Sunday, February 9, 2020

Sun.’s Devo - Annointing the Priests

Read: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8::14-26
Aaron and his sons were to be sanctified with a meat offering and unleavened bread. The priests were to dress Aaron in his garments while they wore only the tunics, headbands and sashes. In Ephesians these would be our helmet of salvation, belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness.
The blood from the sacrifice was to be sprinkled on the horns of the altar for atonement for them. The bull’s flesh was to be burned outside the camp as a sin offering.
Jesus, as our sacrifice was crucified outside of Jerusalem as our sin offering.
Blood was to be put on Aaron’s and his son’s right ear, right thumb and right big toe. The right side stands for the natural side. It stands for our fleshly side which needs the blood applied so we can be sinless in our hearing, our doing and our walk.
The baskets of bread were waved before the Lord like the Word of God that we speak back to him over our circumstances and in our worship. Only the priests could eat the cooked meat and the bread from the basket. Only Christians can understand the meat of the Word and its revelation.
They were to offer a sacrifices every day for seven days. Seven days stand for a lifetime. Every day the blood of Jesus is just as powerful as it was the day before. It never loses its power.
There was to be a sacrifice in the morning and at twilight. In the temple at the time of Jesus death, the morning sacrifice began at 9 in the morning. This was the time that Jesus was nailed to the cross. They had to end their sacrifices by 6 because the next day was the Sabbath. Jesus died at 6. Everything the priest did was to point to Jesus and his life and death on the cross.
The altar of incense would be placed right beside the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The High Priest would take the incense inside the Holy of Holies as a picture of us bringing their prayers of atonement and mercy for our nation, to God. It was to be done every year on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippor.
In Matthew, Jesus was nearing his death and he knew it. He had all his disciples eat the Passover meal with him. He exposed his betrayer even though no one seemed to catch his words. Jesus explained to them that his blood was the wine and his body was the bread. They didn’t understand at the time, but they would later. He told them that they would all desert him. Peter disagreed so he had to be humiliated. It is better to just say, “Yes, Sir” when God tells you something. Peter learned, eventually.
Jesus took his disciples to pray with him and they couldn’t stay awake. Jesus was used to spending the night in prayer but they weren’t use to praying much at all. I wonder if he questioned God if they were ready for him to leave them. Jesus had to trust that his Father knew best. The good news was that he told them he would go ahead of them to Galilee. There he would give them the gift of the Holy Spirit and they would be lit on fire for Him.
We have those same feelings of doubt when we leave our kids at college for the first time, send our kids to school on their first day, or get a bad prognosis. We have to trust that Father knows best.
Lord, help us to dress everyday in our armor that equips us to win over sin and walk in the steps of Jesus. We put our trust in you.

No comments: