AM Feb 4th Matt 24

February 4^th Matthew 24 (The Prophesy of the King) The Destruction of the Temple

1: And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2: And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The time of the end

3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8: All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The end comes

15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23: Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25: Behold, I have told you before. 26: Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27: For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28: For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

In this passage we have one of the most remarkable prophecies in scripture. The Lord tells the excited disciples that the Temple will be destroyed and so they come back to him with two questions. The second question has two parts. Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? The first thing Christ says is don’t be deceived. Because there will be many false Christ’s that will come and lead many astray. There will be local wars but don’t be troubled by these things this is not the end. These are just the beginning of sorrows. Christ is here speaking to the disciples as Apostles to Israel. He speaks of persecutions and hatred which they will experience in every nation that they take the Gospel of the Kingdom to. However the Apostles will be persecuted in every nation that they go to. Those who endure to the end of these times will be saved from its judgments. Christ says this gospel of the kingdom (Which they had preached) would be preached unto all nations. And only then will the end come. The end is the defilement of the Temple by the Antichrist who will set up an image of himself in the temple. This is the Abomination of desolations which Daniel spoke of. When they see this they are to flee to the mountains. Christ says, Pray that your flight be not in the winter or on a Sabbath day. Christ is speaking about the Jews of the Tribulation. Because there will break upon the world a great tribulation, so great that no flesh would survive. Christ then speaks about his coming in a way that can never be counterfeited. It will be like the sun shining from the east to the west. It will be a coming in great power and glory.

In this passage something imediately becomes apparent. Theres no Rapture! Christ is speaking to the Apostles who are the messengers of God to Israel. He speaks about the terrible days that they will live though which we have recorded in the Acts which will lead to the destruction of the temple. But then without a break the Lord speaks of the events of the last week of Daniels seventy weeks. The Tribulation. The Lord speaks as if there is no break in time. We now know looking back that an interegnum fell between these great events which has so far extended for 2000 years. It is the dispensation of the Grace of God - the times in which we now live.

• What is the context of this prophecy of Christ?
• What are the main events that Christ predicts?
• What does Christ mean by the end?

PM Feb 3rd Exo 34

February 3^rd Exodus 34 The new tablets of stone

1: And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. 2: And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. 3: And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. 4: And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. 5: And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 8: And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 9: And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Moses - face to face with God

10: And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 11: Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12: Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 15: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods , and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; 16: And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. 17: Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. 18: The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. 19: All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. 20: But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. 21: Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. 22: And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. 23: Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. 24: For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. 25: Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning. 26: The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. 27: And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 28: And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. 29: And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 30: And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. 31: And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. 32: And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33: And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34: But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35: And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Exodus 35 The Sabbath

1: And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them. 2: Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 3: Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Collecting the materials

4: And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, 5: Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, 6: And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 7: And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 8: And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, 9: And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. 10: And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded; 11: The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets, 12: The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering, 13: The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread, 14: The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light, 15: And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle, 16: The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 17: The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18: The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, 19: The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. 20: And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21: And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. 22: And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. 23: And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. 24: Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD's offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it. 25: And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 26: And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. 27: And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28: And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 29: The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. 30: And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31: And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32: And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33: And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34: And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35: Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Today we read of the Lord instructing Moses to cut new stone tablets on which the Lord will write again the commandments. Then we read that Moses is allowed to go up the mountain alone to meet God face to face. The Lord then gives specific instruction regarding the keeping of the Sabbath and then the people go about collecting materials for the service of the Lord. But first Moses is invited to ascend the mountain alone. And Moses interceded for Israel. The Lord told Moses that he was going to do marvels that men will consider to be terrible. He warns Moses of the seriousness of his judgments and that Israel is never to make peace with the Canaanites. Israel is to worship the Lord in the feast of unleavened bread and the whole nation is to be holy before the Lord. In this passage we have a complete description of the obligations of the Lord to Israel and this forms a basis for understanding OT Theology. Moses wrote all the commandments of the Lord and he worked and fasted for 40 days and nights. When Moses came down from the mountain he was not aware that his face shone with the glory of the covenant. However when he knew it he covered his face while the glory faded. Moses stood before the elders of the people and told them all the obligations of the law. Next we have an interesting passage in that it is a repeat of the passage we had before where the children of Israel gathered all the materials that were needed for the construction of the Tabernacle and we have a description of those men who were especially gifted and skilled to do work that was way beyond their natural ability. It’s interesting that in the writings of Moses often there will be the overview of a narrative and then a retelling of the narrative in much more detail.

• Why were new Tablets of stone needed?
• What was it like for Moses to see the Lord face to face?
• What were the responsibilities of Israel to their covenant God?

AM Feb 3rd Matt 23

February 3^rd Matthew 23 Christ condemns leaders

1: Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2: Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4: For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6: And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7: And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8: But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9: And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10: Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11: But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13: But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16: Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17: Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18: And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19: Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20: Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21: And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22: And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24: Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26: Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30: And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31: Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32: Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33: Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34: Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36: Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Christ weeps for Jerusalem

37: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39: For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Christ gives a general warning regarding the religious leaders of his day. He says they are, all talk but no action. They are uncaring; they are full of self importance. They love prestige. They love being called Rabbi. They make it difficult for men to enter the Kingdom. They play at religion. They are greedy for money that should be given to the poor. They are blind yet they insist on leading the blind. They are twisted in their thinking. They think only of little things but ignore the big things. They are petty. They are full of wickedness while pretending to be holy. They are like whitewashed tombs which look all clean outside but inside they stink. They glory in their heritage yet they confess themselves to be the sons of murderers. They are snakes. They are guilty of murder. They are waiting the judgment of God. What a warning Christ gives.

• What were the religious leaders of Christs day like?
• How might we avoid being like them today?
• How did Christ feel for his capitol city and the people there?

PM Feb 2nd Exo 31

February 2^nd Exodus 31 Bezaleel filled with the Holy Spirit

1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4: To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5: And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. 6: And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; 7: The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, 8: And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, 9: And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, 10: And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office, 11: And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

Sabbaths are to be observed

12: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13: Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 14: Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15: Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16: Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17: It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. 18: And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exodus 32 The Golden Calf

1: And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2: And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3: And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4: And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5: And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6: And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7: And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9: And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 11: And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12: Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14: And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. 15: And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16: And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 17: And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 18: And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. 19: And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 20: And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. 21: And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 22: And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23: For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 24: And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. 25: And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) 26: Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27: And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28: And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29: For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. 30: And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31: And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32: Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -- ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33: And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34: Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. 35: And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

Exodus 33 The Tabernacle set up

1: And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: 2: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 3: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. 4: And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5: For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 6: And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 7: And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 8: And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9: And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10: And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 11: And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 12: And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13: Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14: And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15: And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16: For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 17: And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18: And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19: And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20: And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21: And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

In today’s Bible reading we see not only the importance of having knowledge but the necessity of divine enabling. Its one thing to know how to serve the Lord and what to do but quite another thing to have the divine empowering from the Holy Spirit to do it. We also see that Israel had the obligation of keeping the Sabbaths of the Lord. Even while Moses is up the mountain we find that the good intension of keeping the law fails in the energy of the flesh and even stoops to idolatry. Moses then comes down the mountain and brings the necessary discipline to Israel and Israel finally sets up the Tabernacle of meeting. But first we see that Bezaleel is filled with the Holy Spirit to give him the gifts and skill to do something that is completely beyond human ability. We must never forget that Divine service must be carried out in divine power. Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise clever ways of working, to work in gold, silver and brass. And in cutting stones and setting them in carved timber and the Lord gave him helpers like Aholiab. Then Moses is instructed to tell the Children of Israel that they are to keep the Sabbaths. (Notice it is not Sabbath singular but Sabbaths plural.) When the Lord had finished instructing Moses he gave him the two tablets of stone. While Moses was in the mountain the people gathered together to Aaron to tell him that they wanted to return to the Bull worship which they were familiar with in Egypt. Its amazing how fickle men are in the flesh. Aaron ordered the making of a golden calf out of the ear rings of the women and men of Israel. This was outright spiritual adultery. Aaron then proclaimed this Idol to be their god and celebrated a feast of the Lord to this abomination. The people disgraced themselves by offering sacrifices to it and peace offerings and the people feasted and then degenerated into a drunken orgy of sexual immorality. Then the Lord told Moses to get up quickly because the people had corrupted themselves. The Site of the Golden calf is still seen today in Southern Saudi Arabia. The Lord said to Moses let me destroy these people and l will make a great nation out of you. But Moses pleaded for Israel and the Lord relented. When Joshua (who was with Moses) hear the noise of shouting in the camp he thought it was the sound of war. When Moses saw the golden calf and the dancing he broke the tablets of stone in his righteous anger. He destroyed the image and burnt it and threw it onto water and made the children of Israel drink it. When Moses saw the people naked he was angry at their shame. So Moses called on the people to make a decision as to who was going to be on the Lords side. The sons of Levi gathered to his side and he led them in a great slaughter. Three thousand men fell by the sword and the fear of the Lord came on the people. Then Moses said set yourselves apart and cleanse yourselves and l will go and offer an atonement for you before the Lord. He then went and pleaded before the Lord offering his own life for the life of the people. Yet the Lord continued to visit judgment on the people for their sin. Eventually Israel is ready to set up the Tabernacle. First the Lord reminds Moses of where the whole story began. And he described them as obstinate and wayward. The people mourned and it was right they should. When the tabernacle was set up it was outside the camp. When the Lord came down to this world nobody knew him and they cast him out wherever he went and eventually he was crucified out side the city walls. The writer to the Hebrews said, Let us go forth unto him – outside the camp. When Moses went to the Tabernacle the Pillar of cloud descended and he spoke to the LORD face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses said to the LORD if you are not going to go with us then do not let us go into the land. Then Moses asked that he might see the LORD and the Lord reminded him that no man can see the LORD and live. However he did allow his goodness to pass before him and he proclaimed the name of the LORD before him And he promised to be gracious and merciful. Then the Lord put Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed by and Moses saw the back of the Lord as he passed by but he did not see the face of God.

• Why was the filling of the Spirit important?
• What was the golden calf?
• What did the Lord intend to do after Israels great sin?

AM Feb 2nd Matt 22

February 2^nd The Resurrection

23: The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24: Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25: Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27: And last of all the woman died also. 28: Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30: For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31: But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33: And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

The important commandment

34: But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35: Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38: This is the first and great commandment. 39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

David’s Lord

40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41: While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42: Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43: He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45: If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46: And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

The Sadducees thought that they would tangle Christ in a question that is so difficult to answer that he would be silenced. A man dies without children so his brother marries his wife in order to raise up children to his brothers name. He also dies and so it goes on and on until all seven brothers had her to wife. Last of all she dies. So they say, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Christ answers you are making a mistake you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. He says in the resurrection there will be no marriage. Nobody is married in the Kingdom. And they don’t realise that God is not the God of dead people He is God of the living not God of the dead. Therefore Abraham Isaac and Jacob are going to be raised from the dead. When the people heard this they were astounded. They had never heard such clear speaking and such authority in debate. And they were used to debate. Next the Pharisees and Sadducees joined forces to try to catch Christ out. So a teacher of the Law stands up to ask what the greatest commandment is. The religious leaders could never decide which was more important than another. Christ simply does not say which is the greatest but he divides the whole 613 commandments into just two groups and then shows that the first group could be described as Loving God with the whole being and the second would be summarised as - to love our neighbour as ourselves. One these two commandments the whole of OT scripture is summarised! The people had no response to his answer. Then Christ decides to ask a question of his own. He asks what do you think of Christ. Whose son is he? They answer Son of David. Ok says Christ if the Messiah is the Son of David – a man. Then why does he call him his Lord? If he is David’s LORD (Jehovah God) how can he be his son (in the flesh)? Everyone was dumbfounded by the question. And nobody asked him any more questions. This is ‘The Son of David’ - Solomon at his best. The wisest man who ever lived was Solomon but a great than Solomon was here.

• Why did the Saducees bring this difficult question to Christ?
• What question did the Pharisees bring?
• What question does Christ himself bring?

PM Feb 1st Exo 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 Feb 1st Matt 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?