Sermon # 22
Leviticus Sermons
Title: “The Thing Which The Lord Commanded”
Text: Leviticus
8:1-36
Subject: Reverencing
the Word of God
Date: Sunday
Morning – December 9, 2001
Tape # W-73b
Readings: Psalm
119:33-38 & 2 Chronicles 34:1-33
Introduction:
Proposition: Nothing is more important to
our God than his Word. In fact, the psalmist declares, “Thou hast magnified
thy word above all thy name” (Ps. 138:2). Have you ever noticed that?
(Psalms
138:2) "I will worship toward thy
holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for
thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."
I recall the first time I really read that statement. I thought, “How can that be? What does the Lord mean by that. Surely, it does not mean what it appears to mean.” But the fact is, it means exactly what it appears to mean. Nothing is more important to our God than his Word.
What is more important to you than your word? Your word is but
the reflection of you. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh.” We reveal what we really are by our speech.
The same is true of our God. His Word reveals what he is. His
Word makes his character known. His Word declares his will. It is only by his
Word that we know him. It is only by his Word that he speaks to us, leads us,
comforts us, and teaches us. If we honor God’s Word, we honor him. If we
dishonor his Word, we dishonor him. David, being a man after God’s own heart,
understood how highly God had magnified his Word. – “Thou hast magnified thy
word above all thy name.” – Oh, that we might learn this and learn to honor
God’s holy Word.
Because he has so greatly honored his Word, the Lord God has
given special sanctions concerning it (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Pro. 30:6; Rev.
22:18-19).
(Deuteronomy
4:2) "Ye shall not add unto the
word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that
ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."
(Deuteronomy
12:32) "What thing soever I
command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from
it."
(Proverbs
30:6) "Add thou not unto his
words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
(Revelation
22:18-19) "For I testify unto
every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
this book: {19} And if any man shall take away from the words of the
book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this
book."
With those things in mind, Let’s read Leviticus 8:1-5 together.
·
Chapters
1-7 Sacrifices of Worship
·
Chapters
8-9 The Consecration of the Priests
(Leviticus
8:1-5) "And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying, {2} Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments,
and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a
basket of unleavened bread; {3} And gather thou all the congregation
together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. {4} And
Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together
unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. {5} And Moses said
unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be
done."
I have taken the words of verse five as the
title of my message. -- The Thing Which The Lord Commanded To Be Done." I want us to put
ourselves into this passage. Let us now, as we have come together in the house
of God, seeking to hear his Word, worship him, through the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ our great High Priest.
I.
Like Israel of old, we have come
today to the house of God.
As the children of Israel
were gathered together in one place, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
with Aaron, the holy anointing oil, the sin offering, and the rams and
unleavened bread for offerings of thanksgiving and praise, symbols of
consecration to the Lord, so we have come here.
·
To
the House of God, the place of worship.
·
With
the Lord Jesus Christ: -- Our Great High Priest, -- Our Sin Atoning Sacrifice,
-- Our Altar.
·
With
the Holy Anointing Oil – The Holy Spirit.
·
Bringing
our Offerings of Praise, Thanksgiving, and Consecration to Our God!
How blessed we are to have this great privilege! This is our Bethel, the House of God. – “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord!”
(Psalms
84:1) "To the chief Musician upon
Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable are thy
tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!"
(Psalms
27:4) "One thing have I
desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of
the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to
inquire in his temple."
One Body
How different things are in the house of God than in the places where Baal is adored. – Here the whole assembly comes together as one, upon the same footing. There are no big dogs, or little dogs here, just dogs!
Same
Privileges
All here enjoy the same
privileges and have the same responsibilities. Like Israel of old, we have all
come here to one place, at the altar of God (Christ), to behold him (our
Divinely Appointed Mediator and Priest), who has been entrusted with the
everlasting care of our souls.
Same
Purpose
Each one, the lowest and the
highest, the richest and the poorest, the most learned and the most unlearned,
the strongest and the weakest, the most pure and the most polluted, the oldest
and the youngest, the fathers, the young men, and the babes, the men and the
women has his place. All are standing upon the same ground. All have come for
the same reason. – To gaze upon God’s High Priest, the sacrifice which he
offered, and the gorgeous robes with which he was adorned as he did his work
for them!
Same
Needs
We have come here, each with
our own specific, peculiar needs. The God of Israel would have us see and see
clearly that each of our individual needs are supplied by our great High
Priest. – Look, yonder, needy soul of mine! What need do I have that is not
fully supplied in that Man who stands in the Holy Place?
·
His
blood is our atonement.
·
His
perfection is our righteousness.
·
His
shoulders are our strength.
·
His
wisdom is directs our lives.
·
His
heart is moved with the feeling of our infirmnities.
·
His
bounty is our supply.
·
His
power is omnipotence.
·
His
faithfulness is sure.
·
His
grace is abundant.
·
His
acceptance is indisputable.
Every aspect of our Priest’s gorgeous attire is designed by God to tell us and assure us that he is both qualified and able to meet our souls’ every need. – He wears a coat of blue, and purple, and scarlet, interwoven with strands of beaten gold! – His golden girdle is faithfulness! – Upon his very heart he carries our names! – In him is all Light and Perfection! – Upon his miter there is the golden, holy crown, inscribed with “Holiness to the Lord!” – Can you hear the golden bells of the gospel ringing out the glad tidings of grace?
“The gospel bells in music
tell
The story that we love to
swell
Of peace on earth, good will
to men:
Ring out sweet bells, ring
out again!”
II.
Like those worshippers of old, we
have come here with great need.
Have you ever thought of the many needs represented in that vast congregation in the wilderness? -- Some, no doubt, were so needy that they were insensible to their need. – Others came to the house of God with heavy, heavy hearts. – Grieving with bereavement. – Broken with sorrow. – Heavy with care. – tortured with guilt. – Hungry. – Thirsty. – Weary. – Heavy Laden!
A.
Yes, thank God, it is true, we who are the Lord’s are one with that Man
who is at his right hand.
As Israel was one with Aaron
symbolically in the holy place, we are really and truly one with Christ,
members of his body.
·
In
Election.
·
In
the Covenant.
·
In
His Obedience.
·
In
His Death.
·
In
His Resurrection.
·
In
His Glory.
Being one with Christ, we are accepted in him, accepted with him, accepted for his sake. All our sins are blotted out. In Christ, before God, we have no spot of sin, no wrinkle of infirmity, no blemish or flaw of any kind. As one of the old writers put it, “All is fair and lovely beneath the eye of God.” This is our joy, our consolation, and our peace (Eph. 2:5-10; Col. 2:6-15; 1 John 3:5; 4:17).
(Ephesians
2:5-10) "Even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And
hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus: {7} That in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus. {8} For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man
should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
(Colossians
2:6-15) "As ye have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: {7} Rooted and
built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving. {8} Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ. {9} For in him dwelleth all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily. {10} And ye are complete in him, which is the
head of all principality and power: {11} In whom also ye are circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: {12} Buried with him in
baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. {13} And you, being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; {15} And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it."
(1
John 3:5) "And ye know that he was
manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."
(1
John 4:17) "Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he
is, so are we in this world."
B.
Yet, so long as we are in this wilderness, we are in the place of need.
Needy souls need no convincing. Our need is great. We know it. We acknowledge it. We are here in the house of God because we need him.
·
Our
weakness needs his strength.
·
Our
tried souls need his grace.
·
Our
tempted hearts need the grip of his mighty hand.
·
Our
wandering affections need his correction.
·
Our
falls need his restoration.
·
Our
sins need his forgiveness.
·
Our
filth needs his cleansing.
·
Our
coldness needs his fire.
·
Our
death needs his life!
C.
O my needy soul, look away to Christ!
My dear brother, whatever your soul needs this hour, Christ is the supply. -- My heavy-hearted sister, whatever it is that your heart demands this moment, Christ is the supply! – O poor sinner, all that you need Christ is, Christ has, Christ gives!
·
His
blood meets the demands of my troubled conscience!
·
His
life meets the demands of my soul this day!
That brings me to my third
point.
III.
We have come here, I hope we have, to see, and
worship, and hear from our God through the person and work of one
representative Man, the Man Christ Jesus.
God will not receive us,
accept us, forgive us, hear us, speak to us, or allow us to speak to him, but
by a Mediator, a Priest, an Intercessor, an Advocate, a Substitute. And that
one Man by whom we can and do come to God, by whom God speaks, in whom God is
well-pleased, in whom we see and worship God is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is
our Priest, our ever-living Priest, our Priest in the Holy Place above.
·
Christ’s
obedience in his humiliation, as the second Adam, brought in everlasting righteousness
for us (Rom. 5:18-19).
·
Our
Savior’s death as the Lamb of God, our sin-atoning Substitute, satisfied all
the demands of God’s holy law and forever put away our sins (Heb. 9:26;
10:10-14).
·
But
it is our Savior’s life in Heaven above, as our great High Priest, which
secures our souls in life (Rom. 5:10-11). – Christ’s priestly work is done only
in heaven, in the holy place not made with hands[1].
(Romans
5:6-11) "For when we were yet
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. {7} For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
{10} For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
{11} And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
It is his presence in the sanctuary above that gives us hope and
assurance. It is his presence above that causes us to rejoice. We could not
stand for a second down here, if he did not live for us there. It is our
Savior’s life yonder in heaven, the life of him who died, and rose, and
ascended on high assures us of our everlasting, immutable salvation and
acceptance with the holy Lord God (Heb. 8:3-4; 9:11-12, 24).
(Hebrews
8:3-4) "For every high priest is
ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer. {4} For if he were on earth,
he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts
according to the law:"
(Hebrews
9:11-12) "But Christ being come an
high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; {12} Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
(Hebrews
9:24) "For Christ is not entered
into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true;
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"
(1
John 2:1-2) "My little children,
these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: {2} And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world."
IV.If we would truly worship
the Lord our God, -- if we would see and hear from the God of heaven, --if we
would see the glory of God, we
must worship him according to the revelation he has given in his Word.
If you will carefully read
this eighth chapter of Leviticus one more time, you will see that everything in
the worship of God is dictated by the Word of God. Listen to me. Now. God help
you to hear me, for Christ’s sake. – We will either come to God the way he
requires, or we cannot come to him at all (Lev. 8:5; 9:6).
(Leviticus
8:5) "And Moses said unto the
congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be
done."
(Leviticus
9:6) "And Moses said, This is the
thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD
shall appear unto you."
Let those words sink down into our hearts. – “This is
the thing which the Lord commanded
to be done.” Then, after every aspect of this holy service, we are
told, “So the Lord hath
commanded.” This is repeated seven times in this chapter.
(Leviticus
8:9) "And he put the mitre upon
his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the
golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses."
(Leviticus
8:13) "And Moses brought Aaron's
sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets
upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses."
(Leviticus
8:17) "But the bullock, and his
hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD
commanded Moses."
(Leviticus
8:21) "And he washed the inwards
and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a
burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto
the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses."
(Leviticus
8:29) "And Moses took the breast,
and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram
of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD commanded Moses."
(Leviticus
8:34) "As he hath done this day, so
the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you."
(Leviticus
8:36) "So Aaron and his sons did
all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses."
Moses did not say, This is the thing that is expedient, or
agreeable, or suitable. – He did not say, This is what people want and expect.
– He did not say, This is what the fathers, the elders, and our creed require.
– Moses did not say, This is what history and custom demand. The man of God
recognized no such authority. He said, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded!”
In Moses’ estimation, there was but one, solitary, authoritative
voice by which the kingdom of God must be governed, and that solitary voice of
authority was the Word of God.
(2
Timothy 3:16-17) "All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17} That the
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
·
Our
Only Source of Doctrine!
·
Our
Only Rule of Faith and Life!
·
Our
Only Guide in Worship!
What would be the result of this strict adherence to the Word of
God? – “The glory of the Lord will
appear unto you!” Is God as good as his Word? Let’s see…
(Leviticus
8:36) "So Aaron and his sons did
all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses."
(Leviticus
9:23-24) "And Moses and Aaron went
into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people:
and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. {24} And there
came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt
offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and
fell on their faces."
·
Moses
and Aaron (Truth and Mercy) went in before the Lord.
·
Moses
and Aaron (Truth and Mercy, Justice and Grace) came out and blessed the people
on the basis of a sin-atoning sacrifice.
·
The
glory of the Lord appeared. – “A fire came out from the Lord and consumed” the sacrifice.
·
When
the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. – If ever you see what
these folks saw, you will do what they did. – You will shout Jehovah’s praise
and fall on your face before him!
(Revelation
4:10-11) "The four and twenty
elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth
for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, {11} Thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
(Revelation
5:9-10) "And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; {10} And hast made us unto our God
kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
[1] There are no priests on earth, except as all true believers are made priests unto God in Christ.