I've been doing a lot of reading in Exodus and Leviticus this week. Before you start groaning and rolling your eyes, hang in with me for a few minutes!! It really has been an interesting refresher on the structure and furnishings of the tabernacle (Exodus) and the system of offerings (Leviticus). I have to say that reading Leviticus always makes me thankful for the ultimate sacrifice made at Calvary. I'm so thankful not to live under the Old Covenant.....I don't think I could ever keep up or remember what to offer for what!!!
Back in the tabernacle days, there was only one way in (the gateway of the court) and then the first thing that was encountered was the brazen altar. You can read about some of the offerings on the brazen altar in the first chapter of Leviticus. But you might also want to read a passage in the New Testament to go along with that.....Hebrews 10:4-12.
In the tabernacle, once you were past the brazen altar you would have encountered the bronze laver where priests washed their hands after making the sacrifices and before going any further into the tabernacle. This hand washing was very serious business, as evidenced by Exodus 30:20. You can read some other passages about cleansing in Psalm 24, Ephesians 5:25-26, and 1 John 1:9.
So what does that have to do with you and me and worship? Let's go to Romans to think about that. In the first eleven chapters of the book of Romans, Paul lays out the gospel message.....a really profound explanation of the death and resurrection of Jesus, why it took place, and the implications for our lives. Then, in chapter 12 we get to the inevitable conclusion.......therefore........since everything in chapters 1-11 is true, what are we going to do about it?
Paul's conclusion is that because all this is true, we are called to make a commitment, and to present our "bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1 NASB).
Your challenge - and mine - today is to spend some time thinking about that and what it means in our individual lives. Maybe go back and re-read those first eleven chapters of Romans and spend some time with God as we reflect on all that has been done for us, all that is ours in Christ Jesus. And then answer that question: what are we going to do about it? Or, to put it another way, how are we going to be practical and specific about applying that verse today?
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2 NASB)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Approach
One of my favorite things on a recent vacation in Orlando, FL was a trip to the Holy Land Experience. If you haven't been there, it's sort of like a theme park without the rides!!! The entire complex is devoted to taking you on a trip to the Holy Land, and one of the things I love there is the replica of the tabernacle. More recently, of course, I've been to the actual Holy Land. There's no tabernacle there now, and the Temple Mount has a mosque on it, but every where there are hints of what was once there.
On one side of the Temple Mount, outside the wall, you can see steps that led up to the Temple. The interesting thing to me about these steps is that they are uneven.......some are wide, some are narrow, some are in-between. The result is that there would have been no casual skipping up the steps to worship at the Temple. The nature of the steps requires that the approach be slow and deliberate.
I think there may be a lesson for us there. Have we become too casual in our approach to worship? Something to think about.
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4)
On one side of the Temple Mount, outside the wall, you can see steps that led up to the Temple. The interesting thing to me about these steps is that they are uneven.......some are wide, some are narrow, some are in-between. The result is that there would have been no casual skipping up the steps to worship at the Temple. The nature of the steps requires that the approach be slow and deliberate.
I think there may be a lesson for us there. Have we become too casual in our approach to worship? Something to think about.
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Just a Couple of Questions
Today we're continuing our Bible study together on the topic of worship by going back to some basic study skills. We're going to review what we have learned, and we're going to compare scripture with scripture as we seek to make accurate interpretation and application of what we learn. Just a couple of questions to think about today.........
First, let's go back to Exodus 40 where we saw the instructions for building the tabernacle. What did we learn about access to the tabernacle? How many ways are there to enter? Only one! The entrance to the tabernacle was through the "gateway of the court", and this gateway was always to face east. Here's your first question of the day: what is the picture that God wants us to see in this pattern?
Now let's compare scripture with scripture. Read John 10:9 and John 14:6. How does what these verses teach us about Jesus relate to what we learned about the "gateway of the court"?
And finally, how does this apply to worshiping God?
We'll continue developing this thought tomorrow.
First, let's go back to Exodus 40 where we saw the instructions for building the tabernacle. What did we learn about access to the tabernacle? How many ways are there to enter? Only one! The entrance to the tabernacle was through the "gateway of the court", and this gateway was always to face east. Here's your first question of the day: what is the picture that God wants us to see in this pattern?
Now let's compare scripture with scripture. Read John 10:9 and John 14:6. How does what these verses teach us about Jesus relate to what we learned about the "gateway of the court"?
And finally, how does this apply to worshiping God?
We'll continue developing this thought tomorrow.
Friday, January 21, 2011
It's Not About Me.....or You!!!!!
Yesterday we looked at a verse in Exodus. God called Aaron and his descendants to be "priest to Me." Hmmmm.......as I thought about the verse, that phrase kept resonating with me. "To Me". To God. Not to Aaron. I think that is really an important point. Worship is about God. It's not about me. Or you. Maybe I'm overstating the obvious, but that seems to be a lost point these days. More often I hear things like.......I don't like that music; they never sing my favorite song; the music is too loud; I don't like organ music; I don't like guitars; I don't like drums.........Notice the recurring theme? I.....me......my........
So, this leads me to the conclusion that many of us are missing the point!! It's not about me!! It's not about you!! (Gasp!!!!!) It IS about God!! ALL about God!! Not about making people comfortable. Not about the latest trends or fads in church growth books. Not about what the church down the street is doing. It is ALL about God!!
If I have offended you, please feel free to click your "delete" or "escape" or "whatever" button!!! If not, or if you are at least a little bit curious as to where this is going, feel free to continue!! And if you disagree, please feel free to leave a comment about why you disagree. But please don't be disagreeable :)
You will remember from yesterday that the priest was to make atonement for himself and the people. The word translated as atonement is a word that means "to cover". It's often used for the concept of covering over sin with a blood sacrifice. In the tabernacle, all who served as priests (including Aaron and his descendants) were from the tribe of Levi. As we will see today, later God would designate another as High Priest. Please read Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 5:9-10, and Hebrews 8:1-2. Look for every reference to priest or minister.
What did you learn from these verses? Remember that Aaron, as high priest, was to make atonement for the people. Who is our great High Priest? Where is He now?
Aaron and his descendants served under the Old Covenant, the Law. Under the New Covenant, a covenant of grace, Jesus is our High Priest, serving in the true tabernacle in heaven. Look at a couple of other passages (Revelation 1:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9). What do you learn about priests in these verses? According to these verses, who are the priests, and to whom?
Would knowing this affect in any practical way the manner in which you worship God? How?
What are we to proclaim?
Would you consider this worship?
Think about that today, and next time we'll travel back to the tabernacle.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2 Peter 2:9 NASB)
So, this leads me to the conclusion that many of us are missing the point!! It's not about me!! It's not about you!! (Gasp!!!!!) It IS about God!! ALL about God!! Not about making people comfortable. Not about the latest trends or fads in church growth books. Not about what the church down the street is doing. It is ALL about God!!
If I have offended you, please feel free to click your "delete" or "escape" or "whatever" button!!! If not, or if you are at least a little bit curious as to where this is going, feel free to continue!! And if you disagree, please feel free to leave a comment about why you disagree. But please don't be disagreeable :)
You will remember from yesterday that the priest was to make atonement for himself and the people. The word translated as atonement is a word that means "to cover". It's often used for the concept of covering over sin with a blood sacrifice. In the tabernacle, all who served as priests (including Aaron and his descendants) were from the tribe of Levi. As we will see today, later God would designate another as High Priest. Please read Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 5:9-10, and Hebrews 8:1-2. Look for every reference to priest or minister.
What did you learn from these verses? Remember that Aaron, as high priest, was to make atonement for the people. Who is our great High Priest? Where is He now?
Aaron and his descendants served under the Old Covenant, the Law. Under the New Covenant, a covenant of grace, Jesus is our High Priest, serving in the true tabernacle in heaven. Look at a couple of other passages (Revelation 1:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9). What do you learn about priests in these verses? According to these verses, who are the priests, and to whom?
Would knowing this affect in any practical way the manner in which you worship God? How?
What are we to proclaim?
Would you consider this worship?
Think about that today, and next time we'll travel back to the tabernacle.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2 Peter 2:9 NASB)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Moving Beyond Personal Preference
If you have listened to a news broadcast or any political discourse lately, then you are aware that there are wide differences of opinion out there. And you cannot help but be aware of how one side consistently accuses the other of being "wrong" about everything, and in fact blames the other side (those with a different opinion than theirs) of being at fault for everything that is wrong with everything!!! It's unbelievable, isn't it??!!
The sad thing is that so often the same thing happens when the topic of worship comes up. There seems to be a rush to jump into one camp or the other, and to find fault with those whose opinion differs. And most often it is opinion that is at issue. In other words, personal opinion/personal preference/personal taste becomes the issue. It is my hope that, as we examine this topic of worship from a biblical perspective, we will check our personal opinions and be open to what God has to say to us about the topic. I'm hoping we can move beyond our preferences about liturgical or not, hymns or choruses, formal or informal, contemporary or traditional, etc. Let's leave the "worship wars" as the disagreement is often called, and let's see what the Bible has to say, and then let's examine how our individual preferences (and we all have them, whether or not we agree about them!!!) line up with what the Bible teaches us about worship. And further, let's take a moment to decide if we will be willing to give up our personal preferences, to change our opinions, if what we learn in the Bible calls us to do so!! That's application!!
You might want to go back and review what we learned earlier (last year!!) as we looked at Abraham, Moses, and the structure of the tabernacle. With that background in mind, we'll continue looking at the two principal questions of our study: what is true worship, and what does it mean to live a life of true worship? To do that, we'll go back to the tabernacle. We're going to follow the priest in his path through the tabernacle. Our goal will be to see what path we must follow to experience true worship. We'll look at how the priest related to every part of the tabernacle and how this foreshadowed Jesus, and we'll then consider what all this has to do with us. And of course, this will not all be accomplished today!! This is a journey!!
So today, look first at Exodus 28:1. "According to Exodus 28:1, God said that He was calling Aaron and his descendants to the priesthood in order that they might 'minister as priest to Me.' The priest was to minister to God. To do this then would be worship." (quoted from Living a Life of True Worship, Arthur/Vereen). Our first task today is to consider that verse and the quote........do you agree or disagree?
One more thing to think about today. Look at Leviticus 9:7. Notice the reference to Aaron. What was his assignment? To make atonement for himself and the people. Well, what in the world does that mean? You might want to consult a Bible dictionary or an on-line word study tool (such as http://www.blueletterbible.org/). What did you learn? And how does it connect to our topic?
Think about that today and we'll continue tomorrow.
The sad thing is that so often the same thing happens when the topic of worship comes up. There seems to be a rush to jump into one camp or the other, and to find fault with those whose opinion differs. And most often it is opinion that is at issue. In other words, personal opinion/personal preference/personal taste becomes the issue. It is my hope that, as we examine this topic of worship from a biblical perspective, we will check our personal opinions and be open to what God has to say to us about the topic. I'm hoping we can move beyond our preferences about liturgical or not, hymns or choruses, formal or informal, contemporary or traditional, etc. Let's leave the "worship wars" as the disagreement is often called, and let's see what the Bible has to say, and then let's examine how our individual preferences (and we all have them, whether or not we agree about them!!!) line up with what the Bible teaches us about worship. And further, let's take a moment to decide if we will be willing to give up our personal preferences, to change our opinions, if what we learn in the Bible calls us to do so!! That's application!!
You might want to go back and review what we learned earlier (last year!!) as we looked at Abraham, Moses, and the structure of the tabernacle. With that background in mind, we'll continue looking at the two principal questions of our study: what is true worship, and what does it mean to live a life of true worship? To do that, we'll go back to the tabernacle. We're going to follow the priest in his path through the tabernacle. Our goal will be to see what path we must follow to experience true worship. We'll look at how the priest related to every part of the tabernacle and how this foreshadowed Jesus, and we'll then consider what all this has to do with us. And of course, this will not all be accomplished today!! This is a journey!!
So today, look first at Exodus 28:1. "According to Exodus 28:1, God said that He was calling Aaron and his descendants to the priesthood in order that they might 'minister as priest to Me.' The priest was to minister to God. To do this then would be worship." (quoted from Living a Life of True Worship, Arthur/Vereen). Our first task today is to consider that verse and the quote........do you agree or disagree?
One more thing to think about today. Look at Leviticus 9:7. Notice the reference to Aaron. What was his assignment? To make atonement for himself and the people. Well, what in the world does that mean? You might want to consult a Bible dictionary or an on-line word study tool (such as http://www.blueletterbible.org/). What did you learn? And how does it connect to our topic?
Think about that today and we'll continue tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
What I'm Thinking About Today
What's on your mind this morning? I've been doing some thinking today.....about Moses. Remember him?
Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. The people couldn't go with him. He went up alone and spent forty days and nights on the mountain in the presence of God. Not only did he receive the Ten Commandments, but also plans for the tabernacle as well as procedures for annointing, ordaining and consecrating the priests who would serve there.
Thinking about all that Moses received from God is a HUGE topic that we will be exploring in some detail. But today let's think about what God received from Moses.........40 days and nights of his time! Now, before you start jumping all over me with your excuses and rationalizations, please understand that I realize that most of us can't walk away from our lives to spend 40 days/nights on a mountain with God. And that's not what I mean for us to do at all.
But here's what I'm thinking about today......and what I'm challenging you to think about as well. How much time.......real time.......do we actually spend with God? I'm not asking how much time we spend in church, or in our Bible Study group, or with our Christian friends. But how much time are we actually spending alone with God? Yes, I understand that Moses went up the mountain and stayed that long because that's what God told him to do. (There's lesson number one.....being obedient to whatever God tells you to do.....even when it doesn't make sense to you!) However, I think there's another point to consider here, a point that is implied rather than explicitly stated in the Scripture. The thought I want you to consider is that God called Moses up onto the mountain into His presence because He wanted to spend time with him!
So here's what I'm pondering today. How much time do I actually spend alone with God. And why. Is it because I want something from Him? Because I'm wrestling with a particular question or decision? Or just because I love Him and enjoy being in His presence?
Please understand......I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone....not on you or on me! But I think this is a question we need to examine. And having examined it, then do something about it!! So that's what I'm thinking about today.
Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. The people couldn't go with him. He went up alone and spent forty days and nights on the mountain in the presence of God. Not only did he receive the Ten Commandments, but also plans for the tabernacle as well as procedures for annointing, ordaining and consecrating the priests who would serve there.
Thinking about all that Moses received from God is a HUGE topic that we will be exploring in some detail. But today let's think about what God received from Moses.........40 days and nights of his time! Now, before you start jumping all over me with your excuses and rationalizations, please understand that I realize that most of us can't walk away from our lives to spend 40 days/nights on a mountain with God. And that's not what I mean for us to do at all.
But here's what I'm thinking about today......and what I'm challenging you to think about as well. How much time.......real time.......do we actually spend with God? I'm not asking how much time we spend in church, or in our Bible Study group, or with our Christian friends. But how much time are we actually spending alone with God? Yes, I understand that Moses went up the mountain and stayed that long because that's what God told him to do. (There's lesson number one.....being obedient to whatever God tells you to do.....even when it doesn't make sense to you!) However, I think there's another point to consider here, a point that is implied rather than explicitly stated in the Scripture. The thought I want you to consider is that God called Moses up onto the mountain into His presence because He wanted to spend time with him!
So here's what I'm pondering today. How much time do I actually spend alone with God. And why. Is it because I want something from Him? Because I'm wrestling with a particular question or decision? Or just because I love Him and enjoy being in His presence?
Please understand......I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone....not on you or on me! But I think this is a question we need to examine. And having examined it, then do something about it!! So that's what I'm thinking about today.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
An Attitude Adjustment
It has been a LONG time since we spent some time together! We had a wonderful time in Israel.....I just haven't been able to find words to express how absolutely awesome it was!! After our return from Israel, there was Christmas and a house full of family........good times! And there has been the snow! I must admit that all this snow has had an adverse effect on my attitude!!! The snow began while we were in Israel; then we had heavy snow over Christmas (measured in FEET!!). That snow had partially melted when the next round began......and on and on it goes.....you get the picture! I have not been doing well with this!!!
So I think it's time to stop focusing on what I CAN'T control (the weather!) and return to focusing on what I CAN control (my attitude!). Now, in the interest of full disclosure, let me admit that I have also taken some degree of control over my location and am now in the Sunshine State spending time with family and friends! No snow here:) But back to my "resolution" to adjust my attitude. This is, I believe, really a matter of choice.......an act of the will. I CHOOSE to adjust my attitude. I CHOOSE to realize that no matter where I am, what the weather is, what the circumstances happen to be......life is not about me. I CHOOSE to fix my eyes, focus my attention elsewhere.
And so I'm excited.......I'm excited to be returning to this blog and our study time together. I'm excited about what God will teach us as we spend this time focused on His Word. I'm excited about what God is already teaching me as I CHOOSE to adjust my thinking. And I am CONFIDENT that my attitude will improve as I stop focusing on things that are out of my control and focus on what really matters!!!!
"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 NASB)
So I think it's time to stop focusing on what I CAN'T control (the weather!) and return to focusing on what I CAN control (my attitude!). Now, in the interest of full disclosure, let me admit that I have also taken some degree of control over my location and am now in the Sunshine State spending time with family and friends! No snow here:) But back to my "resolution" to adjust my attitude. This is, I believe, really a matter of choice.......an act of the will. I CHOOSE to adjust my attitude. I CHOOSE to realize that no matter where I am, what the weather is, what the circumstances happen to be......life is not about me. I CHOOSE to fix my eyes, focus my attention elsewhere.
And so I'm excited.......I'm excited to be returning to this blog and our study time together. I'm excited about what God will teach us as we spend this time focused on His Word. I'm excited about what God is already teaching me as I CHOOSE to adjust my thinking. And I am CONFIDENT that my attitude will improve as I stop focusing on things that are out of my control and focus on what really matters!!!!
"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 NASB)
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