March 17

EXODUS 28
The sun was shining mightily as I waited in the driveway behind the back hedge on that beautiful June noon. It was the perfect temperature for an outdoor wedding. It was past the starting time, but I could wait. Soon my bride would be exiting the front door, circling around the opposite side of side of the house and walking down the aisle created by the columns of folding chairs in the back yard. I did not know it at the time, but her dress wasn’t quite finished. We had long passed the start time because my bride was literally having her dress sewn up in the back—some last minute technical difficulties. Eventually the flautist began playing Ode to Joy! That was her cue. She was absolutely stunning as she rounded the corner and came down the aisle. Arrayed in her beautiful white dress, she had set herself apart just for me, and I delighted in her.
We all know the routine. We have each been to many weddings. But what would you think if the bride showed up in filthy clothing? It is unthinkable. The High Priest of Israel was the representative of the people before God. His clothing was to represent the clothing of a nation as she is presented to her husband, the Almighty God. Is it any wonder that the Lord takes special interest in describing the creation of the High Priest’s vestments? A.W. Pink in his commentary Gleanings in Exodus takes great pains to explain the minutia of these vestments. But what I find of particular interest is verses 36-38 (and Pink does not even address it):

You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

To be holy is to be separate. It is to be set apart for a special purpose. A bride sets herself apart just for her groom. A groom sets himself apart just for his bride. They are set apart for each other. The High Priest was the representative of Israel, the Lord’s bride. He was holy to the Lord. He was set apart for the Lord. Aaron was to wear the gold plate which said, “Holiness to the Lord.” He was to wear it upon his forehead. Now here is an interesting phrase, “. . . That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things. . .” Now there is an oxymoron! The most basic meaning of the word translated ‘iniquity’ is twisted. It is not far from the meaning of what we might say when someone does something that we feel is really perverted. We might say, “Now that’s twisted!”
Can you imagine a bride who was a prostitute coming down the aisle dressed in the scanty clothing of her profession, soliciting all the men on her way to meet her groom and offering herself to them as soon as the ceremony was over? It is unthinkable! You are probably thinking, “You are twisted for even thinking that.” When I think of the phrase ‘bear the iniquity of the holy things,’ that is the word picture that comes to mind. You are probably thinking, “You are twisted! There ought to be a special punishment for you.” It is interesting that in the Hebrew language the idea of iniquity and punishment are barely separated. Sometimes the word translated as iniquity is translated as punishment. How is it that Aaron could bear the iniquity of the holy things?
Perhaps looking at a different translation might help us understand this oxymoron. Listen to how the New American Bible translates it, “. . .Since Aaron bears whatever guilt the Israelites may incur in consecrating any of their sacred gifts, this plate must always be over his forehead, so that they may find favor with the LORD.” The high priest bears the awful twistedness of the people, yet because of the work of the Lord, as he bears that plate, the people find favor with God. It is as if you and I were the harlots dancing down the aisle to be wed with God, prostituting ourselves with everything along the way, but because of the work of the high priest, we are seen by God to be holy and chaste and pure as a bride ought to be!
Remember the book of Hebrews tells us that the things recorded in Exodus are only shadows of the reality found in heaven. The reality is that Jesus is our High Priest. The reality is that He knows my twistedness. The reality is that He bore my twistedness to the cross. The reality is that upon the cross He bore the punishment for my twistedness. The reality is that upon His head hangs the plate inscribed, “Holiness to the Lord!” The reality is that as I am united with Him, God no longer sees me as a prostitute selling myself to every god that comes along. The reality is that as I am united with Him, the death He died for my sin, I die. The reality is that as I am united with Him, the resurrection which He experienced, I experience. The reality is that as I am untied with Him, God declares me holy. He no longer sees me as a slutty prostitute but as His radiant and spotless bride, even more glorious than my bride of almost 38 years. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 76
Sometime ago, I travelled through the Tulsa International Airport. In order to get to security, I walked through Albert Schwab Hall. The hall is dedicated to a WWII hero who gave his life in successfully destroying two machine gun nests in the taking of Okinawa. As I think back on the report of his heroic sacrifice, I think of the description of stouthearted in verse five. His stoutheartedness drove him to defeat the enemy in order to save the lives of the men in his unit.
Israel’s enemies had no shortage of stouthearted men. Asaph called them a mountain of prey. But what does he say about the Lord in comparison to them? He says, “You are more glorious and excellent.” One day our mighty God shall destroy the weapons of warfare of His enemies. His glory will shine brighter than the glory of our best warriors. He will make even the wrath of man to glorify Him. Wow! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ECCLESIASTES 3
“I feel most spiritual when I’m out in the woods. I feel part of nature. Or looking up at the stars. [I used to say] I was an atheist. Now I say, it’s all according to your definition of God. According to my definition of God, I’m not an atheist. Because I think God is everything.” Those were the words of Pete Seeger, a well know folk singer from the 50’s and 60’s and a Unitarian-Universalist. He was known for having written songs like, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I had a Hammer, and for popularizing the song We Shall Overcome. But when anybody from my era reads Ecclesiastes 3, they cannot help but think of the music he wrote for it. He rearranged the words from the KJV and the chorus “Turn, turn, turn,” and the final, “I swear it’s not too late.” The Byrds then turned it into a #1 hit song in 1965. Pete passed away January 27, 2014, four months short of 95 years of age. It was his time. In so doing, he met the God described in the second half of Ecclesiastes 3.
Here are some things that according to verses 11,17&18 that God does:
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.17 I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”
Don Richardson, anthropologist and linguist, has written, Eternity In Their Hearts, a book which, using the principle in verse 11, traces the stories of the one true God through many ancient cultures of the earth. How is it to God’s glory that He has made everything beautiful in its time? How is it to God’s glory that He has put eternity in our hearts? How is it to God’s glory that He will one day judge the righteous and the wicked? How is it to God’s glory that He tests us so that we may see that we are like animals? I think to completely and fully answer these questions would take an intellect that is greater than man’s intellect. We can posit some answers, but they are never quite enough. They always somehow fall short. Yet it is to His glory to put those questions in our hearts and to give us some of the ability to fathom some of the answers.
There is righteousness, and there is wickedness. We know instinctively that we have each committed wickedness. Therefore, we know instinctively that we will one day stand before the judge of all the earth (God), and He will judge us. We know instinctively that we are somehow separated from the Judge, but we are afraid to come to Him even though we know that we should come. We know instinctively that everything is not God. That is nonsense. So how do we come to Him? He has come to us. The Judge of all the earth has come to us. He became a man. He went to the cross in our place. He was judged in our place. That judgment was ugly, but it was also beautiful. The cross is simultaneously ugly and beautiful. The cross makes it possible for us to know Him. United with Him on the cross, we die and our sins are paid for. United with Him in His resurrection, we are made alive. That is beautiful. That is His glory! . Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MARK 15:1-25
I've been told by a couple of people that I am scary. Now that surprises me. I certainly don't view myself as scary. I don't try to be scary. I don't sit around thinking up evil plans. I really try to follow the Lord's command on thinking on things that are of value and of good repute. When I do have occasions where I become aware that I am thinking about someone who has wronged me, I really do try to forgive them and pray prayers of blessing for them. Someone once told me that I am viewed as being scary because I am quiet. In general I am quiet because I really have nothing to say that I think is of value. It’s kind of like that commercial for the movie Nemo. Remember Dora's line in the commercial? It was, "Nothin' in the noggin." That is usually why I am quiet, "Nothin' in the noggin." If there is nothing of value to say, then why say anything? Apparently, that is very disturbing to some people.
Jesus was being tried. In today's passage He answers only one of Pilate's questions, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus' answer is five simple words in English (two in Greek), "It is as you say." In Mark's passage nothing else of Jesus speech is recorded until He is on the cross. It was disturbing to Pilate. He couldn't understand why a man being charged with crimes that could take his life would not defend Himself. Was it because there was nothin' in the noggin? Jesus had plenty of value to say. He could have spoken words that would have gained His release, had he chosen to speak them. What was going on in Jesus' mind? Why was He quiet? He came to die. His will was being played out by being quiet. His mind was active. What was going on in His mind during this time?
Was Jesus contemplating the sin of the Chief Priests or Pilate? Was He wondering upon the cry of the crowds to crucify Him? Was He fixed on Judas' betrayal or Peter's denial? Was He focused upon the torture of the soldiers? Maybe He was dwelling upon what He saw in the cup in the Garden of Gethsemane. Perhaps He thought of the coming Father's rejection of Him. I think Hebrews 12:2 hints at the answer, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." He was simultaneously aware of the pain and shame that He was enduring and of the joy that it would accomplish. He knew it would not be long and He would be seated once again at the Father's right hand. What joy would be there! Joy would be there because He would have accomplished the Father's will and purchased our redemption! He could see what His death and resurrection would affect in my life. My sin would be gone. I would have His righteousness! That would bring Him joy. Yes He was fully aware of the pain. But He was focused upon the joy to come.
There was plenty in His noggin. Part of what was there were thoughts of joy about the Father, about you and me and about the billions of people that He was redeeming. The next time that you are in pain, especially because of something somebody else has done, think upon the glory of Jesus. In the midst of His pain He thought of the joy to come. He thought of you. In your pain, think of Him and the joy to come. When there is nothing in the noggin, why not consider His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John