Tabernacle Typology 11: Precious Stones

Tabernacle Typology 11: Precious Stones

by | Oct 1, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology

Exodus 39:10-13, KJV:

“And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.”

The priest wore a garment called an ephod. Along with the ephod he wore a heavy breastplate decorated with precious stones. These stones were called ‘stones of remembrance’ and were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

These stones were carried on the shoulders of the high priest – the high priest carried the burden of their sins upon his shoulders.

There is much debate as to the specific stones used, and what each individual stone might mean or represent – but what can be said for sure is that they symbolised the twelve tribes.

In a broader sense they symbolise all of humanity and the church. (1 Peter 2:4-5) Each stone was unique – no stone was used twice – it represents all the unique nations of the world. It represents your uniqueness as a child of God.

You are one of a kind to God. There is only one of you.

And just as the names were engraved upon the stones set in the breastplate of judgement (as it was called), so too your name is engraved on your own stone upon His breastplate of righteousness.

Your name is engraved in the palm of His hand – not just written and waiting to fade away – but engraved.

Your name is engraved upon His heart.

Jesus carried the burden of your sin, the burden of your shame and the burden of your sorrow upon His shoulders.

Just like the stones were taken from the earth through hard labour, hewn out of the rock, so too God – through Jesus Christ – struck a blow to the hard bedrock of sin and iniquity to get you out.

Just like these stones are precious to man, even more so, you are precious to Him.

At the time these were the most valuable jewels the Israelites possessed – bought from merchants traveling through, merchants from far off lands – so too you have been redeemed.

Valuable to God.

Just as the high priest felt the burden of these stones while making intercession for the nation of Israel, so too Christ felt the burden of our sin and remembered us upon the cross.

Our Cornerstone and Solid Rock of our Salvation – the Foundation of our Faith – these stones taken from the heart of the earth represent Christ’s heart for us.

You are loved. You are redeemed – you are His – precious and valuable to Him.

Reflect:

1. These stones, set in the breastplate, would signify a great burden – the burden of a nation’s sin and iniquity. In our own lives we often feel the burden of our own sin and iniquity – do you have any heaviness in you? How can you let go of it today?

2. Read 1 Peter 5:8-9. These stones were called ‘stones of remembrance’ and served to remind the high priest of the importance of the intercession he was making. What does intercession look like to you? What role does it play in your life?

Prayer: Lord, how wonderful to know that my name is engraved upon Your heart – that You took my burden of sin and sorrow upon You and paid the price for all of it. I thank You Lord for Your mercy, grace and great love. As I look upon the beauty of Your sacrifice, Lord, let my heart be transformed – break my heart for what breaks Yours! Polish me Lord, like a precious stone – make me more like You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Walking With Jesus Part 8: The Evening Crowd

Walking With Jesus Part 8: The Evening Crowd

by | Sep 30, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”

Mark 1:32-34, NIV

After hearing about the cleansing of the demon possessed man in the synagogue of Capernaum, and possibly the testimony of Simon’s mother-in-law, the whole town seemed to show up at Simon Peter’s house.

They brought their sick and demon possessed.

The Bible says the people waited until the evening – so once the Sabbath had ended. Although keeping the Sabbath was an instruction from God Himself, the law had twisted it into something other than God had intended.

Where it was supposed to be a day of resting in the Lord, it had become a day of restriction and bondage – Jesus did many ‘controversial’ things on the Sabbath, but He never broke God’s law regarding the Sabbath, only the Pharisee’s interpretation of this law.

The Sabbath was supposed to be a day of refreshment and renewal, benefit and blessing.

It is significant that, as the day ended, the people brought there sick and possessed to find freedom. They were moving out of the position of resting in their own understanding and into the true rest of God – that place where our afflictions melt away in the glorious light of His mercy, grace and love.

Jesus came to give us rest (Hebrews 4) – the true rest of God. This rest implies freedom from those things that burden us – our affliction, our malady, our illness and infirmity.

The rest of God implies freedom from the shackles and torment of sin and iniquity – and silence to the voices in our head – the voices of fear, doubt, anxiety and insecurity.

God came to restore us – soul, body and spirit – a complete work of redemption and renewal.

Another interesting point is the fact that we see, for the second time in this chapter, Jesus commanding the demons to be quiet – because they knew who He was…

The first time is in the synagogue, and now at Simon’s house we see a pattern.

Why did Jesus command the demons to be quiet?

The first reason is that the time for the full revelation of who He is was still to come. Jesus did not want it made known publicly to the people – He did not want them to be confused as to His role and the purpose of His coming.

John McKinnon shares the following in his commentary on Mark: “Jesus needed to lead people gradually into the fuller meaning of his redemptive mission and how it would be fulfilled in practice. People needed to convert, to change their assumptions and to question the accepted wisdom, if they were to understand him and the Kingdom he would introduce. Jesus needed to keep strictly in check the destructive conclusions of the forces of evil; so he insistently silenced the demons.”

The other reason that Jesus silenced the demons testimony of Him is found in a commentary by Calvin: “He refused to have, as heralds and witnesses of his divinity, those whose praise could have no other effect than to soil and injure His character. This latter reason is undoubtedly true: for He must have known, that the prince of death, and his agents, are in a state of irreconcileable enmity with the Author of eternal salvation and life.”

Demons were known as lying and deceitful spirits. Vile and evil beings. Christ would have no association or perceived familiarity with them – the ignorant Galileans could easily misunderstand, as we see later in Mark chapter 3 – when the scribes accuse Him of being possessed by Beelzebub.

Jesus comes to address the things that attack and affect us spiritually, but also physically.

In saying this it is also important to note that there is a clear distinction made here between demonic afflictions and everyday physical illness. Not all physical illness is a spiritual attack – often it is just the consequence of the fallen state of our natural world.

A final observation is that Jesus healed the sick and drove out demons to restore people to community. Those suffering from illness or possession were often ostracised and excluded from society because of their perceived sinfulness. These people – healed and cleansed – would now be allowed to see their families again, they would now be allowed to go back home, to get jobs, to partake in public life – Jesus does not just restore us to good health and sound mind, but also restores us to community – communion with Him and with our neighbours.

Reflect:

1. Jesus focused on bringing those who were excluded from public life back into community. How can we reach out to those who are ostracised and rejected? Where might be a good place to start?

2. Why is it important to keep the Sabbath – or a specific day on which we rest in the Lord? What are some of the benefits of practising the spiritual discipline of rest?

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that Your heart and mind for us has always been restoration. Lord, restore me – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And as I am restored give me opportunities to share this hope with others, so that they too might find You and be restored in body, soul and spirit. Give me wisdom in how to reach out to those who are often overlooked, so that they might be restored to community in the fellowship of Your Body. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology 10: Incense

Tabernacle Typology 10: Incense

by | Sep 18, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology

Exodus 30:34-35, KJV:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy…”

According to the Lord’s command, incense was made for burning on the golden altar within the Sanctuary.

It was made of equal quantities of stacte, galbanum, onycha and frankincense.

Frankincense: Considered a sign of wealth and prosperity, it was a very costly substance in ancient times. It was and still is widely used in many religious and spiritual practices around the world.

The plant it is derived from – Boswellia Sacra – grows in some of the most harsh and arid regions in the world.

The frankincense speaks of the divinity of Jesus. It is the divinity of Jesus that is worthy of all worship and adoration.

As frankincense is used symbolically in the Bible to represent our prayers (eg. Revelation 5) it is also typical of His priesthood and represents His intercession for us on the cross.

Stacte: ‘Stacte’ is a Greek word meaning ‘oozing substance’. The Hebrew word used here is ‘Nataph’ which is translated as ‘drop’ and can mean ‘to distil’. Many scholars believe that this refers to a type of distilled myrrh. Another strong contender is the resin from the storax tree.

Storax is a medicinal shrub. In ancient times its resin was a popular additive to all kinds of incense.

Jewish tradition, however, holds that ‘Stacte’ was synonymous with opobalsamum – a rare type of myrrh found growing wild in Yemen, Mecca and Israel. The first-century rabbi Gamliel said, “Stacte is simply the sap that drips from the tapping of the wood of the balsam tree” (Kerithot 6a).

The balsam tree is also where the famous healing Balm of Gilead was derived from.

Besides its many medicinal uses, it was also a highly volatile, flammable substance.

As the incense is typical of our worship of Christ, the stacte typifies the spread of the Gospel through the Spirit after the resurrection – it spread like wildfire!

The sweet stacte released upon the Cross, through the piercing of Jesus(much like the trees were ‘wounded’ to procure the resin) and the power of His sacrifice, caught fire in the hearts of believers everywhere and continues to catch a flame – continues to burn throughout the ages – releasing the fragrant offering of our praise.

Onycha: Derived from the operculum of certain sea snails – it resembles a fingernail and is a sort of secreted plate that closes the aperture of the shell when the snail is retracted – sort of like a trap door.

These little plates would be removed, cleaned and soaked in either fermented caper berry juice or white wine, before being crushed into a powder for use in perfumes and incense.

Christ was crushed for our iniquities (Isa 53:5) – the sweet, fragrant sacrifice of our Lord is a main ingredient in the incense of our praise and worship.

Galbanum: Commonly used in the ‘green’ incense of the ancient Egyptians, galbanum offered a very bitter, acrid and peculiar smell, before changing to a very complex spicy and balsam-like fragrance similar to green apples and musk.

According to the French Rabbi Rashi, the resin of the galbanum flower was an intentional additive to the incense because of its bitter taste – to serve as a reminder of our sin as people.

Kris Valloton is quoted as saying: “There is no victory without a battle, no testimony without a test, and no miracle without an impossible circumstance.”

Just so Christ upon the Cross took our battle upon Himself. Although the initial notes would be bitter and acrid, He took our sins and sorrows and traded them for beauty and joy.

The bitter galbanum serves as a reminder, in our worship of Christ, of where we came from – but also hints at where we are going. His work on the cross transforming us from wretched sinners to victorious overcomers.

No longer do we smell of sin and shame – but rather the sweetness of His sacrifice.

Just before closing I would like to point out that all of the above ingredients are the result of wounding and crushing – just like the pain and suffering of our Saviour – His wounding and crushing – is the origin of the fragrant offer of our prayers and worship.

Let us approach each day with the incense of worship burning in our hearts, giving all our praise and adoration to the One who is worthy of it all!

Reflect:

1. The galbanum, when burnt, offers a bitter, acrid (unpleasantly pungent) smell before giving way to a sweeter, musky fragrance. How does this speak to you? How does this represent your testimony?

2. All of the ingredients above are the result of wounding, crushing and a tearing apart. True worship comes from the heart. How does the wounding, crushing and tearing apart speak about true worship?

Prayer: Lord, let sweet incense arise from my heart. Let praise and thanksgiving be upon my lips. I thank You Lord for Your blood, shed upon the Cross – for the wounding and the crushing You had to endure on my behalf. Let that same sweet fragrance be released in my heart – a broken heart, my repentant heart. Break my heart for what breaks Yours, Lord, and let my life be a fragrant offering unto You.

Understanding Steps 8 & 9: Amends

Understanding Steps 8 & 9: Amends

by | Sep 17, 2024 | 12 Steps, Therapeuo

“Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Step 8, Alcoholics Anonymous

“Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.”

Proverbs 14:9, NIV

We have all been hurt. This is easy to acknowledge. We have all been offended. We have all been ‘the victim’.

What is not so easy to admit is that we have also done the hurting – we have all, at some point, been on the giving end. This is not just true of alcoholics and addicts – and therefore, even if you have stumbled upon this meditation by accident, please keep reading – you might be set free in the process.

Steps 8 and 9 are often the most intimidating part of the program. Many of us, when realising what it would take, were filled with fear – some of us even felt abject horror at the thought.

But these two steps are vitally important if you want to keep your new found freedom.

Proverbs 14:9 says: “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.”

And that is exactly what making amends is about – goodwill. 

In our past lives we had made many mistakes – and step 8 is all about taking concrete action towards making it right – taking a concrete step towards cleaning up the ‘wreckage’ of our past by taking accountability. 

All it takes is a little bit of pushing through the negative emotions of fear, doubt, bitterness and insecurity – picking up a pencil and making a list. 

If this is your first time doing this, just jot down the ones that come to mind – all the times you might have hurt someone – however this might look. 

In my active addiction I did a lot of damage. I lied, I stole, I cheated and manipulated – I fought with those closest to me, treated people badly… And it was a burden I had to carry. Many of my best friends and closest family members had lost their trust in me.

I wrote down a simple list – just 5 or 6 names to begin with. 

And what I saw on that page was the heaviness I had carried around with me for so long. The same heaviness, in times past, had caused me to relapse and had prevented me from getting clean the first time.

Wouldn’t you prefer to let go of those rocks that have been weighing you down? Those rocks called sin and shame?

And that’s all it takes – a short list and a simple yes.

If you have done this, you have now become willing to make amends – to clean up your side of the street.

We now get to step 9: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

There are a lot of ideas around this – but I have found that the best way to do this is to do so in person. Saying this, It is important that you do not put yourself in triggering environments during this process, and that you avoid any danger or harm to yourself and others.

It is also important to remember that some of the people you need to make amends to might be hard or even impossible to reach (for example people who have immigrated, that you might have lost contact with, or who might even have passed away).

In a case like this we make what is known as a living amends – we allow the life we live to make the amends for us by sticking to this radically new, sober lifestyle – and being committed to that lifestyle for both yourself and those you might have harmed in the past.

This is probably the hardest thing I ever had to do. I had to go to certain people – the people on my list – and admit that I was wrong.

Some accepted the amends, some waited to see my changed behaviour going forward, and others did not accept it at all. We are not in control of what others do or think, but I found freedom in sweeping away the wreckage on MY side of the road.

And that is what it is all about. Sincerely and honestly apologising – not just in words, but also in how you conduct yourself up to that point and going forward – the proof is in the pudding. It must be added that not everyone will react kindly to your admission of guilt and request for forgiveness, they might be sceptical about the change that you claim to be going through – some people might need some time, and others might never come around – but that’s okay! 

It is worth doing our best to salvage what we can of our relationships. It starts with us taking accountability and making amends. In this way families, friendships, even marriages can be restored.

If you would like to attempt making amends and need some guidance I would recommend these resources:

NA Step Working Guide:
https://gssana.org/books/na-step-working-guide.pdf

AA Big Book:
https://aa-netherlands.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/en_step8.pdf
https://aa-netherlands.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/en_step9.pdf

If you have decided to push through and do step 8 and 9, please pray with me:

Lord, make me willing to make amends. Make me willing to start cleaning up the wreckage of my past – to let go of the heaviness that pulls me down into despair. AS I write my list, remind me of people I have hurt, the things that I have done – and show me, guide me, lead me to make up for them and rebuild relationships. Give me courage, Lord, to follow through. Give me the right heart and the right words – and let my actions be the proof in the pudding. Let my actions and behaviour speak louder than my words. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Walking With Jesus Part 7: TESTIMONY (Mark 1:28-34)

Walking With Jesus Part 7: TESTIMONY (Mark 1:28-34)

by | Sep 17, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.”

Mark 1:28, NIV

After the cleansing of the man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue, we see that news about Jesus spread like wildfire.

Jesus and His handful of disciples left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon and Andrew.

Simon’s mother-in-law was ill and in bed with a fever.

The Bible says that Jesus went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up – and out of her illness.

Thus far, in Jesus’ public ministry, we see God taking action – Jesus demonstrating His authority as the Hand of God stretched forth – against impure spirits (that which ails the mind and soul) as well as sickness (that which ails the body) – bringing not only relief, but also restoration.

This has always been the Will of God – that He might see His children restored – in mind, body and spirit!

Jesus came to free us from the shackles that hold us back from both wholeness and holiness.

We see that after the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law, the whole town gathered at her door to see, hear and meet Jesus. The Bible says “that evening, after sunset…” – in other words, some time had passed. This time was certainly enough for people to have heard the testimony of the man from the synagogue, as well as the news about Simon’s mother-in-law.

The whole town brought their sick and tormented to Jesus.

This is the power of testimony right here.

Speaking from my own experience, I have seen Jesus move as my healer, my protector, my provider – He has been there in the valley and on the mountaintop.

I have more than 20 years of testimonies in my pocket. He has never let me down.

And I am sure that, no matter how long you have known and walked with Jesus, you also have testimonies of His goodness, His mercy and His grace. I am sure that, if you have in any way or form encountered Jesus, you will have a story to tell – a story of redemption and restoration – even if the story is still a work in progress.

This testimony has the power to bring others to Jesus.

The news about Jesus didn’t spread because of some massive marketing campaign or targeted ads on social media – it didn’t go viral because of well-produced content or billboards next to the side of the road – the news about Jesus spread by word of mouth.

One person telling the next what they had seen, heard or experienced.

If the Gospel is the light of the world – that original spark or flame – shouldn’t we all, like candles be set alight to show the way to the Cross of Christ in a world darkened by depravity and hopelessness?

Let your little light shine.

The testimonies of one or two people in the first chapter of Mark – the man in the synagogue and Simon’s mother-in-law – led a whole town to Jesus.

Imagine if we all – all of us who believe, all of us who have seen God move, who have encountered Jesus – imagine if we all let our light shine! Imagine if we would all share our stories with who-ever might be willing to hear – we could turn the world upside down and right side up for Jesus!

Perhaps we could take action today – in this very simple way – and tell someone about how God took action on our behalf today.

Reflect:

1. Can you think of a way in which God has taken action in your life? What did He do for you? Now think of the people you know. Is there anyone going through a similar situation or circumstance? How can you share the good news of Jesus with them today?

2. The Bible compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. How can the mustard seed of your testimony become a plantation unto the Lord? Is there a specific type of person who should hear your testimony? Where will you find them?

Prayer: Lord, give me opportunities to share my story with others today. Give me boldness to speak of the wonders you have done in my life. Remind me, oh Lord, of the blessings you have poured out in my life, and help me remember them out loud. You have saved me from eternal demise. Help me today to share my story of redemption and restoration, the story of how Your grace rewrote my life – with someone who needs it. Let my testimony be like a mustard seed which bears much fruit. In Jesus name. Amen.