Atonement And Fellowship 6/8

There is great emphasis in Exodus 26 that the tabernacle was ” one” , joined together in such a way that taught the lesson of unity. The spiritual tabernacle, the believers, was ” pitched” by the Lord- translating a Greek word which suggests ‘crucifixion‘ (Hebrews 8:2). Through the cross, the one, united tabernacle was pitched. To tear down that structure by disuniting the body is to undo the work of the cross.

“1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: therefore it is of necessity that this man has something also to offer. 4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, said he, that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you in the mount. 6  But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, says the Lord [Yahweh], when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord [Yahweh]. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord [Yahweh]; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:” (Hebrews 8:1-10 KJBPNV)

Heart of Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Christ we have the honour to get to know the Father, who knows Jesus very well and put him in a higher position.

“Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31 KJBPNV)

Jesus had put the sheep before himself, sacrificing himself if necessary. We also should sacrifice ourselves in the name of Christ and come together with the other sheep Jesus had in addition to those in his pen. It is Jesus who gathers them and brings them too. They’ll also recognize his voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves Jesus: because he freely lay down his own life.

“15 As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” (John 10:15-17 KJBPNV)

In the Holy Scriptures the bronze serpent lifted up on the “standard” was a symbol of Christ crucified. But time and again throughout Isaiah, we read that a “standard” or ensign will be “lifted up” in order to gather people together to it (Isaiah 5:26; 13:2; 11:12; 18:3; 62:10). This was the idea of an ensign lifted up. Thus our common response to the cross of Christ should be to gather together unto him there. And we need to take note that several of those Isaiah passages are speaking about what shall happen in the last days, when divided Israel will unite on the basis of their acceptance of the crucified Jesus.

More and more people shall come to recognise Christ Jesus, Jeshua, the Nazarene man who gave his life for the sin of all. All those who are willing to follow Christ should be raising the flag of the Gospel, signalling a distant nation, whistles for people at the ends of the earth.  They shall not be afraid to  run up a flag on an open hill and yell loud. We have to get the attention of the world and wave them into formation. Together we have to direct all those who want to accept Christ and love his Father to the nerve centre of power. We all should hear the call of the trumpet and listen! We have to walk out of the world, by putting aside the formal traditions and false teachings.  Walk out of the gates. Get going! Get the road ready for the people. Build the highway. Get at it! Clear the debris, hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples!

“And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from afar, and will hiss to them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:” (Isaiah 5:26 KJBPNV)

“Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.” (Isaiah 13:2 KJBPNV)

“And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Isaiah 11:12 KJBPNV)

“All you inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see you, when he lifts up an ensign on the mountains; and when he blows a trumpet, hear you.” (Isaiah 18:3 KJBPNV)

“Go through, go through the gates; prepare you the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.” (Isaiah 62:10 KJBPNV)

+

 Preceding:

 Atonement And Fellowship 1/8

 Atonement And Fellowship 2/8

 Atonement And Fellowship 3/8

 Atonement And Fellowship 4/8

 Atonement And Fellowship 5/8

 Continued on: Atonement And Fellowship 7/8

 ++

Find also to read:

1. Do not be afraid. Good news because a Saviour has been born
2. Christ begotten through the power of the Holy Spirit
3. Who was Jesus?
4. Yeshua a man with a special personality
5. The meek one riding on an ass
6. Servant of his Father
7. Let me keep to “first importance” things
8. A season of gifts
9. Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one
10. Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
11. A Messiah to die
12. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
13. Hebraic Roots Bible Book of The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2
14. OT prophesies and the NT fulfilment of them
15. Glory of God appearing in our character
16. A Living Faith #8 Change
17. Can we not do what Jesus did?
18. Commitment to Christian unity
19. Let God’s promises shine on your problems

+++

Related articles

• Why Christians Are Insulting God by Hoping for a New Temple (924jeremiah.wordpress.com)
  There’s a lot of talk today about rebuilding Solomon’s Temple. Oh, how fabulous it would be if the Temple were to once more stand among us, right? Wrong. Nothing could be more insulting to Christ than Christians exulting over the Temple being reborn. But most Christians don’t understand this, so they think efforts to rebuild the Temple are spot on. … you need to understand how extremely offensive this …  rebuilding the Temple is to God. When we Christians support such things, we might as well be beating our Savior with those bats of ours. And whether we “meant to” or not isn’t going to make the blasphemy any less real. So it’s time to take off the blindfolds and get educated on what the Temple means to God, and why He never wants to see it again.
  +
  God says His House will be a tent as well. It will be a big Tent located in a special courtyard with curtains for walls. And when it’s time to break camp, the big Tent and its courtyard can be broken down and moved along with everyone else’s stuff. This big Tent is called the Tabernacle and here is how simple it looked when it was all set up:
• Know Your Bible Lesson 6: The Sacrificial System (Period 2) (924jeremiah.wordpress.com)
  Many Christians just think sacrifices were about atoning for sin and earning God’s forgiveness. But resolving sin was merely a side issue, not the main point. The goal of the sacrificial system was to help inspire worship and reverence in people, as well as to give them a way to express their devotion to God. The committed Yahweh follower didn’t hate giving sacrifices—he was eager to do it. For him, it was refreshing to the soul.
• The Atonement and the Scapegoat: Leviticus 16 by Dr. Kenneth Mathews (christianitytoday.com)
  The ritual “Day of Atonement” (Hebrew Yom Kippur), described in Leviticus 16, was the most holy day of worship in the Hebrew calendar. It was also the most complicated in terms of ritual performance. A ceremonial ritual conveys a powerful image in which there is a correspondence between a symbol (i.e., ritual) and the thing symbolized (i.e., message). On the Day of Atonement, there was a correspondence between the parts of the ritual and the spiritual meaning they represented. A wedding ceremony today with its ritual features has the same effect on the participants and congregation.
  +
  The provision made by Christ enables us to enter the heavenly Most Holy Place where we offer our prayers to God (Heb. 10:19-20). However, the author does not refer to the scapegoat.
  +
  The sacrificed goat perished and the scapegoat took away the impurities and sins to the wilderness (vv. 8-10). The scapegoat pictures Jesus who bore our sins, and by taking them away, frees us from the guilt of our sins.
• Christ the High Priest makes atonement for our sins (desperion.wordpress.com)
  Let me turn to my true high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our human nature he spent the whole year in the company of the people, the year that he spoke of when he said: He sent me to bring good news to the poor, to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of forgiveness. Notice how once in that year, on the day of atonement, he enters into the holy of holies. Having fulfilled God’s plan, he passes through the heavens and enters into the presence of the Father to make him turn in mercy to the human race and to pray for all who believe in him.
  +
  God taught the people of the old covenant how to celebrate the ritual offered to him in atonement for the sins of men. But you have come to Christ, the true high priest. Through his blood he has made God turn to you in mercy and has reconciled you with the Father. You must not think simply of ordinary blood but you must learn to recognise instead the blood of the Word. Listen to him as he tells you: This is my blood, which will be shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
• The Sacred Ark Of The Covenant (whatshotn.wordpress.com)
  The Ark was to be housed in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. This chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant.The real significance of the Ark of the Covenant was what took place involving the lid of the box, known as the “Mercy Seat.” The term ‘mercy seat’ comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel or make atonement for.” It was here that the high priest, only once a year (Leviticus 16), entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark was kept and atoned for his sins and the sins of the Israelites. The priest sprinkled blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to appease the wrath and anger of God for past sins committed. This was the only place in the world where this atonement could take place.
• The Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World! (drmitchglaser.wordpress.com)
  The links between Jesus and the Passover Lamb are overwhelming. In describing the crucifixion of Yeshua John adds,For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “ Not A bone of Him shall be broken.”(John 19:36), looking back to Exodus when Moses tells the Israelites how the lamb was to be sacrificed,It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. (Exodus 12:46)

  The Lamb in Exodus 12 is a prophetic portrait of the One who would come and shed His blood for the sins of the world.

• This Messenger would purify the priests so they might once again offer sacrifices on behalf of the Jewish people.  As the prophet writes, Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.(Malachi 3:3)The Jewish people would be judged because of disobedience, but also left with hope. In fact the very last words recorded in the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5-6), predict that this messenger identified as the prophet Elijah would call the Jewish people to back to God and reconcile both fathers and sons.
  +
  He was led as A sheep to slaughter; And as A lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. (Acts 8:32), which is our first indication that Jesus was not only compared to the lamb in the Book of Exodus, but the Lamb as well in Isaiah 53.
  +
  Jesus is the saving zeroah of God who intervened in Egypt and into this world to deliver Israel and the nations from spiritual bondage.  And when a man or woman, Jew or Gentile, boy or girl, by faith “smear” the doorposts of their hearts with His shed blood with blood of the Lamb that the wrath of God passes over us and pass from death into life.

• Denault on the Sinai Covenant (abrahamsseed.wordpress.com)
  The Covenant concluded between God and Israel in the Sinai desert was a progression of the covenant of circumcision [i.e. the Covenant of Promise with Abraham]. The Sinaitic Covenant was specifically concluded with the physical posterity of Abraham for the accomplishment of the carnal land/seed promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. The natural posterity of Abraham was to inherit the Promised Land and the Sinaitic Covenant was made to this end.
• Know Your Bible Lesson 7: The Wilderness Journey (Period 2) (924jeremiah.wordpress.com)
  Yahweh insists that all sacrifices be brought directly to His Tabernacle where they can be processed by authorized priests. Anyone caught trying to sacrifice on their own will be exiled from the community.