Exodus 37:25-28 Bible Study | Episode 639

March 21, 2024

Hope Alive: Applying God’s Word to Your Daily Life

Exodus 37:25-28   Bible Study | Episode #639

I am Chad Harrison, and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and had been serving as a pastor for 25 years. I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life. The purpose of studying scripture is that you might know the character of Jesus Christ, and that you might see the world from the Father's perspective. That you gain wisdom that changes your life. I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open His word to you and allow you to see Him and to know Him. To know His will, that you might glorify Him and that you might walk in faith and power each day, especially today. In Jesus name.

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Transcript

This is Chad Harrison, and you're listening to Hope Alive, Applying God's Word to Your Daily Life.

Hi, this is Chad Harrison, and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and have been serving as a pastor for 25 years. I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life. I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open up his word to you and allow you to see him and to know him and to know his will, that you might glorify him and that you might walk in faith and power each and every day, especially today.

Good morning. Welcome to Lake Community Church's Morning Bible Study. We are in Exodus chapter 37, and we are talking about making the altar of incense. Now there's something interesting about this process. And there's lots interesting about this altar, but the truth is this altar and where it's being made, because remember they're making all the the best way for me to describe it as furniture the aspects or the items that are in the tabernacle and and when God told them to make all these things on the mountaintop, he told them to first tell them the, How to make the the furniture the items that are in it.

And then he told him how to make the actual tent. And then he told him how to make the walls around the tent and make all the things that are outside the tent. That are outside the tabernacle, but are inside the wall. He's telling them how to do it from inside out. Now, When they make it from outside in, which is very interesting.

God told them how to make it from inside out because God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. God was going to come down in a cloud and make himself known in the Holy of Holies. We, when we come to meet with God, we come from the outside in and so when God told him how to make it, he told him how to make it, make the tabernacle from the inside out.

When they began to make it, they made it from the outside in, meaning they made the tent, they made the outside items, they made the wall outside, and then they began to make the items for the inside. Because notice, God is inside out meeting with us, we're going outside in to meet with him. And when God told him to make, how to make all these things and he he gave him the items and told him how to do it.

He told him from the inside out, and he told him everything on the inside of the tabernacle to make, except for the altar of incense. In fact, he told them how to make the Ark of the Covenant, how to make the table for the showbread, how to make the lampstand, he told them how to make all those things, and then he told them how to make the actual tent, he told them how to make the walls on the outside, he told them how to make the altar on the outside, he told them how to make the labyrinth on the outside, and then he told them how to make the Altar of Incense, which should have been the if you just go from what you would organizationally say should have been told how to make it when they're making the table for the show good because it's right there with it.

But it wasn't. And there's a reason for it. And the reason for it is because the altar of incense is a picture of our prayers. And it was the last thing that he told them to make and he told them how to make it. And basically, this is how the altar of incense worked on Yom Kippur, which is the most holy day of the year.

It's the celebration of the atonement of God for our sins. When the chief priest went into the Holy Holies, he would first go in with the incense from the altar, and then he would light it a fire, and that fire would create smoke, and that smoke would go up, and it would cover the top of the Ark of the Covenant.

It would cover over the Holy of Holies the Mercy Seat, and that is the place where. The cloud of God was to dwell, the glory of God, the Shekinah glory of God. And so you have a picture of the incense or the prayers of God's people going up and meeting and mingling with the presence of God.

So the altar of incense is really Of the ultimate importance because it's the place where we actually are pictured communing with God and remember that the cloud of God led them out of Egypt. It was a cloud by day and a pillow fire by night. And then when they got to the mountain when they got to the mountain of the covenant they saw.

The presence of God come down on that mountain and in in a cloud and then thunder and lightning and the appeals of God's presence and power up on top of that mountain. And then when they built, when they began to build the, the tabernacle, God's presence descended on the tabernacle and his, the cloud in the tabernacle is where Moses would go in and meet with God.

And so that cloud is the. Shekinah Glory is the, it's the presence of, it's the very presence of God dwelling among God's people. Remember when they had the golden calf, it was outside the camp and then finally when God's people did what God told them to do and agreed to go and do what he said.

Once that happened they went, brought it back into the middle of the camp. And so God's glory in his presence was there among his people. And the essence or the very core of where that would take place was in the Holy of Holies on top of on top of the Ark of the Covenant where the Mercy Seat is.

And the Altar of Incense is an important item because it really is the ultimate reason why God Made this whole plan in the first place. It's the whole reason God made this plan to take place. God didn't make this plan so that his son could die and atone for our sins. He made the plan so that we could be in his presence because his son of His son died on the cross and atoned for our sins.

Notice the reason is for him and his people to commune together, to be together. And the avenue by which that takes place is through the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross is through the plan of God. being fulfilled through his son and our relationship with him made complete because of that work and because we have a relationship with him made complete, we can be in his presence.

We can commune with him. We can enter into that holy of holies where our smoke can go up and intermingle with his smoke. Our essence can intermingle with his. And the altar of incense is a picture of that. That's the whole purpose of it. That's why it was said, it was mentioned by God to be made last.

Why? Because until all the other things are done, most of those things are a picture of God's. Work to make that relationship right, work to make it possible that we could go in. All those things are a picture of God's work to do that. It, they have to happen first and then man has to Come in and offer himself to God.

Now. Now, when we make it, when we actually build it when the children of Israel actually built it, they built it as a part of it. Why? Because that's why we're here. We're here to do it. And so we're not gonna build it last. We're gonna build it as a part of. the plan, because we want it right there in the middle of it.

And ultimately, that's what the whole purpose of it was, is for us to be seeking after that relationship with God. Now, we as a church we always have two altar calls, and I know it's weird. And let me read you the verses real quick, because I think it gives us a little insight. I want you to know what the altar is for so that you can understand why we do what we do.

It says he made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, about a foot and a half, and its width was a cubit, about a foot and a half. So it's a square, and it says it was square. And two cubits was its height, so it's about three feet tall. It's literally like a a rectangle a long rectangle cube.

I don't even know what you call a rectangle cube, but if you look at the top, it's It's it's square, and then you look down, and it's rectangles all the way around. So it's a rectangular cube, or two. of each other would be what it looks like and it's horns were in of one piece with it, meaning there was a place to actually grab hold of it and grab hold of the horns of the altar, which is a picture of beseeching God or seeking God out, grabbing hold of God and saying, Hey I want you, I want to know you, I want to be with you.

And it says it's overlaid with pure gold. So you got the acacia wood, that's a picture of us. And then it's overlaid with the loyalty of God, which all the items are. And it says it's topped, it's sides all around, and it's horns. He also made it for made it a molding of gold around it, meaning he inlaid it with some beauty so it's.

It's ornate. That's a picture of the uniqueness and ornateness of God's love toward us. He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its corners, on both sides. Notice, it's got to be carried by the pulsification wood covered in gold because it's a holy item. It's important. It's not a common item.

Remember the the arc. And then also. The table for the show bread, and now this table that's going to be the altar of incense, all of them have golden rings that are attached so that they can be carried by men, for men, with with a pole made of acacia wood and overcut, overlaid with gold, it's a picture of, It's a picture of all of us carrying that which is holy, meaning man carrying the holiness of God, his presence upon us, and when they carry that's a picture of it.

When they carry that ark, when they carry that showbread, when they carry that altar of incense, it's a picture of all the works of God being carried on men. All that work is complete in humanity. It's complete in us. So when they're carrying that out and moving it, they move it with using important steps that picture God's presence being all man and the holiness.

And the work of God being completed in humanity. That's the whole reason for it. That's why when David sent that ox cart to get the ark, and they put it on the ox cart and it tipped over and one of David's close friends reached out to steady the ark and it killed him. That's why it killed him, because you can't do it wrong, you don't do it the way you want to do it.

You do it the way God's presence on humanity. is done the way God has planned it to be. It's got to be carried out the way God says, do it. And when we don't do it the way God says, do it, we miss out. We miss out and we continue in darkness. And so he said it in verse 28 and he made the poles of Acacia wood and he overlaid them with gold.

This is an important step in the process. When we have worship. We go through the tabernacle process. We literally do that. The first song is supposed to be a joyous exciting song to enter his gates with Thanksgiving. That's why we do that. Then you begin to move toward. The altar and the altar.

The first altar is where we make our sacrifice. And to move toward that, you've got to wash, you've got to be washed from the world. And so if the music becomes more worshipful, you begin to move toward the the place where you're gonna make your sacrifice. And then when we have the when we have the offering in most churches, but for us, it's the first altar call.

You're allowed to come and offer yourself, offer prayers, offer things that you know are separating for you from God or things that are joys or celebrations that you need to bring to God because of the things he's done that week the things he's doing in your life. It's a place where you bring your burdens and you lay them down.

It's where we go up and we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our reasonable act of worship. We go and offer ourselves as sacrifices on that altar. And and then we get to enter into the tabernacle. So after, after we have that altar call and you, we you give of your finances, which is very important, but you also give of your own heart.

Then we go into the, we go into the tent and you've got the showbread, which is a picture of God's word. You've got the Holy Spirit, enlightening God's word shining the light and letting us know what God's word stands for. And then. And then you've got the Altar of Incense, and the Altar of Incense is where we actually go in, we go in, and meet with God, because God has made it possible for us to meet with Him.

Now we do that through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which means that blood is placed on that mercy seat and paid for us. But once that happens, we get to offer that altar, we get to offer to God. Our presence so that his presence and our presence can be perfectly aligned with each other.

And that's where real decisions for God are made. That's where real strength is gained. That's where real hope is found. It's where life is. And so that's why we do that every Sunday morning to give you that. That opportunity, no matter where you find yourself in life, no matter where you find yourself in your struggles you have that opportunity to go and to do and to be a part of what God's doing.

It can't be missed out on and it can't be questioned and it can't you got to, you have to do it because this picture, if you'll notice. The whole book of Exodus and really leading up to it, the whole book of Genesis is about bringing humanity into a relationship with God. That's what it's about.

It's about the fall of man and God's plan to bring it about. It's pictures of Jesus. It's pictures of his finished work through his son. And the New Testament points to this all the time. The New Testament points us to these ideas and these understandings. And so it's you have to see it and you have to begin to live it out, to model it out in your own life.

And so that incense is burned before God. We don't burn incense. That's right. We take we take in the New Testament anointing. The anointing oil is important. It's an important picture. We use olive oil. For healing and prayer for recovery and prayer for strength. We use literally anointing oil that would have been similar to the oil that they would have made.

For that altar. We use that oil for the anointing of God and his presence for preparation to to join God in his work for ministry for for him to to lead us into all the things that he made us for the works of faith that we're going to do. To to glorify him. And so when those things are burned at the altar, when they're placed upon us, and remember the Holy Spirit's fire is upon us.

And when that fire and that anointing is on us we're entering into his presence. We're joining God and having perfect communion with him by faith. And you go do we have to do all that? No, you don't have to. But the problem is if you don't physically do stuff, oftentimes you just really.

You really don't learn to do it, and I've learned that, I learned that, in athletics, and I learned that in the military. You can sit at a chalkboard and tell people what to do, and tell people the plays to run, or tell people how to do something in a military sense. Do it on the chalkboard all you want they're not going to really learn how to do it perfectly.

They're not, in fact, most of the time they're not going to learn how to do it even well. They're going to do it haphazardly if they do it at all. What do you have to do? You have to practice it. You got to get out there and do it. You go on the chalkboard and you learn, you do some learning and you go out there and practice doing it.

You go to the chalkboard and you or, they're, in the military they have these boxes and, you do your battle plan on the boxes and then what do you do? You go execute the battle plan. You go practice doing what the box said do. You have to you have to.

Put it into practice What you know about God and what we know about God is he's got a way to come into his presence and meet with him And you got to put that in practice and that's why we do it every Sunday morning. We put it in practice because Ultimately my job as the pastor as the teaching pastor of the church is to teach you how To have communion with God, because really, I can't fix your problems.

And many of you have come to me with problems. And sure I've given you good advice and stuff like that. Sometimes I don't have good advice. I don't have an answer for you, but I know somebody who has an answer. And just because I give you good advice don't mean I give you the power to be able to But I know somebody who can give you the power to carry it out and that's God.

And so I would say to you today that that what we do each week, even though the word is different, meaning we study through books of the Bible, even though the the feelings and the, the vibe of the church may be different on different Sundays, all that takes place and all that goes on.

The practice is not different. The process is not different. And the presence of God does not change, and God doesn't change. And even though things with us might be a little different each Sunday, God's not different. And Our approach to him needs to be carried out and practiced each and every Sunday morning, each and every day.

Don't fail to assemble yourselves, but meet together so that you can meet with God and know his presence. I pray that'll be the case for you. I pray that that you will learn to mature. And to seek his presence. Each time you gather together with his people. And I pray that you will know his presence and know the goodness of it and that you'll walk in it and that you'll walk in power and that you'll be in the light of the world.

As you go today, I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you that he'll make his face to shine upon you and that he will give you hope and peace today in Jesus name.