Becoming Vested in a Covenant
I'm Excited About Exodus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsDiving deep into a covenant with God
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Kids
Kids
Let’s say you had 10 dollars, but you weren’t allow to spend it. You had to save that money for something when you’re a lot older. What would you save that $10 for?
College: Save $10 here, maybe $10 next year, then you start getting paid for chores, so maybe $100 one year, or even $500 - then when you get to college, you have a good bunch of money to help pay for it
Bicycle or Car:
House:
Horse: (you’re welcome mom and dad)
That’s called “investing” - putting aside a little bit of money now and a little more later in order to get something big later
That’s like telling people something about Jesus - little by little, something big later (belief, salvation, heaven)
Investing for college is a good idea. Investing in people so that they may one day believe in Jesus - that’s much, much bigger.
Church anniversary
Church anniversary
Nov 24
Planted in 79, incorporated in 81. 39 years.
Intro
Intro
Grab:
RV:
Getting ready (1-4)
Getting really ready (5-11)
Released and reconstituted (12-15)
Being God’s people isn’t easy … but it’s good (16-19)
Eating and drinking a covenant (20-24)
PV: Becoming Vested in a Covenant
What’s the investment
What’s the payout?
Prayer: Thanks for GF Anniversary, but more for the family (Hoys, Reimers, previous pastors)
Flyover Exodus 25:1 - 31:18
Flyover Exodus 25:1 - 31:18
Capital for the work (Exo 25:1-9)
Capital for the work (Exo 25:1-9)
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for me. You are to take my offering from everyone who is willing to give. This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood; oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.
“They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.
Personal cost:
Where’d the stuff come from? [], either way, God provided it first
Purpose: Dwell among them
Must be this way: God is precise because He has an important goal
Blueprints and instructions for the work - “Ark-itecture” (Exo 25:10-30.38)
Blueprints and instructions for the work - “Ark-itecture” (Exo 25:10-30.38)
Tabernacle
These chapters describe in pretty good detail how each of these parts are to be made and how the fit together. We’ll skip the details but focus on some key verses dropped in the middle of the details.
Holy Place
Inside the Tent (Exo 25:10-25:40)
Inside the Tent (Exo 25:10-25:40)
(25.10-22) Blueprint for the Ark of the Covenant
A holy place to meet and speak with the perfectly Holy God (Exo 25:22)
I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
(25.23-40) Blueprint for a Table and a Lampstand
“Before Me” - ++ (Exo 25:30)
Put the Bread of the Presence on the table before me at all times.
The manifest presence of the perfectly Holy God, not mere religion
[Tabernacle pic]
[Tabernacle pic]
Outside the Tent (Exo 26:1-27:19)
Outside the Tent (Exo 26:1-27:19)
(26.1-37) Blueprint for a Tabernacle
(27.1-8) Blueprint for a Bronze Altar
(27.9-19) Blueprint for a Courtyard
Activity of the Priests (Exo 27:20-30:38)
Activity of the Priests (Exo 27:20-30:38)
(27.20-21) Blueprint for the Oil for the Lampstand
(28.1-29.35) Punchlist for Priests
(28.1-43) Blueprint for the Priests’ Garments
(29.1-35) Blueprint for Consecrating the Priests
(29.36-46) Blueprint for Regular Offerings
(30.1-10) Blueprint for Incense
Plus Yom Kippur
(Exo 30.11-16) Instruction for Numbering the People
The Lord spoke to Moses: “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for his life to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered. Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord. Each man who is registered, twenty years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for your lives. Take the atonement price from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.”
Ransom: by weight (no mint); temporary means of supporting the tabernacle, later supplanted
Same ransom for each: equal before God
Purpose = reminder (teaching) - a price was paid for you, and paying this is a good reminder
(30.17-21) Blueprint for the Basin
(30.22-38) Recipe for Anointing Oil and Incense - do not use this particular recipe for anything else, so as to make it common; “holy” = “set apart”
Laborers for the work (Exo 31:1-18)
Laborers for the work (Exo 31:1-18)
God provides spiritual and “wise” workers (Exo 31:1-11)
God provides spiritual and “wise” workers (Exo 31:1-11)
The Lord also spoke to Moses: “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. I have also selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with him. I have put wisdom in the heart of every skilled artisan in order to make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on top of it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin with its stand—the specially woven garments, both the holy garments for the priest Aaron and the garments for his sons to serve as priests, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They must make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
“Wisdom” > “skill”
Spirit - to work with fabric?
This is more than just really good craftsmanship - it was aided by God Himself, because man’s best is not good enough. The prophets needed God’s Spirit to speak God’s Word? In the church age, gifts of the Spirit include teaching as well as helps. Why not also the workman who are creating an entire system intended to teach people about God’s holiness?
God expects Sabbath rests (for these workers, too) (Exo 31:12-17)
God expects Sabbath rests (for these workers, too) (Exo 31:12-17)
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the Lord who consecrates you. Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people. Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites must observe the Sabbath, celebrating it throughout their generations as a permanent covenant. It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”
Makes sense to mention Sabbath when describing all the temple activity
Workers, too?
But placing this right after mentioning the workers reminds me that even those who were working on the tabernacle would be expected to rest on the Sabbath - or perhaps especially those who were working on the tabernacle.
Stone tablets (Exo 31:18)
Stone tablets (Exo 31:18)
When he finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God.
How angry do you have to be to throw those down to the ground and break them?
Flyover Exodus 25:1 - 31:18
Flyover Exodus 25:1 - 31:18
Get the money
Blueprints (inside, outside, priestly stuff)
Workers (wise and rested)
Xit: ???
Becoming Vested in a Covenant
Becoming Vested in a Covenant
Xit: RE kiddos - the skin we put in the game, invest until vested (protected investment)
God’s buy-in
[?]
The pattern of the divine - blueprints, instructions, and even recipes
Supply all the goods that they will end up giving back - everything
Give Spirit and “wisdom” to specific people - beyond skill
Specific objects designed to teach about His holiness
Plan B in case the priest dies
Sabbath
His presence - in a place where He will dwell and speak (cf; 29:42-43, 46)
Be known, and to be known as holy (29:46; 31:13)
Make sinners acceptable to Himself (“consecrated”’; Exo 28:38)
Israel’s buy-in
[?]
Offering of the willing: Money and material goods
Craftsmanship (“wisdom”)
Sacrifices (pilgrimage, daily, weekly, annually, 7 years, 50 years) - their animals, their produce, their $
Chance they could die (Exo 28:35, 43)
The robe will be worn by Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exits, so that he does not die.
These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and for his future descendants.
The Payout = living life aware of God’s Holiness
The Payout = living life aware of God’s Holiness
God doesn’t need their stuff
He calls them to invest for their own good … a change in them
Primarily: to live life with constant regard for God’s Holiness
Xit: But this is not our covenant
All this is great, but it’s for Israel in the OC. We’re not in this covenant. In our covenant, Jesus completes everything on our behalf. What does it mean to become vested in our covenant?
Becoming Vested in Our Covenant
Becoming Vested in Our Covenant
OT = Pattern ~ shadow
Pattern Exo 25:8; 25:40; 26:30; 27:8b; 31:11
“They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.
Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain.
You are to set up the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you have been shown on the mountain.
Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.
the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary. They must make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
Shadow Heb 9:23-10:1
Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us. He did not do this to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.
Becoming Vested in our Covenant 2
Becoming Vested in our Covenant 2
Our Covenant
Jesus, sac, perfect tab, complete
By grace, through faith
Complete, unrepeated, finished
God’s buy-in
[?]
Father’s: One and only Son
Son’s: Burden of humanity, death
Which buy-in was bigger for God - OC or NC?
What’s our buy-in?
[?]
Love LYG w/HSMS (Mark 12:28-31)
One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
Loving God w/more than 10%, 50%, 90% of HSMS
Loving God until
I’ve got no love left to give
My soul is exhausted
I’m all out of ideas
I can’t lift a finger
Greatest command is to love God until there’s nothing left in the tank
I often have a lot of reserve left when I decide I’ve loved God enough for one day
Perhaps that’s not a fair standard, but: I’ve never had one day where I’ve spent all I have to spend for God - not once
Renew your entire mind, living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Sure, I was saved way back when, but the buy-in for this Covenant is continually renewing my mind
Not settling for how far along my mind has been changed by Christ so far
But more: a living sacrifice
It’s much easier to throw a goat up on the altar
But throwing myself up there?
A living sac - not a martyr-syndrome, but while I’m still living, I’m still putting myself on the altar
Persecution and reproach of this world (Mt 5:11-12)
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Give up (if necessary): being understood, being appreciated, being liked
Again, not a martyr
And then counting it as a blessing
Deny yourself, lose your life, bear your cross - die to self (Mt 16:24-28)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
How invested is this?
What is left after you completely invest?
Not b/c we have to, but b/c we get to
Which buy-in is bigger for the people of God - OT or NT?
Grace is free, salvation is free, we can’t try harder to self-justify
But the buy-in is total, complete - not just the firstborn bull and the firstfruits, not just 10% of paycheck, but 100% of everything
Costs us more, but sometimes we live like it costs us less (it costs us 0 and everything)
The Payout = living life aware of Jesus’ Worthiness
The Payout = living life aware of Jesus’ Worthiness
Like the angels cry out in Rev
If Jesus wanted only 10% of your life, what would we conclude about how worthy He is?
The fact that He wants 100% - what do you conclude about how worthy He is?
There’s a song that says, “Jesus paid it all … all to Him I owe”
Yes, it paid it all. You can’t pay any of it.
But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t call for you to go all-in
But the part that says “all to Him I owe” isn’t really accurate
We don’t owe Him anything … He paid all our debts
But He is worthy of everything … and that’s very different than owing God
It’s not about our debt or obligation - it’s about Jesus the Awesome King is worthy for you to give Him your entire life
Summary
Summary
Ark-itecture
Investing Israel in their covenant with God through the tabernacle (He is Holy)
Investing ourselves in our covenant with God through Christ (He is Worthy)
What value are all these details that we struggle to read through? All this is merely a shadow of going all-in with Christ!
Prayer: JC, you are worth:
Loving you with all HSMS
Renewing my entire mind, being a living sacrifice
Bearing the reproach of this world
Denying myself
Losing my life
Bearing my cross
Dying to self
What am I holding back?