(87) The Ark of the New Covenant

No one really knows where the Ark of the Covenant from the Old Testament is today.  Sure there are theories that it is in Ethiopia and others as well.  Yes, Indiana Jones found it and now it sits in a storage room in some US facility before someone thinks they are funny.  But in reality no one really knows.  But it also probably doesn't really matter since we are under a new covenant.  It is neat to see how the Old Testament and the New Testament coincide with each other so much.  The Old Testament though for the New Testament Christian is only symbolic.  That is not to say that the Old Testament doesn't mean anything or nothing in it ever really happen.  On the contrary it is literal historical events, but we are no longer bound to its rules and punishments for we are under grace and forgiveness.  But after all of this has been said there is an ark for the New.  Sure the easy answer is that Jesus is the New Ark.  But there is a deeper connection between Old and New.  There is an actual physical Ark that happened.   And we can almost still see it today.

Before we go on let's look at the word Ark.  There are a couple of words we have for this word.  One is "tebah" and the other is "aron".  Both are similar and mean chest, box, or coffin.  In other words a place where you store something of value or of major importance that you want to remember.  Noah's Ark is an example.  God placed His most valuable possession in His tebah so that it would be remembered and saved. 364 days later the precious item was let out of the tebah.  But the word coffin could also be used for Noah's Ark.  Man died.  He was placed in a coffin.  But see what God did?  He raised man out of the coffin.  Man was resurrected.  An Old Testament historical event that is now symbolic of what will happen to man if he believes in the Son of God!  We will be resurrected.

The Ark of the Covenant is another example of this word.  God placed His valuable possession, His promise, and other items of value in His aron.  This chest or coffin was made of acacia wood, gold, and other items.  It was topped with a lid and on the lid is called the Mercy Seat.  On each side a cherub is sitting with its wings spread out.  Blood for sacrifices was poured out onto the left side of the Mercy Seat (symbolic of where Jesus sits compared to God the Father).  Blood is poured for the forgiveness of all our sins.  It provides the mercy we need to keep our relation with God.  Again, historic event but now symbolic for the Christian.  For Jesus still sits on the mercy seat and our sins our forgiven because of His blood that He poured our for us.

**But there is another symbolic yet real event that makes this even more of a great connection.  When Jesus was laid in the tomb of Joseph there had to be some blood that was left on the shroud that they covered him with.  Then on the day of resurrection Mary was there and saw the place where the shroud was left, empty.  But when she looked up she saw...two angels on both sides of the "coffin" or the ARK!**

The ark of the New Testament is surely Jesus but the symbol behind this is that the Ark of the New Covenant, or promise, is that because of Him we will be resurrected.  His blood was poured on the Mercy Seat once for all and now He sits at God's right hand (on the left).

**Inspired by Joseph Prince Ministries.

(72) The Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the day when our sins are forgiven.  On this day the high priest of the nation of Israel would go behind the veil in the Holy Place and perform a ceremony in the Holy of Holies.  Leviticus 23:26-32.

 

• 26  The Lord said to Moses,
• 27  “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Yom Kippur.  Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to ADONAI.
• 28  Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God.
• 29  Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.
• 30  I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 
• 31  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
• 32  It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

It was performed on the 10th day of the 7th month each year. This day was the most holiest day and the most important feast during the Feast of Weeks.   There were four main elements to this feast.

1. The holy ones (God's people) were called together.  God's people were called to the altar to focus upon Him.  God's presence was with them.
2. Denying yourselves means that the people were suppose to humble themselves.  It is supposed to be a day of fasting and repentance.
3. It was a day of offering.
4. It was absolutely a day of rest.  No one was to work, punishment up to the penalty of death.

The high priest would first bathe and wash his whole body and not just the regular ceremonial washing of hands and feet.  This was to show a desire to be completely purified before ADONAI.  He was to wear a special garment of linen instead of his usual robe of color.  He would take a male bull and sacrifice it for himself.  He would place the blood on the Mercy Seat (lid of the Ark) and on the ground beside the Ark.  He then would take a male goat and sacrifice it for the people.  Some of the blood would be sprinkled onto the Ark.  Then the high priest would take another goat and lay his hands on the head.  He would confess the sins of Israel, symbolizing the transference of sin onto the goat, and then let it go.  Our sin would escape with the goat, hence the term escape goat, or scapegoat.  The remains of the bull and goat were taken outside the city to be burned/sacrificed.

 

What does it mean for us?  Hebrews 9-10 is the answer.  This day points to Christ in all ways.  Jesus is our high priest, our sacrifice, our escape goat, our atonement.  Jesus was pure.  He went to the cross not wearing any special garment.  He was stripped of his clothes until all that remained was his undergarments.  The soldiers mocked him and placed a purple robe on Him.  Nothing spectacular, one color, yet one of a King!  Jesus took His own blood, for no one could do this without His will, and it was spilled on the new Ark (Cross) and on the ground, since He was lifted high into the air His blood fell to the ground.  The scapegoat was to show that the sins of Israel were not remembered.  Jesus' death is all about how our sins are forgiven.  Our sin was transferred from us to Him.  But there is a difference here.  The goat was done once each year; it was temporary.  Jesus did this once and for all (Hebrews 7:27).  His sacrifice is permanent.  We are bound by law, but free in grace.  And like the remains of the bull and goat that was led outside the city to finish the sacrifice, so was Jesus (Hebrews 13:11-12), where He said, "It is finished".

 

It is not a day we need to sacrifice anymore since we are now in grace and not held to the law.  But nevertheless it is a day when we need to draw closer to God and remember what His son Jesus did for us, once and for all.  The law brings death and grace brings life.

But, we need to take time to understand this day. The day where all of our sins would be forgiven for the year. The priests would sacrifice a perfect lamb for each one of us.   The lamb my friends is temporary, natural, finite, a vapor in this life. Today we have a high priest who is also the perfect lamb.   But this lamb my brothers and sisters (more than my friends this time) is PERMANENT! SUPERNATURAL! INFINITE! IS LIFE!  He has redeemed us.  He has reconciled us to Him.  Our sins under grace are never remembered for the scapegoat has gone into Heaven and has taken our sins with Him.

 

Remember to thank God the Father today for His sacrifice of His perfect Son and for sending His Spirit to us.

(55) Penance

Comments to follow soon.  Do born again Christians have to repent?

• 43% Yes everytime we sin.
• 37% Yes.  But only if we have fallen away.
• 12% No.  Once saved , always saved.
• 6%  Yes, but for another reason.
• 0%  No.  No one ever needs to repent.
• 0%  No.  But for another reason.
• 0%  Other.

(32) John 3:16- You knew it was coming...

For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son and that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.- KJV

For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.- CJB

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life- NIV

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed.- The Message

It doesn't matter what translation you may have, the message here can not be lost in any translation. No one can say that there is any discrepancy between any of them. Jesus Christ was sent to this earth to save us from our sins and to get this salvation we have to believe in him. And who sent him? God the father. Why? So that we can all have eternal life and not go through any destruction of any kind once we have passed on. However, there is a point that people do miss with this verse.

Most when hearing this piece of perhaps the most famous line from the Bible will focus on what has already been said.

1. Jesus is the Son of God
2. Jesus will save you
3. Jesus will give you eternal life
4. God sent his only Son

Of course these are very important points and all are true and need to be heeded, but perhaps there is even another very important matter with this scripture that we should start to really focus on. God loved the world! Sounds like a cliche' but it is worth looking at. God, the Supreme Being, the Creator, the Father, the Almighty, had so much feelings for the world that He knew He had to do something to save it. Even though His creation had become murderers (of all forms of the word), liars, thieves, slanderers, idolaters, gluttons, drunkards, abusers, and all other sick things we do, He still loved us. We had become the exact opposite of what he had planned for us and yet he showed so much compassion that he sent a way out of our mess. If you were an artist and created a work of art and it didn't turn out like you wanted it to, the first reaction would be to destroy it and start again. But for us he didn't. Do not miss the point. It is not about being an artist who created something imperfect or saying that the art is a creation of an imperfect artist. We have no analogies on earth that can describe this relationship. All who try to do this are laying down facades to prove their own agenda. You CAN NOT describe it. The real point is God loves us.

But there's more. Who is the "world"? The world is anything that can believe in Jesus Christ. Does God love the Pope? Yes. Does God love Bill Graham? Yes. Does God love those who give to charities? Yes. Does God love those who give their time to help others? Yes. Does God love those who are having problems? Yes. Does God love those who are going through life aimlessly and with no cares? Yes. Does God love those who deny him? Yes. Does God love those who hate him and would do anything to destroy his image and his words? Yes. God loves all.

Many times we go through life wondering why God hates us so much or why God allows things to happen that seem like it always goes against us somehow or someway. We tend to feel that God doesn't really love us if he allows things to keep happening. Maybe we feel he even forgets about us personally. But the fact is, he still loves each and every one of us. He doesn't hate you. He hasn't forgotten about you. Jesus Christ when he came to the earth did not just choose certain people to die for. He died for all. Even if you deny his existence. Even if you deny what he did Jesus still died for you. Paul tells us that what he did, he did once and for all.

(7) To Forgive, Divine, Genesis 37-45

The rights of the first born included things like headship of the tribe or family and a double portion of the inheritance. But it was a common practice for a father to give that right to the firstborn of the wife he loved more. Joseph happened to be the former. His brothers resented that because Joseph was number 11 in line. But if you read about his brothers they forfeited their inheritance rights by their own actions. Reuben committed incest. Simeon and Levi committed murder. And in short, the rest plotted against Joseph which showed their hearts were not what God wanted to use. For the time being Joseph would be the deliverer of his people.

We also read that Jacob is the man of God who is ready to be used. The final sign of this was the changing of his name to Israel. The word "Israel" means "protected by God". This was a covenant. The name change is a permanent sign by God. Jacob will no longer try and make a deal with God. he knows he will be protected. There are no more ifs.

Joseph probably had the most to complain about more than any other character in the Bible, possibly enough to even be compared to Job. But he never lost his focus. He never lost his relationship with God. And that is odd knowing how wishy-washy his father was with the relationship with God. Somehow Jacob must have installed Abraham's and Isaac's beliefs on him. God never forgot about Joseph either. He made him prosper even in the "pit" of his life. If we hold on to this truth, Never will I leave you, then life can be what we want it to be. The problem is we don't acknowledge God in many situations except the hardships. He is knocking on the door but it is up to us to let him in.

After 22 years of separation and a lot of time to let his anger burn against his brothers, we never hear of such an emotion coming from Joseph. Even when he had the opportunity to get revenge, his compassion showed in the end. Many time we can't do that. His brothers tried to kill him and he forgave them. but we can't even forgive if someone says one harsh word that doesn't even mean anything in the end.

To forgive is divine, but it should also be human.

(3) Lost in Paradise, Genesis 3:1-5:5

Genesis 3:1-5:5

We (Adam and all of mankind, since we are one) had Paradise in the palm of our hands. We were supposed to live forever. We were supposed to be in a world protected by God and walk with Him all of our days but we couldn't do it. But, we had to eat from the wrong Tree.

• 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"
• 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
• 3 but God said 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
• 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
• 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
• 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
• 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The first sin was not the fact that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. The first sin dealt with our own desires. If we follow our own desires that means we have disobedience of God's Word. Disobedience causes guilt. When we feel guilt we tend to do irrational things. Disobedience separates us from God.

Adam irrationally tried to cover his sin and shame. We know that only God can do that. Notice when God did the covering, He used animal skin not fig leaves. Animal skin lasts. It can be washed. It can stand the test of time way longer than a leaf. This action shows us how our ways are always worse than His ways. This also is a foreshadowing of the shedding of blood for the covering of sin, because an animal had to be sacrificed in Eden and give it's life for us so we can be covered. Wouldn't it be amazing if the skin that covered Adam and Eve was lamb?

Because of this we are separated from God. We are now in need of some factor that will bring us back to Paradise. There needs to be another Lamb to cover our sin and shame.

Man's walk with God was no longer side by side. We now have to walk on our knees. Our walk with each other now is strained. The perfect union of man and wife is now a life journey of trying not to hurt each other. The Tree of Life was taken away from us. We now die. We now rot. We now toil; sweat, blood, and tears. Instead of living forever we now have to reproduce to keep on living. We pass down traits of ourselves and since we are imperfect beings we pass down our imperfection as well. Cain killed Abel in the next generation. Cain also tried to cover his sin. This time by denial. But we know God is all-knowing. Cain's denial was needed because he didn't want to blame himself for his own destruction. Like us, he blamed God for the scenario of his life.

One sin leads to another, leading to another, leading to another. Our desire breeds in our minds. It gives birth to sin and sin brings death. We have a natural desire in us. It's not wrong to have desires. The problem is we let it breed. We need to bring every thought into captivity under the obedience of Christ.

There is only one way to get all of what we lost back...Jesus Christ.