We have been reading so many details in the Old Testament books of the Law that it is overwhelming at times! Just remember that Jesus is in the details!!
Some highlights from what we discussed on Sunday...
Scripture is specific about where each tribe is positioned around the Tabernacle. It is no coincidence that the tribe of Judah is positioned right in front of the entrance to the Tabernacle. Jesus' lineage is traced back to the tribe of Judah.. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
The gate to the outer court of the Tabernacle faced the east... Jesus is the Eastern gate!! He is the door, He is the entrance, The Way to enter into the Presence of God.
When we enter into the outer court, first we come to the alter of sacrifice... Jesus is our sacrifice once for all! We must first accept Him as our sacrifice... by His blood we are forgiven. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins... The blood of the perfect sacrifice covers our sin. The alter of sacrifice was a picture of the shedding of innocent blood (by a perfect sacrifice) on behalf of the guilty.
Next we come to the Brazen Laver. It was a washbasin that was lined with mirrors for the priests to cleanse themselves. We must see ourselves as who we really are and allow ourselves to be cleansed before we can approach a Holy God.
Everything about the Tabernacle invites us to come to God. He shows us how we can do this. Everything He does is to make it possible for Him to dwell with us until we can dwell with Him. He wants to relate to us and us to relate to Him. God is continually pursuing a love relationship with us. He chases after us with an unfailing love.. Who doesn't love knowing that we are pursued by the Lover of our souls?
There are so many details that can get monotonous as we read in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, but if we remember to read with the lens of Christ, then we can realize how much God loves us. He wants the best for us... He created us and knows what is best. His law is for our good, never our harm. He wants us to be able to approach Him, He wants us to be set apart, and He wants us to be used for His glory.
Let's be open to His Word and be willing vessels to be used for His Glory.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
We Have All Been Slaves to Something
This week as we studied how God raised up a Deliverer for the children of Israel enslaved in Egypt, I was struck by how I often remove myself from the Israelites. I ask myself questions like;
how in the world did they end up in bondage?
why didn't they trust God after all those miracles?
how could they whine and complain after God had done so much for them?
how could they long for slavery and bondage at the first sign of discomfort?
why are they so afraid of freedom?
why so unable to look forward and trust God?
Oh, the questions keep on until God asks me,
"Beloved, are you so different?"
I am reminded that every one of my questions about Israel apply to me as well. I may not have had physical chains and forced labor with taskmasters but I have certainly been enslaved by sin and my on rebellion. I have seen Jehovah Jireh make provision for me over and over again only to be ungrateful for the way He provided or the time He provided it. Sometimes we choose bondage. Sometimes chains are placed on us by other people or circumstances. God has raised up a Deliverer for us that we don't have to wait 400 years to be free. We can choose freedom now. God provided the once for all Sacrificial Passover Lamb so that death and sin and bondage will PASS OVER us!
We read about the first Passover last week, about the remembrance of the angel of death passing over the houses that had the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. As innocent blood dripped down the door frames, the guilty inside the house were saved because they trusted God's provision of salvation. They ate of the lamb that had been slain, ate bitter herbs to remind them of the bitterness of their slavery, rid their homes of yeast to symbolize the removal of sin and the readiness to leave that place of bondage in hurry and walk into freedom.
We can do that same thing! We need to partake of the Passover Lamb that is Jesus, trust in His Blood to set us free... allow him to cleanse us of sin and remember JUST WHAT HE SAVED US FROM. We need to remember that a pit is a pit no matter how comfortable it is. When we are slaves to sin it is bitter and painful... Satan wants to convince us that it wasn't so bad. When we look back we need to remember the bitterness that it caused. The hurt that we cause ourselves and others. The hurt that we cause God when we turn our backs on Him, Our Creator and Lover of our souls. We need to have our eyes opened to the devastation that sin causes, even if it is within ourselves. The insecurity, the bitterness, the anger, low self-esteem... I want to remember the bitterness that it caused only long enough to thank the Lord for all that He has done. Don't wallow in the sin and let Satan hang you with it, but remember it only in the context of thankfulness that we don't have to stay in bondage. God has set us free. Let's be dressed and ready to walk in that freedom and not look back. It is for freedom sake that Christ made us free.
how in the world did they end up in bondage?
why didn't they trust God after all those miracles?
how could they whine and complain after God had done so much for them?
how could they long for slavery and bondage at the first sign of discomfort?
why are they so afraid of freedom?
why so unable to look forward and trust God?
Oh, the questions keep on until God asks me,
"Beloved, are you so different?"
I am reminded that every one of my questions about Israel apply to me as well. I may not have had physical chains and forced labor with taskmasters but I have certainly been enslaved by sin and my on rebellion. I have seen Jehovah Jireh make provision for me over and over again only to be ungrateful for the way He provided or the time He provided it. Sometimes we choose bondage. Sometimes chains are placed on us by other people or circumstances. God has raised up a Deliverer for us that we don't have to wait 400 years to be free. We can choose freedom now. God provided the once for all Sacrificial Passover Lamb so that death and sin and bondage will PASS OVER us!
We read about the first Passover last week, about the remembrance of the angel of death passing over the houses that had the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. As innocent blood dripped down the door frames, the guilty inside the house were saved because they trusted God's provision of salvation. They ate of the lamb that had been slain, ate bitter herbs to remind them of the bitterness of their slavery, rid their homes of yeast to symbolize the removal of sin and the readiness to leave that place of bondage in hurry and walk into freedom.
We can do that same thing! We need to partake of the Passover Lamb that is Jesus, trust in His Blood to set us free... allow him to cleanse us of sin and remember JUST WHAT HE SAVED US FROM. We need to remember that a pit is a pit no matter how comfortable it is. When we are slaves to sin it is bitter and painful... Satan wants to convince us that it wasn't so bad. When we look back we need to remember the bitterness that it caused. The hurt that we cause ourselves and others. The hurt that we cause God when we turn our backs on Him, Our Creator and Lover of our souls. We need to have our eyes opened to the devastation that sin causes, even if it is within ourselves. The insecurity, the bitterness, the anger, low self-esteem... I want to remember the bitterness that it caused only long enough to thank the Lord for all that He has done. Don't wallow in the sin and let Satan hang you with it, but remember it only in the context of thankfulness that we don't have to stay in bondage. God has set us free. Let's be dressed and ready to walk in that freedom and not look back. It is for freedom sake that Christ made us free.
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