Mercy Seat

With only three days behind their miraculous Red Sea crossing, the Israelites are faced with unquenchable thirst and hunger. Instead of trusting in God they begin to grumble and complain about what they see as a hopeless situation; how Moses has led them out of Egypt and to their deaths in the wilderness. It’s hard to point my finger at the Israelites because I can act just as pathetic at times, grumbling and complaining about my own circumstances while standing in the shadow of a great mountain top experience.  Remember what happened to Peter, as he was walking out to Jesus on the open sea, he took his eyes off his Master and started sinking down into the water.

 As the Israelites walk through the sparse wilderness, God continues to provide for them by turning bitter water into sweet and begins raining down bread from heaven. There always seems to be a very dark valley to walk through before we get to the Mountain of God.  And so, as the Israelites walk towards the mountain, they are tested by God with two provisions in the wilderness. First, they are only to gather enough bread to eat for their family for one day and are not to store any extra. Second, they are not to gather any on the Sabbath Day but are to rest from all their work.

It’s interesting how God first showed His strong right arm, delivering them out of a seemingly hopeless situation, by parting the Red Sea and drowning their enemy. Then, He observed them through their wilderness experience to see how much faith they would exhibit. Finally, He tested them by giving them a couple of very simple rules to follow, “Here is free bread.  Just gather what you need for one day and don’t gather any on the Sabbath Day”. The Israelites had trouble following two very simple rules.

On Mount Sinai, God sets in stone Ten Commandments for the nation of Israel to follow. He also imparted to them provisions, blueprints and instructions on just how to build the tabernacle or tent of meeting. He also gave very detailed instructions on all the furniture that the tabernacle should contain. This portable facility would be where God could co-exist on earth with His own creation. One of these pieces of furniture was the ark of testimony, the container in which would hold the Ten Commandments written on two stone tablets. The design for the ark of the covenant was very specific and purposefully prophetic of God’s future plan of salvation through redemption.

The box itself was two and a half cubits in length, one and a half cubits in width and one and a half cubits in height. Four rings were cast, one for each corner of the ark. Two poles were to be inserted through the rings, never to be taken out, and would be the handles by which four men would carry the ark. If we look carefully at this design it reveals God’s purpose for the law. The ark was overlaid inside and out with gold making it very heavy. God then instructs them to put the tablets of stone into the ark making it even much heavier. It was not to be hauled around on a cart by animals but hand carried by men. God intended the ark to be a painful reminder that the law was to be a very heavy burden that men would have to shoulder.

On top of the container was a covering or lid that God referred to as “the mercy seat”.  Above this covering was where God’s presence or Shecaniah Glory would meet or appear to His people. The mercy seat, once sprinkled in animal’s blood, was to be our covering from the law, protecting us from the justice that the law demands. The law was rather to be our tutor or schoolmaster driving us to the mercy seat. God knew that we would not be able to perfectly follow the law and so devised a better plan.

By Israel carrying around the ark of testimony, God was demonstrating a couple of truths to us. Because the law demands nothing short of total obedience, it was kept out of man’s reach inside the ark. The law was covered by the mercy seat as a shield protecting us from its demands. Finally, as animal blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat it paid the ransom price. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission from sin. Once Jesus shed His own blood, God had now provided the world with a new covenant that would last forever. The death of God’s Son on the cross would usher in a new covenant, not written on cold stone by the letter of the law, but rather on the soft, warm flesh of His Son’s own heart.

New Beginnings

When Noah stepped off the ark, after the flood waters from the great deluge subsided, he must have experienced such peace and an overwhelming feeling of a new beginning to life. As Abraham walked down from the top of Mount Morriah with Isaac by his side, he must have felt such relief and realized what a gift he had received as God spared the life of his son. Then there is Mordecai and Esther as they stood silent and watched Haman swinging from the gallows. They must have felt an overwhelming sense of God’s providence, love and protection and sense of a new beginning as they watched Haman’s plan for genocide blow up in his face.  But of all the new beginnings recorded in the bible the greatest is the birth of our Lord.

Even amidst the joy of the virgin birth of Christ, the advent can be a time of sorrowing and great personal tragedy for many people, even a time of horrific heart felt pain which produces a dichotomy of feelings. Most of us tend to focus too much on the pageantry and lose our focus about the hardships that surrounded Mary, Joseph and Jesus’ during their first couple of years in Bethlehem. At the beginning Mary, who was ready to deliver Jesus, had to travel by donkey about 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. To make matters worse, the trip was for a mandatory census that was designed to generate tax revenue for the Roman government. When they got to Bethlehem, all boarding houses and Inns were full of other travelers so Mary delivered Jesus outdoors in an earthen grotto.

It’s during this time that one of the most troubling prophecies can be found in the bible. Located in Jeremiah 31:15 it says “Thus says the Lord: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.’”  This prophecy was given 1950 years before the birth of Jesus and is referenced in Matthew 2:17-18.  When threatened by the fact that the wise men were looking for the true “King of the Jews”, Herod the Great gives the order that all male children two years and under in Jerusalem and its vicinities be slain. We can’t begin to imagine what a scene that must have been as hundreds of children were brutally murdered in front of their parents’ own eyes.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew helps us to see how this scripture relates to the murder of male children in Ramah a year or two following the birth of Jesus.

 Our modern world is involved in a great spiritual battle. While we can’t see the battle directly, we can witness its influence in the world today. Every evil act committed is a result of man’s original sin and fall from God’s grace. Around the time that Jesus was born, King Herod was used as an instrument of Satan. Driven by paranoia and his lust for power, Herod acted in much the same way Haman or Hitler did in their own times.  If by chance we could gaze into their eyes we would glimpse an empty, lost soul and an abyss of darkness. Lucifer was once a bright light in God’s kingdom but now exists as a fallen angel with a mind of pure evil. Motivated by pride, Satan loathes us, hates God and will stop at nothing to destroy the crowning jewel of His creation. He desires nothing less than to put out our light, quenching our love for God and one another.

So for everyone, especially those who weep, mourn and grieve for loved ones, may the end of this Christmas season be but the start of a new beginning filled with faith, hope and love. May our sunrises be filled with the glory of God as rays of golden sunshine once again warm our hearts with hope. Let us begin the New Year by meditating on God’s promises for us, our future glory and great family reunions that are yet to come. Let us not forsake the comfort of another, but instead draw near with hearts full of joy and well being, burying our past pain and sorrow so deep that it will never be able to rise again.  May we allow God to fill our baskets full of good, spiritual fruit that is ripe for the harvest.  And most of all may the peace that passes all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  We wait for the glorious day when all saints separated by time will arrive together, safe and sound, united in praise to the One True and living God.   This is our new beginning!

Dayspring

For many of us, Christmas is our most treasured and favorite season of the entire year.  With every bright light that is hung from house eve to Christmas tree, the month of December becomes beautifully illuminated. Presents will continue to appear under the boughs of the tree until the great crescendo on Christmas morning which leaves behind a huge pile of wrapping paper, colored bows and ribbon.  But for many, December will be a bleak reminder of personal loss and tragedy. So when darkness falls upon us and we find ourselves wandering through “The valley of the shadow of death”, where should we turn for hope? 

Before Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin also delivered a baby and named him John. His father Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied in Luke 1:76-79 that his son would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. In these verses ,Zacharias went on to give this prophecy about Jesus  “with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 

In Luke 1:79 the passage speaks of the Messiah as a “Dayspring” from on high. The Greek word for “Dayspring” literally means “dawn”. In the Old Testament book of Malachi 4:2, God speaks through another prophet saying “But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” It’s clear that the coming Messiah would bring healing and be a great light to a very dark world. God compares Jesus to the sun as it rises above the mountains at dawn. We have all seen a great sunrise in our lifetimes where the sun’s rays beam over the horizon, piercing their way through the early morning darkness. So no matter how dark our immediate world gets, there is always still hope and a very bright future with Jesus. 

Jesus is the world’s only true hope. In this fallen world there exists so much pain and suffering that somewhere, at sometime we all experience it. One of the biggest questions I have ever been asked is “Why would a loving God create evil or allow it to sprout up in the first place?” These are questions that have been pondered by millions of people for thousands of years and are at the heart of our need for a Messiah.  In Malachi 3:18 - 4:2 the text says “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one does not serve Him. ‘For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’”  

Bob Dylan once wrote these lyrics “You’re gunna have to serve somebody, yes you’re gunna have to serve somebody, it might be the devil or it might be the Lord, but you’re gunna have to serve somebody.” These simple words may well be the answer to the question “Why does evil exist in the world?” Because we were given “Free Will” we make real choices that affect other people. Our choices will either affect a person in a positive-loving way or a negative-harmful way. It’s this unique ability “to choose” that sets us apart from a simple programmed machine that does whatever you tell it to do. God wants us to choose Him, to desire Him and begin a journey in a relationship with Him. 

 Jesus is Godly perfection embodied in human flesh. He loved all people, especially children and would go out of His way to encourage, help or heal them. Children would often run to Jesus and leap into His lap seeking His attention.  He once said that it would be better for someone who harmed a child to have a millstone tied around his neck and drowned in the depths of the sea. The Lord came the first time to offer forgiveness, God’s grace and mercy at the cross. 

However, there is a day of reckoning coming for all men when the Son of Man will rise again to the world, judging both the living and the dead.  All of us will stand before the Lord God one day. Every human being ever born will bow their knee to our Great God! Some will bow out of love and some will bow from compulsion but all will bow their knee. My prayer for you this holiday season is that you will find the greatest gift of all is not underneath your Christmas tree but in the hope that is in God’s only Son.

Emmanuel

The year was 1965 and I was a small child, only six years old.  Our home had but a single black and white television set which sat in our living room firmly on the fireplace’s hearth. We used to watch The Andy Griffith Show, Ed Sullivan, CBS news hour and many other programs. Now for the past several weeks, CBS had been airing commercials about a new animated Christmas special called “A Charlie Brown Christmas” that was going to premier December 9^th in full color. Children all across America and even some adults, looked forward to the special. The story was written by Charles Schulz and directed by Bill Melendez. It was 25 minute long and featured Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and friends as they all struggled with the commercialism of Christmas and searched for its true meaning.

 Sally Brown, Charlie Brown’s little sister, puts it all into proper prospective when she delivered her rather choppy line “All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share". The climax of the show features Linus Van Pelt’s famous monologue which Charles Schulz took directly from the gospel of Luke 2:8-14. As Charlie Brown sighs “Good Grief!” and wanders off in total disgust, the house lights dim and all spotlights are trained on Linus who boldly proclaims what Christmas is all about; which of course is the birth of Jesus!

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill towards men!’”

The Christmas story is really unique in many ways. It’s first and foremost, the climax to the long awaited and foretold birth of the Jewish Messiah. It’s a story of a loving God who took upon Himself our humanity. By choosing to be born into His own creation He can now identify with us, feeling our own infirmities. The birth of the Christ was foretold thousands of years before He actually came into the world. Even the place where Jesus was born is very significant. He was born in a small village called “Bethlehem” which translates “house of bread”. Later on during His ministry, Jesus would proclaim of Himself “I AM the bread of life”.

Interestingly, God chose to enlighten lowly shepherds, who were out in field watching their flock, about the birth of the Messiah before anyone else. King David, who Bethlehem is named after, also began his career here as a shepherd watching his flock on these very same hills. Even the Lord would one day refer to Himself as “The Good Shepherd”, “The Gate” and “The Only Way” into His sheepfold which is an allegory for eternal life with God.

Do you remember when families use to send each other Christmas cards? There is a verse that used to grace the front of many Christmas cards I saw as a child. Isaiah 9:6, 7 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end,”  Another verse was Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting.”

Focus on Jesus this Christmas and don’t get so busy that you overlook the true meaning of Christmas. And if you are anything like me, then we will probably meet sometime in the weeks ahead, elbow to elbow, in some department store looking for that perfect gift to give to a loved one. So if you start to feel like Charlie Brown, that we have totally commercialized Christmas,  then remember little Linus giving his monologue on Luke 2:8-14. And as the house lights dim and the spotlights go on, think about the star that came to stand still over Jesus, the son of Mary, our Emmanuel.

Red Sea

 Do you believe the Red Sea crossing, described in Exodus chapter 14, really took place?  In Exodus 14:21-22 it states that the Lord caused the sea to go back from a strong east wind all that night; that God made the seas into dry land and that the waters were divided. In several places it says that the water was like a wall to them on their right hand and their left. 

There is no natural explanation that exists or one that can be contrived to explain the Yam Suph crossing. One false theory that nests in academia is that the Hebrew words Yam Suph really refers to a shallow sea of reeds and not the deeper Red Sea crossing as described in Exodus as a wall of water on their right hand and their left. To use any natural phenomenon to explain the sea crossing defeats God’s purpose in the first place.

Some scholars and scientists have generally assumed that miracles are impossible because they violate the laws of nature.  CS Lewis, a noted English writer, believed miracles are acts of God. Therefore they are entirely possible if there is a God to take action. Once you take your first step of faith and believe in the existence of God, then believing in miracles is not such an insurmountable idea. This entire universe is so vast that human reasoning can’t begin to fathom its intricacies. Again, if you explore the world of the atom with its sub atomic particles the same is true and you will eventually get to the conclusion that God indeed holds all things together. 

Remember back to Exodus 2:15, when Moses at the age of forty, killed an Egyptian slave master? When Pharaoh heard about the murder he wanted to kill him. Now Moses was running for his life and fled from Egypt to the area of Midian, Saudi Arabia.  Moses most likely used a well established trade route that was in existence at that time. The route cut across the middle of the Sinai Peninsula rounding the northern most end of the Gulf of Aqaba. With Pharaoh’s army at close pursuit you can bet Moses did not linger in Egypt but rather crossed over the border into Saudi Arabia. Now, forty years later, at the age of eighty, Moses returns to Egypt to lead the Israelites away from bondage. Early tradition places the route to Mt. Sinai in the southern end of Sinai Peninsula. Even though this route is printed in the map section of every printed bible, the truth is nobody knows for sure if this is where the Mountain of God is located. The problem lies buried in the fact that there is not much archeological evidence to support the theory.

In 1996 a Swedish scientist by the name of Viveka Ponte’n made some very exciting discoveries on the east of the Gulf of Aqaba in Saudi Arabia that collaborate a deeper Red Sea crossing. Among these discoveries was Mt. Jabal al-Lawz the possible location of the biblical Mt. Horeb or Mountain of God. At the bottom of this mountain is another archeological site containing large flat boulders possibly set up by Aaron as an altar. These rocks were decorated with hieroglyphs of Egyptian bulls complete with their distinctive long horns. Also a possible landing point associated with the Red Sea crossing was found near this location.  All these sites were found not in the Sinai Peninsula but on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba in Saudi Arabia. 

In Exodus 13:17, 18 God led the people south to the Red Sea. Additional research by Dr. Lennart Moller of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden, and Viveka Ponte’n produced the only possible departure site large enough to accommodate the fledgling nation of Israel. The site was discovered on the east side of Sinai Peninsula called Nuwaybi Beach. Then again in Exodus 14:2, 3 God tells them to turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth and the sea. Pi Hahiroth translates “mouth of the gorges”. Nuwaybi Beach is a triangular shaped peninsula surrounded to the north and south by 2000’ high mountains and the Red Sea to the east and a mouth of the gorges to the west. As pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them from the west, it left the Israelites trapped with no humanly possible way of escape. 

Now the stage is set for God to show His power, might and strong arm of deliverance. The Lord divides the seas, dries up the land allowing Israel’s young and old to escape the Egyptian army. Once the Israelites are safely across God collapses the walls of water drowning pharaoh’s army. Archeological evidence was found submerged under this 8 mile section of sea that supports Dr. Lennart Moller and Viveka Ponte’n   theory. Coral encrusted chariot wheels, hubs and axles have been located in the waters off Nuwaybi Beach and the Saudi Arabian exit site.

   

A Gift From God

As December quickly approaches soon boxes of colored Christmas lights and ornaments will be hauled out from their dusty resting places in our attics. Beautiful colored glass bulbs and lights will not only begin  to fill and illuminate  our homes but will also remind us of another very beautiful and bright light that 2000 years ago appeared in the world to bring us all hope and salvation. Christmas is, without a doubt,  my most very favorite holiday and season of the year. It is a great opportunity for the entire world to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, our Emmanuel (God with us). God Himself actually being born into His own creation to provide the only “Way” for all men to one day stand in His most awesome presence.

It’s interesting to note, that even in Nepal other religions celebrate Christmas. While in Nepal I was told that some Hindus and Buddhists celebrate Christmas by setting up a tree with colorful decorations and exchange gifts with one another. These people in a very traditional way even without being part of the larger universal church of Jesus Christ celebrate His birth. They honor Jesus even while following their own gods and religious practices, taking the time to acknowledge Jesus Christ, who they admit was God’s great gift to the world. The good news of Jesus Christ being born is the greatest story that will ever be told anywhere in this universe. It is paramount to understanding how “we” as fallen, sinful human beings can be restored back to fellowship with a holy and righteous God.

As we continue our study in the book of Exodus and before moving on through the Red Sea crossing I believe it to be very important to take another look at the institution of Passover. We left off just before Pharaoh let the Israelites leave which is found in Exodus 12:21-28. What is most curious to me is how God imbedded the role and mission of the Messiah and His plan for salvation into this extremely important festival in the Old Testament and Judaism. It can’t be overstated and would be sad if overlooked how God’s plan of redemption was concealed in the Old Testament scriptures. 

In Exodus 12:21 Moses is now instructing all the elders of Israel to prepare for their family’s salvation and deliverance from their 430 years of bondage in Egypt. They were to take a lamb from the flock on the tenth day of Nissan and keep it in their homes until the fourteenth day. Here’s a question for you all, what happens to animals we bring into our homes? Children immediately begin playing and naming the animal and soon it becomes a pet, a pet that unfortunately will be brutally slaughtered in just four short days. The idea God is trying to get through to the Israelites and to us is that our salvation comes at a very high cost. It wouldn’t be until Jesus would arrive on earth that the stark reality of the Passover convocation would come into complete focus. Even as the nails are being driven into Jesus’ hands and feet and as they watched Him die they wondered if they had miss placed their faith in Him.

God instructed the head of each family to kill the Passover lamb. Then they were to take a bunch of Hyssop, dip it in the blood and strike both the lentil and doorposts of their home. In the gospel of John 19:29 we have additional information concerning the use of a Hyssop plant that was used to offer Jesus wine vinegar. Here the Israelites were to strike the wooden members, which supported the doorway or entrance to the house, with the blood from the lamb. In the very same way God invites us to apply the blood of Jesus to the lentil and doorposts of our own hearts securing our place in His presence. What a picture the Passover gives us of how one day the actual Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, would shed His own blood on that old wooden, rugged cross that stood on Calvary. 

The passage goes on to say how the Lord would not allow the destroyer to come into the Israelite’s houses and strike them down. Once we put our faith, trust into Jesus we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and the destroyer has no more power or claim to our souls. The bible teaches that no one or can pluck us out of His hands. And so the Passover was to be an everlasting ordinance forever to be observed and remembered for eternity.  So as we pull out the dusty boxes filled with garland and bows, colored lights, nativity scenes and all our favorite trapping of the Christmas season let us remember the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ who became the brightest light of all.