January 25, 2005

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Genesis 49:1-50:26; Matthew 15:21-16:4

Weekly Memory Verse: Galatians 5:25

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

As the year kicks off, I would encourage each of you to get on with the plan to read through the Bible in this year. It only takes a few minutes each day, and the blessings are tremendous.  It's rather simple, just start at Genesis 1 and catch up with Genesis, then start with Matthew 1 and catch up there.  It'll take an hour or so, but the investment is well worth it. This will be another light day in regard to the study.  Take the time today to spend catching up on your Bible reading if you have gotten behind.

Another thing that I would like to bring up is a marriage weekend at my church.  It will take place on February 18-19, Friday evening and Saturday morning.  If you would like to strengthen your marriage, and add a little spice to it, contact me.  The cost is minimal, ten bucks, and I am sure that you will have a great time.  I am looking into securing hotel rooms for those who may be interested.  Email me, time is short.

Exodus 37 (NASB95)
¹ Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; ² and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. ³ He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ⁴ He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. ⁶ He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. ⁷ He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; ⁸ one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. ⁹ The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. ¹⁰ Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. ¹² He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. ¹³ He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. ¹⁴ Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. ¹⁶ He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold. ¹⁷ Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. ¹⁸ There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; ¹⁹ three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ²⁰ In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; ²¹ and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. ²² Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. ²³ He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. ²⁴ He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. ²⁵ Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it. ²⁶ He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. ²⁷ He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.^[1]

Detailed descriptions are given to the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, the Table, the Golden Lampstand, and the altar of Incense. All of these articles were designed to belong in the Holy of Holies, behind the curtain in the Tabernacle.   This chapter is a summary of chapters 25 and 30, where great detail is given to describe the requirements.  The difference here is that Moses is now describing the finished product.

Psalm 40:8 (NASB95)
⁸ I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”

John 16:33 (NASB95)
³³ “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Hebrews 7:24-26 (NASB95)
²⁴ but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

Romans 3:25 (NASB95)
²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

John 8:12 (NASB95)
¹² Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” ^[2]

The articles had significant meaning symbolically.  The Ark was made of wood and overlaid with gold.  This may symbolize the humanity of Christ overlaid with his deity.  It was to contain Aaron’s rod, a golden jar of manna, and the tablets of the law.  That may have symbolized hiding the Word of God in your heart. The Mercy seat symbolized Jesus as the one Sacrifice as Paul indicated; the word "propitiation" could also be translated "mercy seat".  The table of showbread symbolized the twelve tribes and God's provision for them.  The Golden lampstand may have symbolized Christ as the light of the world.  His union indicated by the lampstand being made out of one piece of gold.  The altar of Incense, Jesus offered on the cross made a sweet aroma to God.  The problem with symbolism like this is that it is not absolute.  Great parallels can be made while you look upon the symbolic stuff, but it can't be said that these parallels are absolute truth.  I listed a few of the symbolic qualities of these articles, but I am not saying that these interpretations are absolute truth, only applications of it.

I am going to close here, I hope that all of you are able to dig in to the Bible and to become students of it.  All comments will be posted.

Father, as we consider Your word today, inspire each of us to a fervent spirit, determined to dig in and devour Your word.

In Him,

Joe Turner.