Tag: old testament
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Preparing the Way
John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God. This man was not Jesus. John, the gospel writer, suddenly stops talking about Jesus in order to introduce another character in his narrative—John. He is not introducing himself. This is a different John, John the baptizer. John the baptizer is a man sent from God. He…
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The Veracity of the Prophetic Witness
I’m always amazed at the accuracy of prophecy as recorded in the Bible. I’m currently looking at the prophetic witness leading up to Christmas for our church, a different part of the messianic prediction every day. Be sure to look for the 25 days of Christmas from Alex, that’s A-L-E-X, Southern Baptist Chapel. From 1,500…
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God’s Law, Just Society, and Our Dishonest Gain: Reflecting on the Plea of Psalm 119
In psalm 119 so far, the psalmist As the psalmist reflects on the Law of God, he continues, Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain (Psalm 119:36). Since the psalmist sees the Law of God as opposite dishonest gain, we get to ask another question of God’s Law–Does God’s Law actually…
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Jesus as Prophet and The Personal Salvation Debate Among Jews in the First Century
In these notes, I first show the point of John 3:1-2 by offering a biblical apologetic for Jesus as having the authority of a prophet to reveal new revelation. Then, I explore the theological environment of First Century Judea in order to provide historical context for Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus. It is no surprise that…
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Food and Drink- Exodus 29:31-46
Earlier, we saw the table of presence given as a reminder that God intended to eat and drink with His people. With the sacrifice of Christ, God would pull His own mercy seat up to the table because the veil would be torn. This eating and drinking imagery permeates all of the religious practices God…
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Ordination- Exodus 29:1-9
Aaron and his sons are ordained for their priestly ministry. The phrase translated as ordain, here (ומלאת יד–אהרן ייד–בניו), literally means to fill the hand of Aaron and his sons. The earliest mention of a type of ordination by the people of anyone to any kind of ministry in Scripture literally means that through ordination,…
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The Bride of Christ- Exodus 28
God instructs Israel to make special garments for the priests. They are to be adorned for beauty and glory. The priests are to be fully covered, exposing none of their shame—in line with the imagery of nakedness in Genesis 3. The garments of the priests were meant to depict two truths. First God is holy.…
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The Accessibility of God- Exodus 27
God instructs Israel to build the bronze altar for sacrifices and the outer court of the Tabernacle. When He finishes instructing them how to build those things, He instructs Aaron and his sons to keep the tent of meeting in order from evening to morning. He instructs the people to bring oil so that the…
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Being Made Complete- Exodus 25:32-40
God instructs Israel to craft a menorah for the Tabernacle. It and all of its utensils are to be made from a talent of gold. Menorahs have six branches with seven lamps. Both six and seven are important symbolic numbers in the world since the creation of humankind. People were created on the sixth day…
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Second Commandment Violations- Exodus 25:10-22
God instructs Moses to instruct Israel to build an Ark which will carry the tablets of the Law and serve as God’s mercy seat—the seat from which He will instruct Moses during the years they use the Tabernacle. The Ark of the Covenant represents the presence of God before the people so that the people…