Showing forth the praises of Him

Let us pray. Our Father, we bow in Thy holy presence to return unto Thee our thanks for these hymns of praise that we've been able to sing before Thee, reminding us of the gracious dealings of our God upon us each one. We thank Thee first of all and most of all for Calvary, as we've been able to think and remember this morning of that one who went and paid that awful price for us.

He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And now we have the privilege of serving Thee. Father, we would be so lost in our service if it was not for the fact that we know there is one that all the way he has led us.

We thank Thee that he has brought us even unto this very day, a day where we can come together in Christian fellowship and enjoy all the blessings that we have in Christ Jesus. And now we just pray that Thou help us as we open the word of God together, that we may glean from it something that will be precious to us, that will guide us, and that will encourage us in our walk with Thee. And we pray, too, for the word that will be spoken to the children in the basement.

We pray Thy good hand upon Thy word. Speak to these young in heart that they might be able to come to know Christ as their own personal Savior in their youth. Now we ask all, giving thanks and commending our ways to Thee for this morning.

In the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. I would like you to turn with me to the book of Exodus, please, in chapter 19. It is a joy and a privilege to be here for the Spanish conference in Hamilton and then also have the privilege of speaking this morning in English.

Exodus in chapter number 19, the children of Israel have been three months on the journey since they left Egypt, and they've come now to Mount Sinai, it's in the wilderness. And in verse 3, it tells us Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagle wings and brought you unto myself. Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a particular treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

If you will, please, to the New Testament in 1 Peter in chapter number 2. 1 Peter chapter 2 in verse number 4, To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Verse 9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a particular people, that, and the idea is, in order that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now, God has promised to bless the reading of his word together that we've enjoyed reading together with you this morning.

The children of Israel are going to spend a long time, actually they're going to be in Mount, before Mount Sinai, in the wilderness for some 11 months and 6 days. It will be in Numbers chapter 10 when they'll start to move again. In Numbers 10 we have the trumpets that are being sounded, the assembly of the people in an orderly fashion, and they're beginning to set forth on their journey in their march towards Canaan.

But here we find the very first thing that God wants to bring before the people. He calls Moses up into the mount and he sets before him a tremendous opportunity for the people of God. And what was that? That they would be a holy nation and that as well they would be a kingdom of priests.

Wonderful to think that God chose these people out so that they could minister before him as a kingdom of priests and then go forth into the world to show forth, as we saw in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9, show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. That was the idea, that was the intent and desire of God that these people would be an exemplary people, a people that would show something of who God is to a godless world. They would have to, God's desire was that they would have a positive impact upon the people that live around them.

Moses came down from the mount and he told the people that. You'll notice we didn't read it, but when Moses said to the people, it says in verse 8 in Exodus chapter 19, all the people answered together and said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do. A good start, but it turned out to be a poor finish.

What happened? Instead of the people of God having a positive impact, a godly impact upon the people around them, the people around them had a devastating impact upon the people of God. Instead of the people around them seeing godliness being displayed through the lives of those children of Israel, the children of Israel began to be contaminated and display the awfulness of the people that were around them in their lives. Look at some of the things that were happening, when you think of it, they went into Canaan and the first things that they saw in Canaan were horrifying to them.

For example, the offering of children before a god called Moloch, who would ever think that people would go so low, that even a pagan would go to that degree that he would take his own precious child, the best he has, and offer it to an idol. And as he put that child upon the arms of that idol, the child would roll down the slippery arms of the idol and then fall at the feet of the idol where there was a huge fire. And to sit there and listen to the cries and the pleading, the wailing of that child, and the mother and the father would turn a deaf ear in dedication to an idol.

How it stirred the hearts of the children of Israel as they saw this horrible thing taking place before them. But wait, it wasn't long and the children of Israel were standing before that same idol and offering their own children to a pagan idol. Oh, the awful impact that the world had upon the people.

They became a people, as Isaiah could say, a people that were perverted, a people that were going astray. And that's the reason why he called to them, let us reason together, saith the Lord. They lost the meaning and the reason why God had chosen them, by being contaminated by the world.

And so instead of being a people that would be a royal people, a royal priesthood, going forth to show forth to others the praises of our God, the one who chose them out of Egypt, out of the darkness, out of slavery, into his marvelous light, into his blessings, and to all the benefits that he had. Instead of showing that, they showed that they were a people that were easily influenced by the world and swayed by its practices, and they became contaminated. And so, God is not able to use them as a nation to be a kingdom of priests.

So God goes and he chooses a family, and that family was called Aaron, or Aaron's family. And then Aaron had four children. And so God set up a family of priests.

And if you were to read into Leviticus chapter 8 and 9 and part of chapter 10, you'll find how God set in order the priestly family of Aaron. And the first thing he tells them is, is that they had to follow, they had to obey all the commandments of the Lord. I think it's something like 20 times in those chapters where the commandment of the Lord is mentioned.

And so this was not a priesthood that was to be done in their own way. It was something that would be done in God's way. And then it was not only the commandments of the Lord that was presented to them, but there was the cleansing of the priests that was important.

They were at that time when they had to be washed completely, and that would speak to us of our salvation, would it not? When we were cleansed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then instructions were given that they had to wash themselves at the laver day after day, cleansing their hands and their feet, the contamination that they would encounter as they moved about. That was important before they entered into the presence of God.

So there were the commandments, there was the cleansing. But then even that, there was the clothing that they wore. They couldn't just casually move into the presence of God.

They had to be dressed in a way that was appropriate, that God commanded. And how wonderful to think that, as Isaiah could say, that we have been clothed in the righteousness of our God. We cannot just enter into the presence of God with our own righteousness.

Paul discovered that. And it was his desire that he might have the righteousness of God. And that was a spiritual clothing, and of course, our own physical clothing would be included in that, moving in the august presence of the holy God of heaven.

What dignity, what honor to be there with him as priest. But then there was also the consecration. For seven days there, and they were instructed that they had to stay within the courtyard.

And seven days, they ministered before the Lord, and seven days, they were instructed of the holiness of God. And in so doing, they learned how to be priest, and the things they were to do, and the things that they were not to do, as the priest of God. And if you remember in Exodus chapter 24, in that chapter, God now is calling not just Moses up to the mountain, but he calls Aaron, and Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of the elders.

And they came up the mountain as well. And it tells us there that in verse number 10, that they saw God, the God of Israel. And there was under his feet, as it were, paved work of sapphire stone.

What an awesome sight it must have been, as those men looked upon God, and they realized it is he that we minister before. We are entering into his presence, and we're going out from his presence to minister before the people, telling the people what God would have them to know, representing God before the people, and the people before God. What a high calling, what a privilege.

And the sense of it fell heavily upon Aaron and his sons as they saw God. I don't know exactly how it fits chronologically, but I understand it was within a year, according to Newberry's chronologically, how Newberry chronologicalizes the Bible. Well, within a year after they had been chosen, they'd been cleansed, they'd been consecrated, they'd seen, they saw God.

And then it says in Leviticus chapter 9, as they come to the close of that chapter, after all of those things, the different offerings are brought, the burnt offering is brought, the peace offering is brought, the meal offering is brought, all these offerings are brought before God. And then the chapter closes this way, that the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people, and there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering, and the fat, the fire that came down to consume. And the fire would speak to us of the holiness of God, the righteousness of God, feeding upon the altar, and the sacrifice that is upon the altar.

And it would speak to us of Christ, and as God looks down from heaven above, and His holiness, and all His affection, as it were, feeds upon the life of Christ, and the beauties of Christ, and the glories of Christ, feeding upon it. As the fire of God's holiness burns with satisfaction, and it rises as a sweet, smelling savor into the presence of God. You remember in those first chapters of Leviticus, and we have those five offerings brought out before us.

And in the first five, we have the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering. And in each case, when the fire is burning, it's seen as a sweet, smelling savor entering into the presence of God. God's delight as a fire burns the sacrifice, the delight that He found in His own Son.

But then we come to the trespass offering, and the sin offering. And again, there's fire, but now it's not the sweet, smelling savor that ascends into the presence of God, but it's a fire that consumes the offering. God's holiness, again, being displayed, His hatred against sin, the consuming fire, and then also the fire of sweet incense, seen in those five offerings.

And here we find in Leviticus 9, the burnt offering is placed upon the altar. The fire of God's holiness comes down and consumes that offering and arises as a sweet, smelling savor in the presence of God. God gets delight out of that.

He sees His priesthood, and He sees those men who have been chosen. But wait, Leviticus 10, two of those priests, the sons of Aaron, who had the privilege of seeing God, they move now into the presence of God. And they're carrying fire, but it's not the fire off the altar.

It's not that which pleases God. It's a strange fire. The word that is used there is the same word that is used in Proverbs about the strange woman.

Something that is totally unacceptable before God. It marks a life that has gone astray, erroneous, and they offer strange fire before the Lord. And what does it say? That fire that came out to consume the offering now is a fire that comes out to devour those two men because what they did was not of the commandments of the Lord.

Oh, the seriousness, the awesomeness, the high calling, the privilege of being able to minister as priest in the presence of our God. You know, such was the awfulness of that which those two men did that God immediately spoke to Moses to tell Aaron, Aaron, do not weep for your children, for those two men. Do not mourn over their death.

It was a sign of God's judgment. And I don't know how he would do it as a father in all the emotions of a father towards his son, but he had to shake it off and he had to realize that God's claims are first and God's commandments rise higher than my devotion and my love to my family. We were seeing that in the Bible study yesterday about discipleship.

Strange words coming from our Lord that lest we hate our mother and our father, our brothers and our sisters, our children, we cannot be his disciple. What is he saying? We would not expect that from our Lord. But he is telling us there is a higher calling, even higher than the importance of the family and how important that is, and we know it is from what the Bible teaches, but there's something even far greater.

It's so far out there in its greatness that it's compared between love and hate. It's kind of like Rebecca and Leah, excuse me, Rachel and Leah. Jacob loved Rachel.

Is it Rachel or Rebecca? I can't remember, but anyway, he loved one. And it says that he hated it up. Now, he didn't really hate her.

He had children by her. But such was his love towards her, and in contrast, it was like hate towards Leah. And such was the call of God to you and me and our devotion to him, that in contrast, everything else is seen almost as his hatred.

That's the disciple. It's a high calling. And so he told Aaron, he said, Aaron, don't even mourn for those children of yours.

They offered strange fire against my will, and they had to be consumed. Now, with all that in our minds, the reverence, the holiness, the beauty of being in the presence of God, but listen, notice, if you will, what it says we read in 1 Peter 2, ye are a holy priesthood. You see, in Exodus chapter 19, it was something that was conditional.

Based on whether or not they would obey his voice, they said they would, but they didn't. Based on whether they would keep his covenant, they said they would, but they didn't. Ah, but sovereign grace has stepped in.

There's a sacrifice that far surpasses that of the animal sacrifices that were placed on the altar. There's the ultimate sacrifice in the blessed person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he has given his all. He's poured out his soul into death.

And now, God does not accept us on a conditional basis, but he accepts us on an unconditional basis based upon the sacrifice of Christ. And he says to you and me, he says, ye are a holy priesthood. Ye are a royal priesthood.

You know, as you think of those two words, a holy priesthood. It's the idea of going into the presence of God. Remember, in Acts chapter 9, after Paul or Saul of Tarsus was received into the assembly there in Jerusalem, he didn't come in right away, you remember.

But when he was received into the assembly fellowship in Jerusalem, it says that he went in and went out. He was with them going in and going out. Now, that's the thought of what we have here in 1 Peter chapter 2, going in a holy priesthood, offering that which is holy to God.

That was our privilege this morning, was it not? As we offered unto God our praise and thanksgivings to him for his beloved son, a holy priesthood. But then tomorrow morning, this afternoon, we're going to go out. There's going to be a work down the road here of preaching the gospel and our testimony at work and the different places where we will visit.

That's the royal priesthood. And he says of the royal priesthood that we are a peculiar people. In order that we should show forth, the idea is to widely make known or to widely declare.

Now, here was a people that were being rejected. They were scattered about the face of the earth because of the persecution, because they claimed the name of Christ. And they were intimidated.

They were going through deep trials, chapter 1 tells us. But God was shaping them and God was molding them. And God reminded them in verse 4 that we read together.

He says, listen. He says, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. He says, that's the way they treated your Savior.

That's the way they treated Christ. They disallowed him. Disallowed indeed of men.

Ah, but wait just a minute. Chosen of God and precious. Then he says, ye also.

Ye also. And so the people knew what it was to be persecuted. Even as they persecuted Christ.

They knew what it was to be disallowed, unwanted. So they did with Christ. Now he says, you are my royal priesthood.

Our brethren and sisters, we minister daily in his presence in prayer. Possibly we have the idea of an assembly maybe. Or a place where we can gather together.

The priesthood made up a priest. Some see it that way. It's all right.

I do too. But then as individual priest, we minister in the presence of God. What a joy, what a privilege is ours.

But wait. We are as the sons of Aaron. They who ministered before the altar.

If you go through those Levitical offerings, you'll see over and over again. It's the sons of Aaron. They're the ones who flayed the offering.

They're the ones who put it upon the altar all in order. They're the ones who ministered. And that's our privilege.

But what would our offering be? What would our ministry be? Without our great high priest. We are priest. But we have one who is our great high priest.

I'd like to share a few thoughts about him in the book of Hebrews, please. Hebrews in chapter 2. While you're looking up that passage, remember to whom the writer of Hebrews is writing. He's writing to a group of people who have and are feeling disallowed indeed by men.

I mean, here's a system that's functioning. Once it was the established system that God put in order. But oh, how it has gone down, it's declined.

Instead of having a high priest, there are two high priests. There's Annas and there's Caiaphas. And they're so linked with the Roman system, the political world.

And they're linked with the system of the religious world. And everything is disintegrated. Up to the point where the Lord Jesus himself in Matthew's gospel, when he went into the temple, the house of God.

And what did he say? Your house, once it was a house of God known as such. But now he says your house is left unto you. Desolate.

Then it says he left. He went out and left the temple. An empty shell.

Ritualism, formality, offerings. Priests were moving in with their garments. Offerings were being made.

Everything looked as if it was right. And yet it was so wrong. And there were a group of Jewish people who came out from all of that.

And they made their claim in Christ as their savior. And now after a period of time, they're beginning to wonder. And they're beginning to feel like maybe we left out something.

Maybe we can have Christ and go back to that too. Oh no, the writer of Hebrews says no, no. What you have is far superior, far greater than what that empty shell represents.

And he goes and he tells them what it is. Let's just read from, pick it up at verse 7 of chapter 2. Speaking of creation, speaking of Adam. The writer says thou has made him, Adam, a little lower than the angels.

It was mentioned in worship this morning. We can understand why Adam was made a little lower than the angels. But how is it that our blessed savior, the creator, the sustainer of all things could be made in a like manner, a little lower than the angels? Let's keep reading.

Made a little lower than the angels, thou crownest him with glory and honor. What is it God is sharing with Adam? With the human race? Something of his sovereignty? Something of his lordship? Something of that power that was given? And man was the one who was in control, we might say. In the sense in which God has allowed him to be.

Of the creation now that God has made. It says, crownest him with glory. Oh, what honor was his.

And it sent him over the works of thy hands. God sharing something of his power and his wonders and his glory with feeble, failing men. And then he says, verse 8, continue on with the thought.

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he has put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. What power God invested in Adam.

But now, sad words. But now we see not yet all things put under him. Oh, the fall.

The consequences of it. All that Adam lost. What joy, what beauty, what honor, what glory.

It was the best. God saved the best of such a beautiful creation. He could look upon it and he said, it is very good.

And the very best of the very good he gave to man. But man lost it. Sin entered into the world.

But ah, listen, verse 9. But now we see Jesus. God's answer to man's dilemma, to man's fall. He says now we see Jesus who was made, here again, a little lower than the angels.

Oh, the place that he had to come to for the sufferings of death. What happened? Crowned with glory and honor. That which man lost, he regains.

Crowned with glory and honor. That he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. What grace, what mercy was so much bestowed upon us, the human race.

Now he says in verse 10, for it became him. It was that which he had to enter into. It became him.

It was that which was, can I say it this way? In order for him to be our great high priest, it became him. It was that which was becoming of him to do. Otherwise he couldn't be our great high priest.

It became him for whom are all things. By whom are all things. The writer never lost sight of who he is and what he deserves.

What he has done. Listen, it became him. Why? To bring many sons unto glory.

Heaven would be empty of the human race had he not come. And it's not just that he's going to bring them into heaven, as wonderful as that is. But he's going to bring them into glory.

That which man lost, crowns him with glory and with honor. Man lost it, but it's going to be regained through Christ. He brings them into glory.

And he has been made the captain, the leader of our salvation. And in so doing, he is perfect. He was made perfect through suffering.

I'm reading from verse 10, the last part. Made perfect through suffering. It became him.

He had to go through this. And he had to go through the sufferings of the cross, of the life that we were hearing about this morning. The joy that God received from that blessed life.

You know, I was thinking how that, in Matthew's gospel, we see the kingship of Christ being brought before us. And there you see the genealogy. And it begins, does it not, with David.

You and I would have said, Adam. Excuse me, Abraham. But no, it begins with David.

Because he's bringing before us the kingship. And then he begins the genealogy. But when you come to Luke's gospel.

In Matthew, he's seen as the king. In Luke, he's seen as the perfect man. That one who came as the man God's... Excuse me.

He came to represent man. And to show man who God is. And represent man before God.

And in that genealogy, he starts and he goes all the way back down to Adam. And he tells us there, does he not, in Romans chapter 5. That Adam is the figure of he who is to come. Of Christ who is to come.

And so when we think of Adam. And we think of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is the last Adam.

The Lord of glory. The Lord of heaven. And we consider his life.

And we consider what he was. As he lived upon this earth. What joy, what pleasure, delight he brought to the father's heart.

And as I already said. He came as a man. He showed us the father.

That's what... Was it Philip that asked that in John chapter 14? Show us the father. And the Lord could say, have you been so long with me? And I've not seen the father. He was that man who came to show us the father.

But as our great high priest. He is everything that a man was supposed to be. And he takes that perfectness, perfection.

In before the father. So he can show man to the father. That's our Lord.

That's all that he is to us. He's everything to us. And so we consider his life.

We consider his beauties. We see him as the one. As the last Adam.

I like that. Because God did not have one in reserve. When he made Adam.

Adam was a wonderful creature. Adam had everything that any man could ever want. But God had to have a reserve.

If I can use it that way. He had to have a backup. I say that reverently.

Because Adam was going to fall. And he did fall. But when he sent his son.

He was the last Adam. There was no reserved. There was no backup.

Everything was upon him. And he did not fail. He did everything to please the father.

So you and I as we think of him. It became him. And when he became him.

It says in verse number 14. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. That's you and me.

We were born in this world. We have no control over it. We came into it.

But he. Also himself. Likewise.

Took part. He did what we could not do. Yes he came to become one with us.

But he chose where he was going to be born. He chose his parents. It was all pre-planned.

The incarnate one took part. And why did he come? To destroy him that had the power of death. And that is the devil.

Would you not see a David in this? As he goes down into the valley. Meets that one who had the power of death. The Goliath.

And he destroys him. And he delivers them through fear of death. Who were all the lifetime.

Subject to bondage. But drop down if you will. Verse 17.

Wherefore in all things. It behooved him to be made. What? Like unto his brethren.

There we have something similar. As we have in verse number 10. For it became him.

Here it behooved him. To be made like unto his brethren. That he might be.

What? A merciful. And faithful. High priest.

In things pertaining to God. Merciful. Towards you and me.

Faithful. In every way. Towards God.

Think of this one who is. Merciful for a moment. Think of his life.

My mind goes to. John chapter 6. There is thousands of people sitting out there. Hungry.

There is a need. And here are the disciples. Wringing their hands.

Having sympathy for the need. They are sad that they can't help. But then there is a merciful.

High priest. He turns to. He turns to Philip and he says.

Philip what are we going to do? Philip says well. We got 200 pennies worth of bread. But.

It's not sufficient. He turns to Andrew. And Andrew says.

Well we have five barley loaves. And two small fishes. But what are they amongst so many? And then he takes those.

Barley loaves and those fishes. And then he prays. And somewhat like the day of creation maybe.

You see God could have spoken one word. And everything could have been put in place. But somewhat like creation.

As it unfolded day after day after day. Those disciples came. To the hands of the Lord Jesus.

And from his hands. There was the unfolding. Of all that was needed.

To supply the great need. Of all those people. Not just to meet their need.

But in abundance there was 12 baskets left over. You know. In the work of the Lord.

We meet all kinds of people. With all kinds of problems. And anyone that's in any kind of leadership.

In the things of God. Often times you hear the needs. And you wring your hands.

And you say Lord. How can I help this person? What can I say? I can tell them I'll pray for you. And I don't want that just to be a cliche.

That well it's a good easy way out. No it's the best I can do for them. And it is sufficient.

In all that I can do. But as I pray for them. I'm commending them into the hands.

Of the all sufficient one. The one who can supply all our need. Paul says.

And he's our great high priest. But how does he do it? Reluctantly? No no. I gotta quickly hit this.

Verse 18. For in that he himself had suffered. Being tempted.

Not to see if he would sin or not. He could not sin. But being tempted.

In the sense that. He could be the qualified one. To meet our every needs.

To understand. To identify with us. In all his holiness.

There in Luke chapter 4. Where he was in the wilderness. Forty days. Forty nights.

He went through it all. Why? So that he is able to succor. Them that are tempted.

Let me tell you a quick story. To explain that verse to you. When I was learning Spanish in El Salvador.

One day we were coming out of a doctor's appointment. Our little son was quite sick. And I had him in my hands.

And as I round the corner. And I saw a man in my car. In our car.

I came running up to him. And he started to back off. But then.

When he saw that I had a child in my hands. He pulled out his machete. And he came back.

Towards me. Meanwhile my wife was at the corner. Teaching me a word I never knew before.

And she was yelling. Socorro. Socorro.

Socorro. That means sucker. Sucker.

Sucker. And fortunately there was a van pulled alongside. On the edge of the road there.

And two men jumped out. And one had what we call. Nunchucks.

And with those nunchucks. That's the way he was handling those nunchucks. He knew exactly what he was doing.

And he came running up to me. And to this man. And when that man saw.

That man with the nunchucks. He put his machete back into the. Into his sheath.

And he took off. Because he knew he had no match against that man with the nunchucks. Well that's the idea.

Christ comes running. The sucker. To meet.

Our every. Need. Let us pray.

Our father we do thank thee for. That one who we claim as our great high priest. Israel had a. A high priest.

But oh father we have one who is far superior. And he is the one. Who sits at thy right hand.

And he represents us. To thee. And we thank thee father.

That he represents thee. To us. And we thank thee for all that he is.

And we thank thee that we can serve him. And we pray that we may do so. Bless our day.

Bless us each one. Bless the assembly. Preserve it for thine honor and glory we pray.

And bless thy word that is spoken to the children. For we ask it in the precious name. Of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.