Thurs.’s Devo - Betrayed With a Kiss

Read: Exodus 30:11-31:18; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:27-32 God told Moses that when he took a census of the people and counted them that they had to each bring an exact amount of money to the Tabernacle to purify themselves making them right with him. It was the ransom for their soul. To be counted was like appearing before the Lord at the end of our lives and being judged for our lives. The money they gave was to go for the care of the Tabernacle. Instructions was given for the bronze washbasin that was placed on a stand between the Tabernacle and the altar. It was to be filled with water and it would be where the priests would wash their hands and feet before they entered the sanctuary and before they burnt offerings on the bronze altar. The bronze altar and the washbasin was placed outside of the Holy Place but within the tent of meeting. All the people would be able to participate in watching what happened on them. They represented the cross and our salvation and baptism and our sanctification. The holy anointing oil was a formula given to the priests which was never to be replicated. It was to be treated as holy and used on the altar inside the first curtain in the room they called the Holy Place. Only the priests could offer this. This incense represents the prayers of the saints. God anointed Bezalel as a master craftsman to do all the work with gold, silver and bronze. He was to engrave and mount the gemstone and carve the wood for the tabernacle. His name means “in God’s shade”. Oholiab was to be his assistant. His name means “tent of his father”. The Sabbath day was to be a day of the week that was to be totally set apart to the Lord. No work was to be done on this day and it was to be observed forever. God rested on the seventh day and so it was a gift to man to do the same. God spoke all this to Moses then gave him the two stone tables where everything he said was written by his finger. In Matthew, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss from Judas. In John we read that Peter tried to defend Jesus by cutting off one of the soldier’s ears. In Luke 22:50,51 it tells us that Jesus healed it right there. Everyone of the gospels tell about this and from each of them we learn a new part. Mark tells us that this man was a servant of the high priest. This act by Peter was prophetic of how the religious people had cut off their own ear, their hearing from God by rejecting God’s Son. Jesus told Peter to put away his sword because those who kill will be killed. At this point all his disciples scattered and deserted him just as Jesus said would happen. Peter followed at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. Inside, the priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus and give them a reason to put him to death. They finally found someone to do that, only they caught him saying the truth. Jesus had said that he was able to tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days. When they demanded that Jesus tell them whether he was the Messiah he said that in the future they would see the Son of Mans seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest tore his robe in dramatic fashion and cried, “Blasphemy!” to the truth. He proclaimed him guilty and sentenced him to die. So Jesus would die for the truth. Lord, thank you that you are the truth. Thank you for being our atonement for sin.