Looking Back and our Privilege in these Last Days
Yep… we really are at the end of another year! I don’t know about you, but for me it seems to have just flashed by!
Ending yet another year TONIGHT, already we have been fed a diet of YEAR IN REVIEW segments We are led into HIGHLIGHTS of most memorable events of 2017 – good or bad
YET we do not confine ourselves to time such as this to look back….. Oftentimes with longing for the good old days… ‘Glory Days’
- Liberals: Howard years OR even further back, the Menzies era
- Labour: Hawke and Keating years
Did you know Scripture warns against such longing for the past? “Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10)
Such longing for the past also can take the form of ‘wishes’ re living in past Biblical times
- Old Testament, we may wish for some of the things experienced by our forefathers of old. Mt Sinai; Cloudy & fiery pillar; tabernacle
- Temple with its ark of the covenant.
Yet Scripture teaches in reality we possess what our forebears always wanted to have & see “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it”. (Matthew 13:16-17)
Understanding our privileged position in history it is good for us to consider how we should live at this time of God’s plan for human history in a way that will honour Him and bring Him glory.
- THE FOCUS ON THE TABERNACLE
- OUR FOCUS ON THE REALITY OF CHRIST – GOD WITH US
- THE RESPONSE OF THE SAINTS
Readings reproduced on this page:
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1996, 1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Readings
Exodus 35:4–21 (NIV84)
4Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded:
5From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze;
6blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
7ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood;
8olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
9and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
10“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded:
11the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases;
12the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it;
13the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence;
14the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light;
15the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle;
16the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand;
17the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;
18the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes;
19the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”
20Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence,
21and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.
Exodus 36:1–7 (NIV84)
1So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”
2Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.
3They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.
4So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work
5and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”
6Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more,
7because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.
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Text
Hebrews 9:1–5 (NIV84)
1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.
2A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.
3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
4which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
Hebrews 9:19–28 (NIV84)
19When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.
20He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”
21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.
22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
