July 03 Devotional
Daily
Devotions for July
THEME - The Tabernacle:
Types and Anti-types
May God richly
bless you this day!
These devotionals are written by the following men:
- DW - Senior Pastor, Dan Wilkenson
- RJS - Retired Pastor, Dr. Bob Shifflett
- DM - Associate Pastor, Dave Most
May God richly bless you this day!
Tuesday, July 1st
Jesus Christ Our Passover
Exodus 12:12-15
Under the Old Covenant, God commanded the people to appear
before His presence at the tabernacle three times during the year.
These three times coordinated with their experience in agriculture.
They came during planting, the first harvest and during the end of the
season. In association with these were seven feasts. God gave His
people the Passover in conjunction with the last Egyptian plague. In
many of the plagues, God put a distinction between His people and the
Egyptians. The Exodus was in the spring of the year and coincided with
the beginning of the agricultural year. It is closest to our month of
April, and none of these feasts pictures redemption in such detail as
the Passover feast.
An important part of the Passover feast is the blood of a
spotless lamb. The people were to apply the blood to the sides and top
of the door to their houses. This act symbolized that the love of God
is to cover all our dealings with God and others. Jesus said that
everything in the Bible can be reduced to two simple principles. They
are love for God and love for others. By applying the blood, the people
committed themselves to govern their relationship to God and others by
the law of love.
The people were not to eat the Passover meal alone. They were
to eat in family groups of at least 10. There were 10 plagues. Today in
anticipation of the third temple, worshippers say, "next year in Jerusalem".
Jews in bondage were powerless to help themselves. It would not have
been humanly possible for so many people to leave Egypt
and form a new nation in Palestine.
As God delivered His people from Egyptian bondage, He delivers us from
sinful desire. People often think of sin in terms of behavior. The
problem with sin is not limited to our choices. The biggest problem
with sin is sinful desire. Our choices flow from what we are by nature.
It is the nature of sinners to choose sin. On the other hand, it is
impossible for God to choose sin. He cannot be tempted.
Thank God, the day is coming when we will be like Jesus Christ.
We will no longer be tempted with sin and sin will have no power over
us. Spiritually we have left Egypt,
but we have yet to enter Heaven"s gate.
On that day, we will be forever free from even the desire to sin. DW
Wednesday, July 2nd
The Feast of
Unleavened Bread
I
Corinthians 5:6-8
In the spring
at the beginning of the agricultural year, God's people were to come to
the tabernacle and later on the temple. At this time, they observed the
feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. In all these
rituals were important spiritual lessons. In some ways, this first
appearance pictured the first coming of Jesus Christ. It was the
beginning of the spiritual year for Israel.
Leaven is a
picture of sin under the Old Covenant. In preparation for the Passover
feast, God's people carefully removed all the leaven from their houses.
In Galatians 5:9 we read, a little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump. As the people made bread, they found that the
introduction of leaven permeated and affected the entire lump of dough.
When theologians speak of total depravity, this is what they mean. When
sin entered our experience it affected all that we are. It affected our
thinking, our feeling and our desire. In Titus 1:15
we read, unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are
defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and
conscience is defiled. In the Jewish household it was the
responsibility of the head of the house to see to the removal of the
leaven.
In our text, we
see some indication of the spiritual significance of this feast. In 1
Corinthians 5:8 we read, therefore let us keep the feast, not
with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The word malice
speaks of hatred. It is the opposite of what it means to love.
Wickedness on the other hand, speaks of outward actions that are
harmful to others. Apart from divine love, all expressions of good will
are deceitful and lacking in sincerity and truth.
Since the focus
is on sin, the leaven then, is any bitterness in heart. As we go
through life, we question God and we sustain hurts from others that
apart from grace make us bitter. Bitterness is anger we feel from hurt
that is not resolved at the end of the day. We are admonished not to
let the sun go down on this kind of anger. This kind of anger quickly
turns to bitterness and hatred. These we must carefully set aside. DW
Thursday,
July 3rd
The Feast of
First Fruits
I
Corinthians 15:20-28
It is important
to remember that these feast days revolved around the experience of the
people as they worked the land. In our text, the first fruits describe the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is important because the ritual and
ceremony of the feast days illustrate important spiritual truth. Jesus
Christ was crucified and died on the evening of the Passover and on Sunday, the priest waved the sheaves of the first
fruits before a torn veil in the temple.
This feast
involved the reaping of the first fruits of the harvest by a delegation
from the temple. This delegation carefully examines the field and
chooses the best of the harvest. These first fruits and the worship
that surrounded them were a public recognition of their dependence on
God. The success of the harvest depended on God and by acknowledging
the first fruits, they gave testimony that the whole harvest belonged
to God. They publicly expressed their gratitude to God for his goodness
and blessing in sustaining their lives by the fruit of the ground.
A very
important principle of stewardship is presented in this feast. All
goodness comes from God and as we honor Him, we must not give from what
is left over, but a portion of the first and best. To do less involves
ingratitude and is dishonoring to God. Jesus Christ was God come in the
form of human flesh. Jesus was God's final and perfect revelation of
Himself to us. Before the coming of Christ, God revealed Himself
through His Word. With the coming of Christ, God revealed Himself in
the entirety of a man. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. He rose from
the dead and lives for evermore. As such, He is the first fruit of a
great harvest of souls to come. Just as life comes through the seed
from the dust of the ground each year, spiritual life comes from the
seed of God's Word in humanity that was made from the dust of the
ground. The harvest comes and goes every year. This is a picture of
what is happening in this age spiritually. God is at work reaping a
spiritual harvest in this world. As the physical life of all of us came
in Adam, spiritual life comes to all that are in Christ. Jesus rose
from the dead and lives forevermore in the presence of God. All those
in Him will one day rise and live forevermore. Are you in Him? DW
Friday, July 4th
The Feast of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-12
This feast and the Sunday of the first fruits are connected. Fifty
days after the Passover was the day of Pentecost. On the day of
Pentecost the priests waved two loaves before the Lord in the temple.
These loaves were unique. They were made from leavened bread. This
Sabbath day was always on a Sunday. Under the law, Saturday was always
a Sabbath, but the Sabbath days were not always Saturday. A good
example of this is the day of Pentecost.
The feast of Pentecost looks back to the beginning of the old
covenant and the giving of the law at Sinai. The ritual came to include
baptism, confession of sin and reading from God's Word. It was a time
of gratitude and rejoicing. The loaves pictured the nation Israel.
It is interesting to note that the nation eventually divided into two
kingdoms. The nation from the time of its founding was an earthly
kingdom and as such included a mixed multitude.
As the church began on the day of Pentecost, the two loaves also
represent the two covenants. The new covenant was designed by God to be
a kingdom no of this world. God designed the church to be a spiritual
kingdom that could function in any culture on earth. In the gospel
record, the enemy sows the tares among the wheat.
The feast of Pentecost recognizes the important time between
planting and the end of the agricultural year. During this time the
people worked the fields and prepared the fruits of the harvest. The
old covenant ended in failure. The Messiah came to bring great
blessing, but Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not. The
leaven of sin leavened the lump as a whole. The same will prove true
under the new covenant. In Revelation 3:20
we read where Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me. In other words, at the end of this age,
the professing church will have become so corrupt that God will
withdraw His presence. This is something that would not have happened
if God's people were faithful in removing the leaven. Thank God, there
is always a faithful remnant and so we see this gracious invitation. DW
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Saturday,
July 5th
The Feast of
Trumpets
I
Thessalonians 4:13-18
This feast signified
the beginning of the civil New Year. In the Bible, we find a series of
sacred sevens. One day in seven, the Sabbath, was sacred. One year in
seven was sacred and one sabbatical year in seven was sacred. The feast
of trumpets began in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. Seven is
a number which signifies completion or perfection. At this time the
agricultural year is over. The prophets associated this day with the regathering of Israel
and the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 27:12-13; Joel 2:15-20).
The focus of
this feast was repentance, judgment, life, death and resurrection. The
message of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist reflected this same focus.
In Jewish thinking, three books will be opened on this day. One book is
for the completely righteous, one for the completely wicked and one for
most people which are somewhere in between. When the trumpet sounds the
people have ten days to repent and do good. At
this time, we will be judged and our eternal destiny will be forever
settled.
In our text, we
see that at the rapture a trumpet will sound. Could it be that as Jesus
was crucified on the Passover, the end will come on this day? It is
possible. It is interesting to note that almost universal in the
thinking of mankind is this idea of a second chance. We want to think
that there is a clear warning before judgment and damnation. The
rapture of the church would be an example of such a warning.
However, the
experience of most people in this life is not this dramatic. For most
people the end will come quietly and without warning. We need to
appreciate that whether or not we hear a trumpet, somewhere there is a
clock ticking and time is running out. The people were reminded of this
important spiritual truth every year. We, too, need to be reminded of
this important spiritual truth. The end is coming. We will live
somewhere forever and the character of our lives in eternity are being
founded right here and now. We are either growing in grace or becoming
hardened in sin. If we cannot find joy and blessing in the paths of
righteousness here and now, we would never find it in heaven. Judgment
is coming. Are you ready? DW
Sunday,
July 6th
The Day of Atonement
Hebrews
10:1-14
The focus of the
Day of Atonement was on the work of the High Priest. The High Priest
represented the people to God. If God accepted the work of the High
Priest on this day, the nation was admitted to fellowship with God for
another year. On this day, God dealt with the people as a nation. It is
a day of fasting. The people are charged to afflict their souls. In
other words, they are to humble themselves, fast and morn for their
sin. Only the High Priest could enter the holiest place of the temple
on this day once each year. He does this on behalf of himself, the
leadership of the nation and the people. On this day, God sealed the
fate of the nation for another year. The people were helpless to help
themselves. Their fate rested in the hands of the High Priest who represented
the nation to God by sprinkling the blood of a goat on the mercy seat.
The problem of
sin is much deeper than the sinful choices that we make. The spiritual
history of this world reveals some important truths. First, fallen
humanity does not like the idea of original sin and substitutionary
atonement. Fallen humanity sees original sin as unfair and eternal
damnation as cruel and excessive. Thus, in all man-made religion we
find the idea of works and personal responsibility as primary.
Sadly, all humanity
is corrupted beyond our ability to change. We cannot save ourselves by
works and personal responsibility. It is not just our foolish choices,
but our deep-seated internal desires that are the problem. It is only
through the work of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, that salvation
is even possible. Thus, we read in John 14:6 where Jesus said, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me. Jesus is our great
High Priest and it is only through His work in our behalf that
salvation is possible. Martin Luther and Desiderius
Erasmus debated this point extensively. This debate resulted in
Luther's book, The Bondage of the Will. It is not just our
choices. Because of original sin, our will is in bondage to our corrupt
hearts. We depend on Christ wholly for spiritual life. If we lose this
sense of complete dependency, our hearts will give way to pride and
spiritual decline. It is as the prophet Jonah noted salvation is of
the Lord. In Zechariah 12:9, 10 we find that this day is a picture
of the spiritual rebirth of national Israel.
DW
Monday, July 7th
The Feast of
Tabernacles
John 1:8-18
This was the
greatest of all feast days with great Messianic elements. This feast and
the kingdom speak of a time when God will dwell among His people in the
person of the Messiah. This feast was the most joyful and included
dancing. At this time, the people lived in booths for seven days. There
was a deep division between the Pharisees and the Saducees
as to the use of palm leaves. The Saducees
used them to build booths while the Pharisees used them in worship by
waving them before the Lord.
During this
feast a priest led a procession from the pool of Siloam to the temple.
He would take water from the pool and pour it into special basins at
the altar of sacrifice while the people waved palm branches. It is
worthy of our note that in response to the corruption of the Old
World, God established human government and capital punishment.
Consequently,
this world has not given way to the same degree of corruption, yet
under Antichrist this world will give way to a one-world government
wholly given to corruption. It is this universal corruption and the
persecution that results which God will use to purify His people and
bring in the kingdom. At the end of this age, God will bring about the
same kind of division between good and evil that he did during the
flood. The only difference is that this judgment will involve fire not
water.
The present
world began with just Noah and his family. The kingdom will begin with
righteous people from every kindred tongue and nation. We read in 2
Peter 3:6,7, the world that then was, being overflowed with
water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Jesus made a very
similar connection. Matthew 24:37-40 37 "as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. 38 in the days that were before the flood they knew not
until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming
of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall
be taken, and the other left. None but the righteous will enter
the kingdom. Are you ready? DW
Tuesday, July 8th
The Old
World
II Peter
3:5-13
There is a
great tendency for us to think that our experience now is typical of
all history. In 2 Peter 3:4, we read about the arrogant unbelief
that will characterize the last days. Here we read of those who are
confident that all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation. In the history of this world, God
has already dealt with humanity in different ways. In the beginning,
people were vegetarian in diet and there was no such thing as human
government, war, or capital punishment. The family functioned as it
continues to do so today, but the concept of family was much broader
including parents, grandparents and extended family.
It is hard for
us to imagine such a world, but it existed once. There are those today
who think if we could just get rid of human government we will solve
many of our problems. After the flood, God instituted human government,
capital punishment and the eating of animal flesh, but it was not so
from the beginning. God administered His law primarily through
individual conscience. Except for Noah and his family, the failure of
the Old World couldn't have been any more complete.
We read in Genesis 6:5, 11 And GOD saw that the wickedness
of man was great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. 11 The earth also was corrupt before
God, and filled with violence. Though other worlds and
ages end in failure, we never find such a complete failure. The remnant
of faithful people continues to grow larger as the race matures.
The Old
World ended with just 8 righteous people. The present
church age begins with 120 people on the day of Pentecost. When Jesus
Christ comes again and the kingdom begins there will be faithful people
from every tribe tongue and nation. No race or culture has a corner on
God. In each age, there is a faithful remnant that will one day be
finally and completely be gathered to God. At the end of time, there
will be a final and complete separation of all good from all evil. God
will use many different means as He demonstrates His glory, the nature
of evil, and the path to redemption. He is not willing that any should
perish. His desire is that all come to redemption. In the end, the
truth will be so clearly seen that every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. DW
Wednesday, July 9th
The New World
Isaiah 11:2-9
When sin entered
into this world, with it came a curse. In Romans 8:22
we read that we know that the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now.
Because the serpent was the vehicle of the temptation of Eve, this animal
was cursed above all others. We read in Genesis 3:14
where the LORD God said unto the serpent "thou art cursed;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."
In our text, part of
the prophecy concerning Jesus Christ and redemption is the removal of
this curse. In Isaiah 11:6-9 we read that 6 The wolf also
shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and
the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the
lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of
the knowledge of the LORD" This world has never known or seen a time like this. In Isaiah
2:3,4 we read that "out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more.
The world has yet to
experience such a time. Since the foundation of the nations, wars have
yet to cease like this. It is that golden age where the Messiah Himself
provides both political and spiritual leadership from Jerusalem.
He is that Rock cut without hands mentioned in the book of Daniel that
brings down all the kingdoms of this world. Sadly, in even such an
environment the hearts of some will be quickly turned against God. We
read in Revelation 20:7-9 that " Satan shall
be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the
nations to gather them together to battle 9 And they went
up and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city" Without a righteous heart, there is simply no hope
for people in this world. DW
Thursday, July 10th
Ages, Covenants and Dispensations
Ephesians 3:1-6
It ought to
be clear to the simplest minds that today we don't meet in a tabernacle
or temple for worship. We don't approach God through an Aaronic
priesthood or sacrifice animals. Things have changed. Theologians have
all recognized God works through the ages with various covenants and
dispensations.
We often
hear of the church age and the millennial age to come. In each of these
ages different covenants and dispensations are at work. The millennial
age relates back as far as the Abrahamic covenant. The same
is true of the present church age. Some people think of a dispensation
as a unique and special period of time. This is not accurate. It is
more accurate to think of a dispensation as a stewardship. In the age
before the Flood, God's moral law was as full force as it was when
given at Sinai. However, in the age before the Flood, God's primary
method of administering His law and maintaining order on earth was
through the individual conscience. The age before the flood relates to
the covenant God made with Adam.
God still works
today through the human conscience, but this is not the primary way he
maintains order in this world. After the flood, His primary way of
maintaining order is human government. Human government began with the
covenant God made with Noah. In 2 Timothy 2:15
we are admonished to study to shew thyself
approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. In other
words, there is a right way and a wrong way to understand the Bible and
these relate directly to ages, covenants and dispensations. We need to
know in what way each of these covenants and dispensations apply to us
today. For example, those who reject capital punishment do not realize
that we are still under the stewardship of human government. Capital
punishment is an important element in the covenant God made with Noah.
We need a good understanding of these things before we can answer many
of the most pressing questions of our day. An important example today
is that the present church age is a kingdom
of God that is not of this
world. If we understand this, we see the need to keep church and state
separate. As early Baptists in this country preached, give vice and
folly your rod, but leave our conscience to God. DW
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Friday, July 11th
Articles of Furniture as They Typify Christ
The Ark of the Covenant : A Type of God's Throne
Exodus 25:10-16
The Ark of the
Covenant was constructed as a (Hebrew word for Ark)
"chest". These types are very interesting. The chest
size was L. 3.75 ' x W. 2.25 " x H. 2.25
'. It was made of a type of incorruptible wood, Shittim
or Acacia wood, representing the incorruptibility and perfection of
Jesus Christ. It was covered with pure gold, both inside and out, and
had a golden crown running around the top, representing Deity. It had
four golden rings at the corners, two on each side through which passed
staves or bars of wood, covered by gold, used to carry the ark with.
They were never to be removed.
The Ark
contained the unbroken tablets of stone of the covenant, the law that
points the way to Christ. It also held the golden pot of manna, which
represents the truth of God's Word, and the budding rod of Aaron, that
is a type of Resurrection and speaks unto Eternal life. This rod
combined with John 14:6 is, "The way for going, the
truth for knowing, and the life for growing." representing
Jesus Christ.
The Ark
when it was at rest had a pillar of cloud over it during the day and a
pillar of fire by night. It was to be the rallying place for all of Israel.
When they were on the march through the desert, the ark was in the
middle of the people, 6 tribes in the front and 6 tribes in the rear,
except on 2 occasions, one in Numbers 10:31, 33; and also when crossing
the Jordan in Joshua 3:3,4. We also see the Ark
in the midst of the Jordan
between the people and the waters as they crossed. It was there when
the people were at war in the land in Joshua 6, at the fall of Jericho.
It was between Ebal and Gerazim
in Joshua 8:30-35, as Joshua was taking formal possession of the land.
It fell into the enemy's hands in 1 Samuel 7:1,2.
Even the Ark itself could
not save Israel
because of their sin. It went to its final resting place in Kirjath-Jearim and to David's tabernacle until
Solomon placed it in the temple in 1 Kings 8:1-6. Interestingly, there
was no Ark in Ezekiel's
temple in Ezekiel 48:35, where we see the Shikinah
glory of the Lord departing.
"O Gracious and
Merciful God and Savior, how we desire to serve You faithfully. Please
forgive us for our shortcomings and guide us in Your everlasting Truth.
How we praise your Holy and Exalted Name! Amen." DM
Notes and references used from
"Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and "The Preachers
Outline and Sermon Bible"
Saturday, July 12th
Articles of
Furniture as They Typify
Christ
The Mercy
Seat: A Type of Christ, Our Propitiation
Exodus
25:17-22; 1 John 2:2; 4:10
The Mercy Seat was made of
pure gold, a beaten metal work with no other mixture of metals and no
wood. It fitted inside the crown of gold on the Ark of the Covenant and
it also formed a cover for it. We are going to look at three different
things that are symbolized by it.
1.
The Mercy Seat
symbolized the very mercy of God Himself. It taught that God is not
only Righteous and Holy, He is also Merciful. God is the Sovereign
Creator and Majesty who rules in mercy as well as in righteousness and
holiness. The Mercy Seat symbolized that God has mercy upon all who
truly come to Him, and who truly believe and follow Him.
2.
The Mercy Seat
symbolized that God covered the Law with His mercy. No person can keep
the law, not perfectly. And perfection is required in order to live in
God's holy presence. How, then, can we ever become acceptable to God,
and be allowed to live in heaven with Him? By His mercy. God's mercy
has been given to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God gave
His Son to be the perfect Sacrifice for our sins. The mercy of God
shown us in Jesus Christ covers the law, and it covers our sin; our
failure to keep the law. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, the
mercy of God covers us.
3.
The Mercy Seat
symbolized the finished work of Christ. The human high priests work was
never done and he could not sit down, but when Jesus Christ offered
Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice to God, His work was finished. His
sacrifice for the sins of people was perfect, and no other sacrifice
was ever needed. Therefore, Christ was able to sit down on the right
hand of God's throne. As believers, we no longer have to offer
sacrifices to God to atone for our sins. Christ has already satisfied
God's requirement. It is all because of the mercy of God in the
sacrifice of His Son Jesus that we are cleansed once and for all from
our sins.
Dear Lord Jesus, how we praise You for
Your work on the cross and payment for our sin. Thank You for the Great
Mercy of God that has been so freely given to all whom will receive it.
Help us to never presume upon Your Everlasting Mercy! We pray in Jesus
Name, Amen. DM
Notes and references used from "Studies
in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and "The Preachers Outline
and Sermon Bible"
Sunday, July 13th
Articles of Furniture as They Typify Christ
The Golden Altar of Incense : A Type of Christ, Our Intercessor
Exodus
30:1-7; Hebrews 7:25
This Golden Altar of Incense was made of Shittim or Acacia wood and
overlaid with gold. It had a golden crown around it and four horns on each
corner that pointed upward and outward. It had two golden rings on
opposite corners to carry it by and sweet incense was offered twice
daily on it by the High Priest. The message of the Altar is at least
two things. First, we see that the intercession of the High priest
symbolized a permanent intercession, an intercession that never quits.
In other words, it teaches us that Christ Jesus, as our great High
Priest, is always praying and living in an unbroken communion with God
the Father, and is interceding for God's people.
Secondly, the Altar of Incense symbolized the prayers and unbroken
communion of God's people ascending up to God and pleasing Him! It
teaches us that believers are to pray morning and evening and to pray
always, to develop an unbroken communion with God, and to never cease
being in a spirit of prayer. The pleasing aroma given by the incense
rising up and filling the Tabernacle of worship is a picture of the
believer's prayers ascending up to God and God being pleased with the
prayers of His people, receiving them, accepting and answering them.
Interestingly, the incense was prepared for worshipping God and for no
other purpose. There were specific instructions given for making the
incense. They were to gather sweet spices, the same amount of each,
with specific blending and refining, using the techniques of the
perfumer. The incense was to be counted most holy, distinctively and
exclusively made and used for the Lord God. This represents our lives
as believers in how we worship God daily. We are to offer God our
worship in a way that is exclusive to Him alone, acceptable to God, not
man-made, or self styled. God gave the warning, that if any people made
this incense for themselves or used it for themselves, they would be
judged, cut off, and exiled from the country. Believers, take note! We
must offer our sacrifice of praise to our God in His ordained ways.
Dear God and Savior, we thank You for this wonderful example of what
You desire in our lives, that our praise and our daily worship is to be
acceptable unto You. Guide us in Your Word, which is our only source of
Truth, in living for You. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen. DM
Notes and references used
from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and "The
Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
Monday, July 14th
Articles of Furniture as They Typify
Christ
Table of Shew-Bread : A Type of Christ, The Bread of Life
The Golden
Candlestick: A Type of Christ, The Light of
the World
Exodus 25:23-30; John 6:48-51 - Exodus 25:31-40; John 8:12
The size of the Table
of Shew-Bread was L 3' x W 1.5 ' x H 2.25 '.
It was to be made with Shittim or Acacia wood
and overlaid with gold. It also had a crown of gold and had a border
around it. It, too, had four gold rings on the corners with staves of
wood, overlaid with gold to carry it by. There were dishes, spoons,
bowls, and covers that were made of pure gold to go with it. The
spiritual significance is that it is a type of Christ as the Bread of
Life. The bread had no leaven as Christ had not sin in Him. 1 Peter
1:22. The 12 loaves represent the 12 tribes and they were placed
in 2 rows. The table and the shew-bread were
spoken of as one, better known as the "Continual Bread." As
each tribe is represented by one loaf, so the church is represented by
one loaf. The table is the center of Union and
of Fellowship for the priestly (Christian) family. For believers to
have harmony in the assembly of Christ, it is necessary to be occupied
with Christ. 1 Peter 2:5; Matthew 18:20
The "Lamp of
God" did not have any measurement and was made of fine beaten gold
without any cast or mold with 6 branches and one main stem. Each branch
had a bud and flower and on top, 3 almonds in which the lamp was
placed. The spiritual significance is a type of Christ as the light of
the world. John 8:12; Isaiah 42:6. There were no measurements given,
just as the fullness of Christ is immeasurable. The beaten gold
represents Christ as He was made a curse for us. Galatians 3:13; Isaiah
53:5, 10. The shape of the almond typifies resurrection and it was also
the first tree to bloom, representing Christ as the first fruits. The 3
almonds speak of Divine testimony, with the oil used for the lamp as a
type of the Holy Spirit. We see that it is Jesus Christ who is able to
bring people out of the darkness of sin and give them the light of salvation
and life. God has called believers to be the light of the world through
Jesus Christ and to shine as God's witness to the world filled with
darkness as He has shined His light into the hearts of His people. God
has given us this responsibility to walk in His light and to bring His
light to a lost and dying world.
"Dear Lord Jesus, You are the light of
the world! We praise You for Your salvation. Guide us and help us to
tell others about You as the Bread and the Light of Life. Amen." DM
Notes and references
used from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and
"The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Tuesday, July 15th
Articles
of Furniture as They Typify Christ
The
Brazen Laver: A Type of the Word of God
The
Brazen Altar" A Type of Christ, Our
Redemption
Exodus
30:17-21 - Exodus 27:1-8; 29:42,43
The Brazen Laver was a basin of brass, set on
a pedestal called the foot. The brass was of women's mirrors, Exodus
38:8, without any dimension given, where Aaron and his sons washed
their hands and feet. The spiritual significance is seen in several
ways. It is a type of the Word of God in John 1:1, 2. There were no
measurements given, representing that God's Word is immeasurable. It had
a base large enough to hold it up in any storm showing us that God's
Word needs no defense, it stands alone as the sole source of truth. The
brass speaks of judgment in John 12:48 and its mirror effect reveals our
spiritual dirt, but does not cleanse in James 1:23-25. The Laver
contained water for cleansing, representing the Word of God, 1 John 1:7
which points to Christ. The Laver was never covered, just as God's Word
is not to be covered, as it is God's revelation to mankind!
The Brazen Altar (the
Altar of Burnt Offering) was made of Shittim or Acacia wood and
overlaid with brass. It's dimensions were L 7.5' x W 7.5 ' x H 4.5 ', 5
cubits square, with a ledge all the way around from the priests to
stand on when arranging the wood and sacrifices, with 4 horns on the
corners pointed upward and outward. The spiritual significance is a
type of Christ, our Redemption. The 5 cubes square; 5 speaks of
grace, salvation is by grace. Three cubits high speaks of trinity, with
God in Hebrews 9:14, accepting the sacrifice that the Son offered in
the power of the Spirit. The Horns speak of power in Daniel 8:3,4. The
most significant resemblance, was that the Sacrifice was bound to the
horns until its life was taken, representing that Love is what bound
the Lord Jesus Christ to the Cross until full atonement had been made
for mankind. Psalm 118:27. As we have looked at the different
Articles of Furniture as they typify Christ, we see God coming out to
man from the Holy of Holies, to the brazen altar; from the throne in
heaven, to the cross. In Christ, God came down to the sinner, and in
Christ, the sinner is brought up to God.
"Dear God, how we praise You for
these pictures that remind us of who You are as our Creator and Savior.
Please forgive us of our sins, and thank You for the sacrifice of
Christ on the cross, on our behalf. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen." DM
Notes and references used
from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and "The
Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Wednesday, July 16th
The Offerings and Their Representative Steps in Christianity
The 5 Sweet
and Non-sweet Savor Offerings as They Typify Christ
These
devotionals of the Tabernacle are quite interesting in showing us the
many things that God graciously used to show us as unsaved people, our
spiritually dead, blind, and ignorant state that we need to turn from
our sin and accept what God has done on our behalf and to allow us the
freedom of choice in choosing Him of our own free will. There are 5
different Offerings that represent steps in our Christian experience,
which we will make short mention of each today and then cover in detail
in other devotionals.
First, we have the Trespass Offering. Leviticus 5:1-5. It represents
that we can be forgiven and literally saved from our sins. 1 John 1:9;
Matthew 1:21. This offering pictures that Jesus Christ is able and will
forgive the penalty of sins, both of commission and of omission, if and
when we confess them to Him.
Secondly, there is the Sin Offering. Leviticus 4:1-35. This represents
the victory over the power of sin and also deliverance from the
dominion of the sinful nature which all of mankind is born into. Romans
6:11-14. This offering atones for the offender, while the Trespass
Offering atones for the offences.
Thirdly, there is the Peace Offering. Leviticus 3. This offering
represents reconciliation and fellowship with God and with one another.
Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Colossians 1:20,21; 1
John 3:7.
Fourthly, there is the Meal Offering. Leviticus 2. This offering
represents the consecration, the sacrificial giving of our toil (work)
and possessions to God. Proverbs 3:9; Luke 8:2, 3.
Fifthly and lastly, we see the Burnt Offering. Leviticus 1. This
represents the believer, who is to offer himself as a living sacrifice
unto God. It must be voluntary and complete. Romans 12:1. This offering
is a type of sanctification. It is giving up ourselves to God for service as
He wills. The meal and burnt offerings always go together as
consecration is never complete until we include our toils and
possessions.
Dear Lord God, we have much to learn of You. We need You to save us
from our sin. Thank You for the way, in Jesus Christ. Amen. DM
Notes
and references used from "Studies in Types" by J.A.
Schmidt; and "The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Thursday,
July 17th
Sweet Savor Offering Typifying Christ
The Whole Burnt Offering: A Type
of Sanctification
The Meal
Offering, A Type of Christ giving Himself to
God for Man
Leviticus 1; Romans 12:1,2
- Leviticus 2; Proverbs 3:9; Luke 8:2,3
This Whole Burnt
Offering sees the offerer coming for
acceptance as a worshipper, just as Christ as a man in perfectness meets God in holiness. In this
offering, God finds satisfaction. It was offered voluntarily to make
atonement, not for sin, but for satisfaction to satisfy an offended
justice. It was an offering of a life, as we know that our life is from
God, and we owe our life to Him, acceptably yielding to Him. This
offering was wholly burnt on the altar, just as it is man's duty to
surrender to God in everything. The head : the
will. The legs : the walk; outward life. The inwards : the inner life. The fat
: the emotions; the affections of the heart. There were also
different grades (from the herd, flock, or fowl). The first 2 grades,
the parts were discriminated, but in the last grade, this was omitted.
The bird was killed, but not divided. In the first grades, the offerer is seen to lay his hand on the offering,
but in the last grade this was not observed. Christ gave HIMSELF, but
many people fail to see this. Some see only substitution, but not
identification, as Christ of His own will, laid down His life. John
10:18.
The Meal Offering is
similar in that it was a sweet savor offering, offered voluntarily for
acceptance by God as a worshiper. Ephesians 5:2. It was not an offering
of a life, but of fruits, as Christ presenting Himself to God as man's
meat. John 6:35, 48. The flour represented deepest suffering. The fine
flour showed evenness, that Christ was always the same; all graces were
equally manifest in Him. The oil represented the Holy Spirit. Luke
4:18. The Frankincense showed that the full fragrance is not brought
out until the perfume is submitted to the action of the fire. Psalm
45:7, 8. The salt showed in-corruptness. Colossians 4:6. This offering
was not fully burnt; a handful belongs to God, with the remainder going
to Aaron and his sons. Although it was intended for and for the most
part consumed by man; it was, nevertheless, offered unto the Lord. 1
Thessalonians 2:6
Gracious and Merciful God, we Love You and
Thank You for allowing us to present our lives wholly to You, in
obedient service unto You. We are truly humbled with Your Forgiveness
and Everlasting Mercy. Amen. DM Notes and references
used from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and
"The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Friday, July 18th
Sweet Savour Offerings Typifying Christ
The Peace Offering: A Type of
Christ, Fellowship with God
Leviticus 3; Ephesians 2:14;
Colossians 1:20
The Fellowship or the
Peace Offering is a picture of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice. This
offering identified the offerer with the
offering as the offerer killed the sacrifice.
Interestingly, the offerer, God, and the
Priest are fed by it. It pictures the offerer
as satisfied. The believer will never rest until he sees that his peace
offering in Christ is perfect and acceptable to God. When the believer
sees Christ offering the sin offering, he sees God's wrath against sin
satisfied. When the believer sees Christ offering the meal and burnt
offering, he sees God's requirements satisfied. When the believer sees
Christ offering the Peace offering, he sees himself satisfied. What
will give the believer satisfaction in the presence of God? His
character? Good works? His feelings? His experience? His Service or
walk? No, none of these as only Christ can give true satisfaction. We
see that Adam's covering did not satisfy him. Only the spotless
offering of Christ will give true believers satisfaction in the
presence of God. The offerer's food is the
spotless offering which has already satisfied God for man did not
partake of it until God's portion had already been offered on the
altar.
Next, we see the offerer feasts with God. Man (In Christ) and God
find common food. The offering is shared between them representing
communion. Communion means to share. What can man share with God? His
works or attainments? The best of them have sin in them and so Christ
is the common ground for God and man. The offerer
was to offer with the Peace offering, leavened cakes as
a Thanks to God, and Thanks to God for Christ, for his
participation in this peace.
Lastly, we see the offerer feasts with the priest. The priest's
children also share in the offering and this could represent the church
as members of Christ's family. They could not participate, however,
unless they were clean. There were 2 ways that it could be offered. One
as a Thanksgiving in praise for God's glory in which a meat offering
was offered along with it. The other way was as a vow in a life of
service unto God.
Dear Lord God, we
want to offer ourselves unto You today in humble and obedient service.
We thank You for You only Son, Jesus Christ, who makes us acceptable
unto You. May we live for You daily. Amen. DM
Notes and references
used from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and
"The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Saturday, July 19th
Non-sweet Savor Offering Typifying Christ
The Sin Offering
: A Type of Christ, His Death for us as Sinners
Leviticus 4:1-35; Romans 6:11-14
The Sin offering was
a non-sweet savor offering. It was not for acceptance. The offerer brought it, not because he had done evil,
but because he was evil. The offering was to be without blemish, representing
that if Christ had had sin, He himself would have needed atonement. We
see that man, God, and the devil tried Him, only to prove that He was
the Holy One of God! The offering is charged with the sin of the offerer, which shows us identification. 2
Corinthians 5:20; 1 Peter 2:24. The offerer
comes as a convicted sinner, to receive in his offering, which
represents himself, the judgment that was due his sin.
The offering was burnt
outside the camp, except for the fat that was burnt on the altar to
show that, although a sin offering, it met God's Holy and Perfect
requirements. It was an offering for sin, not trespass. 1 Peter 3:18.
The sinner brought this offering, not because he had done evil, but
because he was evil. This is so important to understand. There is none
righteous, no not one. The world would have us believe that there is a
little bit of good in each person. But without Christ, there is not.
The Trespass offering is the offering made for offences, whereas the
Sin offering is the offering made for the offender.
The different
varieties of offerings were the Bullock, Goat, Lamb, 2 turtledoves or 2
young pigeons, or one-tenth ephah of
flour. The offerer was either 1. The
priest, as the head of a family, just as Christ represents the whole
church; 2. The congregation, as the church as a whole; 3. The Ruler or
the head of the tribe; or, 4. The common people, as individuals. The
blood in the first two cases was taken into the Holy
Place and sprinkled on the altar of incense
and communion with God was restored through the sin offering. (The
consequences of sin in these two cases are seen to be far more
extensive) The last two cases, the blood is
sprinkled on the brazen altar and communion with God is restored
through the sin offering.
Heavenly Father,
please forgive us of our known sin and please forgive us of any unknown
sin so that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts
would be acceptable unto You, and that we would then bring glory unto
You as our Savior! Amen. DM
Notes and references
used from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and
"The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Sunday, July 20th
Non-sweet Savor Offering Typifying Christ
The Trespass Offering: A Type of
Christ Dying for Sins
Leviticus 5:1-5; 14-19; 6:1-7; 1
John 1:9; Matthew 1:21
This Trespass or
Guilt Offering was distinct from the sin offering. The offerer brought it, not because he was evil, but
rather because he had done evil. This offering involved restitution.
The offerer was to restore, to the injured
party, whether it was God or man, the original or its equivalent in
money, and then they were to add one-fifth to it besides bringing the
usual trespass offering. The thought here was not so much that the
trespass would be punished, but that the injured party would be repaid
the wrong. Where there were no acts of sin that had been committed as
in the sin offering, the suffering or death of the sinner would fully
satisfy justice. But where loss or damage had been sustained as in the
trespass offering, the mere suffering and death of the sinner would not
repair the wrong or trespass. That is the reason for the fifth
part added; 20% interest. The injured party really gained. God, through
man, was a loser; but God, through Christ, is a gainer. The last Adam
(Jesus Christ) has made up whatever was lost in the first Adam to the
full. Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound.
The warning about sin
against God or against your neighbor is clear. It is a serious offense
against God Himself. That is the reason a sin against your neighbor often
troubles and bothers a person so deeply. God's Spirit arouses the
disturbance within a person's heart. But keep in mind that a person's
conscience can become so conditioned to sin that it becomes hardened,
as hard as a rock, well beyond feeling any guilt for sin. Nevertheless,
the person is still in the position of being guilty before God. His
standing before God is guilty even if he feels no guilt. He will still
be judged and condemned for sin. Ezra 9:6. How can a person be
freed from the guilt of his sin? God says that a person must make full
restitution; restitution in full, plus pay an additional 20% interest.
Finally, they are to repay it on the day that it is confessed. We see
that the promise of God is real and effective: The guilty person will
be forgiven for anything he has done that makes him guilty.
Dear Lord God, we
realize we are but dust and we stand before You as guilty. We thank You
for paying the price of our sin through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We
praise Your Holy Name! Amen. DM
Notes and references
used from "Studies in Types" by J.A. Schmidt; and
"The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible"
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Monday, July 21st
The
Tabernacle in the Wilderness is the most
Complete
type of Christ in the Bible
It was the meeting place between God and
man. It was located in the center of the camp. There were three tribes
on the east, south, west and north. It was surrounded with the camp and
regardless of which tribe you were in, no one was closer than you were
and no one was further away.
It was given to a chosen
people who occupied a special place in the heart of God. They were a
people sheltered by the blood, a people redeemed from slavery and
Jehovah God was in the midst of His people. God, Himself, was the
architect. Moses was the recipient of the specifications for the
tabernacle when he was in the mountain forty days with God. It was
according to the original tabernacle in heaven.
The material needed for
the construction was by today's prices: Gold, 1 ton $7,800,000.00;
Silver, 4.5 tons $400,000.00; Brass, about the same.
Purple cloth : type of Christ's
royalty,
Blue cloth: color of
heavenly garments,
Scarlet cloth : blood red sacrifices,
Acacia wood : Christ's humanity,
Precious stones: High
Priest's breastplate - Christ is our High Priest and intercessor,
Olive oil : Anointing of the Holy
Spirit,
Sweet spices: daily
prayers.
Also, 10 curtains of fine
twined linen surrounded the court, 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 7.5
feet high - Christ"s
spotless manhood and perfect righteousness.
Coverings for the
tabernacle were linen, goat's hair, and Ram's skins to waterproof the
Tabernacle and badger (porpoise or sea cow) skins to hide its beauty
from the world. The Tabernacle was 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and 15
feet high. The Holy Place
was 30x15x15 feet and the Most Holy Place
was 15x15x15 feet, a perfect cube. In the above we have given you the
dimensions and materials,
in the days to follow we will enlarge upon the actual
construction. RJS
Tuesday, July 22nd
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