The Gospel in a Nutshell

Prepare: Lord, help us to know the Gospel concerning the Son.
Read: Romans 1:1-7

The writer: Note the three points Paul uses to describe himself. The word for servant is 'slave'. In the Graeco-Roman world of Paul, a slave was not even considered a person. A slave was the property of the master and the owner could do anything as he or she is pleased. Thought the slaves of Christ do not have this oppression, the word shows how a servant of Christ does not have his or her own will or choice. Paul did not make himself a servant; but was called-that means specific choice of God. God chose him to be an apostle. A servant of Christ is set apart for the gospel of God. Do we display the characteristic of being set apart as Christians by and for God?

The Gospel: List the five points in verses2-4 to show who Jesus Christ the Son is. Paul begins with the Old Testament promise through the prophets and goes right through to the resurrection of Christ. The prophetic promised was fulfilled in Jesus, but when he was born as a descendant of David. He was declared to be the Son because the Holy one of God could not be held by death. This is the Son who is the source of our service to bring people everywhere to the obedience of faith. It is interesting how Paul links up his apostleship with the readers.

Greeting: How do we greet people? Do we root our greetings in God and what God does?

Respond: Lord, help us who believe in you, be truly saints.

The Continual Burnt Offering

Prepare: We dedicate, and God consecrates. We surrender, and He sanctifies.
Read: Exodus 29:38-46

The blood of Christ has cleansed us, and our past is gone. Sinful hearts are purified not by religious rites but by faith in Jesus Christ. We stand in the very righteousness of Christ and wear the garments of God's grace.

We have the Holy Spirit living within, and He enables us to minister. The priests were "marked" by the blood on the ear (hear God), the hand (serve God), and the foot (walk with God). The "continual burnt offering" morning and evening was a reminder of their complete and constant devotion to God. It speaks of the fact that the people needed a continual reminder that someone was needed to take their place, and that their sin merited death. Don't forget your daily quiet time with God.

Hebrews 9:26 brings out the truth. The Lord has dealt adequately with sin. Once at the end of the age, He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Verses 42-46 give us an explanation of what all this ceremony and ritual was intended to do. God used this holy system of ritual to dwell among His people. It is only ritual and symbolism; it has to be spiritually fulfilled. We make a mistake if we model church life on it or when we invent too many similar ceremonies and rituals. We are redeemed in order to worship God and be in constant contact with Him. There can be no meeting with God, no experience of His indwelling, until after one has accepted Christ as his Saviour after confessing his sins.

Respond: Walking in the light makes fellowship with God possible. 

The High Priest's Clothing II

Prepare: God has a ministry for each of us, and He will equip us to do it.
Read: Exodus 28:29-43

God supplied the needs of the priests as they served the people. Urim and Thummim is something to do with determining the will of God. God has kept its details obscure for a very good reason - some people would try to produce a Urim and Thummim today and would claim that it would give us all the answers. God wants us to go to Him for the answers.

Verse 33 and 34 tell us about the fruit and the bells, which speaks of witness. We should have both of these in our lives. We ought to be a witness for Christ, and there ought to be fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You should not be handing out tracts, friends, unless you are making the right kind of 'tracks' in this world. Too many people want to witness but do not have a life to back it up.

Josephus, the Jewish historian tells us in his Antiquities 3:7 that the high-priest out on his clothes in this order: under-garment, tunic, sash, turban (with gold-plate), blue robe, and the ephod (with the breastplate). These garments distinguished the high priest from the other priests, and they set forth the glories and beauties of our High Priest who is 'holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.' These garments fully covered Aaron and we should be decently clothed during our worship of the Lord.

Respond: He lives at God's right hand to intercede for us. 

The High Priest's Clothing I

For April 23, 2012

Prepare: Christ is our high priest.
Read: Exodus 28:1-14

Most of the instructions given in Exodus do not make very thrilling reading, nor do they read like a detective story or a mystery, but they do reveal Christ. The priesthood was both a privilege and a responsibility. It was wonderful to wear the glorious garments and be in the holy courts, but being a priest also brought serious obligations.

They ministered first to the Lord (1-4): Four times in this chapter, God emphasized this point (vv/1,3,4,41). Gods servants must seek to please Him alone (1 Cor.4:1-7). We must be "bondservants for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor.4:5). Aaron as high priest had to have certain garments. These garments were not holy in the sense that you and I think of holy today. The Hebrew word for holy means 'set apart.' These holy and beautiful garments were set apart for His service.

They ministered to the people (5-14): God's people are like jewels to Him (Mal. 3:17).

The ephod is difficult to describe. Two long pieces of cloth were brought together and fastened by a stone on one shoulder and a stone on the other shoulder. The two onyx stones had all the names of the sons of Israel. When the high priest went into the presence of God, he carried the children of Israel on his shoulders. Our great High Priest carries us over His heart and on His shoulders, and that is where He carries you, friend. From time to time I get off His shoulders but He is right there to lift me back to that place of safety and continue to carry me. What a lovely picture the ephod gives us of Christ.

Respond: He represents us before the throne of God so that we are "accepted" because of His redemptive work.

Walk with the Lord

Prepare: 'Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him.' Keep still and He will mould thee to the right shape' - Martin Luther
Read: Psalm 37:1-40

This psalm shares the wisdom of an old king who had walked with the Lord. He had battled with evil men and knew the frustration of seeing the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. As he reviewed the past, he gave some wise counsel to keep us from fretting against the Lord when things are not going the way we want them to go.

Trust in the Lord: If you walk by sight and not by faith, you will find it easy to fret. Believe what God says in His Word because that is where you find reality.

Delight in the Lord: Find all your joy and pleasure in His will. Make Him your delight, God will grant your desires. Living to please the Lord sets you free from fretting about what men are doing.

Commit your way to the Lord: When you trust Him and delight in Him, how could you do anything other than commit your way to Him?

Rest in the Lord: Restlessness is an evidence of unbelief.  Faith rests in the Lord and enjoys "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding". God sometimes delays  answering prayer so that we might learn patience.

Wait on the Lord: For an answer to your prayer, to do His will. You will one day receive your inheritence, so be patient.

Respond: Let God guide your steps, choose your joys, protect you and bless your work. 

The Tabernacle

Prepare: Enter the sanctuary with reverence.
Read: Exodus 25:23-40

The table reminds us that God is the source of our sustenance (Matt.6:11). The bread also speaks of the spiritual nourishment we have in His Word (Deut.8:3; Matt. 4:4). The golden candlestick tells us that "God is light" (1 John 1:5) and that we are to be lights in this dark world (Matt.5:14-16). Just as the lamps were fed by the oil, so we must have the power of the Spirit to be effective witnesses for the Lord (Acts 1:8).

The table of showbread (also called "table for the bread of presence") had twelve loves of bread on it. God was providing equally for the twelve tribes. It was a table of provision. God, as Creator, provides all food for man and beast. The table also speaks of the Lord's Supper, as instituted by the Lord Himself just prior to His death upon the cross. The table of showbread is a pre-figuration of Christ as the sustainer of spiritual life of the believer. Too many Christians are not feeding upon Christ. You have to feed on Him in order to grow.

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. Worship has to do with walking in the light.

The almond rod, a dead branch, was made to live and bear fruit. Christ was established as the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The Tabernacle was to be the centre of Israel's life because it was here that man approached God.

Respond: The wealth God has provided for His people for them to be able to give offerings to enable Israel to construct such a luxurious place of worship. 

Symbols

Prepare: The Tabernacle was a "copy and shadow" of what is in heaven. Heb.8:5
Read: Exodus 25:1-22

An offering: God could have made the whole tabernacle in an instant of creative power, but instead, He asked the people to bring Him their offerings. They were privileged to make a sanctuary for God. Today, we are helping to build His church (1 Cor.3:9-23).

A pattern: God gave Moses the pattern for the tabernacle just as He later gave David the pattern for the Temple (1 Chron. 28:19). When God wants a work done on earth, He has a plan for His people to follow. It is dangerous to turn from God's plan and follow the wisdom of this world (1 Cor.3:18-20). The book of Hebrews tells us that this earthly Tabernacle was patterned after the Tabernacle in heaven (Heb.8:5, 9:23, 24).

The ark was the throne of God in the Holy of Holies, and God's glory dwelt between the cherubim on the mercy seat (Ps.99:1) . Our mercy seat is in heaven (Heb.4:11-16), and the way to God is always open. God never said that He was going to live in the Tabernacle in the sense that He was restricted to a geographical spot. The Tabernacle was the meeting place of God and man.

The ark was a chest covered inside and outside with gold. It was made of shittim wood which was more or less indestructible and much like the redwood of California. It was a perfect symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's deity was represented by the gold and His humanity was represented by the wood.

Respond: Are you giving willingly to God what He has given to you?