Monday, January 6, 2020

Exodus 40:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse two states, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  God had given Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle, and now He was giving him instructions on when it was to be used.  It was called the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  It had not only been built according to God's instructions, but it had been built for God's purpose, just as church buildings must be today.  The church building is for the congregation to gathering in, but must be built and used for God's purpose.  Verse three says, And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail,  Next, the ark of the testimony was to be set up in the tabernacle.  This represented God's law.  God's law must direct everything we do as a church today.  Verse four states, And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.  Next, the table and candlesticks were to be put in place.  Verse five adds, And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.  Verse six continues, And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.  Verse seven continues, And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.  This was to separate the holy of holies from the rest of the congregation and the priests.  We have no such dividing point today.  If we are a follower of Christ, we do not have to go through anyone else to have access to God.  Verse eight says, And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.  Verse nine declares, And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.  The tabernacle was to be anointed with the anointing oil and it was to be considered holy.  We today as Christians are anointed by the blood of Christ and are to be holy, or set aside for Him.  Verse ten states, And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.  The altar was to be sanctified as the altar of the Most High, which is the only true God.  Verse eleven adds, And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.  Everything associated with the tabernacle was to be anointed.  Since our bodies today are the temple, or tabernacle, of God, if we are followers of Christ, then everything we have and do should be consecrated to God.  Verse twelve declares, And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.  Then verse thirteen adds, And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.  First Aaron was to be cleansed and consecrated for his service as priest.  We today set aside certain people as preachers and deacons, but that does not make them better than any other Christian, just as Aaron was no better of his own merit then any other person in Israel.  He was simply chosen by God for this purpose.  Verse fourteen states, And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:  Verse fifteen adds, And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.  Aaron's sons were to likewise be consecrated as priests, and this says for an everlasting priesthood.  I believe that when Jesus died on the cross that those that accept Him as Savior and Lord become a part of the everlasting priesthood.  We all have equal access to God.  Then verse sixteen declares, Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.  God's instructions to Moses were no good if they weren't carried out, just as God's instructions to us today are no good if they aren't carried out.  Like Moses, we must do as God commands us.

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