February 19- Blood and Oil

February 19, 2011

Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25;
Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5


Leviticus 7:28-9:6

In ancient Israel the role of the priest was of the utmost importance.  Because the priest was from man going to God to represent the people, his role pictured Christ as our High Priest.  Jesus was a man going to God for the people.  Today we will finish studying the peace offering regulations and then see the ordination and consecration of the High Priest and all of the priests of the Tabernacle. 

Peace Offering:

There are a few other images in the sacrifices and offerings that I want to highlight. In these offerings the priests were the ones who were allowed to eat the cooked meat and griddled bread.  This was because they were not given a portion of the land when God told Moses how to divide up the inheritance in the Promised Land.  The priests had to rely on the giving of the people for their provisions.  God designated which portions of the animals were to be grilled and eaten by the priests. 

The animal’s breast and shoulder were to be eaten.  Ever interested in picturing Christ, God had the priests eat of the part of the animal which represented Jesus’ heart (the breast) and His strength (the shoulder).  Christ’s love carried the weight of our sin to the cross.  In the peace offering we see that what Christ did by carrying our sins on his shoulders and loving us from his heart enough to die for us makes us at peace with God. We must accept Christ's sacrifice and then we are at peace with God. 

The priests were sustained by that work. Notice that fat was never to be eaten by the priest or the regular citizens of Israel.  The fat represented the choicest part of the animal.  Those were burned continually and presented to God.  In addition, they were never to eat the blood of the animal.  The blood represented the very life source of the creature and the precious and holy substance that Christ would shed to meet the required death for sin.

Christ is our peace offering before a Holy God.

Consecration Ceremony

In the eighth chapter of Leviticus the congregation is called to witness the consecration of the priests.  Aaron and his sons were ceremonially cleansed then Aaron and his sons were ritually adorned with the priestly garments. Moses anointed Aaron as the High Priest with oil and the same is done for the sons of Aaron. After that, the offerings were presented to the Lord.

The people of Israel were to witness the fact that their priests had to offer sin offerings, burnt offerings, and trespass offerings as part of their consecration.  The picture of Christ’s person and work is continually before the people. The priests were to put the blood of the shed animal on their right ear, right thumb and right big toe.  This pictures that in order to serve God, one must be covered by Christ’s blood in order to hear His voice, serve God’s people, and walk with God.

Aaron and his sons were anointed with both blood and oil.  The blood was for the forgiveness of sins and the oil was for the anointing of the Spirit of God upon them.

The ceremony ends with Aaron and his sons eating the sacrificed meat and bread.  This is a beautiful picture of how we must feed upon the finished work of Christ to be sustained as we serve God with our lives. Notice that the act of  communion represents that all believers are priests in God's kingdom on earth. I Peter 2:9-10 says,

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 'Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy.'"

If you have trusted Christ, you are part of his kingdom of priests designed to represent to a needy world the sacrifice of Christ that covers sin, cleanses, and causes us to be at peace with God.

Do you consider Christ the bread and meat that gets you through each day?  Are you spiritually starving or are you full of his spirit and love? 

Mark 3:31-4:25

We saw yesterday that Jesus’ family thought he had gone insane.  Today they come to where he is teaching and send word that they would like to speak with him.  Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the crowd that God’s family consists of those who do the will of God.  He means that his family are those who believe that he is the Messiah.

Jesus gets in a boat to separate from the large crowds and tells the parable of the farmer who sowed seeds.  We have already covered that the farmer is God, the seed is the good news about Christ, and the soil is our hearts.  A hard heart allows Satan to snatch the good news away. The rocky soil is a heart where problems and persecution cause a person to fall away from faith because their roots are not very deep.  A thorny heart is where wealth and the cares of this life choke out the good news in a person’s life.  The good heart is where the message of Christ sinks down into good soil and produces fruit in that person’s life.

Jesus says that we don’t put lampstands under a basket.  Jesus is declaring that he is a lampstand for truth.  He will not hide his message, but let it shine in a dark world.  He also takes this illustration of light as a teaching moment to let people know that their dark secrets will be revealed by his Light one day.

Do you think Christ is insane or that he is the Messiah? Which type of soil is your heart?

Psalm 37:12-29

This psalm backs up what Jesus just said about the light exposing all things.  This is a psalm about the wicked being judged and the godly prospering.

Proverbs 10:5

Laziness is again shunned, while hard work is encouraged.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton

February 18- Grilled Meat and Baked Bread

February 18, 2011

Scripture Readings:

Leviticus 6:1-7:27; Mark 3:7-30;

Psalm 37: 1-11; Proverbs 10:3-4

Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king. The countries are the soup, the meat, the vegetables, and the salad, but the bread is king. 
~Louis Bromfield

Leviticus 6:1-7:27

When I was in college I would go running in the evening on a track behind my dorm.  One of my strongest sensory memories from that experience was the smell of baking bread while I ran.  There was a bakery down the street from that track. Oh, the heavenly smell of baking bread! 

As we read the Bible and learn about the various offerings and sacrifices mandated in the Old Testament, you may be picking up on the idea that God has a sensory personality.  Imagine for a minute the continual smell of grilled meat/barbeque.  Now add to that image the smell of baking bread.  This is what the Tabernacle would have smelled like at all times!  Why would God set up this system?  I believe God wants to remember the work of Jesus Christ in every sensory way possible.  The mouth-watering smell of cooked meat and baking bread was a sweet reminder of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. This Being is my kinda God!

There are a few other images in the sacrifices and offerings that I want to highlight. In these offerings, the priests were the ones who were allowed to eat the cooked meat and griddled bread.  This was because they were not given a portion of the land when God told Moses how to divide up the inheritance in the Promised Land.  The priests had to rely on the giving of the people for their provisions.  The bread was to be unleavened.  Leaven in the Bible represents sin.  This bread would represent Christ who lived without sin in His life, the perfect sacrifice.

In today’s reading more instructions are given for the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the sin offering.  Just as a reminder, the burnt offering was given continually as a picture of who Christ was.  The meal offering (bread) was also a picture of Christ. He is the Bread of Life.  The sin offering was Christ’s work on the cross with sin taken away from the presence of a Holy God.

The next time you eat fresh bread or grilled meat try to remember the wonderful offering Christ made for you! See it, smell it, and taste the wonderful truth.

Mark 3:7-30

I like to call the picture of Jesus that Mark gives us…Rock Star Messiah.  Crowds are swarming around Jesus.  They are pushing and pulling to be near him.  He is healing everyone who needs help.  The desperation of the crowds is palpable.  The gospels confirm that Jesus operated from compassion and pity.  This rock star cared about people.

You may have noticed that evil spirits are constantly coming out of people and screaming about who Jesus is.  There are several things we can conclude from this:

·        Spirits of all stripes know who Jesus is.

·        The evil spirits are trying to thwart Christ’s work on earth by exposing him before he is ready for everyone to know his purpose.

·        The evil spirits always confirm that Christ has authority over them.

Jesus calls his twelve disciples in this chapter.  It should be noted that Christ created his own small group.  In modern churches, we try to set up small groups or lifeline groups or bible studies with the intent of developing more intimate fellowship.  Jesus is our model for doing this.

Jesus’ family thinks he has gone insane. The whole rock star fame thing is not doing it for them. It is interesting that although many of his siblings become believers, not all of them will realize that he is the Messiah.  Do you wonder how Mary, his mother, who saw his miraculous birth, could now be questioning his sanity?  I can only conclude that we all have lapses in faith and judgment.  She was human and it had been thirty years since the miraculous birth.  She may have thought he would become an earthly king to save Israel.  His life as an itinerant preacher with no money, no power, and no governmental or military position may have seemed like a crazy way to become the King of the Jews.

The Pharisees insist that Jesus’ power comes from Satan.  Jesus teaches that claiming that his miracles come from an evil spirit, rather than the Holy Spirit is the highest form of blasphemy.  Jesus confirms that this is an eternal sin that cannot be forgiven.

Psalm 37:1-11

I am going to highlight some verbs that David uses in this psalm:

"Don’t worry, trust, take delight, commit everything, be still, stop your anger, do not envy"

This is good advice from a very good psalm!

Proverbs 10:3-4

Lazy people are soon poor.  Ain’t that the truth!

Please share your thoughts on today’s passages.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton

February 17- The Sin Offering

February 17, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6;
Psalm 36:12; Proverbs 10:1-2

The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.  
~Oscar Wilde

Leviticus 4:1-5:19

What if I told you that I was a doctor?  You would know that I am a person involved in the healing arts. Perhaps you would think that my days are spent wearing a white coat and diagnosing patients in an examining room. This would be true, but if you really followed me around for a day or traded places with me, you may find that the actual job of a doctor includes many responsibilities you had not considered. If you switched places with me, you may understand the mental and emotional aspects of caring for others.  Today as we read about the sin offering laws commanded by God, we don't see who Christ was, but we see what Christ did. We see what the job of being our sin offering was like.

 Moses is given the laws for sin offerings. There are more verses used in this portion of Leviticus to explain and clarify sin offerings than for any other kind of offering in the Bible.  This shows the importance of the problem of our sin to God. While burnt offerings were voluntary, the sin offerings of were mandatory. God wants everyone to understand the importance of a blood sacrifice to cover sin. It is in the sin offering that we see the work of Christ on the cross. 

As one reads the detailed instructions on how the animal was killed and then how the blood was poured out in front of the altar, the graphic picture of how Christ was poured out for our sin becomes a tangible experience.  The brutality of the death and the bloodiness of the sacrifice was gruesome.  Death is required to cover sin.  Whereas the burnt offerings were burned up at the altar and never left the Temple, the remains of the animal in the sin offering were to be taken outside of the camp to be burned. This is a picture of how a Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin.  This is also a picture of Christ’s separation from God in death as he carried the sin of the world upon himself. Taking the remains of the sin offering outside the camp to be burned was done after the blood was emptied out of the animal, the fat of the organs was burned, and the meat was cooked and consumed.  The consumption of the sin offering pictures the future sacrament of the Lord's Supper.  In this sacrament, we see that we are sustained spiritually by Christ's sacrifice for our sins. 

This passage teaches that various people groups and types of sins were specified to be part of the sin offering.  You may have also noticed that sins of commission and omission were included.  People were required to make a sin offering for sins they did not even know they committed.  This is because as children of Adam, we all have a sin nature (Romans 3:23).

Here are some categories of sins that required a sin offering:

·        For the priests’ sins- a bull was required.  This was the highest category of animal for sacrifice.  As leaders of the people, the priests were held to a higher standard.

·        For the sins of the community- a young bull is presented.

·        For the sins of a leader of Israel- a young male goat was brought (note that male animals are more valuable because they are used as studs in breeding).

·        For the sins of a regular citizen of Israel- a female goat or sheep.  If the citizen was too poor, they were allowed to bring two birds or two quarts of flour.

Whenever anyone realized that they had sinned, they had to come and do a sin offering.  Are you beginning to pick up on the oppression of living under the Law?  Are you beginning to see that we all would be swimming in the blood of endless sin offerings if Christ had not sacrificed once for all?

Here are some of the sins that required a sacrifice:

·        You were called to testify and witness to a crime, but you refused.

·        You touch something unclean, including an unclean animal, an animal that scurries along the ground.

·        You come in contact with any sort of human defilement.

·        You make a rash vow.

Confession was to be part of the sin offering if you were aware of what you had done wrong.

I am exhausted just thinking about trying to participate in this system.  I thank God that I am able to confess my sins confidentially to Christ, knowing that he has covered my sin and removed my sin as far as the East is from the West.  My sin has been taken outside the camp and burned.

Do you even contemplate your sin?  Do you see the work of the blood poured out for you by Christ? 

Mark 2:13-3:6

Jesus is already teaching large crowds when Levi, also known as Matthew, is called to be a disciple.  Matthew is rich, having been a tax collector, so he has no problem inviting Jesus to a nice dinner with all of his friends and colleagues.  The Pharisees are horrified that Jesus would eat with these sinners.  Jesus rebukes them by saying that a physician goes to help the sick, not the healthy.  Jesus says that he has come to save sinners, not those who already think they are good enough.

This ties in nicely with our Leviticus passage today.  The Israelites were given the Law in order to create a situation where they were able to see that they were hopeless sinners.  The Pharisees had somehow missed this lesson.  In their arrogance, the Pharisees were constantly on the lookout for any commandments that Jesus may be breaking.  They challenged him on why his disciples didn’t fast.  Jesus clarifies that the guests don’t fast at the wedding party when the groom is there.  We have already dealt with the marriage picture of Christ and the Church.  Jesus is once again alluding to this sacred relationship.

The Pharisees challenge Jesus and his disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath.  They consider this to be work, which is forbidden on the Sabbath. They are accusing Jesus of sinning.  Technically, a person was allowed to pick grain with their hands.  They were not allowed to use a sickle to harvest grain. Jesus uses this situation to teach that the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath.  In other words, Jesus is the Sabbath, and he was created for mankind to provide rest from the Law!! 

Next, we see Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees are there, also.  A man with a deformed hand comes to Jesus for healing.  Jesus, knowing he is being judged by the Pharisees, challenges them to answer if it is lawful to heal and do good on the Sabbath.  They don’t answer him.  Jesus is angry and deeply disturbed because of these stubborn, self-righteous jerks. Jesus tells the man to reach out his hand.  He then heals him.  The Pharisees, who were the teachers of the Law and religious leaders for the nation of Israel, were a constant source of trouble for Jesus.  Mark records that the Pharisees went off to plot with Herod about how to kill Jesus.

Have you allowed rules and regulations to define your faith?  If so, how?  Have you accepted Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath?  Are you resting in this reality?

Psalm 36:1-12

Vs. 1 – 5 Deals with the sinfulness of man.

Vs. 6- 12 Deals with the faithfulness of God.

Proverbs 10:1-2

A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

What did you see today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton

February 16- From Pardon to Purity

February 16, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12;
Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18

In Genesis we see man ruined.

In Exodus we see man redeemed.

In Leviticus we see man worshiping God.

~J. Vernon McGee

Leviticus 1:1-3:17

In the age of cell phones, internet connections, and texting, no student who can hide a phone under their desk need worry about being bored in class.  They can message and tweet their thoughts to whomever will listen and avoid the monotony of a pointless lesson.  As we begin the book of Leviticus, some of you may be tempted to pull out your cell phones and begin texting.  Don't do it.  The book of Leviticus is not as boring as you may think.  Let me explain why.

When you read the Bible it is normal to feel that Genesis is fascinating with the story of man's fall and the beginnings of the solution for sin.  Then you get to Exodus and are introduced to Moses, who leads the Israelites out of slavery.  That's a pretty cool story. Next, you turn to Leviticus.  Hmmmmm. The Israelites have built the Tabernacle. God is in the Tabernacle, and uh oh, God has a long list of rules about how to worship Him. Hmmm.  Details, details, details...Zzzzzz Who cares? 

Well, you should care.  Why?  Because this is another opportunity to see Christ in all that God does.  Shall we say showing us Christ in the stories of the Old Testament is God's obsession?  Sure, why not.  The worship designated in Leviticus is another opportunity for God to portray Christ through symbols and rituals before his birth on earth. The institution of the sacrifice, ceremony, ritual, liturgy, instructions, washings, convocations, holy days, observances, conditions, and warnings are all physical experiences that teach spiritual truths.  I am sure that as the nation of Israel purposed to obey these regulations they had no idea that their obedience formed a physical picture meant to reflect a spiritual reality.  Our lives do that, too.  Do you think that your obedience matters to God?  Leviticus shows us that it does.

The key themes of Leviticus are atonement and holiness.  This book is designed to represent our sanctification in Christ.  That means that as we follow Christ in obedience we become set apart for God. 

Today we look at the regulations for the burnt offering.  Do you remember that Abel, Noah, and Abraham did burnt offerings?  These offerings represented a "covering" for sin.  The blood of the sacrificed animal represented the work that Christ would do on the cross.  To sacrifice under God's regulations was to declare faith in the coming Messiah. The animal sacrifice did not take away sin, it merely acted as a cover until the death of Christ, which actually paid the required price for the sin of mankind.  Let's look at some of the regulations that reflect Jesus:

• It is a voluntary free-will act.  Christ's sacrifice is voluntary and offered to all.
• No carnivorous animal could be sacrificed.  No animal who killed other animals could be used.  Using a predatory animal would not properly reflect Christ who was a man of peace.
• The animal had to be clean and domesticated.  People were to sacrifice an animal that they cared for and loved.  This pictures God giving up His only Son whom He cared for and loved.
• The domesticated animal would have been a creature that obeys, unlike a wild animal.  This is a picture of Christ's obedience.
• The offering was to be completely consumed by fire.  Christ's life was completely consumed on earth with zeal for God and on the cross with zeal for man.  Fire purifies.  His death purifies our lives.
• The offering could not be done in random places.  It had to be done at the door of the Tabernacle before the One True God.  This would be a means of keeping the Israelites from falling into idolatry, which they were prone to.  Christ's death keeps us in front of the One True God.  He is the doorway to salvation and eternity.
• Hands were to be laid on the animal as it was sacrificed.  This represents conferring sin upon the animal.  Christ is who we confer our sins to.  He paid the price for our debt.
• The poor were not exempt from the sacrifice.  They were allowed to bring birds.  Notice that Jesus' parents offered birds when they worshiped.  Jesus came from poverty.

This is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for you and me.  His death makes us holy before a Holy God. Have you accepted Christ's sacrifice in your life?  Do you worship as one who has been atoned for?

Mark 1:29-2:12

In today's reading you may have noticed that Jesus heals a man with leprosy and then tells the man to follow the laws of Moses, go be examined by a priest, and take an offering as regulated for those who have been healed of leprosy.  Jesus is talking about rules that we will be studying in Leviticus, folks!  See, this matters. 

I love another miracle story today.  It is the one where the sick guy can't get into the house where Jesus is because it is too crowded.  No problem.  The guy's friends dig through the clay roof (or lift tiles) and lower him down, right in front of the Master.  Jesus heals the guy because of the faith of his friends.  To me, this is a lesson to persistently pray for my friends and take action to help them for God's glory.  God respects our passion and concern for our friends.  Let's lower each other down to Christ each day in prayer and physically meet their needs if we can!

Psalm 35:17-28

Vs. 22-23  "O Lord, you know all about this. Do not remain silent. Don't abandon me now, O Lord.  Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord."  Have ever felt like praying this?

Proverbs 9:13-18

Folly is a woman, just like wisdom is a woman.  Folly is brash and loud, rather than discreet and appropriate. She is ignorant and doesn't even know it.  She sleeps with random men.  She is sexually active and liberated.  She entices men who are unaware and tries to control them with her sexuality. She likes secrets. If you had to describe yourself, are you Wisdom or Folly?

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

February 15- You Gotta Like A Cloudy Day

February 15, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 1:1-28;
Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.  When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May.

Exodus 39:1-40:38

The times I have spent in the American Southwest have been fabulous.  The air is clear, the sky is big and the sun is bright.  As a matter of fact, the sun is so bright that it can get irritating.  You definitely need a hat on many summer days.  It is also nice when a cloud or two shows up to cover the ever present sun. 

Today, a cloud shows up for the Israelites over the Tabernacle and God is in the cloud!  As our reading begins, Moses is pleased with the objects fashioned by the Israeli craftsmen.  He sets up the Tabernacle according to God's specifications and anoints the objects to be set apart for service to God.  Have I mentioned that the term Messiah and Christ mean Anointed One?  How appropriate that the Tabernacle which is designed to picture Christ would be anointed from one end to the other.  God does not miss a trick.

Today, although God is light, His glorious presence before the Israelites is seen in the form of a cloud that hovers over the Tabernacle.  The cloud would rest on the Tabernacle during the day and at night the cloud would have a fire in it so that the people could see it.  If the cloud moved, the camp would break and follow the cloud.  If the cloud settled, the people would stop and make camp wherever the cloud rested.  Because this cloud was the shekinah glory of God, we see that following God is the key to making it through the wilderness.  The Israelites will follow God's glory through the wilderness for forty years and finally make it to the Promised Land.

Have you ever thought about the fact that when you are in the wilderness, God is going ahead of you in a cloud and is the key to YOU making it through your trial?  God is the cloud that will shield us as we roast under the blazing problems that can overwhelm us at certain times in our lives.  Just as the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders through the desert, are you carrying Christ in your heart in order to cope with the difficulties of this life?  This story in the Bible is there for a reason.  It is a picture that shows us a spiritual reality. Learn from this picture.

This concludes the book of Exodus.  The nation of Israel started as slaves in Egypt and ended by having God's very presence among them, guiding them through the wilderness to a land of milk and honey.  What a beautiful picture of what God does for all of us.  He takes us from the bondage of sin to the glory of the blessed Christian life.  He goes before us in this life on earth. Congratulations on finishing the second book of the Old Testament!

Mark 1:1-28

Have you ever felt rushed and in a hurry?  These days we think everyone has ADD or ADHD.  Maybe we all do.  Maybe back in the day, you would have said that Mark, who wrote the next book that we are going to read in the New Testament, had ADHD.  Why do I say this?  Because Mark is a book of action.  It never sits still.  It is go, go, go!  We see Jesus doing and saving and talking and healing and being a man that Gentiles can relate to.  This book was written for the Romans.  Mark interpreted Peter's account of Christ's life on earth.  Peter was a man of action and this Gospel reflects that personality.  Let's go!

Here's what happens in just the first chapter of Mark:

• John the Baptist prepares the world for the Christ saying that he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus comes and gets baptized by John and begins his ministry with God saying you are my Beloved Son.
• Jesus goes into the wilderness and is tempted and angels care for him.
• John is arrested by Herod because he said that Herod should repent.
• Jesus calls Peter to be his disciple and says you will be fishers of men.
• Jesus calls James and John.
• Jesus teaches in the synagogue with authority.
• Jesus throws out an evil spirit who claims that Jesus is the One sent from God.
• The news of Christ spreads quickly through the entire region of Galilee.

See what I mean!  Hang onto your hats, folks.  : )

Psalm 35:1-16

If you ever feel attacked and wronged read this psalm to find beautiful words that will express your emotions for that situation.  God is not afraid of your true feelings.

Proverbs 9:11-12

If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

What did you see today?  You finished Exodus!  Good for you.  Keep reading!

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

February 14- Abundant Giving and Enthusiastic Serving

February 14, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20;
Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10

If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart. 
 ~Arab Proverb

Exodus 37:1-38:31

Have you ever been involved with a project that you were so into that the time, effort, and cost just didn't matter to you?  When I home schooled my children, I was so focused and so inspired by God to do the task at hand that the enormity of the task rarely overwhelmed me.  God fueled my engine to accomplish the job.

Today as the people of Israel set out to obey God's detailed instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, we see godly zeal as they enthusiastically follow God's plan for the Tabernacle that pictures Christ.

The 2,200 pounds of gold, 7, 545 pounds of silver, and 5, 310 pounds of bronze, not to mention the wood and fabrics represent abundant giving from people, who spent many years in slavery with nothing to their names.  After plundering Egypt, their ability not to cling to their new found wealth is impressive.

Before we leave the Tabernacle, let's take one more look at the symbolism of Christ in the structure and contents:

• The brazen altar-Sacrifices were made here and it pictures Christ on the cross who is our lamb, who was slaughtered and is an eternal sacrifice that causes our sins to be forgiven.
• The laver/washbin- Made of brass (material for ancient mirrors) this washbasin reflects our need to be washed by Christ.  Through him we receive washing and cleansing from sin.
• The golden lampstand- Jesus is the Light of the World, defeating darkness and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. 
• The Table of Showbread- Jesus is the Bread of Life, our spiritual sustenance.
• The altar of incense- Jesus is our Intercessor and our Prayer for salvation and praise of God.
• The mercy seat- Jesus is our grace and forgiveness. He is where we meet and receive God's mercy.
• The ark of the covenant- Jesus is both God and man.  He is the promise of Salvation, the High Priest, and the fulfillment of the Law. In the safety of this ark, we avoid God's judgment of our personal sins.

What a beautiful picture.  Thank God that the ancient Israelites worked and gave with zeal to provide this picture for all of humanity.

Matthew 28:1-20

Today Matthew concludes his account of Jesus as the King of the Jews.  After Jesus is buried in a borrowed tomb, the faithful women are outside of the tomb as an earthquake occurs.  An angel comes down, rolls away the stone and sits on the stone.  The Roman guards are catatonic with fear.  The angel tells the women not to be afraid because Jesus has been raised from the dead!  The women are frightened, but also filled with joy.

Have you ever been to a funeral?  When you see someone who has passed, the lifeless body offers no hope.  You know that the person you knew is gone from the body in front of you.  Can you imagine having that person come back to life the next day?  What joy!  What wonder!

The women fall at Christ's feet when they see him.  Jesus tells them not to be afraid.  You may want to begin to notice how many times in the Old and New Testament Christ says this to people.  He is always saying, "Fear not." Jesus is the part of the Godhead (trinity) that is approachable.  While the religious leaders are bribing the Roman soldiers to lie about Christ's resurrection, the disciples have gathered at a mountain to see Christ.

Matthew chooses to end his account of the resurrection story with Jesus giving the great commission.  As a King, Jesus commands his subjects to spread the good news about salvation through him to all the nations.  He tells them to baptize people in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  This reference to the Trinity is an important part of understanding Jesus' role in eternity as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The new disciples are to obey the King's commandments. 

The book concludes with one of the most comforting statements in all of history, "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Do you feel Christ's presence in your life?  How does the idea that you will live again after you die change your perspective?  Have you done your part to follow the commands of the King and tell others the good news?

Psalm 34:11-22

The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit (Vs. 18)
I love this!

Proverbs 9:9-10

Knowing the Holy One results in understanding.  Did you know that?

What did you see today?  Congratulations on finishing the first book of the New Testament.  I hope you will continue to know the Holy One by reading each day.  You can do this!

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

February 13- Divine Design

February 13, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66;
Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8

We are each but a quarter note in a grand symphony. 
~Guy Laliberte

Exodus 35:10-36:38

I told you about the mice that got into the house that my husband and I built, but I haven't told you some other details about the experience of building the house.  In case you have not picked up on it, I am a person who pays attention to details.  As we were building our home, I wanted to make sure that one detail that we did not miss was the design of our fireplace. I love a really good fireplace. In order to take care of this detail, I went into different model homes and noted which fireplace I liked. Some fireplaces warmed my heart and some left me cold! There was one design I really loved, so we found the name of the craftsman who built those fireplaces.  Wanting only the best for our new place, we made sure that our builder hired this talented brick layer. To me, this detail of artisanship really mattered.

Today God chooses only the best craftsmen to create the Tabernacle.  As a picture of Christ, God pays special attention to every detail of the Tabernacle's design and construction.  After plundering Egypt, God has Moses take a free will offering from the nation of Israel in order to gather the materials for constructing  the Tabernacle and all of the items that represented Christ, including the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, the inner curtain, the table, the lampstand, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering, the washbasin (laver), the curtains of the courtyard, the priestly garments and all of the poles, tent pegs, and accessories.

Exodus indicates that there was a community of artisans who came together to worship God by using their gifts and talents.  These were both men and women. We see that some people were wealthy and contributed their possessions.  Some people could sew, some were weavers, some worked with metals, others were talented in construction. There were jewelers, designers, and embroiderers.  An orchestra of willing artists created a symphony of beauty to God.  The Tabernacle was a jewel in the desert.   This is a picture of the body of Christ today.  His Church is built by the gifts and talents of those who are indebted to him for their very lives.  Our sacrificial gift to God of our abilities glorifies God on earth and creates the symphony of Truth about God as a witness to all of the universe.

Lesson: Your life is part of a tapestry that God is creating.  Your gifts and talents create Christ's body, the Church, on earth.

How have you used your gifts on earth?  Do you realize that your gifts and talents glorify your Creator?  Do you worship God by using your gifts to benefit others?

Matthew 27:32-66

Yesterday we saw that Barabbas was freed, while Jesus was condemned to death and tortured.  The Roman soldiers did such a good job of torturing him that an African named Simon had to carry the cross for Jesus as he limped towards Calvary.

The scorn and derision predicted in Psalm 22 came to pass as soldiers gambled for Jesus' garments, as he hung on a cross naked between two criminals and as the crowd, the criminals, and Jewish religious leaders taunted Jesus to save himself if he really was the Son of God. 

At what appears to be the low point of God's story, we think back and realize that this is actually the climax of His Story (history).  Jesus is fulfilling his purpose on earth.  The Redeemer Child (Genesis 3:15) has come into the world and at this very moment he is beginning to crush the head of the Serpent.

The earth becomes dark from noon until three in the afternoon.  At this time, Christ cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Do you know the answer to this question? 

There are not many things in life that we have to face alone, but death is one of those things that we each do by ourselves.  One advantage we have as believers is that upon our death we are met by Christ.  We are ushered into his presence.  This is not what happens to Christ at his death on the cross.  Christ, bearing the sins of the world, is forced to face what most of us fear upon death...darkness and separation.  Christ experiences the nightmare of complete separation from God the Father. 

Tears come to my eyes as I consider the utter anguish of Jesus' suffering and complete desolation. The penalty for my sin and yours was paid for through his anguish and death.  The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, was led to slaughter.  This final Passover allows you and me to rest under the blood- covered doorposts of forgiveness.

God forsook Christ on the cross as planned before the foundations of the world.  Our Redeemer paid the ransom for the sin which began in the Garden. The power of that sin ended on a hill called Calvary.  As Verse 50 tells us, "Jesus shouted again, and he gave up his spirit."  No one took his spirit.  He willingly gave it up.

The veil in the Temple, which separated the Holy of Holies where God dwelt from the the other parts of the Temple, was torn in two from top to bottom at the very moment that Christ died.  The veil was a picture of Christ, who stands between God the Father and mankind.  His broken body on the cross gives access to God to all who believe in Jesus.  Matthew also records that an earthquake caused many dead men and women to raise up from the grave and appear to many people in Jerusalem.  This would be a picture of resurrection for all people to witness.  The reality that every person on earth will resurrect to salvation or damnation is a sobering thought.

Finally, a rich man named Joseph provides the borrowed tomb for Christ's burial.  We see that while the disciples scattered, some faithful women do not flee, but follow Christ from suffering to death and finally to burial.

Have you ever accepted the death of Christ on the cross as a payment for the death you deserve for your sins?  Have you thought about the utter darkness Christ experienced?

Prayer:  Thank you, Jesus, for what you did for me.  Forgive my flippant life and my careless sins.  May I live each day in humble obedience and thankfulness for your work on the cross.

Psalm 34:1-10

Vs. 6 "I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears."

Proverbs 9:7-8

"So don't bother rebuking mockers; they will only hate you."  Jesus must have memorized this proverb.

What did you learn today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton