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The Priest Who Finally Sat Down (Exodus 27, 28, 29, 30) · Prodigal Hope

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We are trudging forward in our series through this wonderful
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book,
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the book of Exodus.
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SPEAKER_00: A book that sees so much for us.
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SPEAKER_00: It has so much to tell us.
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SPEAKER_00: It has so much for us to glean.
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SPEAKER_00: This is going to be part number 20.
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28 out of I'm not sure I think there's going to be maybe maybe
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10 more maybe 8 more
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I'm not sure yet there's only there's only a few more chapters
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left but as as the
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Lord is revealing so much to us we have to stop and consider
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what he's revealing as
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we are now in this very dense section the section that is going
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over all of the
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SPEAKER_00: tabernacle furnishings
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And I think one thing that I hope that is I trust that's
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obvious by this particular
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juncture is that what makes the tabernacle significant has
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little to do with its
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SPEAKER_00: furniture or its tapestries.
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SPEAKER_00: Now of course this isn't meant to diminish what is there.
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It's not meant to diminish the care and the detail and the time
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that Israel spent
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fashioning each of those items according to God's very specific
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instruction.
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Because as you read these middle chapters of this book so to
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speak you're going to
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SPEAKER_00: find that God is very detailed,
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SPEAKER_00: very particular about how things look.
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But the point is if you visited the tabernacle and all you
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noticed was the furniture
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Safe to say you probably missed the point of the tabernacle you
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missed the point of
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going there recently Natalie and I we took a trip to New York
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we went to New York
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City went to Manhattan did all the the touristy things you're
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supposed to do when
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you're in Manhattan one of those things of which of course is
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we went to the top or
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SPEAKER_00: almost the top because it's too expensive to go all
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SPEAKER_00: All the way to the top,
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SPEAKER_00: but we went almost to the top of the Empire State Building,
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SPEAKER_00: which just gives you an incredible view of downtown Manhattan and beyond.
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SPEAKER_00: Of course, you've probably done that before, or you've seen it in movies.
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SPEAKER_00: You've seen Empire State Building in movies.
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But when we came when we went down of course when you have to
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exit the Empire State
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Building where do you have to go you have to go through the
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gift shop of course
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because they want to sell you things and we ended up buying a
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nice Empire State
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SPEAKER_00: Building coffee mug which I've already broken in and used several times
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SPEAKER_00: But the point is,
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if I came home from that trip and all I was talking about was
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that coffee mug,
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SPEAKER_00: safe to say I missed the point of the Empire State Building.
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SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's good.
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SPEAKER_00: It's beautiful.
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SPEAKER_00: It's nice.
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SPEAKER_00: It's a great mug.
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SPEAKER_00: It's a heavy mug.
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SPEAKER_00: As I've said before,
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I don't like light mugs where you pick them up and it feels
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like you're going to
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SPEAKER_00: lose the mug.
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SPEAKER_00: I want a heavy coffee mug.
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SPEAKER_00: It's like that.
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But if all I was talking about Was the coffee mug I missed the
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point of the Empire
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State Building That's a silly way of just saying If all you
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noticed was The
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SPEAKER_00: furniture You missed the point of the tabernacle
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SPEAKER_00: Because it's meant to show you something else.
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SPEAKER_00: It's meant to point to something else.
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SPEAKER_00: The gravity of that place.
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SPEAKER_00: It wasn't found in all of those things in and of themselves.
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The point of the tabernacle was experienced in what all of
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those things pointed to
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SPEAKER_00: and what it was meant to direct your attention towards.
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Everything from the altar at the very entrance to the
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tabernacle to the lampstand
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SPEAKER_00: to the table that had freshly baked bread on it every single week.
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SPEAKER_00: All of those fixtures,
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every single item was an item that came from God's divine
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imagination that was
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SPEAKER_00: meant to highlight His presence with His people and for His people.
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This course has been the heart of God ever since the fall ever
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since Adam and Eve
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were first expelled from the garden God's heart his trademark
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of who he is has been
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to rekindle that fellowship to renew that covenant with his
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people the tabernacle
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SPEAKER_00: as we noted puts that heart of God
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to dwell with his people into sort of tangible form puts it
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into this physical
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structure remember that verse just to get us into this look at
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chapter 25 we read
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SPEAKER_00: it and spent some time on it last week
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Chapter 25 look at verse number 8 where the Lord is telling
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Moses he's making all
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of this known to him he says let them make me a sanctuary that
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I may dwell abide
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that I may tabernacle quite literally is that word in their
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midst I want to I want
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to be with them I'm going to show them how I'm going to be with
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them this whole
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SPEAKER_00: thing this whole structure
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SPEAKER_00: It's about God meeting with His beloved people This,
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SPEAKER_00: by the way,
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verse 8 of chapter 25 is the first of seven such instances
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where He's going to
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declare that this whole thing is about meeting with His people
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You can find it
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SPEAKER_00: again in chapter 29 and chapter 30 We spent some time last week,
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or two weeks ago now looking at where God specifically promises
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to show up
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In this tent of meeting at altars of bronze and an altar of
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incense and also of
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course most significantly at the mercy seat but the question
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that we should now
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arise and that's why we're going to have some of these chapters
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in between some of
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the places where it describes furniture you have these two
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chapters that talk about
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SPEAKER_00: something else because what was it?
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that allowed the people of God to continue fellowshipping with
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God the Father or
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what was it that allowed God a holy God who is completely holy
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there's nothing
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imperfect about him what allowed for ongoing tabernacling of
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that God with people
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who are rebellious and sinful and selfish what did it involve
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to keep that
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SPEAKER_00: relationship going what does that require
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SPEAKER_00: Because Israel,
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SPEAKER_00: as we've already seen,
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SPEAKER_00: they're prone to fumble and fail the calling that God has given them.
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They've already done that and they're going to do that in even
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more egregious ways
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SPEAKER_00: in the years to come.
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SPEAKER_00: So what would it be?
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SPEAKER_00: What would instill confidence in God's people?
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That He wouldn't be a God that just drops them at the first
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glance,
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at the first blush of sin.
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And would you believe that the same thing that gave Israel
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confidence that they
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could relate and commune to a holy father is the same thing
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that gives us right now
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confidence that we can relate and commune and have a
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relationship with a holy
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SPEAKER_00: father.
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if you're still in chapter 25 stay there for a moment because
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there's a remarkable
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detail that sort of appears here in one of those sort of blink
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and you'll miss it
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sort of ways notice again I'm going to read to get into it as
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God is going to
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describe all the things that are going to need to be collected
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and accumulated to
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prepare for the building of this sanctuary this tabernacle that
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he is going to go
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SPEAKER_00: on to describe look what he says verse 1
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The Lord says to Moses,
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Speak to the people of Israel that they may take for me a
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contribution.
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From every man whose heart moves him,
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you shall receive the contribution for me.
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SPEAKER_00: And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them.
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SPEAKER_00: Gold, silver, and bronze.
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SPEAKER_00: So you shall make it
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Subtly but sneaked in here is this allusion to the priesthood
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that is yet to be established.
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SPEAKER_00: You may have noticed some of those phrases that appear.
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SPEAKER_00: An ephod,
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a breastplate that's going to be specifically for those who
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would represent the
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SPEAKER_00: people,
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SPEAKER_00: the priests.
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which is just to say long before the priesthood was ever
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established it was already
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in God's mind that this is going to be the way that they are
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going to commune with
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God the tabernacle was not this afterthought it was an
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expression of God's heart
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and so too is what he is going to institute here from chapter
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27 all the way
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through chapter 29 this is what is known as the Levitical
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priesthood whose high
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SPEAKER_00: priest was Aaron and God had it in mind all along
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Even here he's giving details He's preparing Hey you're going
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to have to build this
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You don't know what it's going to be for yet But you're going
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to build it Because
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this I want to show you God is telling his people I'm going to
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show you How I'm
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going to commune and relate to you And he wants that
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relationship to go on forever
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and so as God fills in this picture of what would happen in
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this tent of meeting on
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a daily basis he's going to show Moses and he's going to show
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us what we most
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desperately need to stay close to him because it's the same
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thing it's the same
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SPEAKER_00: good news what do we need to stay close to a holy father
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SPEAKER_00: Number one, we need a priest whose labor is ours.
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SPEAKER_00: Number one, a priest whose labor is ours.
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The first overt reference to the priesthood is still one that
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we might not
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SPEAKER_00: obviously take into consideration.
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SPEAKER_00: Look at chapter number 27 and look at the last two verses.
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For chapter 25 And 26 God spends And most of chapter 27 in fact
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God spends a
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considerable amount of time Describing the courtyard And
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describing the Ark of the
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Covenant Describing where that should be placed He even goes
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into some of the
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logistics For the tabernacle itself But the end of all of that
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At the end Notice
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SPEAKER_00: what he says
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verse number 20 of chapter 27 you shall command the people of
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Israel that they
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bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light that a lamp
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may regularly be set
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up to burn in the tent of meeting outside the veil that is
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before the testimony
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Aaron and his son shall tend it from evening to morning before
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the Lord it shall be
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a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations
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by the people of
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SPEAKER_00: Israel
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God here after all of those other logistics that would sort of
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comprise and what
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would be housed within the tabernacle itself God is now here
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introducing a command
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SPEAKER_00: that's specifically for those who would yet to be ordained as priests.
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of course as you walked into what is often called the holy
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place of course there's
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this outer courtyard and then that makes up the tabernacle then
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inside that there's
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a smaller chamber called the holy place which is where the
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priests would go they
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SPEAKER_00: could go in and out
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And inside the holy place there would be this altar of incense
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that would be in
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SPEAKER_00: front of you that would greet you.
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SPEAKER_00: We talked about that last time.
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The altar of incense where the priest would burn this incense
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and it would be sort
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SPEAKER_00: of a representation of the prayer.
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of the priest on behalf of his people and to your right would
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sit what is called
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the table of the bread of presence you can find that described
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in chapter 25 verses
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23 through 30 this table that would be there and the priest
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regularly would have to
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put 12 loaves of freshly braked bread on that table every
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single week as part of
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their duties but to your left as you walked into the holy place
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to your left would
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SPEAKER_00: stand what is called the golden lamp stand
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which is one of the most ornately designed pieces in the whole
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place look at
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actually I'm going to read this design look at chapter 25 and
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look at verse 31
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because I want you to notice notice the care notice the detail
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the imagination the
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creativity that goes into this lampstand chapter 25 verse 31
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you shall make a
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SPEAKER_00: lampstand of pure gold
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SPEAKER_00: The lampstand shall be made of hammered work.
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Its base,
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its stem,
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its cubs,
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its calyxes,
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its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
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SPEAKER_00: And there shall be six branches going out of its sides,
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SPEAKER_00: three branches of the lampstand out of one side,
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SPEAKER_00: and three branches of the lampstand
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Out of the other side Three cups made like almond blossoms Each
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with calyx and
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flower on one branch And three cups made like almond blossoms
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Each with calyx and
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flower on the other branch So for the six branches going out of
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the lampstand And
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on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups Made like
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almond blossoms with
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their calyxes and flowers And a calyx of one piece with it
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under each pair of the
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SPEAKER_00: six branches Going out from the lampstand
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SPEAKER_00: Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it.
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SPEAKER_00: The whole of it in a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.
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SPEAKER_00: And shall make seven lamps for it.
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And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space
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in front of it.
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Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold and shall be
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made with all these
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SPEAKER_00: utensils out of a talent of pure gold.
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And see that you make it after the pattern for them which is
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being shown to you on the mountain.
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God had a very clear vision in mind of what this was supposed
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to look like.
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Hammered as it says sculpted out of a single piece of pure gold
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this lampstand it
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was made it was fashioned to look at a look like a tree with
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six branches shooting
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SPEAKER_00: out of its trunk so to speak three on each side
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and sitting on top of each branch on top of the trunk itself if
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you were were these
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cups made to resemble almond blossoms and that's where these
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lamps would be placed
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and this would be the only thing that provides light within the
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holy place and it's
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this exact lamp stand that God is referring to in chapter 27 it
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was this exact lamp
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SPEAKER_00: stand that was up to the priests to keep burning always
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Go back to 27 and notice what he says to them in the tent of
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meeting verse 21 you
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shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure
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beaten olive oil for
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SPEAKER_00: the light that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn
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In the tent of meeting outside the veil that is before the
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testimony Aaron and his
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SPEAKER_00: son shall tend to it from evening to morning before the Lord.
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That word though regularly doesn't really do justice to what
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God is commanding his
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SPEAKER_00: priests to do.
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SPEAKER_00: In my mind I don't think it's the best translation of that word.
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SPEAKER_00: It's not just a regular thing that you do.
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SPEAKER_00: No.
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Tending to these lambs watching over them was something that
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the priests did
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SPEAKER_00: continually constantly.
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SPEAKER_00: The word is in perpetuity.
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SPEAKER_00: Meaning that it's something that never ceases.
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SPEAKER_00: This wasn't something that the priest could just shrug off.
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SPEAKER_00: This wasn't like missing garbage day.
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SPEAKER_00: Oh man, that stinks.
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SPEAKER_00: I guess I'll have to get it next week.
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SPEAKER_00: No, this was something that they had to be diligent about.
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SPEAKER_00: That they had to pay attention to.
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SPEAKER_00: It was a constant, continual assignment for the priest.
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SPEAKER_00: A command, yes.
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SPEAKER_00: Straight from God.
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SPEAKER_00: But also, as God here tells them, that it shall be, what does he say?
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SPEAKER_00: A statute of
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Forever an ordinance something that was prescribed by God to
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preach something else
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this light that emanated from this lamp stand in the holy place
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it was a it was a
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SPEAKER_00: signal it was a testimony
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SPEAKER_00: The flame that was perpetually burning symbolized,
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SPEAKER_00: we could say,
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SPEAKER_00: the constancy,
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SPEAKER_00: the reliability,
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or we could say the health of the relationship of God between
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God and His people.
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SPEAKER_00: And as long as the light was burning,
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the people could be confident and they could be assured that
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God was faithful to
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SPEAKER_00: His promises,
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SPEAKER_00: that God was a God of faithful love and mercy and covenant grace.
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We can see this We can see this truth Just by noticing the
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opposite Go with me to a
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book called 2nd Chronicles You might have to find it It's after
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the books of Kings
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But look at 2nd Chronicles chapter number 29 2nd Chronicles
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chapter 29 Look at
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SPEAKER_00: verse number 6
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Notice what happens This is during the reign of King Hezekiah
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Who is one of the
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kings of Judah One of the good kings of Judah if you could say
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But of course during
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his reign There was a revival that started Because the kings
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before him Were not
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very good kings There were kings that were bad That went away
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from the Lord And
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SPEAKER_00: notice what he says here
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As they've sort of found the words of God again And there's
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going to be this
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revival that spreads across all of the kingdom And notice how
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Hezekiah is looking
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at the years that preceded him His forefathers Verse 6 For our
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fathers have been
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SPEAKER_00: unfaithful
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SPEAKER_00: Acts 1-8
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And have not burned incense Or offered burnt offerings in the
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holy place To the God
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of Israel Therefore the wrath of the Lord Came on Judah and
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Jerusalem And he has
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made them an object of horror Of astonishment and of hissing As
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you see with your
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own eyes Of course Hezekiah is referring to the temple But the
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temple was just a
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SPEAKER_00: replacement Of the tabernacle And the same thing was happening The lamps,
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SPEAKER_00: they weren't burning anymore
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Hezekiah's forefathers those who preceded him in generations
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prior they neglected
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they neglected this practice they shut the doors of the temple
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of the place where
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God's people commune with God himself and the thing he most
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pointedly points out is
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SPEAKER_00: the fact that the lambs have gone out they snuffed out the light
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And it's this Hezekiah is saying This is why This is a reason
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This is a symbol This
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is a signal to us That judgment is on its way And this is why
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So as Hezekiah and
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his friends As they sort of blew the dust off Of God's words
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And they found them
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SPEAKER_00: again And revival was spreading Throughout the realm All lamps were relit
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SPEAKER_00: Notice,
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go back a couple pages to chapter number 21 just so you can see
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this again in sort
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SPEAKER_00: of a couple decades prior.
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SPEAKER_00: 2 Chronicles 21 By this time,
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SPEAKER_00: decades before Hezekiah,
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a good king had passed away and of course in his place reigned
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a horrible king.
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SPEAKER_00: This king, his name was Jehoram.
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who if you want to know how bad of an individual he was when he
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took over the
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throne he had several brothers of course in order to secure his
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authority he had
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all his brothers killed so that he alone could reign look at
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verse 4 when Jehormah
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SPEAKER_00: had ascended the throne of his father
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And was established he killed All his brothers with the sword
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And also some of the
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princes of Israel Jordan was 32 years old When he became king
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and he reigned 8
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years in Jerusalem And he walked in the way of the kings of
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Israel As the house of
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Ahab had done For the daughter of Ahab Was his wife And he did
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what was evil In the
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sight of the Lord Now describing that you might think that
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There's no lights being
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SPEAKER_00: lit
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SPEAKER_00: The lamps are being snuffed out.
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The health of God's people as they relate to God Himself,
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it is at an all-time low.
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SPEAKER_00: Despite all of that,
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despite all of the heinous sin that was perpetuated by this
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very deplorable King,
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SPEAKER_00: notice God's mercy and how it was described in verse 7.
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SPEAKER_00: Yet,
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And yet,
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despite all of that,
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and yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.
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SPEAKER_00: Why?
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Because of the covenant that he had made with David since he
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had promised to give a
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SPEAKER_00: lamp to him and his sons forever.
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He had promised to always keep a light of hope,
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a light of fulfillment always burning.
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SPEAKER_00: Of course, this
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SPEAKER_00: was very indicative of God's promise.
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SPEAKER_00: God's promise to David that we're always going to be a son on his throne.
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The point is,
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the priest's charge to tend to this lamp from evening to
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morning was never done.
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SPEAKER_00: Why?
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Because it was always this labor that needed to be persisted in
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because God's
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SPEAKER_00: people needed to commune with a holy father.
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SPEAKER_00: So as God is telling Moses, keep those lamps burning.
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Keep That Fire Burning Bright This Was The Labor Of The Priest
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From Aaron Down To
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The Days Of Levi The Priest Down To The Days Of Zechariah For A
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Priest To Set Aside
22:26
The Task To Tend To The Lamps That Were In The Holy Place
22:30
Trimming All The Wicks
22:31
Refilling All The Oil Monitoring These Lamps Day And Night This
22:35
Would Be Akin To
22:37
SPEAKER_00: Forfeiting What It Meant To Be A Priest In The First Place
22:42
because it wasn't just the lambs go with me go back to Exodus
22:45
look at chapter 25
22:48
wasn't just the lambs that were always burning look at chapter
22:51
25 you'll find the
22:52
same word repeated again look at chapter 25 look at verse 30
22:57
and you shall set the
22:59
SPEAKER_00: bread of the presence on the table before me regularly
23:04
Constantly in perpetuity as we find out later in the book of
23:08
Leviticus every seven
23:10
days fresh bread put on this table a constant sign of God's
23:15
provision go with me
23:17
SPEAKER_00: chapter 29 look at verse number 38
23:22
Now this this is what you shall offer on the altar two lambs a
23:27
year old by day by
23:29
day what's the word regularly verse 42 it shall be a regular
23:35
burnt offering
23:36
throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of
23:39
meeting before the Lord
23:41
constantly in perpetuity this is what they're sacrificing and
23:44
it was also verse 30
23:46
SPEAKER_00: or of a chapter 30 look at verse 7
23:49
SPEAKER_00: And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on the altar of incense.
23:52
SPEAKER_00: Every morning when he dresses the lamps, he shall burn it.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: And when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight,
23:57
SPEAKER_00: he shall burn a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your
24:00
SPEAKER_00: generations.
24:01
SPEAKER_00: So every single time they're going into the holy place,
24:04
SPEAKER_00: they're tending to the lamps,
24:05
SPEAKER_00: and they're burning this incense at the same time.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: Regularly, constantly, always, and forever.
24:16
SPEAKER_00: As has often been noted,
24:18
The labor of a priest Was never over There was never a time
24:24
When their labor was
24:26
done And as important as it is To note the furniture That was
24:30
included in the
24:32
tabernacle It's just as important to note The furniture that's
24:35
not included Perhaps
24:36
you've heard this before What's not included in the tabernacle
24:40
A chair A priest
24:43
SPEAKER_00: Could never sit Because his labor was never finished
24:48
It was never over His ministry was never done And we could put
24:52
it another way He
24:53
SPEAKER_00: and the people that the priest represented Continually,
24:57
SPEAKER_00: regularly,
24:58
in perpetuity Needed the very thing that his ministry
25:02
represented Which was what?
25:03
Peace with God Acceptance before a holy God Assurance of God's
25:10
favor And the forgiveness of sins
25:14
All of those things are benefits and blessings that come from
25:18
the priest's ministry.
25:21
And the people and the priest himself needed this as a constant
25:26
point of remembrance.
25:29
SPEAKER_00: And think about why is he going through all these rituals?
25:33
SPEAKER_00: Well,
25:33
SPEAKER_00: because without a Bible announcing the good news to God's people,
25:38
SPEAKER_00: here we could say was the good news acted out.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: The good news was,
25:43
SPEAKER_00: we could say,
25:44
enacted by someone going through these rituals and ordinances
25:48
and ceremonies.
25:52
SPEAKER_00: But here's the good news for us.
25:54
The good news for the church isn't found in ritual or in
25:58
reenactment,
25:58
but in reality.
26:01
In our actual high priest who actually stands on our behalf in
26:06
perfect holiness.
26:10
We have to go to the book of Hebrews of course Go with me
26:12
Hebrews chapter 10 really
26:13
quick Notice how this perfectly fulfills What is being talked
26:18
about in Exodus
26:19
Because at the heart of the book of Hebrews As perhaps you
26:21
might know Is this
26:22
contention that Jesus Christ Is the true and better priest Who
26:28
he stunningly says
26:29
The author of Hebrews Stunningly says Finally sits down Hebrews
26:36
chapter 10 Look at
26:37
SPEAKER_00: verse number 11
26:40
SPEAKER_00: And every priest stands Daily at his service Offering repeatedly The same
26:45
sacrifices Doing the same things Lighting the lambs Baking
26:49
bread Burning incense
26:51
Offering the same sacrifices Doing the same things That can
26:54
never ultimately do
26:55
What they promise Because they're just signs They're just
27:00
pictures But when Christ
27:03
SPEAKER_00: Had offered for all time A single sacrifice For sins He sat down
27:09
Down The priest Sits down At the right hand of God This This is
27:19
a Maybe perhaps we
27:21
just read past this This is a stunning point That the writer of
27:24
Hebrews is making
27:26
Because all those other priests They could never sit Because
27:28
their labor was never
27:29
SPEAKER_00: over Jesus sits Why?
27:31
SPEAKER_00: Because his work is finished
27:34
why he says what he says John 19 verse 30 it is finished his
27:38
priestly work has come
27:40
to an end no more sacrifices why he's the sacrifice no more
27:46
baking bread and
27:47
putting on this table as a sign of God's provision why because
27:51
he's the bread of
27:51
SPEAKER_00: life and no more lighting lamps why because he's the light of the world
27:59
the gospel this good news of Jesus it tells us that the
28:04
priest's labor is ours his
28:07
work is ours he purchased a pardon for us to receive and he has
28:12
secured our
28:12
standing and given us his righteousness by laboring on our
28:16
behalf and now we are
28:18
SPEAKER_00: set free
28:20
Set Free From Sin And Death And We Can Rejoice Because The
28:24
Labor That Is Required
28:25
For Right Standing Before A Holy Father Is Done And The Priest
28:30
Labor Is Ours And I
28:31
Must Hasten To Number Two We Don't Only Need A Priest Whose
28:36
Labor Is Ours But
28:37
Number Two We Need A Priest Whose Identity Is Ours A Priest
28:42
Whose Identity Is Ours
28:44
SPEAKER_00: Go Back With Me To The Book Of Exodus
28:47
because God is going to continue to describe the ministry of
28:50
the priests to Moses
28:52
and as he's going to proceed to show he shows him this we could
28:55
say the priestly
28:57
ideal what is the ideal of what a priest should look like well
29:02
in chapter number 28
29:03
SPEAKER_00: he's going to describe that in roughly 43 verses
29:09
Wherefore all of that time God spends considerable time
29:14
itemizing and detailing
29:16
every single piece of the high priest as he refers to it as
29:21
holy garments.
29:24
SPEAKER_00: And of course,
29:24
SPEAKER_00: as with the furniture,
29:25
SPEAKER_00: as we noted at the beginning,
29:26
the significance of what the priest wore wasn't necessarily it
29:31
found in the yarn or
29:33
SPEAKER_00: in the needlework that went into weaving all of it together.
29:36
SPEAKER_00: No, what a priest was wearing, it was a signpost.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: It pointed to something else.
29:42
From the ephod which was sort of like this apron down to this
29:46
breastplate that was
29:47
right on his chest to the turban to the robe down to the very
29:50
hem of his robe all
29:52
of it was symbolic it wasn't just a fashion statement of course
29:57
we can say this
29:58
because it's not by accident that the high priest was decked
30:03
out in the same colors
30:04
as the tabernacle itself go with me really quick look at just
30:09
so you can know this
30:09
SPEAKER_00: look at chapter 26 and look at verse 31
30:13
SPEAKER_00: And you shall make a veil.
30:15
He's describing the veil that separates the holy place from we
30:18
could say the holy
30:19
SPEAKER_00: of holies where the ark of the covenant was.
30:22
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 31.
30:23
And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns
30:26
and fine twined linen.
30:28
SPEAKER_00: And it shall be made with cherub and skillfully worked into it.
30:32
SPEAKER_00: And on he goes talking about that again.
30:34
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 36.
30:34
You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent of blue
30:37
and purple and scarlet
30:38
SPEAKER_00: yarns and fine twined linen.
30:42
Flip over back to chapter number 28 where he's describing what
30:45
the priest wears.
30:46
SPEAKER_00: Look at chapter 28 verse 5.
30:49
They shall receive gold and blue and purple and scarlet yarns
30:53
and fine twined linen.
30:55
SPEAKER_00: Verse 6.
30:55
And they shall make the ephod of gold of blue and purple and
30:59
scarlet yarns and fine
31:00
SPEAKER_00: twined linen.
31:01
SPEAKER_00: And on it goes in verse 8 and verse 15.
31:05
God is making a direct link between the place where the priest
31:09
served and who the
31:10
priest was representing the priest was sort of like a walking
31:14
sermon everywhere he
31:16
went one predominant message could easily be noticed chapter 28
31:23
if you're still
31:24
SPEAKER_00: there look at verse 36
31:27
The priest had this turban on his head and in front of that
31:31
turban as he's going to
31:33
SPEAKER_00: describe here was this plate of pure gold.
31:38
You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it like the
31:42
engraving of a
31:43
SPEAKER_00: signet ring holy to the Lord.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: And it shall be on the front of the turban.
31:52
SPEAKER_00: It shall be on Aaron's forehead.
31:53
And Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the
31:56
people of Israel
31:57
SPEAKER_00: consecrate as their holy gifts.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: Right there,
32:01
SPEAKER_00: right in front,
32:02
SPEAKER_00: where no one can miss it,
32:03
SPEAKER_00: is this great declaration,
32:05
SPEAKER_00: this emblem,
32:06
this signal of who Aaron and all the priests after him were
32:10
serving wholly to the
32:13
SPEAKER_00: Lord.
32:16
Of course this inscription has two meanings it alludes to it
32:20
gestures it points to
32:22
the God who God is and what God accepts he's a God of holiness
32:29
and all he accepts
32:30
is holiness but also at the same time this is a priest he
32:34
represents his people
32:37
this inscription represents what the people are on account of
32:40
their priests they
32:41
SPEAKER_00: are holy to the Lord
32:46
Aaron and every priest after him they were called into service
32:49
of a holy God with
32:51
this title stamped on their foreheads there would be no
32:55
mistaking who they belonged
32:57
to who they served they served and they were in the priestly
33:01
service of a holy God
33:06
SPEAKER_00: lodged into this plate was this status holy to the Lord
33:14
It demonstrated their status,
33:16
not only the priests,
33:16
but the people that they represented.
33:18
Their status before a holy God is the benchmark and is the
33:23
identity of those who
33:24
SPEAKER_00: belong to Yahweh.
33:29
SPEAKER_00: As Aaron was made holy by what he wore,
33:32
SPEAKER_00: by what he put on,
33:34
SPEAKER_00: so were the people made holy by who represented them.
33:41
A priest as we've made the observation before he's a go-between
33:45
he's a he's a
33:46
representative he ministers on behalf of other people he serves
33:51
in their stead
33:52
instead of two million odd people filing into the holy place to
33:56
commune with Yahweh
33:57
every single day no the priest venture there in their place
34:02
they didn't go there as
34:03
individuals they went there as proxies for the rest of the
34:07
whole covenant community
34:10
And before you think that's just something that preachers like
34:12
to say Because it
34:13
preaches well Look at chapter 28 and look at verse 9 Because
34:16
God is going to
34:17
SPEAKER_00: literally etch this point in stone Look at chapter 28,
34:22
look at verse 9 I think this is beautiful You shall take two
34:26
onyx stones And
34:28
engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel Six of their
34:33
names on the one stone
34:35
And the names of the remaining six on the other stone In the
34:37
order of their births
34:39
As a jeweler engraved signets so you shall engrave the two
34:42
stones with the names of
34:43
the sons of Israel you shall enclose them in settings of gold
34:47
filigree so on tops
34:49
of the high priest's shoulders were these two stones with the
34:52
names of Jacob's sons
34:56
engraved in stone as a literal as a constant memorial of the
35:02
people who the priest
35:04
SPEAKER_00: was carrying with him so to speak look at verse 12
35:08
And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the
35:13
ephod as stones of
35:15
remembrance for the sons of Israel and Aaron shall bear their
35:19
names before the Lord
35:22
SPEAKER_00: on his two shoulders for remembrance every single time
35:28
A priest went into the into the holy place to do his ministry
35:32
to perform whatever
35:33
ritual he was performing sacrifice burning incense lighting
35:37
lamps he's doing so
35:39
carrying the people with him he wasn't just fulfilling a ritual
35:43
he wasn't just
35:44
going about a task checking off a checklist no they were they
35:49
were he was caring
35:51
SPEAKER_00: for the souls of the people whom he represented on his shoulders
35:56
SPEAKER_00: Carrying them before a holy God that this is how we commune with Him.
36:00
SPEAKER_00: We pray and we pray to be accepted on behalf of someone else.
36:06
And this wasn't merely a burden that was placed on the priest's
36:09
shoulders.
36:10
SPEAKER_00: This was a charge that was laid and put upon their very hearts.
36:14
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 15.
36:16
SPEAKER_00: Here he describes this breastplate.
36:18
SPEAKER_00: The breastpiece of judgment he says.
36:20
You shall make a breastpiece of judgment and skilled work in
36:23
the style of the ephod.
36:24
You shall make it of gold and purple and scarlet yarns and fine
36:27
twined linen.
36:28
SPEAKER_00: There's our colors again.
36:30
It shall be a square and doubled,
36:32
a span its length and a span its breadth.
36:34
SPEAKER_00: You shall set it in four rows of stones.
36:36
SPEAKER_00: A row of sardius,
36:38
SPEAKER_00: topaz and carbuncle shall be the first row and the second row an emerald,
36:41
SPEAKER_00: a sapphire and a diamond and the third row a jacinth,
36:44
SPEAKER_00: an agate and an amethyst.
36:46
And the fourth row a barrel and an onyx and a jasper And they
36:48
shall be set in gold
36:50
filigree And there shall be twelve stones Notice he says this
36:54
With their names
36:56
According to the names of the sons of Israel They shall be like
36:59
signets Engraved
37:01
with its name for the twelve tribes Here he's going on again
37:04
This breast piece has
37:05
all of these beautiful Precious stones on it And each one has
37:08
the names of the sons
37:10
SPEAKER_00: of Jacob The tribes of Israel Engraved on them
37:16
SPEAKER_00: And when he went into the holy place What is being preached?
37:21
He is going to the holy place with the names of the people that
37:25
he represented on
37:27
his heart Verse 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of
37:33
Israel and the
37:34
breastpiece of judgment on his heart When he goes into the holy
37:41
place to bring them
37:42
SPEAKER_00: to regular remembrance before the Lord
37:46
SPEAKER_00: Constantly, regularly, in perpetuity.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: What is he doing?
37:49
He's bringing their names into the place where he is communing
37:53
with the Father.
37:54
SPEAKER_00: Those precious stones and their placements,
37:57
SPEAKER_00: they speak to how precious God's people are in his sight.
38:04
SPEAKER_00: And just as the priest bore his people's names,
38:08
On his shoulders and on his heart he bore their judgment look
38:11
again at verse 38
38:12
same chapter it shall be on Aaron's forehead and Aaron shall he
38:15
shall bear any
38:17
guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel
38:20
consecrated their holy gifts
38:21
and it shall be regularly on his forehead that they that they
38:25
may be accepted
38:26
before the Lord all of this is preaching what as Aaron the
38:31
priest is accepted
38:32
SPEAKER_00: before God
38:34
so were the people accepted before God his verdict was their
38:38
verdict and of course
38:41
while this is supposed to be good news in a couple chapters
38:44
chapter 32 by the way
38:45
this is going to be bad news because of what Aaron does the
38:50
point is that the holy
38:51
garments that were given to Aaron and every succeeding priest
38:55
after him they
38:57
SPEAKER_00: weren't there because of what Aaron was
39:02
SPEAKER_00: This wasn't a symbol of how awesome Aaron is.
39:05
He's not putting on these holy garments because look at how
39:07
holy Aaron is.
39:10
SPEAKER_00: No,
39:10
SPEAKER_00: each piece of the priest's wardrobe preached to the people,
39:15
SPEAKER_00: but also to the priests themselves what was unattainable.
39:19
SPEAKER_00: No one could stand before a holy God on their own.
39:25
SPEAKER_00: Not any of the high priests.
39:28
SPEAKER_00: They needed a representative.
39:30
SPEAKER_00: To give them the holiness that God requires.
39:34
SPEAKER_00: So we could even say that even all of these garments,
39:37
SPEAKER_00: even all of these clothes,
39:38
SPEAKER_00: they remind us of the urgent need that we have for Jesus.
39:42
SPEAKER_00: Who,
39:42
SPEAKER_00: guess what,
39:43
SPEAKER_00: this is just awesome to me,
39:45
SPEAKER_00: who doesn't have holy to the Lord stamped on a plate on his forehead.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: No, he's a priest who is holy in and of himself.
39:55
Jesus is a priest whose holiness springs from who he is he's
39:59
the son of God he's
40:00
the incarnate word and he's the one who stands for you and it
40:04
gets can you believe
40:05
this it gets even better than that because Jesus our priest
40:10
doesn't just have your
40:11
names inscribed on stones on his shoulders or on his chest no
40:18
your names guess what
40:19
SPEAKER_00: your names are etched into the scars that Jesus bears on his palms
40:26
Isaiah 49 16 what does it say behold I have engraved you on the
40:33
palms of my hands
40:37
that's who is representing you the one who bears your names on
40:42
his hands the same
40:44
nail scarred hands that were on a cross your name has been
40:48
carved into Jesus's
40:49
SPEAKER_00: hands he's the one Jesus is this priest
40:56
Who stands in your stead He's the one who bears all of your
40:59
guilt He bears all of
41:00
your shame He shoulders all of your judgment And he presents
41:04
himself before the
41:06
Father So that you may be accepted in the Father's sight And
41:12
now Jesus' identity
41:14
becomes ours As Paul says in Colossians chapter 3 Your life is
41:19
hidden with Christ
41:22
SPEAKER_00: His identity is yours His acceptance is yours
41:26
and here's where it gets even better than all of that because
41:30
God in Christ he
41:31
doesn't just stamp holy to the Lord on your forehead he
41:34
engraves it on our hearts
41:37
Jeremiah chapter 31 let me read this verse quickly Jeremiah 31
41:41
verse 33 for this is
41:43
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
41:46
those days declare the
41:47
SPEAKER_00: Lord I will put my law within write it on their hearts holy
41:56
to the Lord see Jesus is a true and a better and an infinitely
42:00
better high priest
42:02
because he's the one who stands as the beloved of God and now
42:05
you too are called
42:07
the beloved of God his status is yours he wears your names
42:12
forever in the wounds
42:14
SPEAKER_00: that he still bears right now a priest
42:21
whose labor is ours a priest whose identity is ours what else
42:25
do we need to commune
42:27
with the Holy Father number three lastly and I must hasten a
42:30
priest whose access is
42:32
ours because we haven't asked this question to what end to what
42:38
end does the
42:39
priest's labor without ceasing the constant lighting of the
42:43
candles and the baking
42:45
of bread and the constant killing of animals on altars all of
42:48
this constantly daily
42:51
SPEAKER_00: Why is he doing all of this?
42:54
Of course all of this every last movement of every last ritual
42:58
was all driving
42:59
towards this one word access access to the father that's the
43:07
gist you could
43:08
summarize the whole priesthood from what they wore to what they
43:11
did bringing God's
43:14
SPEAKER_00: people near to God himself giving them access
43:20
SPEAKER_00: This has always been God's plan.
43:22
SPEAKER_00: He's always been desirous of His people,
43:24
SPEAKER_00: as we've said,
43:25
SPEAKER_00: to draw near to Him as He draws near to them.
43:27
SPEAKER_00: But there's, of course, a massive problem with that.
43:31
There's a massive hurdle that has to be dealt with before that
43:34
access could be
43:35
SPEAKER_00: granted and given.
43:37
Because approaching the Father isn't like venturing into
43:40
Walmart where it doesn't
43:42
SPEAKER_00: really matter what you wear.
43:45
SPEAKER_00: Have you seen the website People of Walmart?
43:48
SPEAKER_00: If you haven't, have a trip this afternoon.
43:52
SPEAKER_00: Going into God's presence is more demanding than that.
43:57
SPEAKER_00: Everything about us must be as pure and must be as holy as He is.
44:04
And the same was true for Israel's inaugural high priest,
44:09
Aaron,
44:09
Moses' brother.
44:11
Before he could ever step foot in a tabernacle and light one
44:15
candle or burn one
44:17
ounce of incense Aaron had to before he could represent anyone
44:21
he had to be made
44:22
fit for God's service this is what appears all throughout
44:24
chapter number 29 where
44:27
for 46 verses Aaron is going to be consecrated there's all
44:33
these deliberate steps
44:34
that were required of Aaron and his sons as they are installed
44:38
into the priesthood
44:39
SPEAKER_00: as they are made holy
44:41
SPEAKER_00: They are ordained.
44:42
SPEAKER_00: They are consecrated.
44:43
SPEAKER_00: They are anointed.
44:45
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse number 4 of chapter 29.
44:46
SPEAKER_00: Because first becomes the washing.
44:50
You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent
44:52
of meeting and wash
44:54
SPEAKER_00: them with water.
44:57
Here they're going to be bathed in the bronze basin that you
45:00
can find described in
45:01
SPEAKER_00: chapter number 30 because no one can serve God with filth still on them.
45:05
So they're bathed and all of that water is representative of
45:08
the cleansing that God
45:10
SPEAKER_00: gives them to serve Him.
45:12
SPEAKER_00: Second of course, verse number 5.
45:15
Then you shall take the garments the very garments that were
45:17
just talked about in
45:18
chapter number 28 and you're going to put them on them and put
45:21
on Aaron the coat
45:22
and the robe and of the ephod and the ephod and the breast
45:24
piece and gird him with
45:26
skillfully woven band of the ephod and so it goes all the
45:30
garments are put on the
45:31
SPEAKER_00: priests signaling
45:34
Their new calling as they are serving God and representing the
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people in verse
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SPEAKER_00: number 7 because after that comes the anointing.
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SPEAKER_00: You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on its head and anoint him.
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Now as all of the ceremony is taking place the oil is being
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spilled over his
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SPEAKER_00: forehead as a sign that he's being set apart.
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SPEAKER_00: He's being taken out and set apart for the service of God.
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SPEAKER_00: He is a servant of the Holy God.
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SPEAKER_00: And then lastly
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If you look down at verse number 10 down through verse number
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25 comes the blood as
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SPEAKER_00: God describes through a series of three different sacrifices
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the very thing that would admit them into ministry nothing that
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it's not because
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Aaron is so awesome at speaking which he is he's an eloquent
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speaker it's not
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because Aaron is so charismatic it's not because Aaron has
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demonstrated certain
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leadership qualities it's not because he has anything going for
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him the only thing
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that brings him into and admits him into priestly ministry is
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the blood that pays
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SPEAKER_00: for all of his sins even Aaron needed that
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All of this,
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of course,
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was a ceremony that would be conducted for an entire week.
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SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 35, same chapter, 29.
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Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons according to all
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that I have commanded
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SPEAKER_00: you through seven days shall you ordain them.
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A whole week of ordaining and consecrating and killing animals
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and putting them on
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SPEAKER_00: altars and sacrificing them.
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SPEAKER_00: A fact that speaks to the weightiness of the priestly role.
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SPEAKER_00: This was a heavy calling.
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This wasn't just some casual,
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I think I'm going to wake up and be a priest today.
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SPEAKER_00: No,
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this was a significant and a weighty institution that God was
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calling them to
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SPEAKER_00: participate in.
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This was a responsibility that required head-to-toe commitment,
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quite literally.
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SPEAKER_00: Verse 20, same chapter.
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29 verse 20 and you shall kill the ram and take part of its
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blood and put it on the
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tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears
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of his sons and on
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the thumbs of their right hands on the great toes of their
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right feet and throw the
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rest of the blood against the sides of the altar head to toe
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commitment couldn't be
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partially in or partially out everything everything from the
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priest himself to the
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very altar that they're going to serve at had to be consecrated
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had to be atoned
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SPEAKER_00: for and only after all of that
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The washing and the robing and the anointing and the atoning
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Only after all of that
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could a priest go where no one else could This is the cost of
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access to God The
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SPEAKER_00: cost,
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the price of it All of which preaches to us the same thing No
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one can get close to
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SPEAKER_00: God on their own
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The most devastating reality of sin is that access to God has
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been barred it's been
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cut off just as Adam and Eve they enjoyed that fellowship in
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the garden and then
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when they were expelled that entrance to that place of
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fellowship and communion and
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intimacy with their creator it was guarded by two cherubim a
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signal to everyone
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that access has been cut off because of sin because of an
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egregious choice
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Whatever fellowship that was enjoyed there it was fractured and
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it's been lost and
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yet this is precisely the fellowship that God in Christ is so
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eager to renew and to
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restore and this is why everything that is done to Aaron in
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chapter number 29
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Christ is for us and only Christ is Christ does for us Jesus is
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our washing
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In 1 Corinthians 6.11 It says that we have been washed We've
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been sanctified In
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Jesus you have been scrubbed clean And you've been set apart
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You've been declared
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right In God's eyes Jesus is our clothing In him you are
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wrapped In all that he has
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done for you That's why Paul says in Galatians Put on Christ
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Jesus is our anointing
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The one who sets us apart by pouring his spirit into our hearts
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and fits us for his service.
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SPEAKER_00: It's Jesus' blood that paves the whole way.
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SPEAKER_00: He's the one that takes us.
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He takes our names before the Father and he stands there not
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with the blood of
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SPEAKER_00: bulls or goats or rams.
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SPEAKER_00: No, he stands before the Father with his own blood.
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SPEAKER_00: And that's what grants you access.
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The good news that rings so loud and so true for you and for me
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and for everyone
50:29
SPEAKER_00: who believes is that we have access to God by faith.
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Let me take you to one place Romans chapter 5 listen to these
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words listen to Paul
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therefore since we have been justified by faith we've been
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declared right because
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of everything that we've just talked about not only that we
50:49
have peace Paul says
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with God through the Lord Jesus Christ and through him through
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Jesus what does he
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SPEAKER_00: say we also have obtained access
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By faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in
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the hope of the glory of God.
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One more place Ephesians 3 11 this was according to the eternal
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purpose that he has
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realized in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness yes
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in whom we have
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SPEAKER_00: boldness and access
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With Confidence Through Our Faith In Him This Is What Jesus
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Does For Us He Is Our
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Priest Whose Labor Is Ours Jesus Is Our Priest Whose Identity
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Is Given To Us And
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Jesus Is Our Priest Whose Access Is Now Ours As Well And
51:41
Because Of Him There'S
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Nothing That'S Stopping You From Drawing Near To The Father
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Except Your Unbelief
51:49
There'S No Sin That'S Not Covered Under The Blood Of Jesus No
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Rebellious Thought
51:58
No lustful action No egregious word No word spoken that you
52:04
can't get back There's
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no sin that's not covered under his priestly ministry And
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there's nothing that's
52:11
stopping you from drawing near Except for you saying I don't
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think so What does it
52:19
SPEAKER_00: take to draw near to God?
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A perfect priest A finished work And a broken body And this is
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who Jesus is for you
52:27
Christ has done it all Christ has given you all of this and his
52:31
invitation that's
52:32
why his invitation is come come draw near he's waiting my
52:39
friends he's waiting for
52:41
all of us to draw near you are invited more than that you are
52:45
welcome to have
52:48
access to him not because you're worthy not because you've got
52:52
it all figured out
52:52
SPEAKER_00: not because you've got yourself all put together no you
52:59
SPEAKER_00: It's because He is.
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SPEAKER_00: He's worthy.
53:03
SPEAKER_00: And He calls you His own.
53:05
SPEAKER_00: He embraces you as His own.
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SPEAKER_00: He stands there representing you before the Father.
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And now that's why we can sing those songs on Christ the solid
53:15
rock I stand.
53:15
SPEAKER_00: That He has dressed us in His righteousness.
53:18
SPEAKER_00: And that He has engraven our names on the palms of His hands.
53:22
SPEAKER_00: We have no better hope than that.
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SPEAKER_00: This is who Jesus is for you.
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SPEAKER_00: So yes my friends draw near Let us pray