February 2, 2006 - Exodus 29-30 and Matthew 21:23-46
This passage in Exodus continues to explain how the priests are holy and how they are set apart for their service, so everyone will know they are holy. The same principle is seen with the holy incense and the holy anointing oil used in the Tabernacle. Today, I want to touch on some specifics, but if you did not read the notes from yesterday on holiness, I would encourage you to read over them, too.
Chapter 29 has several things for the priests to do, so they will be consecrated to the Lord. I believe each one is symbolic of a spiritual reality, and they are not just empty rituals. The fact that the priests were to wash themselves with water before they ministered in the Tabernacle points to the need to be spiritually clean before God. Their hearts had to be cleansed. This goes with the sacrifices they had to make for themselves before they could offer sacrifices for the people. They offered a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a consecration offering before they served. They needed to have their own sin atoned for, they needed to come with worship of God in their hearts, and they needed to be wholly presented to God themselves. These things showed everyone they were clean before God. There was no empty ritual here. The same is true for the anointing oil. It represented the Holy Spirit. Even in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came to rest on people to empower them for their service. This was mainly true for kings, prophets, and priests. It reminded them that they could not do God's work in their own strength. Then, notice what it says in chapter 30 verse 20. If the priests did not wash first, they would die. If the people copied the incense or the oil for other purposes, they would be cut off from the children of God. In other words, the failure to respect holiness had grave consequences.
Now, I believe that all of this has meaning for those who are set apart for God's service today as ordained men of God. We don't have to wash in the laver, or kill the ram or the bull. We don't have the blood from the animal sprinkled on us and we are not anointed with the special oil. We are set apart by God. We must have our sins forgiven by Christ. We must be filled with His Spirit as we minster. We must not try to do His will in our own power. We must give our entire lives to His service. We are called out to be holy before the Lord. We are not better than other people, but we have a different calling, so we must represent our Lord well. If we do not continue as His holy servants, there are grave consequences. I encourage you to think of all of the parallels as you read this passage.
Then, Matthew 21 shows us that Jesus had a great challenge dealing with the rebellious Jewish leaders. As they questioned His authority, He asked them a question for their question. Ultimately, He refused to give them an answer. He was under the authority of the Father and not them, anyway. He taught them that a tax collector or a harlot who repented and did God's will by trusting Him as Savior was much better than they were. Then, He even told them a pointed parable, which told them how they would kill Him eventually, because they wanted to have the kingdom for themselves. However, their scheme would not work, and the kingdom would be given to another people, the church. These stories remind us that we will always need God's wisdom in dealing with people who reject God's way and want to do things their own way. If it was a struggle for Jesus, it will be a struggle for us. However, Jesus promises to give us the words to say, if we trust the Holy Spirit to empower us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 31-33 and Matthew 22:1-22.
Chapter 29 has several things for the priests to do, so they will be consecrated to the Lord. I believe each one is symbolic of a spiritual reality, and they are not just empty rituals. The fact that the priests were to wash themselves with water before they ministered in the Tabernacle points to the need to be spiritually clean before God. Their hearts had to be cleansed. This goes with the sacrifices they had to make for themselves before they could offer sacrifices for the people. They offered a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a consecration offering before they served. They needed to have their own sin atoned for, they needed to come with worship of God in their hearts, and they needed to be wholly presented to God themselves. These things showed everyone they were clean before God. There was no empty ritual here. The same is true for the anointing oil. It represented the Holy Spirit. Even in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came to rest on people to empower them for their service. This was mainly true for kings, prophets, and priests. It reminded them that they could not do God's work in their own strength. Then, notice what it says in chapter 30 verse 20. If the priests did not wash first, they would die. If the people copied the incense or the oil for other purposes, they would be cut off from the children of God. In other words, the failure to respect holiness had grave consequences.
Now, I believe that all of this has meaning for those who are set apart for God's service today as ordained men of God. We don't have to wash in the laver, or kill the ram or the bull. We don't have the blood from the animal sprinkled on us and we are not anointed with the special oil. We are set apart by God. We must have our sins forgiven by Christ. We must be filled with His Spirit as we minster. We must not try to do His will in our own power. We must give our entire lives to His service. We are called out to be holy before the Lord. We are not better than other people, but we have a different calling, so we must represent our Lord well. If we do not continue as His holy servants, there are grave consequences. I encourage you to think of all of the parallels as you read this passage.
Then, Matthew 21 shows us that Jesus had a great challenge dealing with the rebellious Jewish leaders. As they questioned His authority, He asked them a question for their question. Ultimately, He refused to give them an answer. He was under the authority of the Father and not them, anyway. He taught them that a tax collector or a harlot who repented and did God's will by trusting Him as Savior was much better than they were. Then, He even told them a pointed parable, which told them how they would kill Him eventually, because they wanted to have the kingdom for themselves. However, their scheme would not work, and the kingdom would be given to another people, the church. These stories remind us that we will always need God's wisdom in dealing with people who reject God's way and want to do things their own way. If it was a struggle for Jesus, it will be a struggle for us. However, Jesus promises to give us the words to say, if we trust the Holy Spirit to empower us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 31-33 and Matthew 22:1-22.