tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18886888153096143262024-02-07T06:59:07.266-05:00The Forgotten FiftyThere are 50 chapters in the Bible dedicated to the design, construction and/or the service of the tabernacle. Yet the tabernacle is so under-studied. The Forgotten Fifty is a reference to these chapter.
First will be a list of the top ten reasons the tabernacle is not studied. Followed by the top ten reasons that it should be studied. Then I'll publish a series of essays on the tabernacle and someday publish a book.Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-55259365522794376352017-06-18T00:06:00.001-04:002017-06-18T00:06:02.002-04:00Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-75187736813520981332014-08-29T00:15:00.002-04:002014-08-29T00:15:25.696-04:00Kids Say the Dardest Things<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-f0f6a9e3-1fec-d541-ad2e-42d540f8bb2d" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kids say the darndest things. Just the other day, my granddaughter Rachel, as she steps into the 92F pool water, declared, “It’s tdold!” (her way of saying ‘cold’). I thought that was one of the darndest things I ever heard, until I stepped into the pool. You know, she was right. When the the air temperature is 100F and you step into a 92F pool, it feels cold! You can hear some more of the darndest things here: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kids+say+the+darndest+things" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kids+say+the+darndest+things</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teens sometimes say the darndest things. I remember when my oldest daughter was, maybe 17 or 18, asking this question at the dinner table: “Did you know that they give [traffic] tickets for doing 65 in a 50 mile per hour zone?”... “Uhhhh, yes, I knew that…”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Preachers sometimes say the darndest things. When I think of the the darndest things I have ever heard, some came from kids, some from teens, but many came from the the guy in the pulpit. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I remember debating, I mean, discussing this with someone. He said that since the guy in the pulpit, the “priest” in his case, is learned, that the congregation shouldn’t question anything he says. So, he could say the darndest things and go unchallenged? And at what point during his study and training did he become...infallible? That reminds me of one of the darndest things I ever heard from a guy in the pulpit. He said: NEVER question what the guy in the pulpit says. I guess that in his mind (and his mind only) he had reached that infallible state. May I make a recommendation here? Question everything.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Recently I heard a preacher ask (something to this effect, may not be an exact quote): Jesus died for you, would you die for someone? My answer, that I did not verbalize: “Of course not!”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I really don’t know why he asked. When I think of my death, I don’t think it will accomplish very much and won’t benefit anyone much. It may have some affect on some people, close family, depending on who survives me, but overall, it will not accomplish much. When I think of Jesus’s death, I think of all that was accomplished at the cross and how it has affected so many over the course of centuries...mind blown! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Preachers sometimes say the darndest things while dressed in the darndest outfits. Look at what some of them wear to make themselves stand out: robes of many colors, or special collars or collarless shirts. The priests of ancient Israel stood out because while they were in service, wore clothing that was different from the common folk. The high priest, stood out from the lower priest because he wore something different. The high priest and lower priest were easily identified because of their priestly garb. The first time the priests were dressed in their special garb was during their eight day consecration. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Instructions for the consecration of Aaron (the first high priest) and his sons (the first lower priests) begins in Leviticus chapter 8. According to this chapter, Moses was to take Aaron and his four sons and while everyone was assemble at doorway of the tabernacle, wash them with water. Then Moses was to clothe Aaron. After that Moses was to anoint the tabernacle with oil then pour oil, pour </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">as if without measure, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">on Aaron. After the anointing, Moses was to slaughter a ram and apply the ram’s blood to Aaron. Then the blood was applied to Aaron’s sons. The blood was then sprinkled around the altar of burnt offering then Aaron’s sons were anointed by sprinkling of oil. Notice the order of events. Aaron was anointed, then an animal was slaughtered and the blood applied. The blood was applied to his sons and then the sons are anointed by oil by sprinkling.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That priesthood is dead. Maybe ‘dead’ is the wrong word. That Aaronic priesthood is no longer, it has been superseded by a better one. Aaron, the one and only high priest, typifies Jesus, who is currently serving as our one and only high priest. Aaron’s sons typify true believers. The anointing oil typifies the Holy Spirit and the blood typifies, well, blood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Like Aaron, Jesus was anointed before His blood was shed. Jesus was anointed by the pouring out of the Spirit. Acts 10:38 seems to say that this happened at His baptism by John. But it may have been before His incarnation since He is called the anointed one at birth (Luke 2:11). He was also anointed by oil by a woman (Mark 14:3-9). It was after His anointing that His blood was shed. It was only after His blood was shed could it be applied.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We become believers because of the shed blood. Like the lower priests, the blood had to be shed first. When we believe, the blood is applied. When we believe, we are anointed (in-dwelt) with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, like the lower priests, we are anointed by sprinkling because if it was poured out without measure, we might stumble and fall under the sheer weight of it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We have Jesus Christ (the anointed one). Jesus, who shed His blood for us, whose blood has been applied to us, who has inserted Himself between us and God, serving as our one and only high priest. Who needs someone dressed in the darndest clothes saying the darndest things? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Down at the cross where my Savior died,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There to my heart was the blood applied;</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Glory to His Name! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-- </span><a href="http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/_/Stockton_John_H/?sortby=composer" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">John H. Stockton</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Go. And glorify His name...</span></div>
Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-57739169312603075552013-05-13T20:42:00.000-04:002013-09-19T16:55:15.529-04:00A Minor Rebel<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-15db6a24-a07b-3c84-c65a-7a91144b9b11" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The only reference of me in my brother’s book (or, in any book that I know of), he calls me a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">minor rebel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
for some prank I once played on a Sunday School teacher when I was in
7th or 8th grade. Well, I guess in a minor way, I carried over the minor
rebellion into adulthood. I don’t know how many times I had been told
(in a career setting, mostly) that I just shot myself in the foot. One
of the most memorable minor rebellious instances happened shortly before
I got kicked off Baptistboards.com (okay, they didn’t actually kick me
off, the moderator(s) won’t let me post there any more). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At
the time, there were weekly debates, I mean, discussions about alcohol
and the believer. There were those that said that drinking any amount of
alcohol was sinful (and would refuse to take a shot of Vick’s Nyquil if
the doctor told them to) and others that believed that drinking in
moderation was okay. Both groups believed that it was sinful to drink to
get drunk. So, to stir the pot a bit with the anti-Nyquil crowd I asked
this question: What would you do if you were visiting a church with
your family in tow and it happened to be the week they served communion.
You pick up the little cup raise it to your lips and it turned out to
be wine (the alcoholic kind...)? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
have heard all the Biblical-based arguments on both sides of this
issue. I grew up in an alcohol-free home and always believed that all
alcohol was bad until I heard someone say something to a group of high
schoolers that got me curious to see what the Bible actually said. Here
is I found:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is no outright command. </span></div>
</li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
closest thing we have to a command is that priest were specifically
forbidden to drink alcohol while in service (Lev. 10:9-10). The Old
Testament priest was a type of a New Testament believer. But there was
nothing said about when the priest was not in service. Apparently, he
could drink after work. </span></div>
</li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And
then there is Paul addressing the issue of the Lord’s supper with the
Corinthian Church. According to 1 Cor. 11:20-22, during the Lord’s
supper, some people were getting full with the bread while some were
going hungry. And some were getting drunk. If there was any place in the
entire Bible there would be a prohibition against all alcohol
consumption, it would be here. But Paul doesn’t say they shouldn’t
drink, he says they should do it at home (v. 22). </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
Lord’s table that we partake of today has two elements, the bread and
the wine. In the tabernacle, the table of shewbread
held loaves of bread, and vessels for wine. The bread was to be ‘before
the Lord’ at all times and once a week the bread was taken and broken
and consumed by the priests. The priests were to eat the bread but not
drink the wine. So why were there vessels for wine if no one could
consume it? The vessels held wine for the drink offering. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
drink offering was to be offered with most of the other Levitical
offerings. Each of the Levitical offerings were pictures of Christ and
four of the five required the shedding of blood. The blood of the
animals had to be drained, or poured out, at the altar.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
drink offering was wine or strong wine (i.e., contained alcohol). When
the drink offering was offered, it was to be poured out entirely, on the
floor of the Holy place at the same time offerings were being offered
on the altar of burnt offering (Numbers 28:7 and others). As the
sacrificial animal blood was being poured out at the altar, the drink
offering was being poured out in the Holy place. The drink offering was,
if you will, for God’s consumption. God and God alone got to partake of
the drink offering of alcoholic wine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wine,
in the Bible represents joy (no matter what those other voices have
been telling you). Wine in the drink offering was for the Father. The
priest got something out of the other offerings which looked forward to
Christ’s suffering and death but priests were not to take any part of
the joy of Christ’s suffering and dying. The joy was the Father’s and
the Father’s alone. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yet
it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath subjected him to suffering.
When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in
his hand.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - Isa. 53:10.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
cross changed everything. After the cross, believers can partake of the
joy of Christ suffering and death. In Mark 14:24 Jesus refers to the
cup as representing His shed blood, a new covenant, or new testament.
Under the new covenant we get to drink the wine and share in the joy
that before the cross was reserved for the Father. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
So, if you belong to one of those churches where all alcohol is evil
and you visit a church and they the cup comes around and you raise it to
your lips and it is not the diluted Welches grape juice you expected,
don’t spit it out and grab your family and leave in the middle of the
service (like one of the responders to my post said he would do). Relax.
Drink. and remember the joy in Jesus’s suffering is now being shared
with you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"...Go your way. Eat the fat and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">drink sweet wine</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he joy of the LORD is your strength</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">." -- Neh. 8:10 RSV</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-30483114634613757472012-10-08T20:00:00.000-04:002012-10-08T20:00:15.298-04:00Animal House<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
remember once hearing a popular conservative talk show host speaking
against evolution. He said that if monkeys could come up with a Social
Security system on their own, then he would believe in evolution. I did a
search for the quote, but came up empty.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
besides the (obvious) physical differences, what is the difference
between man and other beast like sheep, bulls or goats. Well, if you
need to think about it, let me offer something.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Man,
after doing something wrong, may feel guilt. He feels guilt because he
has a conscience. He has a conscience because he can tell the
difference between right and wrong. He knows the difference between
good and evil. He is conscience of his guilt. Animals are not people.
Try to explain to a cow the difference between right and wrong. Take
your average bear and try to explain the difference of good and evil.
Take your pet dog (or cat or horse or monkey) and try to explain what
sin is. Animals can not know sin. Animals cannot experience sin. They
cannot know sin from experience. This means they are “innocent”.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How do we know sin? How are we conscience of sin? Because of the Law. The Law gives us a standard, or a target. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wherefore by works of law no flesh shall be justified before him; for by law [is] knowledge of sin.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rom 3:20. If we know the Law and know ourselves, we know we miss the
mark. We are conscience of not meeting a standard. There is interesting
term for this in the Bible, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">dead works</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
Old Testament times, animals were to be offered as sacrifices for sin.
They were innocent, having no knowledge of sin, by nature, incapable of
sin. The offerer must have had knowledge of sin, felt guilt, and had a
conscience. Why else would would he offer a prize animal (without spot
or blemish)? Before the innocent animal was killed, the offerer laid his
hands on the animal’s head. The guilty sinner identified with the
innocent animal. It was as if he transferred his sin onto the animal.
The guilty is spared death and the innocent is slain.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When
someone acts as if they feel no guilt, or have no conscience, we may
say that they act like animals. What do we mean? They act as though
there is no right or wrong, good or evil. Reminds me of a movie about a
bunch of fraternity brothers that, well, acted like animals. They acted,
for the most part, as if they had no conscience and felt no guilt. The
movie was aptly named.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
blood of bulls and goats that were shed at the altar of burnt offering
were incapable of removing sin. The blood of Christ, on the other hand,
not only removes sin, but purifies your conscience of dead works. To
what end? So that we may worship the living God.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...how
much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who by the eternal Spirit
offered himself spotless to God, purify your conscience from dead works
to worship [the] living God?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Heb. 9:14</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Tis by Thy blood we've been redeemed,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> And by it sanctified.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now is our conscience free from sin,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> From dead works purified.</span><br />
<h2 dir="ltr">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hymn: Dear Lord, how precious is Thy blood</span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Source:</span><a href="http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1090#ixzz28kmKVAsN"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #003399; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1090#ixzz28kmKVAsN</span></a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-8474820936459924622012-06-30T16:38:00.001-04:002012-06-30T16:40:20.164-04:00Box of Life<span id="internal-source-marker_0.43421921509177086" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"He
likes it! Hey Mikey!" If you are old enough, you remember this
catchphrase from a Life cereal commercial. If not, click here: </span><a href="http://youtu.be/vYEXzx-TINc"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://youtu.be/vYEXzx-TINc</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
. LIfe has always been one of my favorite, in fact I’m sure there is a
box (or two) right now in our pantry. If you had a box of Life cereal
and someone asked what was in the box, you would say that there is Life
in the box. There is Life in a box of Life cereal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once
upon a time, there were prizes in the boxes of Life cereal. They
buried the prize deep into the box. I remember opening the box, tilting
and bulging the box until the prize was visible, then reach in to
extract it, without having to eat the cereal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When
you come right down to it, the ark of the covenant (or testament) was a
box, an elaborate box made of gold plated shttim wood. The box had
some kind of gold crown or molding (or, as I like to call it, gold crown
molding) going around it. This elaborate box had an even more
elaborate lid. The lid was a slab of pure gold. Attached to the lid of
pure gold were two cherubim figures also made of pure gold. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
function of any box is to hold things. A cereal box holds cereal (and
once upon a time, a buried prize) and the ark was to hold Aaron’s rod
that budded, a golden pot of manna, tablets of stone, and, possibly, a
copy of the law (in scroll form). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As
a response to Korah’s rebellion (Numbers16), God verified His selection
of Aaron as the high priest (Numbers 17). A representative of each
tribe carved the tribe’s name on a stick and the sticks were place in
the tabernacle. God confirmed His selection by having Aaron’s stick bud.
Just to not leave any doubt, Aarons stick not only budded, but had
flowers and mature fruit (Number 17:8). Just like the lampstand of the
tabernacle, three stages of life were on the stick of Aaron. This rod,
with the three signs of life, was put in the box. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Manna
was the means of sustaining life while the Israelites wandered in the
wilderness. A portion of manna was put in a gold pot and that pot was
put in the box.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The scroll and the tablets represents the Law and were put in the box. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If someone asked what was in the box, one could say that there is law and life in the box.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus is the box. The gold reminds us of His royalty and the wood speaks of His humanity. Jesus held the law perfectly and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...in him was life, and the life was the light of men.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> John 1:4</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
ark was a box of life, and there is a hidden prize. And the prize?
Sometime before the ark entered into the holy place of the newly
completed everything but the 2 tables of stone were removed from the
box. One of the missing things was the golden pot of manna.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the letter that was dictated by Jesus to the church at Pergamos , He promises </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Could this be the same manna?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now within the veil, enjoying God,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Manna, law of life, and budding rod;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ Himself, the ark, is our abode—</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Hallelujah!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Source:</span><a href="http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1208#ixzz1yTY8Rux2"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #003399; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1208#ixzz1yTY8Rux2</span></a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-8268227967290336042012-06-07T23:37:00.000-04:002012-06-08T20:06:11.096-04:00The 5-Second Rule<span id="internal-source-marker_0.3409354966537571" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Drop
food on floor and you have 5 seconds to pick it up and eat it. Some
believe that it takes at least 5 seconds for clean food to become
defiled with germs and bacteria. In recent years, it seems that the 5
second rule has been put to the test a number of times, with varying
conclusions (MythBusters even did a show on it). It’s one thing if the food item falls on a recently
sanitized porcelain tile floor. But what about dropping food on beach or
desert sand? Would you eat it?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The tabernacle had no floor. The floor of the tabernacle was the dust and sand of the desert. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While
in service, the priests did a lot of walking (remember, there was no
place to sit). They walked on the dust and sand of the desert. The
source of defilement of their feet was desert dust of the floor of the
tabernacle. While in service, the priests were to wash their defiled
dirty feet at the laver. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even
though the tabernacle had no floor, the floor of the tabernacle is
actually mentioned once in the Bible (Numbers 5). If a husband suspected
his wife of cheating, he was to bring his wife to the priest. To
determine whether the suspecting husband’s suspicion was correct or not,
the woman had to present an oblation (offering for food) and the priest
was to scoop up dust from the floor of the tabernacle, you know, the
dust and sand of the desert floor. The scooped up dust was mixed with
water and the wife had to drink it. It was a bitter drink (Numbers
5:18). After she drank of the bitter cup, her husband and the priest
waited to see if her belly bloated and her thighs thinned. If they did,
the husband’s suspicion was confirmed (v. 27).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If
this whole ritual wasn’t strange enough, the priest was to record the
offense in a book, then blot it out with the bitter water (v. 23).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
lives of Gomer (unfaithful wife) and Hosea (faithful husband)
illustrate the relationship between unfaithful Israel with faithful God.
Hosea had no reason to bring Gomer to the priests because, well, she
didn’t do anything in secret...everyone knew what would happen if Homer
drank the bitter cup. Israel, on the other hand, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Israel </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">had to learn the hard
way. Israel has been unfaithful by idolatry and oppression of the poor.
God, the faithful jealous husband (remember the first commandment is
first for a reason), wanted Israel to seek Him again and made Israel
drink a bitter cup. That bitter cup was having the northern kingdom
crushed by the Assyrians. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus
and the church are also compared to a husband and bride. Are we any
different than Israel? Yes and no. Yes, although God is forever
faithful, we are guilty of unfaithfulness. But, no, we do not need to
drink of the bitter cup. Jesus drank the bitter cup for us. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus prayed in the garden: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Father, if thou wilt remove this cup from me: -- but then, not my will, but thine be done. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Luke
22:42). A short while later, after Peter lopped off the ear of Malcus,
the bondman of the high priest, Jesus said to Peter: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He,
the faithful husband, intercepted the bitter cup and drank it. In His
sacrifice, He drank the cup that was defiled with our sin.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, if we are unfaithful, and Jesus drank the bitter cup for us, what do we drink? We get to drink the sweet stuff, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the cup of blessing which we bless, ...the communion of the blood of the Christ.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
Sweet! Years ago, a recently-baptized teenager partook in the breaking
of bread (and drinking of the cup) for the very first time. She could
not get over how sweet it was (and no, it wasn’t grape juice(!)). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not only that, our sin of unfaithfulness is blotted out, and remembered no more (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Isa&c=43&t=KJV#25"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Isa. 43:25</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Death and the curse were in our cup:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">O Christ, ’twas full for Thee;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But Thou hast drained the last dark drop,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">’Tis empty now for me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That bitter cup, love drank it up;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now blessing’s draught for me.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- </span><a href="http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/c/o/u/cousin_arc.htm"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Anne R. Cousin</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-37037593090439987072012-05-06T19:51:00.000-04:002012-05-06T19:51:47.689-04:00On the Eighth Day, God...<span id="internal-source-marker_0.5809772722134273" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One
of the ten commandments was to keep the Sabbath. The commandment was
given once to the Israelites of the exodus and once to their grown
children some 37 years later. To the earlier group, the reason for
keeping the Sabbath, was because God rested from His work of creation on
the seventh day (Exo. 20:11). The reason given to the later group was
that it serves as a reminder that they were slaves in Egypt and that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence with a powerful hand and with a stretched-out arm </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Deut 5:15)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Certain groups of believers today think that believers should observe the Sabbath today. I, personally do not because:</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Sabbath was a type (Col 2:16)</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The antitype to the Sabbath is the Christ (Col 2:17, Heb. 3-4)</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The commandment to keep the Sabbath was to Israel (Deut 5:15) </span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The commandment to keep the Sabbath is the only one of the ten commandments that is not repeated in the New Testament</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus
rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Mark 16:9). After
Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples met on the first day of the
week to break bread (Acts 20:7). The first day of the week is also the
eighth day of the previous week.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the eighth day of the first week, God went back to work. Creation took
the first six days, on the 7th God rested. As best I can tell, this is
the only record of God resting, so on the eighth day, He must have
returned to work. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the eighth day, God commanded that baby boys be circumcised and their moms were no longer ‘unclean’ (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Lev&c=12&t=DBY&x=7&y=8#"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Lev 12:1</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">). </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the eighth day, God commanded that the cleansed leper offer a series of sacrifices (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Lev&c=14&t=DBY&x=10&y=7#"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Lev 14:</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8-10).</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the eighth day, God commanded that the first born (both animal and people) be present to Him (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Exd&c=22&t=DBY&x=13&y=7#"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Exd 22:29-30</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">).</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, it looks like the eighth day was a day of resurrection, regeneration and restoration. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the eighth day, God killed Nadab and Abihu.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
Aaron and his sons were selected to be priests, God prescribed an eight
day consecration before they could actually serve as priests. This was
a preparation time. The eight days went something like this: </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the first day, with a crowd gathered, Aaron approached the newly
constructed tabernacle with a series of offerings and bread. Moses
bathes Aaron and his four sons then dressed Aaron in his high priestly
garments for the very first time. Moses then anointed and hallowed the
the tabernacle and everything in it, anointed Aaron and then dressed
Aaron’s sons. A sin offering was offered then an offering of
consecration offered. A series of rituals was performed and they were
commanded to dwell in the tabernacle for seven days (Lev. 8). </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the eighth day, a series of offerings were offered for the atonement of
the sins of the priests. Each of the offerings were burned on the
altar. The offerings were burning as the burning of incense. Once the
offerings were all smoldering on the altar,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
there went out fire from before Jehovah, and consumed on the altar the
burnt-offering, and the pieces of fat; and all the people saw it, and
they shouted, and fell on their face </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Lev. 9:24)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Offering accepted. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By
this point of the eighth day, the separated priestly family was
cleansed, and sins atoned for. Aaron’s two oldest sons took their
censers and offered strange fire...and fire went out from Jehovah and
consumed them. I don’t know about you, but to me, the punishment does
not seem to fit the offense. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Most
commentators and folks that post sermons on sermonaudio.com just say
the flame of God slain them just because they did something that God did
not command. There has to be more because later that day, Aaron’s two
surviving sons disobeyed God, and lived.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
two younger sons had to keep the eighth day going. The show must go
on! The 2 younger sons got so wrapped up in the events of the day, that
they inadvertently left the priest’s portion of the sacrifices on the
altar fire a little too long. Their portion burnt to a crisp and there
was nothing for the them to eat.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the eighth day, all four sons of Aaron sinned, two were saved and two
were lost. Reminds me of the thieves on the crosses with Jesus, one was
saved the other lost . Which also reminds me of the cupbearer and the
baker, one saved the other lost. So why was one sin deserving of
instant incineration and the other not? Lets look at the two:</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
sin of Nadab and Abihu was intentional, the sin of Eleazar and Ithamar
was not. But more important, the sin of Nadab and Abihu ruined the
type. Every offering ever offered (including those offered on the
eighth day) represents the death of Jesus on the cross. The offering
represents Jesus, the fact that it was burned by God represents God’s
acceptance of the offering, just like God was satisfied with the
sacrifice of Jesus. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With
the death of Jesus, the work is complete. There is nothing more that
can be done. Redemption is done. The price paid. There is nothing we
can add to the work. Offering strange fire is adding works to the work
of Jesus.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eating
the priest portion of the offering, on the other hand represents
fellowship. The priest shared fellowship between them, the High Priest
and God. We, believers today, are priests and share fellowship with our
High Priest (Jesus) and God the Father. Is fellowship a requirement
for redemption? Fellowship between believers, between a believer and
Jesus and between a believer and God the Father is optional, it not a
requirement of salvation. Look at it this way, you can be saved and not
have fellowship, but you cannot be saved without the death of Jesus.
The death of Jesus was necessary and there is nothing you or I can do
to what Jesus has done. His sacrificial offering satisfies the
Father...nothing can be added.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what about you? Is Jesus’s death on the cross enough for you? It is enough for God...</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I need no other argument,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I need no other plea,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is enough that Jesus died,</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And that He died for me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. - </span><a href="http://nethymnal.org/bio/h/e/w/hewitt_ees.htm"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Eliza E. Hewitt</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-32869112836613272782011-11-17T21:20:00.001-05:002011-11-17T21:39:39.996-05:00Happy Campers<span id="internal-source-marker_0.31167935515618495" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">murmured: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">past participle, past tense of</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> mur·mur. murmur</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Verb), Say something in a low, soft, or indistinct voice.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And
it came to pass that when the people murmured, it was evil in the ears
of Jehovah; and Jehovah heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the
fire of Jehovah burned among them, and consumed [some] in the extremity
of the camp. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Numbers 11:1</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These
were not happy campers. These were chronic complainers. They were
unhappy, ungrateful, and unappreciative. These were the redeemed of
Israel that hung out out with others of their ilk in the extremities of
the camp, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">afar off</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
far away from the tabernacle, the worship center. If one would walk by
or come close, I’m sure they would keep on complaining, just their
volume would get lower. People are no different today. I’m sure you
know some who are unhappy chronic complainers. Hey, what are you
looking at me for?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If the unhappy campers were the thankless chronic complainers, who were the happy campers?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
thankful -- and there was an offering for that! The peace offering was
offered for thanksgiving. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let’s see what we already know about the
peace offering: it was sweet smelling, voluntary, provided an atonement
for sins and included blood shed. Even though the primary purpose of
the peace offering was not food, everyone got a piece of this offering:
God got the best parts (of the sacrificed animal), the
priests got the flame-broiled right shoulder (or thigh) and the breast
meat, and the offerer to bring home the rest. He was to share the remainder of the barbecued animal with friends and family for a day or two (anything left on the third
day were to be incinerated). It was a means of
fellowship. Some English translations even call it the fellowship
offering.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since
happy campers were thankful, they must have offered peace offerings frequently.
They probably hung out closer to the entrance of the tabernacle than
the murmurers. They had to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">draw nigh</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
to the tabernacle to make the sacrifice (remember, an offering that
requires blood shed). Those murmurers were probably a couple miles
from the tabernacle. Who knows, maybe that’s one of the things that they
complained about. If they made an offering, they would have to travel a
couple miles with a prize animal, to what? Give it away? They could
have been more thankful and complained less. Come to think of it, I
could be more thankful and complain less.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, the happy campers drew nigh and the unhappy campers remained afar off. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let’s see what Paul says (emphasis added):</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...but now in Christ Jesus *ye* who once were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">afar off </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">are become </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">nigh by the blood of the Christ</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. For *he* is our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">peace</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
enclosure, having annulled the enmity in his flesh, the law of
commandments in ordinances, that he might form the two in himself into
one new man, making </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">peace</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">; and might reconcile both in one body to God by the cross, having by it slain the enmity; and, coming, he has preached the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">glad tidings of peace</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to you who [were] </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">afar off</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[the glad tidings of]</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">peace</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to those [who were] </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">nigh</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.
For through him we have both access by one Spirit to the Father. So
then ye are no longer strangers and foreigners, but ye are
fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God, being built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the corner-stone, in whom all [the] building fitted together
increases to a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">holy temple</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in the Lord; n whom *ye* also are built together for a habitation of God in [the] Spirit. --Eph. 2:13-22</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The tabernacle was a type of Christ. Today, you can tell who among the redeemed are close to Christ. They have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">become</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">nigh by the blood of the Christ</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">offer [the] sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, [the] fruit of [the] lips confessing his name. - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Heb. 13:15</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What
about us? Maybe we start our day close to our Lord Jesus the Christ,
this is good. Maybe we end the day close to Jesus, and this is good.
But where do we spend the rest of the day? Close to Jesus? or
murmuring with others of our ilk afar off, far away from Jesus, who
ought to be continually the center of our worship?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Come close to the Savior, O why dost thou linger?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He knoweth thy heart oppressed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His promise believing, His message receiving,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">O come unto Him and rest.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - F. Crosby</span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-64776576355528358822011-09-28T20:13:00.001-04:002011-09-28T20:13:32.416-04:00More Like Jesus<span id="internal-source-marker_0.03956820420173213" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did
I mention that the Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups?
ones that there is a reason given for the offering and those that no
reason is given. The sin and trespass offerings were for sins and
trespasses. Reasons given for the peace offering included the giving of
thanks and the making of vows. There is no reason given for the burnt
and the meat offerings.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
what was the reason that Jesus offered up Himself to die on the cross?
Was it not for our sins and and our trespasses? Shouldn't any thanks we
give, or vow we make, be based on what Jesus did for our sins and
trespasses?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No
reasons are given for the burnt and meat offerings. The ancient
Israelite offered burnt and meat offerings simply because God asked for
it. Jesus, when he was on this planet, submitted to the will of His
Father, simply because. We need to be more like Jesus.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus.</span><a href="http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/keith_green/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 4pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to, I need to, be more like Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our father’s will was done,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By giving us his son,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who paid the highest cost,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To point us to the cross.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And when I think of Him,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Taking on the whole world’s sin,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I take one look at me,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Compared to what I’m called to be. -- Keith Green</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-7651894438980061812011-09-23T20:16:00.000-04:002011-09-23T20:16:23.472-04:00BAM! Gone...<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6579045943777329" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did
I mention that the Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups?
the ones that involve blood shed and the one that does not. The
continual burnt offering, the peace offering, and the sin and trespass
offerings all involve the slaughter of animals. The meat offering was
the only meat-less offering. This used to really humor me...The only
meatless offering was called the meat offering. Those of you not using a
King James probably have no idea what I am taking about. In the days
of King James, when people shared a meal, they didn’t come for dinner,
they came to meat. John Nelson D. simply calls the meat offering an oblation, which is an
offering to be used as food.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did
I mention that the Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups?
the ones that atoned sins, and the one that was primarily for food.
Each of the blood-shedding offerings made atonement for sins. The meat
offering did not include bloodshed and was for food, not atonement. Atonement is one of those words that I
would like to define. Here again, my definition, may or may not hold
true 100% of the time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Atonement
is simply a covering. With respect to sacrifices, it is a covering
of/for sin. Offering a sacrifice was like picking up the edge of the
carpet and sweeping the sin under it. The sin is still there, just
covered. Sin again, offer another sacrifice, pick up the edge of the
carpet to sweep new sin in. The old sin is still there, and both are
covered. The process was repeated innumerable times. Atonement was an
Old Testament thing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the beginning of the Gospel of John, John the Baptist ...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_922656993"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">John</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=1&t=DBY#comm/29">1:29</a>)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
The people that heard this were accustomed to the tabernacle/temple
system of worship. They knew that a lamb (an innocent animal) could be
offered as a sacrifice. The ritual included the laying on of hands
(signifying the transfer of sins from the guilty to the innocent); death
by bloodshed; sprinkling of blood; and burning of the carcass. They
knew that there was atonement of sin with the sacrifice. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But
John is introducing two new principals, paradigm shifts (TQM, anyone? anyone?)
of the ancient world: a person (not an animal) for a sacrifice and the actual removal of
sin. Peek under the carpet and BAM! Those sins are gone! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The author of Hebrews explains this further. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For blood of bulls and goats [is] incapable of taking away sins.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Hbr&c=10&v=4&t=DBY#4"> Heb. 10:4</a>. For this reason, offerings were made continually, day by
day, year after year (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Hbr&c=10&v=4&t=DBY">Heb. 10:1</a>-2). The priests job was never done. But
when Jesus offered one himself a sacrifice, once, completed the work,
and our sins and iniquities are remembered no more (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Hbr&c=10&v=17&t=DBY#17">Heb 10:17</a>). There
is no more need for additional offerings (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Hbr&c=10&v=18&t=DBY#18">10:18</a>). There is no need for a covering since BAM! sins are gone!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All my sins are gone,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All because of Calvary;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Life is filled with song,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All because of Calvary;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ my Savior lives,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lives from sin to set me free;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some day He’s coming,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">O wondrous, blessèd day,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All, yes, all because of Calvary. -- </span><a href="http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/l/o/v/loveless_wp.htm"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Wendell P. Loveless</span></a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-54154334617956404982011-09-16T21:19:00.000-04:002011-09-16T21:19:32.799-04:00Indebted to Jesus<span id="internal-source-marker_0.23307313281419095" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
four gospels writers paint four different pictures of one person,
Jesus. Reading trough the gospel of Mathew, you get the feeling that
Mathew is trying to convince Jewish readers that Jesus is the Christ,
the promised anointed one that was promised and anointed before the
beginning of time. Mark paints a picture of Jesus, the servant. Luke
gives us the Son of Man. And John presents Jesus as God. Four
different authors, four different facets of one person.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the beginning of the book of Leviticus, we are presented with five
different offerings, each showing a different facet of Jesus. Just like
the four gospels present the same person, from four different
perspectives and seemingly written to four different people groups, the
Five different offerings, illustrate five different aspects of the same
person, Jesus, the Christ. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before
we to study these offerings, I will like to define some terms. The
problem with Bible dictionaries, is that if you look up one word in 6
different dictionaries, you can get 7 different definitions. Maybe it’s
just me, but when I look up definitions of terms related to the service of the
tabernacle, things get really muddled. For the purpose of this study,
these are my definitions based on my understanding at this point in
time. These are gleaned from various sources over the years. They may
not be 100% accurate 100% of the time, but I tried to make them simple.
I like simplicity.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">gift </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is simply something given.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">offering </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is simply a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">gift </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">from a lesser to a greater.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">sacrifice </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">simply </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">an </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">offering </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">that involves blood shed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">oblation </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">simply </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a food </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">offering</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
five Levitical offerings can be divided into two groups: the ones that
were smelled sweet and the ones that stunk. The sweet smelling
offerings included (using the King James vernacular) the continual burnt
offering, the meat offering and the peace offering. Each one was a
sweet smelling savor. The stinky offerings were the sin and trespass
offerings. I guess God has nostrils and can distinguish between odors.
Listen to what He says by the prophet Amos: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell [a sweet odour] in
your solemn assemblies. For if ye offer up unto me burnt-offerings and
your oblations, I will not accept [them]; neither will I regard the
peace-offerings of your fatted beasts.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Amos 5:21-2 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hey, man was created in His image, if we can discern between something that smells sweet and something that stinks, so can He. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Generally,
the sweet smelling offerings were to be burned on the altar of burnt
offering. The stinky offerings (for the most part) were to be burned
outside the camp, that was probably miles from the nostrils of God. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, is there anything in the New Testament that point to sweet smelling odors regarding an gift, offering, or sacrifice?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Be
ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love,
even as the Christ loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an
offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.</i> Eph. 5:1-2</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
Jesus’ offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.
Notice this verse indicates that Jesus voluntarily delivered Himself.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did
I mention that the Levitical offerings can be broken down into two
groups? The voluntary offerings and the compulsory offerings. The
voluntary offerings included the burnt offering, the meat offering and
the peace offerings. The sin and the trespass offerings, the stinky
ones, were compulsory. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God demands offerings for trespasses and sin. Peace, meat and burnt offerings were made on a totally voluntary free will basis.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Death
is the compulsory penalty for sin....<i>the wages of sin is death (</i>Rom
3:23). Starting in the garden Death was required (Gen 3:21). Starting
with the garden a substitutionary death (death of an innocent animal to
pay for the debt of the guilty sinner) was acceptable to God. Jesus
voluntarily went to the cross and died to pay that debt that we owe but
we cannot pay. He voluntarily paid a required debt. Do you feel
indebted to Him for it?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus paid it all,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All to Him I owe;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sin had left a crimson stain,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He washed it white as snow.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- </span><a href="http://nethymnal.org/bio/h/a/l/hall_em.htm"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Elvina M. Hall</span></a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-40593075935955663802011-08-11T21:45:00.016-04:002011-08-18T19:53:35.030-04:00Stupid Sheep 'Let's roll.' Todd Beamer's last words with Lisa Jefferson, a customer service supervisor at GTE Airfone's Chicago call center, just before he and other passengers on Flight 93 became the first heroes in the war against islamic terrorists on September 11th. Just before he uttered 'lets roll', some news reports said that he recited the so-called Lord's Prayer. Some news reports said he recited Psalm 23. Some news reports said he recited both.
<br />
<br />Psalm 23 is probably the most well known psalm. If I were a betting man, I would bet that if one were to survey church-going folks and ask what their favorite psalm is, Psalm 23 would top the list. If I were a betting man, I would bet that more people have it memorized than any other passage in the Bible (the so-called Lord's prayer being a close second). If I were a betting man, I would bet that Psalm 23 has been put to music more than any other Psalm. I learned, the hard way, a long, long, long time ago, not to bet. Good thing it was only a 25 cent bet!
<br />
<br />Did you know that Psalm 23 is the middle psalm of a trilogy? A trilogy of Messianic Psalms -- Psalm 22 is the suffering dying messiah, Psalm 23 is the risen messiah, and Psalm 24 is the returning messiah.
<br />
<br />Psalm 22 is past, Psalm 23 is current, and Psalm 24 is future.
<br />
<br />Psalm 22 we have the Crucifixion. It has been said that there are 30 specific references to the Crucifixion in the psalm and was written centuries before crucifixion was invented by the Romans. Some have even suggested that Jesus quoted the entire psalm while hanging on the cross beginning with <span style="font-style: italic;">My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? </span>ending with<span style="font-style: italic;"> that he hath done [it] </span>that may be translated: <span style="font-style: italic;">He hath finished it</span> or, <span style="font-style: italic;">it is finished</span>.
<br />
<br />Psalm 23 we have a picture of the 'good shepherd' who leads and provides for His flock. This is the relationship between Jesus and believers now. He provides, as we let Him, and He leads, as we let Him. We are no more than stupid sheep trying to pave our own way as we travel through the <span style="font-style: italic;">valley of the shadow of death</span>.
<br />
<br />In Psalm 24 we have the returning Savior; the King of Glory triumphantly entering the gates. <span style="font-style: italic;">Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. </span>
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<br />In Psalm 22 we are in the court of the tabernacle between the door and the altar of burnt offering, where the innocent is dying for the guilty and His precious blood being shed.
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<br />In Psalm 23 we are in the Holy Place, where <span style="font-style: italic;">a table </span><span>is being prepared</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> before me in the presence of mine enemies. </span>Table...presence...get it? In the tabernacle there was the table of shewbread, also known as the bread of presence. Prepare a table in the presence of...maybe it is just me(?). The table in the tabernacle was set <span style="font-style: italic;">before the Lord</span>, continually. The table in this psalm is set in the <span style="font-style: italic;">presence of ...enemies</span>...interesting.
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<br />In psalm 24, we are ushered into the very presence of God in the Holy of Holies. <span style="font-style: italic;">...who shall stand in his holy place?</span> and what makes Him worthy of the position? <span style="font-style: italic;">He that hath blameless hands and a pure heart; who lifteth not up his soul unto vanity, nor sweareth deceitfully. </span> Only certain Old Testament priest were permitted to approach God and those priests could not be defiled. They had to be perfect in their outward appearance and clean. They had to wash their hands at the laver before they entered the holy place that they <span style="font-style: italic;">die not</span>. How does one get defiled? <span style="font-style: italic;">...but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.</span> Matt. 15:18. Jesus was undefiled. His hands needed no cleansing because he was <span style="font-style: italic;">blameless</span> and had a <span style="font-style: italic;">pure heart</span>. And did He ever<span style="font-style: italic;"> lift His soul unto vanity</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">swear deceitfully</span>?
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<br />Notice, He is to stand in the holy place. We sometimes make a big deal about Jesus sitting,<span style="font-style: italic;"> ...having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down ... at [the] right hand of God...</span> Heb. 10:12. But Stephen got a glimpse into heaven, into the Holy of Holies, and saw Jesus standing ...<span style="font-style: italic;">But being full of [the] Holy Spirit, having fixed his eyes on heaven, he saw [the] glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,</span> Acts 7:55
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<br />He died (past). He is preparing something (right now). He is returning (future).
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<br />Do you believe He died for you (past)? Do you believe He is preparing something for you (right now)? Do you believe He is coming again for you, or with you (future)?
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<br />Reminds me of what He said on the eve before His death: <span style="font-style: italic;">In my Father's house there are many abodes; were it not so, I had told you: for I go to prepare you a place; and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be.</span> John 14:2-3
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<br />He prefaced this by saying: <span style="font-style: italic;">Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe on God, believe also on me.</span>
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<br />Do you believe on Him? If you do, your heart shouldn't be too troubled. If your heart is troubled, let him lead, let him provide. Well, we really don't have a problem with His provisions (at least I don't), it is the letting Him lead that takes faith. Stop being a stupid sheep.
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<br />And remember, He is coming again...
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lift up your heads, ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Who is this King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Lift up your heads, ye gates; yea, lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Who is he, this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.</span> Ps. 24:7-10
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<br />http://theforgottenfifty.blogspot.com/
<br />Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-3653830287831764292011-07-11T17:29:00.002-04:002011-07-11T17:38:22.026-04:00The Physically-Perfect-in-His-Outward-Appearance Priest<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.8143942943350847"><span style="font-style: italic;">And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,Speak unto Aaron, saying, Any of thy seed throughout their generations that hath any defect, shall not approach to present the bread of his God;for whatever man hath a defect, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or one limb longer than the other,or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed,or hump-backed, or withered, or that hath a spot in his eye, or hath the itch, or scabs, or his testicles broken.No man of the seed of Aaron the priest that hath defect shall come near to present Jehovah's offerings by fire: he hath a defect; he shall not come near to present the bread of his God.The bread of his God, of the most holy and of the holy, shall he eat;only he shall not come in unto the veil, nor shall he draw near unto the altar; for he hath a defect: that he profane not my sanctuaries; for I am Jehovah who do hallow them.And Moses told it to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel</span>.</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Lev&c=21&t=DBY&x=9&y=7#"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000099;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">Lev 21:1</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">6-24</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">One thing that struck me as I taught through this passage recently (yes, I bore kids with stuff like this...) is that each one of these defects are physical, you can look at someone and tell that they are blind, lame or flat-nosed. Apparently, according to this passage, a physically deformed priest could serve other priestly duties, since he could eat his portion of the sacrifices, but he was forbidden to approach God. In order to approach God, a priest had to be perfect in his outward appearance.</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Old Testament priest is a type of New Testament believer (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Pe&c=2&t=DBY#5"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000099;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">1 Pet. 2:5</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, </span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Rev&c=1&t=DBY#comm/6"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000099;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">Rev. 1:6</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">)</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Our (believers) outward appearance, should be blemish free to the outside world; we ought to be different, noticeably different, in a good way.</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Remember, the physically-perfect-in-his-outward-appearance priest was permitted to approach God only if he washed at the laver first. Not only did the priest had to be physically perfect in his outward appearance but he had to be clean, too! Washing at the laver is a type of cleansing of the Word. We now get cleansed by the confession-forgiveness cycle (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Jo&c=1&v=1&t=DBY#comm/8"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000099;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">1 John 1:8-9</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">)</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">What do people see when they observe you? You may not be physically perfect in your outward appearance, but what about your character? Is it spotless? Do they see Jesus?</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">If not, maybe you need a little more cleansing. Spend sometime in confession. If you have a hard time getting your sins to the surface, back up to the Altar of Burnt Offering. Consider the crucifixion and what Jesus accomplished for you at the cross. In the light of the cross, your sins will surface.</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;</span><br /><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.</span> -- </span><a href="http://nethymnal.org/bio/c/l/clephane_ecd.htm"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000099;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">Elizabeth C. Clephane</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><a href="http://nethymnal.org/bio/c/l/clephane_ecd.htm"><span style="color:#000099;background-font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;color:transparent;" ></span></a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-51702856217013041872011-03-15T20:58:00.003-04:002011-03-15T21:43:27.026-04:00Take Me to Your Leader!<span style="font-style: italic;">And Jesus coming up spoke to them, saying, All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth. Go [therefore] and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you. And behold, *I* am with you all the days, until the completion of the age. </span>Matt. 28:18-20<br /><br />The gospel according to Mathew ends thus. Jesus gives a command to make disciples. Notice, He doesn’t say to make converts. He doesn’t say to make believers. He doesn’t say to win souls. His command is simply to make disciples. A disciple is one who follows with the intent to learn. The command is to make Christ-followers. <br /><br />Try to follow me here...<br /><br />A believer may or may not be following Christ. Just like the nobleman in John chapter 4, a believer may not be a follower. Three times we are told that the nobleman believed, but, he returned home and, as best I can tell, never became a follower of Jesus. Believers today may be non-Christ-followers. The reasons for this could be because they may not know that they are supposed to, they may not letting Jesus lead, or they may be following some earthly charismatic leader instead of the One that set aside His rights to royalty to come and die on their behalf. If you point a non-following believer to Christ and they begin to follow, you have then fulfilled the command to make a disciple, even though they were a believer to start with.<br /><br />Are you following?<br /><br />Non-believers are not generally followers of Christ, but they may be. The Biblical example being Judas. Judas was a disciple, but Jesus called him the ‘son of perdition’. Judas was a Christ-follower, yet was heavily influenced by the devil. Since he held the money bag, Judas must have been trusted by the other disciples, yet for 30 pieces of silver, he betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Judas was named among the disciples, a trusted Christ-follower, but not a believer. So, if you point a non-believer towards Christ, and they begin to follow to learn, even if they do not convert or believe right away, you have fulfilled the command to make a disciple.<br /><br />Ah, I see you are still following (you may not be agreeing with me, but you are still following).<br /><br />Judas was a disciple, but did not follow to the end. During the Passover feast, he stopped following, he left the group of true believers. Did you ever consider the timing of his departure? He left the feast after the foot washing, but before the institution of the Lord’s supper. This is a turning point in John’s gospel. After Judas departs, Jesus is left with His followers who also believe.<br /><br />Follow me on a walk through the John’s gospel and I will try to show how it is like a walk through the tabernacle:<br /><ul><li>First time we see Jesus in John’s gospel, He is declared the Lamb of God that takes away sin.</li><li>The first piece of furniture we see when we enter the court of the tabernacle, is the altar of burnt offering, where lambs were continually slaughtered to atone for the sins of the people.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Between the first sighting up to chapter 13, Jesus interacts with four different groups of people: believers that follow Christ (the 11), believers that do not follow Christ (the ‘nobleman’ in John 4), non-believers that follow Christ (Judas), and non-believers that did not follow Him. </li><li>The high priest in the court of the tabernacle interacted with his sons, the priests, and the offerers. According to the book of Hebrews, Jesus is now our high priest. According to Revelation 1:6, we believers are all priest. In John chapter 13 Jesus enters the upper room with his disciples only, leaving all others outside. </li></ul><ul><li>The feast begins and there is a foot washing.</li><li>In the tabernacle the laver, in the court, was the place where the priest washed their feet.</li></ul><ul><li>Judas leaves leaving the 11 true believing followers in the upper room. </li><li>At first Aaron had four sons but two never made it to serve as priests. Nadab and Abiyu (Aaron’s eldest) apparently washed at the laver, but were killed by God for offering strange fire on the last day of their of their consecration as priests. After the laver, there is the the Holy place, a room in the tabernacle only for the priest (a type of true believers). </li></ul><ul><li>In the upper room Jesus says to His true believing followers that He is the way...no one comes to the Father but through Him. </li><li>The veil separated the Holy Place from the Holiest of Holiest, where God, the Father dwelt. In Hebrews 12 we are told that the veil was Jesus’s flesh. The only way to the Father on the other side of the veil was through the veil. </li></ul><ul><li>Jesus broke bread with His true-believer followers. </li><li>In the tabernacle, the high priest breaks bread with the priests, on each Sabbath.</li></ul><ul><li>Jesus had fellowship with His true-believing followers and talks to them for three chapters (the end of John 13 to the end of 16).</li><li>The high priest had fellowship only with the priests in the Holy Place. </li></ul><ul><li>In the beginning of John 17, Jesus turns His back, as it were, on His disciples and turns to His Father in prayer. He prays as if His followers aren’t even there -- even refers to them in the third person.</li><li>In the tabernacle, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest leaves the Holy Place to enter the Holiest of Holiest where he is one on one with the Father.</li></ul><br />(Wow, that was longer than I thought it would be, and I didn’t even cover the great “I am” statements in John!) <br /><br />Are you following? Are you a Christ-follower? Great! Then go teach the gospel and point others to Christ. Keep your eyes focused on Christ and others will follow. Heck, I will follow! Take me to your leader!<br /><br />Who will follow Jesus,<br />In His work of love,<br />Leading others to Him,<br />Lifting prayers above?<br />Courage, faithful servant!<br />In His Word we see,<br />On our side forever<br />Will this Savior be. -- <a href="http://nethymnal.org/bio/h/e/w/hewitt_ees.htm">Eliza E. Hewitt</a>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-46228153447486599472010-12-05T16:55:00.004-05:002010-12-05T17:16:49.920-05:00Shirts or Skins?For an impromptu game of half-court basketball or tag football, this was probably the easiest way to tell teams apart, without uniforms. Looking pass the ball? You can easily tell who is on your team and who is not. <br /><br />In my brother’s autobiography (of sorts), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/reflections-American-Idiot-R-F-Koustas/dp/1600343821"><span style="font-style: italic;">Reflections of an American Idiot</span></a>, he talk about trying be more accepting of his peers when in college by wearing fashionable clothing. My sister would tailor shirts for him to wear and he started to be a GQ kind of guy. Clothes made the man, for a while, anyway. The older I get, the more I realize that clothing really does not make the man. The older I get, the more I like to tell stories. Problem is, the older I get the more I forget. So I wind up tell the same story, over and over again, to the same people. <br /><br />Up until the time that Moses penned the Pentateuch, the primary way to tell history was through oral tradition. Fathers told their children stories orally. In the case of Adam, who lived 930 years, he probably told his story a hundred thousand times. He told the story about the garden, how he met with God, how sin changed their relationship, how he ‘discovered’ his nakedness and made his own clothing from fig leaves. And when Moses wrote these words: <span style="font-style: italic;">And Jehovah Elohim made Adam and his wife coats of skin, and clothed them...</span> (Gen. 3:21), the story was probably well known amongst the Israelites that have heard and told the story over and over.<br /><br />We are not told in the text, but I believe that God performed the slaughter by blood shed. I also believe that Adam and Eve watched the slaughter of an innocent animal dying for their sin. I also believe that the entire animal, sans skins, were consumed by fire. Then the skins were provided to the man (and his wife) as a covering.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And [as to] the priest that presenteth any man's burnt-offering, the skin of the burnt-offering which he hath presented shall be the priest's for himself.</span> Lev. 7:8<br /><br />The priests got to keep the skins of the burnt offerings. I think that it was a vivid reminder to Aaron and his sons, of that story that they had heard, about how the skin was provided by God to man as a covering.<br /><br />The requirements for the animal to be offered as a burnt offering is given in Leviticus chapter 1. It was the one and only voluntary offering. The animal offered was to be examined from the outside in. It had to be without blemish. The animal in its entirety, sans skins, was to be consumed by fire on the altar of burnt offerings. Skins were provided to the priests. When the priest clothed himself with the skins of the burnt offerings (i.e., when he was not on duty), it was a spotless garment.<br /><br />How are we to be clothed? Paul tells us: <span style="font-style: italic;">But put on the Lord Jesus Christ (like a garment), and do not take forethought for the flesh to [fulfil its] lusts</span>. Romans 13:14. And: <span style="font-style: italic;">For ye, as many as have been baptised unto Christ, have put on Christ (here again, like a garment). There is no Jew nor Greek; there is no bondman nor freeman; there is no male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus:</span> Gal 3:27-8<br /><br />Well, what about you? Shirts or skins? Are you dressing in fashionable shirts, trying to gain the acceptance of fellow man? Or, are you clothed with skins? The skins of the ultimate burnt offering: Christ, who was examined from the outside in and found to be spotless (1 John 1:1-3), yet voluntarily died to pay the price for the guilty sinner (like me, like you)?<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy</span>. Ps. 132:9Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-11501968772676385952010-11-02T20:17:00.004-04:002010-11-02T20:26:18.175-04:00With Eyes Wide Open, Pray!<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.147939794191008"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But in the fourth watch of the night he went off to them, walking on the sea. And the disciples, seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition. And they cried out through fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, Take courage; it is I: be not afraid. And Peter answering him said, Lord, if it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters. And he said, Come. And Peter, having descended from the ship, walked upon the waters to go to Jesus. But seeing the wind strong he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught hold of him, and says to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? And when they had gone up into the ship, the wind fell. But those in the ship came and did homage to him, saying, Truly thou art God's Son.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt 14:25-33 (Darby)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peter, in this passage reminds me of the seed s</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">own among the thorns—this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matt 13:22 (Darby)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Priest, while in service in the Holy Place, were surrounded by Cherubim. Cherubim were embroidered on the tabernacle proper and on the veil. Within the Holiest of Holiest, two Cherubim of solid gold sat on opposite ends of the mercy seat.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat. And make one cherub at the end of the one side, and one cherub at the end of the other side; out of the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim at the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch out [their] wings over it, covering over with their wings the mercy-seat, and their faces opposite to one another: toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be [turned]. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above on the ark, and shalt put in the ark the testimony that I shall give thee. And there will I meet with thee, and will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, everything that I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Exd&c=25&t=DBY&x=10&y=16#"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Exd 25:1</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8-22</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Two Cherubim: one on either side of the mercy seat, the solid gold slab that served as the lid to the ark of the testimony. The cherubim were positioned so that they faced each other, but they are looking down onto the mercy seat. God made His abode between these Cherubim. This is why it says in Psalm 99:1 <span style="font-style: italic;">Jehovah reigneth: let the peoples tremble. He sitteth [between the] cherubim: let the earth be moved. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Cherubim had a view that no one else did. Not even the high priest on the Day of Atonement saw the view that the Cherubim had all the time.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the Day of Atonement, God was manifested as a cloud (Lev. 16:2). Aaron was to take a censor and smoke out the Holiest of Holiest. Between the smoke and the cloud, I don’t think he could see. Lev. 16:13 . Blood from a number of animals were to on the mercy seat throughout the day . So the solid-gold mercy seat was stained with animal blood.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The golden cherubim that were one with the mercy seat, look continuously down, on the blood, the blood that was shed for atonement for the sins of the high priest...and the blood that was shed for the sins of the people. Their gaze was fixed upon the shed blood that stained the slab of gold that covered the ark of testimony.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The golden cherubim had stiff necks. They, obviously, could not move from their position. We, on the other hand, have necks that can move and we are free to look about. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Like Peter, we can be easily distracted. And when we take our eyes off the blood, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and [we] become unfruitful. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Next time you bow down your head to pray, whether it be before a meal or during your devotions or bible study, or whatever, don’t close your eyes. Remember the Cherubim! Picture their view. Remember the blood. Remember the blood that was shed. Remember the blood that was shed, not to cover your sins, but to remove them to be </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">remembered no more.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can see the blood drops, red ’neath His thorny crown,</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From the cruel nail wounds now they are falling down;</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord, when I would wander from Thy love away,</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Let me see those blood drops shed for me that day. </span> -- Maud Frazer</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-76347675573115800102010-08-11T20:35:00.004-04:002010-08-11T21:08:02.608-04:00Need a Light?<span style="font-style: italic;">And the boy Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was rare in those days; a vision was not frequent. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli lay in his place (now his eyes began to grow dim, he could not see), and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel lay in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was, that Jehovah called to Samuel. And he said, Here am I. </span>1 Sam. 3:1-3<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">temple</span>? Every English version I looked up says <span style="font-style: italic;">the temple</span>. The first temple had not been built, yet. We do know that the tabernacle was parked in Sheckem after the Israelites settled and the tabernacle apparently is the setting. What really has me confused is where are are Eli and Samuel sleeping? There was no provisions for any sort of sleeping furniture in the courtyard or the holy place within the tabernacle. I don’t know where they slept, but I do know what time it was.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The lamp of God had not yet gone out</span> ... In other words, it was pre-dawn. The golden lamp stand in the tabernacle was to be burning from evening to morning, from dusk to dawn.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron dress it from evening to morning before Jehovah continually: [it is] an everlasting statute throughout your generations. </span>Lev 24:3<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee olive oil, pure, beaten, for the light, to light the lamp continually. In the tent of meeting outside the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall dress them from evening to morning before Jehovah: [it is] an everlasting statute, for their generations, on the part of the children of Israel.</span> Ex. 27:20-21<br /><br />These three sets of verses show that the lamp was to be lit from dusk to dawn.<br /><br />When healing a blind man, Jesus says<span style="font-style: italic;"> As long as I am in the world, I am [the] light of the world.</span> John 9:5 . While He was in the world He was the light of the world. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now from [the] sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until [the] ninth hour </span>Matt. 25:35. When He was on the cross, the light of the world was extinguished. Lights out! For 3 hours it was completely dark.<br /><br />As I mentioned in an earlier post, the light of the world now is two pronged. It is the Christ-followers and the local assembly, the church. What kept the lights lit at night in the darkness? The crushed olive oil. The lamp stand had to be refueled daily. In the morning, when the fuel ran out, the lights went out.<br /><br />What keeps the believer and/or the local assembly as lights in a darkened world? The Holy Spirit. How often does the fuel of the holy spirit need refilling? Let me suggest daily. What happens when we do not refuel daily? Lights out. maybe permanently. Jesus told John to write the following to the angel at Ephesus:<span style="font-style: italic;"> ...but I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works: but if not, I am coming to thee, and I will remove thy lamp out of its place, except thou shalt repent.</span> Rev. 2:4-5.<br /><br />Need a light? How is the light of your local assembly? Burning brightly? Dimmed? or maybe gone out completely? Then <span style="font-style: italic;">remember</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">repent</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">do the first works</span>. You know, the three things you had no problem doing before you left <span style="font-style: italic;">thy first love</span>.<br /><br />This little light of mine<br />I’m gonna let it shine<br />This little light of mine<br />I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine...Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-9012372525993497602010-07-27T21:33:00.002-04:002010-07-27T21:40:11.998-04:00Worth His (or Her) Weight in Gold<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.40189004742716494"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Are you worth it? Are you worth your weight in gold? As I write this, pure gold is $1189 per Troy ounce. There are 12 Troy ounces in a Troy pound. And there are 0.822853347 US pounds (also known as the avoirdupois weight system) in a Troy pound. I’ll save you the math. If my math is correct, one hundred US pounds of pure gold is worth a bit over $1.7 Million.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The golden candlestick (or lampstand) weighed one talent and it and its base was made from a single chunk of pure gold (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=25&t=DBY#31"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Ex. 25:31-9</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">). It should be noted that not all gold used in the construction of the tabernacle was pure gold. A talent weighed about 100 US pounds, give or take, depending on the reference you use for the conversion factor. This one chunk of pure gold worth $1.7 million was beaten into the the lampstand. Beaten, not melted down and poured into a mold.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So where did this one chunk of gold come from? Well, it came from the free will offering that God told Moses to collect (Ex. 25:1-2) for the construction of the tabernacle. This was a collection of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">gold, and silver, and copper, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and byssus, and goats' [hair], and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins; and acacia-wood; oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil, and for the incense of fragrant drugs; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (Ex. 25:3-7) </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Notice that gold is the first thing on the list. The actual collection is recorded for us ten chapters later in Exodus 35. According to this passage, gold came from </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">both men and women; every one who was of willing heart brought nose-rings, and earrings, and rings, and bracelets, all kinds of utensils of gold: every man that waved a wave-offering of gold to Jehovah. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, where did this gold come from? Weren’t they slaves in Egypt? Wherefore the gold? Just before they left Egypt, God told them that </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is the inmate of her house, utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing; and ye shall put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Speak now in the ears of the people, that they ask every man of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, utensils of silver and utensils of gold. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Ex. 11:2)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So after decades of being slaves, the Israelites were finally getting wages that were long due them. It is as if wages were being withheld all their lives and are now being paid, all at once, in one night. So as they left Egypt, they carried with them gold that they got.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since the gold was one chunk taken from an offering, it must have come from one person. That one person, on passover night, was handed a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">utensil</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> of pure gold weighing 100 pounds and worth $1.7 million dollars. That one slave must have been very valuable to the Egyptians to get something like that in back wages.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is your worth? If someone were to pay you what you are worth to them in gold, pure gold, would you get 100 pounds of the stuff? You have been bought and you are worth much more.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">....ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible [things, as] silver or gold, from your vain conversation handed down from [your] fathers, but by precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, [the blood] of Christ, foreknown indeed before [the] foundation of [the] world, but who has been manifested at the end of times for your sakes, who by him do believe on God, who has raised him from among [the] dead and given him glory, that your faith and hope should be in God.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 2 Peter 1:18-21</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You are worth it…</span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-16886685464195236562010-07-10T07:28:00.002-04:002010-07-10T07:36:55.266-04:00Shine<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.7189329706234547"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Regarding the candlestick, most commentators say that the golden candlestick was the only source of light in the Holy place. There are a few commentators that say it was not the sole source of light (sunlight during the daylight hours being the other light source). Therefore, all agree that it was the only source of light in the Holy place...at night.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicodemus came to Jesus in the darkness of the night (</span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=3&v=1&t=DBY#comm/2"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">John 3:2</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">). While it was yet dark, Jesus says: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are; but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In case there was any doubt about what, or who the light was, Jesus later explains, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> John 8:12</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus is the light. Come to Him and your works </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">may be shewn as they are</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Do you </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">practice truth</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">? The light will manifest works...that they have been wrought in God. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But all things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Eph. 5:13</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The light shows the path and exposes true character.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Numbers 8:3</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">‘Over against’ could have been translated ‘before’ or ‘in front of’. One commentator says that this means that light from the lamps were to provide light to the lampstand (or candlestick) itself. Aaron was to light the lamps so that the light lights up the candlestick. While I’m sure that the rest of the room was filled with light (remember, everything is gold and gold is highly reflective), the primary purpose of the light was to cast light on itself.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Isn’t this what Jesus did while He was here on this planet? Gold is a symbol of deity. Jesus, in everything He did, didn’t He show forth His Deity? His true character was (is) His Deity, like the reflection of gold.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">As long as I am in the world, I am [the] light of the world.</span> John 9:5</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus was the light of the world on a temporary basis. Now He is no longer in the world, but is there light? Did He take the light with Him? Is the light out? Of course not.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In Mathew 5:14, Jesus tells His followers </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ye are the light of the world...</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and since they are...</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let your light thus shine before men, so that they may see your upright works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mat. 5:16</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The golden candlestick was lit in such a way that it casts light against itself. Jesus when He was on the earth, was the light of the world shining on Himself reflecting His Deity. We are now reflecting the light of His Diety before men. Or, we should be.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shine</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">make ´em wonder what you´ve got</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">make ´em wish that they were not</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">on the outside looking bored</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shine</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">let it shine before all men</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">let´em see good works, and then</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">let ´em glorify the Lord - The Newsboys</span>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-58068518932866482862010-06-30T15:18:00.002-04:002010-06-30T15:27:12.926-04:00Jesus and the Color PurpleCommentators say that the color purple in the Bible signifies royalty. If you do a search on the word purple in the Bible you will see that the first references are regarding, yes, the tabernacle. Purple was one of the colors of the entrance, the veil, and the tabernacle (proper). It is interesting to note that purple was always mentioned between blue and scarlet, and purple is the color you get if you mix blue and scarlet.<br /><br />When the Israelite camp was on the move, God gave directions regarding the altar of burnt offering. Aaron was to clean it of ashes and cover it with a purple cloth (<a id="fc0w" title="Numbers 4:13" href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Num&c=4&t=DBY#13" goog_docs_charindex="638">Numbers 4:13</a>). Once covered, it was the Kohathites' duty to carry the altar of burnt offering using staves. So when it was on the move one only saw the royal covering (and the four guys carrying it). When camp was established, then the purple covering is removed and the activity of slaughtering and burning burnt offerings resumed. The purple was removed before the offering of sacrifices could start.<br /><br />Jesus, crowned with thorns, was clothed in purple (in a mocking sort of way but it was still purple (<a id="gpwu" title="Mark 15:17" href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=15&t=DBY#17" goog_docs_charindex="1154">Mark 15:17</a>)). And the purple was taken off when He was led away to be crucified (<a id="zqjc" title="Mark 15:20" href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=15&v=20&t=DBY#20" goog_docs_charindex="1241">Mark 15:20</a>). The purple was removed before He offered Himself as the sacrifice that was the fulfillment of every burnt, meat, peace, sin and trespass offerings ever made.<br /><br />Isn't this what Jesus did figuratively? He was clothed, as it were, in royalty in heaven. He removed His royal robes, laid them aside to take on the form of a man, to walk among His creatures. With His royal garments removed, He took on the form of a bondman (or servant) to do the will of His Father, even if it meant sacrificing Himself on the cross...for you and for me!<br /><br /><em>For let this mind be in you which [was] also in Christ Jesus; who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God; but emptied himself, taking a bondman's form, taking his place in [the] likeness of men; but emptied himself, taking a bondman's form, taking his place in [the] likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and [that the] death of [the] cross.</em> <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Phl&c=2&v=1&t=DBY#comm/5" goog_docs_charindex="2279">Phl 2:5</a>-8<br /><br />I like how Charles Wesley put it in that great hymn <em>Amazing Love</em> (or <em>And Can it be?</em> depending on your hymnal) -<br /><br /><em>He left His Father’s throne above</em><br /><em>So free, so infinite His grace—</em><br /><em>Emptied Himself of all but love,</em><br /><em>And bled for Adam’s helpless race:</em><br /><em>’Tis mercy all, immense and free,</em><br /><em>For O my God, it found out me!</em><br /><em>’Tis mercy all, immense and free,</em><br /><em>For O my God, it found out me!<br /><br /></em><em></em>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-4509365554094328222010-06-18T21:54:00.003-04:002010-06-18T22:01:27.019-04:00The Movable Corner Stone<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><i>And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear; and they shall be joined beneath, and together shall be united at the top thereof to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. And there shall be eight boards, and their bases, of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board.</i> Exodus 26:23-4<br /><br />God gave instructions regarding the corners of the tabernacle. The corners are where the boards on the western part of the sanctuary met the boards on the North and South. These corners are the corners of the Holiest of Holiest opposite the veil. The two boards seem to reinforce the corners, but it is not specified where exactly they are to be placed or how exactly they are to be attached. I like what James Strong says. He says that the extra 2 boards on the corner are attached to the boards on the west in such a way they overlap the end boards on the outside. This way, the corners inside the Holiest of Holiest maintain square and the inside of the Holiest of Holiest remains a cube.<br /><br />One of the thing I like about the Darby Bible is that it is printed in paragraph format with the verse numbers in the margin. Yes, it makes sword drills more of a challenge, but I do not have the distraction of verse breaks. I am easily distracted.<br /><br />Another thing I like about the Darby Bible is his annotations. Like this one that I stumbled across while considering the corners of the tabernacle in 1 Sam 14:38. <i>And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the heads<span id="vsun" style="font-style: normal; vertical-align: 5px;" title=""><span style="font-size:78%;">[10]</span></span> of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day.</i> The footnote for this verse says: <i>Lit. 'corners,' 'corner-stones,' as Judges 20:2</i><br /></span></span><br /><i><span style="font-size:100%;">And the heads of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.</span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"> Judges 20:2<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have always thought of a corner stone as being stationary, a corner of a foundation laid, unmovable.</span></span> But, according to these verses, the corners were <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><i>all the heads of the people </i>and <i><span style="font-size:100%;">footmen that drew sword. </span></i></span></span><br /><br /></span>This sheds a little different light on Jesus' statement after the parable of the vineyard. </span><i><span style="font-size:100%;">... What then is this that is written, The stone which they that builded rejected, this has become the corner-stone? Every one falling on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.</span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"> Luke 20:17-18<br /></span><p><span style="font-size:100%;">And, of course, Peter links this directly to Jesus:</span></p><i><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious, </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Because it is contained in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be put to shame. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">To you therefore who believe [is] the preciousness; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders cast away as worthless, this is become head of [the] corner, </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence; [who] stumble at the word, being disobedient to which also they have been appointed. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">But </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">ye</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> [are] a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light; </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">who once [were] not a people, but now God's people; who were not enjoying mercy, but now have found mercy.</span></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"> 1 Peter 2:4-10<br /><br /></span>Christ is our Cornerstone,<br />On Him alone we build;<br />With His true saints alone<br />The courts of heaven are filled;<br />On His great love our hopes we place<br />Of present grace and joys above. -- Unknown author<br /><p style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-41481696992304036092010-06-06T15:59:00.002-04:002010-06-06T16:09:50.325-04:00I'm Board....Puerto Rico is an island of micro-climates. Driving from San Juan (PR's largest city, on the northern shore) to Ponce (PR's second largest city, a bit west on the southern shore) you pass though mountains lush and green. Rise up through a cloud layer and then back down. More often than not, you would drive through a torrential down pour somewhere between the northern and southern shores. When you get to the southern portion of the island, the lush green mountains fade into flat drab dessert. The vegetation appears to be stressed and you see lots of bare ground, cacti and acacia trees. This southern part of the island is a dessert that gets less than 3 inches of rain per year. If you turn north at Ponce and drive 20 minutes to Ajuntas coffee growing mountains it rains every day, especially during the wet season. All this without mentioning the rain forest or the dry forest, which are only 20 minutes apart.<br /><br />The acacia trees in dessert area of Puerto Rico are short, stubby and spiny. Acacia was the type of wood used throughout the tabernacle. The altar of burnt offering was made of acacia wood and plated with copper. The ark, the table, the altar of incense, and the boards of the tabernacle were made of acacia wood and plated with gold. In a previous post I suggested that the boards in the tabernacle were a type of believer...made of wood, but when people see us, they should see Christ (gold). I also mentioned that each board stood upright on two sockets of silver that represent the ransom paid by Jesus.<br /><br />No one knows exactly what these boards actually were. Some believe that the boards were solid. Others think they were hollowed out boards. While others believe that they were not boards at all, but wooden frames or lattices. We do know that two of the three dimensions of the boards are given: each board was a cubit and a half wide and ten cubits long (Ex. 26:13). No thickness specified.<br /><br />So, how do you get a 17 foot long board (about 10 cubits) 30 inches (about 1 1/2 cubits) wide from end to end, from a short, stubby, spiny tree? In order to cut a board of that size, one would have start with a bigger piece and cut it to the correct size. Maybe acacia trees are bigger in that area of the globe. Maybe they grew much larger 3,000 years ago. I don't know. I asked a carpenter friend of mine how do you get a large wide board from a short narrow tree, he said that they would notch smaller boards and peg them together until they got the desire length and width. When finished, the sides would be smooth and you can get many boards the same size. To sum it up, to get about 45 solid boards/ hollow boards/ lattice or frames, it takes work, a lot of work.<br /><br />Before the tree is cut down, it is <i>rooted and grounded</i> in the ground. When cut, it is separated from its roots. It either needs to be cut down to size, or built up to size. Then each were plated with gold. Fitted and framed together by poles, made from acacia wood overlaid with gold. How is a board like a believer?<br /><br /><div>Before believers believe, they are rooted and grounded in the the world. When we believe, were a cut off and separated from the world (<span style="font-style: italic;">in the world not of the world</span>) . Then God has to work with us to perfect us (or make us complete), either cutting and grinding away the excess or piecing together, building up. We call this process sanctification. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Standing upright with both feet resting on the redemptive work of Christ, no longer <i>grounded and rooted</i> in the world, but g<i>rounded and rooted in love </i>(Eph. 3:17).</div><br /><div>How's the process going? Still rooted in the world? Are you letting the Master Carpenter hack and shape you? Are you resting solely on the redemptive work of Christ? Are you fitted together with fellow believers? Are you board? Are you standing? Or teetering, about to fall?<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.</i> -- Prov. 16:18</span><br /><br /><br />http://theforgottenfifty.blogspot.com/<br /></div>Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-65657122093377136512010-05-06T08:00:00.005-04:002010-05-06T08:12:13.025-04:00Where Are You Walking?<em>So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table. And he was lame on both his feet.</em> - <a id="d3h5" title="2 Sam. 9:13" href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Sa&c=9&t=DBY#13">2 Sam. 9:13</a><br /><br />In 2 Sam. chapter 9, we are provided one of the greatest pictures of grace in the Old Testament. David the king, seeks out Mephibosheth, who was lame on both his feet. He wasn't born that way, when Mephibosheth was 5 years old, King Saul, Mephibosheth's grandfather, was killed in battle. Jonathan, Mephibosheth's dad, next in line for the throne, was killed in the same battle. When news of the deaths got to Mephibosheth's nurse's ears, she feared for Mephibosheth's life, since the boy was next in line for the throne (and in those days they liked to totally wipe out the king's entire family), she did what any good nurse would do, she picked up a 5 year old Mephibosheth and ran. Have you ever tried to run carrying a 5 year old boy? Yeah, she had a hard time and dropped him. And that is how Mephibosheth became <em>lame on both his feet</em> (<a id="lr1-" title="And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son [that was] lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name [was] Mephibosheth." style="COLOR: rgb(85,26,139)" href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Sa&c=4&t=KJV#4">2 Sam 4:4</a>).<br /><br />Fast forward. David has been king for a couple decades and Mephibosheth is old enough to have a children. Mephibosheth apparently has been in hiding this whole time. King David sought Mephibosheth out and showed kindness to him. Mephibosheth realizes his own unworthiness and David gives him a place at the king's table and <em>he did eat continually at the king's table</em>. Mephibosheth was provided a place at the table based on some pact David made decades earlier with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's dad, probably before Mephibosheth was born. There was nothing Mephibosheth could have done to earn a place at the king's table. He was lame. Thus, grace.<br /><br />Did you know that the first mention of the word table in the Bible is in reference to the tabernacle? The <em>table of shewbread</em> (or <em>table of presence</em> or <em>table of face</em>) held twelve loaves of bread, each one represented a tribe of Israel. On each Sabbath, the priest would replace the existing loaves with freshly baked ones. The old loaves they were to be eaten by the priest <em>before the Lord</em>. Unlike Mephibosheth, who could not stand on his own, the priests had to eat standing up. There were no chairs in the tabernacle, no place to sit.<br /><br />Tables are for fellowship. Who do you have fellowship with? If you think about it, you have fellowship with those that you have something in common with. The priest that ate the shewbread in the presence of the Lord were all blood related--Aaron and his sons. They entered the Holy Place and walked to the table to place the bread on it. They walked to break and pass the bread. And, if they were anything like me, they walked around while eating the bread. They were having fellowship with each other and with God, since they were to eat <em>before the Lord</em>.<br /><br />Opposite the table of shewbread stood the golden lamp-stand. The golden lamp-stand provided light in the Holy Place. So the priest, who typified the believer, had fellowship with other priest (other believers) and with God while walking in the light.<br /><br /><em>That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another</em>... 1 John 1:3-7<br /><br />Mephibosheth had fellowship with King David at the king's table. The priests in the wilderness had fellowship with other priest and with God at the table of shewbread, while walking in the light. We have fellowship <em>with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ</em>, and with fellow believers, as long as we are walking in the light. Where are you walking?<br /><br /><em>While we walk with God in light,</em><br /><em>God our hearts doth still unite;</em><br /><em>Dearest fellowship we prove,</em><br /><em>Fellowship in Jesus’ love.--</em> Charles WesleyRichard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-196753252800044552010-04-30T20:40:00.003-04:002010-04-30T20:45:37.093-04:00Feet Defiled<i>And during supper... [Jesus,] ... pours water into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">washhand</span> basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the linen towel with which he was girded. He comes therefore to Simon Peter; and *he* says to him, Lord, dost thou wash *my* feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou dost not know now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter says to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash thee, thou hast not part with me. Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus says to him, He that is washed all over needs not to wash save his feet, but is wholly clean...</i> John 13:2-10<br /><br />Peter apparently took a bath (or shower) so he was already <i>washed all over</i>. His feet, however, were dirty. They wore open toe <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sandals</span>. He walked on dirt. The dirt dust defiled his feet. His feet were dirty, but he was clean.<br /><br /><i>And this is the thing which thou shalt do to them to hallow them, that they may serve me as priests:...Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring near the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shalt bathe them with water. -- Ex. 29:1,4<br /><br />A</i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">aron</span> and his sons, the first high priest and the first priests, had to be bathed as a part of their consecration ritual after they were selected by God but before they were to serve. At the door of the tabernacle, Moses bathed Aaron and his four sons. They were <i>wholly clean</i> one time. <br /><i><br />Thou shalt also make a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">laver</span> of copper, and its stand of copper, for washing; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water in it. And <b>Aaron and his sons shall wash </b>their hands and <b>their feet out of it</b>.</i> <i>When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to serve, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah.</i> <i>And <b>they shall wash</b> their hands and <b>their feet</b>, that they may not die...</i> Ex. 20:18-20<br /><br />Once in service, the priests had to wash their feet <i>that they may not die</i>. While performing the duties of the priesthood, their feet got dirty. They wore open toe <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sandals</span>. The tabernacle had no floor. The tabernacle had no chair. They walked on dirt. The dirt dust defiled their feet. Their feet were dirty, but they were <i>wholly clean</i>.<i><br /><br /></i>We believers, are now priest (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Pe&c=2&t=KJV#9" id="lqm6" title="But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people">1 Pet. 2:9</a>, <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Rev&c=1&t=KJV#6" id="ax2u" title="And hath made us kings and priests unto God">Rev. 1:6</a>)<br /><br />as priest, we are <i>wholly clean</i>: <i>the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. </i>1 John 1:7<br /><br />Since we are still walking in the world, we sin. Our feet get defiled by walking on the dirt of this world: <i>If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. </i>1 John 1:8<br /><br />Like the ancient Israel priest, we need to wash our defiled feet. We need to wash frequently. How do we get cleansed? By confessing. <i>If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us [our] sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. </i>1 John 1:9-10<br /><br />Clean Peter needed his feet washed...the consecrated priests needed their feet washed, often...the forgiven believer needs to confess sins, as often as he sins, which is often...Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1888688815309614326.post-46864561571660717332010-04-08T21:31:00.005-04:002010-04-08T22:11:57.152-04:00What is it?<span style="font-style: italic;">And the children of Israel saw [it], and said one to another, What is it? for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which Jehovah has given you to eat. </span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=16&v=15&t=DBY#15">Ex. 16:15</a><br /><br />When they first saw it they did not know <i>what</i> it was but we are told that it was <i>like</i> coriander seed and taste like wafers made with honey...and honey is sweet. <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=16&v=31&t=DBY#31">Ex. 16:31</a><br /><br />For five days a week, they were to gather a certain amount each morning, but if they wanted more, they were free to gather and consume more. Or, if they wanted less, they were free to gather and consume less (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=16&v=18&t=DBY#18">Ex. 16:18</a>) and on the sixth day, they were to gather a double portion.<br /><br />In John chapter 6 Jesus tells us that the manna symbolized Himself. The day after He fed bread to the five thousand, Jesus explains the sign of the manna that was given from heaven. The manna was a type of Christ. Let's consider: Jesus is sweet. The best time to gather and consume Christ is in the morning. If you want to gather and consume more of Him, you are free to. And, conversely, if you want less, you are free to gather and consume less. Just like the wilderness wanderers, you are free to take as much or as little of the sweet stuff as you desire.<br /><br />Some manna was put away and kept for future generations (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=16&v=33&t=DBY#33">Ex. 16:33</a>). A typical person's day's portion was to be place into a golden pot. That golden pot was to be put into the ark of the testimony (which was a gold-plated wooden box). The ark of the testimony was to be covered with a slab of gold (the mercy seat). The ark was to be place in the <i>holiest of holiest</i> (that, incidentally, had gold-plated wooden walls). And the holiest of holiest was off limits to all but the high priest, once a year, not without blood. So, there was manna in the pot, and the pot in the ark, and the ark in the holiest of holiest, and the holiest of holiest in the sanctuary, and the sanctuary in the tabernacle, and the tabernacle in the wilderness, and the green grass grew all around and around, the green grass grew all around (sorry). Along with Aaron's rod that budded, the stone tablet and (I don't know why everyone forgets this one) a copy of the law (<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Deu&c=31&v=26&t=DBY#26">Deut. 31:26</a>), this manna was hidden in the ark.<br /><br />Not much more is said about this hidden manna.<br /><br />Jesus tells the church at Pergamos: <i>He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna..</i>. <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Rev&c=2&v=17&t=DBY#17">Rev. 2:17 </a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What is it?</span> What is this <span style="font-style: italic;">hidden manna</span>? Could this be the same manna that was hidden in the gold pot, in the gold chest, in the gold room that was off limits? Could this be the same manna that was a type of Christ? If so, there is something really special in store for <i>him that overcomes</i>!<br /><br /><i>Let us love our God supremely, let us love each other, too;<br />Let us love and pray for sinners, till our God makes all things new.<br />Then He’ll call us home to Heaven, at His table we’ll sit down;<br />Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around. </i>-- William Moore<br /><br />http://theforgottenfifty.blogspot.com/Richard N Koustashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229866011790662324noreply@blogger.com0