The Ark of the Testimony reflects the Trinity with special emphasis on Messiah. The Ark has two cherubim on each end of the lid of the box facing the middle of the lid where the Mercy Seat is as though the Father and Spirit are bearing witness that Messiah is One with them. Some would say that the cherubim represent the Law and the Prophets who bear witness to Messiah. The Greek text of 1 John 2:2 refers to Jesus Christ as the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat is where God atoned for our sin. The tablets with the Ten Commandments inside the Ark of the Testimony are also another sign of Messiah. He is the Word made flesh.
After the Lord addresses matters of symbols in the Tent of Meeting, He speaks to Moses of the Sabbath Day. He said, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” [2]
The two tablets of stone that God gave Moses were written with the finger of God. [3]
While God was giving Moses instructions for how the people could now enjoy spiritual communion with Him, the people were abandoning God. They told Aaron the brother of Moses, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron did it. He failed to restrain the people from idolatry. He molded a golden calf for them. They worshipped it. They began to commit sexual sins.
If only they had waited on the Lord instead of taking matters into their own hands. God had a beautiful plan for them. As it was, God was ready to destroy them and make of Moses a great nation. But Moses pleaded with the Lord not to destroy them. However, later, when he saw with his own two eyes what the people had done to the Lord, he became angry and threw the two stone tablets down and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He confronted Aaron about his sin. Then, he said to the people, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Then, he ordered them to slay those who joined in the rebellion which amounted to about 3,000 of them. [4]
Moses said to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” He was willing to be the atoning sacrifice for them, but “the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.’” [5]
God provided a good prayer for us to pray in Psalm 119:37, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in Your way.” May we rejoice in God’s Word as one who finds great treasure.” [6]
[1] Exodus 31:1-7
[2] Exodus 31:12-17
[3] Exodus 31:18
[4] Exodus 32:1-29
[5] Exodus 32:30-34
[6] Psalm 119:162
After the Lord addresses matters of symbols in the Tent of Meeting, He speaks to Moses of the Sabbath Day. He said, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” [2]
The two tablets of stone that God gave Moses were written with the finger of God. [3]
While God was giving Moses instructions for how the people could now enjoy spiritual communion with Him, the people were abandoning God. They told Aaron the brother of Moses, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron did it. He failed to restrain the people from idolatry. He molded a golden calf for them. They worshipped it. They began to commit sexual sins.
If only they had waited on the Lord instead of taking matters into their own hands. God had a beautiful plan for them. As it was, God was ready to destroy them and make of Moses a great nation. But Moses pleaded with the Lord not to destroy them. However, later, when he saw with his own two eyes what the people had done to the Lord, he became angry and threw the two stone tablets down and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He confronted Aaron about his sin. Then, he said to the people, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Then, he ordered them to slay those who joined in the rebellion which amounted to about 3,000 of them. [4]
Moses said to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” He was willing to be the atoning sacrifice for them, but “the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.’” [5]
God provided a good prayer for us to pray in Psalm 119:37, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in Your way.” May we rejoice in God’s Word as one who finds great treasure.” [6]
[1] Exodus 31:1-7
[2] Exodus 31:12-17
[3] Exodus 31:18
[4] Exodus 32:1-29
[5] Exodus 32:30-34
[6] Psalm 119:162
No comments:
Post a Comment