Divine Worship part 2
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Desert Wonderings:
A Study of Exodus
30 Devine Worship part 2 “Approaching God”
Michael Wiley
September 07, 2008
Exodus 25-27, 36-37
Introduction:
Different ways religions use to approach their god?
Transition:
God had chosen the Levites (A tribe of
The priest was to minister before God (Ex. 28:1) on behalf of the people (Heb. 5:1,2).
God chose Levi’s family because they were a perfect family (NOT)
Would we have chosen LEVI'S FAMILY to occupy this place of honor.
Remember in Gen 49, after their sister Dinah had been raped by Shechem, Levi and his bro. Simeon went into the Shechemite camp and killed everyone. Jacob later cursed them for their anger and fury
God seemed to choose a stream of not so perfect people to do His work.
IL. I stopped into 3 stars to pick up a pizza a couple of weeks ago, and was talking with one of the drivers.
He asked about a prince he had read about one that gave his wife to a king telling him she was his sister.
I knew he was either talking about Abraham or his son Isaac. They both did it with king Abimelech.
He asked, Why would a so-called man of God do that?
The good news for us all is God chose fallen people who were prone to sin, to do his work
If the tribe of Levi had to be perfect they would have never been chosen (nor any of the tribes).
If God demanded some standard of fitness on our part to be eligible for salvation, none of us could be saved.
We can celebrate the fact that “God uses broken people”
Admit your brokenness
Put your hope in God
Aaron The 4 great grandson of Levi was chosen as High Priest.
Review the courtyard – sacrifice, Laver show the second slide while here
Priest then twice a day enters into the holy place.
Table of His Presence or “Bread of the presence” Show the third slide here
3 ft. long, 1 ½ ft. wide, about 2 ½ ft. high
12 loaves of bread – one each for the 12 tribes of
4 containers of pure gold
1. Plate foe the bread
2. Pan of pure Frankincense
3. Pitcher for the wine offering
4. Bowl to pour the wince in -------- all of pure gold
Lamp-stand
On the south side of the altar of incense stood the candlestick or lampstand. Exodus 26:35 The candlestick was overlaid with pure beaten gold. It was decorated with almonds and flowers which made it the most ornate of all the furnishings of the Tabernacle. The utensils such as the snuffers, oil vessels and dishes were all made of gold. There were six branches, three protruding arms from each side and seven lamps which burned pure olive oil. The people must bring a sacrifice of oil in order that the lamps might burn. The lampstand burned within the
Aaron would light the lamps in the evening and extinguish them in the morning. Exodus 30:8
It symbolizes the perfection (7 lamps) with which God's Old Testament people must shine forth before Him as enabled by the oil of the Holy Spirit causing its light to shine in the darkness of this world. Zechariah 4:2-6 The shining forth indirectly results in the praise of God.
The typology can be found in the present day as light and truth that radiates from the heart of the consecrated Christian, through Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:14; John 8:12
Show fourth Slide Here
We know what this looked like because of The Arch of Titus – remembering the
Show the Fifth Slide here
Table of Incense
In the middle of the Holy place before the veil stood the Altar of Incense. This was similar in construction to the Brazen Altar but smaller and overlaid with gold, instead of brass. It was one cubit square and two cubits height. The priest would place incense on this altar to burn as a sweet smelling offering to the Lord both morning and evening. The fire was taken from the bronze altar. No animal sacrifices were performed on this altar. Once a year on the Day of Atonement the blood of the sin offering was placed on the horns of the Altar. Exodus 30:10 This was in preparation for the priest entering into the Holy of Holies. The symbolical and typological meaning of the altar is to be found in the believer's communion with God in prayer.
Luke 1 tells us, It was at this altar that Zechariah was visited by an Angel. The angel told him that his barren wife Elizabeth was going to have a son (John). Luke 1:10
High Priest would enter the “Most Holy” place once a year
Show sixth slide here
Explain Day of Atonement
Still today, the most important day in the religious calendar of
On that day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle (or temple) to atone for the sins of all
Although many additional rites were added over the centuries, the basic description of the original Day of Atonement is Leviticus 16.
First, the high priest removed his official garments, made for beauty and glory, and clothed himself in white linen as a symbol of repentance as he went about the duties of the day.
Next, he offered a bull calf as a sin offering for the priests and himself.
That done, he entered the Holy of Holies with a censer of live coals from the altar of incense, filling the area with incense. He sprinkled the calf’s blood on the mercy seat and on the floor before the ark of the covenant.
Then he cast lots over two live goats brought by the people. He killed one of the goats as a sin offering for the nation, taking the blood inside the veil and sprinkling it as before, thus atoning even for the
He confessed the sins of the nation over the live goat as he placed his hands on its head. Finally he sent the live goat, called the scapegoat (i.e., the escape goat), into the wilderness. Symbolically it carried away the sins of the people.
Then the high priest clothed himself in his usual apparel and offered a burnt offering for himself and one for the people with the fat of the sin offering. Outside the camp the flesh of the bull calf and goat was burned.
Our Journey – in, bread of life, prayers to God, light of the world – let your light shine…
Conclusion:
Christ Died – curtain torn from top to bottom – giving us direct access to God through Christ’s blood
[1]Elwell, Walter A. ; Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary.
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