“And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel,
that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an
issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female
shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they
defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. And the
children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the
LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.” (Numbers
5:1-4)
Good
morning. God told Israel to remove every leper, every one that has an
issue, and whoever is defiled by the dead from the camp. Why? That
they defile not their camps where God dwells.
“Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of
the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.” (2Corinthians 6:14-18)
It
may seem unfair for a loving God to have these people removed from
the camp, but God is not willing that any should perish. If their
condition changed, they would be allowed back in camp. Leviticus
chapters 13-14 instruct the priest and the leper in how to spot
leprosy, and how to tell if it was cured. Chapter 14 explains what
the leper must go through and the sacrifices that need to made for
him to be pronounced clean. Leviticus chapter 15 explains about he
who has an issue from his or her body. And Numbers chapter 19 gives
instructions for anyone touching a dead body. The leper, the issuer,
and the toucher all had a chance to come back into camp. What about
us today. Where would we be?
“But
we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like
the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
We
are no better than those outside the camp. In our natural state there
is no way we can get into the camp, or in our case Heaven.
“Surely
he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us
all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
“For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
You
can try and clean your own house or body, but look what happens…
“When
the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will
return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he
findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh
with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they
enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse
than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)
You
may be able to clean up your act for a little while, but without
Jesus, you’ll return to your old ways and the end result will be
worse than at first. Without Jesus you can do nothing.
“He
that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John
5:12-13)
“Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is
in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in
thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
(Matthew 7:21-23)
“And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46)
You
can clean your house, or you can receive Jesus as your Saviour, and
allow the Holy Spirit to clean your house from the inside to the
outside. Not only that He will seal you and keep you until the day
you enter into heaven. The choice is yours.
“And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou
wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and
touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his
leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)
“For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
(Romans 10:13)
“And
he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast
lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for
the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S
lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which
the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the
LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a
scapegoat into the wilderness.” (Leviticus 16:7-10)
“And
when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the
tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the
live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the
live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of
Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them
upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a
fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the
goat in the wilderness.” (Leviticus 16:20-22)
Good
morning. What an awesome picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. All the
iniquities of the children of Israel were placed on the head of the
scapegoat. The scapegoat was then taken into the wilderness and
released, taking Israel’s sins with him. God did the same thing for
us. In Isaiah chapter 53 we find the prophecy of the Suffering
Servant (Jesus)…
“All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:6)
The
scapegoat took Israel’s sins into the wilderness, a place that was
not inhabited. Where did Jesus take our sins?
“For
as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward
them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far
hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12)
“Who
is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his
anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again,
he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and
thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
(Micah 7:18-19)
Jesus
took our sins as far as the east is from west, and cast them into the
depths of the sea. A place uninhabited where we cannot get at them.
Here is the thing though, many times we carry this bucket around with
us: a bucket of guilt, filled with unconfessed sin. For some it is a
heavy burden because they carry not only unconfessed sin, but
confessed sin that the refuse to forgive themselves of. This load can
be extremely heavy for the Christian to carry, especially when he
doesn’t have to…
“If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
Instead of trying to carry such a heavy load, believe God, and give the bucket to Him. After you give them to Him, pray and ask Him what He did with your sin. His answer will be the same, “What sin?”
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18:2-5)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Peter 2:9)
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2)
This is a very scary passage of Scripture. God kills the two sons of Aaron for offering “strange fire” before the Lord. This story reminds me of when God killed Uzza for putting his hand upon the ark of God in an attempt to steady it and keep it from falling off of the cart that it was being transported on. (See 1 Chronicles 13) On the surface, these accounts make God seem to be unfair in that He kills people over minor infractions, but let’s consider this “strange fire” passage before us in Leviticus.
Why was God so upset about the “strange fire”?
1 They were supposed to take the fire from off of the brazen altar and use it to burn the incense. Apparently, they had violated God’s clear command and had taken a short-cut to accomplish their purpose. God does not like when people do His work in their own way. (See Exodus 30:9; 34 – 38)
2 Though we cannot be sure, it appears from the context that they may have been drunken when they were serving in the Tabernacle. Notice what God commands Moses in verses 8 – 11, just after this event takes place:
“And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” (Leviticus 10:8-11)
God is very serious about His service. People who minister for the Lord need to be extremely careful that they are serving God His way, and that they are giving Him their absolute best. God may not kill us today for taking the ministry lightly, but just think about all of the people who will suffer spiritually when we serve God in our flesh and don’t give Him our best effort.
“And
Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation,
because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the
tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the
tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till
the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon
the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of
all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” (Exodus
40:35-38)
Good
morning. At the end of the passage here, God gives Israel a simple
command: if there is a cloud over the Tabernacle, camp. If the cloud
was taken up, Israel was to break camp and journey on. And they did.
Our God is a God of perfect timing. One who knows what we need and
when we need it. It’s just simple obedience. But what happens if we
don’t obey, or do things our own way. Take for example when God gave
Israel manna to eat…
“And
when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is
manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This
is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the
thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according
to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your
persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the
children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And
when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing
over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every
man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it
till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses;
but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and
stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every
morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed
hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they
gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the
rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto
them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of
the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day,
and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up
for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the
morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any
worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a
sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the
sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there
went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and
they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye
to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath
given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the
bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out
of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the
seventh day.” (Exodus 16:15-30)
They
got all the food and the rest they needed, when they needed it: in
God’s perfect timing. Even when God led His people, Israel, into the
promised land.
“Now
Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none
went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I
have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the
mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of
war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’
horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and
the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to
pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when
ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the
people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua
6:1-5)
“So
the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it
came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the
people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so
that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him,
and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in
the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and
ass, with the edge of the sword.” (Joshua 6:20-21)
“So
the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the
country.” (Joshua 6:27)
The
LORD was with Joshua. Dr Jack Hyles is quoted as saying…
“If
I labor for God, I fail. If I labor with God, I succeed.” (Dr
Jack Hyles)
Then
there was Gibeon…
“And
when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto
Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if
they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and
wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and
clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the
bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. And they went to
Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of
Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league
with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure
ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And
they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto
them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? And they said unto him,
From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of
the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he
did in Egypt, And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites,
that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of
Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the
inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with
you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are
your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us. This our
bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we
came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is
mouldy: And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and,
behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become
old by reason of the very long journey. And
the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of
the LORD.
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to
let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a
league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours,
and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel
journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their
cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the
congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all
the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes
said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD
God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do
to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because
of the oath which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto
them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of
water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore
have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell
among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you
be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water
for the house of my God.” (Joshua 9:3-23)
God
has His instructions. Joshua should have asked God first.
“And
that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able
to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works.” (2Timothy 3:15-17)
God
gave us a book of instructions: instructions for whatever life throws
at us. Real men read the instructions.
Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Willing Servants“
“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. 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.” – (Exodus 34:28-29)
In chapter 34 of the Book of Exodus, Moses is back up on Mount Horeb receiving the Law of God for the second time. You will recall that the first two tables of stones were broken by Moses upon his return from the first trip. The people had corrupted themselves by creating and worshipping the golden calf. At any rate, this time he comes back and finds that the people had behaved themselves. What a blessing it is to return home from a trip and find that there are no problems.
My thought this morning is not about what Moses saw when he returned from his 40 days with God; rather, I want to give you a few thoughts about what the people saw in their leader. They said that his face shone. I believe that these people actually saw some kind of physical radiance beaming from the face of Moses. I do not think that what they saw could actually be duplicated today, but I do believe that people should be able to see a difference on our countenance, and in our attitude, when we have spent time with the Lord. I remember when I first became a Christian, we went to a conference to see a particular preacher. When we arrived, the preacher, whom I had never seen before, was standing in the front of the auditorium, and fellowshipping with a few other people. For some reason, I was able to spot him out of the crowd. There was just something about him. His presence revealed that he had been with God. He literally had God all over him. I wonder if people can see the presence of God in my life? Can they see Him in you?
In our passage, we see that this radiance came about after Moses had spent 40 days in the presence of God. He didn’t eat or drink during that time. He didn’t have access to a television or the internet, or even his iphone. There was no other people to share the experience with him. It was just him and God, alone, free from any type of distraction. I wonder what God could do in our lives if we had a similar experience. We may not be able to spend 40 days in His presence, but how about 40 minutes. What could God do in your life and mine if we just spent 40 minutes of time alone with Him. I bet it would show up on our faces as well. I bet people would say about us that we were “glowing”, or “beaming”, or “shining”. The presence of God will lighten up our lives, and through us, the lives of those around us. Why not peel yourself away from other people today; away from the cell phone, the television, and the computer; and get alone with the Lord. Let Him light your life up.
“And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 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. 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.“ (Exodus 28:9-12)
” 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. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 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. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 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.“ (Exodus 28:15-21)
Exodus 28 gives us a description of the garments that Aaron the high priest was to wear when he went into the presence of the Lord. You will notice from the verses above that he was to wear the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel both on his shoulders and in the breastplate upon his heart. These names reminded him that he represented the people to their God.
There are two thoughts that I would like for us to consider from this passage:
1 The Lord Jesus Christ also carries His children upon His shoulders and in His heart. He bears our burdens for us and He thinks about us continuously. He intercedes on our behalf before His Father. What an awesome comfort it is to know that our Lord loves us and watches over us. I reminded of the story Jesus told in Luke 15 of the shepherd who found his lost sheep and when he found it he carried it upon his shoulders. I know there have been many times in my life that my spiritual strength was so weak that the Lord had to carry me. What a wonderful Lord that loves and cares for us!
2 God’s ministers today are also supposed to shoulder the burdens of the people they minister to by interceding for them through prayer, and they should also keep the people close to their hearts. The Apostle Paul told the church at Philippi that he had them “in his heart”. (Philippians 1:7) When someone in our congregation is experiencing a trial I find myself thinking about them constantly, almost brooding over them, which causes me to pray for them. I want to fix their problem for them and remove the trial, but I am most often powerless to do so. But, I can pray for them, and I can love them and let them know that they are close to my my heart.
It is amazing how these Old Testament descriptions of the Tabernacle and its ministers paint a wonderful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, and also provide practical principles for us today as we minister in the New Testament Church.
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” (1 Timothy 2:1)
“And
God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which
have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus
20:1-3)
Good
morning. God is giving Moses the Ten Commandments to give to His
people: Israel. They are Ten Commandments, not suggestions. The
government took them out of the schools, out of their office
buildings, but that’s what godless socialism does: it elevates the
state, not God. So now you have kids killing kids. Kids killing
teachers, and a total disrespect for authority. America, you reap
what you sow. Number one…
“Thou
shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)
When
we put ourselves first, we become our own god.
“How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For
thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet
thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
(Isaiah 14:12-15)
Number
two…
“Thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down
thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy
unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
(Exodus 20:4-6)
“Wherefore
should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in
the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols
are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but
they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears,
but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have
hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not:
neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are
like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” (Psalm
115:2-8)
I
see them in people’s yards. I see them every time I drive by the
Hindu Temple. I see them on TV and hear them on the radio. How we can
bow down to them, I don’t understand, especially in light of what
Psalm 115 says. Many children and adults will bow an ear to hear what
their favorite entertainer has to say about the leadership of
America. They follow their idols blindly and believe what they say.
Jesus said…
“Let
them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead
the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)
Number
three…
“Thou
shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
(Exodus 20:7)
OMG. What can I say about this one? How many times have you used those three letters in your texting today? Or have you ever heard anyone hit their finger with a hammer and cry out $@#&!!!!! Buddha? No? That’s because Jesus Christ is the LORD.
“And
they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and
called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O
Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And
they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at
noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god;
either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or
peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud,
and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till
the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday
was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the
evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer,
nor any that regarded.” (1Kings 18:26-29)
Number
four…
“Remember
the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
“Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is
the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy
gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD
blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:9-11)
Many
stores are open on Sunday in search of the almighty dollar. Many of
their employees have to work and miss church, but some choose to.
Why? Do they need extra money? Are the bill collectors knocking at
the door? Is money tight? If you’re not there, how can you tithe?
“Will
a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse:
for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the
tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and
prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open
you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the
devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your
ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the
field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you
blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of
hosts.” (Malachi 3:8-12)
Number
five…
“Honour
thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12)
Many
times, while in a grocery store, I see children giving their parents
a hard time. I would love to go over to the parent and volunteer to
beat his butt for them. They need that. It shows them you love them.
“He
that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes.” (Proverbs 13:24)
Or
you can take the Deuteronomy chapter 21 approach…
“If
a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the
voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they
have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his
father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the
elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall
say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and
rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a
drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones,
that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all
Israel shall hear, and fear.” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
Number
six…
“Thou
shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)
This is a very famous photo taken during the Vietnam War. When it was published, the photo disgusted many people. I wonder if those same people are disgusted with the drive-by shootings, and all the other murderous activities happening today? Speaking of murder, the Socialist State of New York just passed a law allowing the abortion of a living baby from conception to partial birth.
“Then
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in
the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
(Jeremiah 1:4-5)
“Then
said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will
come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the
sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” (Luke
17:1-2)
Number
seven…
“Thou
shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)
Porn
shops, adult book stores, x-rated movie houses, bordellos: there is
at least one in every city across the country. One is too many.
Catering to the lust of the people, they down-grade women to sex
slaves instead of people. TV pushes it. Music pushes it. Movies push
it. Sex sells. Is it any wonder that adultery is rampant today? Jesus
said…
“Ye
have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in
his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)
Number
eight…
“Thou
shalt not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)
A burglar trying to get into a house by the backdoor
In
2017 there were almost 300,000 robberies committed. That’s over 800
per day, every day of the year.
Number
nine…
“Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Exodus
20:16)
When you bear false witness, you become a liar. Hitler believed in and practiced the Big Lie: if you tell a lie often enough, the people will believe it as truth.
“But
the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which
is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
“Again,
ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt
not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is
God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by
Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou
swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or
black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for
whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37)
Number
ten…
“Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his
ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus
2017)
I
have a 2007 Ford F150 pickup. Why anyone would want it is beyond me.
Did you know that when the hanger bearing on the drive shaft goes,
the whole drive shaft needs to be replaced as a module? You look at
your own stuff and see the problems you have. You look at your
neighbor’s stuff and say I wish I had that. You have no idea of the
problems your neighbor is having with it.
“Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:
for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:12-15)
These
are God’s Ten Commandments. They are not suggestions. They were made
by God to help you see that you can not keep them all. And if you are
guilty of breaking one, you are guilty of breaking them all. The
Commandments tell you that you need a Saviour. John said when he
introduced Jesus…
“The
next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
“For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
(Romans 10:13)
“And
Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken
unto Israel your father.” (Genesis 49:1-2)
Good
morning. In Proverbs 20, the Bible says…
“Even
a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether
it be right.” (Proverbs 20:11)
Jacob
was about to tell his sons what would happen to them in the last
days. The works that they did before their fathers gave Israel a good
indication as to what would happen to them in the future.
“Reuben,
thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength,
the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as
water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s
bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Simeon and
Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine
honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and
in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger,
for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide
them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:3-7)
Then
he come to Judah…
“Judah,
thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the
neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before
thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone
up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who
shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall
the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:8-10)
Jesus
is the Lion of the tribe of Judah…
“And
I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written
within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a
strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the
book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in
earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to
look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to
open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the
elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to
loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:1-5)
“And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and
the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the
sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour,
and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen.
And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that
liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:9-14)
Judah
would excel and bring forth the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus is worthy. Why? Not because He was
a good kid, did what was right, and never sinned. Why? Because He is
God, and gave Himself sacrifice for us…
“For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
“And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” (Genesis 32:1-20)
Good
morning. Jacob was getting ready to meet his brother Esau. After
taking Esau’s blessing and birthright, Jacob was afraid of what Esau
might do. But God made this promise to Jacob…
“And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.” (Genesis 31:3)
Jacob
had this promise from God. By obeying God and returning to homeland,
Jacob was in the center of God’s will. And, as the Bible says in
Romans 8…
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
Mahanaim
means double camp. Jacob could have been referring to himself as one
camp, and a company of 100 to 200 angels he saw as the other camp.
Or he may have saw 2 companies (200 to 400) angels. Even though God
let Jacob know He was there with him, Jacob still feared his brother.
“Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.” (Genesis 32:7-8)
So,
what happened?
“And
Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and
with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and
unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids
and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and
Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and
bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his
brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on
his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes,
and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with
thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy
servant. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children,
and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came
near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel,
and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all
this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the
sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep
that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if
now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my
hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the
face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my
blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously
with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go
before thee. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the
children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me:
and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will
lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the
children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are
with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight
of my lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And
Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths
for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.”
(Genesis 33:1-17)
Jacob
lied to Esau? But didn’t the second milers read today in Proverbs
chapter 12…
“The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19)
And
“Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” (Proverbs 12:22)
Jacob
was human just like the rest of us. He sins just like the rest of us.
But God is true to His Word. He delivered Jacob from his brother
Esau. There is nothing about this lie bothering Jacob. When Moses was
leading Israel out of Egypt, Edom (Esau’s country) would not let
Israel pass their boarder on the king’s highway. It makes me wonder
what would have happened here if Israel did not lie to Esau and met
him at Seir. Maybe the Edomites would have trusted them, and allowed
them to pass through the land. When we lie, it’s because we are not
trusting God to take care of us: we don’t want to take the
responsibility for what we’ve done. Jesus said…
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
If
you told anything but the truth, you told a lie. It doesn’t matter if
it is a little white lie, or a great BIG lie, it’s still a lie. That
would make you a liar, and headed for that lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone. But…
“But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not
only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:8-11)
God
showed us His love by diing on a cross, shedding His precious blood
for our sins. Before it’s too late, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
call on Him to be your personal Saviour.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
