Exodus II Sermon Week 15

Intro/Welcome

Happy Mother’s Day

Playing mom w/ a New Born

“obedience”

do you hate the word obedience?

Why do we buck at this?

We want people to obey all the time.

We couldn’t even drive from here to there without people obeying the rules of traffick.

We will obey when we see it is in our best interest, right?

The benefits of obedience

Today what I want you to believe is this:

There is immeasurable blessing in the faith-filled obedience to God.

We are going to be in Exodus 40:34-38

finish the book of exodus

began in 2020

My Name, One of Pastors

Good to be with you

Let me Pray

Pray

pray for your glory to be known.

Obedience Leads to Blessing

The People of Israel

Last week we saw that God had uniquely gifted men and women to carryout God’s work in the world

of building the tabernacle

It has all been leading up to this moment.

The people obeyed

Exodus 39:32–33 CSB 32 So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses:

...the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its supports, its crossbars, and its pillars and bases;

Exodus 39:42–43 CSB 42 The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them.

They did it, they did all the work.

The Blessing

What is Moses Response?

Moses who is the mediator, the leader, the intercessor...

He blesses them.

What does this mean? To bless them?

Blessing here means to receive God’s favor, that is his grace.

It is our deepest human longing and our deepest human need.

In their obedience to God’s commands to build the tabernacle they receive a divine blessing from God through Moses

Favor, grace, blessing.

Moses’s Obedience

Having all the materials brought to him, Moses now constructs the tabernacle after again...

We get one final list of instructions from God to Moses Exod 40:1-15).

Exodus 40:1–2 CSB 1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.

Timeline

The Exodus happens on the 1st month of the first year

They arrive at Sinai in the 3rd Month of the First year

Moses spends Two-40 day periods on the mountain = 80 days

Tabernacle is set up on the 1st month of 2nd year (Exod 40:16)

It is interesting in these verses that after Moses sets everything up

He then ‘anoints’ with oil and thus ‘consecrates it’

that is the materials and the priests

ANNOUNCE IF YOU USE THESE

Exodus 40:12–15 CSB 12 “Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve me as a priest. 14 Have his sons come forward and clothe them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.”

That is sets it apart for the Lord

Application:

What if you were to do that with your ‘things’? You car, computer, home? — anoint them, set them apart for the Lord

Or People? Baby dedications — as a way of anointing them for the Lord.

And Moses again, does exactly what God says (Exod 40:17-33)

In fact, in those 16 verses 7x the phrase:

he did it “just as the lord had commanded Moses” shows up.

When things are repeated in the bible, it means they are important.

Why?

Obedience Matters

Because obedience matters to God.

but not just any obedience, a faith-filled obedience

meaning that Moses and the Israelites trusted — they had faith— that God would do what he said he would do.

Why?

Faith-filled Obedience brings blessing.

What was the Blessing?

The very presence of god.

The Blessing of God’s Presence

Exodus 40:33 CSB 33 Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

Exodus 40:34–35 CSB 34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

The Lord descends in a cloud and fills the tabernacle with his glory.

This is the climax

they’ve seen God part the red sea

They’ve seen him in Glory on Sinai

Now he is in their presence in the form of a glory cloud

the shekinah glory

reminds me of the Transfiguration

They needed a Portable Sinai to go with them

God’s intended purpose

All that has happened has lead up to this very point.

God indwelling his tabernacle.

God is with his people, finally.

It’s why he rescued them from Egypt, It’s why he gave the Law, it’s why he forgave their sin.

Exodus 29:44–46 CSB 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46 And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

A New Beginning

But this not the end of the story — It is actually just the beginning

Look how the book ends

Exodus 40:36–38 CSB 36 The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. 37 If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

This presence of God, symbolized in a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day is what would guide Israel ‘throughout every stage of their journey’

Remember, they are only halfway to their destination, the “Promised Land”

The Next book of the Bible, Leviticus, picks up right where Exodus left off

Leviticus 1:1 CSB

1 Then the Lord summoned Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting:

Where Moses receives all of Leviticus

Then in Numbers 9:15-22 we have almost the exact same text as today.

and in Numbers 10:11 it says,

Numbers 10:11 CSB

11 During the second year, in the second month on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up above the tabernacle of the testimony.

Timeline:

The Exodus happens on the 1st month of the first year

They arrive at Sinai in the 3rd Month of the First year

Moses spends Two-40 day periods on the mountain = 80 days

Tabernacle is set up on the 1st month of 2nd year (Exod 40:16)

20th day of 2nd year they move out (Numb 10:11)

In other words, in about 48 days time all that happened in Leviticus, and Numbers 10 occurs and the story continues.

The Point is, they are on a journey.

from slavery to the promised land

And to get there they needed

God to save them

God to guide them.

How about us?

But what about us?

What does this all mean for us?

The same thing.

there is immeasurable blessing in faith-filled obedience to God.

Faith-filled Obedience brings blessing.

The Problem: Sin

There’s only one problem.

No one is obedient

not perfectly, not from the heart, not all the time.

Israel doesn’t last long, this may be the one instance that they were obedient (and it took God’s power)

And it doesn’t take long for us.

God’s Word says that we were born in a state of sin

Romans 3:10–18 CSB

10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. ...18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

We’ve already said, usually we only obey if we see that it in our best interest.

We are Israel and Israel is us

We grumble against God just as they did.

We worship false Idols just as they did

We doubt God’s provision just as they did

Their story is our story.

So how can God dwell with his people?

How can he be Holy and Just yet loving and forgiving?

Exodus 34:6–7 CSB The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.

But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

This the whole point of the tabernalce

a way to make atonement

but it was never going to be enough

Hebrews tells us the blood of goats cannot take away sin

Hebrews 10:4 CSB

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

it was all pointing to something.

Romans 3:21–24 CSB

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:25–26 CSB 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Christ’s Obedience

It was all pointing towards Christ.

God was going to have to do it for us.

Just as God’s presence descended from heaven to fill an earthly tabernacle

so too thousands of year later

God’s presence would again descended from heaven to fill an earthly tabernacle in the incarnation.

Jesus was God’s presence ‘tabernacling’ amongst us (John 1:14)

And Jesus Christ would perfectly obey the law, every aspect, perfectly, from the heart, all the time — full of Faith in God the father.

Because he perfectly loved and trusted God the father.

And then he would die the death we deserved by becoming and a sacrificial substitute that would atone for our sin, and the sins of all who would believe

You see, all of it was pointing to Jesus

All of Exodus is pointing to Jesus, our Savior.

The book of Exodus really is his story.

Jesus is the Moses of our salvation, the mediator who goes for us before God.

Jesus is the Lamb of our Passover, the sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus is our way out of Egypt, the deliverer who baptizes us in the sea of his grace.

Jesus is our bread in the wilderness, the provider who gives us what we need for daily life.

Jesus is our voice from the mountain, declaring his law for our lives.

Jesus is the altar of our burning, through whom we offer praise up to God.

Jesus is the light on our lampstand, the source of our life and light.

Jesus is the basin of our cleansing, the sanctifier of our souls.

Jesus is our great High Priest, who prays for us at the altar of incense.

And Jesus is the blood on the mercy seat, the atonement that reconciles us to God.

The great God of the exodus has saved us in Jesus Christ.

It was his ‘faith-filled obedience’ that secured eternal blessings for you and I as we have faith in Him, that is Trust in Him and his work.

This is the gospel.

Christ was our ‘faith-filled obedience” to God so that we could receive the eternal blessing of spiritual life (Eph 2:4)

So that for us, blessing doesn’t come from obedience, our obedience comes from the blessing, which leads to obedience and more blessing…and so on.

And as we are united to Christ

His Story becomes our Story, and our Story begins to look more like his.

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Optional:

Exodus 29:44–46 CSB 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting (Jesus) and the altar (The Cross); I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests (the church, kingdom of priests).

45 I will dwell among (Jesus) the Israelites and be their God. 46 And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt (redeemed from satan, sin and death), so that I might dwell among them (Holy Spirit). I am the Lord their God.

The tabernacle needed to be erected (lifted up) — Jesus as the incarnation and cross

Faith-filled obedience

And it is true for anyone and everyone who would put their trust in Jesus.

And when we believe in Jesus we are filled with the same Spirit of God that filled Bezalel and Oholiab, and that filled all the skilled workers.

SO THAT, we too could ‘walk by faith’ or “follow by faith’

This is what Paul calls ‘the obedience of faith’ (Rom 1:5, 16:26)

This is the term that book ends Paul’s Theological Masterpiece in the book for Romans

Romans 1:5 CSB

5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,

This means that Paul, the apostles and you and I can live a life of faith-filled obedience.

that is we love and trust Jesus and will follow Him, and do what he says.

“if you love me you will do what I command”

John 14:15 CSB

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands.

Faith-filled obedience will always result in faithful obedience

so that for us

Now we enjoy the immeasurable blessings of God in Christ.

We are on a journey also:

Being saved and filled with God’s spirit is not the end of the journey for us

but the beginning.

Conversion is like the wedding day and the christian life is like the marriage

We too are on a journey from salvation (rescue from egypt) ,

through the wilderness (Christian life, life with christ)

to the promise land (eternal dwelling)

And God is with us every stage of the way.

I have journeyed with God for the last 14 years, and there was immeasurably more blessing in the last 14 years with Christ than the first 26 without Him.

Application

There is immeasurable blessing in the faith-filled obedience to God.

Make Disciples

Have you begun that journey?

Have you come to know Him?

To receive this immeasurable blessing in Christ?

If not, put your faith in Him today!

There is no promise of tomorrow.

Mature Disciples

If you already know him, then I give to you Heb 3:12-15, which in many ways is a commentary on all of exodus.

Hebrews 3:12–15 CSB

12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. 14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. 15 As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

Do not turn away from the Living God, but turn towards him, in ongoing faith.

God is with us, and he will lead us.

What does Faith-filled obedience look like for you?

Are you listening?

Are you following?

What is your pillar of cloud and fire?

The internal working of the Holy Spirit — to guide us and reveal truth.

The voice of the Lord in God’s Word — he speaks most often in his Word

God uses others to speak to you —

Let’s Pray

Until the whole earth is filled with God’s Glory!

Ephesians 4:10 CSB

10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

Other Things

Ephesians 2:4–5 CSB

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

This is the eternal blessings: being made alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:7 CSB

7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The immeasurable riches

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

Grace and Faith are both Gifts

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

This is what faith-filled obedience looks like

Hebrews 3:12–15 CSB

12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. 14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. 15 As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

Pillar of Cloud and Fire = Angel of the Lord (Exo 14:9, 23:20-23) = The Angel of his presence (Isa 63:8-9) = the Messenger of the Covenant (Mal 3:1) = the Lord, the owner of the temple = Shekinah Glory = Christ

The tabernacle was designed to give people access. It was a place to meet with the living God.