Exodus 70 - Exodus 30:1-38 Part Two - The Census of the Sons of Israel

EXODUS LESSON 70 PART TWO

If you haven't watched part one, make sure you do.  Can't watch part two unless you have watched part one.  Here's the link to part one ...

LINK - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/exodus-70-exodus-301-38-part-one-the-altar-of-incense-and-the-bronze-lavar/

 

We’re at Exodus chapter 30 and once again we find another example of verses in God’s word that we might read once and never again.  It seems like the detail has no transferable meaning for us now, today, and our walk with the Lord.  So we "read over" the words and seem to say we don't need to understand this detail.

But, we’d be wrong.  This chapter is at the end of an amazing set of chapters from 25 through 30.  It’s all about God’s Holy Dwelling place, His Mishkan Kodesh, or as its better known as His TABERNACLE which comes from the Latin meaning tent.  As we have seen so far as we dig deep, as we put the Mishkan HaKodesh in its historical context, as we try and study the garments of the High Priest and the Priests, as we focus in on the Menorah, the Table of Shewbread, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in their ancient cultural context, we find a depth of meaning so powerful and so related to us today.

The video podcast (I call it a vidcast) is in two parts. 

PART ONE ... is on the Altar of Incense and the Bronce Laver.  Getting the foundational understanding of there parts of Hs Mishkan HaKodesh, we are able to see how this relates to our Lord, our Yeshua, God Himself who came to dwell with us.  Once we study the specific events in Jesus’ life as related to the Altar of Incense and the Bronze Laver, our understanding becomes clearer.  To know the events in Jesus’ life many time s we need to set them in their context in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.

PART TWO ... is on the meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus.  It was a critical meeting and Jesus tells Nicodemus he and all Jews and Gentiles they must be born again.  Nicodemus is confused.  Born again?  We must re-enter our mother’s womb and be reborn.  But, Jesus is talking about a Jewish set of requirements related to Tehveelah – טבילה or immersion or dipping or dunking or baptism in a Miqveh – מִקְוֶה or an object where water is gathered alike a bathtub of a pool. 

                        My personal picture of an ancient Miqveh at the ancient site of Qumran                                         that was in use in Jesus' day.

                                    A modern Miqveh from Wikimedia                                        

It is related to the use of the High Priest and Priests of the Bronze Laver we’ll study in part two of this two part vidcast.  Once we put all this in its historical context things make a whole lot of sense.  We’ll learn that “being born again” was a Jewish concept so well understood in Jesus’ day. 

Here's a link to study the idea of ritual immersion and where it came from.  The idea of Jewish ritual immersion (baptism) is an unbiblical idea.  God never commanded it or created it.

Link - https://www.thetorah.com/article/on-the-origins-of-tevilah-ritual-immersion

Also, in PART TWO we will study the census and the collection of a half shekel from each man 20 years of older; in other words from the Israeli army of those days.  It seems likely that this tax was a means for soldier to pay a symbolic amount for his atonement since he had to kill in battle.  It’s almost as is God is saying, even in a just war, that life is precious, and even killing another, our enemy, in a just war, that God views this as necessary but against His view that all life is important.  The half shekel is a symbol of the bigger picture that all human life is important in God’s eyes even if it is a cruel and evil enemy.  They were made in His image and likeness.  It is a way for the Israeli soldier to do a real act to seek God's "covering" over the killing the soldier may need to do ina just war.

The vidcast ends with God’s directions on making His anointing oil and His incense.  It is the last orders of God for the entire Tabernacle.  The anointing oil is a perfume that is put on all objects and the High Priest and Priests.  The whole Tabernacle was filled with the fragrance of God’s anointing oil.  God knows we can’t see Him.  But, in chapters 25-30 not only do we see His dwelling place and His priests but now we can smell the fragrance of the Lord as we come near to Him where He dwells with us.  REminds me of us to be the fragrance of Christ to the world.  We are to be His disciples which means we are to be like our rabbi.  We are to a reflection of Yeshua to all.  We are to be the Fragrance of Messiah.  ASs God spread His fragrance throughout the Tabernacle so now Yeshua has His fragrance from the annointing oil on Him as Messiah.  And, we are to be like Him and so His fragrance is on us so we spread it to the world. 

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;  to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. 2 Cor. 2:15-17

We end with the incense.  The priest must burn incense when the Menorah is extinguished in the morning and incense it to be burn when the Menorah is again relit for the night as a light shining in the darkness.  Our question might be is God using the cloud of incense to tell us He is here, in the Tabernacle, 24/7, dwelling with His people, and the smoke of the incense is like His Spirt among us?  Perhaps.  It seems to make sense.  Ad our final conclusion to all this is all this is

קדושים ביותר יהוה אלוהינו

Kodesh Bayoter Yahvay Elohaynoo

Most Holy to the Lord our God

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret - in Timnah Park just north of Eilat Israel)

What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0