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Leviticus 1:5-17 (The Burnt Offering, Part II)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Leviticus 1:5-17|
The Burnt Offering, Part II

Unlike the books of Genesis and Exodus, the book of Leviticus started out without any story or historical narrative. It simply and immediately begins with the details of the burnt offering. And, the entire first chapter is filled up with the details of it. From this chapter, we will go on to more detailed offerings.

It is therefore, something that is, shall we say, very on the mind of God. We’re being shown, clearly and unambiguously, that the God who resides in the Most Holy Place has specific and absolute requirements for the people to follow.

The details are minute and there is no room for any variation in them. Considering this, one would think that by following them, there would be a sense of completion after going through with them. “Honey, let’s go down to the sanctuary and make our offering. Once we do that, we can go right through the door of the tent, past the Holy Place, and talk to God at the Ark.”

But of course this isn’t the case. Even the High Priest couldn’t go in there except when He was directed to, and when He did, it would be as he followed very specific details. The offerings didn’t really allow the people to draw any nearer to God, except in their hearts. And that itself was only temporary at best…

Text Verse: “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.” Hebrews 10:1

The author of Hebrews goes on to explain what he means in this verse, but if someone in Israel simply sat down and thought it through, they would probably be able to figure it out. For us though, we have such a Sacrifice. It is one that can and does perfect us.

And how wonderful that is! We don’t have to keep going back year after year to make the same offering again and again. Instead, it is a one-time-for-all-time offering. And it is an all-encompassing one as well. Every type of sacrifice and offering is fulfilled in it.


Thank God for Jesus who has, in fact, given us both the right and the ability to enter the Most Holy Place. We may not be there now, in reality, but if we have come to God through Him, we are there positionally. As adopted sons of God, we can petition Him as if we are standing right in front of the ark, gazing at the glory which dwells between the cherubim.


Let us remember this as we face life’s difficulties and struggles. In Christ, we have access to the very throne of God. We don’t need to drop off our offering and go back home. Because of Jesus, we are, even now, in the Sanctuary and able to revel in what these things only pictured. This is a truth which is revealed 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 Sacrifice from the Herd (verses 5-9)

The sacrifice from the herd began in verse 3, but we had to cut that short. And so today we will pick up in the middle of this thought with the words of verse 5…

5 He shall kill the bull

The verse literally says that he shall kill a “son of the oxen.” A male only is to be used for the burnt offering. The word for “kill” here is shakhat. It means specifically “to slaughter.” It was first used when Abraham took the knife in his hand to slay Isaac. It was used in the slaughtering of the goat by the sons of Israel with the intent of dipping Joseph’s coat of many colors in the blood from it. It is also the word used in the slaying of the Passover lamb. It can speak of the slaughtering of one’s enemies, and it is even used figuratively in Jeremiah 9:8 concerning speaking deceit –

“Their tongue is an arrow shot out;

It speaks deceit;

One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth,

But in his heart he lies in wait.” Jeremiah 9:8

Although it is found in these various ways throughout the Old Testament, it is used mostly in Leviticus concerning sacrifices and offerings, more than thirty-five times.

The slaying process, here and elsewhere, is to cut the throat while another person would hold a bowl under the cut in order to collect the blood of the animal. While we cringe at the thought of this, a few things need to be considered. First, all things are destined to die. No being, person, or animal, is exempt.

For animals in nature, they generally do not die well. For those under the hand of man, it depends on the one controlling the animal as to how its end will come, but the Bible promotes the care of animals, and never their abuse. But, it demands that they are to die at times, and it is for specific purposes according to the will of the One who created them. No wrongdoing can be found here.

These sacrifices were conducted until the time when Christ would come and fulfill what they only pictured. They were a necessary step in understanding what lie ahead.

Secondly, we all eat.

And finally, in the death of the animals here, we are to remember the death of the Lord. What the animal endured was quick, rather painless, and without abuse. What the Lord endured covered an entire day, it was fraught with abuse and pain, and it was done for our salvation.

As we continue through the many offerings, we need to keep these things in mind. Our modern sensibilities are far too geared toward Fifi or Fido to remember that, though we love our pets, there is a whole world of animals that all belong to the Lord. What He directs, or what He determines for each, is according to His will.

5 (con’t) before the Lord;

This male bull was to be slain “before” or in the face of the Lord there at the prescribed place. The place is always the same, but the terminology will continuously change. Sometimes it will say “on the north side of the altar.” Or it may say, “at the door of the tent of meeting,” “before the tent of meeting,” etc. Or it may combine two of the terms from time to time.

Though not recorded in Leviticus, the psalms tell us that the sacrifice was first bound to the altar. Thus it is, in type and picture, the binding of Christ to the true and final Altar – the cross of Calvary –

“God is the Lord,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” Psalm 118:27

5 (con’t) and the priests, Aaron’s sons,

The term as is rendered here is faulty. Instead of saying, “the priests, Aaron’s sons,” it should say, “the sons of Aaron, the priests.” It is an exclusive term, limiting the priesthood to the sons of Aaron.” Otherwise, it could be inferred that other priests from other lines existed, but were not selected from Aaron’s sons.

The same term is used seven times, five in Leviticus, once in Numbers, and once in Joshua 21:19. It is always consistent in the Hebrew in order to show that the sons of Aaron alone are designated as priests suitable to perform functions under the Law of Moses and before the Lord.

5 (con’t) shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar

Again, the translation does not give the correct sense of what is done with the blood. It is not sprinkled, but splashed or scattered. The word is zaraq. The word for “sprinkle” is nazah, and it will not be seen in Leviticus until verse 4:6. I will remind you of this from time to time so that you have the correct sense of what is happening. If your translation says “sprinkle” instead of “splash,” “scatter,” “throw,” “dash,” or the like, make a note of it.

The blood of the animal was taken and literally cast upon the sides of it. One does not sprinkle from a bowl. Instead, they cast it forth. There is specificity here which demands attention. The purpose of this blood being splashed on the altar “expresses one’s complete, voluntary surrender, and readiness to die while yet living” (Lange). The offeror’s blood is what should be poured out; a substitute, however, is taken in his place.

This was, at least in type and picture, the most important part of the rite. Leviticus 17:11 will tell us that the life is in the blood. Therefore, the life is transferred by the hands of the offeror on the

substitute to the hands of the priest as he receives it in the bowl where it is then cast out unto God.

In type, it points to Christ who poured out His blood for us, and yet as High Priest, He then offered it to God. The same word for “offer” in verse 3 is now translated as “bring” here. The offering simply transfers from offeror to priest. This was all accomplished through His work on the cross. He is the ultimate olah, or burnt offering to the Lord, and He is the Priest who brings that offering to God.

As this is what Christ did for us, when we are in Christ, then that same yielding on our part is reckoned as acceptable to God. However, even our very best services and offerings to God, are still not acceptable without the covering of Christ’s blood. Only as seen through what He has done can the things we do be considered in that same acceptable light.

As a note, Alfred Edersheim says that there was, “A red line all round the middle of the altar marked that above it the blood of sacrifices intended to be eaten, below it that of sacrifices wholly consumed, was to be sprinkled” (Pulpit). This is not in the Bible, but Edersheim’s commentary is considered an invaluable tool for understanding what occurred in the tabernacle and temple rites.

5 (con’t) that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

The words “is by” are inserted. It says, “that door tent (of) meeting.” Again, the altar is directly connected to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Despite the laver standing between the two, it is the altar which grants access to move further toward God. It represents the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, who is the Door as we are told in John 10:9. Each detail points to Christ.

6 And he shall skin the burnt offering

The actions performed on the sacrifice would be accomplished by the priests, not by the offeror. However, the priests could also designate Levites to assist in the work. This is seen, for example, in 2 Chronicles 29:34 –

“But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests.”

The skinning of the animal was done for a couple reasons. The first was practical, the second was typical. First, the skin had value for clothing and for use in scrolls for writing, among other things. The skins belonged to the priest who officiated at the sacrifice.

However, in type, we see that in slaying the animal, the life departs, but in the skinning, the old appearance of life is removed. This is then typical of the transformation which Christ went through. At the same time, the transfer of the skin to the priest was an act of transferring Christ’s righteousness.

Just as God covered Adam and Eve with skins to cover their nakedness, the transfer of the skin gives the same idea. It is emblematic of the temporary covering which is imparted until we are finally glorified and bear Christ’s true image. At that time we too shall appear as He is. Paul speaks of this transformation in 1 Corinthians 15 –

“The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” 1 Corinthians 15:47-49

6 (con’t) and cut it into its pieces. 

After the animal is skinned, it would then be divided according to its parts. The word is nathakh, a rare word which means “to divide by joints.” An animal will not fully burn if it is not divided in this way. But by doing this, it could be piled onto the altar and fully burnt.

The dividing of the animal is, in type, looking to the many aspects and offices of Christ which are recorded in the gospels. After His work was accomplished, and upon His death, all of these together became a whole burnt offering to God. Each was consumed upon the altar as a satisfaction of the law which He had fulfilled.

7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 

The special mentioning of the priests concerning the fire and wood is because no other person could touch the altar as it was considered most holy. If they did, they became devoted to God. That was recorded in Exodus 30:29.

Understanding that, care still needs to be taken here to understand the context, and so we need to go forward to the first lighting of the fire on this altar. It is found in Leviticus 9:23, 24 –

“Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”

That initial fire was never to go out, as is seen in Leviticus 6:13 –

“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.”

That initial fire was lit by the Lord. From that time on, it was never to go out, even when the altar was transferred from place to place there is no stated provision that it would be extinguished. The fire is the Lord’s doing, and so to “put fire on the altar” signifies feeding the fire with wood. When an offering was made, the wood would then be arranged for such an offering.

This is a picture of the consequences of sin. It is emblematic of the eternal fire of the Lake of Fire where all sin will finally be consumed. Either one’s sin is consumed by Christ and thus forever removed from the offender, or their sin will be consumed when they are cast into that final place of God’s judgment. There are no other options. The pictures are given to show us the consequences of our choices.

8 Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;

Again, only the sons of Aaron, who were the priests of Israel, were allowed to touch or work with the altar. They would take the animal and lay its parts out in a particular order which is believed to have resembled as closely as possible the order in which they were when the animal was alive.

The head and the fat are explicitly named because they, together with the pieces, complete the whole animal with the exception of its blood and hide. Again, it looks to Christ’s death. He died wholly upon the cross rather than some other type of execution, such as being drawn and quartered, beheaded, or the like.

His entire body was an offering to God as a whole burnt offering. The blood and the hide excepted, because the life is in the blood, and because He was so marred that He was otherwise unrecognizable, as is recorded by Isaiah.

The word for fat here is peder. This is the first of only three times it is seen, all are in Leviticus. It comes from a primitive root meaning to be greasy. Thus, it is the suet or fat. This would increase the flame, and thus the picture of judgment we are to see. Even this was offered, wholly and completely to God.

9 but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water.

These parts are specifically said to be washed for two reasons. The first is because of the word translated as burn in this verse, and the second is because of what that then pictures. The innards of the animal were washed as a picture of the inward purity of Christ. There was no defilement in Him at all.

The kera, or leg, specifically signifies from the knee to the ankle. This is the part of the body which would pick up worldly defilement. This is seen in the washing of the feet throughout the Bible as symbolic of washing away worldly defilement. This is why Jesus said in John 13:10, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet.”

Abraham understood this and brought water to wash the Lord’s feet when He arrived at his tent in Genesis 19:2. For this reason, the legs along with the entrails were washed. The animal pictures the purity of Christ, offered up to God as a perfect offering.

9 (con’t) And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

The word “burn” here is not the regular word which means “to consume.” Instead, it is qatar, or “to make sacrificial smoke.” It is the word used to describe the burning of incense. This offering, picturing Christ in all ways, is an olah isheh reakh nikhoakh l’Yehovah – “a burnt sacrifice by fire, a savor sweet to Yehovah.” Paul explains this for us in Ephesians 5 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

A burnt offering, a bull is presented at the altar
It has value and it could be used for other things
But in presenting this bull, I shall not falter
For in giving it to the Lord, my heart rejoices and sings

For to Him it is a sweet smelling aroma, pleasant and nice
And my heart delights in offering such as this
It is a perfect bull, and thus an acceptable sacrifice
It is as if sending to heaven an aromatic kiss

Bless the Lord who has accepted my offering
Bless the Lord who has received me because of it
He has accepted from my hand this proffering
To Him through the bull my soul I do submit

II. A Sacrifice from the Flock (verses 10-13)

10 ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish.

The bull was the more expensive animal, and so it would normally be the richer person who offered one. Now an allowance for the less-wealthy is provided. The offering could be of either the sheep or the goats, but it was still to be a male without blemish. The sheep would have been the preferred animal, but the goat was also considered acceptable. And both, like the bull also, are seen as types of Christ elsewhere in Scripture.

The bull looks to Christ’s strength and enduring labors. The sheep looks to His innocence, harmlessness, and quiet patience. The goat looks to His human nature where he was seen in the likeness of sinful flesh, though He was Himself without sin. However, our sin penalty was imputed to Him.

Because the directions would be the same for these animals as were given for the bull, they are not repeated. Only those requirements which further define the instructions are given, such as in the next verse…

11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord;

The north side is now specified as the place of slaughter. There is a reason for this. In verse 16, the ashes and refuse were to the east of the altar. Also, the laver was to the west, and the ascent to the altar was said by Josephus to be on the south. If Josephus is correct, the north was then the most conducive to be used for this purpose.

The north being set aside in this manner is probably more importantly a picture of where Christ would later die. In Psalm 48, we read this –

“Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,” Psalm 48:2

On the “sides of the north,” meaning of Jerusalem the city, is the place where the cross of Christ was. Thus the slaying of the animal on the north side of the altar was an anticipatory look at the crucifixion of Christ, dying on the north sides of Zion.

And further, the word for “north” is tsaphon, which means hidden or dark, and it even gives the sense of gloomy. It comes from tsaphan, which gives the idea of hiding, and even treasure or treasuring up something.

The death of the animal, symbolic of the work of Christ was the dark side of His ministry, and yet, it is in death that He was treasured and protected, having fulfilled the law. Now for those in Christ, we are hidden in Him and likewise treasured until the day of redemption. This is alluded to several times in Scripture, such as in Psalm 27 –

For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion; (tsaphan)
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

Paul also says in Colossians 3:3 that we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God. Every detail points us to Jesus.

11 (con’t) and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

As before, the blood was splashed, thrown, dashed, or cast, but it was not sprinkled. Please put a note of correction in your KJV.

12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar;

In what is known as a zeugma, one verb here is used for the action involving more than one noun. The action of cutting is referring to both the pieces, and to the head and the fat. This is not uncommon in Hebrew, nor is it in English. If I say that John lost his wallet and his temper, I am using a zeugma. This is what is occurring here in verse 12. It is the same action as that of which occurred with the bull in the earlier verse though.

13 but he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

The same procedures for the sheep or the goat were to be followed as for that of a bull. The requirements do not change based on status or wealth. All must be perfect, all must die in the same manner, all must be purified in the same way, and all were to be considered as a sweet smelling savor to the Lord. Each animal pictures Christ in a different way, but in the end, each pictures the same perfect Christ.

A lamb precious and pure is given
For to my God, I desire to provide my very best
He has brought me to the place of abundant livin’
And to please Him is my heart-filled quest

How good and pleasant it is to offer the lamb
I pray that He is pleased with the condition of my heart
I love my Lord God, the great I AM
And so to Him this precious lamb I do impart

May the Lord accept this offering in my place
And look with favor upon me as I go my way
May the Lord turn to me His glorious shining face
And may He bless my steps each and every day

III. A Sacrifice of Birds (verses 14-17)

14 ‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.

In contrast to the four-legged animals, an offering of birds could be made. In this, only two were allowed. The first is the tor, or turtledove. The second is the yonah, or dove, also termed a pigeon. And so, in all, five types of animals are allowed.

Five being the number of grace, it is fitting that this many have been allowed. The grace of God in Jesus Christ is realized in the five allowable burnt offerings. And interestingly, they correspond to the five that were requested of Abraham in Genesis 15 –

“So He said to him, Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’” Genesis 15:9

Allowing these birds is an exceptional act of care for the poor among the people. This provision sets the Law of Moses apart from the others in this regard. The turtledoves are said to appear in large numbers in early April and are easily captured before migrating again. The pigeons, or doves, are common in the land and have several broods each year, making them easy to capture when young and abundant enough to do so. They are also easy to keep and maintain.

As you can see, there is no restriction on age for the turtledoves because they were always in the prime during their short time of migration in the land. However, pigeons were only considered in the prime when young. If a man would reject an older pigeon as a meal, it would be wrong to offer it to the Lord.

These birds picture Christ in their simplicity, purity, and humility. But further, the affection of the dove for their mate makes them a splendid picture of Christ who is so affectionate for His people that He came to dwell among them and give Himself for them.

15 The priest shall bring it to the altar,

There is no laying of the hands on the bird, probably because the bird was transferred by hand to the priest. Thus there is still the symbolic transfer of guilt seen in the act.

15 (con’t) wring off its head,

The word “wring” here is translated from a word, malaq, which is only found here and in Leviticus 5:8. It is not really known what is being said. It could mean either wring its neck, but not take off its head, or it could mean to completely sever the head. Scholars argue; no one is sure. It seems that what is done with it later would necessitate wringing the head completely off, but verse 5:8 complicates that notion. Either way, the bird dies at the altar, just as the other animals do.

15 (con’t) and burn it on the altar;

The order here does follow the Hebrew. It says that it is to be burned after its neck is wrung, but before the blood is said to be drained out. The order then is reversed from what must actually occur. Despite this, the same word is used here as for the four-legged animals. It is an offering of a sweet smell, rather than merely a burning up of the sacrifice. And thus, even the small bird pictures Christ who was offered up to God in this manner.

15 (con’t) its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar.

The word for “drained” is matzah, which means to suck out. And so by implication it means to drain or even to squeeze out. As there was not enough blood to be gathered in a basin, and due to the small size of the bird, the blood was simply pressed out of it and onto the altar’s side.

Once again, the life is in the blood, and so it forms a picture of Christ whose blood was shed for sinful man, even the poorest of our species. None are exempt from His grace.

16 And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes.

A couple new words in the Bible. The first is the crop, or murah. It is only found here, and it signifies the alimentary canal. It comes from ra’ah which means “something conspicuous,” and thus it is the part of the bird which is prominently displayed.

The second is the notsah, or “plumage.” It is seen just four times. Here, in Job, and twice in Ezekiel. Like the animals which were skinned, the birds had their feathers removed, signifying the complete change in appearance. Just as Christ was marred beyond recognition, so were both the animals and the birds.

The third word is deshen, or ashes. However, it comes from the verb dashen, which means “to grow fat,” and thus it is the ashes of fat, and not ashes in general.

In all, the bird had its crop and its feathers removed, and then those were cast to the east side of the altar. This was the place furthest removed from the Holy of Holies, and it thus signifies that the place where uncleanness is, it being the place furthest from where the Lord dwells.

17 Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely;

What this is saying, is that he is to grab the wings of the bird and pull them so that the bird is split, exposing its insides, but the bird is not to be pulled completely apart. This then answers to the placement of the larger animals on the altar in a set manner. The animal would be too big to burn otherwise, but it was to still be in an order which showed that it was one animal.

The bird, being smaller, did not need to be divided up. It remained whole, which again makes the same picture of Christ as the animals did before. Christ’s body remained intact, but the inward parts were exposed, revealing only sincerity and truth. This is what David referred to concerning the condition of one who pleases God when he said, “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).

17 (con’t) and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire.

Once again, we are reminded that this is a sweet smelling burning, not merely something burnt up with the use of the word qatar, or a fragrance like incense. The fire is the Lord’s, the wood is the cross, and the sacrifice is pure, undefiled, and acceptable. And so…

*17 (fin) It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

The same words are used again as were seem in verses 9 and 13. The repetition indicates that the offering of the poorest person is just as acceptable to the Lord as that of the richest man with the most splendid ox. The sacrifice comes solely down to the heart and intent of the offeror.

This is evident in the rite which is conducted, and in what is considered acceptable concerning the offerings. The one who offers was acknowledging that they were spiritually dying in the offering, but that a substitute was requested to be reckoned in his place. Thus, they were in essence uniting to the Lord through this vicarious act. In turn, they were then expected to conduct their lives in the manner which the offering was accepted.

To not do so would nullify the purpose of the offering. This is seen in the words of Isaiah, words which are repeated numerous times in the Old Testament, and which are then repeated in the New as well –

“‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?’
Says the Lord.
‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.’” Isaiah 1:11

The Lord wearied of their offerings because their offerings were wearisome. There was no heart in them. The people treated their status as one which was deserved. One who deserves favor does not need grace, nor do they need a substitute to make them acceptable before God.

But the very fact that the various offerings were made, was intended to show them that they needed more than what they inherently possessed. We will see more types of offerings as we continue on through the book, but for the burnt offering let us consider it one more time.

The various aspects of the offering are that it was brought volitionally by the offeror. It was offered in a vicarious manner, meaning that the placing of the hands on the animal was intended to relay that the animal was taking the place of the offeror. The animal was slaughtered and its blood, evidence of the ending of its life, was poured out. And then the offering was wholly burnt up on the altar.

From these acts, the people should have grasped that there was a disconnect between them and God. The very fact that an offering is made shows this. If someone was inherently acceptable to Him, then any offering of this type would be pointless.

Further, the fact that such offerings needed to be repeated, as did the other types of offerings we will see, shows us that they could never truly cause to happen what they were intended to cause to happen. If they did, then one such offering would be made, and it would never need to be made again. But such was not the case.

This was therefore true on both an individual level and on a national level. Neither was made perfect by the mandates of the law which showed them that perfection was necessary, and that they were, in fact, imperfect.

Understanding this, there is the truth which could have been deduced by anyone who thought it through to a logical conclusion. If nobody was perfect, as is indicated by the need for sacrifices, and if nobody was made perfect as is indicated by the need for continued sacrifices, then only a perfect Person could fulfill what these sacrifices were intended to mean.

Why a person? Because the animals didn’t work. Why a perfect Person? Because anyone who needed to offer a sacrifice other than himself was obviously imperfect, and all had to offer sacrifices other than themselves. Logically, there had to be an end to these things for perfection to come.

When Jeremiah promised a New Covenant, it meant that the Old Covenant must at some point be fulfilled. And thus, it meant that a perfect Person was anticipated who would fulfill it. This Man then, would be the fulfillment of each and every one of these sacrifices and offerings. If such is not the case, then He didn’t fulfill the law, but fulfill it He did.

This is why we look for Jesus in each precept and on every page. In so doing, we seek and then we find the One who came and did what God promised would occur. Now, the Burnt Offering is behind us. Next will come the Grain Offering, then the Peace, then the Sin, and then the Trespass Offerings. And from there we will go on to more offering details.

If we can just remember to keep looking for Christ, these things will go quickly, they will educate perfectly, and they will satisfy completely. Otherwise, the list of offerings is long, tedious, and seemingly irrelevant to our Christian walk. But understanding them will open up our life in Christ in a much deeper way.

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

Next Week: Leviticus 2:1-16 Here comes a completely different type of proffering… (The Grain Offering) (3rd Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Burnt Offering

He shall kill the bull before the Lord
And the priests, Aaron’s sons, next to do
Shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood
All around on the altar, as I am instructing you

That is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting
This task they shall be completing

And he shall skin the burnt offering
And cut it into its pieces
So shall they handle this proffering

The sons of Aaron the priest
Shall put fire on the altar
And lay the wood in order on the fire
In this they shall not falter

Then the priests, Aaron’s sons
Shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat also
In order on the wood
That is on the fire upon the altar; there it shall go

But he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water
And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice
An offering made by fire
A sweet aroma to the Lord, pleasing and nice

If his offering is of the flocks—
Of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice
He shall bring a male without blemish
Only this will suffice

He shall kill it on the north side
Of the altar before the Lord
And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood
All around on the altar, according to this word

And he shall cut it into its pieces
With its head and its fat
And the priest shall lay them in order on the wood
That is on the fire upon the altar; where the fire is at

But he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water
Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar

It is a burnt sacrifice,
An offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord
An offering both pleasing and nice

And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering
To the Lord is of birds
Then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons
According to these words

The priest shall it to the altar bring
Wring off its head, and burn it on the altar
Its blood shall be drained out at the altar’s side
In these duties he shall not falter

And he shall remove its crop with its feathers
And cast it beside the altar on the east side
Into the place for ashes
To these instructions he shall abide

Then he shall split it at its wings
But shall not divide it completely
And the priest shall burn it on the altar
On the wood that is on the fire it shall burn sweetly

It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire
A sweet aroma to the Lord, such as I do require

Lord God, in ourselves we are not acceptable to You
But You have made a way for it to come about
Through the offering of Your Son who is faithful and true
We can approach You without fear or doubt

Thank You for this great thing You have done
And we shall thank You even unto eternal days
Marvelous! Wonderful! Stupendous! is Jesus Christ Your Son
And so to You, through Him we shall offer eternal praise

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 1:1-4 (The Burnt Offering, Part I)

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Leviticus 1:1-4
The Burnt Offering, Part I

When someone decides to read the Bible, for whatever reason, they will normally start at Genesis and work quickly through that and the first half of Exodus. Then, about chapter 25 of Exodus, the reading slows down. Eventually, it is treated as a chore rather than a pleasure. For many, this is the standard pattern.

By the time they get to Leviticus, the book is closed, placed on a shelf, and never referred to again, except in times of great distress or personal need. In distress, the psalms are referred to. Maybe even the beatitudes are checked out.

For times of personal need, it is common to open the Bible arbitrarily with eyes closed, and then to point to any given portion with the right (yes, it must be the right) index finger. And then,,, in hopes of something miraculous directing their way to riches and glory, or the repair of a failed marriage, or whatever, they open their eyes and feast on that one verse.

If it is a verse or passage which gives them hope, the book is closed with satisfied delight. “Yay! I will have the years that the locust ate away at my possessions restored to me!” If the verse isn’t a satisfying one, the process is repeated until something better is obtained. And then all is right with the world once again. The book is closed and peace is restored. It is certain that nobody wants that one passage to be 2 Chronicles 21:12-15. That’s for sure.

This is the effect that the book of Leviticus has on many people. It is viewed as strange, hard to comprehend, brutal or outdated, and completely irrelevant to the world we live in today. It is, to them, as painful as having their blindly placed finger wind up on those words of 2 Chronicles. Words which, by the way, are our text verse of the day.

Text Verse: “Thus says the Lord God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.” 2 Chronicles 21:12-15.

Reading the book of Leviticus seems as painful to many as the fate of Jehoram, king of Judah. Be honest, how many of you have ever read the entire book of Leviticus? And of you who have, do you delight in it each time you come to it? Do you say, “Oh boy! This is the cat’s meow and the bees knees?” Or do you read it to get through it and onto the next book?

While in Bible college, there was very little Bible involved. We had a few courses, but most of it was religious stuff, not Bible stuff. But there were a few mandatory Bible courses. One of them was “Old Testament Survey.” It was a survey of the entire Old Testament in a one week module. If one expected great theological discoveries from the Old Testament, this was not going to happen.

However, the professor asked that during the course each student would pick one Old Testament book, and do a full summary on it. We were to outline it, explain its authorship and dating, give its historical context, provide a summary of the book, and include the messianic expectations which could be derived from it. Further, we were to include an application of that particular book to our lives.

As the choice of book was up to each of us, it was obvious that a very large and complicated book, like Ruth or Jonah would be chosen. For the truly daring, the one-chapter book of Obadiah might be the courageous choice. As this is what was normally expected, my professor nearly had a heart attack when I told him I wanted to do Leviticus.

Surely, of all of the books of the Old Testament, this one had the least to offer, especially concerning messianic expectations and contemporary applications! But he was more than excited to approve my choice and await my submission. I chose Leviticus, because it is the heart of the Law of Moses, and one cannot understand the greater work of Christ properly without understanding that work in relation to the law.

Further, messianic expectations in Leviticus literally permeate the book. Like the detailed and marvelously pictorial hints of Christ in the construction of the sanctuary, each portion of Leviticus follows along that path as well. For those of you who survive through this book, you will have a much fuller understanding of the work of Christ, and how Leviticus points to our desperate need for Him.

I will not lie that there are portions which will seem tedious and repetitive to you. However, we will get through them, and you will ultimately say, “I will never look at this marvelous book the same again.” LEVITICUS! It is a marvel and a treasure of God’s wisdom and glory – revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, it is a glorious part of 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. An Introduction

The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Law of Moses and of the Holy Bible. Its Hebrew name is derived from the first word of the book, va’yikra, which literally means “and called.” In Hebrew, the word consists of the letters vav, yod, qoph, resh, and aleph which numerically equal 317. This is numerically the same as the Hebrew word yabashah, or dry ground. We can think of Leviticus as the dry ground and firm footing of the Law of Moses. It is where the waters of chaos are separated and something substantial is brought out for the people of Israel to conduct their daily lives.

Beginning the book with the word “And” signifies that this is a continuation of what has already been presented. The book of Exodus closed out, but it did not really end. The thought process is simply continued with the opening of the book of Leviticus.

In the Masoretic text of the Hebrew, in the last letter of the word va’yikra, the letter aleph is written smaller than the rest of the letters. This is known as a miniscule, and it is a rare occurrence in the Old Testament. Majuscule and miniscule letters show up in seemingly arbitrary places and without any explanation. For this reason, they can only be guessed at concerning what they mean.

The scholar Rosenmüller notes that ancient variations of the manuscripts leave off the aleph at the end, and so it would say, “And the Lord appeared to Moses” instead of “And the Lord called out to Moses.” The smaller aleph might then be inserted to indicate that it is one or the other, but nobody is sure.

The English name, which is used by almost all modern translations, comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. They call it Levitikon, which means “relating to the Levites.”

Leviticus is the shortest book in the Pentateuch, being comprised of only 27 chapters, and yet it is certainly the most overlooked of these five masterpieces. A careful study of the book will lead the reader directly to Jesus Christ again and again – and again. As far as the book’s authorship and dating, the author is undoubtedly Moses. Despite modern higher criticism, there is no evidence to support anything other than Mosaic authorship. Internally, the book states, “And the Lord called out to Moses,” “The Lord spoke to Moses,” or “The Lord said to Moses,” etc., many times.

Although this is in the narrative format and therefore such statements could have been made by another author, there is no reason to disbelieve Jewish or Christian tradition which speak of Moses as the author. More to the point though, the New Testament in general, and our Lord Jesus Christ in particular, ascribes Leviticus to Moses as evidenced in passages such as Mark 1 –

“Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’” Mark 1:41-44

In those words, Jesus cites a requirement specifically mentioned in Leviticus 14. Such New Testament references confirm, without any doubt at all, that Moses is the author of the book.

There is dispute as to when this, along with the other 4 books of the law, was written; however, the conservative and traditional dating can be figured based on when Solomon’s Temple was built. By tracing back from that day as stated in 1 Kings 6:1, which indicates 480 years from the Exodus, we can assert with relative confidence that it was penned approximately 1445 BC.

There was a 45-day journey to reach Mount Sinai, where the Israelites worked to construct the Tabernacle. In Exodus 40:2 it stated, “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.” This would have been the beginning of the second year and 345 days after the Exodus and 300 days since their arrival at Sinai. It would also make it the year 2515 AM. Later, the Israelites departed Sinai as indicated in Numbers 10:11 –

“Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

As Leviticus was certainly recorded by Moses during this 50-day period, we can be confident of this time-frame and dating. Whereas the book of Genesis spanned well over 2000 years of human history, Exodus spanned less than 100, and now Leviticus spans less than two full months. Although mere speculation, it very well may even be that the entire book was compiled during the eight days of the ordination of Aaron and his sons.

The importance of the information then is seen in the condensed time-frame. Special attention was directed to the details of this book, ensuring that the precise instructions at a particular moment in redemptive history were carefully compiled for us.


As far as a historical and redemptive context, the book was given to describe the proper method of approaching God; proper sacrifices when doing so; the priestly requirements which were intricately bound to the religious worship; and other areas of holy living.

These were needed because of 1) The fallen condition of man; 2) The growth of the population of the chosen race to a point where organized worship became essential; and 3) The pagan conditions to which Israel had been exposed during their sojourn in Egypt, thus necessitating a complete break from the incorrect worship conditions which had surely been infused into the Hebrew society.

Further, many of the regulations looked forward to the time when the Israelites would arrive in the Promised Land. As an example, instruction on the handling of mildew in permanent housing was issued. Due to the lack of modern fungicides, which we take for granted, God instructed the people in this area. However, these were issued before such housing was available, while still in the wilderness. Therefore, they anticipated the conquest and settling of Canaan. In a sense then, God was informing them that, “The battle is already won; the land is yours.”

The book deals with a multitude of matters which are all intricately connected to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although He fulfilled every stated requirement and Christological pre-figuring of Leviticus, thus redeeming us from the curse of the Law (see Galatians 3:10-13), we are reminded that we are to live holy lives before God.

We can look back on the great prophetic fulfillments of Leviticus and have absolute surety that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah, and therefore is God come in human flesh. Reading and understanding Leviticus also reminds us of the sincerity of God’s promises and curses.

By following them, as laid out in Chapter 26, and then observing the consequences of them as fulfilled in the Jewish people, our faith is actually strengthened that all other promises in Scripture are also accurate and dependable. This book provides us with fundamental proofs of the surety of God’s Old Testament and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ as indicated in the New Testament.

Concerning the sacrifices which are many, and which seem brutal to the world in which we live today, the entire sacrificial system was necessary until the time that the true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, would come and fulfill each and every one of them. What the world sees as brutal concerning mere animal sacrifices is really a foreshadowing of the most brutal of all sacrifices. One which every person on earth contributed to in their sins of the flesh.

The book itself is categorical rather than chronological. Being compiled in this way, it is a book of spiritual statutes for the people of Israel as the Lord’s congregation. The scholar Keil states that –

“…as the nation of Israel was separated from God, the Holy One, by the sin and unholiness of its nature, the only way in which God could render access to His gracious presence possible, was by institutions and legal regulations, which served on the one hand to sharpen the consciousness of sin in the hearts of the people, and thereby to awaken the desire for mercy and for reconciliation with the holy God, and on the other hand furnished them with the means of expiating their sins and sanctifying their walk before God according to the standard of His holy commandments.”

In accomplishing this, several severe object lessons, involving the death of members of the congregation, will be included for the people to read and remember.

As with many books of the Bible, there are countless sections and patterns which run through Leviticus, but as an overall theme, there are two major sections to the book. The first runs from chapter 1 to chapter 16. These are essentially laws for sacrifice and for purification. These will be highlighted by the laws for the Day of Atonement in Chapter 16. It is a chapter which so precisely pictures the coming Christ, that the only thing more exciting than reaching that chapter would be the rapture itself.

The second major section will go from chapter 17 to chapter 27. These mostly look to the process of sanctification in the lives of the people. These will be highlighted in the instructions for the sabbatical years and the year of jubilee. The two series then remarkably correspond to one another.

The first book of Moses looked to the work of God the Father through Christ in creation, and in directing that creation in the initial process of redemption. The second book of Moses then looked to the work of God the Son in Christ in the actual redemptive process, mirroring His own work countless times. This, the third book of Moses, will highlight then the work of the Holy Spirit applying the purification and sanctification of Christ to the people of God.

In all three books though, it is Christ, the anticipated Son of God who is on prominent display. Nothing is more obvious, and in a thousand different ways it will become evident. When the book of Leviticus is over, the Person and work of Jesus Christ will have been highlighted so many times that you will never look at this book in the same way again.

If we were to sum up the book of Leviticus with one single thought which carries us from Exodus and then into the continued life of Israel, it would be that “The Lord sanctified Israel by His presence, and so the people needed to sanctify themselves in His presence.”

II. The Burnt Offering

Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying,

All translations essentially say the same thing here. And the Lord called to Moses… However, it is not how the Hebrew literally reads. Rather, it says, va’yiqra el moshe vaydaber Yehovah elav – “And called unto Moses and spoke Yehovah unto him.” To understand why this change is so important, we have to go back to the end of Exodus. In the last paragraph, it said –

“Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34, 35

The beginning of Leviticus is being tied directly to this thought. As I said before, despite this being a new book, it is still only a continuation of the narrative which closed Exodus. Understanding that, we see that there is a time when the glory of the Lord retreated into the Most Holy place, and Moses was then able to enter there in order to speak with the Lord at the ark itself.


This marks one of three most important points in the Lord’s dealings where Moses was specifically called by Him. He was called to his commission in Exodus 3:4 at the burning bush. He was then called twice in Exodus 19 from the top of Sinai prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments. And, he is now called at the beginning of the instructions for the divine worship.

The first looked in anticipation to the coming of Christ. The second looked in anticipation to the work of Christ. And the third looks at the completion of the work of Christ and its application to the lives of His people. In this, the work of the Trinity is implicitly seen. Each member performs His part in the realization of the whole. Finally, as was the case with Exodus, the words should read “tent of meeting,” not “tabernacle of meeting.”

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:

The instructions given to Moses here are to be relayed directly to the people of Israel, and not merely to the priests who will receive the offerings which will be laid out next. This then is a corporate instruction intended for all of the covenant people. This is similar to the call to the people to bring offerings for the construction of the sanctuary which was in Exodus 25:2. The call went out to the entire congregation for free-will offerings to be made. Something similar now occurs at the beginning of Leviticus, not for the construction, but for the use of, the sanctuary.

2 (con’t) ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord,

There are many types of offerings which will be allowed – both in type and in purpose, and of which will be precisely named. Nothing else was to be offered except what the Lord specifically authorizes. Each will be detailed in a precise order as the book continues.

The Hebrew reads, “When a man brings an offering.” However, the masculine speaks of both male and female, just as it traditionally has in English. This is confirmed, for example, in the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6 where both men and women could make such a vow. After the fulfillment of it, the offering was then presented by either the man or the woman.

Further, the “when” of this verse implies “if.” Any person in the congregation could bring a voluntary offering. Though they are mandatory in the sense that they had to be brought in order to come near to the Lord, they are voluntary in that they accompanied the desire of the person to, in fact, come near to the Lord.

The word for “offering” here is qorban. It is used for the first two of 82 times in the Old Testament, and almost all of them are in Leviticus and Numbers. It is mentioned one time in Nehemiah and twice in Ezekiel, and that is it. It comes from the verb qarav which means “to come near,” or “approach.”

The idea is that in order to approach near to the Lord, there must be an offering presented at that time. No person could draw near to a king or a royal without presenting an offering. How much more the Lord who was Israel’s true King.

Understanding this, we can already see a picture of the coming Christ. We cannot draw near to God without an offering, and yet, we as believers are told that we can, in fact, draw near to God. This is through the work of Christ, which is our offering. This is spoken of by Jeremiah in the 30th chapter of his book –

“Their nobles shall be from among them,
And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord.
22 ‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’” Jeremiah 30:21, 22

Jeremiah states that One would come who would be allowed to draw near to the Lord God. In the next chapter, it is revealed how this will be accomplished, which is through a New Covenant. When Jesus came, He established that New Covenant in His blood as is recorded in all three synoptic gospels, and which is confirmed by Paul in his writings, such as in 1 Corinthians 11 when speaking of the Lord’s Supper. This is followed up and explained in detail in the book of Hebrews.

The instructions, going directly to the people instead of the priests, shows that the priest had no say in the offering, but rather he was to follow through with his part in the process, inspecting the offering for type, perfection, and conducting the associated work in transmitting the offering to the Lord.

In Christ, we make our offering to God which has been deemed as proper and perfect, and thus He is our qorban. He is our offering by which we draw near to God. This is a voluntary offering in the sense that we must choose to use it, and yet it is mandatory in that if we choose to draw near to God, it must be through Him and Him alone. This is explicitly stated by the author of Hebrews which explains the New Covenant in Christ’s blood –

“For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” Hebrews 7:18, 19

As long as we continue to think about how each detail points to Christ, the book of Leviticus will flow properly, it will be interesting, and it will reaffirm our own Christian walk which is far superior to these rites and rituals which are only foreshadowings of His great work.

2 (con’t) you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.

The first type of acceptable offerings are those of quadrupeds, or behemah. These are set off in contradistinction to the birds which will be mentioned starting in verse 14. The word behemah, or livestock, is then further defined by the terms ha’baqar and ha’tson, or the herd and the flock. The herd speaks of cattle, and the flock speaks of sheep or goats.

The difference is found in the meaning of the words of each. The baqar, or cattle, indicates to seek or inquire. When one plows, they open up the ground, seeking out where to sow. The tson, or flock, comes from an unused root which speaks of migrating, just as flocks are known to do. Of the quadrupeds, only these were considered acceptable as offerings to the Lord.

3 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd,

The first type of offering is now specified, the olah, or “burnt sacrifice.” The word means “to ascend,” and so the idea of the offering ascending in smoke is what is conveyed. The first time it was mentioned in the Bible was in Genesis 8:20 after the Flood of Noah. There it said –

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.’” Genesis 8:29-22

The last time this is mentioned in the Bible is actually in the New Testament. There in the Greek it is known as holokautoma. As you can hear, the word finds its origin in the Hebrew olah. However, if you listen carefully, you can also here where our word holocaust comes from. Thus, one can see the where the concept of our modern term is derived.

But its meaning is applied differently based on the user. For those who burnt the Jews, it was as if it was a sacrifice to God which would supposedly please Him because they had done away with His enemies. For the Jews, it was as if a sacrifice to God had been made of their lives in order to please Him. Either way, no such word should rightly be connected to what occurred at the hands of the Nazis – from either viewpoint. There is but one truly acceptable offering which this burnt offering pictures. That is detailed in the final use of the burnt offering in Hebrews 10 –

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“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.’”

8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:5-10

This olah was completely burned on the altar. With the exception of the skin, no part of it was eaten, or kept, by either the offeror or the priest. The skin was given to the priest, and which he could use according to his wishes apparently. This is seen in Leviticus 7 –

“And the priest who offers anyone’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.” Leviticus 7:8

3 (con’t) let him offer a male

Unlike the sin offerings and the peace offerings, the burnt offering was always to be a male. This was specified to more accurately picture Christ in this type of offering.

There is one exceptional deviation from this which is found in 1 Samuel 6. When the Ark of the Covenant which had been captured by the Philistines was returned to the Israelites, those to whom it came took the cows that had pulled the cart on which it was carried and offered them as a burnt offering –

“Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 6:13, 14

This was an exception based on the circumstance, but not an acceptable custom according to the letter of the law.

3 (con’t) without blemish;

The word is tamim. It indicates that which is perfect, without spot or blemish. To make an offering with a blemished animal would be an insult. It would be like drinking half a coke and then when a friend asks for a coke, you give him the half you hadn’t finished and then go an open up of cool, fizzy, fresh one for yourself. This is exactly what the deceivers of Israel were known for doing –

“But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.” Malachi 1:14

This burnt offering, which was to draw a person near to God, was typical of Christ in this way as well –

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19

3 (con’t) he shall offer it of his own free will

The words here are not well translated. It should not say, “of his own free will.” Rather, it should say, “that it may be accepted.” The word is ratson, and it can be translated either way, but many other passages in Exodus and Leviticus explain the meaning which is to be used.

Despite this, and although it is not a sin offering, it certainly implies that there is a fracture between God and man which necessitated coming to the Lord with a gift in order to be accepted. But unlike the sin-offering, it is not intended to specifically take away sins so much as it is to obtain God’s favor. In other words, it looks to the universal sinfulness of man, whereas the sin-offering will look at the specific sins of man. In giving over this offering, it was picturing the surrendering of the life of the offeror wholly and completely to God, body and soul.

3 (con’t) at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.

These words needs to be considered properly. First, there was probably somebody outside of the sanctuary itself who inspected all animals, even before they were brought in. However, the offering itself, once accepted, would then be offered, as it says, “at the door of the tent of meeting.

If you were awake during the giving of the details of the sanctuary, and in the details which described its construction, you might remember that I noted that the door and the altar are actually intricately connected. For example, in Exodus 40:6, it said –

“Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.”

At that time, I noted that the altar was said to be “before the door of the tent of meeting” despite it having the laver between it and the actual tent. This placement of the altar of burnt offering answered to the placement of the altar of incense and the ark. Just as those were connected, so were the brazen altar and the door.

We then learned that this pictured the work of Christ where He said that He is the good Shepherd. The altar was where the animals were offered, picturing Christ our offering. With that offering, He becomes our Door by which we again have access to the Father. Therefore, presenting the offering at the door of the tent of meeting actually indicates it being offered at the altar which then allows symbolic access through the door. The connection between the two is inseparable.

In this offering, there is nothing secret or hidden. It is done openly and publically. This is how Christ died. It was in a way that all could see and witness. Any and all who passed by would know that an offering had been made as they watched the smoke ascend into heaven. So it was with Christ whose death became known to all. Luke 24:18 shows us that it was fully known throughout Jerusalem. In an ironic twist, the One whose life had been given was questioned if He knew anything about it –

“Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’” Luke 24:18

4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering,

The meaning of placing of the hands on the head of the animal is debated hotly, but the next clause explains why it is done. There is no need to go further, except to explain what the words in the clause signify. There is a perfect animal, one without reason – implying innocence, and it has been brought as a whole burnt offering to the Lord.

The people who bring it, do so for a reason. One does not mow a patch of sand, and one does not water plastic plants. The burnt offering is intended to appease the Lord. If the Lord needs to be appeased, it indicates that there is an offender who seeks that appeasement.

The person who places his hands on the animal then is acknowledging that this is HIS sacrifice. He is the offender, and it is his offering. He is asking that the offended will accept it in his place. The implication is that if it were not accepted, then his life is lost already, and would remain lost.

Further, it is implied that this sacrifice would be sufficient to accomplish the mission. However, as these sacrifices were made often, it could only mean that they merely pictured a more perfect offering which lay ahead of them. Thus it was an anticipatory offering until a final, perfect offering could be made.

*4 (fin) and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

The same word, ratsah, is used again here which was incorrectly translated as free-will offering in verse 3. The clause says, v’nirtsah lo l’kapher alav – “…and will be accepted to him to make atonement for him. The act of placing the hands on the head of the animal is what makes the transfer acceptable, and it is what then makes kaphar, or atonement, for the individual.


This word, kaphar, comes from a root which means to cover. When Noah covered the ark with bitumen, the word was used. Thus, it figuratively means to cover over or expiate sin. In providing atonement, the Lord is granting mercy, and thus reconciliation is realized.

Although we are in the middle of a paragraph, this must be where we stop today, and so we will have to continue on with the rest of the chapter next week. The important thing to see so far is that the book of Leviticus begins with the need for an offering to satisfy God, and to restore us to a place of peace with Him.

We have already seen at the end of the book of Exodus that the Lord sanctified Israel by His presence. And yet, even with that understanding, the people of Israel were being told now that their sanctification was positional in His relation to them, but not complete in their relation to Him.

This is all the more evident by the fact that there are priests who were consecrated to minister to the Lord on their behalf. And it was even more evident because the priest had to be consecrated, and they needed to also participate in their own sacrifices before they could sacrifice for the people.

The more one looks into the law, into its requirements, and into what those requirements tell us, the more understanding there is that the law was and is wholly incapable of perfecting anyone. Only a perfect Person under the law could then transfer His perfection to the law-breakers.

And this is what Christ Jesus has done. We could simply cut and paste this thought to the end of every sermon we go through in the book of Leviticus. The law cannot perfect, but Christ can because He was (and is) perfect. It is not that the law is imperfect, but that those who are bound by it, with but one exception, are – in fact – imperfect. And so the law, and the book of Leviticus in particular shows us this.

The book begins with the notion of imperfection in man, and perfection in God. Who will bring the two together, and who will provide the needed imputation of righteousness? Thank God that the answer is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is why the doctrines of men – of Judaizers and of works-based Catholics and of works-based protestants – these doctrines are so poisonous. They rob people of the grace of God which is found in Jesus Christ alone. When someone tells you they don’t eat pork, tell them, “That’s great.” But when someone tells you that you shouldn’t eat pork, “Call him heretic Herman” and have nothing more to do with him.

Jesus Christ embodies every single detail of this law which stands opposed to us. It never made a single person perfect. And so why on earth, God’s beautiful green earth, would you want to voluntarily place yourself back under this system designed specifically for one Man’s success and all others’ failure? Why?

We’re only four verses into Leviticus and already we see what the rabid, wicked, and heretical people of the world refuse to see. We need Jesus. Thank God for Jesus who embodies this law which stood opposed to us. Thank God for Jesus who stands in its place and offers us grace. Thank God for Jesus, for us the shining smile upon God’s face.

Closing Verse: “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?” Galatians 3:2-4

Next Week: Leviticus 1:5-17 We started the chapter, and to its completion we will follow through… (The Burnt Offering, Part II) (2nd Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Burnt Offering

Now the Lord called to Moses
Yes, He was relaying
And spoke to him
From the tabernacle of meeting, saying

“Speak to the children of Israel
And say to them; let these words ring
‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord
You shall your offering bring

Of the livestock—
Of the herd and of the flock

If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd
Let him offer a male without blemish; according to this word
He shall offer it of his own free will
At the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord

Then he shall put his hand on the head
Of the burnt offering, this gesture he shall make
And it will be accepted
On his behalf for him to make atonement, for goodness sake

Lord God, how exciting it is to start Leviticus the book
And to ponder on the treasure hidden there
As we continue, help our eyes to carefully look
For Jesus in each word; surely He is revealed there

And be pleased as we continue to live in accord with Your word
Holding fast to the grace which is found in Christ Jesus
All glory we give to You, through Jesus our Lord
How can we hold back when so much He has done for us!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 40:1-16 (Seven I AM’s)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Exodus 40:1-16
Seven “I AM’s”

As always, Sunday night I was concerned about the sermon typing coming up on the next day. There is, once again, a great deal of repetition in these verses as the obedience of Moses to the command of the Lord is being evaluated.

I asked the Lord for His hand to be upon me as is my custom, and then in the morning I asked Him to prepare my fingers for the battle which lay ahead. As I got going, I began to realize that there is a pattern which seemed to match things going on in another book of the Bible. Being a bit dull, it took me several verses, maybe even half the sermon, to realize that the pattern didn’t just match that other book’s pattern, but it matches it exactly.

Considering that Exodus was written at the time of Moses, almost 1500 years before the coming of Christ, and considering that John wrote from memory what he had heard, and finally… considering that this pattern was (at least to my knowledge – I did an internet search) never seen before 31 October 2016, it shows, once again, that the word of God has many secrets waiting to be revealed.

How can it be that countless scholars have poured over this book, time and time again, and yet the pattern remained unknown? It is because it wasn’t yet ready to be revealed. But as we go on, you will see that it is precise, and it is also as obvious as the nose on your face, once you see it. What a gift! What a treasure! And yet, we find more time to watch sports or movies than we do reading this precious jewel, handed to us by God through the inspiration of His Spirit. Where are our priorities? Where indeed…

Text Verse: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

The Bible is literally filled with secret things. In His own providential timing, the Lord whispers them out to us. He opens our ear and speaks softly into it. Or maybe He wakes us up late in the night with a spark of His divine will filling our mind with something that we had never considered before.

Or, He may even open our eyes to something while we are reading the word. When He does, we need to grab the moment, seize the opportunity, and search out what He is telling us. It is true that not everything people think they find is actually valid.

Far too often we find those who claim they have found something that is so far off base that we blush in embarrassment, looking for a way to tell them they’ve missed the target, but there are a lot of targets that won’t be missed as well.

One of them is seen in today’s passage concerning the erection of the sanctuary and its consecration. This is then followed up with the consecration of Aaron and his sons. But it matches something going on in the book of John in a marvelous way.

And… it is all to reveal to us Jesus. Yes, 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. Setting up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting (verses 1-8)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

v’dabber Yehovah el mosheh lemor – these exact words haven’t been spoken to Moses since Exodus 31:1. That was seventeen sermons ago, a time which included the incident with the golden-calf and everything that transpired since then.

Now the words are spoken again to introduce an entirely new thought, one which has actually been anticipated since Exodus 25 and the calling of the people by the Lord to donate for the construction of a tabernacle. That was a full 37 sermons ago.

Once again now, the words of introductory preparation are written for us to stop… and to consider what lies ahead. Something new and marvelous is one thought away.  What will it be?

2 “On the first day of the first month

What is to be done will be done at the turn of the year. It is a new time, and a new season. The chosen first month for the redemptive calendar year was given in Exodus 12:2. It was the month of their deliverance from Egypt, and the Lord told them that it would be the first of their months from that point on –

“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:2

The name of the month, Aviv, was specifically given in Exodus 13:4. It is to be on the first of this month, and exactly 345 days after departing from Egypt and 300 days since arriving at Sinai, that this new instruction was to be carried out.

Thus, it will occur on the first day of their first full year of freedom, and it will be the first day of the designated redemptive year in the year 2515AM, or “in the year of the world.” And that instruction is…

2 (con’t) you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The words are correct. Both the term mishkan, or tabernacle, and ohel moed, or tent of meeting, are used. The words are placed in apposition, meaning that they are grammatically almost parallel, but the tabernacle resided within the tent. It being set up first, and then the tent being raised over it.

Further, it is the “tent of meeting,” not the “tent of the congregation” which is used by the KJV. The tent of meeting is where the Lord would meet with His designated representative, not the congregation.

Though the many parts of the sanctuary had been made by the people, and though they had been approved by Moses as meeting the specifications given by the Lord, it was not just completed and caused to be raised.

Rather, the Lord has determined the appointed times and seasons for all redemptive workings. This included the erection of this marvelous edifice which had been so painstakingly fashioned in order to picture the Person and the work of Christ to come.

By having it raised on the first day of the first month, the entire ordination process for it would be complete in time for the celebration of the first Passover which would be held on the fourteenth of the same month.

As this is the approximate time of the Spring equinox, the rising sun would be directly to the east, and thus it would be to the backs of those who would be worshipping towards the Most Holy Place where the Ark was to be located.

Further, as the first day of the month is the day of the New Moon, there would be no moon visible in the sky at that time. In both cases, it is a direct challenge to any notion of sun or moon worship. The Creator, not the creation, was to be worshipped by the people Israel. The precedence was being set in this selected timing.

Another reason for selecting the New Year was to set up the hearts of the people for a new beginning. The year past had shown them failing many times in their devotion to the Lord, culminating in the tragic instance of the golden calf. Now, with the new year, there would be a new beginning, and a chance to serve the Lord all the better in the year to come…. hopefully.

3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony,

The very purpose of building the sanctuary was for a place where the ark could reside. It is, in essence, the soul of the entire sanctuary. It is the spot where the presence of the Lord would reside, and where the high priest, once a year, would come to petition the Lord for mercy for the sins committed by the people.

And the ark itself was only a receptacle for the tablets of the Testimony. Without the tablets, the ark was just a wooden box, splendidly ornamented with gold. And so it is with us, we can be the most splendid example of humanity – being a hulking weight lifter, or the most beautiful movie star – but without adherence to the word of God, we are just another person which happens to be more ornamented than those around us.

In Christ alone is there an embodiment of the word of God, and thus He is the very soul of the Lord’s temple. For those who are in Christ, we are there with Him, in the Most Holy place, having satisfied the law, not through our own efforts, but through the work of Jesus. The importance of what this ark pictures cannot be understated. It needs to be repeated like a children’s story – again and again until it is ingrained in our very being.

This placing of the Ark in the Tabernacle is parallel to John’s words which begin his gospel –

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

3 (con’t) and partition off the ark with the veil.

The Hebrew says, v’sakota al ha’aron eth ha’paroketh – “And cover against the ark the veil.” The ark is not covered with the veil, but it is a covering none-the-less. The word sakak was used when the Lord said that He would place Moses in the cleft of the rock and cover him with His hand.

The veil would stand between the Holy Place where the priests ministered daily, and the Most Holy Place where the Lord resided. It was to signify the unapproachable nature of the Lord. There was a division, or a fracture, between Him and man, even between Him and the priests ordained to minister before Him.

The priests were kept from profaning His presence, and they were protected from being destroyed by Him by the placement of this veil. And as a reminder, on this veil were woven cherubim, as if guardians of the Presence. It is a picture of the cherubim which guard the way back to Eden.

This veil will remain for almost 1500 years, until the time of Christ’s crucifixion where it will be torn asunder, allowing all who will come, to simply come. Any may enter the Most Holy Place and that land of delight once again by a mere act of faith. In Christ, the fracture is healed and the divide is removed. The guardian angels rest their flaming swords, and peace with God is restored. The veil, as we have seen, represents Christ’s physical body. This corresponds to John 1:14 –

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it;

The “Table of Showbread” was minutely described in Exodus 25. It is the first piece of furniture to be brought into the Holy Place. As you certainly remember, it pictures Christ, our Bread of life. This is as He Himself proclaimed in John 6:35 –

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Thus, this table pictures the Lord coming, in a limited way, into the Holy Place to commune with His people. As John Lange describes this –

“By this symbolic communion with the priests He discloses to the people the hope of fellowship with Him, the fellowship of His Spirit, of His blessings.”

The “things that are to be set in order on it” have not yet been described, only the implements, but not what they held. This shows us that some of the book of Leviticus was probably already being compiled prior to the raising up of the tabernacle. Here is what is to be set in order which is described in Leviticus 24 –

“And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the Lord made by fire, by a perpetual statute.” Leviticus 24:5-9

4 (con’t) and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps.

Only after the table was brought in was the menorah to be brought in. If the table signified a feast, then the lights are lighted in order for that feast to be held. It is of note that Jesus first proclaimed Himself the Bread of life in John 6, and then proclaimed this in John 8:12 –

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Thus, His proclamations match the order of the furniture which have been brought into this Holy Place. The instructions here are to light its lamps, but this was done specifically at a prescribed time of the day each day, a time known as “between the evenings,” and thus about 3 pm.

5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony,

The term “before the ark of the Testimony” means outside the veil in the Holy Place, and directly in front of where the Ark sat behind the veil. The table was to the south; the menorah was to the north, but with its lamps illuminating the south.

As the presence of the Lord symbolically comes to fellowship with the priests through the veil in the placement of the Table of Showbread, so likewise, the prayers symbolically go through the veil and into the Most Holy Place by the wafting of the incense which is offered on this altar.

Despite there being a fracture, or divide, between the two, communion was possible through these two points. As the bread can be equated with the word of God which nourishes, and as the incense can be equated with the prayers of the people, the Lord fellowshipped with His people through the word and they with Him through prayer.

How much more now can we truly fellowship with the Lord when we have the full word of God available to us, and we have the Holy Spirit who receives our prayers and sends them directly through our Mediator to God the Father!

We have full and unhindered access to the very Throne of Grace, and we have the full revelation of God available at this time in the completed word. Truly, this dispensation we live in is the most blessed of times yet for those who are eager to fellowship intimately with God.

5 (con’t) and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.

The screen, or masak,  is that which separates the Holy Place from the outside courtyard. This screen is what is at the pethakh, or “doorway,” for access into the tabernacle. And once again, in order, we have Jesus’ claim that He is the Door, in John 10:7 –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”

The order of His proclamations follows in a remarkable way with the order of these items now being set up.

6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

The altar is next mentioned, and it is said to be “before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting” despite it having the laver between it and the actual tent. This placement then answers to that of the altar of incense and the ark. Just as those two are being connected together, so are the brazen altar and the door.

Why would this be unless there was more symbolism which is calling out to be seen? What is it about the altar and the door which is so intricately connected? Again, we just need to go to the book of John and see which I AM statement of Jesus is next. In John 10:7 and again in John 10:9, He said that He is the Door. Immediately after this in John 10:11, He says –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

The altar is where the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered for the sins of the people. And so Christ who gave His life is detailed directly after the door in the setting up of the sanctuary, and directly after the door in the book of John. Only by dying for the sins of the people can Christ be the Door by which we again have access to the Father.

There is a continued precision in the word which spans thousands of years, and the writing of these men who were inspired by the Spirit of God to write and record these things.

7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

Oddly, the NKJV changes the terms here from what should be “tent of meeting” to “tabernacle of meeting.” The KJV sticks with “tent” but says “of the congregation.” Both are incorrect. It is ohel moed, or “tent of meeting.”

It is before this, “tent of meeting” that the laver is next to be set up. However, the laver is closer to the tent than the altar, and it begs the question, “Why wasn’t this then detailed first?” We have partially answered this. The altar answers to the Door. One cannot enter the Door until the sins are paid for by the death of the sacrifice.

However, one who is dead cannot enter anything. If we simply died on the altar with Christ and nothing more happened, we would have a hard time moving. But something wonderful happens to those who die in Christ. They are raised to new life though the power of the Holy Spirit.

The laver, in a sense, is a foreshadowing of our baptism in Christ. When we are baptized, we are making a picture of what Christ has done for us. This is why the one baptizing should make two proclamations during the baptism. 1) Buried with Christ in His death – this is when the person is dunked under, and 2) Raised to newness of life by the power of the Holy Spirit – this is when the person is brought back up out of the water.

And this is what makes our continued journey possible. We don’t merely die with Christ, we are raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly places. We gain access through the Door and continue heading west to the Land of Delight. And this is what the next I AM statement of Jesus proclaims. In John 11:25 –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

One cannot wash and be sanctified if they are not resurrected. The laver is the seal that the resurrection has come about, and new life is granted. We are justified in Christ’s death; we are sanctified through the resurrection and the sealing of the Spirit. Paul tells us this in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 –

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth…

It is of note that the Hebrew of this verse specifically says v’natata sham mayim, or “and you shall put into it water.” They could have filled this laver first, but the Lord specifically calls for it to be placed and then filled. The reason is that one must first receive Christ, dying to sin before then being granted the Spirit. The order of the placement of each item is detailed and it is beautiful.

8 You shall set up the court all around,

The tabernacle and tent weren’t just exposed to the pagan world around them. They were instead enclosed by a court which kept the Holy Places separate from the world, and which also kept out any who would come near with empty hands. But, unlike Eden which was also closed off from the world, with no seeming possibility to reenter, we see that there is, in fact, a means of access…

8 (con’t) and hang up the screen at the court gate.

There was a masak, or covering, here as well. This is the same word that was just used in verse 5 for the screen at the doorway, but this time it leaves off the term pethakh, or door. Instead, it uses the term sha’ar, or “gate.” A different word is used to describe essentially the same thing. Why would this be? The answer is that once again, the terminology is given to show us the I AM proclamation of Christ. In John 14:6 comes that next statement –

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There was one means of access into the sanctuary for the outside world – one and only one. Likewise, Jesus claims to be that exclusive access which this screen only pictures. He is the way back to restoration with God which was lost at the very dawn of man’s time on earth.

The world hates the concept of a single path to God, but Moses gave us a foreshadowing of it in Genesis 3, he continues to give us a taste of it in the details of the tabernacle, and Jesus boldly proclaimed that He alone is able to make these pictures and symbols come to life through His life, His work, and His being. We ignore these marvelous clues at our own great peril.

I Am the Lord who is here for you
I Am with you always, so have no fear
Be strengthened through My word, this you shall do
And through this word, to you I will come near

Trust in Me and know that I Am with you always
In your walk don’t be terrified or afraid
Instead, cling to this word throughout all of your days
And never let your heart from Me be swayed

Seek Me diligently and by you I shall be found
Look to Me and let Me be your delight
I Am here with you, as if by sight and by sound
I Am with you all the day, and throughout each long night

II. The Rite of Consecration (verse 9-16)

9 “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.

That everything associated with the tabernacle was to be anointed with oil is a clear reference to the presence of the Spirit. Without the life of the Spirit, nothing effectual for the redemptive process is possible. But when the Spirit is present, the anointing is both from the Spirit and for the Spirit.

If you missed the sermon on the holy anointing oil, it would be worth your time to go back and watch that. In it, you will gain an immensely detailed understanding of the work of Christ which is seen in every single detail. Just as the entire edifice was anointed, so the Spirit of Christ is behind every single aspect of the building of His church. Nothing occurs apart from Him, and all of it is for Him. As Paul says in Romans –

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy.

Only after mentioning the tabernacle and all that is in it is that which is outside then anointed. However, in this verse it says that the altar shall be “most holy,” whereas the previous verse said that the tabernacle and all of it was said to be “holy.” The scholars at Cambridge seem to find a contradiction in this by stating –

“It is remarkable that, while in Exodus 30:29 …the Tent of Meeting with all the vessels belonging to it, are, by anointing, made ‘most holy’ …, here the altar only is ‘most holy,’ and the Tent of Meeting and all its contents are only ‘holy.’” Cambridge

As is typical with them, they try to introduce doubt into the minds of their readers as to the consistency, and thus the reliability, of the word. However, the difference in terminology does not signify any higher or lesser degree of holiness.

Instead, the terms are used as a caution for the priests and the people. The people could come no nearer to the Lord than the altar of burnt offering. It is termed “most holy” here as a warning that no layman could touch it, lest they become devoted to the Lord.

The “holy” of the other implements implies “most holy,” because only the priests could come near them. The holiness of the altar had to be precisely stated as “most holy” so that the people would not err and die.

11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.

Nothing is said of the laver and its base being holy or most holy, and yet, it is consecrated through anointing. This may seem odd, but the laver is after the altar where the common people could not pass. This implies that anyone who was at the laver was already acceptable to touch the altar, and thus they were holy.

However, the laver is for washing of defilement, something which is not holy. And so the laver itself must be most holy in order to wash away the defilement in order for the priests to be acceptable to go on, meaning into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

Everything about the laver speaks of a sanctification process which is needed for the already accepted priest of God to continue in his duties. It is the place where cleansing occurs as he goes about his business; it is the word of God – the Bible.

We come to it with stains and impurities, and we leave it cleansed and purified, and yet it never picks up our defilement. It is a constant and endless stream of water available to purify the soul of the believer.

Understanding this, are you using it as such? When you pick up the stains of life each day, do you come to it and wash yourself clean once again? You cannot move forward without it, and so come to it often and cleanse yourself with the healing water of the word.

12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water.

Again, it is the tent, not the tabernacle. Make a note if your Bible says otherwise. The Bible is a book of beauty and precision, and so consistency in translation is always something to be desired.

It is at the door of the tent of meeting that Aaron and his sons were to be brought. This is speaking of where the laver stood, and it is from this laver that they would be fully washed, signifying their acceptability, once and for all, to be priests.

It is symbolic of the full washing that occurs the moment a believer comes to Christ. He is cleansed and he is purified from all unrighteousness. After this, the priests will only wash their hands and feet, signifying their on-going purification which was needed to keep them acceptable to perform their duties. The same is true for us, which is what is pictured in these ancient rites and rituals.

13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Aaron, though a fallen man, was a type of Christ as our High Priest. He was to be set apart and consecrated in order to serve as a priest. Likewise, as we saw in the details for the consecration of Aaron in Exodus 29, Christ Jesus was set apart for His duties as our true High Priest. That is referred to in the gospels, but it is most detailed and explained for us in the book of Hebrews.

For almost 1500 years, the priestly line of Aaron was invested with these holy garments which pointed to and pictured the coming Messiah. What is both exciting and saddening, is that there is a person alive today who has been selected as the next high priest of Israel. He will be washed, anointed, and consecrated for his duties, but there will be no true life in his investiture or in his actions.

Instead, Israel missed the boat and is heading down a misguided path of works under the law once again. The good of this is that eventually that path will lead them to their true Messiah. But it will be a path filled with pain and suffering before they get there.

14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics.

The sons of Aaron are emblematic of the sons of God, through the work of Christ. It is we who they only picture. Their white tunics symbolize the pure white righteousness that we possess because of Him. These sons though, for the dispensation of the law, were those who ministered before the Lord in their daily duties.

15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests;

The timing of the ordination of Aaron and his sons is often speculated to be later than that of the sanctuary. This is because it is detailed in Leviticus 8. However, this needs to be argued against for several reasons. The first is that though the command is given and only later enacted, the same is true with the sanctuary itself.

The Lord has given the command to erect it, and it will be erected after the command at the time specified. There is no reason to assume that just because the details of the priest’s ordination are written later, that they are actually conducted any later than that of the tabernacle itself. Secondly, in the raising up of the tabernacle, in verse 30-32 of this chapter, it says –

“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.”

Therefore, the details are already out of any chronological order, even as the erection of the details are being given. And thirdly, if the tabernacle and all of the associated furniture was considered holy through the consecration process, but Aaron and his sons were not, then they would not be able to serve as priests, or they themselves would incur guilt and die.

Rather, the recording of all of these details is done in specific categories rather than chronologically. The categorical details are kept together for a logical reading of each step of the process.

15 (con’t) for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

The priesthood of Aaron was anointed at this time, and it passed down to each subsequent generation after him. Any new anointing of later High Priests is glaringly left unstated, especially at the time of the transfer of the garments from Aaron to his son at Aaron’s death. However, from Leviticus 21:10 it does appear that each next high priest did have anointing oil poured over his head. From this, the priesthood was passed down as “an everlasting priesthood.”

Unfortunately, these words, everlasting priesthood, lead to one of the frequent questions I receive concerning the Law of Moses and its duration. How can we not be required to observe the law if it was for an everlasting priesthood throughout the generations? The question is faulty, because it doesn’t read the intent of the passage. The translation into English, though not incorrect, is vague. Further, it does not take in the whole counsel of Scripture.

An everlasting priesthood does not mean an eternal priesthood. The word olam simply means “to the vanishing point.” Whatever point in the eternal counsels of God that Christ would come and annul the first covenant, the priesthood would likewise be annulled. This is stated by the author of Hebrews –

“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.” Hebrews 7:11-13

The priesthood ended because it had reached its vanishing point. We serve God under a New Covenant. If you are still stuck under the Old, you err in your walk and you are not pleasing to God. Finally in this verse, it cannot go without note that this ordination process of Aaron and his sons corresponds directly to Jesus’ final I AM proclamation. In John 15, He said the following –

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:5-8

Only when one is in Christ can they be productive in Christ, but not all who are in Him are productive, nor does His word abide in them. The priests of Israel were ordained to be priests to God, just as we are called to be. They were to be about the Lord’s business and to be effective stewards of His. If His word failed to abide in them, there would be consequences.

As a confirmation of this, we read the following account of Aaron’s two oldest sons. They failed to let the word abide in their lives, and the fire consumed them,  just as Jesus’ words say about what will happen to us –

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:
‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’
So Aaron held his peace.” Leviticus 10:1-3

The seven “I AM’s” of Jesus are reflected in the process of raising the tabernacle and in its consecration, and of that for Aaron and his sons. This cannot be by chance, but was by the guiding of the Holy Spirit each step of the way.

Let us now consider why the Ark and the Veil have no I AM statement attached to them. First, the Ark, which bears the word, pictures that which always existed – the Word of God. This is why it is introduced first as a statement of fact in John 1:1.

Next the Veil, which is explicitly said to be the body of Christ, was prepared by God for Christ to dwell in. That is why John 1:14 follows after the statement of John 1:1. Only then are the Seven I AM’s stated.

However, there is still one glaring omission concerning the furniture. There is no I AM statement for the Altar of Incense which is placed in front of the Veil between the Table of Showbread and the Menorah. Why would this be?

The reason is the same as the order in which it was instructed to be made. The Ark, the Table, and the Lampstand were all detailed in Exodus 25. However, the Altar of Incense wasn’t detailed until Exodus 30.

The placement of the Altar had to be noted in order here as the furniture was set up, but the purpose for it did not take effect until all of Christ’s work was finished. Only after the last I AM statement by Jesus in John 15 comes Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer of John 17.

The prayer of His for us, and our continued prayers today, took effect when Christ’s work was complete. Only when one is in Christ can their prayers be acceptable to God. As we noted earlier, the placement of this altar answers to the placement of the ark and veil, just as the placement of the Altar of Burnt offering answers to the door of the tent of meeting, bypassing the laver.

The precision in the layout, as is then matched by what occurs in the book of John, is simply astonishing. And so it is for us. Each step is logical and orderly as we move from understanding the work of Jesus to applying it to our lives. When we do, we are able to come boldly to the Throne of Grace where our prayers and petitions are heard once again.

Like the Ark and the Veil, no I AM statement is necessary for this altar. The work was fulfilled, and the nature of the Person is understood through what He has done. He is our Mediator, and through Him, our prayers, signified by the incense, is passed through Him to God.

Ark of the Testimony (containing the Word of God) / John 1:1

Veil (The Body of Christ) / John 1:14

———————

Seven I AM’s

Table of Showbread – I AM the Bread of Life / John 6:35

Menorah – I AM the Light of the Word / John 8:12

Screen Door to Tent – I AM the Door / John 10:7

Altar – I AM the Good Shepherd / John 10:11

Laver – I AM the Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25

Screen to Courtyard – I AM the Way the Truth and the Life / John 14:6

The Anointing of Priests – I AM the True Vine / John 15:5-8

———————

Altar of Incense / Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer of John 17

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

This verse is rather similar to final words of the previous chapter –

“According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.” Exodus 39:42, 43

The difference is that Moses was the one to approve the work of the people, and so he looked it over and approved it and blessed the people. In this verse, Moses is himself being obedient to the word and the word itself is commending him for his actions. And so from construction to completion, the work is noted as having been accomplished according to all that the Lord had commanded.

As I said at the beginning of the sermon, and during it as well, the way in which these several points have followed the seven “I AM’s” of Jesus is more than remarkable. The divine fingerprint is to be found all the way throughout Scripture; each page validating that more than human wisdom was involved in the process.

The many places it was compiled, the many personalities involved in it, and the length of time in which these things took to be recorded is a validation all its own that we are holding in our hands the very word of God.

But adding on to that is the fact that many of these patterns, such as the one today, have been left unseen for the 2000 years that this book has been studied by faithful scholars. How is it that such patterns can suddenly come forth, and yet people deny that there is a deep wisdom behind the word?

Let us not fall into such skepticism, but rather, let us behold the beauty of this word, treasure its secrets in our hearts, and continue to look for more remarkable patterns which are waiting still for curious eyes to gaze upon and bring to light, to the glory of God who has placed them there.

And as we have seen numerous times today, these patterns reveal Christ. God is trying to wake us up to our need for Christ. And so, once again today, I would like to explain quickly, and with care, how you too can share in God’s marvelous offer of peace which is granted through Him…

Closing Verse: “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” John 8:58

Next Week: Exodus 40:17-38 I tried to find a word to rhyme, so I didst… (The Lord in Their Midst) (105th 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.

I AM

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
These are the words He was then relaying

On the first day of the first month, do not forget
The tabernacle of the tent of meeting, up you shall set

You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, please understand
And partition off the ark with the veil, per my command

You shall bring in the table
And arrange the things that are to be set in order on it
And you shall bring in the lampstand
And light its lamps, to this you shall commit

You shall also set the altar of gold
For the incense before the ark of the Testimony
And put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle
Follow this order as given by Me

Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering
Before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting

And you shall set the laver between
The tabernacle of meeting and the altar
And put water in it
No portion of this detail shall be allowed to falter

You shall set up the court all around, as I now state
And hang up the screen at the court gate

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, as I to you submit

You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering
And all its utensils, and the altar consecrate
The altar shall be most holy
This condition of it I now to you relate

And you shall anoint the laver and its base
And consecrate it, there in its place

Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water
On them the water you shall pour

You shall put the holy garments on Aaron
And anoint him and consecrate him too
That he may minister to Me as priest
These things to him you are to do

And you shall bring his sons
And clothe them with tunics, so shall it be
You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father
That they may as priests minister to Me

For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood
Throughout their generations, as is to be understood

Thus Moses did; each and everything as he was bid
According to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did

Heavenly Father, how precious is your word
And how marvelous it is to read it and find Jesus
Each page that we turn, it reveals our great Lord
Who has done such wonderful things for us

O God, our hearts are directed to You
And so be with us in all that we do
Let us never stray from the path which is true
And each day through Your word, please – our souls renew

And in this we will give You our highest praise
As we wait on our Lord’s return – that most marvelous of days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Exodus 39:1-43 (And Moses Blessed Them)

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Exodus 39:1-43
And Moses Blessed Them

Today’s passage is like the past few. It deals with the actual work which was accomplished in accord with the details which had previously been given. Therefore, like those past few sermons, we will find a parallel thought to look over which relates to the work being conducted rather than minutely analyzing the verses as we already have.

As the verses today deal with the garments of the priesthood, it would be good to look at how those garments actually demonstrate the inferiority of the Law of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron, to that of the covenant given in Christ’s blood which is administered by the priesthood of the Lord.

It should never be our intent to find fault in the Law of Moses in the sense that it was an inappropriate aspect of God’s workings in the dispensations of time. And yet, the author of Hebrews says concerning this law, “ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.”

What then was faulty concerning the covenant, if not the covenant itself? The answer is, the human aspect of it. It was administered by a fallible man, its priesthood was carried out by fallible men, and the people under the law were never made perfect by the law itself. Paul tells us in Romans that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

However, because man is fallen, the law can only highlight our sin, it was never intended to remove it by our efforts. Rather, it was given to show us that we needed something more. The law could remove our sin, but only in its fulfillment. And that could only come about by One who had no sin of His own. Enter Jesus. It is He whose work was needed in order for the law to make us holy…

Text Verse: “Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:16, 17

Only after Christ fulfilled the law could the work of our hands be established. And only through the administration of a New Covenant, in the mediation of a better High Priest, can we hope to please God. Thank God for Christ Jesus who does all of this for us! Yes, it’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Better Priesthood (verses 1-31)

The idea of a priest is that of someone who has authority to perform religious ceremonies on behalf of himself and others. The first actual mentioning of a priest in the Bible is that of the mysterious Melchizedek in Genesis 14 –

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’
And he gave him a tithe of all.” Genesis 14:19, 20

This is all that is recorded here about this mysterious man. There were certainly priests since the time after the fall. Adam would have performed the function on behalf of his family, but the idea of a priest who administered on behalf of others is really only first seen in Melchizedek. This Melchizedek is reintroduced into the Bible in the 110th Psalm where David reaches back into the words of Genesis and makes a prophecy based on a most profound deduction; certainly inspired by the Spirit of God –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” Psalm 110:4

David foresaw a Person who would come who would be a priest forever, and he explains this with the words “according to the order of Melchizedek.” One would have to be extremely astute to understand all that this simple sentence means.

In fact, even with a detailed explanation of it in the book of Hebrews, people still often fail to grasp the full significance of David’s amazingly deep, and yet short and simple proclamation. This is the only other time in all of the Old Testament that Melchizedek is mentioned.

And of course this is proper because the Law of Moses had a priest, it had a priesthood, and it also had a place where the priests were to minister. Along with that, the priests had all of their duties and responsibilities laid out. For the law of Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood which served that law, Leviticus details the majority of their responsibilities.

And, inclusive of all of these other things, the garments of the high priest, and his associate priests, are all given in minute detail here in the book of Exodus. The law is given, the sanctuary along with all of its furniture is described, and so it is natural that the ordination process for the priests, and the garments of the priests, are described at this time now as well.

Those priestly garments were called for by the Lord, and now their actual manufacture is detailed in obedience to the Lord’s word. This is the purpose of verses 1-31 of this chapter. The significance of these things, and their amazing prophetic pictures of Christ, were explained in several sermons already, and to understand their meaning, you can go back and read or watch them. It truly is an astonishing study which would be well worth your time.

And so as far as the Aaronic priesthood, it has been called for, it is being prepared, and it will be fully ordained and established in the pages ahead. Most of the duties of that priesthood will be minutely described in Leviticus. This priesthood will last about 1500 years.

It was superseded by the greater priesthood of Christ Jesus, but it still continued until AD70 when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were exiled. Amazingly, and in fulfillment of Scripture, this same priestly line has been identified through modern DNA analysis, and people of that line today are being prepared for reinstating this ancient priesthood.

A high priest has already been selected, and the garments and associated implements necessary for conducting their duties have been fashioned. Though this priesthood is obsolete through the work of Christ, God has shown that it would, in fact, be reinstated for a set period and for a specific reason. That is detailed in Daniel 9.

In verse 24 of Daniel 9, it says that a period of 70 “weeks,” or periods of 7-year intervals, would lay out the entire future prophetic scenario for the completion of the time of the Law of Moses, including its priesthood. That then is a 490-year period. Until the time of Christ’s death, it was a period of 483 years.

At that time, the prophetic calendar was stopped. The temple sacrifices were no longer acceptable to God, and as I said, the temple was destroyed in AD70, exactly 14,000 days after the cross of Christ. That, however, still leaves a 7-year period left unfulfilled. It says in Daniel 9:26 that the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed, but then in Daniel 9:27 it says this –

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.”

If there are sacrifices and offerings noted after the death of the Messiah, and the further destruction of the temple in AD70, then it means that verse 27 is speaking of a future date when they will be reinstated. It is future to us now, but it won’t be long before it comes about. We are living in extraordinarily exciting times as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is being realized before our eyes.

All of what we are seeing now in the re-establishment of this Aaronic priesthood goes back to these passages in the book of Exodus, including the details of the garments we are looking at today. Observant Jews in Israel need only to pick up a copy of the Bible and read what we are looking in this passage in Exodus in order to know what to make and how to make it.

But, because these things only pointed to Christ, and because David spoke of a priesthood on the order of Melchizedek which was to come, and because Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant for Israel, and finally… because we have already seen an explanation for all of the things in this passage today in past sermons, we will look at what actually replaces Aaron’s priesthood, and why the efforts of Israel in reestablishing the priesthood are only a stepping stone to the final termination of the Law of Moses.

As I said, David made that seemingly off-handed reference to Melchizedek in the 110th Psalm. Unless you stop and really contemplate it, you might just keep on reading without ever giving a second thought to what he says. But the author of Hebrews was determined to explain what we might so cursorily pass by.

And so he re-introduces this Melchizedek in Hebrews 5, and then he talks of him briefly in chapter 6 and more especially in chapter 7, explaining why he is such an important figure. Here is what he says in Hebrews 5 –

“So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’
6 As He also says in another place:
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” Hebrews 5:5-11

The author directly quotes David’s words of the 110th Psalm and explicitly tells us that these words are speaking of Jesus. David, under inspiration of the Spirit, wrote words of a coming High Priest. However, that His priesthood would be according to the order of Melchizedek brings in some obvious problems. They will be explained by him as he goes along.

In Hebrews 6, the author speaks of the immutability of God’s promises, and the surety we have therefore in the oath of God, noting that God cannot lie. In this, he is referring to the word of the Lord through David concerning the High Priest to come. Remember what the Lord said through David in Psalm 110 –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.’” Psalm 110:4

To close out chapter 6 of Hebrews, and to prepare us for his detailed explanation in chapter 7, the author states these words –

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19, 20

The hope of God is in the oath of God, and in His trustworthiness in fulfilling that oath. This hope is that Jesus is the coming High Priest that David spoke of, a high priest forever. What is he talking about? Chapter 7 of Hebrews explains it, and we will look over his words, but we can only do so briefly. A full evaluation of what he says would take innumerable pages of commentary.

As we proceed, remember why we are even looking at the passage. It is because we are currently going through Exodus and are evaluating those things which are a part of the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood. Was this to be a permanent priesthood? If so, then there would be no need for Jesus.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Hebrews 7:1-3

The author notes the name and positions of Melchizedek. He is the king of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. He doesn’t question or dispute this. He is speaking of a real person, who really filled the offices of both king and priest, something not allowed under the Law of Moses. Under the law, the two offices were not to be mixed. When someone attempted to mix them, bad things resulted. One such account is recorded about King Uzziah –

“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.”
19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 26:16-21

The next thing the author of Hebrews notes is that he filled this king/priest role at the time of Abraham. Thus, Melchizedek precedes both the priesthood of Aaron and the kingship of Israel, typified by David who wrote the 110th Psalm. Next, he explains the meaning of his name and title – Melchizedek is from melek, or “king,” and tsaddiq, or “righteous.” He is further melek shalem, or “king of peace.” Thus, in both titles, he typifies Christ.

But he further typifies Christ in that the Bible gives no record of his genealogy, birth, or death. Because of this, his priesthood is considered an eternal one. This doesn’t mean it literally is, but that in record, this is all that God wanted us to know in order to make the typological picture of the Lord.

4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:4-10

The point here is to show the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of Aaron. Aaron descended from Levi who came from Jacob who came from Isaac who came from Abraham. Greatness within the Bible is reflected in the preceding generation. Thus a father is considered greater than the son. Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people and is thus the greatest of that race.

However, Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, demonstrating that Melchizedek was the greater. This is supported by the subsequent blessing of Abraham by Melchizedek. The greater blesses the lesser. Levi received tithes from Israel, and the Aaronic priesthood, administered by the sons of Levi, therefore is said to have paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedek.

The reason for this is that Levi was still in Abraham’s loins when Abraham presented his offering to Melchizedek. It is the same concept as the transfer of original sin. Charlie Garrett was in the loins of Adam when Adam sinned. Thus, I have sinned through Adam, just as Levi paid tithes through Abraham.

And so we have established several things already about Melchizedek. He is a king and a priest; something greater than that belonging to the priesthood of the law which was separated from kingship under the law. He also preceded the priesthood of the law, and yet his priesthood is, from a biblical context, still in effect; it is eternal. The Aaronic priesthood had a beginning when the law was introduced. It also had an ending with the establishment of the New Covenant. Therefore, the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater in this respect.

Further, Melchizedek is typical of the Son of God because he has no recorded genealogy. Thus, his priesthood is greater than that of the law which was administered through Moses and which began with the man Aaron – both of whose births and deaths are recorded. Also, because Melchizedek is shown to be greater than Abraham, and Abraham is greater than Levi, then the priesthood of Melchizedek is also greater than that of the priesthood of Levi.

David said that someone was coming who would have a priesthood on the order of Melchizedek. Thus, this coming priesthood would be greater than that of Aaron in each of these respects. To support this, the author now asks an obvious question…

11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. Hebrews 7:11-13

The author now brings in the idea of making subjects of the law perfect. Did this occur? The answer is, “No.” If people were made perfect through the law, then offerings would have been made one time and they would have ended.

But they never ceased. They were offered continuously, and year after year. They only made people aware of their sin, but never could remove the sin. Instead, they only temporarily covered them until the next offering for sin.

But even more, if the people were made perfect under the law, there would be no need for another priesthood. But David promised that someone coming would be a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Why would there be a need for such a priesthood if the priesthood of Aaron sufficed in perfecting the people? There would be none. But David proclaimed differently.

And if there was to be a change in priesthood, then there – by default – must be a change of the law. The law already had a priesthood. In fact, the two were dependent on one another. If the priesthood ended, so would the law which mandated the priesthood. And if the law which mandated the priesthood ended, then the priesthood mandated by the law would be of no effect.

And even more yet. These things are being written about Jesus. But Jesus was not of the line of Levi, and therefore, He could not be an administrator of the law of Moses which prescribed that the priesthood was of Levi. Jesus descended from another tribe…

14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:14-17

The author’s logic is impeccable. David spoke of a priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. That priesthood is fulfilled in Christ. But Christ descended from Judah. Therefore, there must be a change in regards to the law itself. This is not a change in the law, but a change of law.

And this law which He will administer is not one according to a high priest who will die and be replaced with another, but it is one according to the order of Melchizedek who has no recorded death, and thus it is an eternal life designed for an eternal priesthood.

18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’”),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Hebrews 7:18-22

If Christ’s priesthood is in effect, which it is clearly established that it is, then the former commandment, meaning the Law of Moses, is annulled. It was weak and unprofitable because it could save no one. It couldn’t even save its own high priest, whose death is recorded. After him, each subsequent high priest died as well.

However, in Christ, there is an indestructible life and a better hope which accompanies the covenant which He administers. It is a hope by which we can, through Him, draw near to God. And again, the author uses impeccable logic in telling us that the first covenant came without an oath concerning the ordination of the priests. They were appointed, served, and died. However, the words of David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and thus coming from God who cannot lie, are spoken by oath –

“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’”

Thus again, the superiority of the priesthood of Christ is evidenced. In all ways, His priesthood is “Better than.”

23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:22-25

The garments which were made for Aaron, and which are exactingly detailed in today’s verses from Exodus, were transferred from high priest to high priest. When Aaron died, the transfer was noted, thus setting the pattern for all future sons of Aaron who filled this position –

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying: 24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” 27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.” Numbers 20:23-28

The importance of recording this act cannot be understated. Aaron died, and the garments of his priesthood passed on to his son. Aaron was prevented, by death, from continuing in his priesthood. Thus the line of priesthood remained, but the occupant of that priesthood was changed. The garments of the priesthood were a profound testament to the fallible nature of the priesthood. They stood as a witness that the law could perfect none.

However, Christ died in fulfillment of the law. At the same time, He offered a New Covenant in His blood. In His death, the law died with Him. It could no longer have any possible power over Him. And yet, He never sinned under the law. As the wages of sin is death, then death could also not hold Him. It was impossible for Him to remain dead. Peter testifies to this fact in Acts 2.

Christ died apart from His garments, as is recorded in Scripture, and thus it is the Man, and not the garments which are the focus of His priesthood. Under the law, it was the garments and not the man which was the focus of the priesthood. Aaron was not considered fully ordained to the priesthood until he was clothed in the priestly garments. When his tenure as priest ended, his garments were removed from him, and then he died – in that order.

And so we see that in Christ’s resurrection, it is to Jesus, and not changeable garments which our eyes are to be directed. The garments He wears now merely signify His eternal priesthood which already exists in His eternal Being.

He is risen apart from the law; He can never die again. Aaron died and his ministry ended. Christ lives eternally and therefore He continues forever in an unchangeable priesthood. Because of this, the author tells us that Christ can save us to the uttermost when we come to God through Him. Paul explains this in Romans 6 –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Romans 6:8-10

As He lives to God, He always lives to make intercession for us. He is perfectly qualified to do so as the author next explains…

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. Hebrews 20:26-28

Christ has been, as it says, “perfected forever.” This doesn’t mean that He was not “forever perfect,” but that under the law and as a Man, if He had sinned He would not have been perfect, nor could He have been “perfected forever.” But, He was sinless before the law and died in fulfillment of it. Thus, the law now has no power over Him. He is, therefore, perfected forever. He can never be found with fault under the law again. In Him, the law is annulled.

Unlike the high priests of Israel who had to first offer for their own sins, and only then could they offer for the sins of the people, Christ offered Himself in His perfection before the law, for the sins of the people. What the high priest of the Law of Moses could never do for the people, Christ has done for His people.

If you wonder why there has been such minute detail concerning the garments of the priests of the law, hopefully you are now seeing why that detail is so important. In type and picture, each detail points to Christ, but in reality when worn by the human mediator of the law, it pointed all the more to his imperfections, not his perfections. Only in Christ are the perfections realized. As a side note to the idea of priests, the last time the term is mentioned is in Revelation 20 with these words –

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

Those who willingly refuse the mark of the beast during the tribulation period will be granted a high honor. They will be raised to life and can never die again, and they will be priests of God and of Christ during that marvelous millennial period. It is fitting that the idea of a priesthood enters Scripture with the enigmatic Melchizedek, who pictures Christ, and it ends with those who are made priests through faith in the work of Christ.

The LORD has sworn and will not relent
You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek, with that intent
Christ is our High Priest, ceasing never

With Him as our High Priest
We have a sure confidence. Imagine the grace!
His mercies are forever, never being ceased
Though Him we are shown the favor of God’s face

Thank God for our High Priest, Christ Jesus
And for the work that He has done and continues to do
The beautiful work that He has done for us
Our great High Priest, ever faithful and true

II. So the Children of Israel Did All the Work (verses 32-43)

With the final verse of chapter 39, the long repetition of the verses from the previous chapters is ended. The instructions were given, and the instructions were followed through with – being meticulously recorded as evidence of that fact. And so now we come to the final verses of the chapter…

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished.

The minute details of the previous chapter find their culmination in this verse. First, the work is said to be finished. Two descriptions are given. It says mishkan ohel moed – tabernacle, tent of meeting. The tabernacle is the dwelling place, and the tent is what covers the dwelling place. The two are noted separately and yet belonging one to the other, almost as a pleonasm intended as emphasis. The two will be mentioned separately in verse 33.

32 (con’t) And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did.

The second aspect of this verse is that the work was not only accomplished, but it was done “according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” This takes us back 34 sermons to the words of the Lord in Exodus 25:40 which said “…see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” Just as Moses was shown, just as the people were instructed, so the work was accomplished.

33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39 the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.

These verses confirm in one place all of that which was made. The only word of exceptional note in all nine verses is that which is translated as “set in order” in verse 37. It is a new word in the Bible, maarakah. It means an array, and is most commonly used in the idea of a battle array, where an army is lined up for war.

The lamps of the Menorah were so set up, as if a battle of the goodness of light is dispelling the evil of darkness. What a marvelous picture of Christ the Lord, the Light of the world shining forth through the darkness.

42 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.

This is a reaffirmation of the words just spoken in the second clause of verse 32. It noted they did what was commanded, then what was done was noted, and now it again notes that they have done all that was commanded. In six months or less, all of this work was engaged in, and completed, according to the minute specifications of the Lord. It really is an amazing feat to consider.

43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it.

The chapter’s final verse shows that Moses inspected every detail. He had been shown the pattern on the mountain, and he had been admonished to follow it exactingly. The directions were given, the work was accomplished, and now the chief inspector carefully evaluated each item to ensure that it met the requirements of the Lord. As it did, the record now, for the third time, notes that the children of Israel accomplished the tasks as required. With that note of achievement, we come to our final words of the chapter…

*43 (fin) And Moses blessed them.

It is possible that Moses blessed the people with the words of the 90th Psalm which formed our text verse of the day.

“Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:16, 17

Whether with these, or other words of commendation, the leader of the people was pleased with the work and he so blessed them for their efforts. The tabernacle was ready, the law would be continued, and the Lord would dwell in the people’s midst. Moses’ blessing now was an affirmation of these facts.

Today we have seen that the law was only a stepping stone to the greater work of Christ. If the law was served by such marvelous items, and was regarded with such minute detail and care, then surely how much more precise and glorious is the greater ministry of Christ for us!

Again, if the Lord was willing to dwell among the people in a sanctuary wrought by fallible hands and corruptible materials which were glorious non-the-less, just imagine the splendor which lies ahead for those who are in Christ.

The people labored towards the day when the Lord would occupy His dwelling. How much more willing should we be to labor towards the day when we will dwell with Him! Let us never tire in our efforts to speak of the goodness of the Lord. And whatever be the labor of our hands, may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be upon us so those labors will be established. Let it be so now, and even until the Lord takes us home to be with Him in His eternal dwelling place.

Closing Verse: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Next Week: Matthew 1:18 We have permission to deviate from Exodus, yes the holiday does clear it… (She Was Found with Child Through the Holy Spirit)

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 Work is Accomplished

Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread
They made garments of ministry
For ministering in the holy place
As the Lord intended it to be

And made the holy garments for Aaron as well
As the LORD had commanded Moses, as He did tell

He made the ephod
Of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen
He followed the details, as the Lord had said

And they beat the gold into thin sheets
And cut it into threads as well also
To work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And the fine linen, into artistic designs, as we now know

They made shoulder straps
For it to couple it together; as we see
It was coupled together at its two edges
Thus it was made accordingly

And the intricately woven band of his ephod
That was on it was of the same workmanship as well
Woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen, as the LORD to Moses did tell

And they set onyx stones
Enclosed in settings of gold so well
They were engraved, as signets are engraved
With the names of the sons of Israel

He put them on the shoulders of the ephod
As memorial stones for the sons of Israel
As the LORD had commanded Moses
As the LORD to Moses did tell

And he made the breastplate
Artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod
Of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread
And of fine woven linen, just as he was showed

They made the breastplate square by doubling it
When doubled, a span was its length and a span its width

And they set in it four rows of stones
This as the Lord did show
A row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald
Such was the first row

The second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond
The third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst
The fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper
They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings
No detail was missed

There were twelve stones according to the names
Of the sons of Israel
According to their names
Engraved like a signet, as well

Each one with its own name, certainly
According to the twelve tribes, as we see

And they made chains for the breastplate
At the ends, like braided cords of pure gold
This as the Lord did state

They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings
And put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate
He accomplished each of these things

And they put the two braided chains
Of gold in the two rings
On the ends of the breastplate
Again, he faithfully accomplished these things

The two ends of the two braided chains
They fastened in the two settings, as the Lord did relay
And put them on the shoulder straps
Of the ephod in the front, just as He did say

And they made two rings of gold
And put them on the two ends of the breastplate, as showed
On the edge of it, as he was told
Which was on the inward side of the ephod

They made two other gold rings
And put them on the two shoulder straps, as per directions at hand
Underneath the ephod toward its front
Right at the seam above the ephod’s intricately woven band

And they bound the breastplate
By means of its rings to the ephod’s rings
With a blue cord, so that it would be above
The intricately woven band of the ephod, he did these things

And so the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod
As the LORD had to Moses showed

He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue
Doing exactly as he was instructed to do

And there was an opening in the middle of the robe
Like the opening in a coat of mail
With a woven binding all around the opening
So that it would not tear; there was to be no wardrobe fail

They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates, so they did do
Of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen too

And they made bells of pure gold
And put the bells with the pomegranates between
On the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates
A beautiful design upon the hem was seen

A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate
All around the hem, as the directions demanded
Of the robe to minister in
As the LORD had to Moses commanded

They made tunics, artistically woven
Of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, this they did do|
A turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen
Short trousers of fine woven linen too

And a sash of fine woven linen
With blue, purple, and scarlet thread
Made by a weaver, as the LORD had commanded Moses
Yes, just as the LORD had said

Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold
And wrote on it an inscription, attending to the word
Like the engraving of a signet
HOLINESS TO THE LORD

And they tied to it a blue cord
To fasten it above on the turban
As commanded to Moses by the LORD

Thus all the work of the tabernacle
Of the tent of meeting was finished too
And the children of Israel did according to all
That the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did do

And they brought the tabernacle to Moses
The tent and all its furnishings, as we know
Its clasps, its boards, its bars
Its pillars, and its sockets also

The covering of ram skins dyed red
The covering of badger skins
And the veil of the covering; just as the Lord had said

The ark of the Testimony with its poles
And the mercy seat
The table, all its utensils, and the showbread
These pieces they did complete

The pure gold lampstand with its lamps, it was fitted right
(The lamps set in order)
All its utensils, and the oil for light

The gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense
The screen for the tabernacle door
The bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils
The laver with its base also, but still even more

The hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets
The screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs as well
All the utensils for the service of the tabernacle
For the tent of meeting, as the word does tell

And the garments of ministry
To minister in the holy place
The holy garments for Aaron the priest
And his sons’ garments, to minister as priests before the LORD’s face

According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses
So the children of Israel did all the work
Then Moses looked over all the work
And indeed they had done it, not a detail did they shirk

As the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it
And Moses blessed them; a blessing he did to them submit

Lord God, establish the work of our hands
And let the beauty of the Lord be upon us
So may it be for each who understands
Of the marvelous wonder of Christ Jesus

Thank You O God, to You we send our highest shouts of praise
And they shall be lifted to You now, and even for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 33:1-11 (Everyone Who Sought the Lord)

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Exodus 33:1-11
Everyone Who Sought the Lord

The chiasm which spans all of chapter 32 and through most of chapter 34 continues on in this passage. It is bringing us closer to the anchor verse which will come in just one more sermon. Until then, the structure of the chiasm appears to reveal to us the proper placement of the verses which we will look at today.

However, the verses today aren’t just a set of verses that need to be properly aligned chronologically into the on-going narrative. They are also verses which show us a snapshot of Israel at several points throughout their history. The people disobey the Lord, the Lord distances Himself from them, but He also makes Himself available to them, at least individually, even if collectively they are out of His favor.

Today’s verses show a separation between the Lord and Israel. Today’s world shows the same. They are still under the promises of one covenant, while out of the favor of another one. As long as people can understand this, then it makes sense as to why they have remained a people despite their immense disobedience towards Him, and even their outright rejection of Him.

If He were to completely reject them, then His promises to their father’s would be voided. This will never happen. An oath of God will never, never fail.

When we see Christians being killed around the world, and especially for those Christians who are facing such persecution, it might seem that God’s promises have failed for us. That is, if we look at this world as our promised inheritance. Way too many Christians seem to look at it in that regard.

But there are no enduring promises that we won’t face a lifetime full of trouble, pain, persecution, or misery. This is why the Bible notes we live by faith, not by sight. If this world were our true reward, then we might have reason to feel that way. But it is not.

We have a true inheritance that can never be taken away from us. God has spoken this, and it is true. When we get feeling like we may have been forgotten, all we really need to do is look at Israel. They have actively rejected the Lord, and yet He has remained faithful to them because of His former promises.

We have called on Christ, and His word says that because of that we have an eternal inheritance. Just as He has been faithful to unfaithful Israel, He will surely demonstrate the same faithfulness to us because of the sure promises found in Christ.

Text Verse:  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:11-14

These are the verses I send people to, time and again, when they are filled with bad doctrine concerning our inheritance. There is an entire camp of people out there who look at the salvation granted to us as a conditional thing; something we can lose.

However, if there is something that we can do (or not do) in order to lose our salvation, then it is not of grace at all – and it never was. Whether leading up to our salvation or following along after it, if there is something that is required by us, then it is not of grace, but of works.

Further, if we trusted in Christ, believed the word of truth which is the gospel of our salvation, and then were sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee, then what has happened must be eternal. If it was not, then that was 1) a rather crummy guarantee, and 2) God made a mistake.

Such things call into question the workings of God. Let us never presume to do that, even internally as we struggle and doubt our salvation. Today’s passage continues to show us that the Lord was still there for Israel. He may have distanced Himself from them, but He has not left them, nor forsaken them. Neither will He do this to you. These are truths which are found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Stiff-necked People (verses 1-3)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here,

John Lange says, “This is one of the most mysterious chapters in all the three books of the covenant.” He is right. It is extremely hard to follow what is going on, and where the words belong in the narrative. However, it is not impossible to determine.

The words of chapter 33 and part of 34 are an expansion of what was said when Moses went back up the mountain after the narrative of the golden calf. This is similar, for example, to Genesis 2 being an insert into the sixth day record of Genesis 1. After the debacle of the golden calf, Moses ascended the mountain again where we read this –

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

The details which we are seeing in Chapter 33, through verse 9 of chapter 34, chronologically belong between verses 33 and 34 of Chapter 32. The Lord said to Moses that He would blot out of His book the one who sinned against him. This account follows, and then the promise of the final verses of the chapter next are given. Confusing, yes. But it appears logical and orderly when laid out.

For now, Moses is told to “Depart and go up from here” with the abrupt words lek aleh mizzeh.

What appears to be the case is that everything promised to Moses on Mount Sinai which encompass all of the details of the construction of the tabernacle, and everything associated with it, was suspended. Moses was given all of those instructions with the anticipation that it would be built, and that the Lord would dwell in their midst as they traveled.

However, now they are being directed to simply go up from their place of encampment. This is based on a completely different covenant made at a completely different time, meaning at the time of Abraham. As for the covenant which was just made since their arrival at Sinai, that was to be disregarded; it was voided by the golden calf.

1 (con’t) you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt,

The words again reflect the sentiment that they are not the covenant people. The Lord says, as He did in verse 32:7, that they are the people Moses brought out of the land of Egypt. The Lord has distanced Himself from the people due to their disgraceful conduct.

1 (con’t) to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’

Regardless of the status of the covenant between the Lord and the people, the issue of the inheritance of the land does not change. It was firmly resolved while Moses was on Mt. Sinai with the Lord the previous time. When the matter of the covenant violation arose, the following exchange came about between the two –

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
11 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people. Exodus 32:9-14

The people, despite their rebellion would be the particular line of descendants who would receive the promises made to their fathers before them.

2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

This is the same general promise as in Exodus 23:23 which said –

“For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.”

This same promise concerning these inhabitants will be repeated in Exodus 34:11. All three are under the same context. However, the order of the names varies in all three. The Canaanite group moves within each verse, but the other four – the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites stay in the same order. No idea why, just thought I would share that with you.

Amorites Hittites Perizzites Canaanites Hivites Jebusites.
Canaanite Amorite Hittite Perizzite Hivite Jebusite.
Amorite Canaanite Hittite Perizzite Hivite Jebusite.

Also, the Hebrew does not say “My Angel.” Instead it simply says “angel.” The word “my” is inserted by the translators. This then leaves in doubt who exactly is going to lead them.

3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey;

This is the fourth of 20 times that this expression will be used in the Bible. The last time will be in Ezekiel 20 where it is also called “the glory of all lands.” A land flowing with milk and honey implies richness and fertility.

Milk comes from cows and so it means there will be abundant pasture lands. Honey comes from bees which pollinate flowers and so it implies all sorts of fruit trees, herbs, and flowers.

Further the term “a land flowing with milk and honey” has a spiritual connotation. It isn’t just speaking of the physical abundance but also of spiritual abundance. It is the land of God’s word and the people through whom that word has come.

The word of God is said to be sweeter than honey. It is also equated with milk which nourishes. Thus, this is a reference to that as well. The land would literally flow with milk and honey for sustaining Israel’s physical lives. It would also flow with milk and honey for sustaining their spiritual lives.

At this time, they do not know this, and with the covenant broken, only the first can be assumed. Only in looking back after the fact can we see that both the physical and spiritual aspects of this verse have come about in Israel.

For now, the words are certainly given to shame the people for their ingratitude towards the already abundant provision of the Lord. He has given them Manna and water from the rock. He has given them meat. He has protected them and made a covenant with them.

Despite all of this, and so much more, they rejected Him. And yet he directs them to go up to the land, flowing with milk and honey, which was set apart for them.

3 (con’t) for I will not go up in your midst,

This verse doesn’t say that the Lord will not go up with them. It says the He will not go up b’qirbekha, or “in the middle of you.” The word qerev gives the idea of the inward part. The fact that He just said, “I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite” shows that He intended to go ahead of them, just not among them. And there is a reason why He intends to not go in their midst…

3 (con’t) lest I consume you on the way,

Elsewhere, the Lord is called a consuming fire. That which He does not purify with His presence is burnt up in it. The Lord says that He would not go up in their midst because if He did, it would be catastrophic for them. And the reason is expressly given…

3 (con’t) for you are a stiff-necked people.”

This is now the second time that this term, “stiff-necked” is used in the Bible. It is a metaphor which is normally explained as being obstinate, but it is more than that. It defines 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.

You want a home, a place where you can stay
Go up there and make it ready on your own
I shall not be with you lest I consume you on the way
Don’t weep to Me; nor to Me shall you moan

You have forgotten Me and so now I have let go of you
There will be a distance between the two of us
There is nothing more that You can do
Unless You call upon My Son; upon the Lord Jesus

You want a home, and it is waiting there for you
One that He alone has made and can endow
If You call on Him, He is faithful and He is true
You can come home through Him, this I do avow

II. From Mount Horeb (verses 4-6)

4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned,

What is implied is that Moses went back down the mountain at this time. The events are still a part of the insert between verses 33 and 34 of the previous chapter, and they will continue to be so throughout chapter 33. Like I said, this is an insert chapter which fills in details which bring about a resulting action. It is the same as the details of Genesis 2 filling in what was missing in Genesis 1 and which led to a resulting action.

Having gone down to the people, he told them what the Lord had said. In His rejection of them because of the violation of the covenant, and His words that He would not go in their midst, it brought about a great sense of mourning. The word used is abal. It is only the second time that it has been used in the Bible.

To get the sense of their state, we can go to the first use of the word. It was in Genesis 37 when Jacob heard of the death of Joseph –

And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

The grieving of Israel was profound over the bad news they had been given. It is a pattern which will be seen again in their history. Only when the knowledge of their sin is highlighted do they realize their horrible plight and mourn over their actions. An account, not too distant in their future will indicate the same type of mourning.

The people will refuse to enter Canaan when the twelve spies return with a bad report about the land. They will face the Lord’s sentence concerning their punishment and the same type of mourning will be mentioned.

4 (con’t) and no one put on his ornaments.

As a sign of their mourning, the people refrained from adorning themselves. The Hebrew reads “and no man put on his ornaments.” The masculine would include all people. The word for ornaments is introduced into the Bible here, adi. It is from the verb adah which means “to adorn.” The ornaments could indicate finery, an outfit, something worn on the head, etc.

Wearing ornaments today is no different than back then. They bring attention to oneself. They highlight and intensify the perception of a person. In not wearing ornaments then, it is a sign that a person wants no such attention and is thus in a state of grief. This is seen, for example, in the book of Jonah –

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.” Jonah 3:5, 6

5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.

The tense of the words of this verse isn’t completely clear. Some scholars see this as a statement which followed, rather than preceded, the people’s repentance. The dolts at Cambridge find another answer by saying that –

“The people are here told to do what they have already done” which is “a clear proof that two narratives have been combined.”

In other words, they say that there are multiple authors who have been combined into one narrative. Were that so, they would have made a clearer, not a less clear transition.

It is probably correct that these words follow the people’s repentance. Because of this, the next clause is not a threat of destruction, but a repetition of what has already been said as an explanation as to why He would not be in the midst of them…

5 (con’t) I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you.

Were the Lord to come into their midst, even for a moment, He might be inclined to consume them. The word rega, or “moment” is introduced here. It is from the verb raga which gives the idea of suddenness. It thus indicates the wink of an eye or something instantaneous. It is used twice in a affectionate passage from Isaiah when speaking of the Lord’s tenderness towards Israel –

“For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:7, 8

5 (con’t) Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’”

If the first clause came after the repentance of the people, then the words here would naturally follow in that same vein. And so instead of these words being a command to take off their ornaments, they are a command to lay them aside altogether.

The word is yarad and it means “down.” Therefore, it is an admonition to leave the ornaments off entirely. In obedience to this, and in that humbled state, the Lord would decide what He would do with the people. This is likely from the next verse…

6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

The words here say that they stripped off their ornaments “from Mount Horeb.” John Lange says this means, “on account of.” But even more fully than that is that the people stripped off their ornaments from that time on. Because of what occurred, they left them off entirely and kept them off. They remained in a perpetual state of penitence.

What is most interesting is that the term Horeb has not been used since Exodus 17:6. Since then, the term Sinai has been used eight times. Then, the term Horeb won’t be used again until Deuteronomy 1:2, but the term Sinai will be used numerous times by then.

Although they are used almost synonymously, because Horeb and Sinai are used to indicate the same place, the words are selected to be used for different reasons when they are, in fact, used. Horeb means “Arid” or “Desert.” Sinai means “Bush of the Thorn.”

The different names are used to show different aspects of what is going on. When Sinai is used, it is normally referring to the on-going redemptive workings of God for His people. When Horeb is used, it indicates the total dependence of the people on the provision of the Lord, or it indicates that which has been accomplished by Him already.

Here in the desert, the people need the Lord to sustain them. They have fallen out of favor with Him, and so Horeb is the right and proper term to use for their needy condition. From Horeb on, they have put away their ornaments in seeking the favor of the Lord.

The Lord is righteous, and it is we who have strayed
He gave us laws with which to guide our ways
But we turned from them and our hearts were swayed
And now we live out saddened, miserable days

Return to us, O Lord, heal our erring ways
Grants us again Your presence in our midst
Where we can lavish upon You all of our praise
Let go of Your anger, and loosen your terrible fist

Lord God, to You our eyes are turned
And to You our hearts shall be directed always
For closeness with You our desire has burned
It shall never be quenched, even for eternal days

III. The Tent of Meeting (verses 7-11)

7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp,

This verse now explains the separation of the Lord from the people. He would not dwell in their midst at this time, but rather a far distance from them in order to not consume them in His wrath. The Hebrew says ha’ohel, or “the tent.” The definite article is thus believed to indicate Moses’ personal tent. Moses’ tent was probably the finest in the camp and thus he moved it out from the camp in order to meet with the Lord.

7 (con’t) far from the camp,

The term “far from the camp” implies quite a distance. When the Ark went before the people as they crossed into the Land of Promise in Joshua 3, the distance between the people and the ark was 2000 cubits, or 3000 feet. It is quite a distance, and is probably comparable to the distance Moses was from the camp itself.

7 (con’t) and called it the tabernacle of meeting.

As has been typical with the KJV and the NKJV, they incorrectly call this “the tabernacle of meeting” instead of the “tent of meeting.” It is the same word as was just used at the beginning of the verse – ohel. It means “tent.” The word for “tabernacle” is mishkan. The KJV gets two demerits and the NKJV gets one.

7 (con’t) And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.

The Lord was not in their midst, but He was not altogether unavailable to the people. They could venture out of the camp to meet with Him if they chose to do so. This precept is similar to the words of Hebrews 13 concerning those who would come to Christ. If the people want to meet with the Lord, they must be willing to do it on His terms –

“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:12, 13

This separation was to be a reminder to them that they were not in favor with the Lord. In order to seek Him, they had to come to Him. The covenant was nullified through their actions and thus it was up to them to come humbly out of the camp, bearing the reproach of their actions in order to seek His face once again.

What is of note is that the words “everyone who sought the Lord” implies that not everyone sought the Lord. Some did and some did not. Those who did had to go to where the Lord would meet with Moses, or “He who draws out,” as his name means.

It is to be remembered that these verses are an insert into the ending of Chapter 32. Once the insert is finished, the narrative continued to the end of Chapter 32 with these words –

Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”
35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made. Exodus 32:34, 35

A time of  punishment lies ahead. However, the Lord offers grace before that time comes. He has given grace by leaving their midst and not destroying them. He has given grace by allowing them to come out of the camp to Him. And He has given grace by allowing restoration for those who do seek Him. Thus we see the truth found in Romans 5 –

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Romans 5:20

And so in this narrative, we actually have a picture of Israel after their collective rejection of Jesus. They had forsaken the Lord and He no longer dwells in their midst. But He has still offered them individual grace before the time of punishment comes, meaning the tribulation period. Any who choose to do so can come outside the camp, bearing His reproach in order to be reconciled to Him.

8 So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.

This is an obvious sign of respect that is being portrayed here. The tent was not so far off that it could not be seen when Moses entered into it, but it was far off enough so that the people were reminded that the Lord was no longer in their midst.

As he passed through them, they would rise, and during the intervening time until his arrival, they would stand at the door of their tent watching the amazing scene of close and personal fellowship of which they were now denied.

The pethakh, or door, is that place which provides access. There seems to be a hint of symbolism here. As the people watched Moses walk towards the Tent of Meeting, they waited and watched at their own door. It was as if they were inviting the Lord to come to them if He so chose.

They were apart from Him and estranged from Him, but they still held out hope that He would make a change and come to them. Their ornaments were put aside and their hearts were being molded for a time of restoration.

And so they waited “until” Moses went into the tent. It was as if they had hoped that maybe he would turn around and rejoin them in the camp. If so, maybe the Lord would come into their midst instead of being separate from them.

Again, it is as if a picture of Israel after Christ’s first advent is being seen here. They rejected the Lord, went out after gods of gold, and found that they had lost His favor. Individually, they could come out to Him, but collectively, He is not there for them.

For the people at Sinai, it will not be until the sanctuary is built that the Lord will again reside in their midst. And it will not be until the time that Christ comes to His temple in Jerusalem that He will once again be in the midst of Israel. The words of Ecclesiastes shout out to us of the repetitive patterns of history –

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Nothing is new. Each thing that comes about is already something that has occurred. God does this so that we can call the past to remembrance and be confident of what the proper course for our future should be.

9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle,

Only when Moses was within the tent would the pillar descend and stand at the pethakh, or door. The place of access is where the meeting between the two would take place. The divine presence descending there for the people to see was an assertion of the authority of Moses.

Where they were set off from the Lord and considered unacceptable to fellowship with, Moses was given the Lord’s approval that his actions retained the Lord’s favor. By coming in this way, and after Moses was within the door of the tent, there could be no possibility of deception.

The cloud moved according to its own design and apart from any possibility of Moses’ having been behind its movement. Although unstated, it can be inferred that this was a regular occurrence.

Instead of the cloud coming and staying after Moses’ first visit, it was what occurred each time Moses went to the tent. When the meeting was over, the cloud probably went back to the top of Sinai. Interestingly, the term “pillar,” when speaking of this cloud, has not been seen since Exodus 14:24.

The cloud has been mentioned several times as having been atop the mountain, but the term pillar has not accompanied it since then. The ammud, or pillar, comes from the word amad, or stand. Thus, in this we get the idea that the standing cloud stood at the door of the tent.

9 (con’t) and the Lord talked with Moses.

Once there, it says, “…and talked with Moses.” The words “the Lord” are inserted by the translators. The standing cloud is the subject of the verb. It is directly equated with the presence of the Lord. It is how the Lord has manifested Himself to Moses and in the sight of the people.

A cloud is that which covers or conceals a thing. Throughout Scripture, the cloud is used to signify the coming and going of the presence of the Lord. It is this display which the Lord chose to come to Moses in the sight of the people, reminding them that just as He had delivered through the Red Sea and led them in the wilderness to Sinai, He was still there.

They had forgotten Him, even though His presence was in full sight atop Sinai, and now they had to see His presence from a distance as Moses talked and intimately fellowshipped with Him.

10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.

This verse leads us to the notion that the cloud didn’t just suddenly appear as soon as Moses went into the tent. Instead, the people stood all the time that Moses walked to the tent. Then the people would sit down and wait for the next great thing to occur, the appearing of the cloud.

Once the cloud appeared, the people would rise again and worship, as it says, “each man in his tent door.” For the fourth time in just three verses, the pethakh or door is mentioned. It is as if a stress is being laid on the door of the people to show that they wished that the Lord would come into them.

They worshipped him not in groups, but individually. It was a sign that they would gladly welcome Him in and have Him fellowship with them as well. They had lost His favor and this was their way of begging for that favor to be restored to them once again. For them, that time was gone, but for Moses, it continued on uninterrupted…

11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,

These words are to be taken in the sense of familiarity as they will next be described. The Lord at this time came in the pillar, without discernable face or mouth. Rather, the term panim el panim, or “face to face,” means that they had open and free discussion without anything to hinder their words. In essence, the Lord has allowed Moses to speak to Him personally intimately, even…

11 (con’t) as a man speaks to his friend.

When a man speaks to his friend, titles and formalities are set aside. Instead, there is a warmth and a closeness that permeates the conversation. It is the highest note of the character of Moses and the bond between him and his Lord. It is something that very few in the Old Testament ever attained the honor of knowing, even remotely, in comparison to Moses.

*11 (fin) And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

When Moses’s time at the Tent of Meeting was done, he would make the trek back to the camp. This is expected as he would carry the messages of the Lord back, and he would also be needed in the camp for advice and direction over a host of matters. But once again, the enigmatic Joshua shows up out of the blue as he has already done a few times. He is identified in three ways.

  • He is Moses’ servant.
  • He is the son of Nun.
  • He is a young man.

The word for servant means a to minster or serve. He is the one who tends to the needs of Moses as a general’s aide would tend to the needs of his superior. His father’s name, Nun, is introduced into the Bible here. The name comes from the verb nun which means to propagate or increase. It is used only once in the Bible, in a messianic psalm when speaking of the reign of the King –

“His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.” Psalm 72:17

And he is lastly noted as a young man. This despite the fact that it says this in Joshua 14:10 –

“And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”

This means that Joshua is now about 38 or 39 years old. Therefore, the term na’ar, or young man, is probably being used either in relation to Moses who is over 80, or it is referring to his years of service to the Lord, he being a young man in his time of duties.

The name Joshua, or Yehoshua, is a contraction of Yehovah and yasha. Thus his name means “Yehovah is salvation.” In this final verse of the day is a picture of the work of the Lord. Moses, or He who draws out” is the one who draws out from the Lord that which is for the people, and from the people that which is for the Lord.

Yehoshua, or the “Lord is Salvation,” remains outside the camp, there at the place where the Lord meets with either the people or the people’s mediator. Either way, the people must come to where he is at. Isaiah 59 tells the people that –

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.”

The sins of the people had, in fact, separated them from their God. He was there and willing to save, but the people had to come to Him to be restored to Him. This is the state of Israel today. Most still have not come outside the camp to Him, nor have they come through His Mediator to Him. Instead, they sit at their doors worshipping from afar and are not in His presence.

For the people at Sinai, their time of restoration lies ahead. And for Israel collectively, the same is true. The Lord’s hand is not shortened, but the people’s unwillingness to allow the outstretched hand to heal them remains an impassable obstacle to their restoration.

Today as we close, I would ask you to remember Israel in your prayers. They will be restored, but of them, who, how, and when is not known to us. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to pray for them, just as any lost souls. They need Jesus and they need to come outside their camp, to where He is, in order to find Him.

And the same may be true of you. Maybe you’re listening today and have never raised yourself up and acknowledged Him in your life. If so, you are no closer to God than the worst heathen. But you can get that corrected by a simple acknowledgment of your state and His ability to fix it. Let me explain that to you…

Closing Verse: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed,
Nor shall his face now grow pale;
23 But when he sees his children,
The work of My hands, in his midst,
They will hallow My name,
And hallow the Holy One of Jacob,
And fear the God of Israel.
24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding,
And those who complained will learn doctrine.” Isaiah 29:22-24

Next Week: Exodus 33:12-23 The news is great, in fact for them it will be the best… (My Presence Will Go With You, And I Will Give You Rest) (93rd 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.

Everyone Who Sought the Lord

Then the Lord said to Moses
Depart and go up from here, He did command
You and the people whom
You have brought out of Egypt the land

To the land of which I swore to Abraham
Isaac, and Jacob, saying
“To your descendants I will give it
So to you I am relaying

And I will send My Angel before you
And I will drive out the Canaanite, that’s right
And the Amorite and the Hittite too
And the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey
For I will not in your midst go up with you
Lest I consume you on the way
For you are a stiff-necked people, it is true

And when the people heard this bad news, there at their tents
They mourned, and no one put on his ornaments

For the Lord had said to Moses
“Say to the children of Israel
‘You are a stiff-necked people
And you know this very well

I could come up into your midst in one moment
And consume you, so could I do
Now therefore, take off your ornaments
That I may know what to do to you

So, stripped themselves did the children of Israel
Of their ornaments by Mount Horeb, as the record does tell

Moses took his tent and pitched it
Outside the camp, far from the camp he went
And called it the tabernacle of meeting
Yes, this is the name he called this tent

And it came to pass that everyone
Who sought the Lord, so we know
Went out to the tabernacle of meeting
Which was outside the camp, there they did go

So it was, whenever Moses went out
To the tabernacle, that all the people rose
And each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses
Until he had gone into the tabernacle, before they again did repose

And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle
That the pillar of cloud descended, him to meet
And stood at the door of the tabernacle
And the Lord talked with Moses, in fellowship sweet

All the people saw the pillar of cloud
Standing at the tabernacle door, as we know
And all the people rose and worshiped
Each man in his tent door, it is so

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face
As a man speaks to his friend, there in that place

And he would return to the camp
But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man as we know
Did not depart from the tabernacle
He stayed at the tent, even so

Lord God, You are there still
Waiting for Your people to come to You
For each and every one that will
You have promised them something new

No longer will we be estranged and living apart
No longer will we be far from Your place
Instead ahead will be a brand new start
When we come to fellowship with you face to face

Thank You, O God, for Jesus who makes all things new
Thank You for our Lord who is ever faithful and true

Hallelujah and Amen…