365 Reflections

The clearest picture of Christ in the offerings has to come from the grain offering. Leviticus 2:1–2  (ESV)   “When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord , his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it   and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord . The grain offering also most readily relates the idea that Jesus the true bread from heaven, would come in simplicity and poverty. Grain was the acceptable sin offering in Leviticus 5 for the poorest of the poor. Jesus was born in poverty. He lived a simple life. Yet in Him was the riches of God's glory.  The stipulations of the offering call for frankincense, a fine balsamic resin symbolic of holiness and devotion. God's Son would come with both...

Today we start the book of Leviticus. It is an often avoided piece of literature in the scriptures. The offerings and descriptions of the priestly system is enough to drive anyone far from investing their time in this book. But what a mistake it is to disregard it's powerful presentation of God's truth. We find in the book of Leviticus the means by which a man may come to God. And the first thing that Leviticus is going to tell us is that we come by way of sacrifice. Commentators tell us that the first word in Leviticus (in Hebrew) is a conjunction. It connects its contents to the end of Exodus. At the end of Exodus, Moses has erected the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and God filled it with His presence and glory. Moses cannot enter the tent because of God's glory - YET - Leviticus opens with they way by which we all may come to God. Leviticus 1:1–2 (ESV)  The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and sa...

The book of Exodus is the story of God's redeeming work to choose a people for Himself, to reveal Himself to the nations as He does so, and ultimately to dwell among them so that all may know the Lord is over all His creation and every nation. The book ends with Israel enslaved by a man who thought he was god. It ends with the people free with THE GOD in their midst. The temple is completed by Moses in Exodus 40 and there are notable things we should consider: Exodus 40:1–5 (ESV)   The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. Exodus 40:16 (ESV)  T...

Exodus 30 continues to describe the High Priest of Israel's apparel. Exodus 39:4–5 (ESV) They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. 5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses. This sacred garment was the one piece vest that the high priest wore over his front and back mid-sections. On the front was a breast piece will 12 stones: Exodus 39:8–14 (ESV) He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, a...

Exodus 39 describes the High Priest's garments in the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. A few things really stand out to me. Exodus 39:1 (ESV) From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. The same colors and fabrics used for the Tabernacle are to be used for the garments of Israel's High Priest. This is the man who will make atonement for the people every year. He will oversee the sacrificial system and make certain the duties of worship are carried out. But he will be dressed in the exact same colors as the Tabernacle itself. It is clear, the Priest was to be a mini tabernacle. We should consider a few realities: 1. If the Tabernacle is led by a man who looks just like it - this is obviously pointing to the incarnation of Christ - our true High Priest. He is the one who does what is needed that we might have access to God...

Exodus 38 rounds off the construction of the tabernacle by giving us the details of Bezalel's construction of the altar, bronze basin and the Courtyard and then the cost of the materials. Two things are important to note about the features of the tabernacle. 1. There was only one door. Exodus 38:18–19 (NLT) He made the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard of finely woven linen, and he decorated it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was 30 feet long, and its height was 7½ feet, just like the curtains of the courtyard walls. 19 It was supported by four posts, each set securely in its own bronze base. The tops of the posts were overlaid with silver, and the hooks and rings were also made of silver. This tent was only entered through one entry. It is pointing to the reality that or salvation happens in ONE name through ONE person. Jesus Christ is our entrance into the presence of God. For nomadic people in the hot desert sun, convenience wo...

If we regard the Church of Jesus the new Tabernacle of God as Paul describes in Ephesians 2: Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Then it stands to reason that Exodus' description of the Tabernacle construction can help us understand just how it all comes together. When Exodus 37 opens it turns its attention to the furniture of the Tabernacle: the Ark, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, Burnt Offering and Bronze Basin. All these are the work of ONE particular craftsman - Bezalel. While Exodus 35 tells us of many craftsman coming together for construction, Exodus 37 narrows the work to one man full of the Spirit of God. Bezalel prepared the Temple for the habitation of God. He first made the Ark. Ex...

Exodus 36:7b–13 (ESV)  the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. 8 And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size. 10 He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole . Exodus can seem repetitive when ...

For what purpose is the gift of teaching? Exodus 35:30–35 (ESV)   Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer. I love what this passage illustrates for us. Bezalel, first mentioned in Exodus 31 is now brought up again with the materials gathered for construction of the Tabernac...

God in the Old Testament is full of grace. Overwhelming grace again and again. The people saved out of Egypt made idols moments after God miraculously delivered them and provided for them. They demanded to go back to Egypt every time their comfort was disquieted for a moment. God gave Moses the instructions on the tabernacle. Then the people gravely sinned. Three thousand were put to death, a plague broke out. Then God offers to give them the land minus Himself. They repent, Moses intercedes and God relents and agrees to accompany them and then restarts the production of the Tabernacle. Exodus 35:4–10 (ESV) Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord . Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord ’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia woo...

The Sabbath regulation is one of the key repeated themes in the book of Exodus. From the moment of their deliverance, God reveals the Sabbath in providing bread for 6 days and not the seventh in Exodus 16. Then the 4th Commandment pertains to keeping the day of rest as holy to the Lord. The command is repeated after the specifications are laid out for building the tabernacle to Moses on the mountain of God in Exodus 31. In Exodus 34, God speaks of the Sabbath shortly after the Golden Calf incident and the re-affirmation of His Covenant with Israel. Now again, here in the beginning of Exodus 35, the Sabbath is commanded! This time reinforced by Moses himself. Exodus 35:1–3 (ESV) Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord . Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. ...