Pastor Billington's Blog

Exodus 30

The ransom money provided by the census not only served as a way to provide money for the functioning of the tabernacle, it also served as an atonement. In that way, it prefigures Jesus Christ!

Mark 10:45 (WEB) “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The oil used for consecration is also used for anointing in the Old Testament. It is frequently thought to represent the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:18 (WEB) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”

The incense represents prayer.

Psalm 141:2 (WEB) “Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.”

Together, they show us how we are empowered (anointed) to live for God, and how we maintain our relationship with Him!

Galatians 5:16 (WEB) “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (WEB) “You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.”

Thought for the day: Prayer and the Spirit coincide when we are at our weakest, and we should be thankful to God for that!

Romans 8:26 (WEB) “In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.”

Exodus 29

The priests had to make sacrifices for themselves because they were sinful. Not so with Jesus!

Hebrews 7:26-28 (WEB) “For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.”

The sin offering purifies the altar, and the burnt offering atones for the sin of the priests. The ram of ordination provides the blood that consecrates the priests and their garments, and putting the blood on the right ears, thumbs, and toes served as both a reminder and an identification. The only reason that they were able to minister before the Lord was because of the sacrifice! The anointing with oil is a form of consecration that sets them apart, the grain offerings are a symbol of gratitude, and the drink offerings a form of dedication. Some offerings are consumed and are only God’s, while some offerings are shared with the priests as a way of providing for them. Once the priests were sanctified, they could take care of the daily offerings.

Thought for the day: We are priests too, which means we should live our lives in such a way that our service is pleasing to God.

1 Peter 2:5 (WEB) “You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Exodus 28

Continuing our theme from yesterday, all the elements involved in the worship of God through the temple/tabernacle can refer specifically to Jesus Christ. He is our holy and perfect sacrifice. His sacrificial death cleanses us from our sin. He is the light of the world. He is the bread of life. He is our great and holy high priest. He represents us before God.

1 John 1:9 (WEB) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Hebrews 9:11-12 (WEB) “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Romans 8:34 (WEB) “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Thought for the day: Where would we be without Jesus?

Hebrews 7:25 (WEB) “Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.”

Exodus 27

There was a fence that surrounded the perimeter of the tabernacle. As you entered in through the gate you would come to the altar, and just beyond the altar was the bronze laver for washing. Beyond that was the tent of meeting, completely covered with animal skins. The tent was divided in two by a veil made of thread. Inside the holy place is the lampstand, the table for showbread, and the altar of incense. Inside the most holy place is the ark and the mercy seat. The most holy place is where God would speak to the high priest.

Leviticus 16:2 (WEB) “and the LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.’ “

The tabernacle in its entirety speaks to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The altar represents Jesus’ sacrifice for us, and the laver our cleansing from sin. The lampstand depicts our enlightenment though the Holy Spirit. The showbread indicates how we are fed by the Word. The incense represents our prayer and communication with God. Finally, the priest going through the veil into the Most Holy Place symbolizes our ability to enter God’s presence boldly through Christ!

Hebrews 4:14-16 (WEB) “Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.”

Thought for the day: We were far from God, but God brought us near through Jesus!

Ephesians 2:13 (WEB) “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.”

Exodus 26

We don’t have a temple/tabernacle now that we’re required to worship in, because we are the temple!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (WEB) “Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

So, if we are the temple/tabernacle of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us (both collectively and individually), what insights can we gain from this chapter? Since there is so much detail regarding the building of and items in the tabernacle, maybe the reminder is that we need to spend some time making sure that our hearts and minds are in order if we really want to worship God the way we should. And perhaps it’s a reminder that even our corporate worship should be organized and orderly.

1 Corinthians 14:40 (WEB) “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

Thought for the day: Preparation for worship is something that begins a long time before the actual act.

Psalm 24:3-6 (WEB) “Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face.”

Exodus 25

We’re going to have the opportunity to look at what these chapters say about worship in the next few days, but for today let’s note what this says about giving. God calls on His people to give towards His kingdom, and He calls on them to give willingly. These principles are repeated in the New Testament.

Matthew 6:20-21 (WEB) “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 (WEB) “Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Thought for the day: Scripture reminds us of the example of Jesus, who gave Himself for us. Are we willing to give up material goods for the good of His kingdom?

2 Corinthians 8:7 (WEB) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Exodus 24

Blood is a symbol of life and the cleansing of sin. When they accepted the covenant, the blood was not just for the acceptance of the “contract.” It was an act of cleansing.

Hebrews 9:16-22 (WEB) “For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it. For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood. According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.”

And we have been cleansed from our sin by the blood of Jesus!

Ephesians 2:13 (WEB) “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.”

Thought for the day: Sapphire stone. Consuming fire. Midst of the cloud. If nothing else, the passage should remind us of the glory and majesty of the Lord!

Psalm 8:1 (WEB) “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens!”

Exodus 23

There are some interesting tidbits in this chapter. In addition to not being a gossip, or a false witness, or giving into peer pressure, we also find that the perversion of justice can extend to giving favoritism to the poor and not just the rich! However, it seems more likely that a judge will take a bribe from the rich, so there is also a warning to not pervert justice for the poor.

Compassion is a big part of the law. We don’t want to be lied about or lied to, so we tell the truth. We want our property to be taken care of, so we take care of other people’s property. We don’t want justice to be perverted for us or against us, so we don’t pervert justice! We see this principle more plainly displayed by the command about foreigners. God reminds the Israelites that they should treat foreigners better than they were treated in Egypt. In context, this is a reminder that foreigners should obey the same laws as everyone else does, and that they should expect the same respect as everyone else.

Rest is important for both the people and the land. But so is worship! Not only is the Sabbath important, but there are important feasts that speak to God’s salvation and provision. They are to be times of worship and celebration for the entire congregation of Israel.

The angel here is distinguished from God but identified with Him. The angel’s presence is displayed by the cloud that traveled with them and was a constant reminder of God’s care and provision. That care will be displayed by God driving out the inhabitants of the promised land. It seems conditional, but God in His mercy overlooks their disobedience and brings them home anyway.

Thought for the day: God’s grace is amazing, and we see it displayed in His care of us. Once we are His, we are His no matter what.

Romans 8:38-39 (WEB) “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Exodus 22

There is no easy way to provide a quick summation here. There are laws concerning theft and loss of property. There are laws concerning restitution. All victims receive payment from the guilty, and there are severe punishments for those who exploit widows and orphans. The poor cannot be charged interest, nor can their clothes be kept in pledge. Witchcraft, idolatry, and bestiality are capital offenses. The firstfruits of the ground and the womb are the Lords.

Thought for the day: God’s law shows that we are to be just in our relationships and dealings. But what do we do about those laws that call for capital punishment when they are broken? We probably should understand that those things are especially offensive/important to God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (WEB) “Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”