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Exodus 32:1-10 (The Golden Calf – The Testing of Aaron)

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Exodus 32:1-10
The Golden Calf – The Testing of Aaron

Starting with verse 1 of this chapter, a chiasm begins which will span every verse until Exodus 34:17 – 8 sermons. However, it is a rather unique chiasm because it not only conveys individual thoughts in individual verses, but it also contains examples which comprise entire passages. It is truly a marvel of wisdom and beauty which eyes had not rested upon until the 31st of August 2011.

When it came to light, I was so very excited. Each time a chiasm is revealed, it sheds new light on what God is thinking and what He wants us to know. I have printed off copies for you so that you can keep them in your Bible and follow along with it as we go through these next three chapters. Let’s review it now…

3-chiasm

As you can see, the center of the chiasm is verse 33:15 – “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” The people were prone to idolatry and they were stiff-necked in their demeanor, but Moses knew that unless the presence of the Lord went with them there would be no true way of knowing that they had received His grace.

In type and picture, the Presence of the Lord being with Israel is realized in the giving of the Holy Spirit to those in the church. He is the seal and the guarantee of God’s presence in our lives. Sometimes we may feel He is distant or has left us. But this is more often than not because we have fallen back into some type of sin, highlighted by the idolatry of Israel. That thought goes well with our text verse of the day…

Text Verse: “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Let us remember that the Lord is with us, and that we should act in accord with that knowledge at all times. Let us be pleasing to God and stand firm on the commands, exhortations, and prohibitions which are given to us for right living. Such is what we are told to do 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. This is Your God, O Israel (verses 1-4)

For the sake of context, we need to remember where we are in the history of the book of Exodus. Using Moses as their leader, the Lord had brought Israel out of their bondage in Egypt. On the way to Sinai, and even at the foot of Sinai, He had shown them great and marvelous proofs of His abilities to care for them, as well as His affections directed towards them.

At Sinai, He had come down in their presence and verbally pronounced to them the Ten Commandments. After that, because of the terror of the meeting, they had asked that the Lord not speak to them. Therefore, towards the end of chapter 20, Moses ascended Sinai and received the Book of the Covenant. This went all the way through chapter 23.

After receiving the Book of the Covenant, Moses went back down, and the covenant with the people was cut. The agreement was made, and the people committed themselves to obedience. This was followed by the covenant meal between the Lord and the leaders of Israel.

After this, towards the end of chapter 24, Moses and Joshua ascended Sinai again where Moses would be presented with the details for the construction of the sanctuary and all of its furniture, the ordination of the priests, the details for the sacrifices and offerings, and the law of the Sabbath. At the end of chapter 31, the very last thing that was recorded was –

“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18

The two tablets of the Testimony, written by the finger of God which contained the Ten Commandments, was handed to Moses. The words which had been uttered at the beginning of chapter 20 by the Lord, were written down by Him and presented to the leader of the people. This then is the context of where we are now.

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain,

The words ha’am or “the people” are certainly used in a general sense. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says that “some” of the people were involved in the depravity of the idolatry to be described here. Regardless of this though, these things will normally start with a few and eventually permeate the entire body.

Whether few or many then, they are regarded as a single group. They had been brought out of Egypt and had been promised to be brought back into the land of their forefathers. But after an extended period of sitting idle, they are restive and unable to endure any more delay.

The word used concerning Moses which is translated here as “delay” is bosh. It is a verb which means “ashamed,” but the primary meaning is “to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either of self or of an object of trust” (HAW). The word has only been used once so far and it gives us a clue as to the entire flavor of the coming account. It was first seen in Genesis 2:25 –

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

In Eden, there was no shame; no disgrace. There was peace between God and man. But that quickly changed when sin entered the picture. It is sin which causes shame and brings about disgrace. The people imply that Moses has let them down, just as God was disappointed in Adam. A classic use of this word, and one which resembles the events which lie ahead, comes from Isaiah 44:9 –

“Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.”  Isaiah 44:9

Due to the delay, it seemed that Moses has failed and fallen into disgrace. Either he had died in the fiery inferno on the mountain, or he had packed up and left without letting the people know, or some other unknown event had occurred. Whatever their thoughts about Moses were, it included the idea that he had fallen into disgrace.

Thus the irony of what is about to occur centers on this word, given to us in the first sentence of the account. Rather than Moses, it is the people who will fall into disgrace. Moses, or “He who draws out” will have to draw them out of the wrath of God which will be directed towards them.

We were told in Exodus 24 that Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. This means that what we are seeing here occurs somewhere around five weeks after his ascent. We know this because the details of what we will see took at least a few days, or maybe even a week, to transpire.

The Lord selected this period of forty days for a reason. According to Bullinger the biblical meaning of forty is –

“Forty has long been universally recognized as an important number, both on account of the frequency of its occurrence, and the uniformity of its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement—(not judgment, like the number 9, which stands in connection with the punishment of enemies, but the chastisement of sons, and of a covenant people). It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation.”

The forty days are rightly defined by him as a time of evident probation. The people had been given the law and now they were being tested with that law without their chief leader there to supervise them. How would Aaron fare as their designated representative? How would they fare?

There are eight such great forty day periods recorded in Scripture. One of them corresponds to this period in a marvelous way. Israel was given these forty days of testing and they are now shown to have failed. Jesus was given forty days of testing and He prevailed.

1 (con’t) the people gathered together to Aaron,

The Hebrew reads, v’yiqahel ha’am al aharon – “And assembled the people against Aaron.” Aaron and Hur were appointed as the leaders during Moses’ absence. Being the prominent leader, the people have come against him in a forceful way. It is what we could consider the possible beginning of a mob scene.

1 (con’t) and said to him, “Come,

The word is qum. It means to arise. They are tired of waiting and they are adamant that Aaron now arise and take action. And so they demand that he get up and act.

1 (con’t) make us gods that shall go before us;

The word for “gods” here is elohim. It can mean either “god” singular or “gods” plural. Different translations say one or the other. However, in this verse the word for “shall go” is yeleku. It is in the plural, and therefore they are demanding visible gods to lead them. In these words then, multiple sins are seen.

The first is a violation of the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The second is a violation of the second, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” They have also devolved from monotheism to polytheism. Regardless of what Aaron actually makes, they have requested “gods.”

The mentioning of the Lord handing the Ten Commandments to Moses after his long discourse on the mountain is not without significance then. There are several purposes for it. First, it came at the end of the directions for the sanctuary as the fulfillment of what the sanctuary anticipated.

All of the details looked forward to Christ, but without the law which Christ fulfilled, there would remain an eternal disconnect between God and man. Only when this law was placed in the Ark and covered by the Mercy Seat, could there be a sort of restoration of that fellowship which was lost in Adam.

Secondly, it was given to show us that a willful, open, and united act of disobedience against these laws had taken place. The people had forgotten the words of the covenant, but the Lord had not. They had agreed openly and publically to it, and they had openly and publically violated it.

And so thirdly, we will see the just due for violating God’s law and the mercy and grace which is granted when God’s mediator stands between the Offended and the offenders. Moses, as a type of Christ, will be seen to do just this in the verses ahead. Without his intercession, the people would have been destroyed.

1 (con’t) for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

The words here show double contempt. The first is upon the unnamed Lord. Instead of relying on He who had already shown Himself reliable on numerous occasions, they completely ignore Him in what they say. It is as if He isn’t even a consideration.

Instead, they turn their contempt towards the human instrument of their situation, Moses, by saying ki zeh Mosheh – “for this Moses.” The words again imply that he is a failure. “Yeah, whatever happened to that guy?” It reflects a quickly-faded gratitude for all he had done. Especially concerning their acknowledgment that he was “the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt.”

What is even more incredible, is that they are right there at the base of Sinai. All they had to do was send someone up to see what was going on in the cloud and fire. But they were too cowardly to even do this. They were warned to not do this thing. It is an acknowledgment that they knew, very well, that the Lord was there, but instead of coming to face Him, they would stay below and disgrace Him.

And yet even more, they continued to receive their daily portion of manna and their stream of water from the rock. Exodus 16:35 tells us that the manna continued unabated for forty years. Joshua 5:12 tells us that the manna finally ceased only when they had eaten of the produce of Canaan, exactly forty years later.

Instead of the unseen Lord, who would care for them by His effort, they sought a visible god which would embolden them in their own effort. And thus pride has stepped into the minds of the people. They have fallen into the same sin as their first father. And in defiance of God, they intended to work their way into the promised land apart from Him.

It is the same pattern which all false religions follow. They use what God offers to sustain them – just as Israel continued to eat the manna, but they ignore His leading and His counsel – just as Israel set out to fashion their own gods. But Matthew Henry shows us that this is not how it should be –

“While Moses was in the mount, receiving the law from God, the people made a tumultuous address to Aaron. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of Moses. Weariness in waiting betrays to many temptations. The Lord must be waited for till he comes, and waited for though he tarry.” Matthew Henry

2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

What Aaron should have done was to stand and defend the honor of the Lord and the keeping of His commands. He was entrusted with the care of the people after having been included in the meal with the Lord on the mountain. He had seen the Lord prove faithful time and time again, but he was also a weak and fallible person, unwilling to sacrifice himself in the defense of the Lord.

And yet, he knew that the right thing to do was to not obey the demands of the people. In hopes of deterring them from this course of action, he goes to what he supposes is their greatest source of affection by asking them to “break off the golden earrings.”

The word translated as “break” is paraq. It means to break off or tear away. It is a rather rare word, being used just ten times. Instead of saying, “take them off,” he uses this stronger word which almost gives the idea of violence. It is a challenge to the people. “All right, if you want me to do this thing, then you will have to do this other thing.”

The word for earring is nezem – a ring. It can be an earring or a nose-ring or some other type of ornament. Here, it is specifically noted as on their ears. Genesis 35:2-4 makes it apparent that the wearing of these nezem, or rings, was in and of itself a source of some type of idolatry –

“And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.’ 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.”

They had probably gotten these as a part of the plunder when they left Egypt. They would be considered a valuable and deserved blessing. But now Aaron was telling them that if they wanted a corporate idol, they would have to give up their personal ones.

It seems he was betting that they would not be willing to make such an exchange and would prefer their own most valuable possessions. Even more, he specifies those that belong to the wives, sons, and daughters. He probably felt that the people would be as weak towards their families as he was towards them.

The sentiment of what occurs here in defiance of the Lord, is actually something that He later sets down as a precept in His word. In Malachi 2, we read this –

“’If you will not hear,
And if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘I will send a curse upon you,
And I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them already,
Because you do not take it to heart.’” Malachi 2:2

This in fact is what will occur with these cherished possessions of the people. The blessings of their departure from Egypt will become a curse.

3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

If it was Aaron’s intent to keep the people from their plans, he failed. It says that “all the people” did as he asked. Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean all the people of the camp, but it at least means all of the people who had conspired against the Lord. They tore away their earrings and they brought them to him.

4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

The words here are so difficult to translate that there are a multitude of possibilities as to what occurred. Some say that instead of receiving the gold and fashioning it, he received it and bound it in a bag. The same thing occurs in 2 Kings 5:23.

Some say that the order is reversed, and that he made a molded calf and then fashioned it with an engraving tool. But that is not how cast images are handled after they have been cast. What is possible is that it mentions the receiving of the gold first to show that Aaron was now compelled to fashion a god for the people.

After this, he fashioned the thing from wood with the chisel. And then next, he had the gold melted and poured out on it. The reason this is likely is that in Deuteronomy 9:21, it says this –

“Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain.”

That it was burned seems to imply that its core was wood. Only after the wood was burned away, did he crush and grind the gold into dust. This seems likely from the words used. First, the word for “fashioned” is yatsar. So far, it has only been used three times in the Bible. The first two are seen in these words –

“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.
8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” Genesis 2:7, 8

After this, it was used one more time in God’s forming of the beasts of the earth. Now, it is seen in opposition to those uses. Instead of the Lord forming man, and beasts for man’s use, it is man forming a god in the form of a beast in defiance of the Lord.

The word for “engraving tool” is kheret. It is used for the first of just two times. It comes from a root meaning “to engrave,” and so it indicates a chisel or a graver. In Isaiah, it is used to indicate a pen for writing.

The word for “molten” is masekah. This is its first use in the Bible and it comes from nasak which means to pour out, as a libation, and thus to cover. Thus, if a wood form was made, it would then have been covered with the gold which had been melted and then applied over it. From this, they formed their false god, a calf.

The word for “calf” is egel. Again, it is a new word in Scripture. It is the same as the adjective agol which means circular, or round. The reason is that a calf, especially one nearly grown, will frisk around, dancing and twirling. The mental imagery of this is beautifully seen in Malachi 4:2 –

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” NLT

Why a calf is selected is not agreed upon. Many scholars tie this calf in with the calf-worship of Egypt’s god Apis, the god of strength and fertility.

Others disagree and claim that Egypt’s worship was of living animals, not images. If they wanted a god to follow, they could have just taken one of their own calves and sacrificed to it and followed it where it led. Thus they tie the calf all the way back to the Babylonian times prior to Abraham.

What is correct is that they were relying on a god of Egypt. Many ancient images of Apis have been found in Egypt. Acts 7:39, which I will cite in a moment tells us that it was to Egypt that they had turned their hearts. They had left the Lord and what He had revealed to them. This is evidenced in the next words…

4 (con’t) Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

The Hebrew reads, eleh elohekha – “These are your gods…” It is plural. Again, people argue what the intent here is by the use of the plural. Some see it as being the many earrings of the people being combined into one form, thus the plural is used.

Others see the plural being used for the singular. In other words, the sign of the thing represents another thing. This seems likely based on Aaron’s words of the next verse. He will call for a feast to the Lord, implying that the calf stands in place of the Lord as their recognizable image of Him.

But even this is in direct violation of the Ten Commandments and it shows that regardless of Aaron’s intent, the hearts of the people had rejected the Lord. His chosen leader was long gone, and they had closed their eyes to His past mercies and their hearts to His future promises. This is attested to by Stephen in Acts 7 –

“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, 39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.” Acts 7:38-41

What will we do in our times of distress?
How will we deal with the unseen Lord?
When our lives devolve into a horrendous mess
Will we hold fast to the promises in His word? 

Or will we turn to another god, which is no god at all?
Will we forget what Christ has already done for us?
Through His cross, He has reversed our fall
This came through the blood of our Lord Jesus

The unseen Lord is a hard concept to follow, it’s true
But this is what He would ask of us; faith to display
By remembering what He has done in the past, for me and for you
We can have strength to continue in Jesus, day by day

And so let us never forget His gift, His holy word
Which reminds us of the faithfulness of our Lord

II. A Stiff-necked People (verses 5-10)

5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it.

With the handiwork of the workman accomplished, Aaron now provides full assent for the continued path of apostasy by building an altar before the Lord. After the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people asked Moses for the Lord to not speak to them anymore. After that, Moses ascended the mountain to receive the Book of the Covenant. The very first thing mandated at that time was the law of the of the Earthen Altar. This is what that passage says –

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.” Exodus 20:22-26

In direct violation of the law of the altar, Aaron approved the work of man’s hands and built an altar to the abomination. And in addition to that, in further disobedience to that law he next makes a proclamation …

5 (con’t) And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.”

Not only did he approve of an image formed by man’s hands, and not only did he build an altar to it, but he ascribed to it the character of Yehovah by claiming a feast to Him. The self-existent One who proclaimed to Moses, and through him to the people of Israel, I AM THAT I AM, had been reduced to an image of wood and gold.

And that image was merely an image of something else which had been created by God, having been formed by Him as He desired. Now a mere image of His handiwork, that of a brute beast, had been exalted by Aaron as a representation of His infinite being.

The disgrace of what he has done is literally incomprehensible, and yet it is something that almost every human has done countless times in his own life. We form a god in our image. Whether it is through physical idols, or active disobedience to His word, we form our own god, suitable to our own liking.

Whether we decide that God is wrong in forbidding abortions, or whether we ignore His word concerning the order of the family unit, or whether we refuse to acknowledge that Christ is Lord – to the glory of God the Father, we recreate a god in our image and for our glory. The difference between Aaron and us is that Aaron’s deed happens to be recorded for all of us to read. The evil we have done may be out of sight, but it is recorded by God and it will be brought to light.

6 Then they rose early on the next day,

The idea we get here is that the people were too excited to sleep. The tedium of the previous five plus weeks had become too much for them. The thought of a feast day was as exciting to them as the thought of a coming wedding day. No sooner had the sun risen, then they went forward for their day of feasting.

6 (con’t) offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings;

The one offering that they needed the most, the sin offering, is noticeably missing from this verse. Instead, they made burnt offerings to appease their false god, and they brought peace offerings as a sign of fellowship and intimacy with him, but they were blinded to their sin and never considered such an offering.

6 (con’t) and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Along with the sacrifices came feasting and drinking. As with most of such things when conducted in an unholy manner, it led to something worse. The words v’yaqumu letsakheq, “and rose up to play,” probably include fornication, adultery, and the like. It is the same word which was used concerning the accusations against Joseph by Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39:14.

Paul cites this verse in 1 Corinthians 10 along with a list of other things which brought about the wrath of God upon the people of Israel. After citing them, he then followed up with these words of warning, assurance, and relief –

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12, 13

The lessons of the past have been given to us as examples for us to learn by. God is not contained in a box, and He is not represented by an animal or a man, except in the person of Jesus Christ who alone is the image of the invisible God.

As servants of the Lord, we are to refrain from idolatry, and we are to refrain from sexual immorality, both of which are ever more prevalent in society, and both of which are therefore all the more easy to fall into.

7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down!

The Lord uses the same term now that He did in Exodus 19:24, lek red – “Go, get down.” It is a highly emphatic expression implying an emergency, and expecting urgency. Moses didn’t understand the urgency in Exodus 19. In this chapter, he isn’t even aware of it. It is such a forceful expression, that it even affects him…

7 (con’t) For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

The term ammekha, or “your people,” carries one of two possibilities. The first is that the Lord is telling Moses that the people have sinned and they require a mediator to intercede for them. The second is that the Lord has disavowed them as His people. The covenant which united them is broken and they are no longer His.

What appears from the coming verses and chapters is a mixture of both. The Lord has distanced Himself from the people, but he understands that the tie of Moses’ blood relationship is permanent. As we will see, He will offer a new beginning through Moses, promising to make him a great nation, but because of Moses’ faithfulness to his people, in Chapter 34 the Lord will continue the covenant between Himself and Israel.

The greatness of Moses the man is seen in both how the Lord deals with him, and how he deals with his people. No matter what though, at the present time, the people have broken the covenant and the Lord is rightfully offended at their actions. Concerning what they have done in relation to modern idolatry, Adam Clarke provides wise words of counsel –

“This is one pretense that the Roman Catholics have for the idolatry in their image worship. Their high priest, the pope, collects the ornaments of the people, and makes an image, a crucifix, a madonna, etc. The people worship it; but the pope says it is only to keep God in remembrance. But of the whole God says, Thy people have corrupted themselves; and thus as they continue in their idolatry, they have forfeited the blessings of the Lord’s covenant. They are not God’s people, they are the pope’s people, and he is called “our holy father the pope.” Adam Clarke

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.

The words here show that whether the people thought Moses was gone a long time or not, the Lord saw it as a very short span. They turned away from Him and they were in a hurry to do so. Because of this, the guilt of their actions was all the more visible and intense. He had commanded, telling them the proper way in which to live before Him; and no sooner had He done so, than they had turned aside to the false path. As Arthur Pink describes this –

“Man must have an object, and when he turns from the true God, he at once craves a false one.” Arthur Pink

8 (con’t) They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”

His words here confirm the analysis of Adam Clarke concerning the idolatry of the RCC. The Lord says that not only had they made a molded calf, but they had worshipped and scarified to it. The Lord deems such actions as worship not of Him, but of the object itself, regardless of what the verbal expression of the people claim.

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

The Lord was fully aware of the people before He ever created them. Certainly for this reason, as much as any other, He chose them. This might seem contradictory, but it is not. When making an example of something or someone, you choose that which fits the type the most perfectly.

The Lord chose Israel knowing the hardness of their hearts and their rebellious nature so that they could be an example to all people, carefully recorded in His word. And the metaphor He uses to describe them now is one which will be used numerous times of them in Scripture, and countless more throughout history. He says they are “a stiff-necked people.”

The word is normally explained as being obstinate, but it is more than that. It signifies a perverse people who want to behave in a way which is both unacceptable and unreasonable, even in spite of the consequences they will face.

It is a metaphor which finds its source in an animal which will not submit itself to yoke or bridle. He stiffens himself against the pull of the rein, even if it hurts. Thus Israel is being described as the very animal they have shaped and worshipped, a twirling calf. It is as if in history we are viewing a rodeo and Israel is the twirling obstinate animal.

They failed to submit to the yoke of God’s law, right in the sight of the burning mountain and just after a breakfast of manna provided by the Lord which formed on the ground upon which they now danced. This term for them will be used again and again to remind them of their infancy in the wilderness where they bowed their hearts away from God and turned their necks, rather than their faces, to Him.

In their defiance, the Lord now displays His anger at them. The dread and horror which was on display at Sinai in the giving of the Ten Commandments can now be expected to be released on them for violating those very same laws. It is a pattern which will be seen time and again in their history. The first is promised, and it is promised right now…

10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them.

The Lord now states to Moses the words v’atah hanikhah li – “And you let alone Me.” This appears to be a command, but it is not. It is the beginning of another test. Aaron was tested and he failed. Now a new test is being introduced. This becomes clear with the next words, v’yikhar api bahem v’akalem, “…and my wrath will burn hot against them and I will consume them.”

His burning wrath and His promised destruction is merely an exercise in revealing the character of Moses. This is what occurred with Jacob when the Lord wrestled with him in Genesis 32:24-28 –

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’
But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’
27 So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’
He said, ‘Jacob.’
28 And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

The Lord tested Jacob, not for His own learning, but for Jacob’s. Now we see the same thing occurring again. The Lord has told Moses to leave Him alone, not “that” or “so” his anger may burn against the people, but “and” His anger will burn against them. If Moses agrees, the action will occur. And the test is made greater with our final words of the day…

*10 (fin) And I will make of you a great nation.”

v’e-e-se owtkha l’gow gadol – It is almost an exact repeat of the words spoken to Abraham over 430 years earlier. “And I will make you a great nation.” The mettle of the man is being tested. The love of his people, the faithfulness to his duties, and the desire for recognition are all being established.

As noted earlier, the number forty speaks of a time of evident probation. Aaron failed, the people failed, but Moses’ character is yet to be revealed. He has gone forty days and forty nights without food or water. Will he remain steadfast in His love for his people, his faithfulness to God, and his ability to withstand temptation?

He is being used as a picture of Christ who endured the same testing almost 1500 years later. Next week we will pick up with the account of this memorable incident which we can turn to in order to learn valuable insights into how we ourselves should be willing to act when faced with our own temptations and human limitations.

We, like Israel, like Aaron, and like Moses, have been brought up out of Egypt, the land of sin. The Lord has promised to take us back to the land we originally came from; the Land of Promise. In the meantime, we are to live by faith and not by sight.

We cannot replace our affections and devotions to the Lord with inanimate objects like statues of Mary, or false gods of gold and silver. We cannot trust in money or IRAs to keep us secure as we go. We cannot make sex, work, or wealth our god. Instead, we are being asked to trust the Lord and to pursue Him alone.

I met some nice people as I travelled the US in 2010 who fell into a bad patch. It involved the courts and confinement for the husband, and real distress for the wife and children. They become exceedingly pious and seemed to hold fast to the Lord through what happened, but not long after his confinement ended, he went back to his profession and the money started coming in.

She became a body builder. They stopped posting about the Lord and instead they make posts about the empire they are building. It is an empire built on sand, I assure you. Any such god that we put our trust in will fail us. The money will fade, the looks will disappear, the bodies will tire, and only emptiness will be left. What a sad price to pay for the temporary pleasures of this life.

Let us put away our golden calves and fix our eyes upon the high mountain where the Lord dwells. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let us be resolute in our stand upon God’s sacred word, and let us never be willing to forsake our love and devotion to our most honored Lord.

If you have never called out to Him to be your Savior, please do it today…

Closing Verse: “They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:19-22

Next Week: Exodus 31:11-24 It’s always exciting to see what the Bible shows us… (The Golden Calf – The Testing of Moses) (90th 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 Golden Calf

Now when the people saw
That Moses delayed instead
Coming down from the mountain
The people gathered together to Aaron, and to him said

“Come, make us gods that shall go before us
For as for this Moses, the man who brought us up, also
Out of the land of Egypt
What has become of him, we do not know

And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings
Which are in the ears of your wives, so let it be
Also your sons, and your daughters…
And bring them to me

So all the people broke off
The golden earrings which were in their ears
And brought them to Aaron
Of the Lord God, they showed no fears

And he received the gold from their hand
And he fashioned it with an engraving tool
And made a molded calf
Aaron truly acted like a fool

Then they said
“This is your god, O Israel
That brought you out of the land of Egypt
As you know very well

So when Aaron saw it
He built an altar before it, disobeying God’s word
And Aaron made a proclamation and said
“Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord

Then they rose early on the next day
Offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings
And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play

And the Lord said to Moses “Go, get down!
For your people whom you brought out
Of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves
They have performed great wickedness, no doubt

They have turned aside quickly
Out of the way which I commanded them, as I did tell
They have made themselves a molded calf
And worshiped it and sacrificed to it as well

And said, ‘This is your god, O Israel
That brought you out of the land of Egypt
This to the people they did tell

And the Lord said to Moses, who was paying heed
“I have seen this people
And it is a stiff-necked people indeed

Now therefore, let Me alone
That My wrath may burn hot against them in my consternation
And I may consume them
And I will make of you a great nation

Lord God, we sure know how to strive against you
It is in our nature to stiffen our necks in this way
Grant us wisdom to do what is right to do
And to be pleasing in Your sight; this we pray

Help us to follow closely what is written in Your word
And be a light on our path, guiding each of us
Help us to be obedient to the things we’ve heard
Concerning what You have done through our Lord Jesus

Lead us to Your place of rest, in eternal glory
That which is promised in the gospel story

For this we pray, and to this help us to attend
And surely we shall praise you forever; days without end

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 31:12-18 (The Law of the Sabbath)

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Exodus 31:12-18
The Law of the Sabbath

We have already had several sermons on the Sabbath. It is a theme which one would think would simply dry up so that all we would be doing is repeating the same thing. However, today’s passage is completely different than those of the past, such as Ex 16:22-26, where the Sabbath was introduced into Scripture, or Exodus 20, which dealt with the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath.

This passage today takes us in an entirely different direction, and yet it fully supports those, and all the other passages which deal with the Sabbath. It is a temporary institution which finds its true meaning in Christ. In Him, the picture made by the Sabbath is fulfilled, and thus the Sabbath requirement is ended. Along with the new information comes a marvelous chiasm which I discovered while doing the sermon.

I will lay it out for you now, and at times we will refer to it in the sermon. Chiasms give us hidden structures which reveal what God is thinking. They help us to properly analyze difficult passages and theological concepts and they reveal what their true meaning is. This one is no different –

2 Chiasm

As we read the sermon text, maybe you thought, “Why is the same thing being repeated again and again?” Now you know. The Lord is revealing truths about this most important weekly day which occurred in the lives of Israel of old.

Text Verse: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7-11

Before we even start with the sermon, we need to be reminded that the Sabbath was a part of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses is, according to the book of Hebrews, obsolete, annulled, and set aside. It is, according to Paul in Colossians, “nailed to the cross.” We are not Sabbatarians here. We don’t observe an annulled precept from an annulled law in order to be pleasing to God.

Instead, we trust in the work of Christ, and we rest in His finished work – plain and simple. Working deeds of the law in order to attempt to be right with God will lead to only one sad end, separation from God. It is a self-condemning act. This truth, and quite a few others, are poignantly highlighted in today’s verses. Let’s pay heed to what is revealed there… 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 Sign Between Me and You (verses 12-14)

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

v’yomer Yehovah el Moshe lemor – “And said the Lord to Moses saying…” These words introduce the second major section of this chapter. The first began in verse 1 with a very similar phrase. With just a single word of difference, this second section now opens. What is most notable about it, is that it will close out the Lord’s discourse concerning the instructions of the tabernacle and the priestly ordination which began in verse 25:1.

In all, these 6 chapters have comprised 22 individual sermons which have discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures of Christ. There has been an amazing amount of information revealed in this 40-day trip up the mountain by Moses. Even 3500 years later, new insights continue to come out of these 6 chapters of 243 verses, such as our chiasm which finally came forth at this time.

13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep,

This final section of the instructions to Moses seems to be completely out of place. Everything to this point concerning his time on the mountain has been in regard to the building of the tabernacle and its associated rites and services. Suddenly, the law of the Sabbath is reintroduced. As I said, it was already mentioned in chapter 16 where it was first introduced.

It was then next mentioned in the giving of the 10 Commandments, specifically it being the fourth of them. Those two incidents would seem to suffice concerning this particular observance, and yet, before closing out His highly detailed discourse, these six verses are given.

After them, will be one more verse concerning the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the chapter will close. Because of this seemingly unusual placement of these seemingly out of context verses, several reasons have been suggested for their inclusion now.

  • “The law of the Sabbath held a particularly prominent place” in the Ten Commandments, and so it is highlighted before they are given to Moses. (Kurtz)
  • “That the holy service in the tabernacle could not supersede the observance of the Sabbath, but derived from that observance its true value.” (Kalisch)
  • That the “penal edict was especially introduced as a caution in reference to the construction of the tabernacle, lest the people, in their zeal to carry on the work, should be tempted to break the divine law for the observance of the day.” (Barnes)
  • “Hitherto the Sabbath had been, in the main, a positive enactment intended to test obedience (Exodus 16:4); now it was elevated into a sacramental sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13). Having become such a sign, it required to be guarded by a new sanction, and this was done by assigning the death-penalty to any infraction of the law of Sabbath observance (Exodus 31:14-15). (Ellicott)
  • None of the above (Charlie Garrett)

The first reason, that the Sabbath held an especially prominent place in the Ten Commandments, is wholly unjustified. Elevating the Sabbath above the other nine has led to both heresy and the establishment of aberrant cults. That is neither stated in, nor can it be inferred from, Scripture.

The second reason, that the service in the tabernacle could not supersede the observance of the Sabbath, would mean that the rites of the tabernacle would have to be suspended every Sabbath. And yet the directions for the service of the tabernacle mandate that they be conducted, without interruption, every day of the week. Even the ordination of Aaron and his sons was to continue on through Sabbath days.

The third reason, that of the people neglecting the Sabbath to work on the tabernacle, is just wrong. The Sabbath law has been given. For them to assume that they could work on the tabernacle in order to get it finished was not mentioned by the Lord during the instruction of these 6 chapters. In other words, the Sabbath requirement was named at the giving of the Ten Commandments. It was mandated and expected to be kept, just as all ten were.

The last view, that it was because it was elevated to a sacramental sign between God and the people is a correct precept, but that doesn’t explain the placement of it here along with the instructions for the tabernacle. It simply provides an explanation for the penalty of death for a violation of the Sabbath and goes no further.

The issue is, “Why has the Sabbath been placed here, at this time, after giving minute instructions for the building of the tabernacle, and just prior to the physical handing over of the Ten Commandments?” That is the relevant question.

The answer is that if you survive to the end of this sermon, you will be told the reason. In the meantime, you can chew on it as we go through the rest of the verses, and see if you can come to the correct answer.

As far as the use of the word Shabbat, or Sabbath, here, it is the first time that the term shabbatotay or “My Sabbaths” is found in Scripture. First, it shows the personal nature of the Sabbath in relation to the Lord. In observing the Sabbath, there is a direct connection to God’s rest which is recorded in Genesis 2 –

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3

Second, the word is in the plural, “Sabbaths,” because they were a regular occurrence, each week throughout the year. This is why Paul uses the same term when speaking of the “Sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16. They are many, and they are personal to the Lord. This “rest of God” is so important to Him that it will bear several unique connotations and requirements. The first is…

13 (cont’) for it is a sign between Me and you

The Sabbath is to be a sign between the Lord and His people. The word for “sign” is owth. It comes from the verb avah, which means “to sign, mark, [or] describe with a mark.” Thus this type of sign is something that points to something else.

It can point back to a memorial which represents a particular occurrence; it can point forward to something anticipated; and it can reflect something that exists which is only highlighted by the sign itself. In other words, a signature on an important document highlights the authority of the one signing the document.

The Sabbath then is merely a sign intended to highlight a reality which exists already, or which is to be anticipated at some point in the future. Further, this sign is not a temporary thing. Rather, it was intended to remain…

13 (con’t) throughout your generations,

This exact same phrase, l’dorotekem, or “throughout your generations,” has already been used nine times. Looking at those earlier instances will hopefully reveal a truth to you concerning the reason for the placement of this passage.

So far it has been used when speaking of the sign of circumcision which was given to Abraham in Genesis 17. It was used when speaking of the Passover in Exodus 12. It was used concerning the keeping of an omer of Manna in Exodus 16. It was used in the passage concerning the daily offerings at morning and between the evenings in Exodus 29.

It was used in connection with the burning of incense on the Altar of Incense at morning and between the evenings in Exodus 30. And finally, it was used concerning the use of the Holy Anointing Oil in Exodus 30.

Of these nine references to something being done “throughout your generations,” what is the common element? Well, let us ask ourselves, “Are we still required to be circumcised?” No! In fact, Paul says that if we do that in order to be justified by the law, then we are debtors to the whole law. It is a self-condemning act. Circumcision only pointed to the coming Christ.

Are we required to observe the Passover? No! “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Are we still holding on to a golden jar of Manna? No! Why? Because Christ has come! He said –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51

What about the daily sacrifices? What about the offering of incense or the Anointing Oil? What is the common element? The common element is Christ. None of these previous things which were to be l’dorotekem, or “throughout your generations,” was permanent. They were given in anticipation of Christ.

13 (con’t) that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

The Sabbath was a sign, to be observed throughout the generations of Israel, to point to something else. It was given as a sign for the people of Israel to know that it was Yehovah who sanctified them. Just as he blessed and sanctified the seventh day after His creative effort in Genesis, the people of Israel were to know that they were sanctified by that same God. In observing His rest, they were intimately connected to Him and sanctified by Him.

In the words of the Bible connected to the Sabbath, we find a most important truth. First, the Sabbath is given in Exodus 20:11 based on the God’s creative efforts. In Deuteronomy 5:15, the Sabbath is given based on God’s act of redemption. And in this verse, it is tied into God’s work of sanctification.

In other words, the work of all three members of the Trinity are tied up in the Sabbath. God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the Sanctifier. Matthew Poole notes –

“…the sabbath owns the Lord as our Creator, and as our Redeemer, and as our Sanctifier; and therefore it is no wonder God so severely enjoins the sanctification of the sabbath, and punisheth the neglect of it, it being a tacit renouncing or disowning of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you.

Of these words, Joseph Benson says –

“…it is designed for your benefit as well as for God’s honour; it shall be accounted holy by you.” Joseph Benson

It is the Lord who sanctifies Israel. The Sabbath is the property of God. For Israel it is the inheritance of God. Therefore, Israel was instructed to keep the Sabbath. The directions for the construction, services, and rites of the sanctuary were based on works. They were to work towards the Sabbath each week, and then rest in honor of the works which were performed, even though the priest’s works continued during Sabbath days.

14 (cont’t) Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death;

To profane the Sabbath means to defile it. That which would defile the Sabbath was defined in the Ten Commandments –

“In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” Exodus 20:10

Violating these, and any other prohibitions which will be given, would then be considered profaning the Sabbath. However, as we saw in a recent sermon, the priest’s continued to work on the Sabbath and yet they were held guiltless. They did not profane it.

14 (cont’t) for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

A distinction is especially made between being put to death and being cut off from the people. A person could be cut off from the people without being put to death. The two are not synonymous. A person who offended in such a way as to put himself out of the covenant was considered an outlaw. He was to be cut off from his people. When the offense affected the nation as a whole, then the person was to be put to death.

When a person defiled the Sabbath, they actually caused more harm than may be realized. If nothing was done about his actions, it might spur others to jealousy who were not making the same money as the one who profited from the Sabbath. Further, it would then spur them on to profane the Sabbath as well, knowing that nothing would be done about their actions.

Eventually, the infection would spread, and the people in general would come to this same conclusion. What was a sign to the people would cease being a sign. They would no longer know that it was the Lord who sanctified them, they would no longer fear the Lord, and they would quickly turn from Him to profane worship. This will be noted later today in a passage from Nehemiah.

I am the Lord who sanctifies you
In Me you shall find your rest
What I look for is faith that is true
And in this, I shall put you to the test

I am the Lord, pay heed unto Me
For I will give you a Day of rest
If you will simply trust, you will see
That in My presence you will be eternally blessed

Come unto Me, you who are weary
And in My presence there will be peaceful rest
Come unto Me, leave your life so dreary
If the land of Paradise-restored is your hope-filled quest

II. A Sabbath of Rest, Holy to the Lord (verses 15-17)

15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.

These words of verse 15 form the middle of the chiasm. The term Shabbat Shabbaton, or “rest of restfulness,” gives the idea of complete restfulness.  The Pulpit Commentary translates this as, “but in the seventh is complete rest.”

These words, Shabbat Shabbaton, are a particular term used only seven times in Scripture. It is applied to the Sabbath here and two other times – to the Day of Atonement twice in Leviticus, and to the Sabbatical year in Leviticus. Each of these is only a prefiguring shadow of the work of Christ. That the term is mentioned seven times shows us the spiritual perfection of Christ’s work.

The repetition of Shabbat in Shabbat Shabbaton, using an abstract form of the fixed noun, gives the idea of that which is superlative. Thus, the term “high Sabbath” is used of it in John’s gospel. There he says –

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” John 19:31

It was a Sabbath, but it also occurred in conjunction with another feast day. Thus John highlighted the day. It truly was the Lord’s Sabbath as He was secreted away in a cave to rest after His great time of work culminating in what we know as the Passion.

In this, it needs to be noted that the life of Israel was working towards a Sabbath. As the verse says, “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest.” Israel worked and then rested. Just as God worked, and then rested – six followed by one, Israel was to work and then rest – six followed by one.

15 (cont’t) Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

With these words, the chiasm begins its backward descent from the high point of the previous words. This clause forms two separate parts of that chiasm. The first is that of working on the Sabbath; the second is that of being put to death.

The sequence of thought is 1) The infraction – working on the Sabbath; 2) The penalty – mowt yumat, “dying he shall die.” Think about the structure of the chiasm. Line d is an explanatory sentence. Line e is the penalty for the infraction. Line f is what the infraction is.

The first half of the chiasm explains the requirement. It then gives the naming of the punishment first and then the reason for the punishment. The second half of the chiasm does the opposite. It gives the reason for the punishment, then the naming of the punishment, and then the explanatory basis for the sequence.

The middle is the anchor of the two halves.

What is the Lord showing us? If it is about Christ, as we know it is, then there is a reason for the chiastic structure. Keep thinking. The sermon is half over. Until we finish, let’s continue analyzing… The severity of the punishment which is mandated brings a few thoughts to mind. The first is, “Was this punishment ever meted out?”

The answer is that, “Yes, it was.” It is common for a precept to be laid out in the Bible and then an example of punishment for violation to be noted. For the Sabbath, the punishment is recorded in Numbers 14 –

“Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

35 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.’” Numbers 14:32-36

The second question is, “Are all violations of this standard which are noted in Scripture handled with the same punishment?” The answer is, “No.” In Nehemiah 13:15, we read –

“In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.”

The third question is, “Are we today required to observe the Sabbath?” If so, what are we doing in church on Sunday instead of Saturday? That will be answered later.

The fourth question is, “For those who claim that the Sabbath is still in effect, meaning the Jews and aberrant cults like the Seventh Day Adventists and various messianic groups, why are they mandating the word of the Lord concerning the Sabbath, but not upholding the word of the Lord by putting their Sabbath breakers to death?” Is their disobedience in this any less damaging than failing to adhere to the requirement of the Sabbath itself?

16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath

These words correspond to line d on the chiasm. The word “therefore” simply says “and” in the Hebrew. The sentence, although explanatory, is more a reaffirmation of the importance of the requirement than being an overall explanation of what has thus far been said.

Israel is again commanded to keep the Sabbath and to observe the Sabbath. The repetition is a stress in itself. The honoring of the Sabbath was to be as important to them as was life in the day itself. We cherish Today because it is the day we are in. It is the moment in which we exist. The observance of the Sabbath was to be just as important and cherished as that state of existence.

To understand this, I can give the example of what Jim and I do on Saturday. Every Saturday, the two of us, along with Tom Alley, do mission work in the projects. At times, people come along with us. It is not their Saturday except for the Saturday that they come. However, for Tom, Jim, and me – it is our Saturday. To not be there is the exception for us. For any others, to be there is the exception for them. Israel’s Saturday was to be their Sabbath, without exception. And it was to be…

16 (con’t) throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.

These words correspond to line c on the chiasm. Again, the idea of the Sabbath was to continue on for the generations to come. However, as we saw earlier, the idea of something continuing throughout the generations does not mean eternally. There is a point where the practice of these generations was to end.

As long as it was in force, it was however, to be a berith olam, or a covenant perpetual. As long as the generations to whom this requirement was assigned were in existence, the requirement stood. The covenant was made at Sinai and it remained in effect until it was superseded by the New Covenant.

The word olam, or perpetual, gives the idea of “to the vanishing point.” Whatever that point was, it was to continue to it. The same term berith olam, or covenant perpetual, was given to Abraham concerning circumcision, something no longer required.

17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever;

These words correspond to line b on the chiasm. We continue to move away from the middle anchor verse, but the precept remains the same. The rest of the Sabbath is to be an owth, a sign. A sign, as I said, points to something else. It is not the thing itself, but stands as representative of the thing. The rest was to be this sign and it was to be so until the vanishing point.

17 (cont’t) for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,

This is not included in the chiasm, but it explains the final line. In order for there to be rest, there was first work. As God worked six days in creating, Israel was to work six days with the creation. The six days were intended to lead to the anticipated seventh…

17 (con’t) and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

On the seventh day, the Lord rested. Without a doubt, the Lord, meaning Yehovah, has been seen countless times already to be Jesus. He is the incarnate Word of God. He is the Lord in the flesh. In His creative efforts, He made the heavens and the earth, and then He rested. And along with that, it says He “was refreshed.”

The word is naphash. Literally, “He took breath.” This is the only time the word is used in this remarkable way in the Bible as being ascribed to the Lord. After the immense work of creation, the Lord took time to catch His breath and to admire the handiwork which He had so marvelously brought into existence.

The connection between this line of the chiasm and the first line is that it is the Sabbath which the Lord claims as His, and it is the seventh day on which He took His rest. The two are intimately and intricately tied together.

A time of rest for the weary soul
A time to stop and contemplate Jesus
Our Lord, Our God – our Aim, our Goal
The longing desire for each of us

To rest in Him, sweet and sublime
To be still in His presence, safe and secure
For the ages of ages; for all time
Blessed assurance – holy and pure

Oh! To know Christ and to seek Him more
To ponder His majesty as together we rest
Come to Him all you weak, weary, and poor
Find peace and joy, in His comfort be blessed

III. The Tablets of the Testimony (verse 18)

18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony,

Everything that has been presented since Exodus 25:1 has been for the reception of these two tablets. After the call for the people to provide materials, the very first thing that was described to Moses was the construction of the Ark of the Testimony and then the Mercy seat. In verse 25:16, after the details for the construction of the Ark, it said, “And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.”

Then again in verse 25:21, after the details were given for the Mercy Seat, the Lord said, “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” Every single thing after that was described for the purpose of building a tabernacle and a sanctuary for these stone tablets and then for the conduct of the services and rites associated with that sanctuary. With that speaking for instruction now complete, it says that the tablets were then given to Moses. These tablets were…

18 (con’t) tablets of stone,

lukhot eben, “tablets of stone.” The fact that they are stone is to give the idea of permanence. What is written on them is fixed and is unchanging. That there were two tablets shows something more though. Two in the Bible is the number of difference. In the number, there is a contrast, and yet there is a confirmation.

The precepts of the Ten Commandments fall under two distinct categories. The first five follow a basic pattern of filial obedience, as children to their parents. The first four were directed to God, but in them and in keeping them, they were as children honoring their heavenly Father. The fifth was specifically in honoring of one’s parents. The second set of five deal with interpersonal relationships between man and his fellow man. The contents contrast, and yet they confirm God’s expectations for man.

These two tablets, which are made of stone and which are to be secreted away in the Ark also have another defining characteristic. These were…

*18 (fin) written with the finger of God.

The tablets themselves were made by God, and the writing upon them, which was set in stone, was written by God. They are the law of God which is set and unchanging. Once written, they are set, fixed, and complete. There were 172 words which detailed God’s expectations for man to live in His presence.

However, that they were stone also showed that they could be broken. The words would still be there, but they would be violated if broken. And in fact, Moses will break the first set. And so a second set will need to be made. However, the second set will be made by Moses. This is recorded in Exodus 34:1 –

“Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.”

Later, in the same chapter, the Lord writes on those new tablets –

“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:28

In this we are given a picture of our spiritual state. The laws are permanent, but are capable of being broken. And in fact, God knew that man would break them. God created Adam, pictured by the first set of tablets, and Adam broke God’s law.

Moses made the second set, picturing Christ, coming from the stream of humanity, and yet He never broke God’s law. In both, the law was written by God, but only in Christ does the law remain unbroken. Adam Clarke, at least partially picked up on this when he wrote concerning the giving of these tablets to Moses –

“It is evident therefore that this writing was properly and literally the writing of God himself. God wrote now on tables of stone what he had originally written on the heart of man, and in mercy he placed that before his eyes which by sin had been obliterated from his soul; and by this he shows us what, by the Spirit of Christ, must be rewritten in the mind.” Adam Clarke

The giving of this law, at the end of the directions for the sanctuary, is the fulfillment of what the sanctuary anticipated. All of the details looked forward to Christ, but without the law which Christ fulfilled, there would remain an eternal disconnect between God and man. Only when this law was placed in the Ark and covered by the Mercy Seat, could there be a restoration of that fellowship which was lost in Adam.

In the pages of the Bible, we are hardly there yet, but in type, shadow, and picture, we are getting there with each new passage which speaks of Christ, and which is leading us to Him. And so this passage and the chapter close out with these final words. But we are still missing something. We have not yet correctly answered the question which has eluded those great scholars we cited earlier.

“Why was the seemingly disconnected subject of the Sabbath placed here, in the overall theme of the preparation for the Sanctuary? John Lange came very close to answering the enigma when he said –

“It should also be observed that in 35:1 sqq. the command respecting the Sabbath recurs again, and this time precedes the order concerning the erection of the tabernacle. The Sabbath belonged as essentially to the tabernacle and the temple as the Christian Sunday to Christian worship.—A sign between me and you.” John Lange

Just after receiving the details of the sanctuary from the Lord, the subject of the Sabbath is brought up. And then, just prior to Moses conveying the details of the sanctuary which he received, he will say this to the people –

“These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” Exodus 35:1-3

The Sabbath is being intricately and intimately tied into the sanctuary. The sanctuary is where the Lord is to reside. It signifies that He is dwelling among the people. The greatest punishment of all for Israel was exile from the presence of the Lord. But this is exactly what was promised for disobedience. In that promise the Lord states the following in Leviticus 26:33-35 –

“I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;
your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;
then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—
for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.”

The reason for the Sabbath’s inclusion here is because it, like every other detail which has been given in the past six chapters, ultimately points to Christ – His Person and His work, for us. The chiasm itself hints at this.

In the Old Covenant, man worked and then rested. In the New Covenant, man rests and then works. A picture is made of the process of salvation in the two dispensations. Israel worked six days and then rested on the Sabbath. It was an anticipation of the time of rest which lay ahead when all things would be restored.

With Christ’s coming we rest on the first day of the week in honor of His finished work, and then we conduct our work week. This is why in the first half of the chiasm, line e gives the penalty – death, and then line f gives the reason for the penalty – working on the Sabbath.

Whereas in the second half of the chiasm, the order is reversed. First is noted the reason for the penalty – working, and then is given the penalty – death. Our rest is in Christ and what He has done. We have died to the law; we now live in Christ.

If we work in an attempt to please God, we are cut off from God. But if we accept Christ’s work, we are saved by grace and through faith. Works are excluded. They can only condemn, not save. The book of Hebrews explains the rest of God in great detail. In Chapter 4 we read these words –

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Hebrews 4:1-5

Speaking of those who had been disobedient, the word says that “They shall not enter My rest.” But for those who have believed, verse 3 says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Everything about the sanctuary centers on Jesus.

All of it points to our return to Eden and into God’s rest which is from the foundation of the world. Now, by faith in Christ we do enter that rest. Like the sanctuary itself, the Sabbath is obsolete because Christ has come. This then explains why the Sabbath is included in these sanctuary instructions. It is a part of the rites of the law; the law is fulfilled; it is set aside.

Because of this, works are excluded. And for those Jews who have missed the grace train, to this day they are still working, having failed to trust in Christ. They exist in this new dispensation, that of grace, and thus are cut off from His provision.

However, the Bible tells us of their coming day of restoration. They will finally, after 2000 years, call on Him as a nation. They will be brought into the covenant, and they will enter their time of rest. This is what we call “the millennium.” In this, we see that the Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel.

The great Sabbath is coming in the final dispensation of time as we know it. The world has been at war and in strife for six thousand years, but when the nation of Israel calls out for their Messiah, He will return to them. The Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel because it pictures something else. It pictures that truly wondrous time on earth when wars will cease, where –

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9

This then explains the rare term of verse 18, naphash. Literally, “He took breath.” The Lord will sit on His throne in Jerusalem and will take His breath. His work will be fully complete in the restoration of all things for that marvelous millennial period.

This, however, also explains why the priests were held guiltless, even when working on the Sabbath. It pictures Christ’s continued role, at all times, as our great High Priest. The priests of Old, only pointed to the true Priest – Christ. Insightfully, Matthew Poole shows that the Sabbath of Israel was a fivefold sign to Israel –

  1. Commemorative, of God’s creation of and dominion over them and all other things.
    2. Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification can be had from none but from God.
    3. Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lord’s peculiar people.
    4. Prefigurative, of that rest which Christ should purchase for them.
    5. Confirmative, both assuring them of God’s good will to them, and that as he blessed the sabbath for their sakes, so he would bless them in the holy use of it with temporal, spiritual, and everlasting blessings. Matthew Poole (amended)

He noted that it was only prefigurative of Christ and the rest that He would purchase for them. We are still awaiting the day when they will see this, but maybe one of you has yet to receive it as well. He has already done the work. All we need to do is simply reach out by faith and grab it.

If you are here and feel that you have to somehow merit God’s favor by some work or another, the Bible shows that you have missed the mark. God has done the work in Christ. Trust in that and be found pleasing to God by simple belief in His mighty deeds, accomplished by Christ and just for you…

Closing Verse: So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16, 17

Next Week: Exodus 32:1-10 Worshipping anything but the Lord will leave you baron… (The Golden Calf – The Testing of Aaron) (89th 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 Law of the Sabbath

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

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying:
Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, so shall it be
For it is a sign between Me and you
Throughout your generations, as commanded by Me

That you may know that I am the Lord
Who sanctifies you, and so pay heed to My word

You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore
For it is holy to you
Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death
This is what you are to do

For whoever does any work on it
That person shall be cut off from among his people
So to you I submit

Work shall be done for six days
But the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord
Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day
He shall surely be put to death, according to My word

Therefore the children of Israel
Shall keep the Sabbath, so shall they do
To observe the Sabbath throughout their generations
As a perpetual covenant; a covenant between Me and you

It is a sign between Me
And the children of Israel forever; thus we are enmeshed
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth
And on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed

And when He had made an end
Of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, no more could Moses linger
He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony
Tablets of stone, written with God’s finger

O God, again we come to Your word
To search it out for what You would of us expect
And in so searching we find our precious Lord
And in Him, only grace and mercy can we detect

For those who have trusted in Jesus
We have the surest hope of all
Magnificent, wondrous things He has done for us
Because upon His precious name, we did call

How can such love be, O God?
Surely it is exceeds heaven’s highest height
And so for sending Jesus we joyously applaud
Because through Him, all things are new –
Once again all things are right

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 31:1-11 (Bezalel and Aholiab)

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Exodus 31:1-11
Bezalel and Aholiab

The contents of today’s passage are significantly different than that which we have seen for quite a while. Instead of directions to make things or to perform certain tasks, the focus here will be on those who are going to do the actual work.

In particular, and by name, the Lord has selected two men who will be in charge of seeing that it gets done. In calling them by name, it indicates that He is both aware of their capabilities, and that He will use them in pictures of Christ. Were this not so, then there would be no need to name them.

Many others are noted as helping out in the tasks, but their names aren’t given. However, none of them are unknown to God. Though we will look at the details of the passage from a historical and literal perspective, and also from a perspective which points to Christ, we shouldn’t overlook the moral and personal characteristic of the verses.

The Lord is having a sanctuary built. It requires materials, instructions, leaders, workers, time, energy, and so on. Every detail of this process demonstrates a need to be fulfilled. Jesus said this during His ministry –

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” Luke 14:28-31

It is unfathomable to think that the Lord would direct Moses to build this sanctuary and not have calculated that every detail of it could be met. Each person who participated, in whatever way, was a part of what the Lord had already figured into the job. If this is so with an earthly sanctuary that was to take up a limited amount of space, and which would take less than a year to complete, how much more carefully do you think the Lord has considered every detail of His heavenly sanctuary, of which we are a part!

As this is so, and as you are a part of that equation if you have called on Christ, then it means that the Lord knows you intimately, He is using you exactingly, and He will complete His good work in you perfectly.

Considering that the workers of the tabernacle could have made little flaws in their work and not said anything about it, such as scratching a piece of wood and saying, “Oh, it will be covered with gold anyway, I don’t need to sand it down,” it means that the Lord allowed the workers to decide the quality of their work.

If Moses, or one of the men mentioned today didn’t approve of what was handed to them, they could refuse to use it. Instead, it would be discarded, burnt, used for something else, or whatever, but they decided what was acceptable and what wasn’t.

The same is true with us. The Lord will look at our work for Him and decide whether it is worthy of reward, or whether it will be burned up. It is up to us how we conduct our duties for His coming kingdom. For this reason, I have to tell myself (and the Lord) often, “What I am doing right now counts forever.” You should have the same attitude. Let yourselves be used up for the Lord now. When we stand before Him, it will have been well worth it.

Text Verse: “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.” Proverbs 8:12

Jobs need to be done, and if they are important to the Lord’s plans, they will, in fact, get done. We have a little church here, but there are jobs that need to get done. To me, some days are overwhelming, but apparently the load is what I am to be given. If I couldn’t take it and the job didn’t get done, it would either mean that it wasn’t a needed part of the Lord’s plans, or that the Lord was ready to send someone else to help in the tasks. JFB says –

“When God has any special work to be accomplished, He always raises up instruments capable of doing it;” Jamieson-Faucett-Brown

I would hope the things we are doing at the Superior Word are a part of His plans. And I would also hope that the Lord will raise up helping instruments for some of the tasks that will need to be done. When they walk through the door, it will be a welcome relief. Until then, “Use me up Lord. This life is yours.”

This is the moral lesson I’d like to give you today. Have this attitude. Christ is coming soon enough. Now let’s get into the literal and pictorial aspects of today’s passage. 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. Bezalel (verses 1-5)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

v’dabber Yehovah el Mosheh lemor – And spoke (the word) Yehovah to Moses saying. This is now a new thought which is introduced into the discourse and so the words are offset from what is to come. Moses has his pen out and he is awaiting a new set of instructions from the Lord. Likewise, as the recipients of the word, we are being prepared for something and are being asked to get ready as well.

The chapter will logically be divided into three sections. The first is verses 1-11. This will be followed by verses 12-17. Finally, a closing thought concerning this most important time on the mountain will be given in verse 18.

2 “See, I have called by name

In the Bible, it is a high honor when the Lord calls someone by name. It indicates that they have been chosen for a specific reason and to perform a particular task or mission. This is especially so in regards to redemptive history.

In Isaiah 43, the Lord told the people of Israel that He had called them by name and for His sovereign purposes in the conduct of redemptive history. Two chapters later, He says the same thing about a pagan king, Cyrus, who the Lord called by name in order to fulfill His will concerning Israel’s release so that redemptive history could continue on the course purposed by the Lord –

“Thus says the Lord to His anointed,
To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—
To subdue nations before him
And loose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the Lord,
Who call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.” Isaiah 45:1-4

Here in Exodus, after the Lord has given all of the many details concerning the gifts of the people, the design of the sanctuary, including the tabernacle and its furniture, the courtyard, the garments for the priesthood, and the making of the special anointing oil and holy incense, the Lord is calling someone by name for a particular purpose. And that person is…

2 (con’t) Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur,

The name Betsalel is formed of three parts. The el at the end means “God.” The “b” at the beginning signifies “in.” and the middle part comes from the noun tsel, meaning shadow. Thus his name means “In the Shadow of God.” As shade is considered a protection in the Bible, such as from the heat of the sun, it thus is a metaphor for “In the Protection of God.” This idea of the shadow being protection is seen several times in Scripture, such as these memorable words from Psalm 91 –

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.’” Psalm 91:1, 2

It is even used to speak of the Lord Himself, such as –

“The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.” Psalm 121:5, 6

He is the son of Uri, whose name means probably something like either “My Light” or “Light of Yehovah.” The name of Uri’s father is Hur which means “White.” This is Hur who was already seen in Exodus 17 along with Moses and Aaron atop the hill during the battle with Amalek. He was also mentioned in Exodus 24 as being left in charge of the camp, along with Aaron, when Moses ascended the mountain to receive this law.

Although not in the Bible, Josephus says that Hur was the husband of Miriam and thus Bezalel would then be the son of Moses’ nephew. If so, then the Lord is keeping the authority of the camp and the making of the sacred implements very close in regards to relationship with Moses.

This Bezalel is considered so important to the artistic work of the sanctuary, that he is mentioned first by Moses in the calling of the people to their tasks in Exodus 35 & 36, but he is even mentioned alone as some of the separate portions of the work are accomplished in Exodus 37.

Bezalel, and his contribution to Jewish culture is regarded in such high honor, even to this day, that Israel’s national school of art is named after him. It is the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design which was established in 1906, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Israel. It is located at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In the personal naming of Bezalel as the chief builder, all grounds for any type of discontent or jealousy would be removed. Nobody could feel that they had been overlooked despite the merits they possessed. And with the amount of labor to be done, it is certain that anyone with suitable ability would have plenty of opportunity to show his skills under the authority of Bezalel.

2 (con’t) of the tribe of Judah.

l’matteh yehuda. Matteh means a rod or staff.  It was first used in the Bible in Genesis 38 when Tamar asked for Judah’s staff as a pledge of future payment for services rendered. There it said –

So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”
So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”
18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”
So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. Genesis 38:16-19

After that, it became a very common word in Exodus as Moses’ matteh, or staff, was used to work the many miracles for the Lord and against Pharaoh leading up to and including the time of the Exodus. However, this is the first time the word matteh is used of a tribe rather than a physical rod.

To understand the connection, a staff is something used for chastening and correction, as a symbol of rule, and as something one would lean on for support. Therefore, the staff of Judah symbolizes those things in the tribe which issue from him. He is their support, their line of rule, and their authority for chastening as well. Therefore, his staff symbolizes the tribe of people who descend from him.

The staff is even figuratively used as the support of life itself, and thus it is used to speak of bread. Hence we get the basis of the expression, “Bread is the staff of life.” As you read through the Bible, think on how this word is used in relation to both the tribe of Judah and the One who descended from Judah, but from whom Judah originally came – Christ the Lord.

Bezalel is specifically, the seventh from Judah. In line, his genealogy reads Bezalel, Uri, Hur, Caleb, Hezron, Perez, Judah.

3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God,

The term male or “fill” was used in the directions for the consecration of Aaron and his sons. The term was specifically “fill the hand.” It meant that they would be set apart as acceptable concerning the offerings which filled their hands from the people and to the Lord. Thus, the term “fill the hand” indicated their acceptability and hence their consecration.

Now the term is used again concerning Bezalel – va’amale otow ruakh elohim. He is said to be filled with the ruakh elohim or “Spirit of God.” This means that his work will be acceptable concerning the things which are required for him to accomplish.

A question arises concerning this verse as to whether this was a direct infusion of the Spirit of God, or if it was simply who he was as a person, created by God. It is more sensational to speculate that he was especially infused with the Spirit, but that has to be read into this as much as the opposite view.

Looking at it as an external filling also gives those who lean to the charismatic side a chance to claim they also are somehow externally filled with the Spirit of God. But when Paul instructs believers to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit, the word is passive, not active.

It is God who fills, not us. So how can we be “filled” with the Holy Spirit? The answer is, “By yielding ourselves to God.” Bezalel, and indeed all who are filled with the Spirit are filled by God as they yield to Him. Therefore, it is more than probable that the gifts which Bezalel possessed were used in this way. As James says –

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Like Bezalel, we all have gifts which are unique. Our makeup, and indeed all things, originally stem from God. He has filled us all with wisdom according to His purposes. What we do with it will either glorify Him or not, but the intelligence and wisdom we have certainly came from Him.

If He supplemented Bezalel directly through external inspiration, that was His prerogative to do so, but if He simply chose him, knowing that his makeup was such that he could accomplish all these tasks, it doesn’t diminish His hand in the process at all.

Bezalel was a son of Adam who was created by God, just as we all are. He submitted to God’s will in order to accomplish the tasks set before him. We too have the ability to perform wonderful things. When those things are done to glorify the Lord, they find a true purpose that is lacking in any other such endeavors.

3 (con’t) in wisdom,

The word is khokmah and it was first seen in Exodus 28:3 –

“So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.” Exodus 28:3

The word signifies wisdom in a good sense. It is a common word, but it is used a great deal in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. It refers to understanding which is rightly applied in a wise, prudent, or beneficial way.

3 (con’t) in understanding,

The word is tebunah. It indicates discretion, reason, skillfulness, understanding, and wisdom. Again, it is mostly used in Proverbs and it indicates an ability to comprehend. A man may read a sentence and understand its surface meaning, but he may not comprehend the deeper meaning that goes along with it, such as in a pun or an idiom. There were a bunch of pillows at the store. I got one, but my wife got the rest.

3 (con’t) in knowledge,

The word is daath. It was first seen in Genesis 2:9 when speaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It indicates knowledge in the general sense. One is either aware of something or they are not. If they are, then they can use that for understanding or even in wisdom. In this we can think of empirical, experimental, or experiential knowledge.

3 (con’t) and in all manner of workmanship,

The word is melakah. It is the same as the word malak, or angel. It thus signifies employment in a task or job, but never in a servile way. Rather it would be in an industry or occupation. Just as an angel or a messenger has his duty to carry out, this indicates the ability to accomplish the task at hand by employing the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom one possesses.

In these aspects of workmanship, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, we again see Bezalel as a type of Christ who possesses the Holy Spirit without measure, and “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,

The first category is lakhshov makhashavot. The words come from the same root and carry the idea of considering or contemplating. In other words, it could be paraphrased, “to think-out thoughts,” “to prepare proportions,” “to devise devices,” (YLT), “to create constructions,” “to sculpt schemes,” shall I go on? “to wisely work works,” “to fashion forms,” etc. Thus, “to design artistic works” fits the description well.

These would be those things which needed to be shaped according to the instructions of Moses based on the patterns he was given. These would be in the metals for which each was specified. The gold for those which were to be gold, the silver for those designated as silver, and the bronze for those called to be bronze.

John Gill says that “it is not to be supposed there were either goldsmiths or brasiers among the Israelites; only masons and bricklayers, and brickmakers, and such sort of manufacturers.” That is an assumption based on no facts at all.

Just because the people were noted as brick makers in the early Exodus account doesn’t mean that all of them were such. Nor does it mean that people didn’t do other jobs on their own time. And it also is known that a vast multitude of others came out with Israel. As they had met the requirements of Exodus 12:48, they were now included in the collective people of Israel. The Lord has already said in chapter 28 that people with such skills were, in fact, available for these tasks.

5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

The word for both cutting and carving is the same. It is kharosheth. In this noun form, it is only found four times, here and twice again in Exodus 35:33. It indicates mechanical work such as carved or cut. Despite being a noun, almost all translators make it a verb.

Several commentators note that instead of carving wood it should instead read “cutting.” The Pulpit Commentary says, “The word is the same as that used of the stones. And no ornamental ‘carving’ of the woodwork was prescribed.”

This may not be correct. Unless the horns of the altars were very basic in form, there was carving to be done on them. Also, there is no reason to assume that the actual pattern Moses was shown didn’t include other carved details as well. It very well may be that all of the wood was cut only, but that cannot be known for sure.

In the shadow of God, I find my rest
There under His wings all of my troubles cease
I am safe and secure, no longer oppressed
I have found safe refuge and a place of peace

Here I will stay, I have found my home
Under His wings, where all my troubles cease
Never from this safety will I roam
Here in this place I have found my peace

Thank You, O God for Christ my rest
Because of Him, all troubles now cease
In this home, I am more than just a temporary guest
Here in this home and as a son, I have found eternal peace

II. Aholiab (verses 6-11)

6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach,

By name, the Lord chose a second person to perform the necessary tasks required for the overall job. His name is Aholiab. The name comes from av, which means “father,” and ohel, which means “tent.” Therefore, the name means “Father’s Tent.” The word ohel is used to describe the “Tent of Meeting” which has been noted time and time again in these last chapters.

It is not a coincidence that the names of Bezalel and Aholiab are so similar in meaning. Bezalel means “In the Shadow of God” and Aholiab means “Father’s Tent.” When considering Christ, the two come more clearly into focus.

However, the name Aholiab has a second meaning. The word ahal is used once in the Bible, in Job 25:5. It means “to shine.” Thus the secondary meaning of his name is “Father’s Shine.” Considering that the name of Bezalel’s father is Uri, or “My Light,” we have either an amazing coincidence, or we are being shown a picture because both speak of the Father’s radiance. This Aholiab is the son of Akhisamakh. His name means “My Brother has Supported.”

6 (con’t) of the tribe of Dan;

It is of note that this person is of the tribe of Dan as was the main artificer for the Temple of Solomon. We see this in 2 Ch 2:13, 14 –

“And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman 14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.”

6 (con’t) and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans,

The Hebrew literally reads, “…in the hearts of all of the wise hearted I have put wisdom.” Again, it appears that the wisdom they possess was already possessed by them. It was there because God designed it to be there when He designed them. This fits perfectly with the idea brought out in the words of the Lord to Jeremiah –

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

There is no need to assume that this wisdom came at the time of their appointment in the stream of time, but rather, it was a wisdom that they possessed at the time of their appointment by God in His eternal mind and which was given to them at birth.

6 (con’t) that they may make all that I have commanded you:

All of the people, those named and those who are unnamed, are filled with the wisdom necessary to accomplish all of the tasks that the Lord has laid down for Moses to fulfill.

7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—

Although the details for the Ark were given first, the tent (not the tabernacle!) is mentioned first here. The word for “tent” is ohel, and it is the same word as the root of the name Aholiab. It is, again, not a coincidence that he was introduced in the verse preceding this one. A stress is being laid on the word tent for us to consider. Only after the tent is named is the Ark with its Mercy Seat detailed. These are found in the Most Holy Place. From there “all the furniture of the tent” is next named…

8 the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense,

These are the three implements found in the Holy Place, east of the veil. The Table of Showbread was on the north of the room. The Menorah was opposite it on the south. And the Altar of Incense was to be further west, before the veil.

The word used to describe the lampstand is tahor. It means “pure,” and it is the same adjective used to describe the gold of the Ark, Mercy Seat, etc. However, only this item is called tahor in this list, not the others. Therefore, it is probably not speaking of the gold used in its making, but rather it is being used to describe its function. It is resplendent brightness.

9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base—

These are the two bronze items which were located in the courtyard. The altar was furthest east by the entrance, and the laver was further west, closer to the tent itself.

10 the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests,

Two most enigmatic words are introduced here – bigde ha’serad, translated as “the garments of ministry.” The NKJV brushes over them by ignoring the next word which is “and.” In other words, it reads, “…the garments of ministry, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons…”

By ignoring the “and” it makes it look like the second clause is simply explaining the first, but it isn’t. These bigde ha’serad are only mentioned four times, and all in this same context. One possibility is that the term is speaking first of Aaron’s garments alone. It is then followed by an explanation of the garments which belonged to him and his sons alike. This really doesn’t explain the “and” between the clauses though.

Another explanation is that they are the coverings which will be placed over the sacred things when they are transported from place to place. Those are described in Numbers 4. This is very likely because they are described with the same word, beged. Just because they have not yet been detailed, doesn’t mean that they cannot be noted now. On several occasions, we have already seen other things mentioned in advance of their details. For this reason, I would personally go with this explanation.

11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place.

The last two items mentioned before this chapter are noted now, and in the same order. If you remember, every detail of everything we have seen in all of these past 20 sermons concerning these implements has pictured Christ. The number probably reaches above a thousand. All of this is now instructed to be made…

*11 (fin) According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

Moses’ notebook is full of notes. He has been given extremely detailed instructions, and they have followed amazing patterns of intricacy and design. The wisdom behind the words is reflective of the wisdom of God in Christ. Receiving and then analyzing these instructions of the past chapters which were given to Moses has personally been one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

I will dwell with the Lord for all eternity
Here in His tent I have found my home
At peace and at rest by the glassy sea
Never shall I from this marvelous spot roam

In the tent of my Father, no cares can be found
I am at peace in this spot, dwelling in His glory
Listening to the marvelous, beautiful sound
Of the eternally unfolding, matchless story

In my Father’s tent all troubles have ceased
I am at peace in this place Christ prepared for me
And with the redeemed, from the greatest to the least
Here we will dwell for all eternity

III. Pictures of Christ

As soon as the introduction was made, the Lord noted that He had called Bezalel. His name means, “In the Shadow of God.” Thus it is the place of closeness, fellowship, and protection. This is seen for example in Psalm 63:7 –

“Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.” Psalm 63:7

The shadow of the wings indicates being right up against the body of the bird, covered by it, and protected by it. That, in turn, describes Jesus who is described in the same close relation to God the Father –

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. John 1:18

There He rests in the shadow, or close relation to His Father. Bezalel is next said to be the Son of Uri. Uri, as noted, means either “My Light” or “Light of Yehovah.” In this context, they both have the same end signification – that of Jesus, the Light of the world. The same wording of the name Uri, or “My Light,” is used by David when speaking of the Lord in the 27th Psalm –

“The Lord is my light (ori) and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1

After naming Uri, his father Hur is then named. The name means “White.” In Exodus 17, he pictured Christ the King. The same picture is given again. Each name is intended to show us Christ. He is the King, He is the Light, and He is the One who is in the bosom of the Father.

Finally, it is said that he is from the “staff” or “tribe” of Judah. The line was specifically selected to show us types of Christ who likewise descended from this royal tribe of Judah. Judah means “Praise.” This again shows us Christ, the One who brings God praise through His work. This is made explicit in Hebrews 2 –

“For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:
‘I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.’” Hebrews 2:11, 12

Next, Bezalel was said to be filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. Isaiah could not have made a more perfect match of this to the coming Christ –

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1, 2

Paul follows up with a similar, but shorter description of Christ in the New Testament –

“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

This workmanship that Bezalel was endowed with was in order to build the Lord’s sanctuary; His dwelling place; His temple. This is an exact type of Christ who likewise is the One to build the Lord’s temple. This is noted in both testaments, such as in Zechariah 6 –

“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!
From His place He shall branch out,
And He shall build the temple of the Lord.” Zechariah 6:12

It is also seen in Ephesians 2 –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21

In these verses, Bezalel, or “In the Shadow of God,” of the tribe of Judah – all picturing Jesus – is called by name to show us a most fitting picture of the coming Christ. After this, the many materials were noted, each as we have seen in previous sermons picture Christ. The gold, His deity; His divine glory –

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:5

The silver, His work of redemption –

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4, 5

The bronze, His judgment. First of judgment on sin –

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21

And also of His judgement of sin –

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:” 2 Timothy 4:1

The stones to be cut, as we saw, signify the mediatorial role of Christ. They were to be on the shoulders and on the breastplate of the high priest. The true stone is Christ mentioned throughout Scripture as the stone rejected by men, but chosen by God, and precious. We are thus lesser stones, supported by Him through His role as our Mediator to God.

In all, five specific materials were mentioned here – gold, silver, bronze, stones, and wood. Five is the number of grace. It thus signifies the grace of God in the building of the temple, prefigured by the artificer Bezalel.

After this, Aholiab was introduced. His name means “Father’s Tent.” This is speaking of the incarnation of Christ as is seen in the words of John –

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tented) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

However, the name also has a secondary meaning of “Father’s Shine.” Thus it signifies the glory of the Father. He again is a type of Christ. The glory of the Father is revealed in the glory of the Son. This is seen in the book of Hebrews where it speaks of Christ in relation to the Father –

“…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” Hebrews 1:3

As I said earlier, the two names, Bezalel and Aholiab, are both connected in two specific ways. The first is that Bezalel means “In the Shadow of God” and Aholiab means “Father’s Tent.” They are showing us a picture that Christ is the one who resides in the Godhead with the Father.

But even more both names are connected directly to the radiance of the Father. Bezalel’s father is Uri or “My Light,” and Aholiab has the secondary meaning of “Father’s Shine.” Both names are given to show us that the glory of God the Father shines or radiates out in the Light of Christ. This can be no mistake.

Aholiab was next noted as the son of Ahisamach, meaning “My Brother has Supported.” This reflects the words of Hebrews 2 –

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:17, 18

Notice that the name of the Ahisamach’s father isn’t given. Instead of three generations like Bezalel, only two are given here. This shows us that the Lord uses names only when they will make a type of Christ for us to see.

Aholiab is said to be from Dan. Dan means “Judge.”  The sanctuary being built isn’t just a place of praising God as the name Judah implies. It is also a place of Judgment as the name Dan implies. Both purposes are seen in the selection of these two men.

Further, the two tribes are not without another important meaning. When the tribes broke down and moved from place to place, they always broke down in a specific order. Judah always travelled first, Dan always travelled last. This is seen in Numbers 10 –

“The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first…” Numbers 10:14 ///  “Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies…” Numbers 10:25

The two men from the two tribes shows the totality of the work of Christ – from beginning to end and everything in between. All of God’s people are included in the work Bezalel and Aholiab, and all of God’s people are included in the grouping of Judah to Dan. None are missing. The two sets represent the whole. In Christ, praise forever goes first, because judgment forever goes behind.

After the naming of Aholiab, the words “that they may make all that I have commanded you” are given. This is followed up with a list of all of the implements for the tent and outside of the tent. Each of these has been described in detail and each, if you remember, pictured Christ minutely. Following the naming of those things a second admonition is given, “According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

These two men, picturing Christ and His work in such specific detail, were to do everything according to the word of the Lord. This is perfectly reflected in Jesus’ words –

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38

Christ performed the task set before Him, according to all that He was given to do. And He did it perfectly. As I said at the beginning of the sermon, we have been given tasks as well. Or we have the opportunity to assume tasks that need to be done. When we go about these things, let us say, “Not my will, Lord Jesus, but Thy will be done.”

Let us allow the Lord to use us up now so that He can lavish wonderful rewards upon us in the future. Let us do this to the glory of God and in the spirit of honoring the greater work already accomplished through the giving of His Son for us. And lastly, if you have never taken the step of receiving Christ Jesus, you really need to get that done now. Eternity is forever and we will all spend it somewhere. In Christ, it is a very good end; without Him, not so much. Let me tell you what you need to know…

Closing Verse: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Next Week: Exodus 31:12-18 It is for the end of the week’s path… (The Law of the Sabbath) (88th 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.

Bezalel and Aholiab

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

“See, I have called by name
Bezalel the son of Uri
The son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah
Yes, he has been called by name by Me

And I have filled him with the Spirit of God
In wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge too
And in all manner of workmanship
There are many things for Me he shall do

To design artistic works
To work in gold, in silver, in bronze also
In cutting jewels for setting
In carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship –
It is so

And I, indeed I, have appointed with him
Aholiab the son of Ahisamach; of the tribe of Dan
And I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans
Special wisdom according to each man

That they may make all that I have commanded you
The tabernacle of meeting, so shall it be
The ark of the Testimony
And the mercy seat that is on it, as directed by Me

And all the furniture of the tabernacle—
The table and its utensils, all of these
The pure gold lampstand with all its utensils
The altar of incense, for a sweet burning aroma, Me to please

The altar of burnt offering with all its utensils
And the laver and its base, as you know
The garments of ministry
The holy garments for Aaron the priest, let it be so

And the garments of his sons
To minister as priests, yes before My face
And the anointing oil
And sweet incense for the holy place

According to all that I have commanded you
These are the things they shall do

Thank You, Lord for the wonderful detail we see
Every word is precious for us to ponder
And all of it points to Jesus ever so marvelously
Thank You for sharing with us such splendid wonder

Hear our thanks as we praise you for all of our days
Forever and ever we shall sing to You with joyous praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

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

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 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.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9 Kings’ 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)

22 Moreover 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.

24 five 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.

25 And 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).

26 With 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.

27 the 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.

28 the 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.

29 You 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. 7 Then 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.

30 And 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.

32 It 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.

33 Whoever 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)

34 And 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.

35 You 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.

36 And 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…

37 But 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;
19 To 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.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then 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. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To 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)

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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,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 Lord, 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)

17 Then 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; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever 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; 37 and 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. 26 With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy. 30 And 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.

19 for 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.

20 When 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

21 So 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. 12 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. 13 And 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, 26 that 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.’ 11 For 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, 5 not 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, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that 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 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 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…