Servants of God Exodus 28

 

Exodus 28 -Servants of God

 

Now we come to the ones who are going to serve the tabernacle.  The Levites were to care for the tabernacle, and Aaron and his sons were to be the priests.  Aaron was to be the high priest.  For Aaron to serve as high priest he had to have certain garments.  And these garments speak of Christ.  The Hebrew word for Holy means “set apart.”  These garments were set apart for the service of God.  The first garment was the Ephod.  It was worn over the linen garment.  Two long pieces of cloth were brought together and fastened by a stone on one shoulder and a stone on the other shoulder.  The material was gathered in the middle with a girdle.  Six of the names of the children of Israel were engraved on the onyx stone and six names were engraved on the other.  When the high priest went into the presence of God, he carried the children of Israel on his shoulders.  That speaks of the strength and power of the high priest.  Jesus is our high priest.  Jesus carries us on his shoulders.

The breastplate is a vest. A very beautiful one that went over the garment.  It was a breastplate of judgment.  We need the breastplate of righteousness today as believers.  The breastplate covers the vile heart within us. The Ephod and the breastplate went together. On the breastplate were twelve precious stones which were arranged three in a row, and there were four rows. Each stone was a different color and together they formed a flashing and beautiful display.  What a picture this is of His Love for us.

I do not know what the Urim and Thummim were.  Whatever they were, they determined the will of God.  God wants us to go to Him for answers.

The pomegranates speak of fruit and the bells speak of witness. The symbols of life and witness would give a sound as the high priest went in and out of the sanctuary.  “That he die not” alerts them to the fact that if he should default in the ritual he would be stricken dead.

Then there was a plate of pure gold that was put on blue lace, upon the forefront of the mitre, upon Aaron’s head. These garments distinguished the high priest from the other priests. These garments were a covering over any work of the flesh.

God supplied their needs as they served the people.  There was no competition or confusion in the holy tabernacle because they served the same Lord and obeyed the same Word. God has a ministry for each of us, and He will equip us to do it.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Outside the Tabernacle Exodus 27

 

Exodus 27 – Outside of the Tabernacle

 

Outside of the Tabernacle we have the brazen altar and the brazen laver, both made of brass. Inside the tabernacle everything was made of Gold. As you get closer to God, the emphasis is on the person of Christ, As you move further out, the emphasis is on the work of Christ. The furniture of brass represents judgment of sin. The sin question is dealt within the outer court. No one can come into the presence of God until sin has been dealt with. Lev. 17:11. Sometimes the brazen altar is called the table of the Lord, and it is called the altar of burnt offering.  This is where God deals with the sinner.  It speaks of the Cross of the Christ.  Christ is our burnt offering. There is no approach to God except by the brazen altar.  There a victim must be sacrificed and must be claimed as the substitute. Man can not worship, pray, or serve God until he came to the brazen altar.  Every priest, Levite, had come to this altar.

Jesus Christ is not only the Lamb that died for us, He is also the risen Lamb.  The brazen altar stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle.  The Cross of Christ stands before Heaven. The shittim wood covered with brass speaks of His strength for sacrifice.  What a picture this is of the Cross of the Christ!

The fence that went around the outside of the tabernacle was covered with white linen all the way around.  It separated those on the inside from those on the outside. The burning light speaks of Christ.  Matthew 5:14 tells us: “you are the light of the world..” You and I do not make much light.  It is only the Spirit of God that can use us. God’s people are lights of this dark world. Be sure you keep your lamp trimmed and your light shining. Matthew 5:16.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

The Golden Lampstand Exodus 25-26

 

Exodus 25 continued - The Golden Lampstand

 

The lampstand is probably the most perfect picture of Christ found in the tabernacle furniture.  It sets Him forth as pure gold and speaks of His deity.  It sets Him forth as He is – God.  Christ is the light, as symbolized by the lampstand in the Holy Place. It gave light in the Holy Place. It was the place of worship. The oil in the lamps represents the Holy Spirit.  Christ said of the Holy Spirit in John 14:26 “But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  It is the Holy Spirit who takes the things of Christ and shows them to us.  Just as the lamps reveal the beauty of the lampstand.  The Holy Spirit reveals Christ as the Son of God, the One who came to earth on our behalf and who lives in heaven to intercede for us.

Exodus 26 – The Curtains

 

Over the tabernacle were four curtains,  the first was made of linen and came down the sides of the tabernacle.  They were not permitted to touch the ground.  They were beautiful and the result of fine work.  The curtains were sown together and held together with loops and rings. This curtain cannot be seen from the outside.  The beauty of the Lord Jesus cannot be seen by the world. We are hidden under His wings, and we should worship Him who is worthy. The second curtain was made of goats’ hair, and it touched the ground. It speaks of Christ’s worth for sinners. It is symbolic of Christ’s death.  The third curtain was made of Rams skin dyed red. It speaks of the strength and vigor of Christ and His offering on the Cross.  The fourth curtain was made of badger’s skin. It speaks of Christs’ walk before men. It had no beauty to reveal. There is no beauty on the outside that we should desire Him. We must go inside to behold His beauty. The curtains were blue, a heavenly color, scarlet – Christ’s blood, purple which speaks of royalty.

The boards of the tabernacle were made of shittim wood.  It was indestructible. There were 20 boards on each side and ten in the rear. Rings were placed in the boards and bars ran through the rings, holding the tabernacle together. The Holy Spirit holds true believers together today. The boards and rings speak of the deity of Christ. The veil speaks of the humanity of Christ. It was made of fine-twined linen and was the only entrance to the Holy of Holies.  When Christ dismissed His spirit on the Cross, the veil was torn in two, representing the fracture of His Spirit and His body. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ.

 

The Tabernacle Exodus 25

 

Exodus 25 – The Tabernacle

 

 

The tabernacle was to be the center of Israel’s life because it was there where man would approach God.  Israel had been out of slavery for only a few months, yet the Lord asks them to contribute to help build the tabernacle.  The children of Israel gave so much they were told to stop giving!  In Exodus 12:36 we read “The Lod gave the people favor on the sight of the Egyptians, so they gave them such things as was required.  The tabernacle was small because it had to be carried on the wilderness march, but it was very ornate, rich and beautiful.

The ark was God’s throne, and it was the first piece of furniture that they were to build. The outer court was an enclosed place around the tabernacle proper. The proper was divided into two compartments, The Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies.  The furniture in the Holy place consisted of the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense.  In the Holy of Holies were the ark of the covenant and the Mercy Seat.  In the outer court were two pieces of furniture; the brazen altar and the laver. Enclosing it with a fence of white linen. The ark and the mercy seat above it were the place where God would meet the children of Israel.  It was the place for them to approach God.  The tabernacle was put together when they made camp and taken down when they moved to another place.  Each piece of furniture was equipped with rings and staves so that it could easily be carried.  The ark was covered with gold inside and outside. It speaks of Christ as prophet, priest, and King. It carried the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the ten commandments. Aaron’s rod that budded speaks of the Lord’s resurrection. It was an old stick that came alive. The manna speaks of Christ as the Bread of Life.  The Ten commandments speak of the life He lived on earth fulfilling the Law in all points and fulfilling the prophecies spoken of Him. The Mercy seat rested on top of the ark.  It was the blood that made it the mercy seat. The High Priest who served in the tabernacle rushed into the Holy Place, sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat, and rushed out again. Inside the Holy place is the place of worship. The table of showbread speaks of Him as the bread of Life. It has twelve loaves of bread on it, representing each tribe of Israel. God was providing equality for all. The altar of incense speaks of prayer. The table speaks of sustenance, provision, and supply. It is the table of salvation. The table also speaks of the Lord’s Supper. 

This lesson is to be continued.  Thank you for reading my lessons. God Bless You all.

God Draws Us Near Exodus 24

 

Exodus 24 – God Draws Us Near

 

 

God invites us to draw near, but often we are unwilling to do what is necessary to meet Him.  The Israelites had the Book and the blood, and they made promises to obey God; but they did not have the vision of the glory of the Lord that Moses had on the Mount. God told 70 men to come up into the mountain, but even these men were in a unique position at that time as they were told to worship afar off.  Under the law man must worship afar off but today Ephesians 2:13 tells us, “But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”  God saves us and leads us along life’s pathway today by His grace.

They have been given the Ten Commandments and believe they can keep them.  If you say you do not sin, you deceive yourself.  I John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” The best thing to do is not boast of your goodness. Romans 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one.”  We live in a day when sin is called good and bad is called good.

All that we know today about God is through the Son. We don’t know how God looks, feels or thinks, because God has told us in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts, saith the Lord.”

Moses wanted to see God. If you want to see God, you will have to go through Jesus Christ.  Christ puts one hand in the Father’s hand and one in your hand and brings you and God together.  We do not reach God the Father on our own, and we must recognize that.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Laws of the Land Exodus 23

 

Exodus 23 – Laws of The Land

 

Be careful what you say, this is God’s rule of conduct.  A gossiper is as bad as a murderer, a thief, or an adulterer in your midst, yet in our society a gossiper gets by easily.

“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” It would put us out of the marching, protesting and rioting business.  It would rid our society of the growing menace of gangs. Freedom is not following a multitude to do evil.

Judgment should be exercised without respect of persons, whether they are rich or poor.

Treating people justly would seem to be an easy thing to do, but the sinful human heart can lead us astray with rumors, false witnesses, crowds, and money.  The fact that a person may be rich or poor, a friend or enemy must not blind us to the truth.

The Sabbath Day was the seventh day of the week and was a day of strict rest.  The Sabbatic Year was the septennial rest for the land from all cultivation.  Every fiftieth year the Hebrews who had been forced to sell themselves into slavery became free.  Lands that had been sold reverted to their original owners. Three times a year all the Hebrew males were to appear before the Lord God in Jerusalem.  Three feasts were to be celebrated: The Feast of Passover, The Feast of Pentecost, The Feast of Tabernacles.  It is the Lord Jesus that they were to obey.

God told Israel that He intended to put the enemy out of the land because of their sin.  He is telling them that His intention is to put them in the land of Israel and make it their land. The children of Israel were not to make any covenants with the inhabitants of the land nor with their gods. The nation would be entering enemy territory and would be tempted to compromise with the wicked people of the land.  They must not even speak about false gods, or they would be led to bow down and serve those gods and make covenants with them. The reason the nation of Israel finally went into Babylonian captivity was because they went into idolatry and served other gods.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Property Rights and Humanity Exodus 22

 

Exodus 22 – Property Rights and Humanity

 

God’s law of restoring fourfold is much better with human nature the way it is.  If we had to restore fourfold anything that we destroyed or damaged, we would be more careful. It is not enough to admit the crime and show sorrow over it, there must also be a readiness to make things right for those who have been hurt.

God wants us to respect personal property. God’s law protects a man’s property and his home.  Under this principle a man is justified in protecting his property, his home, and his loved ones.

We have men who administer law today with no background in the Bible.  Because of this, we are in deep trouble.

If a man steals, he must make restitution for that which he has stolen, even to the point of selling himself into slavery to help make payment. If a man’s cow or sheep breaks through into another man’s field and they cause damage, he is to make restitution. If a man rapes a girl, he will be forced to marry her.  If her father does not agree to the marriage, the rapist must pay a penalty for what he has done. 

Today we are seeing an increase of Satan worship and of the supernatural.  This trend is potent, and it is real. 

Having sexual intercourse with a beast shows just how low man can go.

Utterly destroying anyone who sacrifices to any other god except God is harsh, but when you have cancer, you want to rid yourself of it. This is what God is talking about.

I believe that God protects the helpless.  Great judgment is coming for those individuals who have mistreated people who are in need.

If one person lends money to another, he is not to charge excessive interest.  God says it is wrong to take advantage of others.

These many laws reveal the holiness of God and His desire that we be a holy people. When obeyed, these laws protected the people from violence, extortion, oppression, and affliction.  God has compassion on widows and orphans, poor workers, and strangers.

If we truly love God with all our hearts, we will have no desire to hurt others.  But if God is not first, we will start exploiting people to get what we want.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard@blogspot.com.