A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 10 (Part 1)

Numbers 10:1-10—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. 3 When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 4 But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. 5 When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. 6 When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys. 7 And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations. 9 When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. 10 Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God." 

God is getting ready to order the people of Israel to leave Mount Sinai. But before He does, He needs to put in place a way for the people to know when to go, when to cease, when to assemble, when to go to battle, etc. So He gives Moses these instructions for when and how to sound these advances, He instructs him to Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work. As I have said so many times before, God is a God of order, and when He causes something to come to pass, He doesn’t do so haphazardly, but has a particular way He wants things to be done. He is no different today. In 1^st Corinthians 14, we read about the gift of tongues. And we see that God gives the gift of tongues, not for each one to make some unknown sound for entertainment, which this gift is largely used for today, but to proclaim the truth and to gather His elect from the four corners of the Earth. You see, tongues is not some unknown speech, nor is it a “private prayer language”, but it is rather when people speak in a language which is known, except to that person. We read of the first instance of other tongues being used in Acts 2:6-11—6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." The Apostles did not just stand up and speak forth some gibberish, but they spoke, as directed by the Holy Spirit, the wonderful works of God in the languages of the listeners—Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. Nowhere in this episode are the Apostles speaking to angels, but rather men of Earth in their own language. 

This principle is later reiterated by the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 14:6-9—6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. Much like when the trumpet sounded throughout the camp of the Israelites to go forth or assemble or go to war, we must speak to our neighbor things they can understand, so that they may know of the things of God. If we speak gibberish to our neighbor, and he does not know what we are saying, what profit will it be to him? 

I read from a MacArthur study Bible, and in his notes he makes a rather interesting hypothesis. That when you see the plural “tongues” that is the true use of the gist, but when you see the singular “tongue”, that is describing the false gibberish. And when you are reading through 1^st Corinthians, this actually seems to bear it out. Further along in 1^st Corinthians 14, we see Paul gets a little sarcastic with those who are speaking gibberish, 1st Corinthians 14:27—If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. When you see these gatherings where everybody is going on with their speaking in a tongue, how much interpretation do you see? You don’t. That is because the person speaking into the air is not speaking words to edify the church, but is rather speaking something that makes no sense; therefore there is nothing to interpret. There are many who say that the sign of the Holy Spirit being given is “speaking in tongues”. That may have been true in the early church in the Book of Acts, but I dare anyone to find that teaching anywhere in Scripture. Thomas Aquinas was the first to use the term “unknown tongues” to describe the false jargon that was going on in the church. He says in his commentary on this section:

 

And so the Apostle argues that just as if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, it is not known whether they should prepare for battle, so you, if you only speak in tongues, unless you make your speech clear by interpreting or explaining, no one will know what you are saying. By “bugle” can also be understood “preachers.” “Lift up your voice like a trumpet” (Isaiah 58:1). But the reason why it cannot be known what you are saying is that you will be speaking into the air, i.e., uselessly: “I do not box as one beating the air” (1st Corinthians 9:26).

 Now, let me say this: if someone speaks gibberish, and by so doing claims they have the gift of tongues, is that person then not saved? God forbid! That is not the test of whether someone is a Christian or not. All I am saying is that perhaps they are misguided about the gift and need to be corrected. That is all. 

One thing is for certain: that on the day the Lord returns, we will all hear a trumpet, and we will all know what that trumpet is signifying: it will be telling all His people to gather together, to assemble to the Lord, to join Him where He is, and to be counted as His. In Matthew 24:1-25:46 (also in Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:5-36), we read what is called the “Olivet Discourse”: Jesus telling His Apostles of His Second Coming, and the signs which will accompany it. This discourse is, you might say, Jesus’ commentary on—and expansion on—Daniel 9:24-27. We won’t go into a study of that at this time, but one thing our Master tells us is that at that time, a trumpet will sound, and God will gather all His elect from every part of the world. Matthew 24:31—“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” This will most likely be two blasts from the trumpet, calling His people to gather at the Tabernacle of the heavens where God lives. The Apostle Paul repeats this advice in 1st Thessalonians 4:16—For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. When we hear that trumpet sound, we will all rejoice, knowing that we will finally meet our Lord, and the Father, and we will be free of our fetters that bind us to this world, we will be free to walk in His presence and see our Lord face to face. And not only those who are alive and remain, but those who have before fallen asleep. We shall all see those who have gone on before us, who believed in Christ, and we shall all be gathered at one place, even in the presence of God, when the trumpet is sounded. 

Blow ye the trumpet, blow!

The gladly solemn sound

let all the nations know,

to earth's remotest bound:

  Jesus, our great High Priest,

has full atonement made;

ye weary spirits, rest;

ye mournful souls, be glad:

 Extol the Lamb of God,

The sacrificial Lamb;

Redemption thro' his blood

Throughout the world proclaim

 The year of jubilee is come;

Return, ye ransomed sinners, home;

Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.

(“Blow Ye Trumpet, Blow”, Charles Wesley)

 Numbers 10:11-13—11 Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. Finally—FINALLY!—after two years at the base of Mount Sinai, God commands the people to move out. Now, it says that the cloud settles in the Wilderness of Paran, but that was not the first stop. In Numbers 11, we will see the people grumbled about wanting to go back to Egypt for the leeks and melons and garlic, and they died for the quail, and this place was named Kibroth-Hataavah. Then after that incident, they moved on to Hazeroth, then to Paran. We will address Kibroth-Hataavah and Hazeroth when we get there. But for now, let’s focus on Paran. The Wilderness of Paran is significant, in that this was where Abram sent Hagar and Ishmael after the events that transpired in Genesis 21:8-14. Paran is located pretty mu to the north f Sinai, in what can only be described as a desert. If you look at a picture of the area, you can see why it was described as a “wilderness”. We will talk more about Paran when we get to Numbers 12. 

Numbers 10:13-21—13 So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.) So you have about 600,000 people camped around the Tabernacle—the equivalent of having 10 Neyland Stadiums camped around a McDonald’s—there had to be some order to how they moved. If you have ever been to a University of Tennessee football game (or any game at any large stadium), you will understand why there had to be order. If there was no order, people would be tripping over each other, people would be bumping the priests that were carrying the Tabernacle, or even the Ark of the Covenant, and you would wind up with one humungous mess on your hands. So the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun set out, with the Gershonites and Merarites carrying the Tent. Then Reuben, Simeon and Gad marched after them. After them came the Kohathites carrying the holy things (see Numbers 4:15). They were carrying the Ark of the Covenant. This order is important, since the Tabernacle had to be erected, the Holy of Holies established, by the time the Kohathites brought the Ark, for the Ark was to dwell in the Holy of Holies and there God would rest in a cloud. 

And I believe there is some further symbolism to be appreciated here. The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival. The Tabernacle had to be put up in order for the Ark to enter it. We all know that the Son of God received a body to dwell in, which became a Tabernacle. John 1:14—And the Word became flesh and dwelt [Greek, “tabernacled”] among us. That Tabernacle had to be prepared, had to increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). Then would that Tabernacle be ready to begin His journey, ministering to the people, as evidenced by the Holy Spirit descending on Him at His baptism (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). Now, Jesus said that He not only wanted, but needed to be baptized by John. Why? Why would the Son of God need to be baptized in order to begin His earthly ministry? Well, if you recall, the Levites were to be sprinkled in their entrance into the ministry. Numbers 8:7—Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them. So in order to fulfill that requirement of the Law Jesus had to be baptized, to be cleansed, to be purified by His cousin. And He was thirty years of age when this happened (Luke 3:23). This was the age those who handled the holy thing were to enter in to their service. “Well now, wait a minute, Numbers 8:7 says they could enter into service at the age of 25? There’s a contradiction for ya!” Ummm…no. Numbers 8:7 relates the age the Levites could enter the service of ministry. The Kohathites—those who handled the Ark, the Altar of Incense, the Lampstand and the Table of Showbread—were to enter that service at age 30. “Well, Jesus descended from Judah, and the Kohathites were descended from Levi!” Again, no. Hebrews 7:11-16—11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. True, Jesus is descended from the Tribe of Judah (see also Revelation 5:5), but He comes with a much better priesthood—not of the order of Aaron, who ministered earthly things, but according to the order of Melchizedek. (If you ever get a chance, listen to J. Vernon McGee preaching through Hebrews 7. You’ll get a kick out of hearing him pronounce Melchizedek!).

Part 2 next week

 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testamen Law--Numbers 9 (Part 2)

Numbers 9:6-12—6 Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. 7 And those men said to him, "We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the children of Israel?" 8 And Moses said to them, "Stand still, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you." 9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the LORD's Passover. 11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.’” So, the original question was “can a person who could not be at Passover on 14 Nisan get a do-over?” Well, yes. If they had just buried a relative, or they were afar off, they could gather on the 14^th day of the second month, the month of Iyar. As Nisan falls in the months of March-April on our Gregorian calendars, Iyar falls in April-May. This was called the “Second Passover”, or פסה שנ׳ (“Pesach Sheni”) The rules were the same, though. They set apart a lamb on the 10^th day of the month, kept it until the 14^th, killed it at twilight and roasted it. However, unlike the Passover on 14 Nisan, where they were to eat unleavened bread for 7 days following, this was a one-day festival, and the eating of unleavened bread was not mandated. And this really showed how devoted some people were, and how they believed God, that they wanted to honor Him despite obstacles being in their way. 

Now, what do you suppose would happen to someone who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time, and did not keep the “Second Passover”? Numbers 9:13—13 “‘But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.’” Notice I said at the outset the person could not keep it. If you could keep the Passover at the appointed time, at twilight on the 14^th of Nisan, you were expected to keep it. If you could not keep it then, you could keep it on 14 Iyar. And if the person did not keep it even then, that person was cut off from his people. God is a God of second chances, and does not restrain His grace from those who seek His will and seek to live for Him and keep His commandments. He calls us to do the same. Matthew 18:21-22—21   Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” So are we to start counting the number of times our brother sins against us, and when we get to 491, tell him “Okay, you’ve reached your limit. I will not forgive you any more”? No, of course not. Consider how many times God has forgiven you, and continues to forgive you. Lest you think that once Jesus washed you, your feet do not get dirty again. Now, you may say “if my brother sins against me 490 times, and they repent and ask forgiveness 490 times, is that true repentance?” Is that any different from when we ask God for forgiveness? How many times do we transgress against him in a single day? Yet we repent and go and ask him to forgive our sins. I dare say in any given year, that number is far greater than 490. 

The point is that 490 is not a static number, and we are not to count the number of times our brother sins against us. Many people say that Paul preached a different message than Christ did, but this is one place where we can tell that person that they are mistaken. 1st Corinthians 13 is called by many “the love chapter”, for it outlines what love towards our neighbors looks like. And one verse that gets misused is 1st Corinthians 13:5—[love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. And I want to focus on that last part, thinks no evil. The KJV and NKJV translate that passage thus, but I really think it misses the mark, as many later translations have improved upon it and have rendered it does not take into account a wrong suffered. The Greek of that section is λογίζεται τὸ κακόν (logizetai to kakon), and it literally means “to reckon inwardly things of a bad nature”. Young’s literal Translation says [love] doth not impute evil. So if we truly love our neighbor, we will not go through our life counting how many times they have done us wrong, remembering the even greater number of times we have done wrong to God. 

But to show us that He is an exacting God, that to cross certain lines is unacceptable, and that even with how patient He is, His commands are not to be trifled with, He tells the people that even though He gives them a second chance to keep the Passover if they cannot do so on 14 Nisan, He says the person who neglects either the first or the second Passover shall be cut off from among his people. When the Bible talks about people being “cut off”, it does not mean shunned, or ostracized or even sent away. It means dead. The person who did not keep the Passover, God would destroy them. He set His appointed times to be observed at the required time, and He had a reason. And the people were not to reject these times, because doing so would be to show a sort of flippancy toward these times and, subsequently, toward God. And are we any different? If we ignore His Christ, Whom He sent to bear away our sins, do not our sins stay with us, and will they not lead us to be cut off from Him? Hebrews 2:3—How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Hebrews 10:28-31—28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The Law condemned to death anyone guilty of a capital offense if two or three witnesses gave proper testimony. But there is a far worse punishment for those who reject His Christ. If one does that, they will not be judged by a human jury or tribunal or court-martial. They will be tried by God Himself, by His Law, by His justice, by His perfectness, and will be found wanting and will suffer an even graver, and eternal, punishment. The Expositor’s Greek New Testament—

 

“The guilt of the apostate which justifies this sorer punishment is detailed in three particulars. He has trampled on the Son of God. The highest of Beings who has deserved best at his hands is spurned with outrageous scorn…“and has reckoned the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified, a common thing”…This blood is the purifying agent by which men are fitted for the fellowship and service of God, and so brought within the covenant…This sole means of purification, the sanctifying virtue of which the supposed apostate has experienced, he now counts common or unclean…The third point in the heinousness of the sin of apostasy is “and has insulted the spirit of grace”…The spirit of grace is the distinctive gift of Christian times, and is not only the Pauline but the universal antithesis to the law. To have blasphemed this gracious Spirit, who brings the assurance of God’s presence and pardon, and gifts suited to each believer, is to renounce all part in things spiritual.”

 

Do not neglect so great a salvation. Do not tread the Son of God underfoot, do not count the blood He shed as common or unclean, and do not despise the Holy Spirit! 

Numbers 9:15-23—15 Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. 18 At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the LORD they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the LORD they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 

Ever been on a long trip and just felt like stopping somewhere, and said “this is as good a place as any. Let’s stop.” Then when you think the time is right you say “Okay, this is as good a time as any. Let’s go!” These people did not have that option when it came to their journey from Sinai to Canaan. On the first day the Tabernacle was erected, God covered the Tabernacle in a cloud. During the day it was a cloud, at night it was a pillar of fire. Whether day or night, if the cloud or fire was there, it was there for one reason: that was where the people were to stay. If the cloud remained, the people remained. If it moved, the people moved. No one was to say “You guys stay here, my wife and I are going on ahead. We’ll see you when you catch up” or “You guys go on ahead, we’ll catch up later”. No one was exempted from this command. This was a way to train the people to keep their eyes always on God. To always be looking for Him, to always be seeking Him. And also, to show them that they could look everywhere on every horizon, but He was in that one place. And that cloud led the Tabernacle around, and where it stopped, they were to pitch that great Tent.

Let’s fast forward to Solomon. The man who did not ask for riches or wealth, but rather wisdom from God. His father, David, desired to build a temple for God. 2nd Samuel 7:1-2—1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains." The man after God’s own heart grew weary of having God lead around a tent (and maybe thought that God was confined to that tent), and desired to build a permanent place for God to set His name. Even his prophet Nathan agreed 2nd Samuel 7:3—Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you." They were both guilty of trying to move when the cloud was standing still. Keep in mind, of course, that this was at the time when the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem and after the death of Uzzah for putting his hand on the Ark (2nd Samuel 6:6-7). This dismayed David, and more than likely, after it weighed on his heart, he thought that there should be one place where God kept His glory and His name. And while David’s heart was in the right place, it was not yet time for God to settle His cloud in one place. 2nd Samuel 7:5-13—5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David…10 I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously…12 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”’” The group Point of Grace did a song called “Steady On”, which talks about how often we are unable to wait for God to do something, and we think we have to act before He has said to move. The chorus goes:

 We run on up ahead, we lag behind You

It’s hard to wait when heaven’s on our mind

Teach our restless feet to walk beside You

‘Cause in or hearts, we’re already gone

Will You walk with us

Steady On

That’ was the problem David faced so many times. He wanted to run on up ahead, when He should have just walked beside God. Which is why we read in Psalm 46:10—Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Whether He moves, or whether He stands still, He will be exalted forever. Amen. 

Well, we know that God did establish a place for His name. In 2nd Chronicles 1:1, we see that the Tabernacle was in Gibeon, which was located north of Jerusalem in what is now called the West Bank. Solomon went to the Tabernacle, and that was where he asked God for wisdom and received it. While the name David (דָּוִד) means “beloved”, the name Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה [shelomo]) meant “peace” (as it was derived from the word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) which means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace”). And it was by Solomon that God’s Ark found peace, as he had the temple built in Jerusalem (2nd Chronicles 2:1-5:1); this was where God would place His name (2nd Chronicles 7:12), and the cloud overshadowed it (2nd Chronicles 5:13-14) and the fire came down and devoured the sacrifices (2nd Chronicles 7:3). And with these two signs, God made His presence known, and established Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַם, [Yerusalam] “teaching of peace”) as the city where His glory and His name would reside (so to speak). 

Yet again, as so many times before, this points us to our Lord Jesus. For it was Jerusalem where He was slain for our transgressions. And what did He say in John 2:19, 21—"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"…He was speaking of the temple of His body. And it was on Christ that He placed His name, for He was His Son, in who He was well pleased (Matthew 3:17, 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). John 17:6—“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” And in the death of Christ we see the fulfillment of the type given us in 2^nd Chronicles. Jesus manifested—made “visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way”—the name of God. At His death there was darkness over the land (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), and He sent his holy fire of wrath upon His son as a sacrifice for our sins (Mark 15:34). AW Pink in his classic “The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the cross” in the chapter “The Word of Anguish” sums it up majestically:

 

“At the cross all our iniquities were laid upon Christ and therefore did Divine judgment fall upon Him. There was no way of transferring sin without also transferring its penalty. Both sin and punishment were transferred to the Lord Jesus. On the cross Christ was making propitiation, and propitiation is solely Godward. It was a question of meeting the claims of God’s holiness; it was a matter of meeting the demands of His justice. Not only was Christ’s blood shed for us, but it was also shed for God. He hath given Himself for us and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour (Ephesians 5:2), Thus it was foreshadowed on the memorable night of Passover in Egypt: the lamb’s blood must be where God’s eye could see it—“when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13)”

 May we be a place where God places His name. May we live to always look for the cloud and the fire, and follow Him. May we always remember that our Passover Lamb was not of the herds and flocks, it was not of any earthly stock, but this Lamb came down from God, is feasted on as one sacrifice by us who are of one body, was consumed by the fire of God to make a sweet smelling sacrifice, was enveloped in clouds and darkness, but rose again, that He might show Himself to be triumphant over every enemy, and give to us that victory over the grave, that we may live forevermore with Him in His kingdom. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 9 (Part 1)

Ever have a significant event come up, but you couldn’t make it and you wished you could have a do-over? Well, there were times when some of Israelites had the same problem. Something had happened and they could not keep the Passover at the appointed time, but still wanted to keep it. Could they get a do-over? Well, yes. Numbers 9:1-15—1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it." 4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.”

So they were in the first month, Nisan, on the 14^th day of the month—little time has passed since Numbers 1—and therefore kept the Passover as God had commanded (Exodus 12). Just to refresh your memory, you can read the commands for the Feast in Exodus 12:1-51. The only change would be that they did not have to strike their doorposts with blood—since they did not have doorposts in the wilderness. There are some historians who posit that the blood was sprinkled around the Altar of Burnt Offering, while others reject that claim, seeing as how only Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar remained of the priests, and only the priests could sprinkle the blood on or around the Altar. Now, I don’t think I have ever described all that was involved in the Passover feast, so let’s go ahead and do that. 

First, they had to find a lamb (or goat) without spot or blemish. Exodus 12:3-5—3 “…On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” This was not a time for “close enough”. You had to thoroughly inspect that animal to make sure there were no defects in it. You couldn’t just give it a quick once-over and say it was good enough. It wasn’t like buying a used car, “well, it’s got a bit of a misfire but it’ll do”. Because for the Passover lamb, God did not deal with “good enough” or “close enough”. It couldn’t be lame, couldn’t have any kind of physical defect, couldn’t have Mad Sheep Disease. Your job was not to bring just any sheep, it had to be perfect. 

Just like the Lamb of God. God was pretty particular when He chose the Lamb whom He would offer on behalf of His people. John the Baptist cried out, in John 1:29—“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This Lamb was of course, His Only Begotten Son. The only, ever, perfect Lamb of God, upon Whom God could lay all the guilt and all the sin of all of His Elect, who could carry His blood into the Holiest in the Heavens, and from Whom the Father could accept that Sacrifice, and say “Well Done! Sit at My right hand!” (Psalm 110:1). Who better than the Son of God to come as our Lamb, as our Passover (1st Corinthians 5:7). A perfect Lamb, "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1st Peter 2:22, quoting Isaiah 53:9). And keep in mind, this initial Passover was not to be eaten alone. It was to be consumed by the whole household. Just like Christ and the Church. Granted, we do not eat the actual flesh and drink the actual blood of Christ. And with that said, I want so badly to launch into the wrongness of the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation, but it will be better suited to a later text. Suffice it to say that for those of us who are in Christ, we are all one in Him. And we are not meant to be alone in this life. Which is why it says in Hebrews 10:24-25—24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Just as the Israelites were to celebrate their deliverance from captivity to Egypt by the Lord on that first Passover, we are to celebrate, with other members of the Church, our being set free from our bondage to sin. 

Now, after you found a perfect lamb, you had to keep it in the house for four days. Exodus 12:6(a)—Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. You got used to it being there. The kids got used to it being there. They might have even grown fond of it and given it a name. Probably not “Mutton”, since there might have been some fondness there. At any rate, this lamb had to be in your house for 4 days. Let’s do a little math here, shall we? Our Lord rode into Jerusalem on a Sunday (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19). He is there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And He is taken and arrested on Wednesday. Four days. Interesting, no? Almost like God has a perfect way of designing things. Then He was crucified on Thursday. Not Friday, but Thursday. I have talked about that previously here, you can read it if you like. Anyway. 

Then what did you do on that fourth day? Exodus 12:6(b)—Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. After you had had this lamb in your house for 4 days, all your house gathered together and slit its throat, and drained all the blood from it until it was dead. You were not to eat anything that had blood remaining in it (Leviticus 17:10-11). You take this innocent lamb—this perfect, little, innocent lamb—this lamb that had done no wrong, you take it into your home, let the kinds grow fond of it, then four days later you kill it. Now, if you think about it, this whole thing is kind of odd, isn’t it? How do you celebrate being set free from 430 years of bondage? Kill a lamb and eat it. Doesn’t make sense to us, does it? But does it make sense to God? Absolutely. Because it pointed not only the Israelites in Egypt that night, but Israelites hundreds of years later, and even us today, to the day when God would send His son into the world, to preach deliverance from sin to the world, come into the city where God placed His name, and have His blood spilled by order of the High Priest four days later. Or rather, by the earthly High Priest. Who delivered our Great High Priest over to be slaughtered. Delivered over to the pagan Romans. Who did not know, or care, that they were nailing the Son of God to that tree. Which is why Jesus said "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34). And really, it was not the Romans’ idea to kill Him, or even the Jews’, but rather the Father’s. Isaiah 53:10—Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. 

You see, Adam’s sin did not take God by surprise. God did not have to whip up some plan to save men from their sins. It was done before the foundation of the world. If one thinks that God did not see it coming, one has a very low view of God. That is why He chose His people before He laid the first cornerstone of Creation. And He considers that death of His Son to have taken place at that time. How do you think the saints of the Old Covenant were saved? By the blood of bulls and goats and lambs and rams and turtledoves? No. They were saved as we are, by the blood of Jesus. But how, since they did not know Him? Because He was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). 

And once they killed that first Passover lamb, they were to cook it. How were they to cook it? Exodus 12:8-9—8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. This lamb was most likely roasted on a spit over an open fire. But why not boil it; wouldn’t that have been easier and quicker? Because the lamb was not to be cut up and divided. To boil it, and fit it in the boiling pot would have required the lamb to be cut into pieces, and possibly some of its bones to be broken. It was to be a whole lamb when it was cooked and eaten. Now, were they to eat with the Egyptians? Were they to share in the eating of the lamb with those who were not of Israel? No. Likewise, when we partake of the Lord’s Table, we are not to have unbelievers partake with us. 1st Corinthians 11:26-30—26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 

So what did the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs symbolize? Well, the unleavened bread (מַצָח, “matzah”) symbolized the haste with which the people of Israel had to flee Egypt. And they were to eat it for seven days, beginning on 15 Nisan, and have no leaven in their household. Exodus 12:15-20, 39—“15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread'"… 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. If you’ve ever made bread (as I have tried once and it turned out, well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly Wonder Bread™) you know that when you add the yeast, you have to cover it and put it in a dark place to “proof”, that is, to rise. The people did not have the time to proof dough, and even if they thought they did, God said “Don’t”. There was no time.  They were to roast the lamb, make bread with no leaven, eat the bitter herbs, then GO! Now, the command to eat unleavened bread for seven days probably came later, as the people had to make haste to vacate Egypt. Now, a little bit about leaven. When you add yeast to your dough, and it rises—what is it that makes it rise? Well, the yeast consumes the sugars found in the dough, and then expels carbon dioxide as a waste product. Which is why no offerings made to God were to contain leaven—because it is a waste product (Leviticus 2:11, Leviticus 6:17 and Leviticus 10:12). 

Many times in the New Testament we are told to watch for Christ’s return, and that the Kingdom of God is near at hand. Matthew 24:42, 44—42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming…44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 1st Peter 4:7—But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. We do not know when He will return. All of the appointed days and feats in the Law, the people knew when they would come, and they could be ready for them. But the Day of the Lord—that Day when Christ returns to bring in His people—we don’t know when that will be. Despite all the Doomsday prognosticators and all their “this is a sign of His return” bluster, no one—NO ONE—is able to say with truth “This is a sign, and it means He will return on such-and-such a day”. But know this—that when He does return, we want to be found doing well. Matthew 24:45-46—45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” Do we want to be found fornicating, or robbing, or committing some other shameful act when He calls us home? No. Therefore, let us always let our bread be unleavened, that we may not be ashamed at His coming (1st John 2:28). 

Matthew 16:6 (also Mark 8:15)—Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." 1st Corinthians 5:7-8—7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. In the New Testament, leaven is used to denote sin and unbelief. Jesus was warning the Apostles to watch for the leaven—the broken doctrine, the waste products of the beliefs—of the men who opposed Him, to be ready to answer it, and to show them the truth. Paul tells us to let us keep the Passover—not by taking a lamb into our home and roasting it, but by bringing to remembrance our Lamb of God who takes away our sins. And to not let the leaven of sin permeate the body of Christ, His beloved bride, and to not let it infect her with sin, but to get rid of it, to purge it, to cleanse the bride of it, that she may be a bride without spot or blemish. To not fettered to our old man, who is passing away, but to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). We cannot do that if we are waiting for our bread to rise, we must be always ready to go, ready to leave this world behind and go on to glory. Even as the women carried their kneading bowls bound up in their sacks on their shoulders (Exodus 12:34). 

The bitter herbs (םִךןֹך, maror). These were to call to the people’s remembrance the 430 years of bitter bondage the people served in Egypt. And should we not feel the same about all our years serving sin and the flesh? How many times are we told to repent of our sins, to put off the old man, to put on the new man, that we are a new creation, etc. etc. Because that old man is ugly, and must not be allowed to rear his ugly head. Do you ever look back at the person you used to be? How do you feel about that person? Does that person make you proud? Or does your remembrance of that person make you grieve who you used to be? I, for one, don’t want to be the man I once was, because he was full of lust, greed, fornication, and almost any other sin you could think of. And I don’t want to be him again. I am much happier being a servant of the King, than to be the king of my own sinful domain. Albert Barnes—

 

If a drunkard becomes reformed, there is no impropriety in saying that he is a new man. If a man who was licentious becomes pure, there is no impropriety in saying that he is not the same man that he was before. Such expressions are common in all languages, and they are as proper as they are common. There is such a change as to make the language proper. And so in the conversion of a sinner. There is a change so deep, so clear, so entire, and so abiding, that it is proper to say, here is a new creation of God - a work of the divine power as decided and as glorious as when God created all things out of nothing. There is no other moral change that takes place on earth so deep, and radical, and thorough as the change at conversion. And there is no other where there is so much propriety in ascribing it to the mighty power of God.

Now, suppose a member of the “mixed multitude” wanted to keep the Passover. What would they do? Exodus 12:43-45, 48-49—43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it…48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you." Just as there was one lamb to be eaten that night, there is one Savior to be worshipped now. If one wanted to keep that Passover, they had to be circumcised outwardly and be brought in to the house of Israel. And today, there is one way to salvation—to be circumcised inwardly, that is to have your heart circumcised, and be brought in to the house of God. Romans 2:28-29—28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Colossians 2:11—In [Christ] you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ. Philippians 3:3—For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. At the time of the first Passover, to partake of it you had to be circumcised of your foreskin. Now, Christ circumcises our heart, that we may love Him and obey Him and seek to please Him. Many New Testament passages tell us of the better circumcision, that made by God of our hearts, rather than the circumcision mad of our foreskin by men (Romans 4:1-25; 1st Corinthians 7:19; Galatians 5:6, 6:15). 

Suppose someone wanted to break off a leg and eat it by themselves. Could they do that? No. Exodus 12:46 (also Numbers 9:12)—…nor shall you break one of its bones. It was all to be consumed as a whole inside the house by the entire household. Again, a picture of the commonality of the house that they were under the protection of God, and that they were all of one accord. The people were to show that they all shared the table of God, that there was one source of life, and that source was not divided (Deuteronomy 6:3-5). When one sat down to eat in those times, they were basically saying “I agree with this person, and will partake of what they have provided, and show that we are of the same mind”. It is the reason David said in Psalm 1:1-2—1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He was telling us not to partake of the table of those opposed to God. To not show support of them, nor to live in their way. But rather, we should delight in the one Source of all life and truth and righteousness, and live according to His way. 

We find the fulfillment of this command in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He hung upon His cross. John 19:33, 36—But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs…For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." These Roman soldiers were accustomed to crucified victims, and knew how they acted when they were running out of breath. Many times they would gasp loudly, trying to draw air into their lungs, and would cry out for mercy. And to the soldiers, this played upon their nerves, so they would break the legs of the victims, so they may more quickly expire, thus sparing the soldiers of having to hear their desperate cries. But they noticed something. This Man on the middle cross—the One who said we could come—was already dead. “How could this be?” they thought. “It has only been a few hours since we nailed Him here, and He is already dead! Interesting.” But this was no criminal they killed. It was not the loss of blood, or the inability to breathe, or even the shock of the pain of the nails that brought our Lord to death. He Himself said in John 10:17-18—17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again". Paul Kretzmann, once a faculty member of Concordia Theological Seminary and author of the “Popular Bible Commentary”, has this to say—

 

The laying down of His life was not due to His yielding to His foes and their cunning; it was an act of His will. He had the power to give His life, to lay it down in death; but He had the power also to take it again. No other man could dream of having such power; every other person succumbs to death, but Jesus differs from all other men in this respect, because He is Himself true God. The fact of His voluntary death gave to His sacrifice its real worth and value; without such free will His sacrifice would have been in vain. And herein He agrees with His Father, whose command He has received and now carries out for the salvation of mankind.

 

Christ did not die because they nailed Him to a cross. He laid down His life for His sheep, He gave up His life, He resigned Himself to the grave that He may offer to the Father a worthy sacrifice. And in doing so, fulfilled the Passover command that …nor shall you break one of its bones, that He may be a whole sacrifice, that We may all partake of Him as one Lord, that we may be all one body, that there should be no schism in the body (1st Corinthians 12:25), having one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.