The Sabbath

 

Exodus 31:12-18

 

October 26, 2024

 

The Sabbath

“And the Lord said to Moses, 'You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all, you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.  Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore, the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever.  It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”

 

Shall we begin with the word “Sanctify?” You will find words like consecrate, purity, and dedicate. All of those have the same meaning: a person set apart for the service of worship. God, our Creator, desires our worship and gets angry when we worship anyone or anything but Him.

 

It was only a few years ago that I was convinced that my testimony was being damaged by my actions.  Not by attending worship services, but by coming home and mowing the yard.  Many neighbors knew that Jan and I were followers of Christ, but after Church service, we were just like them; Sunday was just a day off.  So, I no longer do that. Sunday is a day to remember and give thanks for all the blessings of our God and Father.

 

Now this is my conviction, and yet if your testimony is of value to you, you might want to pray about it, for a day of solemn rest is holy to the Lord.  Could you use a day of rest and refreshment?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

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Oholiab and Bezalel

 

Exodus 31:1-11

 

October 25, 2024

 

Oholiab and Bezalel

The Lord said to Moses,  “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,  to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,  in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.  And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense,  and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand,  and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests,  and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”

 

My prayer and hope is that you understand God has called you and me for a purpose and has given us His Holy Spirit, with the ability, intelligence, and knowledge to do what He has called us for.

 

Many of us who call ourselves Christians begin to allow pride and the praise of others to make us believe we did this and that it was not a gift from God. Clearly, Bezalel was picked by God and given these gifts to do all of these things, but God also appointed Oholiab to work with Bezalel, in that two are better than one.

 

No matter what someone tells you, you are not a never-was in God’s sight; you are very special with a calling.  Each of us has a different calling, so use those gifts and bless others with them.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Anointing Oil and Incense

 

Exodus 30:22-38

 

October 24, 2024

 

The Anointing Oil and Incense

The Lord said to Moses,  “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane,  and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.  And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.  With it, you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,  and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense,  and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand.  You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.  You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.  And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.  It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.  Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),  and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.  You shall beat some of it very small and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you.  And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord.  Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”

 

In Exodus, the anointing oil was a sacred blend of spices and olive oil that was used to consecrate objects and people associated with the Tabernacle. The oil was a physical representation of God's presence and blessing.  

In the Old Testament, anointing with oil represented the coming of the Holy Spirit upon a person. For example, in 1 Samuel 16:13, the prophet Samuel anointed David as king of Israel with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David.1 Samuel 16:13: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”  

 

So how does the Holy Spirit anoint a person today?  “In Christianity, the Holy Spirit "anoints" a person today by residing within them, empowering them with spiritual gifts and abilities to discern truth, understand Scripture, and live a life according to God's will, essentially providing an inner presence that guides and strengthens their faith; this "anointing" is considered a permanent gift given to all believers upon accepting Jesus Christ, and is not necessarily dependent on outward practices like applying oil, but rather a spiritual transformation through the Holy Spirit's work within them.” 

 

When Jesus left Planet Earth to return to His Father and ours, His followers were sad, but then the Holy Spirit came upon them with spiritual gifts and all kinds of abilities, and one that I treasure is discerning truth.  When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He shared the following: in Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”  The Spirit that was on Jesus would come to guide, direct, and lead us to the Father.  Jesus talks with His disciples in John 16:7-11, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ​ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

 

We have Paul talking to the Church at Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, ^“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,  and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Bronze Basin

 

 

Exodus 30:17-21

 

October 23, 2024

 

The Bronze Basin

 The Lord said to Moses,  “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it,  with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.  When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.  They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

 

What is this all about? Is the Lord teaching them hygiene? No, it is about God wanting His people to understand the importance of purity.   Purity is to serve as God's minister to the people of Israel.   It was more than symbolic for them to have clean hands and feet; they were the leaders of the people before God.

 

What about those of us who have entered into a personal relationship with God the Father by believing in the finished work of the cross?  Hebrews 1:3 gives a clear picture of who has given us access to our Father in heaven.  “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”  The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that covers our sins; Jesus is our purification before the Father.  

But it is a purification of our spirits, not our flesh.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Census Tax

 

 

Exodus 30:11-16

 

October 22, 2024

 

The Census Tax

The Lord said to Moses,  “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.  Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.  Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord's offering.  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives.  You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”

 

What is a Census, and why did God require it of the people of Israel?   A census is used for many reasons today: to count the people in a nation and gather information, but was that what God required them to do? 

 

You may have noticed the requirement was for 20 years and up, and that rich and poor were counted equally.  I believe that it served two purposes: first and most important, as a reminder of who they were and who God was.  It reminded them of slavery and freedom, of a God who was the giver of life to them, and death to the army of Egypt.  So first and foremost, a reminder that God is the only God, and they are the created.

Second, to provide for the priest and those who minister before the Lord.

What should you and I regurgitate from this? Could it just be “It's not about us”; we are the created, and God is the giver of all that we need.  But our flesh desires so much more; we are often drawn by the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  It is common to all people, not just people who are blind to the ways of God.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Altar of Incense

 

 

Exodus 30:1-10

 

October 19, 2024

 

The Altar of Incense

“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.  A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.  You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.  And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it, you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.  You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.  And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.  And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it,  and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.  Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement, he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Often, when it comes to understanding these truths, I need help, this is one of those times; I went to “Enduring Word”.

a. You shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony: The altar of incense stood outside the veil, in the holy place (not in the most holy place). Therefore, it was fairly close to the Ark of the Covenant, yet separated by the veil.

i. It was in the holy place of the tabernacle together with the golden lampstand and the table of showbread. “The table of showbread represented communion with God, the lampstand spoke of testimony to the world, and now the golden altar speaks of the offering of adoration.” (Morgan)

b. Where I will meet with you: Sprinkled throughout this description of the tabernacle and the furnishings were reminders of the purpose of the tabernacle. It was a place for man to meet with God.

c. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning: Aaron (and other priests after him) were instructed to burn incense on this altar every day as part of their normal priestly duties, both in the morning and in the evening (when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it).

i. Incense is a picture of prayer, in the sweetness of its smell and the way it ascends to heaven (golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, according to Revelation 5:8, “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” The ministry at the altar of incense speaks of how God’s people should continually come to Him in prayer.

ii. Revelation 8:3-4, Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

 describes the golden altar of incense standing before God’s throne: Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

d. You shall not offer strange incense on it: Priests were not permitted to offer God whatever they wanted on the altar of incense. Strange incense was prohibited.

e. You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it: It was called the altar of incense, but an animal sacrifice or drink offering was never placed upon it.

i. Prayer is not the place sacrificial atonement is made; it is the place sacrificial atonement is enjoyed. We don’t save ourselves through prayer; we pray because of Jesus’ saving work on the cross.

f. Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement: The altar of incense was not a place of sacrifice, but it was a place for atoning blood. On the Day of Atonement, Aaron had to anoint the horns of the altar of incense with blood from the atoning sacrifice.

i. Once a year, the altar of incense received the blood of atonement, but it was a place where atonement was remembered and enjoyed, not made.

ii. This illustrates the principle that prayer does not atone for our sins but must always be made in reference to Jesus’ atoning blood. The Day of Atonement was only once a year, but every day when the priests brought a morning and evening offering of incense, they saw the blood-stained horns of the altar. This was a constant reminder of the work of atoning blood.

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Only Jesus

 

Only Jesus

God . . . is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord. 
—1 Corinthians 1:9 (TLB)

The question remains, “How can God be just-that is, true to Himself in nature and true to Himself in holiness-and yet justify the sinner?” Because each man had to bear his own sins, all mankind was excluded from helping, since each was contaminated with the same disease. The only solution was for an innocent party to volunteer to die physically and spiritually as a substitution before God. This innocent party would have to take man’s judgment, penalty, and death. But where was such an individual? Certainly, there was none on earth. There was only one possibility. God’s own Son was the only personality in the universe who had the capacity to bear in His own body the sins of the world. Only God’s Son was infinite and thus able to die for all.

Today's Prayer

Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, in adoration I thank You for the love that made You willing to suffer and die on the cross for my sin.

From the Billy Graham Cove