AUGUST 1, 2023

 “And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. … And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 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. And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.” (Exodus 39:2, 6-14)

We find in this glorious chapter holy instructions given to Moses by God about how to make the holy garments for Aaron the high priest. We know the high priest of Israel was a type of our heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:14 says, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…” Knowing this, there is much we can learn about our Savior by looking at all which pertained to the high priestly office of old. The main role given to those that held this office was to make atonement for the sins of the people, exactly as the Lord commanded. Once a year, the high priest would enter the second part of the temple, which is called “the holiest of all,” with blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. We read in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Atonement means At-One-Ment. Our sins have separated us from our God, and in order for us to be reconciled to Him and enjoy sweet fellowship, atonement must be made, which could only be done by the shedding of blood. This work, given to the high priest of old, was only temporary, and pointed to the perfect and eternal work of our great, heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:11-12 says, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” When we read that our hearts should shout for joy!

Now let us look at our present passage as we try to unfold the unsearchable riches of Christ. Aaron, the high priest of Israel, had holy garments made specifically for him and his office. Two main parts of his garments were the ephod and the breastplate. Both of these pieces were beautiful and glorious to look at. They were both made of cunning work, of gold, blue and purple, and scarlet and fine twined linen (vs. 3, 8). But notice what was placed on both pieces.

Verses six and seven say, “And they wrought onyx stones enclosed in ouches of gold, graven as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.” We see here that the high priest of old would carry the names of the children of Israel upon his shoulders everywhere he went, but this is especially significant as it pertains to his work of atonement as he entered into the holy of holies. Not only did Aaron carry the names of the children of Israel on his shoulders, but they were also placed upon his breastplate. As we see each stone in vs. 10-13 and then read in vs. 14, “And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his names, according to the twelve tribes.” The high priest, carrying these names upon his shoulders and placed upon his heart, could not forget those for whom he was making atonement, as it is with our heavenly High Priest.

Jesus came to fulfill a specific work given Him of the Father; atonement for our sins. There were certain ones He came to redeem that were given to Him from the Father. John 6:39 says, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” There was a specific people that Jesus came to make atonement for, the names of which He carried upon His shoulders, and had written upon His heart. These names, given unto Him by the Father, He made full atonement for and would lose none of them. We read in Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Jesus, as our Great High Priest ever liveth, making intercession for us. We are ever before Him and never forgotten. Even now, Jesus bears the scars in His hands and feet, which were pierced on our behalf and for our sins.

JULY 27, 2023

 “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

“My God will hear me.” What a delightful sentence! It becomes even more precious when we consider the conditions under which it was uttered. Notice the prophet begins with “Therefore.” Micah sees betrayal all around. His beloved nation is fraught with corruption in high places, which has had a devastating effect on every element of society. “Trust ye not in a friend,” he said, “put ye not confidence in a guide.” He went so far as to say, “…keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.”He questions whether or not a father can confide in his son; or a mother in her daughter. (Vs. 5, 6) “Therefore,” he determined, “I will look unto the LORD…my God will hear me.” This is a choice line for every child of God, and a precious thought upon which to ruminate. Can you say with faithful Micah, “My God will hear me?”

The key to this rich treasure hangs on the first two words: “My God.” The cherished blessing is not in the fact that God hears, or even that He hears me. There is no doubt that God hears everything. Never has a word been spoken that has gone past His all-hearing ear. “My God” means God in covenant with me; and “will hear me” means that He hears as a Father hears his dear child. Let us put to our own soul the question – can I truly think of God and call Him “My God”? If so, that means election and selection. There were many gods in the day of Micah the prophet, but he, in effect said of Jehovah, the one true and living God: “This God is my God; as for me, my heart shall only worship the great invisible and all glorious Creator.” To say, “My God” also supposes an appropriation by faith. It also signifies knowledge and acquaintance, for surely every true believer can say with Paul, “I know whom I have believed.”Micah’s was a personal relationship with God. It cannot be doubted that in this claim, “My God,” is an embrace of love that is filled with joy and delight.

Let us all who can rightfully make this claim enter into the “argument” that the words of the prophet suggest. Does not this glorious claim contain within itself a secret logical argument? “My God will hear me.” As surely as He is my God, He will hear me. First, He will hear me because He is the living God, and not like gods of stone or wood which have ears but hear not. The poor heathen could cry out in their times of need like the prophets of Baal, but all to no avail. But God’s children can call upon their Father in heaven out of their deepest distresses, and He will hear. It is His memorial that He hears the prayers of His people. “My God will hear me.” Notice with what confidence Micah speaks. This is our Gospel confidence. The great joy of our faith is that we are called upon to prove it. The proof of the Gospel lies in the testing of it in a practical way – by enjoying it. We must be confident, for “he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Our God is real and can be believed. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Notice the blessing itself. What is the favor that Micah is assured of here? “My God will hear me.” God will hear us out; He will hear our complaint; He will hear our requests. Sometimes the Lord cannot grant us exactly what we ask Him for, but He does not hear our cry with indifference. Thankfully He does not always answer by granting the thing asked for, but He is nevertheless moved by our prayers. He hearsthem. This is particularly comforting when we consider the aforementioned context of Micah’s statement of confidence and assurance. God is our faithful Friend and the best Listener, when we desperately need one who understands our hearts. So many times that which is most needed is to unburden our souls to our God and Savior, Who is a true and faithful Friend. He is the best Listener, and He will hear us. “My God will hear me.”

JULY 25, 2023

 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

On the 13th of June, Donny Meyer, Braxton Hodgin, and I went to ERDCC, a prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. I had been there before and since, but that was the first time we made a surprise visit which meant that we were not able to bring forth the Word. They have a prisoner-led worship service, and it was interesting to see how they normally do things when there is no visiting Pastor. Upon leaving, the three of us talked about the service and realized that we didn’t hear any talk of Jesus or what was accomplished on the cross. I assume my fellow brothers as well, felt very convicted about this. I realize that I need to start making it a point to talk distinctly about our Savior and the blood He shed for us. I felt convicted to not only devote some prison messages but also some specific articles to this topic. Of the numerous articles I have written, none have been solely about Jesus and the cross. I intend to remedy that today.

The truth is that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is a most essential Christian doctrine to know. There is a reason why a cross is the symbol of Christianity. It’s not just a cool piece of jewelry someone wears around their neck; it is vital to know and never forget what was accomplished by the shed blood of our Savior.

So, what was accomplished by the shed blood of our Savior? Well, today’s verse from Ephesians answers this directly when it says, “…redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Paul is referring to Christ’s death on the cross as the sufficient payment for the sins of all who believe in Him. This redemption paid to release us from the eternal penalty and the earthly power of our own sins. This freedom, of course, did not come at no cost since it is paid for by Christ’s death; it cost Him everything. As a result, for the believer, the ultimate price has already been paid. This is what one of my favorite Sunday school songs is about, when it says: He paid a debt He did not owe, [because] we owed a debt we could not pay, we needed someone to wash our sins away.

This is grace in the truest sense: the ability to become a child of God, because God provided a free way to know Him by faith. God’s grace is of tremendous value; it is what is required to make people sons and daughters of God. All have sinned and fallen short of His glory. It is only through Jesus that we have a way to have salvation.

We know what was accomplished by Jesus’ sacrifice, but we also need to know why His sacrifice was necessary. One correct answer is that while God is perfectly merciful, He is also perfectly just. These two aspects are often treated as mutually exclusive, and while it is hard for us to wrap our finite minds around this fact, they are not! As we know, the wages of sin is death and, because God is just, this must be fulfilled.

The book of Hebrews expands on this answer when it says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) Under the old covenant, sacrificial blood was required to sanctify almost everything. Forgiveness for sins was dependent on the death of an animal.

Up to this point, the writer of Hebrews has been pointing out that the old covenant was always intended, by God, as a symbol of the new covenant. The physical rituals and artifacts of the temple were given by God specifically to point toward the ministry of Jesus Christ. In many cases, those components of the old covenant were meant to be seen as limited, specifically as proof that God intended to provide a more permanent solution.

Immediately prior to this verse, the writer has pointed out that even at the very beginning of the covenant between God and Israel, blood was shed in order to establish that arrangement.

Here, the writer makes it clear that the blood which was spilled in both the old and new covenants is necessary – forgiveness from sin is not possible without it. Under the old covenant, this meant repeated offerings of animal sacrifices. In the new covenant, this means a single, perfect, once-for-all shedding of blood by Christ.

So, on the cross, Christ took on all the sins of the world – past, present, and future – and was crushed in our place. He shouldered our sins – becoming the very thing He hates most – and suffered God’s wrath, then, dying in our place, making glorious propitiation for our sins. Therefore, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in our place is a most essential Christian doctrine to know. It is extremely crucial for us to know and never forget what was accomplished by the shed blood of our Savior.

JULY 20, 2023

“Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” (Jeremiah 2:19)

It should not be a foreign concept that our own sins bring upon us our own destruction, but not all have this knowledge. Even though it is written on their hearts and their experience declares this constantly, their understanding is darkened, and they stand utterly deceived. Many cast the blame on God, as if God somehow takes delight in the death of men. But we have come to know better because we have been instructed by God Himself through His Word!

Notice two words that God declared unto apostate Israel in our text: “know and see.” While there may be pleasure in sin for a moment, the apostate is always in need to “know and see” the evil and bitterness that flows out of sin. He has momentary knowledge of some pleasure while he is sinning, but immediately following there is a deeper knowledge of sin’s bite. This “knowing” and “seeing” is the intimate knowledge that the sinner receives. It is the friend he chooses and this friend bites and devours. When one apostatizes, he makes himself an enemy of God and chooses the enemy of his own soul as his dearest friend. He does not come to know a friend that is closer than a brother, but a monster masquerading as a friend.

This is not God’s choice for any sinner. Rather, God reveals Himself unto us through His Word so that He may be our intimate knowledge. He has revealed Himself through the incarnated Word and declares that He is the God of redemption. Everlasting life is to know the True and Living God and His Holy Son that He has sent. It is God alone who promises everlasting life, which He gives to all who repent of their sins and casts themselves upon God. He delights in showing mercy over judgment. If one does not come to this intimate knowledge of God, and find himself growing in this knowledge, it is because he prefers sin’s friendship over the Lord’s.