Moses - Part 61
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
We have discussed the construction of the tabernacle and the generics of what occurred inside…
God moved from speaking from Sinai to speaking in the tabernacle after the completion of it…
As God gives instruction, He says TO come and HOW to come…
There’s an important truth that I want to nail home in Leviticus as it relates to the tabernacle and what occurs inside…
But first, the Lord gives the instructions for the altar of incense:
1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.
Remember that God gave the specifics of the tabernacle construction:
9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
42 According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded Moses.
21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the Lord commanded Moses.
23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
25 And he lighted the lamps before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the Lord commanded Moses.
29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses.
What God has made abundantly clear through His Word is that everything in relation to our worship to Him should be done specifically…
But not only in the construction, but also in the manner of worship:
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you.
2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
What God has made abundantly clear through His Word is that everything in relation to our worship to God should be done specifically…
Everything was also to be holy:
The words “sanctified” and “separated” and “holy” all refer to being “set apart”
The Tabernacle was to be set apart: Exodus 26:33
33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
The Furniture inside the tabernacle was to be set apart: Exodus 30:26-29
26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
The Altar was to be set apart: Exodus 29:37
37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
The Garments worn in the tabernacle was to be set apart: Exodus 28:2
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
The Priests themselves were to be set apart: Leviticus 21:6
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
The oil was to be set apart: Exodus 30:31
31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
The Incense was to be set apart: Exodus 30:35-37
35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.
The Offerings were to be set apart: Leviticus 6:17
17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
The Service was to be set apart: Exodus 28:36
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
The Order was clear for Aaron and his sons:
1 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord. 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: 8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
So what happened in Leviticus 10?
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Some might say, “But they were being religious.”
“What they did should count for something.”
“But they gave something at least.”
“Isn’t it better than the devil worshippers?”
This fire they offered was described as “strange”…
It is defined as “foreign; from another place”
The Lord says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
The question: Are we offering God strange fire in our worship?
Strange fire: something He doesn’t ask for. What He doesn’t ask for doesn’t belong.
Remember: when the tabernacle was completed, the Bible says that it was filled with the glory of God…
33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
So what was done in the tabernacle was inside of the presence of God…
And remember: the offerings for God… the service for God… the worship to God… it was all to be “set apart” just as everything and everyone who comes into the presence of God is required to be…
The problem is so many are worshipping in any kind of way…
If God is the same God as He was in Exodus and Leviticus…
And if He never changes…
Then God still expects holiness…
If “How” didn’t matter than that would mean:
Any kind of music
Any kind of method
Any kind of language
But God makes a distinction between the devouring fire and the strange fire…
One is of God the other is not…
How do you keep strange fire from entering?
Keep the sin out, keep the Bible in…
What burns in this church should be fire pleasing to the Lord…
But what fire of worship burns in your life when you’re at home?
What fire of worship burns in your life when you’re at work?
The fire that Nadab and Abihu were playing around with:
Looked like the right thing
But since it wasn’t from God, it was from another source…
