The Altar of Burnt Offerings
What does it take to enter into the presence of God? In one word—ATONEMENT! OK, maybe two words—ATONEMENT & REDEMPTION! Well, come to think of it, there is a third word—RECONCILIATION, and even a fourth word—JUSTIFICATION! And, how about COMMITMENT? Wow, there are a lot of things needed to enter into the presence of God! How does anyone remember all of these, in addition to knowing what some of these fancy words even mean?
The holiness of God demands a lot, but the love of God is large enough to not only teach what brings satisfaction to His holiness, but to also ultimately provide the only thing that will satisfy Him for eternity. This is where the layout of the Tabernacle has significance. God began teaching about and pointing to His ultimate provision right after the people of Israel entered into covenant with Him. However, instead of giving them volumes of theological exposition to read, He gave them an object lesson from which to learn—there is no entering into His presence without a proper sacrifice.
The first thing you come to upon entering the Tabernacle is the altar for burnt offerings. This was a five foot tall bronze altar shaped in a square that measured approximately eight feet across on each side. It was here that the priests offered before God the various sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people of Israel. Some of these sacrifices demonstrated complete devotion to God (such as the burnt offering, in which every part of the sacrifice was given to God), and some were used for atonement for sin. Some were offerings in which the priest and the one offering the sacrifice would share in a meal after choice portions of the sacrifice were offered to God. The animals offered up to God were to be the first and best of the flocks and herds of the Israelites. No sick or deformed animals were acceptable. God did not want Israel’s leftovers. He sought the first of what they had (thus requiring the first-born of their flocks and herds to be dedicated to Him), and the best, most prized animals. The price for their sins and to maintain a healthy relationship with God was considerable!
The significance was that Israel was learning what it takes to dwell in the presence of their holy God. One cannot accidently please God! It takes devotion and commitment and intention. It takes SACRIFICE! Even the pursuits of what seem so important in this world were to be laid aside or offered to God upon the altar of burnt offerings. To have God in our midst takes a willingness to put Him above all other pursuits and to recognize the high price tag placed upon Atonement, Redemption, Reconciliation, Justification and Commitment!
The incredible thing is how all of this points to the great gift of God, Himself, as He offers up the ultimate sacrifice—His Son—to provide an eternal answer to these needs. God did not ask for anything more than He was willing to give Himself! He provided His first and best in order to provide Atonement, Redemption, Reconciliation, Justification, and to show His Commitment to us!
Today, we do not have to offer up animals for sacrifice because Jesus is the once-for-all-time sacrifice. However, God still seeks our first and best. He still wants to our devotion, our commitment, our intention. Are we serving Him leftovers, or giving Him the choice selections of what we have to offer? This is what the altar is truly about!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 4
Go West, Young Man & Young Lady
So, you are standing at the altar of God just inside the gate of the Tabernacle. You are here because this is the place to bring your sacrifices in order to make atonement and show appreciation for the things God has done. It is always difficult to take the best of your flock and hand it over to the priests after laying your hands upon it to pass on your sins, just so they can slaughter it and present it as an offering to God. But now that you have rededicated yourself to the Lord, what will you do? What direction will your life go now?
Life is full of decisions! It always has been, and it always will be. How many times has a decision made in a fleeting moment produced consequences that last a lifetime? Should the fruit be eaten, or not even touched? Sarai, should we take Lot with us, or leave him to fend for himself in Ur? After viewing the Promised Land and seeing the people who inhabit the land along with their fortified cities, should we go up and attack, or persuade the people to turn back to Egypt? Should the king go to battle with the troops, or stay home at the palace and sit this one out? Decisions, decisions, decisions; how do we know what to do? Which direction should we take? Will this decision move me closer to God, or further away?
God has not left us without some GPS help! He wants to give us some direction for our lives—the Tabernacle demonstrates this! You see, the Tabernacle was always set up in the same direction. The entryway to the courtyard was pointed to the east every time it was set up. That means that once you finished bringing your sacrifice before God, there were only two primary directions one could go—east, away from the presence of God, or west, deeper into the presence of God. Is it a foreboding sign God provided that most of the people, once they performed their act of worship, would turn and go AWAY FROM the presence of God? How many of us fall into this trap, even today?
East is not a good direction to go in the Scriptures! When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, it was to the east that He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword to protect the way back into the garden (Genesis 3:24). After Cain murdered his brother and was made a vagrant, it was to the east of Eden that he finally wound up settling and beginning a civilization that was so corrupt (Genesis 4:16). In the time of the Tower of Babel, the people continued to move east, away from the presence or will of God (Genesis 11:2). When Lot separated from Abraham, he traveled to the east, toward the land of Sodom, which we all know was a giant step in the wrong direction (Genesis 13:11). There are several other examples of this motif in the book of Genesis, but perhaps the best example of moving the other direction comes in the birth narrative of Jesus when Magi (or astrologers) from the Far East travel to the WEST in order to find the “King of the Jews” who would also become the Savior of the world (Matthew 2:1-2). They saw a sign from God calling them back into His presence “to worship Him”!
God is calling us deeper into His presence as well! This morning, after you present your offering before God through your praise and worship, don’t exit through the same door you normally do if it only takes you to the EAST. Choose a different direction! Jesus has reestablished the priesthood so all people can move deeper into the presence of God. Will you take advantage of this? Or, will you continue to maintain the same habits, watching others enjoy a closeness with God that could be yours, as well, if only you chose a different direction? GO WEST, YOUNG MAN & YOUNG LADY—and experience a deeper intimacy with God!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
So, you are standing at the altar of God just inside the gate of the Tabernacle. You are here because this is the place to bring your sacrifices in order to make atonement and show appreciation for the things God has done. It is always difficult to take the best of your flock and hand it over to the priests after laying your hands upon it to pass on your sins, just so they can slaughter it and present it as an offering to God. But now that you have rededicated yourself to the Lord, what will you do? What direction will your life go now?
Life is full of decisions! It always has been, and it always will be. How many times has a decision made in a fleeting moment produced consequences that last a lifetime? Should the fruit be eaten, or not even touched? Sarai, should we take Lot with us, or leave him to fend for himself in Ur? After viewing the Promised Land and seeing the people who inhabit the land along with their fortified cities, should we go up and attack, or persuade the people to turn back to Egypt? Should the king go to battle with the troops, or stay home at the palace and sit this one out? Decisions, decisions, decisions; how do we know what to do? Which direction should we take? Will this decision move me closer to God, or further away?
God has not left us without some GPS help! He wants to give us some direction for our lives—the Tabernacle demonstrates this! You see, the Tabernacle was always set up in the same direction. The entryway to the courtyard was pointed to the east every time it was set up. That means that once you finished bringing your sacrifice before God, there were only two primary directions one could go—east, away from the presence of God, or west, deeper into the presence of God. Is it a foreboding sign God provided that most of the people, once they performed their act of worship, would turn and go AWAY FROM the presence of God? How many of us fall into this trap, even today?
East is not a good direction to go in the Scriptures! When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, it was to the east that He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword to protect the way back into the garden (Genesis 3:24). After Cain murdered his brother and was made a vagrant, it was to the east of Eden that he finally wound up settling and beginning a civilization that was so corrupt (Genesis 4:16). In the time of the Tower of Babel, the people continued to move east, away from the presence or will of God (Genesis 11:2). When Lot separated from Abraham, he traveled to the east, toward the land of Sodom, which we all know was a giant step in the wrong direction (Genesis 13:11). There are several other examples of this motif in the book of Genesis, but perhaps the best example of moving the other direction comes in the birth narrative of Jesus when Magi (or astrologers) from the Far East travel to the WEST in order to find the “King of the Jews” who would also become the Savior of the world (Matthew 2:1-2). They saw a sign from God calling them back into His presence “to worship Him”!
God is calling us deeper into His presence as well! This morning, after you present your offering before God through your praise and worship, don’t exit through the same door you normally do if it only takes you to the EAST. Choose a different direction! Jesus has reestablished the priesthood so all people can move deeper into the presence of God. Will you take advantage of this? Or, will you continue to maintain the same habits, watching others enjoy a closeness with God that could be yours, as well, if only you chose a different direction? GO WEST, YOUNG MAN & YOUNG LADY—and experience a deeper intimacy with God!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 3
Only One Way In!!!
Who doesn’t like options and the freedom to express themselves in unique fashion? In fact, tell most of us there is only one way to solve something and we will immediately begin looking for loopholes or alternatives to prove you wrong. We don’t like being limited to one path!
I was watching the TV show The Amazing Race this past Sunday night and each team was given a task to follow a tangled mess of power lines where there were tags in random places with numbers upon them. Once they found all the numbers, they were to turn their list in to be checked by one of the natives to see if they found them all. I was startled to see one team follow the power lines looking at the wrong numbers and then get mad when the person checking their answers told them they were wrong. They went through the course several times searching in the wrong places and became angrier and more frustrated each time they were rejected. The truth is, there was only one right way to solve the challenge and because of their inability to step back and consider what the real task was, they wound up being eliminated from the race.
How many of us treat the ways of God in this manner? How many times do we get locked into a certain way of looking at things and then just can’t imagine that our way is not THE WAY? There must be something wrong with God; because we are convinced we are right. The problem could not possibly be with us! Right, Job? (He tried to bring a case before God about being mistreated and found out that God’s ways are far above his own, and he needed to walk by faith.)
The Tabernacle is such a beautiful teaching tool because it shows God’s desire to dwell among His people. Each element of the Tabernacle emphasizes what it takes to actually dwell in the presence of God. The first of those elements is the gate or door to enter into the courtyard of the Tabernacle. The walls of the courtyard were solid on every side but one, the side facing the east, in which there was an opening that served as the gate or door.
ONE WAY IN!
ONLY ONE WAY IN!!!
Every element of the Tabernacle points to the ministry of Jesus (as we will see as we go through each part of the Tabernacle). The gate is not an exception! John records some interesting words of Jesus in John 10:9 in which He states: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Consider also the teaching of Peter before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12 where he proclaims, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Jesus also proclaims about Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” This last quote comes in the midst of a discussion with His disciples in which He shares with them the plan of preparing a place for them with His Father, so they can DWELL with Him.
God wants to dwell among us, but there is only one way in to His presence. People are not allowed to invent their own ways to come before Him. That might come across as “politically incorrect” or “intolerant”, but God is not concerned about our short-sighted and incorrect ways of looking at things. Do you want to draw near and dwell in the presence of God? Then come to the One Way In: JESUS!!!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Who doesn’t like options and the freedom to express themselves in unique fashion? In fact, tell most of us there is only one way to solve something and we will immediately begin looking for loopholes or alternatives to prove you wrong. We don’t like being limited to one path!
I was watching the TV show The Amazing Race this past Sunday night and each team was given a task to follow a tangled mess of power lines where there were tags in random places with numbers upon them. Once they found all the numbers, they were to turn their list in to be checked by one of the natives to see if they found them all. I was startled to see one team follow the power lines looking at the wrong numbers and then get mad when the person checking their answers told them they were wrong. They went through the course several times searching in the wrong places and became angrier and more frustrated each time they were rejected. The truth is, there was only one right way to solve the challenge and because of their inability to step back and consider what the real task was, they wound up being eliminated from the race.
How many of us treat the ways of God in this manner? How many times do we get locked into a certain way of looking at things and then just can’t imagine that our way is not THE WAY? There must be something wrong with God; because we are convinced we are right. The problem could not possibly be with us! Right, Job? (He tried to bring a case before God about being mistreated and found out that God’s ways are far above his own, and he needed to walk by faith.)
The Tabernacle is such a beautiful teaching tool because it shows God’s desire to dwell among His people. Each element of the Tabernacle emphasizes what it takes to actually dwell in the presence of God. The first of those elements is the gate or door to enter into the courtyard of the Tabernacle. The walls of the courtyard were solid on every side but one, the side facing the east, in which there was an opening that served as the gate or door.
ONE WAY IN!
ONLY ONE WAY IN!!!
Every element of the Tabernacle points to the ministry of Jesus (as we will see as we go through each part of the Tabernacle). The gate is not an exception! John records some interesting words of Jesus in John 10:9 in which He states: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Consider also the teaching of Peter before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12 where he proclaims, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Jesus also proclaims about Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” This last quote comes in the midst of a discussion with His disciples in which He shares with them the plan of preparing a place for them with His Father, so they can DWELL with Him.
God wants to dwell among us, but there is only one way in to His presence. People are not allowed to invent their own ways to come before Him. That might come across as “politically incorrect” or “intolerant”, but God is not concerned about our short-sighted and incorrect ways of looking at things. Do you want to draw near and dwell in the presence of God? Then come to the One Way In: JESUS!!!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 2
God Dwelt Among Us
Creation accounts from various cultures are interesting, particularly in the way they portray the purpose behind creating mankind. Both the Enuma Elish (an ancient Babylonian creation account) and The Atrahasis Epic (an ancient Assyrian creation account) have some similarities with the account found in the Hebrew Scriptures, yet the differences are striking! In both accounts mankind was an afterthought and created to perform menial tasks that the gods did not want to do themselves. In The Atrahasis Epic, some of the gods were responsible for digging the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and revolted because they did not want to do this work. In fact, the poem states, “Let him bear the yoke! Let him bear the yoke! Let man assume the drudgery of the god” and afterward, mankind was created.
How wonderful is it that the story found in our Bibles portrays an entirely different and empowering view behind the creation of mankind? The picture we are given is one of purpose (See Ephesians 2:10) and intimacy with God (See Genesis 3:8). We are shown high value! We have a God who wants to dwell among us!
The picture we find as we work our way through the Scriptures is that God has continually sought deeper levels of intimacy with us! From a portable dwelling (the Tabernacle) in the midst of the camp as His people traveled through the wilderness, to a permanent building (the Temple) as His people established themselves in the land He promised them, to God coming to “dwell” or “tabernacle” among His people in the form of Jesus (See John 1:14), to His people becoming the very Temple of God, housing His presence in our hearts (See I Corinthians 3:16), God has sought to lead us to a deeper experience of intimacy with Him.
The plan of God to dwell with mankind is evident throughout the Scriptures. Even before God made it clear to the Israelites that they would build a tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9 is the 1st mention of the Tabernacle), He foretold His intentions in Exodus 15:17-18. Exodus 15 provides a song the Israelites sang right after being rescued by God from Pharaoh and his army by passing through the Red Sea on dry land. The song concludes with these thoughts: “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever.” His objective is clear! He wants to dwell among His people! This is what constructing a Tabernacle was all about (READ Exodus 25:8-9).
The problem is, too many of us are content to have God dwell in a tent in the midst of the wilderness instead of giving Him room to take up residence within our hearts. God is not satisfied with this! The furniture and other elements of the Tabernacle all point to His desire for more (as the rest of this series will demonstrate). And, as already seen, God created us with more in mind! So, the question is simple: “Will we strive to live with God in the core of our lives?” It is where He belongs and where He wants to be!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Creation accounts from various cultures are interesting, particularly in the way they portray the purpose behind creating mankind. Both the Enuma Elish (an ancient Babylonian creation account) and The Atrahasis Epic (an ancient Assyrian creation account) have some similarities with the account found in the Hebrew Scriptures, yet the differences are striking! In both accounts mankind was an afterthought and created to perform menial tasks that the gods did not want to do themselves. In The Atrahasis Epic, some of the gods were responsible for digging the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and revolted because they did not want to do this work. In fact, the poem states, “Let him bear the yoke! Let him bear the yoke! Let man assume the drudgery of the god” and afterward, mankind was created.
How wonderful is it that the story found in our Bibles portrays an entirely different and empowering view behind the creation of mankind? The picture we are given is one of purpose (See Ephesians 2:10) and intimacy with God (See Genesis 3:8). We are shown high value! We have a God who wants to dwell among us!
The picture we find as we work our way through the Scriptures is that God has continually sought deeper levels of intimacy with us! From a portable dwelling (the Tabernacle) in the midst of the camp as His people traveled through the wilderness, to a permanent building (the Temple) as His people established themselves in the land He promised them, to God coming to “dwell” or “tabernacle” among His people in the form of Jesus (See John 1:14), to His people becoming the very Temple of God, housing His presence in our hearts (See I Corinthians 3:16), God has sought to lead us to a deeper experience of intimacy with Him.
The plan of God to dwell with mankind is evident throughout the Scriptures. Even before God made it clear to the Israelites that they would build a tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9 is the 1st mention of the Tabernacle), He foretold His intentions in Exodus 15:17-18. Exodus 15 provides a song the Israelites sang right after being rescued by God from Pharaoh and his army by passing through the Red Sea on dry land. The song concludes with these thoughts: “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever.” His objective is clear! He wants to dwell among His people! This is what constructing a Tabernacle was all about (READ Exodus 25:8-9).
The problem is, too many of us are content to have God dwell in a tent in the midst of the wilderness instead of giving Him room to take up residence within our hearts. God is not satisfied with this! The furniture and other elements of the Tabernacle all point to His desire for more (as the rest of this series will demonstrate). And, as already seen, God created us with more in mind! So, the question is simple: “Will we strive to live with God in the core of our lives?” It is where He belongs and where He wants to be!
Click to listen to sermon.
-Scott
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Out of Town
In case you have not discovered this yet, I am out of town this week! I have the pleasure of performing a wedding ceremony for a former student of mine in New Jersey and then I will be spending 6 days with my mom and brother in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. I am looking forward to some time to receive a little TLC from my mommy and to have some face-to-face time with my brother and sister and their families. Thank you, Garden Ridge for allowing me this opportunity to get away like this once in a while.
Deeann and I (and Whitney, also) consider ourselves quite blessed to work with the church family here and we hope to see the Lord work through this church family (ourselves included) in powerful ways that bring about bountiful harvests of spiritual fruit so the communities around us will sit up and notice how real our God is and the beauty and value of trusting in His ways.
Next week we will resume our series on covenant. We will be jumping ahead to the book of Exodus to consider a model found throughout the Scriptures of Covenant—Grace—Empowerment—Intimacy. I will share how covenant is just the foundation of what God is truly desiring—a bond of intimacy with each of us! I will attempt to show how covenant leads to an outpouring of grace and a desire to empower, which result in deeper intimacy.
This morning, my dear friend and one of my favorite ministers on staff (he is ranked way up there with another minister on staff) will be filling in for me. Thank you, Philip, for your willingness and desire to proclaim God’s word and for the talents you possess. May God bless this church family with a powerful and enriching time of worship and fellowship so you are each well-equipped to face the challenges of the week ahead.
In conclusion, I will express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and appreciation Deeann and I received from this church family last week. We are moved by your generosity and expressions of appreciation. We hope you understand the joy we have being here with you and the quest we are on to walk the path of God with you for as long as He desires us to be together. We are overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you!
-Scott
Deeann and I (and Whitney, also) consider ourselves quite blessed to work with the church family here and we hope to see the Lord work through this church family (ourselves included) in powerful ways that bring about bountiful harvests of spiritual fruit so the communities around us will sit up and notice how real our God is and the beauty and value of trusting in His ways.
Next week we will resume our series on covenant. We will be jumping ahead to the book of Exodus to consider a model found throughout the Scriptures of Covenant—Grace—Empowerment—Intimacy. I will share how covenant is just the foundation of what God is truly desiring—a bond of intimacy with each of us! I will attempt to show how covenant leads to an outpouring of grace and a desire to empower, which result in deeper intimacy.
This morning, my dear friend and one of my favorite ministers on staff (he is ranked way up there with another minister on staff) will be filling in for me. Thank you, Philip, for your willingness and desire to proclaim God’s word and for the talents you possess. May God bless this church family with a powerful and enriching time of worship and fellowship so you are each well-equipped to face the challenges of the week ahead.
In conclusion, I will express my gratitude for the outpouring of love and appreciation Deeann and I received from this church family last week. We are moved by your generosity and expressions of appreciation. We hope you understand the joy we have being here with you and the quest we are on to walk the path of God with you for as long as He desires us to be together. We are overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you!
-Scott
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