The Ark Of The Covenant

Exodus 25: 22

And there I will meet with you, and from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two Cherubim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

This wooden box covered in gold inside and out, with the cover of pure gold made in one piece with the two cherubim on it with their wings covering it--this is the place where the Presence of the Lord God was centered. Here He spoke with Moses. 

And God's presence here affected this Ark, so that the populace of the Nation Israel had to be protected from it by the Levites camping around it between the Tabernacle and the other Tribes. The Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testamony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:23). 

When they were to travel to another place in the Desert, they would pack up everything, to set up again in the new spot.

But only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were allowed to see the furniture inside the Tent, to prepare them for travel by covering them completely and putting the poles into the rings for carrying (Numbers 4:5-14). 

Then the Levites, the Kohathites, would come in to carry these holy items out of the Tent. But they were not allowed to touch or even look at them, only carry them by their poles (Numbers 4:15). 

Then the Levites, the Gershonites would take down all the curtains of the Tabernacle and the Courtyard, and carry all the soft items in wagons, covered by the porpoise skins. These made them waterproof (Numbers 4:21-28). 

Then the Levites, the Merarites, would gather all the frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and tent pegs, all the hard items, and carry those in wagons, also (Numbers 4:31-33).

Then God had them all set out in a specific order, all to make sure that no one would be harmed by proximity to this Ark that God "sat" upon (Numbers 10: 14-28). (See also what happened to Uzza in I Chronicles 13:7, 9-10.)

God is God, and He is so grand and glorious, to the extreme, that no person is able to survive too close a proximity to Him without God somehow enabling them (as He did with Moses and Aaron and his sons). I John 4:12 tells us that No man hath seen God at any time, and I Timothy 6:16 says that God is Dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, or can see, in the flesh we live in now. Only after Jesus returns again, and we are Glorified with that New Body that will glow like the Sun, then we will be equipped to see Him as He is (I Corinthians 6:35-58). 

When Jesus fulfilled "all the Law and the Prophets," He also fulfilled all the parts of this Tabernacle and its furniture. He is pictured in every part of it. This Tabernacle shows us what Jesus would accomplish in His Life, Death, and Resurrection. 

God has shown us His whole Plan of the Ages in His Word, and we need to be wholehearted in searching for His Truth, and persevere in digging deeper, in order to gain an understanding of what He is telling us. 

It is a wonderful Plan, and I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of all God is telling us. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Law Of Love

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments. 

In Matthew 5: 17 Jesus tells us, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I've not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 

When Jesus fulfilled the letter of all the Law, it included these Ten Commandments. Now we are not bound to do the very letter of each of these Commandments, but we are to obey the spirit of love that they are all based on. This goes much further than the mere letter of each law, much deeper. 

For instance, not only are we to not commit adultery, but we are to love them and not even look upon another with lust. Not only are we to "do no murder," we are to love them and not even think ill of our neighbor, which is anyone and everyone in the World. 

Even the Sabbath is not a specific day (the letter), but the principle of loving ourselves in taking a day off each week because it restores our own health and well-being, as well as loving God in remembering He is our Creator.

Jesus told us, In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). This is loving others as we love ourselves.

Matthew also tells us: An expert in the Law tested Him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:15-40). The whole body of all the laws, rules, commandments, regulations, precepts, orders, and decrees are all based on Love: our love for God, for ourselves, and for others. 

So if we really love God, our love will constrain us to do what would be loving, and keep us from doing, saying, or even thinking something that would not be loving. This means that we will not be down on ourselves, because God values us greatly. We will not think ill of any other person, because he or she is our neighbor. 

And we will consider our God to be the greatest, most wonderful and amazing Being Who ever was, is, or will ever be. He is good to the extreme, everything He does comes from the Love He is and has for all He has made. 

Even what we would consider negative or even cruel, still comes from Love, in giving sentient beings the consequences of their own free choices, this freedom having been given in order that they might choose wisely instead of foolishly. 

We see His love in being patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance, before the Day of the Lord comes as a thief [when] the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the Earth and everything in it will be burned up (II Peter 2:9-10). 

Anyone who waits for that will be too late, the die will be cast, and their eternity will already be set. God has already waited over two thousand years since Jesus died, rose, and ascended back into Heaven. How much longer do you think He will wait? All the signs He gave for the End are present in our World right now. 

Hebrews 3: 15 tells us, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...

And II Corinthians 6: 2 says, ...I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of Salvation.

How much better to respond to His call today, because every tomorrow is uncertain. We have only right now when we can choose. Let's all choose our God, before our power of choice is over.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Lamb Of God

John 1: 29

The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the World!"

Jesus has been baptized by John, then went into the wilderness for 40 days. Now He's back where John's baptizing, and when John sees Him he proclaims that Jesus is God's Sacrificial Lamb Whose precious Blood will be powerful enough to pay for the sins of everyone in the whole World. Jesus shed God's own Blood, that has eternal value. 

That means that, "the ground is level at the foot of the Cross," and every single person in the whole World has an equal opportunity to accept this verdict of death and let Jesus be their personal Sacrifice.

He also said, the same One Who called me to baptize with water also told me, "the Man on Whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God (John 1:33-34). This is a very strong testimony.

John probably didn't fully understand the full import of what he said here, because when King Herod put him in prison, he sent an inquiry to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One to come (Luke 7:18). So he still had doubts.

But we can know, and recognize Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah that had been promised since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). We can see that He came from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and through the regal line of King David--directly through His legal father, Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16), and through David's other son Nathan through His mother (Luke 3:23-37). 

We can also see that Jesus fulfilled over 400 of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah, and He will fulfill the rest of them when He comes again to reign.

And if you have realized that Jesus suffered the death that you deserve as your personal Sacrifice, then you know that God gave you His Spirit of Truth to live in your spirit, and He is teaching you that all this is True. 

I pray that all who read this humble blog of mine will be called of God to faith in Christ Jesus, even this Christmas season, as you think about the real Reason for the Season.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Jesus, The Rock Of Living Water

Exodus 17: 6

"Behold I will stand before you there on the Rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the Rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of all the elders.

I Corinthians 10:4 tells us that it was a spiritual Rock that followed them in the Desert, and that Rock was Christ. 

Moses was told to strike the Rock, as Jesus was struck down once for all in Crucifixion (Hebrews 10:10-14 & I Peter 3:18), and so much water poured out of it that all those people (millions!) had enough to drink, and water all their animals, as much and more than they all needed.

But when they came back to the Desert of Sin and needed water again, God told Moses to speak to the Rock, because He had already struck it before. But in his anger at the people, he struck it again, twice, and the water still flowed. But Moses had damaged the picture of what Christ would do, and was forbidden to enter the Promised Land with the people (Numbers 20:1-13 & Deuteronomy 34:1-4.) God is serious about our understanding of Who He is and what He does for us.

Jesus is our Source of Life, the life-giving water that we all need. He is sufficient to meet all my needs, even when He uses improbable and impossible sources. Even when I cannot see at all how my needs can be met, He will always come through for me. 

Thank You so much, my dear Father, for sending Your only Son to be my Savior, to be my Lamb of God to take my place in death and cleanse me of all my stains, past, present and future. Thank You so much for loving me even though I know I will never be worthy of You, yet You deem me worth it. You have put such great value on me! And I trust You to keep all Your promises in Your Word, as You will always be true to Yourself.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Cleansed With Blood

Hebrews 9: 22

...All things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

This verse is key to salvation. From the very beginning God taught that something or someone needed to die to cleanse from sin, killing the animals to provide Adam's and Eve's clothing.

Then when Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices, Abel brought a firstling lamb (a blood sacrifice), while Cain offered some of his vegetables (the work of his hands). Abel knew he deserved death, but Cain thought he could work his own way to God, and God did not accept his offering.

Then God gave the Law to codify this concept of a blood sacrifice.

This was God's plan from before the beginning, to send the Second Person of the Godhead to be the Sacrifice to redeem this race of Man. He was the Lord God Who always dealt with Mankind, then He broke into our World by being born as a Man, so He could die for us as the Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice, that would not just cover, but actually wash away every stain of sin, making us pure enough to withstand the very presence of our very God, without burning up. 

Our God is more than we can stand. His being is so intense, a human person would be destroyed in His full presence. "There shall no man see Me, and live" (Genesis 33:20).

When Moses was on the mountain, requesting to see Him, but only seeing His backside, he came back down that mountain with his face glowing. He didn't feel any different, he didn't even know he glowed, until they made him wear a veil. 

When Jesus came the first time, it was to fulfill all the Law, and to be the Final, Perfect Sacrifice for sin. When He died on the Cross, He fulfilled all the sacrificial laws, beginning with the first one, in Leviticus 1. 

This is the first sacrifice every person was required to offer, the personal sacrifice. The individual would bring his own animal to the priest, put his hand on its head (identifying with it), and it would then be slaughtered, offered on the altar, and its blood would be splashed on the sides of the altar. Jesus fulfilled this, His Precious Blood splashed on the sides of His altar, the Cross. He died individually for each one of us, for salvation. We all deserve death, and He took our place, one by one, to pay for our sins.

He also fulfilled the corporate sacrifice, for the Nation, when He bought the whole World; He is now our Owner by Creation and by purchase, our rightful Judge.

Jesus fulfilled over 400 Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah. He will fulfill the rest of them when He returns again, to set up His Kingdom on this Earth, and rule justly for 1000 years.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Reward

Hebrews 11: 24-26

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

Moses had been raised in the palace of Pharaoh, being educated with the best and most cutting-edge knowledge, living in the luxury of royalty, being groomed to be the next Pharaoh, the king over the most advanced super-power of the day.

So what did he do instead? Take off to the back-side of the desert. That's where God found him, to commission him to lead His people out of the slavery they found themselves in, into the land flowing with milk and honey.

This was no easy path. Why did Moses decide to give up all that "good life" and endure "the reproach of Christ" instead? Because his eyes were on the prize. His mother had taught him who he was, as a small child, a toddler. And he remembered what she taught him so early in his life. He may have found "all the treasures of Egypt" to be empty, compared to the glory of the God of his people. 

I would like to know how his mother taught him, that stayed with him and persuaded him of his worth to God and the value of following Him, even through all the hardship, disappointment and sorrow it would entail.

Do I consider "the reproach of Christ" to be worth more than the "treasures of Egypt (the World)"? Would I forego some easy road to embark on the path to righteousness? Would you?

Do I value the Blood of Christ, which was shed for me, to wash away the stain that God sees no more, even though no one else even saw it at all? 

O that I would, like Moses, refuse to indulge myself in the pleasures of this life in order to suffer the trials of taking up my cross following Christ in His path to Calvary! 

That I may set my eyes on the prize of what I cannot see, trusting Who I've not met in the flesh, to do what He has told His prophets to write, trusting what I read there, even when there is no physical evidence! 

But there is historical evidence and archaeological evidence that what God says is true, what He says will happen actually did happen. There is more and more evidence all the time. 

But the evidence isn't what convinced me--it was that God found me, showed me Jesus on His Cross, and I knew He took my place in death. I deserved it, He didn't. That's how much God loved me, even though I was living my life against what I knew to be His standards. 

Even when I was His enemy, God loved me anyway. And He made me His own daughter that day. Since then, I've learned so much, gained so much knowledge and wisdom from studying His Word, and I love Him so much I sometimes think my heart will burst.

His love is deeper, higher, larger, warmer, truer, more longer-lasting and unconditional than I can ever think or imagine. He is God! My Lord God Almighty, Who is and was and is to come, unchangeable. 

Dear reader, do you know this Love? Can you depend on this Lord to hold you in His hand? Have you ever curled up in His lap? Have you been cuddled in His arms?

He loves you as He loves me; as passionately as a newlywed groom is enamored with his new bride on their wedding night. 

Come to Him, let Him take your death on His Cross, and be cleansed, saved from the power of sin in your life, and redeemed to be wedded to Him and rule with Him in His Kingdom when He returns to this Earth, soon.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The Lord's Power And Authority

Exodus 14: 31

And when Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.

God had shown His great power not only against the Egyptians, but also for Israel, in parting the Sea, giving them dry ground to walk on with the water standing as a wall on both sides of them as they passed through. In one night the sea-bed dried out. 

But when the Egyptian army came into that path, it got so soggy for them that their chariot wheels were mired in it. Then the Sea came back over them, as it had been before; the walls of water collapsed! What a dramatic picture!

I think it was even grander than Cecil B. DeMille showed it in his old movie. The best stories have always come from God's Word.

And the people gained a great reverential respect (fear) for the Lord and His power and authority, and all their doubts left as their faith grew. And they trusted Moses as God's spokesman.

God did everything He could for His people, and won them over. But how temporary their faith turned out to be.

God has always gone to extraordinary lengths on our behalf. His love for us has to be so far beyond anything we can imagine, to have taken such wonderful care to show Himself to His people over and over again throughout all of human history on this Earth. 

From walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden, to all the miracles and prophesies in the past, culminating in sending His only Son to be with us where we are, in order to complete the work necessary to cleanse us and make us fit and suitable and able to be with Him where He is with the Father. And giving us His own Spirit of Truth to live in our spirits, making them alive, to keep us faithful to Him, so we have no excuse for backsliding. 

Now all the glory, all the credit for everything that is done, and all the praise and honor and riches belong only to Him, our Lord God Almighty, Creator and Maker and owner of everything that exists. And having purchased for Himself all that is under the curse, to judge and remake it all finally perfect for all eternity.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!