January 1, 2006
Scripture:
Can we look at the first book of Samuel; I’m thinking of the second chapter. Our brother read from Exodus 15, a precious portion often referred to on Lord’s Day mornings. In it we see a vast company of people singing. These are people who have been redeemed from slavery and a cruel foe. On the wilderness shore, they sing and praise for their mighty deliverance. Throughout Israel’s history, we see others times when God had to rescue them. In Judges 5, He has again delivered them from their enemies and we read “Then sang Deborah and Barak …” We are reminded that from a multitude of people, it was down to two. And I turn to I Samuel because things only got worse. We find that the office that had most to do with God, the priesthood, was corrupt. Eli was feeble and his sons were wicked. We are told that the light of the tabernacle was almost gone out; what ruin! Don’t we feel it today? This darkness is what makes Hannah’s song so special. In the middle of this corruption, she praised. She had been praying at the tabernacle for a man-child and Eli thought she was drunk. God gave her a child, but she gave it back to God. Listen to her words; you can see where her thoughts are. Read vv. 1–10. So much in that song is prophetic. But we can see that in the darkness, when the priesthood had gone bad and the kings had not yet begun, Hannah provided the man to stand in the gap. W can see in the future when we will sing to the Lord, but what about today? Think of Hannah. Think of Samuel. Think that we can raise our voices as a Sweet-smelling savour to the Lord. Blessed be God, who has made this our portion. As we lift our voices in adoration, praise be unto Him!
EG Hymn 381–I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, Prayer • Who wrote the Bible? God did, through different men over time. We should know the Bible as best we can. We can do this in five ways. 1. Hear 2. Read 3. Study 4. Memorize 5. Meditate • Psalm 1:1–3—Here we have a man who knows the Bible being compared to a tree. This tree has been planted by a river. Because this tree gets it’s nutrients from the water, it has leaves and fruit. If a tree does not get fed, it dies. For us, the water is the Bible. We should be feeding on it daily. When we get tempted, we can use what we know as a weapon against the enemy. Hymn– The B-I-B-L-E
Hebrews 9:11–17 • The first 10 verses of this chapter bring before us the Old Testament types and how they fall short. Now we see that we have a better High Priest, a better tabernacle, a better sanctuary, a better sacrifice, etc. V. 11 speaks of good things to come; what are they? They include many blessings that are ours now and some that are still to come. These come by the greater tabernacle, where our High Priest is now. He can be there now because of His own blood which was shed. He took up our sins before God and was able, through His work of atonement, to give us eternal redemption. The words “for us” are added in the King James and are not in the Darby translation. This is because the writer is focusing more on the work than on the receivers. The word redemption is used here concerning Christ’s work because it is in relation to man; the word atonement would be used concerning Christ’s work in relation to God. V. 13 seems to be speaking about the red heifer, while v 14 speaks about the burnt offering. V. 13 speaks of a physical need: purifying of the flesh. V. 14 brings the spiritual aid: purging of the conscience. V. 14 also mentions the 3 parts of the trinity. In Genesis 1:1, it says that God created; but in the Hebrew, the word used means a 3 part deity, a triunity. We can also see how much better Christ’s work is than the law’s work when we see how v. 14 starts: “How much more …” And that work was done through the Spirit, it says, as were all the major things of His life. He offered Himself; in Philippians 2, we can see that He has “made Himself of no reputation” and “humbled Himself.” Yet when it came to the cross, he did not put Himself on it, although He made Himself a victim. “Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him.” He offered Himself spotless to God. That was essential; only the Lord could have been what was necessary. His blood was what cleansed us from the “dead works” of Judaism and lets us worship a living God. Those under Judaism also dealt with a living God, but with sacrifices for sins. We deal with Him with sacrifices of praise. It isn’t that they didn’t praise God in the Old Testament, it’s that those who did went beyond what God required. EG Hymn 31–Precious, precious blood of Jesus Prayer