Sun.’s Devo - Trial by Fire

Read: Exodus 30:11-31:18; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:27-32
Today we read a very important scripture that explains why a plague broke out when David numbered the people. God didn’t tell them never to count the people but gave explicit guidelines about how to do it. To number the people was to hold them accountable for their sins. It was like calling them to the judgement seat. So that they would have their sins covered, they were to pay a ransom for their life of a half a shekel of silver which was about one-fifth of an ounce. Silver is the metal of redemption and five means grace, which is how we will be counted in the end if we have Jesus.
For the tabernacle, they were to make a basin and fill it with water for the priests to wash their hands and feet before they started sacrificing the animals. This stood for sanctification so their sins would not condemn them.
They were to make an anointing oil made by a special formula of spices and oil to anoint the sanctuary, the furniture, all the utensils and the priests. It was never to be duplicated for the people to use.
Bezalel from the tribe of Judah was chosen by God to make all the designs in gold silver and bronze and the gem stones. His name means “in God’s shade” which means he was a picture of God in his work. Aholiab from the tribe of Dan was chosen to make the furniture, the tabernacle itself, the priest’s garments and the oil. His name means “tent of the father”. He was a picture of how God is in us to do his work on the earth.
We are told that we are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit and we have been chosen to do God’s will on the earth.
Lastly, God gave the commandments about the Sabbath which is extremely holy to him. It represents God’s last millennium on earth where we live him through us and nothing is work. These two men exemplified this time.
In Matthew, Jesus is arrested and tried. It is four days before Passover making it the tenth of Nisan. On the tenth of Nisan in the Old Testament, they were to select a lamb and bring it into their house for inspection. For four days they were to inspect the lamb they had chosen to make sure it didn’t have any blemishes. Jesus was first brought before the Sanhedrin to be questioned and no evidence requiring death could be found. They finally condemned him on his own testimony that he would tear down this temple and rebuild it in three days. They called it treason and pronounced him guilty of death. None of what they did would stand up in their own courts of justice or in Rome’s. They crucified Jesus on shear hatred and jealousy.
Lord, help us to cover what we don’t understand with love and keep our accusations to ourselves. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross for our sins.