what will now be described.

No exception is given here, or anywhere else, concerning relief from these offerings. Even if the land were completely deprived of food or animals, these would still be required because God, being the Source of all things, was to be acknowledged for being the provider or withholder of those things for the people.

His grace could be anticipated if these offerings were made, but even if it was withheld, they were still to be given in petition for mercy. To refuse to offer them as instructed would first be a violation of the covenant, and secondly a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the sovereignty of God who controls the nations and who directs the destiny of Israel.

The life of the people belonged to the Lord, and therefore, these sacrificial animals stood as representative of their lives being offered daily to him. These offerings then could be summed up by Paul from his words in Romans 12 –

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1, 2

This mandate will continue throughout the duration of the Old Covenant. Even until the time of Christ, these offerings were made. At His coming, they were made obsolete, but they continued on until the destruction of the temple in AD70.

The re-establishment of them is being planned right now, but this doesn’t mean they will be acceptable to God. Rather, they are a part of what God has said would come in the final 7 years of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. However, these offerings were so especially important to the covenant while it was in effect, that we read this in Ezra 3 –

“From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.” Ezra 3:6

Even before the laying of the foundation of the second temple, the daily offerings prescribed here were initiated. The same will probably be true with the reestablishment of the offerings in the coming of the next temple. As we will see though, the offerings only picture the coming work of Christ. In Him, they are fulfilled and set aside.

^{38 (con’t)}two lambs of the first year,

The words read, kebasim bene shanah shnayim – “lambs, sons of the year, two.” These lambs were to be young, in the first year, picturing innocence. A lamb of any age is a beautiful picture of innocence, but one of the first year is especially so. It’s hard to imagine sacrificing such a pure and unstained animal.

However, it needs to be considered that it is the Lord who is mandating the sacrifice. As He is the Creator of the lamb, then it is His prerogative to stipulate whatever animal He chooses. In selecting a young, tender, and innocent lamb, He was making a picture of His own Son to come.

Every single day, 360 days a year, and therefore 720 times, these young lambs were sacrificed in anticipation of the day when the pure, perfect, and innocent Son of God would be sacrificed. These lambs then only prefigure His perfect innocence, and His infinite tenderness.

Lambs are not rebellious, but submissive animals. They don’t fight even as they go to their deaths, but rather they remain silent. They will willingly go where the master leads them. Such an animal then made a perfect picture of Christ who voluntarily submitted to His Father’s will and who did not fight or speak against the authority that came to take His life.

Lambs further picture many of His other endearing attributes of harmlessness to those He died for, His humility even toward those who cared nothing for Him, His patience towards the objects of His wrath, and they even emulate Christ in that lambs are useful for both food and clothing.

For those who partake of Him, He is their food. And for those who receive Him, He is their unstained white garment of righteousness. The sacrifice of these lambs was to be a twice-daily anticipation of many of the good things to come in Jesus Christ the Lord.

One more aspect of them is actually not yet recorded. However, in Numbers 28:3, it is added into the details where it says, “two male lambs in their first year without blemish.” Not only were these to be innocent lambs which were to be sacrificed to the Lord, but they were to be without blemish.

These then picture Christ as anticipated by Isaiah with the words that “He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” Peter then further refines the image in the New Testament –

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:17-19

^{38 (con’t)}day by day continually.

la’yom tamid – ” daily continually.” From the first day that they were to be offered, until whatever point set by God in His eternal counsel, these offerings were to be made continually and without interruption.

If a war raged around Jerusalem, and the walls were ready to be breached, the offering was not to be withheld from the Lord. If the rains poured down, or if the snow piled deep, the offering was to continue unabated. God did not delay in offering His Son; Israel was not to delay in offering what merely pictured His coming.

The idea for Israel was first to understand that they continuously contracted new defilement which offended the Lord. And so daily they needed His pardon in order for them to continue before Him. Secondly, it was to show them that the worship of Him wasn’t to be limited to a Sabbath day or one of the set feast days, but it was to continue on at all times, and every day of the year.

³⁹One lamb you shall offer in the morning,

ha’kebes ha’echad taaseh ba’boqer – “the lamb the one you shall offer in the morning.” The first lamb was to be taken and sacrificed as an offering in the morning. There is a lesson for Israel to consider in this act, but there is also a picture of the Christ to come. In a moment we will look at both, but only after seeing what occurs with the second lamb…

^{39 (con’t)}and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.

v’eth ha’kebes ha’shnei taaseh ben ha’arbayim – “and the lamb the second you shall offer between the evenings.” The second lamb was to be sacrificed at a particular time which would later become known as the time of the evening offering, or even simply as the time of the offering. This is found, for example, in the great challenge between the 450 prophets of Baal and Elijah –

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.'” 1 Kings 18:36, 37

This time became so important to the Jews, that even during exile when the sacrifices had stopped being made, those who were observant still used that time of day to make a sacrifice of prayer, petition, and praise to God. This is seen, for example, in Daniel 9 –

“Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, ²¹yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.” Daniel 9:20, 21

For the people of Israel, these two daily sacrifices were to be a reminder of the sin-debt they incurred each night, necessitating a morning sacrifice, and the sin-debt they incurred each day, necessitating an evening sacrifice. An innocent died each morning and each evening as a symbolic reminder of the mercy of God towards them.

Thus, the nation was given a reminder to rededicate itself to the Lord morning by morning and evening by evening. They were to offer themselves as that reasonable living sacrifice that Paul later tells us in the church to be.

The only difference is that instead of considering the death of an innocent little lamb, we are to consider the death of the Lamb of God. How much more then should we treat the offering as holy and worthy of our fullest attention and devotion!

Just as Peter equated Christ with these innocent lambs of the morning and evening sacrifice, Paul asks us to consider our own selves in a similar light, being holy and without spot or blemish –

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

But there is more in this verse to consider. The Hebrew term here is ben ha’arbayim – “between the evenings.” It seems like a perplexing phrase, but one has to consider biblical time. According to the Bible, a day is divided into “evening” and “morning.” Thus there are actually two evenings to be reckoned. The first began after twelve and went through until sunset.

The second evening began at sunset and continued till night, meaning the whole time of twilight. This would therefore be between twelve o’clock and the termination of twilight. Between the evenings then is a phrase which allows the three o’clock sacrifices at the temple to be considered as the evening sacrifice even though to us it would be considered an afternoon sacrifice.

The sacrifice of these two lambs then, one in the morning and one “between the evenings,” meaning at 3pm, then picture the work of Christ on His final day. His final daylight hours are exactingly recorded in the gospels. Luke says this concerning the time which parallels that of the morning sacrifice mandated here in Exodus –

“As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, ^67 ‘If You are the Christ, tell us.'” Luke 22:66

And again, Luke tells us of the ending of this day of brutality, torture, and death –

“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46

The same time that Christ began his last day there in front of the chief priests and scribes, the morning offering was being made. And the same time that Christ died on the cross, which is carefully and meticulously recorded in the gospels, was the same time that the evening sacrifice was being made – the sixth hour, or 3pm.

God, knowing in advance of what was to come in the final day of Christ’s earthly ministry in fulfillment of the law, ensured 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.

Now, in the remembrance of the Day, and in the life which was given for us, we can press on in the full assurance that morning by morning and day by day our sins are truly removed and God’s mercy is granted in all its fullness to us. As Christ offered Himself once for all, He is literally therefore a continual sacrifice for us.

What these continual day by day offerings pictured is what we have realized in the absolute sense through our receiving of Christ Jesus the Lord. Because of this, how much more should we be like Daniel and offer our own spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise, and petition to God both morning and evening and at all times in between. As 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; constancy in religion brings in the comfort of it.”

A Lamb, spotless, and pure – without any defect
Will be sacrificed in my place
And looking at that Lamb, I can certainly detect
The greatest love and grace… this I see looking upon His face

Oh! That I could refrain and not see Him die
Oh! If there could be any other way
How could this Lamb go through with it for one such as I?
Oh God! This perfect Lamb alone my sin-debt can pay

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Behold the sinless One, there on Calvary’s tree
He has prevailed and the path to heaven has been unfurled
The Lamb of God who died for sinners like you and me

II. Sanctified by Glory (verses 40-43)

⁴⁰With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour

Along with the lambs, other offerings were to be presented. The first such named offering says, v’issaron solet, “and one-tenth of flour.” From later verses, we know it is one-tenth of an ephah of flour. This is the first time that a division of tens is indicated in the Bible using the word issaron, or “the tenth part.”

An ephah is believed to be around 4 1/2 gallons, and so 1/10th of that would be a bit more than 3 lbs of flour. Elsewhere, the tenth part of the ephah is specifically known as an omer. This was to be presented with the first lamb each day. With this it was to be…

^{40 (con’t)}mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil,

The ephah is a measure of dry goods; the hin, now introduced into the Bible, is a measure for liquids. It is believed to be a word of Egyptian origin. Although not certain, a hin is reckoned at about 3/4 of a gallon and so 1/4 of a hin is somewhere around a pint, maybe 1 1/2 pints.

There is to be 1/4 of a hin of shemen kathith or “oil pressed.” The word kathith is used for the second of just five times. It indicates something beaten. It is only used in connection with the olives that have been made into oil. This oil was to be mixed in with the flour and presented as a daily offering along with the first lamb.

The flour is an obvious picture of Christ, the Bread of life, who came down from heaven. It was a reminder that day by day we are to dine on Christ. He is our sustenance and that which nourishes us. The oil from beaten olive pictures the anointing of the Spirit upon Him which was suitable to carry Him through the suffering and trials that He endured.

Together, they made a tasteful food offering to God, just as Christ crucified became our Bread of life. As He is our spiritual meal, then we can and will be able to endure whatever trial or suffering we too may face.

^{40 (con’t)}and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.

The same amount of wine as oil was to be presented to the Lord. However, this was not mixed with the bread, but was poured out as a drink offering. The word for “wine” here is yayin. It is a common word for wine, which was used ten times in Genesis, but is seen just this once in all of Exodus.

It comes from an unused root meaning “to effervesce.” Thus it indicates fermented wine. It is to be considered wine which has alcohol content to it, thus banqueting wine. This is only the second time that a drink offering has been mentioned in Scripture. The first was after Jacob’s night, sleeping on the stone when he had his heavenly dream in Genesis 35 –

“So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.”

Like that drink offering, these were to be wholly poured out to the Lord. The Pulpit Commentary disagrees. They say –

“The application of the “drink-offerings” is uncertain. Josephus says (Ant. Jud. 3:9, § 4) that they were poured out round the brazen altar. But the analogy of the “meat offering” makes it probable that a portion only was thus treated, while the greater part belonged to the priests. In the entire provision by which burnt and peace-offering were to be necessarily accompanied with meat-offerings and drink-offerings, we can scarcely be wrong in seeing an arrangement made especially for the convenience of the priests.” Pulpit Commentary

This is entirely incorrect. The wine contains alcohol content. This was forbidden for the priests to consume during the time they ministered in their duties. This is seen in Leviticus 10:8-11 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: ⁹‘Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, ¹⁰that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, ¹¹and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.'”

There was no prohibition, on the priests or anyone else in Israel, concerning alcohol consumption with but two exceptions. The restriction for the priests as they ministered, and for the Nazirite during the time of a vow, are the only times it is forbidden.

The pouring out of the drink offering signifies the pouring out of the life-blood of Christ for the remission of sins. There is no way God would allow the priests to consume such an offering. In this act can be seen a secondary picture of the outpouring of His love in the offering up of Himself. The three offerings of the lamb, the meal offering, and the wine produce a marvelous picture of a banquet of Christ’s life presented to God and for man.

But for Israel of old, they could only speculate on the meanings of these things. For them, the sacrifice and accompanying offerings would simply be signs of gratitude to God for His everlasting mercies. They would also be a faithful, twice-daily acknowledgment of His protective care and enduring love.

⁴¹And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

As was noted in the last clause of verse 39, the second lamb was to be offered “at twilight” or literally, “between the evenings” at the time that Christ gave up His spirit on the cross of Calvary. As John Lang describes the two sacrifices –

“The morning sacrifice made atonement for the sins committed in the night, and the evening sacrifice expiated the sins committed during the day.”

This is true in a sense and thus it pictures a continual purification from sin for the people, day unto day and night unto night. As this was merely a picture of Christ to come, in its fullest sense it symbolizes the full atonement and complete expiation of sins for any and all who have received what His life and work offers. Along with this second lamb, there were also other offerings…

^{41 (con’t)}and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning,

The same procedure was to be followed for the bread, oil, and wine in the evening as was conducted in the morning. The cycle was complete in the two sacrifices each day, and the cycle of our redemption was complete beginning on that Friday morning so long ago in Jerusalem and ending at 3pm that same afternoon.

^{41 (con’t)}for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

It should be noted that together, the two offerings are described in this one clause. In other words, the two sacrifices, though separate, actually comprise one whole. Only together do they form to make a complete offering to the Lord. Why is it noted this way?

It is for three specific reasons. The first deals with Israel. These two sacrifices combined were intended to show Israel that they were to consecrate their lives each day anew unto the Lord. So that the entirety of their lives would be included, the two offerings were made continually, both morning and evening.

As long as the law existed, the requirement was to be Israel’s reminder of their consecrated status as the Lord’s holy people. Secondly, they are mentioned together because only together do they picture the final day of the Lord’s earthly ministry before and up to His death.

And so thirdly, they now form for us what Israel only saw in the earthly sacrifices. We are to consecrate our lives each day anew unto the Lord. This is so that the entirety of our lives will be included. The complete and finished work of Christ is to be our constant reminder, both morning and evening.

⁴²This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations

The words of the previous clause, “a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire” in Hebrew are masculine. And yet, combined they are call now “a burnt offering.” This is feminine and so it appears there is a gender discord, but this is what Keil calls an ad sensum.

This is “a grammatical construction in which a word takes the gender or number not of the word with which it should regularly agree, but of some other word implied in that word” (Wikipedia). There is a precision of thought and intent in the original which is not seen in our translations.

And now once again, the word tamid, or “continuously” is repeated from verse 38. The offerings were to be perpetual, but it cannot be said forever. They were to continue only as long as the law, for which they were mandated, was in effect.

As a point of doctrine then, it should be noted to those who perpetually reinsert precepts from the law into their Christian doctrine, that they are actually in violation of the law which they insist upon. If the law is in effect, then the sacrifices must be made.

After the consecration of Aaron and his sons, this is the first point that has been considered. It is a continual, or perpetual, statute for the time of the law. If the law is in effect, in any part, then this part must be followed through with. Thus, it is both ridiculous and absurd to assume that one can pick and choose what parts of the Mosaic Law they will adhere to.

It is an all-or-nothing thing. To go with the “all” can only mean condemnation. To go with the “nothing” means a full and complete trusting in Christ alone, of whom each of these things only picture. If you are sticking to precepts of the law – be they tithing or not eating pork – or any other part of the law, in hopes of pleasing God, you are not only failing, you are disgracing the work of His Son and offending Him.

^{42 (con’t)}at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord,

This translation is incorrect in part. It is the door of the tent of meeting, not tabernacle. However, the KJV does even worse by calling it the “tabernacle of the congregation.” This is entirely incorrect. It is ohel moed – the tent of meeting.

They have made the assumption that this is speaking of the door of the courtyard where the altar is more closely placed, but this is not correct. The sacrifices are said to be “at the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord.” This is speaking of the door to the tent of meeting, even though the altar isn’t placed in that exact spot.

The door for the tent is the word pethakh. The gate of the courtyard is the word shaar. They are two entirely different words describing two different things. It is the altar before the door of the tent of meeting where the Lord would meet with the people and commune with them. This is seen in the next words…

^{42 (con’t)}where I will meet you to speak with you.

Most translations do not give a good sense of these words because of our modern use of the word “you.” It says, asher ivaed lakhem shammah l’dabber elekha sham – “where I will meet with you (plural) and speak with you (singular). The reason for the wording is explained quite well by Charles Ellicott –

“This passage determines the meaning of the expression, ‘tent of meeting.’ It was not the place where the congregation met together, for the congregation were forbidden to enter it, but the place where God met His people through their mediator and representative, the high priest, who could there commune with God and obtain replies from Him on all practical matters that were of national importance. … The fact that all communication was to be through the high priest is indicated by the change of person.”

The words in today’s passage have been exceptionally precise and take great thought and consideration to understand. If you try, you can see what is going on rather clearly. Christ is the Altar. Christ is the offerings. Christ is the High Priest. Christ is the Door. Christ is all of these things. Therefore, the Lord is saying that He will speak to us (plural) through Him (singular).

Everything about this edifice, the offerings, the exquisite wording that is used… all of it is intended for us to see the Person and work of Christ for us – both past, present, and on-going – even until forever. This is seen in the next words as well…

⁴³And there I will meet with the children of Israel,

It is through the entire process of what is being described that the Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel. They meet with Him through the sacrifices and offerings. They meet with him at the altar on which they are made. They meet with him through Aaron and the priests. There in the place, the rituals, and the people, the Lord says that He will meet with the children of Israel

^{43 (con’t)}and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.

In this clause, the words “the tabernacle” are inserted by the translators for either your benefit or as an error. All it says is, v’niqdash bikbodi – “…and I will sanctify by My glory.” The question is, “What will the Lord sanctify by His glory?” Of 20 English translations, here are the options – “the place,” “it,” “the tabernacle,” “that place,” “the Tent,” and “the altar.” Anyone?

The answer is “None of the above.” The tent, the altar, and Aaron and his sons are all mentioned in the next verse as being consecrated. The only entity mentioned in this verse is Israel. It is Israel which is sanctified by the glory of the Lord that is being referred to here. This is later explained explicitly in Ezekiel 37 with these words –

“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ²⁸The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:27-29

In the New Testament, it is Christ who is said to sanctify the people. As each implement, each rite, and each position of the tabernacle merely points to Christ, then this is speaking first and foremost of the people who are sanctified by Him.

This is a higher and more perfect sanctification than the law could ever provide. It is a sanctification which proceeds from the Lord Himself. It is the people who are being sanctified by His glory personally, represented by the various things around them by which they draw near to God.

It is I who consecrates Israel
It is by My glory that this is so
And it is I who can consecrate You as well
To you My holiness I will show

For those who call out from Egypt’s chains
I will respond and break them free
Nothing of the previous bondage now remains
For those who have been released by Me

I am the Lord who sanctifies His people
It is by My glory that this is so
So let them sing their praises from under the steeple
They are mine; let the world know

III. I am the Lord Their God (verses 44-46)

⁴⁴So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.

Only after noting that He would sanctify the people of Israel does it now mention sanctification of the list of things which allow for the ministering of the people. Further, it is in the future tense, “And I will consecrate…” It is another indication that what was said in the previous verse is wholly separate from that which is being referred to now.

This is why it is so disastrous to read and be captivated by a single translation of the Bible. Man is fallible and the insertions are man’s fallible words, often incorrectly rendered. This is perfectly evident, once again, even in this verse which the NKJV translates at “tabernacle.” Again, it is the ohel, or tent of meeting and the altar which are first noted as to be sanctified.

^{44 (con’t)}I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.

After the edifice, only then are Aaron and his sons mentioned as to be sanctified by the Lord. As they are a part of the people of Israel, it is logical that they would be mentioned after the tent and the altar if the previous verse was speaking of Israel as a whole.

The separation between the clauses shows that verse 43 refers to the people of Israel. This will become fully evident in the next verse, but before going there, Adam Clarke’s words on this verse, in relation to the ordaining of men as ministers, is worthy of note –

“From this, as well as from many other things mentioned in the sacred writings, we may safely infer that no designation by man only is sufficient to qualify any person to fill the office of a minister of the sanctuary. The approbation and consecration of man have both their propriety and use, but must never be made substitutes for the unction and inspiration of the Almighty. Let holy men ordain, but let God sanctify; then we may expect that his Church shall be built up on its most holy faith.”

The lesson in Clarke’s words has been borne out thousands of times throughout the years. Man ordains, but only God sanctifies. How many pastors and preachers have been ordained by man, but have had no sanctification by God’s Spirit. Hence, it is never wise to put faith in a title such as pope, priest, pastor, or preacher.

Rather, we are to put our faith in God and inspect the man as to whether he is endowed with God’s approval or not. And the only way to do that is to see if he lives in accord with the word which He has given us.

⁴⁵I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

As I said a minute ago, the structure of how these verses are put together shows us that verse 43 was speaking of Israel. There is a chiastic structure in verses 43-45 which allows us to see this –

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and they shall be sanctified by My glory.
So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

The Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel and to sanctify them by His glory. Therefore, He will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. The center of the verses speaks of the tent, the altar, Aaron, and his sons. Each of these has pictured Christ.

Therefore, we can see the picture revealed for us in the church now. Through Christ, in all of His many roles, God meets with us, sanctifies us, dwells with us, and is pleased to call Himself our God. As I said earlier, the passage today is exquisitely structured and the wording is exactingly precise.

Who would have thought when we started through them less than an hour ago that such marvelous treats would be seen in them! And yet, you are learning what so very few people have ever taken the time to learn. Like Israel of old, for us today, it is Christ who directs us, it is He who saves us, it is He who sustains us, it is He who enlightens us, it is He who defends us, and it is He who loves us enough to dwell among us.

In these verses, you are experiencing marvelous depths of wonder that are hardly ever plumbed. You are finding Christ through the revealed mind of God. Be pleased to revel in Him because through these words, there is wonderful assurance…

⁴⁶And they shall know that I am the Lord their God,

It is through Christ who sanctifies His people that we can know Yehovah our God. It is He who dwells among us and who lives in us by His good Spirit. It is by no other name that we can identify with God in this unique, personal, and intimate way.

In the tabernacle, the people saw the working of God and for God. It was through these types and shadows that they could say, “Here is the Lord our God.” As these types and shadows look forward to Christ, then when we see their fulfillment in Him, we can – and without any reservation at all – say, “Here is the Lord our God.”

God has given us the Old only to point us to the New. Let us never squander our rightful position by deferring to the Old and trusting in our own deeds of the law in order to do what Christ has already accomplished and set aside.

⁴⁶^(con’t)who brought them up out of the land of Egypt,

It is through the sanctification of Israel and all that went along with it that they would know the Lord “who brought them up out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, it is not through the tabernacle itself, nor the altar, nor Aaron that they would know this, but through their sanctification.

This is why the Lord ties this knowledge of Him in with being brought out of Egypt. Otherwise, it makes no sense. The tabernacle was replaced with the temple. The people were exiled to Babylon, the priestly line stopped its sacrifices and offerings, and yet they never forgot that it was the Lord who dwelt among them who brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Thus, we need to remember what Egypt only pictured – our life of sin. We don’t have an altar; we don’t have a tent; we don’t have a high priest. Rather we have the Altar; we have the Tent; and we have the High Priest. All capitals there folks! We have Jesus, the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. It is He who brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and He did it for a most marvelous purpose…

⁴⁶^(con’t)that I may dwell among them.

Until Christ died for us, we could not be justified. Until we received His work, we remained apart from Him and separate from the covenant promises. But when we called out to Him from our state of bondage, He made another entry on the rolls of heaven’s scroll. He set another space at the heavenly banquet table, and He added on another room to the glorious dwelling where we will reside with Him for all eternity.

But He also gave us of His Spirit so that even now He dwells with us. What Israel realized in type and shadow, we realize in spirit and in truth. We have the fullness of what God offers when He said that He will dwell among us. We have the true Tent, our Lord Jesus Christ. And because we have Christ, we have the absolute fullness of our final words of the day…

*⁴⁶^(fin)I am the Lord their God.

Ani Yehovah elohehem. If there is one truth which absolutely must be stated again and again and again, it is that Jesus Christ is Yehovah Elohim. He is the Lord God. This is so absolutely evident in Scripture that it takes the very hardest of hearts, or the very dullest of minds to deny it.

Throughout the entire chapter, we have seen literally dozens if not hundreds of pictures of Christ. In today’s nine verses, we have seen countless more. God is calling out through His word to show us what was, what He has done, and what will be in what He will do.

And every single detail of it hinges on our acceptance that He personally stepped out of His eternal realm and united with His creation in order to redeem us from Egypt, our place of bondage to the devil and sin. In that act, He again becomes the Lord our God.

And as certain as any other truth found in the Bible, if we fail to accept that and to receive Him as our Savior, we remain under the devil’s power. The little lambs whose life blood ebbed away at the altar of sacrifice each day make people cringe at the brutality of God who would allow such a thing.

And yet, those innocent little lives were given as a mere type and shadow of something far more precious, and infinitely more valuable. The love of God for humanity impelled Him to do what He did. This is how much He loves the work of His hands, and this is the amazing length that He would go to in order to once again fellowship with us. Through the cross of Christ, God is calling out to you. Will you respond? Call on Christ; marvelous things lie ahead if you do.

Closing Verse: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.'” Revelation 21:3

Next Week: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Our lives are such a very short span… (The Brevity of Man)

I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:
Two lambs of the first year
Day by day continually, in this do not falter

One lamb you shall offer in the morning so bright
And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight

With the one lamb shall be
One-tenth of an ephah of flour, such is the proffering
Mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil
And one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering

And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight
And you shall offer with it the grain offering, as to My word
And the drink offering, as in the morning
For a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord

This shall be a continual burnt offering
Throughout your generations, so you shall do
At the door of the tabernacle of meeting
Before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, where I abide
And the tabernacle shall by My glory be sanctified

So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar too
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons
To minister to Me as priests, so shall I do

I will dwell among the children of Israel
And will be their God, as I to you now tell

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God
Who brought them up out of Egypt the land
That I may dwell among them
I am the Lord their God, so they shall understand

Surely You are holy, O God
And this is what You expect also from us
But even now You have accepted us while on this earth we trod
Because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus

How can such a marvelous thing as this be?
That You have granted us to again fellowship with You
Thank You, O God for Jesus, the Lord of glory
Who, through His shed blood has made all things new

And so in His name to You we give our praise
And so shall it be forever and ever, even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…