Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Our hearths or homes are the Lord’s Tabernacle under the new covenant. To go one level deeper, our hearts are the tabernacle of God for He dwells in us by our faith and His Word. Our faith is an act of our freedom of belief and God’s Word embodies the choice that the Lord makes of us.
Virtually, everything physical in the Old Testament prefigures or symbolizes something in the New. The holy articles of the Mosaic Tabernacle point to the articles of faith and the new life under the new covenant. Two days ago in a time of prayer, the Lord revealed that we must reflect the same sense of reverence towards these that inspired our Jewish forebears. As the saying goes, “holy things for holy people.” He pointed out that we must cut out needless arguments and petty conflicts in our homes and in our midst that violate the sanctity of the Tabernacle.
The multi-pronged golden censer symbolizes our multi-pronged and multi-dimensional life today in which faith and purity should stand out in each aspect as the pure gold of the censer. Every thing we do must be an act of worship, a sweet smelling sacrifice in the eyes of the Lord. The ark of the covenant overlaid with gold that contained the tablets on which the Ten Commandments given to Moses. It symbolizes the reverence for the Word of God. The golden urn that contained the manna symbolizes the promises of God that meets our daily physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and relational needs. Aaron’s staff that budded stands for the miraculous power and grace of God that will vindicate our stand in life. “Buds and blossoms and almonds” or fruits will follow in our lives. The tables of covenant stand for the elements of the Holy communion, the bread and wine that we partake off in remembrance of Christ who made all these things possible and who makes all things possible. When all these articles of faith are in place in our lives, our homes and our churches, then there will be visitations of angels- the cherubim that surround the mercy seat of God on High. Angels form the protective rings around God’s servants on earth just as several rings of police personnel surround heads of state and government. The mercy seat is a reminder that we have all these privileges in Christ Jesus not as a matter of right or on account of anything we have done for God but on account of His mercy and grace.
Prateep V Philip
Prateep – what a beautiful Holy Spirit inspired message on the threshold of a New Year. Truly the Lord is calling us to holiness and to bring forth His glory in each of the multiple dimensions of our lives. Thank you and God bless you and your family for your faithfulness and fruitfulness.
ReplyDeleteOne observation on your sharing: While the manna prefigures more generally the Lord’s promises (as you well pointed out), it more specifically prefigures Jesus’ flesh for the life of the world… He is the promise of the father incarnate, His flesh our ‘daily bread’; He supplies all our needs – including the ‘daily physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and relational needs’, you mentioned.
I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ (John 6:48-58)
Once again, praise God for you and your daily sharings.
Blessings to all for the New Year… May Jesus be glorified and His Glory cover our land.
Warmest,
royston