Category: Exodus

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The breastpiece of the High Priest was worn over the heart. Read Hebrews from chapter 4:14 to chapter 8. It is very heartening to realise that Christ carries us over His heart!

SJA Notes

* Dear God, Your word is truth. Please write truth on our hearts today.

“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgement on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD.”

Aaron bore the names of God’s people into the Holy Place as high priest.

As we read on, he also bore the judgement of God’s people on his heart before the LORD regularly, as well as the guilt.

The high priest had a pretty scary job in a sense, coming into the presence of the Almighty God to represent the people and their guilt.

From the book of Hebrews we know that our great High Priest, Jesus – From the perspective of a guilt-bearing sacrifice He entered once for all into the holy places.

But Jesus offered Himself a sacrifice into heaven itself, appearing in the presence of God the Father on our behalf. And not repeatedly (regularly as Aaron had to do), but once.

This is Jesus, the ever-living high priest – Praise God, what a Saviour!

* Great God,

Thank You for Jesus, our great High Priest.

Thank You that we see Jesus here in Exodus, as we read of Aaron as high priest and what he had to do.

Thank You for calling us to be Your people.

Please help us see Jesus today and onwards, to take hold of the salvation He won as a once-for-all sacrifice.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Right throughout the Old Testament, oil is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. These lamps were to be kept burning as a visible sign to Israel that the presence of God’s Spirit is the greatest blessing. We should do nothing to grieve the Spirit!

SJA Notes

* Lord God, thank You for giving to us the ordinances and precepts for how to walk in Your paths. Please help us on this narrow road.

“And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance.”

Here is our Great High Priest, King Jesus, writ large.

Aaron was a high priest for a time, a short span. He was to regularly bring the names of the tribes, engraved on stones placed on the ephod – bring them before the Lord.

For remembrance.

Not because God forgets or loses interest or shakes the dust off.

No.

Bringing the people to remembrance before the Lord, a job of the high priest, is as petitioning through prayer in a BIG WAY.

Not just walking through a prayer list each morning, the people who move in and out of our lives.

This is the entire people of God, brought before the Lord in petition, the high priest remembering them to the Lord.

And Jesus does this right now!

Each of us, God’s people, brought to remembrance to the throne of God by our Great High Priest.

And Jesus does this without stopping or taking a break.

His is the power of an indestructible life, able to intercede at the right hand of the Father, day by day without end.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour we have!

* Dear God,

Sometimes our lives become so wrapped up in the now, in the turmoil and trouble, in the anxieties and worries, that we find it hard to fix our eyes on You.

Please remind us to cast our cares on You – For You care for us, ever-interceding as High Priest everlasting.

Lord God, we believe. Please help our unbelief!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The Tabernacle was beautiful from the point of view of the needlework and associated craftsmanship put into its construction. All the basic colours were widely used – red, blue and yellow (gold), with silver and purple dashed everywhere. God is also pleased with beautiful human art!

SJA Notes

* Loving God, please may we learn a little more about You from Your word today.

“And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.”

A veil made a distinction between places.

And in the MOST Holy Place, we find the mercy seat, placed on (top of) the ark.

The ark contained the words of God given to Moses on the mountain.

The ark of the covenant of the Lord God Almighty with His people.

The mercy seat, where God would come down and _meet_ with His people from above it (the seat).

So we have the veil distinguishing and separating, we have the place that is different from even a special holy place, we have the ark, God’s word, and the mercy seat – all within that really different special place.

If we are little tabernacles now, this side of Christ, then how much should these things resonate with us today!

Immanuel – God with us!

* Father God,

Thank You for saving us, as individuals and as Your people.

Thank You for the mercy shown to us, You meeting with us in Jesus, and then indwelling as You the Spirit with us today.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.