Category Archives: Study the Word

Am I on the path?, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Self Control, Sin, Study the Word, Teachable

Have You Truly Come To Know Jesus?

John addressed in clear manner a way for us to discern about others, and even about ourselves, whether or not we truly know Jesus Christ. It is simple, really, but many miss it. They get too complacent in saying they know Christ, but they do not actually follow Him and walk the way that He walked. They continue to live in sin, perhaps telling themselves that they have been forgiven, but refusing to turn away from their sin. The truth is not in them.

1 John 2:1-14

Christ Is Our Advocate

      1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

      3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

      7Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 9The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

      12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Of course we all must start somewhere. When we are beginners in Christ, we will still be working to shed our sinful behaviors and attitudes. We will have started the journey to leave our sinful nature behind and begun the journey to become more and more like Jesus. We do not get there all at once. The Holy Spirit continues to reveal more and more truth through scripture study the longer we seek Him.

However, with a reasonable understanding of where we are in our journey with Christ, We should apply John’s test to ourselves fairly regularly. Are we keeping His commandments? Are we continuing to pull away from sin and move toward Christ more and more? Do we love our brothers rather than hate them?

Pray for the Father to help you have a clear understanding of your relationship with Him and not be deceived by the teaching of the world which constantly tell us we are good enough no matter what sin we continue and often mocks those who actually follow Christ most closely.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Offering Sacrifices, Seeking God, Self Control, Sin, Study the Word, Teachable

Ignorance of Sin Is Not Protection From Guilt and Judgment

Many people today want to believe that everyone goes to heaven and no one gets punished. People want to believe that somehow if someone is “good” in man’s definition, then it must not matter what they believe in regards to God. This is dangerous teaching, because quite plainly it is not true and it can lead people to complacency in their relationship with the Father. Complacency in relationship to the Father usually results in becoming more like the world rather than becoming more like Him. Complacency is a lure that leads to separation from the Father.

Throughout the scriptures, the truth of guilt and sin are reinforced. From Old Testament to New Testament, we are reminded consistently that there is an absolute right standard … God’s standard, and there are things which are absolutely wrong… sin. It is God’s judgment on what is good and what is bad that matters, not man’s opinion. When we choose to submit to the Father as Lord of our lives, we want to learn how to please Him. We pray for wisdom and discernment and seek Him by studying scriptures. We learn right and wrong more completely according to His word.

For those who do not seek Him, who do not recognize sin effectively out of ignorance… ignorance is not a protection from guilt and the wages of sin is death.

Leviticus 5:17

17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

Romans 6:23

23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Leviticus 5

The Law of Guilt Offerings

      1‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. 2‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3‘Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. 4‘Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. 5‘So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. 6‘He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

      7‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8‘He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. 9‘He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10‘The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

      11‘But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12‘He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. 13‘So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’”

      14Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 15“If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the LORD’S holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16“He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.

      17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. 18“He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. 19“It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD.”

A price must be paid for our sin. We are guilty whether or not we know if and how we sinned. Ignorance of sin is not protection from guilt. We are blessed that we have such a loving Father that He sent Jesus Christ to bear our punishment. The Old Testament sacrifices and offerings foreshadow the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for our sin. We now can turn directly to Jesus and ask forgiveness, changing our behaviors to be more like Him, and making Him Lord of our life. For those who truly make Him Lord, it will be obvious by their desire to change their sinful ways and turn toward Him. That requires study and prayer to learn God’s ways and identify sin from righteousness… and then turn away from sin.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Offering Sacrifices, Seeking God, Study the Word, Thankfulness, Through Prophets

Offerings To Jehovah

There remains much relevant information and symbolism in the Torah, the books written by Moses. Many of the practices we are taught are “outdated” actually help focus us as believers on Jehovah and also look forward as foreshadowing of the coming of Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus, in Hebrew). Challenge yourself to read and study, dwelling on the significance of the passages such as grain offerings in Leviticus rather than just skim over them. Read the commentaries. BibleHub.com provides a good platform where the commentaries are all embedded in the same place as the text and just a few clicks away.  Read carefully and compare commentaries… you still need to use discernment to ensure they are consistent with God’s intent, but they are good resources.

The grain offerings described in Leviticus 2 are a good example. I will highlight only a few aspects… look for yourself and see what else you find.

Animal sacrifices were associated with guilt and atonement. Offering of grain were associated with giving an offering or gift to God, as in thanks for providing a good crop. Offerings would include such things as flour, bread, wine, salt, etc. which had great use to the people. At the most basic level, giving back to Jehovah is a great way to remember and thank Him for providing everything you have. It provides a reminder to be thankful and praise Him as Provider.

Even within the offering was much to draw us toward Jehovah and focus us on Him. Oil and frankincense signify being grateful and acceptable to Jehovah. It reminds us that our offering is not sufficient and holy by itself. It foreshadows Yeshua as the sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to Jehovah on our behalf. Our offering alone is not enough.

Avoiding leaven is a theme in multiple scriptures. Leaven in this context represents pride, malice, hypocrisy… generally sin.  A little leaven affects the whole loaf. We should be careful to remove or repent from sin before bringing offering to our Father.

Leviticus 2

The Law of Grain Offerings

      1‘Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it. 2‘He shall then bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests; and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 3‘The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy, of the offerings to the LORD by fire.

      4‘Now when you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. 5‘If your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil; 6you shall break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7‘Now if your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8‘When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the LORD, it shall be presented to the priest and he shall bring it to the altar. 9‘The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 10‘The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most holy of the offerings to the LORD by fire.

      11‘No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD. 12‘As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar. 13‘Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

      14‘Also if you bring a grain offering of early ripened things to the LORD, you shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire, grits of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things. 15‘You shall then put oil on it and lay incense on it; it is a grain offering. 16‘The priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of its grits and its oil with all its incense as an offering by fire to the LORD.

Take care not to discard the Torah or other Old Testament scriptures that seem unfamiliar or that men (even in churches) teach are no longer relevant. All scripture is relevant and good to study. Take note that when Paul instructed Timothy in this principle, there was no “New Testament”. Paul was referring to the Old Testament… and this was after Jesus had come and died and resurrected. Nothing has changed since and this guidance is just as true today.

2 Timothy 3:16

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

As a homework challenge to get past the psychological hurdle of getting into the commentaries… go to the commentaries and seek out what the salt represents.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Offering Sacrifices, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Speaking, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Do Animal Sacrifices Still Have Relevance Today?

We no longer conduct animal sacrifices as God’s people. Our repentance and forgiveness are no longer administered through an earthly priesthood, but rather now directly through death and resurrection and relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the sacrifice and the priest. He is our savior.

Animal sacrifices documented in the Old Testament were an important part of demonstrating repentance and remaining in communion and relationship with God before Christ’s earthly ministry. There is deep symbolism and meaning to be studied and appreciated that still has meaning today.

The burning body of the animal reminds us of the judgment awaiting those who do not accept the gift of forgiveness by grace through faith offered by Jesus Christ. The penalty for sin is death. God is serious about sin. It is offensive. A holy and righteous God requires a penalty be paid. Fortunately for us, this same loving God came to walk among us as Jesus Christ and pay the penalty for us.

The sacrificial animal was to be without blemish. This is a foreshadowing of the perfection we witness in Jesus Christ.

The owner must choose of his own free will to make the sacrifice. Jesus indeed made this choice of His own free will on our behalf.

The person bringing the sacrifice would take action to put their hand on the head of the animal symbolically so the sacrifice could make atonement on their behalf. Similarly, we must make a choice of our own free will to accept Jesus as Lord and submit our lives to Him. He is our sacrifice, but we must choose Him.

We also see another example of understanding and compassion in our Creator. For those who could not afford the animals of the herd, they could bring one from the flock or even some small birds. God was not demanding someone to go bankrupt with big “donations”. He was leading the people to come before Him asking for repentance and forgiveness. He was helping them to remain aware of their sin and need for repentance.

Leviticus 1

The Law of Burnt Offerings

      1Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5‘He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6‘He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7‘The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8‘Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9‘Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      10‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. 11‘He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12‘He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13‘The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      14‘But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. 15‘The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16‘He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. 17‘Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

There is much more significance than what little I have covered here. The Old Testament is rich with symbolism and meaning to help us understand our Creator and how He wants us to relate to Him even today. Take care not to neglect the study of the Old Testament for sake of only reading the New. That is like reading only part of an instruction manual and assuming you understand the whole thing. Both are consistent. Understanding the Old will help you gain a greater context and understanding for the New. They are intended to work together to communicate the full picture of God’s relationship with His people and how He wants us to live and interact with each other and Himself.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Just As The Lord Had Commanded

We are called by our Father in heaven to do just as He commands. His instruction and design is far greater than our own. We are to work together as a body of Christ, letting each one use their specific (and unique) God-given talents and abilities to the fulfillment of the whole of what He commands. It is like watching a beautiful masterpiece come together when we obey in this way. Paying attention to fine detail and not rushing our work for God, but rather putting aside the right time and focus for it.  Doing what God commands us is not a distraction we must complete to get back to our lives, but rather it is the main point of our lives!

Exodus 39

The Priestly Garments

      1Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 3Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. 4They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. 5The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      6They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      8He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. 10And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 14The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 15They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. 16They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 18They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 19They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. 21They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. 24They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. 25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, 26alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      27They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, 29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.” 31They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. 33They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; 34and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; 35the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; 39the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; 40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. 42So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 43And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

We should take a lesson from how Moses and the Israelites completed the details not only of the tabernacle, but also the priestly garments. There were intricate and labor intensive details which God instructed them to complete in a very specific way. Each time, they avoided hurry or rushing, but instead took the time and care necessary to deliver exactly what God commanded. In this passage of scripture alone there are eight times it highlights not just completing a task, but that they had completed each task “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”.

At the very end, we see as a result that the people were blessed.

“So Moses blessed them.”

For guidance, we must study the Bible, seek Jehovah in prayer, and it is also good to seek confirmation from other true believers that do the same. This will help us to understand His character and the general instructions He has already provided for our lives. As we continue to look for His specific will for our lives it is important that we learn how to recognize His voice and confirm through the scriptures and other believers. Remember to pursue what God calls you to do as the main thing, rather than a distraction to be completed so you can go back to your leisure activity or work. Take the time to do it right… do it just as the Lord has commanded… and that always involves a right attitude to go along with physical obedience.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Jehovah’s Works Are Materpieces

Exodus explains in incredible detail the obedience of the craftsmen in building the Tabernacle according to God’s specifications. God was very particular and intentional in His design. He is a master. The craftsmen whom He gifted and charged with building His design took painstaking effort to deliver exactly what was commanded. It must have been extraordinary to see. I am sure the people took time to appreciate the fine detail and symbolic nature of the Tabernacle as they finished it and ultimately used it according to God’s purpose.

Exodus 38:1-20

The Tabernacle Completed

      1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. 4He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

      8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

      9Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13For the east side fifty cubits. 14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. 18The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.

What has God done in your life or the life of those around you? Have you taken time to pause and appreciate the fine details He has worked out to accomplish His specific purpose? I can reflect across my life at the journey He has brought me through. Many situations I would never have chosen, were knit together by the Master to help me develop and grow closer to Him. The more closely I seek to understand His instruction for how to live my life and the more closely I apply it in my life the better it gets. I can see how He has transformed me and continues to do so. I can now see it reflected in my family where we have established His word as the guide… the lamp unto our feet. I still find myself growing more and more and learning where I could and should do even better to honor Him, often by choosing His way consciously over my own, even in small things. The details matter. Follow God in the details and pause every once in awhile to admire His work. Then continue to seek Him even more.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Sabbath is a Day of Rest Commanded By God

Jehovah has a lot to say in the Bible about Sabbath. Jesus also helps to clarify the priority and application of Sabbath through His earthly ministry and personal example. In the Jewish calendar, Sabbath begins on Friday at sundown in the evening and continues until sundown on Saturday evening. Jehovah consistently tells His people to observe Sabbath as a day of rest to the Lord.

Exodus 35:1-3

The Sabbath Emphasized

      1Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do:

      2“For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3“You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day.”

 We have six days of the week to prepare for Sabbath so that we need not be doing work on the Sabbath. We know it is coming. There is no good reason not to prepare other than we choose not to make it as important as God said it was. I encourage everyone to take a deeper study about Sabbath and consider prayerfully how to apply it in their lives today. I encourage you to study about Sabbath from what God’s word actually says, rather than an off the shelf pamphlet from a local church. Most of our culture today has neglected or changed Sabbath and even in the churches there have been changes from God’s word… the most obvious of which is moving the day from the Jewish calendar (Fri sundown to Sat sundown) to observing it on Sunday (12:00am to 11:59pm).

Certainly those of us who celebrate Sabbath can have a rich dialogue on how God intends for us to do so, but we should anchor that discussion on His word. I recommend visiting some of the ministries in our resources section of our website, Focused Ministries – Understanding Hebrew Roots, as a helpful way to get pointed in the right direction. Test everything against God’s word.

Remember, God did not suggest Sabbath as a good idea for His people to consider… He commanded it as part of our covenant with Him. I have found much benefit and joy in leading my family to celebrate the Sabbath more regularly in our lives since I began a few years ago. I hope you have a similar experience.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Study the Word, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Same God

Many find it hard to reconcile the Old Testament and New Testament. To some, the Old Testament seems harsh and too fiercely regulated. It may seem legalistic. On the other hand, many go astray chasing a misunderstanding of the New Testament… claiming that forgiveness by grace through faith in Jesus means we can ignore and rebel against God… claiming that we can do whatever we want but claim His name and we are in good standing with Him. But it is the same God… the same Jehovah throughout both and He does not change.

If we find ourselves with difficulty reconciling the Old and New Testaments, that means we need to continue to study and pray and seek the truth that God has provided in scripture… the entirety of scripture in the Bible.

Hebrews 12:18-24

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

      18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

We can certainly be encouraged that we are indeed welcome and in invited to seek Jehovah through Jesus Christ. We can look forward to the heavenly Jerusalem, the angels, the general assembly and the church in heaven and to Jehovah, Himself. We can embrace Jesus and disciple after Him and give thanks for the offer of salvation by grace through faith because of His death for our sins. But let us also take care… Jesus routinely in His earthly ministry points back to the Old Testament as permanent part of God’s revelation to His people. Let us also seek to understand that part of what He reveals to us. Let us remember also to approach God with great reverence and respect. He is the same God that met His people at Sinai. He has not changed.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Holy, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Sin, Speaking, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Why Was It Important For Aaron To Wash His Feet?

There are sections of scripture which I often am tempted to read over quickly because the significance is not always clear to me. I find it a different way to read the Bible to break it into small pieces daily and refuse to skip over these sections, but instead read, reread, and study in some of the Biblical commentaries to understand their significance more clearly.

Reading through Exodus 30, I found myself tempted  to do so for some of the rituals about which God instructed Moses for Aaron and his sons. But if we take time to dig even a little below the surface we will often find some significance that reinforces the gospel message even today. That is because our God has not changed. How He wants to relate to His people and guide them has not changed.

Exodus 30:17-21

      17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18“You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19“Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; 20when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD. 21“So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

Certainly it seems a bit intimidating as to why God indicated that Aaron and his sons would die if they failed to wash their feet and hands before approaching Him. We could probably spend a bit of time here, but it would appear clear that this was important to our Father in heaven and He was making that clear to Aaron and his sons.

It is very unlikely that Jehovah was just concerned about dirty hands and feet or germs. So much of His instruction is for teaching the people about how to properly relate to Him. We should remember that Jehovah is a holy God. There is no sin in Him. We are sinful people. To be cleansed of sin once, such as when we come to Christ or when Aaron and his sons were made priests, is not enough. We must daily seek to cleanse our spirit from sin and repent and seek to become clean in order to maintain close relationship with the Lord. As Aaron and his sons were instructed to cleanse themselves daily, so too we can remind ourselves that we must choose to obey and follow our Lord daily. We must be cleansed of sin and rebellion if we are to develop a close relationship with the Father.

There is no power in water and soap to do this type of cleansing. That was a ritual to remind the priests. However, by accepting Jesus as Messiah and repenting from our sins we can be cleansed. This is not a one time activity but rather an ongoing part of our daily lives. Let us never grow complacent that “we accepted Jesus a long time ago. nothing else is required”. Accepting and submitting to Jesus is part of every day in our journey as a disciple of Christ.

Ask yourself, “How often to I consciously choose Christ in determining my attitudes and activities? Do I ask forgiveness often? Do I choose to repent from wrong behavior often? Do I test everything I do against the scripture or just accept what local community or church culture defines as acceptable? “

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers, Study the Word

Turn Away From Those Who Teach Contrary To The Scripture

We are not to just trust anyone who claims to teach the word of God. We are to test them and what they teach against the truth of scripture. Many will come pursuing their own appetites and with flattering and smooth speech to deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. We are to study and understand scripture ourselves and use it as a constant measure to discern who is a false teacher who claims to come in the name of Jesus. We are to seek out those who teach truth and follow them and help them to remain accountable to God’s truth.

Romans 16:17-27

     17Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

      21Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

      22I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord.

      23Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. 24[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

      25Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

There are many, even today in churches who teach false doctrine. We are still to test them against the word of God and reject those who teach false doctrine, for they lead us away from the truth of God’s word. Pray for wisdom from God and remain in His word personally so as to learn truth from deception. Beware… the deceptive teaching usually seems flattering and pleasant as a lure to lead you down a path more devoted to self than the path that leads to God Himself. But it is God’s path that brings joy and peace and right relationship with our Creator. Let us each choose wisely.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.