Tag-Archive for ◊ priesthood ◊

30 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Chronicles (Program #8)

1 & 2 Chronicles (Program #8) – Living Christ for the Expression of God

After the division of Israel into two kingdoms, God was still able to point to some among His people that have not given up their proper standing and had maintained at least outwardly some devotion to His fundamental word.  God’s word at that time of course, consisted of the laws.  But many don’t realize the law came in two sections, both of which came through Moses.  The first section is the law of commandments, were the ten commandments we commonly referred to them.  These are the moral laws that God gave to His people cover all aspects of relationships.  The second section is called the ceremonial law, the laws governing the details of the offerings and the priesthood and the feasts that God established for His people.

Though the kings of Judah stood on the proper ground of Jerusalem and professed allegiance to all the laws of God, in reality they kept neither the moral law nor the ceremonial law.  The result was that ultimately they lost their possession and enjoyment of the good land that God had given them.  What can we, God’s New Testament people learn from such a tragic example?

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12 Sep 2024 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #8)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #8) – The History Concerning Samuel (5)

For a period of 450 years following their return to the good land, judges ruled over Israel. These Judges were supported by the priests of the Aaronic priesthood but the situation had grossly deteriorated and even the priesthood had waned.  God’s reaction was to raise up a new priest with a new priesthood. this one was Samuel, a man that was completely one with God so much so that it can be said of him that his being was like a photo copy of God’s own heart. Through Samuel not only was the priesthood uplifted and restored but the prophet-hood was ushered in along with the kingship and these things allow God a way eventually to bring forth Christ, the ultimate blessing not only to Israel but to the whole earth. How the Lord needs such ones to be utterly one with Him in this age to turn this age so that Christ could come again.

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11 Sep 2024 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #7)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #7) – The History Concerning Samuel (4)

Through Moses and his brother Aaron, God established the priesthood in Israel.  These priests all in the linage of Aaron continued for nearly 500 years.  The final priest of the Aaronic priesthood was Eli. But by his time the priesthood had become stale and had waned.  God desire to  move in a new and fresh way among His people. But to accomplished His move He needed to turn the age and initiated a new priesthood and raised up prophets in Israel and even established the kingship which would paved the way for Christ to be brought forth. The one that God chose at that time for this major turn in His move was the young boy Samuel.  Samuel become the first among a new priesthood and he also become the first prophet of Israel and he ushered in the kingship by establishing David both to be the king and to be the ancestor of the coming Christ.

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08 Sep 2024 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #4)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #4) – The History Concerning Samuel (2)

In the days of the Old Testament priest Eli, the priesthood among God’s people Israel was waning and has become stale.  The situation was deteriorating and yet God desire to move on the earth even to change the age.  But rather than doing something miraculous from the heavens God did what He has always done when He desires to go further with His purpose and move on the earth. He found persons that would  co-operate with Him, that would be one with Him.  In this instance, He found a weak and fragile and suffering sister among His people, named Hannah. Her co-operation was to pray a prayer that matched God’s need and God’s desire.  And from this prayer came a son, Samuel whom the Lord’s used not only to turn that age but ultimately to bring in David and help to bring forth Christ. In God’s move He always limits Himself to work and co-operation with man.

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18 Jun 2024 Numbers (Program #6)

Numbers (Program #6) – Being Formed into an Army (7)

In the Old Testament arrangement, all those who were born in the line of Aaron were designated automatically to the priesthood.  To be a priest was not available to everyone.  But the Lord made a provision for any among God’s people who voluntarily choose to serve Him in an absolute way.  It was called the vow of the Nazarite.  Under the provision of this vow, a person’s living and characteristics were subjected to the highest and strictest standard.  Though such a formal vow with its restrictions is not directly associated with the New Testament economy, in principle, the Lord desires all of His children to be real Nazarite even today, just as the Lord Jesus lived so absolutely for God and to God.  As we look into the vow of the Nazarite on today’s life study.

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28 May 2024 Leviticus (Program #25)

Leviticus (Program #25) – A Concluding Word on the Offerings and the Priesthood

Hebrews is a marvelous New Testament book that contains many passages that are well-known and often quoted by Christians. Yet the book as a whole remains a mystery to a great many believers. The key to understanding Hebrews may well be found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus. As we will see today that the book of Hebrews is an exposition of Leviticus.

In Hebrews 9:11-14 says “But Christ … not through the blood of goats and calves but through His own blood, entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, obtaining an eternal redemption/ For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are defiled sanctify to the purity of the flesh/ How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” more…

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26 May 2024 Leviticus (Program #23)

Leviticus (Program #23) – The Issue of the Priestly Service

If someone were to ask you “what is the genuine priestly service in the New Testament?”  Would you envision priests in long robes and gowns handling various utensils in a big sanctuary?  Or, would you see ordinary believers handling every day, the real and marvelous Christ in their experience.  We are going to talk today about the issue of the genuine priestly service.

This will be a marvelous fellowship that we are going to have concerning this matter of the priestly service and the result of this priestly service.  We’ve seen again and again in these life study messages from Leviticus that these pictures in the Old Testament from the Levitical priesthood really have an application for all of God’s people and that there is the universal priesthood of all the believers in the New Testament.  So we have to apply these pictures to us each day.

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04 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #115)

Exodus (Program #115) – The Lighting of the Lamps and the Garments for the Priesthood (2)

Exodus 27:20 speaks about the Holy Place within the tabernacle and calls that place, the Tent of Meeting.  To God’s Old Testament people it represented their corporate interaction with God.  Bible scholars have  long realized to us, the New Testament Christians, this sanctuary in the tabernacle is a picture of the gathering of the believers, the meetings of the church.  How to meet as seen by the activities in the Holy Place.

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03 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #114)

Exodus (Program #114) – The Lighting of the Lamps and the Garments for the Priesthood (1)

The Bible is a marvelous book.  It truly is like no other book ever written.  But most of us have experienced from time-to-time that it can also be a mysterious book, not that easy to understand.  We may not see that much each time when we come to it.  Yet thankfully others have gone before us.   Through the generations, faithful men have given the keys that unlock this book of books.   Such ones in this century were Watchman Nee and his co-worker Witness Lee.  They not only received the keys, but they passed them on to us.

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02 Mar 2023 Zechariah (Program #5)

Zechariah (Program #5) – The Visions of Consolation and Promise (4)

Zechariah is full of mysterious visions revealing Christ. Listen to the first four verses from Zechariah chapter 4, “Then the angel who spoke with me returned and roused me as a a man is roused from his sleep. And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I see that there is a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl on top of it and its seven lamps upon it, with seven pipes for each of the lamps on top of it; And there are two olive trees beside it, one to the right of the bowl and one to the left. And I answered and spoke to the angel who spoke with me saying, What are these, sir?”

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