THE FIRST WORSHIP SERVICE
Genesis 4:4
Genesis 4:4 describes the first worship service and God’s acceptance of a sacrifice in worship. "Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering" (Genesis 4:4, NASB 1995).
The theme of the lamb begins in this passage and is developed throughout the Scriptures until the grand climax in Revelation. The great crimson thread is woven throughout the following passages: Genesis 22:8; Exodus 12; Leviticus 16; Isaiah 53; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:26ff; I Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 5:9, 12; 6:15-17; 7:9-17; 17:14; 19:11-21; 21:7-9, 22, to name just a few.
The ultimate fulfillment is found in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Abel's offering involved the sacrifice of a lamb and with it the shedding of its blood. It testified to the death of a substitute. By faith Abel presented his bloody offering to God.
God accepted Abel's offering, but He rejected Cain's.
Abel brought his offering "of firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions." It was a sacrificial lamb. Cain's offering was far more attractive than Abel's was, but Abel's was what God wanted. Cain offered sacrifices that were the labor of his own hands. Abel's offering anticipated the coming of the Lamb of God. There is only one way for a sinner to approach a holy God and that is through shed blood. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins" (Hebrews 9:22). It is an echo of Leviticus 17:11. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." If you have a problem with Abel's sacrifice read what the same Jewish writer says a little later, " . . . Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel" (12:24). While the blood of Abel was prophetic and pointed forward to that which was to be, the blood of Jesus, on the other hand, declares the whole work of salvation finished. The blood of Abel asked for atonement to be made, the blood of Jesus declared that the atonement had been made (Genesis 4:9–10). Abel's testimony is recorded for us in Hebrews 11:4. It says, "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks."
In the fullness of time, the LORD God sent His Son Jesus Christ to make atonement for sin once for all. What begins as a small ray of light in Genesis shines forth in full noonday sun in the Gospels. Jesus died for our sins, yours and mine. God made Him sin for us in order that we might become righteous in God's sight. I Peter 1:18–21 says, "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
How did Abel know about animal sacrifices? God made Adam and Eve "coats of skin" (3:21). We cannot read that without seeing behind those coats there had been sacrifice and death. Adam must have been the source of Cain and Abel’s knowledge of sacrifices. Yes, attitudes and faith were involved in the first worship, and Abel had the right attitude toward sacrifice and faith in God. Behind that fact some instruction had been given, some method declared, some way indicated by which they were told to worship Him. Worship demands the approach based upon sacrifice. We can never come to God to worship save by way of the Cross. God accepted Christ's offering of Himself for our sins. There is no other way for us to come to God. Are you clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ? The fig leaves of religion, good works, church membership, baptism, high moral standards, and etc. will not cover our sin and guilt. "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Make the Lord Supper the memorial of Christ death on the Mt. of Calvary. Without His sacrifice our worship has no significance and no value whatsoever.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
God’s Sacrifice
Genesis 2:15-17
The tragic story of man’s disobedience is told in Genesis chapter three. Adam and Eve were warned out of the loving heart of the LORD God not to partake of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:15-17). Immediately after they disobeyed God’s command they both realized their guilt (3:6-8). Adam and Eve tried to cover their guilt and shame from God, but they chose a poor cover up (v. 7).
God in grace provided skins to cover Adam and Eve (v. 21). “And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”
God killed the animals to provide the skins. The animals were God’s gift, and not the work of man. The LORD furnished the skins to cover Adam and Eve. They did nothing, absolutely nothing to satisfactorily cover themselves. The only sacrifice God will accept will be His work and His gift. God did it all! That is the way grace operates.
Adam and Eve must have looked on with horror when God killed the animals and used their skins to cover the naked pair. Sin is a terrible thing and always results in death for the sinner. They must have been surprised when they did not die immediately (Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 6:23). However, God in grace demonstrated that it was possible for an innocent victim to die in the place of the guilty party.
The animal would be an innocent substitute. It was an innocent victim. God could not obtain the skins of the substitute without putting it to death and shedding its blood.
Throughout the Scriptures garments are symbols of righteousness, either God’s all sufficient righteousness or man’s self-made righteousness (cf. Isa. 61:10; 64:6; Job 29:14).
The Hebrew word for “garments” or coats of skins signifies a complete covering from head to foot. The same word is used for the high priestly rob, which covered the whole body. Adam’s leaf covering was sufficient only to cover his loins, but God’s provision was sufficient to cover his whole body.
It should be noted the Hebrew word for “atonement” means covering. Their physical covering was bought at the price of the death of some animals, and symbolized the need for a sacrifice to cover the sinner.
The coats of skin with which the LORD clothed Adam and Eve represented righteousness provided by Him so they could stand in His holy presence. The skin God provided to cloth Adam and Eve perpetually reminded them of God’s provision. Moreover, these coats of skin are a type of what God provided for us in the imputation of His righteousness through Jesus Christ. Behind those garments that God made for Adam and Eve is sacrifice and death. No doubt, God had given instructions of some kind about sacrifice. We do not have any exact word regarding this instruction, however, from the context of chapters three and four in comparison with the book of Hebrews I think it is quite logical to accept there is an incipient idea of the sacrifices which will follow in the Hebrew Scriptures. Since a life had to be sacrificed before Adam and Eve could have been clothed with “coats of skin,” there was a substitutionary death. God must always provide adequate covering for man to stand before Him clothed in righteousness. Only in Christ is man ever properly clothed. We look back upon these Scriptures from the perspective of progressive revelation of God with the realization that it was not the blood of the slain animals that took away the sins of Adam and Eve. The deaths of animal sacrifices do not attain forgiveness. The killing of these animals and their coverings of skin pointed to the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God. These animal deaths looked forward to the only death that could possibly cleanse from sin which is the death of Jesus. The only blood that can cleanse from sin is His precious blood.
In the fullness of time, God provided His own perfect sacrifice to cover our sins and provide us His righteousness (Rom. 3:2-26). As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are clothed with His perfect righteousness. How tragic that we go around trusting in inadequate coverings for our sins, when only the perfect all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ will do.
Jesus had to die in order for us to be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which was symbolized by the skins. "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22, NASB 1995). "The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’" (John 1:29, NASB 1995) "He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB 1995).
Genesis 2:15-17
The tragic story of man’s disobedience is told in Genesis chapter three. Adam and Eve were warned out of the loving heart of the LORD God not to partake of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:15-17). Immediately after they disobeyed God’s command they both realized their guilt (3:6-8). Adam and Eve tried to cover their guilt and shame from God, but they chose a poor cover up (v. 7).
God in grace provided skins to cover Adam and Eve (v. 21). “And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”
God killed the animals to provide the skins. The animals were God’s gift, and not the work of man. The LORD furnished the skins to cover Adam and Eve. They did nothing, absolutely nothing to satisfactorily cover themselves. The only sacrifice God will accept will be His work and His gift. God did it all! That is the way grace operates.
Adam and Eve must have looked on with horror when God killed the animals and used their skins to cover the naked pair. Sin is a terrible thing and always results in death for the sinner. They must have been surprised when they did not die immediately (Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 6:23). However, God in grace demonstrated that it was possible for an innocent victim to die in the place of the guilty party.
The animal would be an innocent substitute. It was an innocent victim. God could not obtain the skins of the substitute without putting it to death and shedding its blood.
Throughout the Scriptures garments are symbols of righteousness, either God’s all sufficient righteousness or man’s self-made righteousness (cf. Isa. 61:10; 64:6; Job 29:14).
The Hebrew word for “garments” or coats of skins signifies a complete covering from head to foot. The same word is used for the high priestly rob, which covered the whole body. Adam’s leaf covering was sufficient only to cover his loins, but God’s provision was sufficient to cover his whole body.
It should be noted the Hebrew word for “atonement” means covering. Their physical covering was bought at the price of the death of some animals, and symbolized the need for a sacrifice to cover the sinner.
The coats of skin with which the LORD clothed Adam and Eve represented righteousness provided by Him so they could stand in His holy presence. The skin God provided to cloth Adam and Eve perpetually reminded them of God’s provision. Moreover, these coats of skin are a type of what God provided for us in the imputation of His righteousness through Jesus Christ. Behind those garments that God made for Adam and Eve is sacrifice and death. No doubt, God had given instructions of some kind about sacrifice. We do not have any exact word regarding this instruction, however, from the context of chapters three and four in comparison with the book of Hebrews I think it is quite logical to accept there is an incipient idea of the sacrifices which will follow in the Hebrew Scriptures. Since a life had to be sacrificed before Adam and Eve could have been clothed with “coats of skin,” there was a substitutionary death. God must always provide adequate covering for man to stand before Him clothed in righteousness. Only in Christ is man ever properly clothed. We look back upon these Scriptures from the perspective of progressive revelation of God with the realization that it was not the blood of the slain animals that took away the sins of Adam and Eve. The deaths of animal sacrifices do not attain forgiveness. The killing of these animals and their coverings of skin pointed to the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God. These animal deaths looked forward to the only death that could possibly cleanse from sin which is the death of Jesus. The only blood that can cleanse from sin is His precious blood.
In the fullness of time, God provided His own perfect sacrifice to cover our sins and provide us His righteousness (Rom. 3:2-26). As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are clothed with His perfect righteousness. How tragic that we go around trusting in inadequate coverings for our sins, when only the perfect all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ will do.
Jesus had to die in order for us to be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which was symbolized by the skins. "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22, NASB 1995). "The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’" (John 1:29, NASB 1995) "He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB 1995).
Saturday, September 12, 2009
JESUS CHRIST: OUR HIGH PRIEST
Hebrews 5:10
Paul declared there is "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (I Tim. 2:5-6). Part of the Old Testament economy was the ministry of the priest. He served in mediatorial fashion for Israel. Most important among the priestly family of Levi was the high priest, a descendent of Aaron. He had the responsibility to bear upon his shoulders and over his heart the sin and spiritual needs of the people of God before the mercy seat of God. He stood before God on behalf of the people. If God accepted him and his sacrifice, then the people were accepted before God. So intimately enveloping was the mediatorial relationship that the whole of the people of God were represented in the high priest. Their spiritual standing depended upon his success in the exercise of his office as high priest. Yet in reality, everything the high priest did had no lasting value. He was a foreshadowing of the great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews intentionally contrasts the high priests of ancient Israel with the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ. As they were appointed, so was He-as eternal high priest. As they offered sacrifices, so did He-the sacrifice of his own life's blood. As they were to deal fairly and gently with the people, so did He-for he sympathizes with our weaknesses and knows our temptations. But here the comparison stops. For the high priests of Israel needed a high priest themselves! They were sinners. They had no edge before God in spite of their noble office. While offering sacrifice for the sins of the people, they first had to offer sacrifice for their own sins (v. 3).
The existence of the office of high priest presupposes the existence of the sinfulness and helplessness of man. If man were not a sinner then he would have no need for a high priest to mediate the way to God for him. He could approach God in the nakedness of his humanity without fear of wrath or judgment. But such is not the case. "No creature is hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Every secret sin we harbor, every defiling habit we consider sanctified to ourselves, every rebellious thought and attitude, God sees-and with him we have a day of reckoning.
Such condition of every human heart pleads for God to provide the priestly mediator worthy in his own being and nature to open the way to God for us. Not that we assert this need for God on our own! For the bent of our natures is contrary to the ways and will of God. Every man does what is right in his own sight-not right in the sight of God. But in the richness of divine mercy and for the sake of his own glory, God has shown kindness to sinners by providing the one high priest who can fully identify with us in our weakness and at the same time satisfy all of the righteous requirements of God.
Christ's high priestly work stands at the center of his redemptive activity. It is as a sinner recognizes that Jesus Christ is his very own high priest that he believes unto salvation. Martin Luther pointed out, "It is not enough for a Christian that Christ was instituted high priest to act on behalf of men, unless he also believes that he himself is one of these men for whom Christ was appointed high priest" [quoted by P. E. Hughes, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 175]. As we understand that Christ alone is qualified as high priest, then we will keep our faith focused upon him. How is he your high priest?
The New Testament writers make much of the person of Christ; and rightly so, for the whole of our salvation hinges on his qualification for the divine offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. As this writer has shown in the first and second chapters, it was not an angel or a host of angels that took on the infirmity of a human nature nor did they bear the judgment of God on behalf of the undeserving. But it was the Son, declared by the Father, revealed in the incarnation, and made glorious in his death and resurrection that "by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone" (2:9).
For the writer stresses that while the Jewish high priests were appointed divinely in the order of Aaron to serve their office, the appointment of Jesus Christ supercedes all of them. His appointment is unique in that he has no claim to the high priesthood humanly speaking since he was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. The high priesthood was not up for grabs or given to the highest bidder. It was a sacred trust of Aaron's sons. But Christ was appointed as the only high priest whose mediatorial work would have eternal value. All of the others were mere shadows of Him who would be appointed by God as Mediator. Without a mediator we have no way to God. We have seen that time after time in analyzing our sinful condition. Only one has been appointed. Only one has been accepted by God: the Son whom he declared, "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 5:10
Paul declared there is "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (I Tim. 2:5-6). Part of the Old Testament economy was the ministry of the priest. He served in mediatorial fashion for Israel. Most important among the priestly family of Levi was the high priest, a descendent of Aaron. He had the responsibility to bear upon his shoulders and over his heart the sin and spiritual needs of the people of God before the mercy seat of God. He stood before God on behalf of the people. If God accepted him and his sacrifice, then the people were accepted before God. So intimately enveloping was the mediatorial relationship that the whole of the people of God were represented in the high priest. Their spiritual standing depended upon his success in the exercise of his office as high priest. Yet in reality, everything the high priest did had no lasting value. He was a foreshadowing of the great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews intentionally contrasts the high priests of ancient Israel with the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ. As they were appointed, so was He-as eternal high priest. As they offered sacrifices, so did He-the sacrifice of his own life's blood. As they were to deal fairly and gently with the people, so did He-for he sympathizes with our weaknesses and knows our temptations. But here the comparison stops. For the high priests of Israel needed a high priest themselves! They were sinners. They had no edge before God in spite of their noble office. While offering sacrifice for the sins of the people, they first had to offer sacrifice for their own sins (v. 3).
The existence of the office of high priest presupposes the existence of the sinfulness and helplessness of man. If man were not a sinner then he would have no need for a high priest to mediate the way to God for him. He could approach God in the nakedness of his humanity without fear of wrath or judgment. But such is not the case. "No creature is hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Every secret sin we harbor, every defiling habit we consider sanctified to ourselves, every rebellious thought and attitude, God sees-and with him we have a day of reckoning.
Such condition of every human heart pleads for God to provide the priestly mediator worthy in his own being and nature to open the way to God for us. Not that we assert this need for God on our own! For the bent of our natures is contrary to the ways and will of God. Every man does what is right in his own sight-not right in the sight of God. But in the richness of divine mercy and for the sake of his own glory, God has shown kindness to sinners by providing the one high priest who can fully identify with us in our weakness and at the same time satisfy all of the righteous requirements of God.
Christ's high priestly work stands at the center of his redemptive activity. It is as a sinner recognizes that Jesus Christ is his very own high priest that he believes unto salvation. Martin Luther pointed out, "It is not enough for a Christian that Christ was instituted high priest to act on behalf of men, unless he also believes that he himself is one of these men for whom Christ was appointed high priest" [quoted by P. E. Hughes, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 175]. As we understand that Christ alone is qualified as high priest, then we will keep our faith focused upon him. How is he your high priest?
The New Testament writers make much of the person of Christ; and rightly so, for the whole of our salvation hinges on his qualification for the divine offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. As this writer has shown in the first and second chapters, it was not an angel or a host of angels that took on the infirmity of a human nature nor did they bear the judgment of God on behalf of the undeserving. But it was the Son, declared by the Father, revealed in the incarnation, and made glorious in his death and resurrection that "by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone" (2:9).
For the writer stresses that while the Jewish high priests were appointed divinely in the order of Aaron to serve their office, the appointment of Jesus Christ supercedes all of them. His appointment is unique in that he has no claim to the high priesthood humanly speaking since he was from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. The high priesthood was not up for grabs or given to the highest bidder. It was a sacred trust of Aaron's sons. But Christ was appointed as the only high priest whose mediatorial work would have eternal value. All of the others were mere shadows of Him who would be appointed by God as Mediator. Without a mediator we have no way to God. We have seen that time after time in analyzing our sinful condition. Only one has been appointed. Only one has been accepted by God: the Son whom he declared, "a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
THE LAMB OF GOD
Exodus 21:5; John 1:29
Today’s meditation on the cross is taken from Exodus 12::5 “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year, ye shall take it out from the sheep. Or from the goats.”(KJV). In John 1:29 it says, “…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” (KJV). Notice the two terms in these verses, “Your lamb” and the “Lamb of God”. The first, "your lamb", is a lamb that belongs to man, while latter, the “Lamb of God”, obviously belongs to God. Both lambs were slain to save a people. The first “lamb” was slain to save the first born of Israel from the angel of death by sprinkling the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Israelites’ houses. The marks of blood saved the Israelites. Only those without the marks of the blood were slain by the angel of death, in this case, the Egyptians. The “Lamb of God”, on the other hand, the “Lamb of God” was slain to save a kind of people, the sinners. The first “lamb” is limited to the Israelites, the “Lamb of God” includes the whole world because the whole world is under the condemnation of sin. The first “lamb” is limited in power and scope – to save the children of Israel from physical death. The “Lamb of God” has unlimited power – to save all those who believe in Him from spiritual death. Unlike the first lamb, the power of the blood of the “Lamb of God” is not bound by time and space. It transcends time and space because His blood was shed only once and its effect is for all the peoples of the world and for all time – that includes us.
John, the Baptist as well as John, the Evangelist identify Him. He is Jesus, the Lamb of God. We now remember His sacrifice every Sunday through the Lord Supper. This is one of the confessions that believers have to make that Jesus died for our sins.
Exodus 21:5; John 1:29
Today’s meditation on the cross is taken from Exodus 12::5 “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year, ye shall take it out from the sheep. Or from the goats.”(KJV). In John 1:29 it says, “…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” (KJV). Notice the two terms in these verses, “Your lamb” and the “Lamb of God”. The first, "your lamb", is a lamb that belongs to man, while latter, the “Lamb of God”, obviously belongs to God. Both lambs were slain to save a people. The first “lamb” was slain to save the first born of Israel from the angel of death by sprinkling the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Israelites’ houses. The marks of blood saved the Israelites. Only those without the marks of the blood were slain by the angel of death, in this case, the Egyptians. The “Lamb of God”, on the other hand, the “Lamb of God” was slain to save a kind of people, the sinners. The first “lamb” is limited to the Israelites, the “Lamb of God” includes the whole world because the whole world is under the condemnation of sin. The first “lamb” is limited in power and scope – to save the children of Israel from physical death. The “Lamb of God” has unlimited power – to save all those who believe in Him from spiritual death. Unlike the first lamb, the power of the blood of the “Lamb of God” is not bound by time and space. It transcends time and space because His blood was shed only once and its effect is for all the peoples of the world and for all time – that includes us.
John, the Baptist as well as John, the Evangelist identify Him. He is Jesus, the Lamb of God. We now remember His sacrifice every Sunday through the Lord Supper. This is one of the confessions that believers have to make that Jesus died for our sins.
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