A Survey of the Old Testment Law--Leviticus 17 (Part 1)

 

Leviticus 17. We have now finished up with all the offerings and sacrifices. And now we move into some of the areas of the Law that deal with the everyday lives of the people. And in the following chapters, we will find commands and rules and statutes and ordinances and regulations and prohibitions and precepts that really don’t fall under the umbrella of the Ten Commandments. And as we move through these areas, we will see the problems that arise when we try to isolate the various parts of the Law from one another, and we try to say “Well, there are three separate laws. There is the moral law (the Ten Commandments) and the civil law and the ceremonial law. Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law, and the civil law was done away with. But we are still under the moral law, the Ten Commandments.” For example, in chapter 18 we will find all the commands pertaining to sexual conduct—the commands against incest and bestiality and homosexuality and so forth. And when we try to say that only the Ten Commandments apply today, then the homosexual can argue back, “Well, where does it say in the Ten Commandments that homosexuality is a sin?” And if one continues to hold to the position that the civil law was done away with, then the homosexual has won the argument, because the forbidding of homosexuality does not fall under the ceremonial, nor is it contained in the Ten Commandments.

So what is the answer? Actually, we already covered this at the outset of our study of the Law, way back in the introduction to Exodus. The truth of the matter is, the Law was meant to point to Christ—and it was fulfilled in Christ. However, Christ only fulfilled the Law on behalf of those who would believe in Him. The elect of God are no longer under the Law, no longer subject to its rules and penalties, because Christ fulfilled it for us. Romans 8:1-4—1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. In other words, if you are in Christ, the Law has no power over you. Paul tells us much the same thing again in Romans, this time in Romans 7:1-4—1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

And in his strongest statement concerning the Christian’s relationship to the Law, he says in Romans 6:14—Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What does Paul mean when he says we are not under law? Well, allow me to take a moment to explain it. What Paul means when he says we are not under law is this—we, as Christians, are not under the Law. That’s it. That’s all the explanation there is. When Paul says we Christians are not bound by the Law, he means that we Christians are not bound by the Law. Consider all the requirements of the Law. Six hundred some-odd rules, regulations, commands, ordinances, statutes, rituals, washings, burnings, sacrifices, and so on and so forth. And if you transgressed the least of them you were in violation of God’s Law and in you may have found yourself in danger of being “cut off from your people”—that is, in danger of God Himself ending your very life. But we are no longer bound by this Law—we need not live every day of our lives in fear of breaking the least requirement. Psalm 130:3—If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Now, does this mean we can live our lives as the pagans? As the heathens, the infidels who know not God? Since we are not under Law, does that mean that God will not hold people accountable for breaking—not only the least commands, but the greatest? That’s what it sounds like I'm saying, isn't it? Well, if that is your response to the knowledge that we are not under Law but under grace, do not think yourself wise. You are simply the latest in a line of such thinkers—a line that stretches back over the nearly 2000 years since Paul told us we are not under Law. In fact, Paul has already responded to you. Romans 6:15-18—15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. That is, if you want to love Christ with your lips, while serving your real master—sin—with your mind and body, then you will be paid the wages of sin. Notice Paul draws a very distinct line. There are two masters—sin, and righteousness. You can either serve sin, and receive the wages it pays, which is death (Romans 6:23). Or, you can serve obedience, which pays dividends that none other than God Himself can pay—that is, to be paid the wages of righteousness, and of holiness, without which no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14).

Consider God’s servant Job. Now listen, Job was a man who knew that no man was righteous before God, and that all men were sinners, and he had almost as much to say about that as any writer of Scripture

 Job 9:2-3—“2 Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God? 3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.”

Job 9:14-21—“14 How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? 15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. 16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. 17 For He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. 18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. 19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; and if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? 20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. 21 I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.”

Job 10:14-19—“14 If I sin, then You mark me, and will not acquit me of my iniquity. 15 If I am wicked, woe to me; even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; see my misery! 16 If my head is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, and again You show Yourself awesome against me. 17 You renew Your witnesses against me, and increase Your indignation toward me; changes and war are ever with me. 18 Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me! 19 I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.”

Eventually, Job allowed his friends to talk him into thinking he was an awful man, who deserved what he had received, not understanding that God was testing him. Then, after God tells him to “gird up your loins like a man” (Job 38:3), and asks him nearly 90 questions about the creation of the universe, and asks Job if he can “draw out Leviathan with a hook” or if he can put a yoke on a monoceros and make him plow a valley, then Job sees himself for who he really is. And what is his response? Does he say, “Well, I must be pretty special if God talks to me!” No. Job 42:5-6—“5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

And just to show that this is not simply an Old Testament principle, the apostle Paul takes up Job’s attitude concerning the greatness of God and the depravity of man. For example, he tells the Philippians, that 4 If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless (Philippians 3:4-6). But did he stop there? Did he list these achievements and accolades and birthrights as though they were how he identified himself? Not hardly. He goes on to say, in the very next breath, 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). He uses nearly the same language when addressing his young protégé Timothy, and teaches his young charge that Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1^st Timothy 1:15). And, in what may have been his most heartfelt anguish over his inability to escape the dreadful plague which he carried about all of his days—even after meeting the risen Christ and devoting his life to his Master’s calling—he pours his heart out to the saints in Rome, and echoes Job’s repentance, in Romans 7:18-24 (NET)—18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me. 21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Now, just imagine, if we were still under the Law, and having the knowledge of sin that we now have—knowing that sin is not simply performing outward acts of rebellion against God, but that sin comes from within, seeing as how hatred is murder and lust is adultery—which of us could ever pour out enough blood from bulls and goats; how many of us could sprinkle enough ashes from red heifers; how many of us could ever meet the righteous requirements of the Law, since we would have to spend nearly every waking moment standing in line waiting for the priest to accept our sacrifice, if that animal was indeed good enough? Therefore, we who are in Christ Jesus are not under Law, but under grace. We do not see the Law as a cloud over our heads; we do not see the Law as an outward duty we must perform day after day after day. We see the Law as our guide to living a life that pleases God. Not in the killing of animals and sprinkling their blood—for Christ has shed His blood, fulfilling all the sacrifices. But rather, now, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).

With all that being said, what does the Law mean to those who do not know Christ? Are those people still under Law? Well, yes, they are. Not only those who have heard the gospel of God, but even those who have never heard the name Jesus will be judged by that Law. Why? Because it is that Law that shows us the righteousness of God. Psalm 119:142—Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth. Isaiah 42:21—“The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable.” And when those who have never even heard the words “Thou shalt not kill” know that killing another human being in cold blood is wrong; when those who have never heard the words “Thou shalt not steal” know they should leave their hands off their neighbor’s goods; when those who never hear the words “Thou shalt not commit adultery” know that they should remain faithful to their spouse; when these people know these things, they are proving that although they have never heard the Law of God, they do indeed know the Law of God. Romans 2:11-16—11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. Notice how Paul starts this section. He tells us there is no partiality with God. That is, God will not sit on His throne and say, “Well, I know you sinned, and you rebelled against My righteous requirements. But you didn’t have My Law, so I’ll let it slide. Come on in.” Among those who do not know Christ, the Gentile who does not hear the Law will be judged by the same Law as the Jew who does hear the Law, and the Gentile who does hear the Law. That same Law will judge all who die apart from Christ. Paul finishes up this argument in Romans 3:19-20—19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law—that is, all who do not know Christ and must, therefore, fulfill every single jot and tittle of that Law perfectly every single second of their lives, never transgressing that Law ever, even once—whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The Law makes no one righteous. The Law simply tells us what is sinful, and shows us the ugliness and depravity of the human heart. This is accomplished by not only the Ten Commandments, but the whole of the Law.

Because every aspect of the Law shows us that God is holy and just and righteous, and in His mercy He has offered us a way to atone for our sins. And it is only by accepting and obeying His rules for atoning that our sins can be atoned for. We can make up all the silly things we want to, thinking that we are pleasing Him by creating our own righteousness. The greatest commandments in the Law—are they found in the Decalogue? No. they are found near the end of the Torah, in Deuteronomy. Under these two commands fall not only the Ten Commandments, but also the sacrifices and the civil code. Because all these show us what God expects, and they show us that God expects His people to be obedient. And disobedience has its consequences—we saw that when God struck down Nadab and Abihu for simply offering unapproved incense on the Altar of Incense. We would see that if we studied the life of King Saul, and how God took his kingdom away from him for offering sacrifices that were in clear violation of god’s commands. When God gives us commands, it is not up to us to question them. We are not under Law, but when we treat His Law as a trifling thing, we will fall under heavy punishment. Hebrews 10:26-29—26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 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?

I say all that to set up the section of the Law we are about to deal with. This section of Law that contains statutes and ordinances not contained in the Ten Commandments. Because in these commands we find sinful conduct that God still considers sinful. And many of these commands do not fall under the Ten Commandments that many of us so brazenly hold up as the only standard by which a man is to live. Besides, if we make it to Deuteronomy, we will find the Ten Commandments repeated, mingled with many of the civil commands, and with many of the ceremonial requirements. So to try and extricate the Ten Commandments from the rest of the Law is folly, since neither God, nor Christ, nor Paul, nor any other writer of Scripture, ever separated the Law into three separate laws. It is one Law, not three.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Burnt Offerings Part 1 (Leviticus 1:3-4)

Now that we have laid the groundwork, let’s look at the acceptable animals involved with the “burnt offering.” The first type of animal they could offer was livestock—cattle, oxen, etc. Leviticus 1:3—“‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.’” Could a person bring just any animal they wanted to bring? Let’s say Yitzhak found an animal wandering through the camp and he said, “Oh, what fortune! I shall give this to YHVH as a burnt offering!” Would that have been acceptable? No. Could they offer pigs or dogs as a burnt offering? No. What if he just went through his herd or his flock and grabbed the first animal he found, even though it had some kind of defect? Even though these kinds of practices were unacceptable to God, the nation of Israel would do just that by the time the prophet Malachi wrote the word spoken to him by the LORD. Malachi 1:6-8—“6 A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, ' The table of the LORD is contemptible.' 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

So the person had to bring an acceptable animal to sacrifice. Had to be “without spot or blemish.” I don’t think I need to overexplain how this pictures Christ. The various animals were brought to different areas, and we will look at each in its time. The offering of livestock as brought to “the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” This would be the east side of the courtyard, where the altar of burnt offering was located. They bring it to Aaron and his sons, and what did they do with the animal? Leviticus 1:4—“‘Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.’” The person would lay their hands on the head of the livestock and God would accept the sacrifice on the person’s behalf.

What does it mean that this voluntary offering would “make atonement” for the person? Was it taking away or covering over some sin? This was a voluntary offering, meant to confess that God owns everything. So what is the “atonement” mentioned here? It does not mean “an atonement for sin,” since that was the purpose of the “sin offering” and “trespass offering” which will be described in later chapters. For example, Leviticus 4 covers the various Sin Offerings. These are the offerings that would make atonement for sins. Leviticus 4:26—“So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 4:35—“So the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 5 and 6 cover the Trespass Offerings. Leviticus 5:13—“The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin…and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 5:18—“So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 6:7—“So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things…” So this atonement brought about by the Burnt Offering is not an atonement for sin.

The “atonement” spoken of here is simply this: that God sees the person acknowledging their total dependence upon him. By this offering, God would see that the person knows he has nothing on his own, and knows that everything he has comes from the hand of God. In fact, God would tell them this very thing a few years later, in a verse that prosperity preachers cling to for their very lives, Deuteronomy 8:18—“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” What would happen if that one to whom God gave large herds or flocks simply said, “I have much to be proud of! Why, look at what a large flock I have created! I can just sit back and take it easy! What do you mean ‘What about God’? What did God have to do with this?” Well, Jesus talked about such a man in Luke 12:16-21—“16 The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Those to whom God has given much show their faith and thanks toward Him by offering up from the choicest of his herd or flock. And if that one to whom God has given much does not show his faith and thanks toward God—this God, of whom the Psalmist says that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10)—then God can certainly take away everything He owns. And in the word of Joel, God does that very thing. The people had waxen fat; they had more than enough grain and vineyards: but they had forgotten God. And He sent an army of locusts to remind them that it is He who gave them the fields and vineyards.

One more note one this issue of atonement in the Burnt Offering. The giving of the choicest stock was nothing new. It was a principle that existed long before the giving of the Law. Isaac was to be a Burnt Offering before God held back Abram’s hand. And a man who lived at the same time as (or perhaps even before) Abraham. This man was commanded by God to offer up Burnt Offerings on behalf of his friends when they had spoken foolishly of God. That man was Job. Even though the book of Job is placed 18^th in the Old Testament canon, he lived (probably) not too long after the time of the events contained in Genesis chapters 11-12. Now, we all know the story of the book of Job. Satan appears before God on His holy mountain; God points to Job, “a righteous and upright man.” Satan accuses Job of only loving God because of all that God had given him (Amazing, isn't it? Even Satan knows that it is God who provides!). God allows Satan to test Job, allowing Job to lose everything—family, livestock, house, everything. Then allows Job to be covered with boils “from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.” And then his friends come to console him. And, as the saying goes, with friends like that…

They get into this long discussion about Job and about God and about righteousness and so forth. And when God demands from Job an answer for each of eighty some-odd questions, Job’s reply is “5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6). God then turns to Job’s “friends.” Job 42:7-9—7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. This Burnt Offering was demanded by God from Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar so they might understand what Job already had declared—that it is not man who makes himself righteous in the eyes of God. And the man realizes that, and proves that by his actions (as Job had been wont to do as his normal pattern of life, see Job 1:5), is that man who is approved of by God. The Burnt Offering described in Leviticus 1 is just that action God demands from the one to whom He has given much (see Luke 12:48).

The principle of the “laying on of hands” is found several times in the New Testament. Only now, hands are laid upon people, not animals. We no longer offer animals as sacrifice, but rather our lives, our bodies. Romans 12:2—Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Just as the Jew under the old covenant laid their hands on an animal, dedicating it to God, we now have hands laid on us to dedicate our own lives to God. 1st Timothy 4:14—Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 2nd Timothy 1:6—Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. So this laying of hands on the offering that was to be burned in the fire was the person, by way of this animal, laying their lives in God’s hands.

Take my life and let it be/Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days/Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move/At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be/Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing/Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be/Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold/Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use/Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine/It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own/It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour/At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be/Ever, only, all for Thee.

We finish up the Burnt Offering next week, looking at other acceptable animals, how they were processed, and what they did with all that blood.

Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Finishing Exodus

Have you ever talked to someone who just heard some good news and they were just happy-happy-happy? We may tell them something like, “Wow, there’s just this glow about you!” Not that their skin is actually glowing—unless they’ve been out at the Y-12 nuclear facility out in Oak Ridge—but they’ve just got this look about them. Well, today we’re gonna see that when Moses came back down with the tablets of the covenant, he had a certain glow about him—but in this case, he was actually glowing.

Exodus 34:29-35—29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

We saw a couple weeks ago Exodus 33:11—The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. If you were to speak with God, face-to-face, would you ever be the same? I would think not. Well, Moses spoke with God face-to-face—we actually talked about that briefly a couple weeks ago—and he was never the same. We see many times that when God would speak to a person, and reveal just a portion of His glory to that man, that man would never be the same. Isaiah 6:1-8—1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple…5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts"…8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And as an added bonus, guess whose glory it was that Isaiah saw? Read John 12:37-41.

There was a fellow named Job. We’ve heard of people having “the patience of Job”—he wasn’t quite as patient as people would like to think he was. In Job 1:1—There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job was a “good person” and Job “deserved” to be saved, right? For the first 37 chapters, Job almost sounds as if he is making that case, trying to convince himself and his friends that he didn’t deserve all the calamities that happened to him. Then, in Job 38-41, God lays out roughly 85 questions for Job to answer. Job 38:4-7—“4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...5 Who determined its measurements?...Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” And God just knocks down every high thought that Job might have of himself and in Job 42:1-6—1 Then Job answered the LORD and said: “2 I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You…5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” 

And then there was a fellow who lived in the area around the Sea of Galilee, about 2000 years ago, made his living as a fisherman. His name was Simon bar-Jonah. Met a man one day—not just ANY man, of course—and his life was never the same. In fact, even his name got changed. Luke 5:4-8—4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" Now, notice something in all three of these episodes. When all these men saw the Lord, what was their reaction? They saw God as being the glorious God that He is, and they saw themselves as being the vile, dirty sinners they were. Isaiah 6:5—"I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips…for my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts" Job 42:5-6—“5 Now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Luke 5:8—"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 

That SHOULD be our reaction. Whenever we go into the presence of the Lord through prayer, our attitude should not be “OK, God, I'm going to twist your arm to make You give me all of my material wants!” Even though there are many who make a lot of money teaching people that very thing. In fact, one fellow said the following:  “As a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent because it is His Word.” But I won't mention Kenneth Copeland by name. Our attitude should be one of dependence and poverty, knowing that everything belongs to God, we own nothing, we deserve even less, and that it is only by God’s grace and mercy that we have anything. Unlike another fellow who said, “Let me be very clear—I want your money. I deserve it. This church deserves it.” But enough about Rod Parsley. We do not go to God and “command Him to a certain extent.” We do not command Him to ANY extent. He’s God—we’re not. Isaiah realized that; Job realized that; Simon Peter realized that—yet many who prop themselves up as preachers and teachers don’t get it. Our prayers should not be centered and focused on ourselves. Or on any other human for that matter. The focus of our prayers should start and end with God and His glory. When we pray for our friend to be healed, or when we pray for our loved one to find a job, the focus of our prayer should not end with that person being healed or finding a job—it should begin, end, and have one theme running all throughout it--that thing being the desire to see God glorified through us and through that person and how God will work through their circumstances.

If you want to see an example of a man-centered prayer--one in which the one praying tells God how much the person deserves to have God hear him--turn to Luke 18:10-13—“10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'” There was a writer named E.M. Bounds, who wrote VOLUMES on prayer. And in one of his works, called The Essentials of Prayer, he uses the episode of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18 to show us the kind of humility we should have when we pray.

“The Pharisee seemed to be accustomed to prayer. Certainly he should have known by that time how to pray, but alas! Like many others, he seemed never to have learned this invaluable lesson…The position and place are well-chosen by him. There is the sacred place, the sacred hour, and the sacred name, each and all invoked by this seemingly praying man. But…although schooled to prayer, by training and by habit, he prays not. Words are uttered by him, but words are not prayer…pride has poisoned his prayer offering of that hour. His entire praying [is full of] self-praise, self-congratulation, and self-exaltation…On the other hand, the [tax collector], smitten with a deep sense of his sins and his inward sinfulness, realising how poor in spirit he is, how utterly devoid of anything like righteousness, goodness, or any quality which would commend him to God…falls down with humiliation and despair before God, while he utters a sharp cry for mercy for his sins and his guilt…Here we see by sharp contrast the utter worthlessness of self-righteousness, self-exaltation, and self-praise in praying, and the great value, the beauty and the Divine approval which comes to humility of heart…when a soul comes before God in prayer. Happy are they who have no righteousness of their own to plead and no goodness of their own of which to boast. Humility flourishes in the soil of a true and deep sense of our sinfulness and our nothingness. Nowhere does humility grow so rankly and so rapidly and shine so brilliantly, as when it feels all guilty, confesses all sin, and trusts all grace.” 

A couple of Scriptures before we move on. Matthew 6:7—“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Philippians 4:6—Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. That word ‘supplication’ means that we come to God admitting that we have nothing and that every thing He gives us is a gift of His grace. This whole “name-it-and-claim-it” nonsense is just that—nonsense. Not every single believer is going to be materially wealthy or physically well in this life. And we just need to accept that. In fact, one of those fellows, a man named Fred K. Price, would condemn our brother David here. Why, David, you don’t have any legs--how can you glorify God in that body? Quote from Mr. price--“How can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't function right?....What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside of a body where He can't see out through the windows, and He can't hear out the ears?” James 4:2-3 (NASB)—2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. When people pray something like, “God, give this to me because I want it!” They need to ready themselves for the fact that He might just say “no.” And we have to be okay with that. The point, again: God is God, we are not. Any “God” that we can command by our “faith” is an idol. Do with that what you will.

There’s another point I want to make with this episode of the shining face of Moses. The apostle Paul uses this episode to show how we humans cannot understand the things of God unless He helps us understand. 2nd Corinthians 3:7-16—7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Notice something here—Moses used that veil to cover what? His face. Why? Because it was shining with the glory of the LORD. BUT—in 2nd Corinthians 3:14, what does the veil cover? It covers the hearts of those who do not believe. Specifically, those who were still clinging to the Law of Moses for their salvation. 2nd Corinthians 3:14—But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. The OT—from Genesis to Malachi—was filled with pictures and prophecies and shadows and figures of Christ. But that’s Paul’s point here—Christ was in the OT but He was, so to speak, behind the veil of the Law and the Prophets. You see Christ all throughout the OT—but only in shadows and figures, not in His fullness. However, now that He has come and revealed Himself, the veil that was the Law and the prophets has been removed. The writers of the OT wrote about Christ, but they used terms and phrases and word pictures which only gave glimpses of Christ. But, now have Christ as Lord and Savior revealed in His fullness. In fact, he told the church at Colosse, Colossians 2:16-17—16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 

But, at the time that Paul wrote 2^nd Corinthians (and Colossians, and all of his epistles for that matter), the Jews still didn’t understand it. They still didn’t get it; they were still clinging to the Law and the Prophets. A couple of scriptures before we move on. John 5:39-40—“39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” Acts 26:22-23—“22 To this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” Moses and the prophets said that? Really? Moses and all the other Old testament prophets said that "the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles"? Yes, they did. Luke 24:18-27—18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" 19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened…25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. All the Scriptures—being what? The Old Testament. And the OT is not only able to show us Christ, it is able to show us that salvation is by faith in Christ. 2nd Timothy 3:15—From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You don’t need a guy sitting on a fancy chair in Italy, along with his red-robed buddies, to tell you what the Scriptures mean. The Scriptures themselves have that ability. Even Moses shows us that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But now, the veil has been removed from Moses by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to fulfill all the things which were spoken of by the Law and the prophets—not just in types and shadows, but in full.

So, that concludes Exodus chapter 34, then chapter 35 we see the offering taken up for the construction and maintenance of the tabernacle and then we see the architectural firm of Bezalel and Aholiab, LLC called to oversee the project; in chapter 36 the tabernacle is constructed (but not raised up yet); chapter 37 shows the furnishings of the tabernacle being made (the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the table for showbread and the anointing oil and incense); in chapter 38 the making of the bronze wash basin that would sit between the altar of burnt offering and the tent; the curtain around the courtyard is made; in chapter 39 they make the garments for the priests. That just leaves us with Exodus 40. In Exodus 40:1-33 the tabernacle is set up, it is anointed with oil, purified with incense, and everything is put in, around, and over top of it. The sons of Aaron are outfitted in their garments and anointed for the priesthood.

Then, finally, Exodus 40:34-35—34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. God said He would do this, back in Exodus 29:43-44—“43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. 44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.” We see much the same thing happen when Solomon finishes building the temple in Jerusalem, 1st Kings 8:10-11—10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. While the tabernacle was being raised, and while the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was being hung, there were probably people going in and out of the various parts of the tent. They almost had to in order to make sure everything was done right. But now that the glory of the LORD has rested on the tent, now that the glory of the LORD has sanctified everything about the tent, God has declared that this is His resting place, and all the commandments concerning where people can and can't go are now in force. Eventually the glory would dwell only “between the cherubim”—or, the angels—on top of the Ark of the Covenant and the priests would be able to enter the first part of the tabernacle, but only the high priest would be able to go beyond the veil and into the Most Holy Place, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur). 

Exodus 40:36-38—36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. Simple: now that the glory of the LORD has filled the tabernacle, it will stay here for a while. But, when the glory is lifted, they are to pack everything up, look for where the cloud is moving, and follow it. When the cloud stops, they stop. If the cloud doesn't stop, they don’t stop. It’s not like when you go on a long trip, and you ask the wife, “How about we stop here for the night? No? How about here? No? How about here?” It wasn’t up to the wives to decide where the cloud was going to stop. It wasn’t up to the priests, or the high priest, or Aaron or even Moses—God and God alone was the one who said where they would go and where and when they would stop. If the cloud goes east, the people go east. If the cloud goes west, the people go west. There was no, “Yeah, but it’s kinda dry here, doesn't seem very comfortable. How about we pitch it over there?” It was not a matter of where the people chose to go; it was God simply saying “Follow Me.” Hmmm…seems as though I remember reading how somebody else told some fellows “Follow Me.” And in fact, at one point when that Man said "We must go to Jerusalem," one of those fellows said, “No, surely You don’t want to go THERE.” But He did say, “Yes, I NEED to go there.” And wouldn’t you know it, we’re talking about good ol’ Simon Peter. Again.

Turn to Matthew 16:13-17—13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Peter saw Christ for who He was—is. He saw Him as being the Christ of God. The Son of God, the Living Christ, the Messiah, Yehoshua Ha'Mishiacah. BUT—don’t forget, we’re talking about Peter. Skip down to Matthew 16:21-23—21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!" The OT tabernacle was a picture of Christ. Christ dwelt in a tabernacle of flesh (John 1:14), and wherever that tabernacle went, His disciples were to follow. They were not to tell Him where to go, but He was to tell them where to go. He told two separate groups on two different occasions, “You guys go here and here and here, but don’t go there, or there or over there. Go only to the lost sheep of Israel, do not go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans” (Matthew 10:5-6).

He tells Simon Peter, “Blessed art thou Simon bar-Jonah…Get behind Me, Satan.” And this is another area where we fall short in our prayers. We sometimes have a tendency to say, “Lord, You can send me anywhere You want—just so long as it isn’t _____.” Or we tell God—and this is one we fall into quite easily, when we listen to our flesh—“Lord, I'm gonna do this, and You will have to bless the work”—even though it is something He didn’t call them to. Again, twisting God’s arm. Thou shalt not test the LORD thy God. God may lead us to a nice city, where we will have running water and all the creature comforts we silly humans think we need. Or, He may send us to Peru to live in the midst of some of the most impoverished people on the planet. But that doesn't matter. If He says “Go,” we need to go. He may send us to Sudan or China or Iran to be arrested and put in prison—maybe even beaten and killed. Not necessarily to have our “Best Life Now.” But that’s what happens when we pray the way we should. You'll hear folks say “Pray according to your faith—not according to His will.” That is about the most asinine a statement as a person can make.

How did Jesus teach us to pray? Some folks would have you think he said, "And when you pray, pray in this manner: Our Father, who Art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, According to my faith, make it so!..." However, God said--yes, GOD said--“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” The first type of prayer (“According to my faith, make it so!”) is the type of prayer that commands God. The second type of prayer (“Thy will be done”) is the type of prayer Christ commands. Can we command God to make Him do what we want? We are to pray in faith, knowing that God can do all things. The prayer that accomplishes the will of God—which, again, is what should be the focus of all our prayers—is “Thy will be done.” It may not be God’s will for us to be healthy and wealthy and prosperous. And we have to accept that. The Israelites did not tell God where He should lead them—we don’t tell God what He should do in our lives. This ain't a democracy; you don’t get a vote. Let me finish with the words of an old, old hymn.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I heard my Master say;
"I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today."
Wherever He leads I'll go
I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.

He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know,
And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I'll go.

It may be thro' the shadows dim, Or o'er the stormy sea,
I take my cross and follow Him, Wherever He leadeth me.

My heart, my life, my all I bring To Christ who loves me so;
he is my Master, Lord, and King, Wherever He leads I'll go.
Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go,
I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.

Not the other way around.

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. AMEN.