PM February 1st Exodus 29

February 1^st Exodus 29

The Dedication of Aaron & sons

1: And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, 2: And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. 3: And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. 4: And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. 5: And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: 6: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. 7: Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. 8: And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. 9: And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons. 10: And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock. 11: And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 12: And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. 13: And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar. 14: But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering. 15: Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. 16: And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar. 17: And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head. 18: And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 19: And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. 20: Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. 21: And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. 22: Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration: 23: And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD: 24: And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25: And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 26: And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part. 27: And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: 28: And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD. 29: And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. 30: And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place. 31: And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place. 32: And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 33: And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. 34: And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35: And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. 36: And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. 37: Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

Two lambs offered every day

38: Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. 39: The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: 40: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. 41: And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 42: This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. 43: And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 44: And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. 45: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46: And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Exodus 30 The Altar of incense

1: And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 2: A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 3: And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 4: And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 5: And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 6: And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7: And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8: And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 9: Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10: And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. 11: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12: When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 13: This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 14: Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 15: The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 16: And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

The brass Laver

17: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 18: Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 19: For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 20: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: 21: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

How to make the oil of anointing

22: Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23: Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24: And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. 26: And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 27: And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28: And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 29: And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 30: And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 31: And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32: Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 33: Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

How to make the Incense

34: And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: 35: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37: And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. 38: Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

In today’s reading we have a numbers of passages that every servant of the Lord would do well to take special attention of. Moses describes the dedication of Aaron and his sons for the service of the sanctuary. Three things are specifically mentioned. Their daily offering of two lambs which speak of a double appreciation of the atoning work of Christ. Then we have the altar of incense which speak of the life lived in the presence of God which is a sweet smell to God and last we have the importance of cleansing in the service of God. Whenever a priest entered into divine service it became a necessity that he came and washed and served God with clean hands. And so we have the emphasis of a full worship and appreciation of the work of Christ, prayer and forgiveness as being the cornerstones of serving in the sanctuary. Then Moses describes the importance of the secret procedure for making anointing oil and incense. Both of these things were secret because it was important that these produced were known and used only for the service of the Lord. And this brings to us the sanctity of worship and ordination. In a world that wants to know everything it is important to know that some things are secrets between the servant and his Lord. One of the things that becomes apparent from this passage is that the priests of Israel were chosen by the Lord. Nobody was self appointed and there fell up these men very great responsibilities which most men neither wanted to take or feared taking. It was a fearful thing to enter into the service of the Lord. If a priest forgot to wash or offered an incorrect sacrifice he died on the threshold of the door of the tabernacle. This was a very serious business indeed. In this passage Moses describes the anointing of the priests of the LORD. It was involved, it was done in great reverence and these men of God were dedicated to holiness before the Lord. Oh that men today who think of entering divine service might have the same reverence and dedication. Such was the state of the world that every thing, item and product had to be cleansed and atoned for to make men acceptable to approach the Lord. This was no part time occupation. There were two offerings made before the LORD every day and both of them point forward to the work of Christ. And so the priest at 9am and 3pm started and finished his service with a continual remembrance of the essential need for Christ’s atoning work. Then after the morning sacrifice there was the continual duty of offering incense before the Lord. Right at the beginning of Christ’s work John spoke of the work of Christ saying that he was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. And then the work of Christ starts in earnest with a declaration from heaven that the life of Christ was something that the Father was pleased with and so his life was a life of prayer and devotion - that was an sweet smell to his God. However in the life of Christ there was no need for a feature that answered to the laver. Never did Christ have to come before His Father for cleansing. Christ is himself the one who cleanses his people. Christ is the laver. Moses describes the altar of incense describing how it is made and what it is made of. The altar of incense was also the place were every man made his offering and the rich and poor offered exactly the same amount. This reminds us that the price for the redemption of every soul is exactly the same. Next Moses describes the making and service of the laver. It was effectively a huge bath where the Priests washed their hands and there feet. Their feet was what had brought them in contact with the earth and the hands had brought them into contact with divine things. Both needed cleansing. Those that didn’t wash - died before the Lord. How serious a matter it is to come into the presence of the Lord. Next Moses describes the method and details of making the anointing oil. Suffice to say that in the text there is not enough information to actually copy this secret thing. Those who actually or tried to copy it died before the Lord. There are certain things that are most holy. Next Moses describes the making of the special incense that was burnt before the Lord continually. Again the art of the apothecary was a very strictly guarded secret. Those who tied to copy it or who burned strange incense before the Lord died where they stood. With the advent of ‘how to do this and that’, How to be a Pastor or How to Pray etc etc, let us remember that something’s are sacred and never to revealed to common men. What a man is on his knees is a very sacred thing between him and his God.

• Why was it important to dedicate the Sons of Aaron to the priesthood?
• What is revealed in this passage to be the purpose of the Tabernacle?
• Why was the incense of the Tabernacle so special?

AM February 1st Matthew 22

February 1^st Matthew 22

The wedding banquet

1: And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3: And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4: Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7: But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8: Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9: Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10: So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11: And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13: Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14: For many are called, but few are chosen.

Christ and taxes

15: Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16: And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17: Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18: But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19: Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20: And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21: They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22: When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

This parable of Christ is prophetic in the sense that it is regarding the coming kingdom In this parable it describes the ministry of the John, Christ His Apostles and the Tribulation saints. The judgment is possibly the destruction of Jerusalem. The Invitation of the King is all of his provision. He provides everything and the call is come for all things are now ready. Christ also describes the situation of a man who creeps in but has no wedding garment. He is bound hand and foot and cast out of the house where there is all darkness and weeping. The Pharisees try to entangle Christ but asking a trick question to which they think there is no answer. They ask, Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar? Which ever way Christ answers they think they have got him. If he says yes then he is betraying his Jewish heritage. If he says no they he is betraying himself to the Roman authorities. He calls them actors who show a false face but secretly seek to trap him. He says Show me the tribute money. Then Christ asks whose this picture is? They say Caesars. Then says give back to Caesar his own money and give to God what is his. The people were amazed.

• What is the main point of this parable of the Kingdom?
• What was tricky about the question of the Pharisees?
• How did Christ answer them?

PM January 31st Exodus 26

January 31^st Exodus 26

The Tabernacle

1: Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. 2: The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3: The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. 4: And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5: Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. 6: And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle. 7: And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8: The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9: And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10: And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11: And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12: And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13: And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14: And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins. 15: And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. 16: Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. 17: Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18: And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19: And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20: And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 21: And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22: And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23: And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24: And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25: And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 26: And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27: And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 28: And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29: And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30: And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 31: And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33: And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34: And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 35: And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36: And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 37: And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 27 The Altar for burnt offering

1: And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2: And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3: And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4: And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. 5: And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. 6: And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7: And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8: Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

The Tabernacle curtains

9: And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: 10: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11: And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 12: And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. 13: And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. 14: The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15: And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16: And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. 17: All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass. 18: The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. 19: All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. 20: And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 21: In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Exodus 28 The Priests clothes

1: And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 2: And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. 3: And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 4: And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 5: And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 6: And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. 7: It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8: And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9: And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10: Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11: With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12: And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13: And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14: And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches. 15: And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16: Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 17: And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18: And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19: And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20: And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21: And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 22: And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 23: And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24: And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 25: And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. 26: And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. 27: And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 28: And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod. 29: And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30: And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. 31: And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32: And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent. 33: And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 34: A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35: And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not. 36: And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37: And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. 38: And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39: And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework. 40: And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41: And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

In today’s Bible reading Moses continues to record the instructions he receives from the Lord regarding the building of the Tabernacle of meeting. This time he describes the main construction of the timber framework which is overlaid with coverings and curtains. Then Moses describes the Altar for the burnt offerings then the Tabernacle curtains and finally the clothes of the priests. The description that Moses starts with are very specific and detailed. The first thing is ten curtains of fine twisted linen with pictures embroidered into them depicting cherubims made of threads of blue purple and scarlet. These curtains were carried separately yet they were very carefully joined together when it was time to set up the tabernacle. These curtains were covered up by other curtains made of badger skins. Next Moses describes the construction of boards that when fixed together form the shape of the Tabernacle. They were very long and had tenons on the bottom fitting into sockets of silver. They were coupled in the dust and coupled up very high. Like believers they are coupled in the dust and coupled in heaven. The boards were joined top, middle and bottom by bars that ran through the boards. Then a veil was made to separate between the Most holy place and the holy place. Next the Lord describes the making of the Altar of burnt offering. This was effectively a very large timber b-b-q. Made of hollowed out timber frame but overlaid with copper. The copper protected the timber from burning. It was square. Five cubits square and three cubits high. It was high enough to burn a whole bull. There were lots of implements made for its service. The altar had rings and staves for moving it. Next the Lord turns to the making of the curtains that surrounded the courtyard. It created a huge area for the service of the Lord. All of these items are hugely significant yet we must not get hung up on them and remember that they all point to Christ. Then the Lord gave instructions for the making of the priestly and high priestly garments. There were certain people of the children of Israel who were specially gifted to make these things. The high priestly garments were for glory and beauty. The high priest’s garments were truly amazing. They were woven with gold thread. On the shoulders of the high priest were two onyx stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes, six on one and six on the other. Aaron bore on his shoulders the names of the children of Israel. When the Lord Jesus appears before his father in heaven as our high priest he bears our names on his shoulders. Next the Lord describes the making of a breast plate which contains twelve precious stones on which are engraved the names of the twelve tribes. Inside the breastplate were the Urim and Thummim. These were used as lots for determining the will of the Lord. Around the hem of his robes were bells and models of pomegranates. These speak of joy and fruitfulness. The high priest was to bear on his headdress a golden plate on which was written ‘Holiness to the LORD’. All of these things prevented the high priest and his sons to not die before the Lord.

• Make a list of some of the other features of the construction of the Tabernacle.
• How did the Lord provide the skill to do the very difficult work in making certain aspects of the Tabernacle?
• Describe the clothing for the High Priest.

AM January 31st Matthew 21

January 31^st Matthew 21

Christ enters Jerusalem

1: And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2: Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3: And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4: All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6: And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7: And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8: And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9: And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10: And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11: And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Christ cleanses the temple

12: And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13: And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14: And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15: And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16: And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17: And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

Christ and the fig tree

18: Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19: And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20: And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21: Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Christ’s authority

23: And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24: And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25: The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26: But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27: And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

The two sons

28: But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29: He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30: And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31: Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32: For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

The vineyard

33: Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35: And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36: Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37: But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38: But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39: And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40: When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41: They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42: Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43: Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44: And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45: And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46: But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

We come to the eventful day of Christ glorious entrance into Jerusalem. The disciples are sent to fetch an ass and a colt upon which Christ sat to ride into Jerusalem. As Christ descended the Mount of Olives and entered the Great city the people came together to welcome him. Who gathered the people? And why did they hail him as the Messiah. No doubt they were led and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Christ entered into the Temple to inspect it. Finding the Temple effectively turned into a market with all the associated debris, filth and corruption. Christ heals the sick and answers the complaint of the religious leaders that peopling are calling him the Christ. At the end of the Day Christ spent the night at Bethany. On his return he sees a fig tree but finds no figs. Christ curses the tree and it withers. The tree is symbolic of Israel Christ came looking for fruit but finding none. When Christ is teaching in the Temple the Jewish leaders demand to know by what authority he teaches the people. Christ simply asks what authority John the Baptist had. This throws them into consternation. How can they answer? They give no answer and so Christ also gives no answer. Christ gives the Parable of the two sons. One was full of talk but no follow through, but the other initially refused but went after he had thought about it. The question was, ‘Who did the Will of the Father’? In other words who did what was right? Who was righteous? Answer - The one who obeyed. How unlike the NT believers are they righteous because they do what is right? No, they are righteous because they put their faith in the one who did right. Again Christ gives another parable regarding Israel in which he uses the image of the vineyard. How pathetic are the words, Last of all he sent his Son, saying, ‘They will reverence my Son’. Christ asks, ‘What will the owner of the vineyard do? They respond by stating the judgment of God that will fall on them. (Which came in AD 70) the passage is full of the most terrible warnings to Israel. The religious leaders want to take Christ but they are afraid of the People.

• What was the significance of Christs entry into Jerusalem in this way?
• What is the significance of cleasing the temple?
• What is the Parable of the vineyard about?

PM January 30th Exodus 24

January 30^th Exodus 24

The Covenant of Israel

1: And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2: And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3: And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. 4: And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5: And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. 6: And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7: And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8: And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. 9: Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 10: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. 11: And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

The tablets of stone

12: And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. 13: And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. 14: And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. 15: And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. 16: And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17: And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18: And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 25 E. The Tabernacle Offerings of goods

1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3: And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4: And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5: And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6: Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7: Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8: And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9: According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

10: And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11: And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12: And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13: And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14: And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15: The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16: And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17: And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18: And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19: And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20: And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21: And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22: And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

The Table of the Showbread

23: Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24: And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25: And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26: And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27: Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28: And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29: And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30: And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me always.

The Lampstand

31: And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32: And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33: Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34: And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35: And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36: Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37: And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38: And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39: Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40: And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

In today’s reading we have the Lord entering into covenant with Israel as a nation. We have the giving of the Mosaic law and we have the beginning of the instructions to the children of Israel regarding the construction of the Tabernacle of meeting. Starting with the furniture which was in the most holy place the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread and the lampstand. First the LORD entered into Covenant with his people the children of Israel. The Lord called Moses Aaron, His sons the priests and seventy elders (The judges) of Israel and they stood afar off but Moses drew near to the Lord. When Moses recounted all the laws of the Lord and his judgments the people answered with one voice. They promised to keep the words of the Lord in doing them. Then Moses built an altar and set up twelve pillars – one for each tribe and the priests offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. Moses took the blood and sprinkled half of it on the altar and half of it on the people. Then Moses took the book of the covenant and read it to all the people and again they promised to keep the whole law. Then all the leaders of the people drew near and saw the Lord. Then the Lord called on Moses and Joshua his servant to come up the mountain and there the Lord gave him stone tablets on which were written with the finger of god the Commandments. Moses was in the mountain for 40 days and nights. Then the Lord instructed Moses to tell the people to bring a freewill offering to the Lord. And these offerings became the basis of the materials for the constructing of the tabernacle. They brought gold, silver, brass. Cloth that was blue, purple scarlet and fine white linen. They brought goat hair cloth, rams skins dyed red, badgers skins and shittim wood. They brought oil for light spices for making the anointing oil and for incense. They brought precious stones. Then the Lord gave careful detailed instructions regarding the making of the Ark of the Covenant. Its interesting that the Lord begins with the Ark and then goes progressively outward to the people and then finally describes how Israel is able to draw near to the Lord. The ark or box was 2½ cubits long, 1 cubit deep and 1 ½ cubits high. It was made of wood and overlaid with gold. There were four rings to carry it and staves in the rings to lift it. On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat. It was a little longer and deeper than the ark itself. On the mercy seat there wee two models of cherubim facing each other from each end. This was the place where the LORD met with his people. The next item of furniture was a table on which was placed loaves of bread. The table was 2 cubits long, 1 cubit deep and 1½ cubits high. It had a rim going around it to prevent the bread from falling off the top. It was made of shittim wood overlaid with gold. It also had rings and staves for lifting it. There were also dishes, spoons covers and bowels made of pure gold. The third item of furniture in the holy place was the lampstand. This was made of pure gold beaten together (not cast) No height is given but it had seven branches altogether, three on either side. The whole thing was covered in significant ornament. Included in this item were instruments for tending it. All of these items speak of Christ. The mercy seat was the place where God met men. We know that Christ himself is the meeting place between God and men. It was made of that which grew on earth and contained the Law of God, yet it was covered by gold speaking of his deity and protected by angelic beings. The table spoke of Christ in that he is the one who feeds the souls of men and the lampstand speaks of Christ who brings light to all.

• What was the Covenant that Israel entered into with Jehovah?
• What was going to be the purpose of the Tabernacle of meeting?
• Describe the Ark of the Covenant, the table of shewbread and the Lampstand. 

January 30th Matthew 20

January 30^th

Christ will die and rise again

17: And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19: And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

A mother’s ambition

20: Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21: And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22: But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23: And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24: And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25: But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26: But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27: And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Christ heals two blind men

29: And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30: And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31: And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32: And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33: They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34: So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

The Lord Jesus explains very clearly what was going to happen to him at Jerusalem yet the Disciples could not accept or comprehend that he was going to the Cross. There are some people that say that what Christ preached is the same as we preach today – this cannot be the case. John the Baptist, Christ and the Apostles never preached the Cross of Christ. Now we know that nobody can preach the Gospel today without preaching the Cross. Paul states that the Gospel is, ‘that Christ died for our sins was buried and rose again according to the scriptures’. What Christ and the Apostles preached throughout the cities of Israel was the glad tidings of the coming Kingdom. This is very different to the Gospel of the grace of God. Faith in Christ’s atoning work was never preached before the cross. The men of old did not even imagine such a thing. Next we have the interesting case of the Mother of Zebedee’s children. She comes to Christ asking that her sons might sit next to Christ in the Kingdom. Christ says you do not realise what you are asking. Then he says will you be baptised with the baptism that l will suffer – The execution of crucifixion. They say yes – not knowing what they are saying. Christ says yes you will. However to sit on my right and left is not mine to give, but it will be given of my Father to whom he wills. This little passage shows the Father to be a separate person to Christ and one who has a separate will and determination. Those who say that there is only one God and this one God is Jesus, are quite wrong. Christ now uses this opportunity to teach the proper relations between brethren. Christ contrasts the dominion which is exercised over men by the princes of this world. Christ says very clearly this shall not be so among you. In fact, Christ says the one who is great is your servant. Christ says it’s even like this will me l did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life. As they were leaving Jericho for the long upward journey west to Jerusalem, from the Jordan valley. Two blind men called out for healing, (It would be their last chance) they called Him Lord – Son of David. They knew he was the Messiah. Christ never left the road but called them to him. Their eyes were opened and the first thing they saw was Jesus and they followed him.

• What did Christ actually say was going to happen to him at Jerusalem?
• What did the mother of Zebedee's children ask of Christ? And what was the antidote to ambition like this?
• Who does Jesus meet on the way up to Jerusalem?