Kingdom of Priests, Holy Nation

Mo. 2/25/13: Exodus 19:5 – 6                  What were the covenant conditions?

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

What were the covenant conditions? Obey God’s voice and you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (It never happened)

Tu. 2/26/13: Hebrews 7:14 – 16                  Where does Melchizedek come in?

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

Where does Melchizedek come in? Christ is high priest, not after Aaron but after Melchizedek, and forever.

We. 2/27/13: Heb. 7:23 – 25                  Who is the unchanging High Priest?

Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Who is the unchanging High Priest? Christ rose from the dead and has an unchangeable priesthood to intercede for sinner or saint.

Th. 2/28/13: 1 Peter 2:4 – 5                  What are we being built up as?

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

What are we being built up as? Christ is building His Church made up of Holy Priests who now offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices.

Fr. 3/1/13: 1 Peter 2:9 – 10                  What does God now want us to be?

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

What does God now want us to be? As His own special people, God wants to be a Royal Priesthood and a holy Nation.

The Hand Of The Lord

Mo. 2/18/13: Deut. 2:14 – 15                  What did not happen to Caleb and Joshua

And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them. For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed.

What did not happen to Caleb and Joshua? They were not consumed.

Tu. 2/19/13: Joshua 4:24                  What did Joshua say to all people?

that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

What did Joshua say to all people? The hand of the lord was mighty.

We. 2/20/13: 1 Samuel 5:6                  Was the Ark of the Covenant holy?

But the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

Was the Ark of the Covenant holy? Yes, and its presence in the wrong place meant pestilence.

Th. 2/21/13: 1 Kings 18:46                  What did Elijah do?

Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

What did Elijah do? He received supernatural strength and stamina.

Fr. 2/22/13: Ezekiel 37:1                  What happened to Ezekiel?

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.

What happened to Ezekiel? He was brought out in the Spirit of the Lord to a valley of dry bones.

Moses serves the Lord

Mo. 2/11/13: Exodus 3:11 – 12                  What sign did God give Moses?

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Horeb, the mountain of God)

What sign did God give Moses? Moses will serve God on mount Horeb

Tu. 2/12/13: Exodus 10:25 – 26                  Did Moses know how he would serve God?

But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

Did Moses know how he would serve God? No, Moses did not know.

We. 2/13/13: Exodus 12:31 – 32                  What did Pharaoh finally allow?

Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

What did Pharaoh finally allow? Pharaoh let the people go.

Th. 2/14/13: Deuteronomy 9:9 – 10                  What did Moses do?

When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

What did Moses do? Moses brought the law down.

Fr. 2/15/13: Deuteronomy 31:9                  Why did he spend 40 days and nights?

So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

Why was it 40 days and nights? God taught him the Pentateuch!

The Finger Of God

Mo. 2/4/13: Exodus 8:19                    What did the magicians admit?

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

What did the magicians admit? They conceded that only God could do this.

Tu. 2/5/13: Exodus 31:18                  What did God finish and give?

And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

What did God finish and give? God finished speaking and gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

We. 2/6/13: Psalm 8:3 – 4                  What does the Psalmist ponder?

      When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

      The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

      What is man that You are mindful of him,

      And the son of man that You visit him?

What does the Psalmist ponder? The night sky, the work of God’s fingers.

Th. 2/7/13: Daniel 5:23 – 24                  Who did King not glorify?

And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

Who did King not glorify?  He did not glorify God, who held his breath in His hands.

Fr. 2/8/13: Luke 11:20                  How were the demons cast out?

But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

How were the demons cast out? Jesus Christ cast them out by the finger of God!

Hard Hearts And Stiff Necks

Mo. 1/28/13: Exodus 8:13 – 15                   What did Pharaoh do?

So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

What did Pharaoh do? Pharaoh hardened his heart in better times.

Tu. 1/29/13: Ex. 8:31 – 32                   What did Pharaoh’s servants do?

And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

What did Pharaoh’s servants do? They followed Pharaoh’s example.

We. 1/30/13: Exodus 10:1 – 2                   What did God do?

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”

What did God do? God then hardened Pharaoh’s heart with pride.

Th. 1/31/13: 2 Chronicles 36:11 – 13                   What did Zedekiah do?

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.

What did Zedekiah do? He became stiff necked and hard hearted.

Fr. 2/1/13: 1 John 3:18 – 21                  Why should we love?

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

Why should we love? If we don’t, our soft hearts will condemn us.

Firstborn

Mo. 1/21/13: Exodus 4:22 – 23                  What was God’s word through Moses?

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’

What was God’s word through Moses? “Let my firstborn son go!”

Tu. 1/22/13: Exodus 12:12 – 13                  What was God’s sign?

‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

What was God’s sign?

We. 1/23/13: Exodus 12:29                  What happened at midnight?

And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.

What happened at midnight?

Th. 1/24/13: Hebrews 11:27 – 28                  What was Moses’ belief?

By faith (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

What was Moses’ belief? Moses believed that the blood of the lamb would save Israel’s firstborn.

Fr. 1/25/13: Colossians 1:15, 18                  Who is firstborn?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Who is firstborn? Jesus Christ, over all creation, firstborn from the dead.

Promised Land

Mo. 1/14/13: Exodus 3:6                  Who made the promise?

Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Who made the promise? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob made the promise.

Tu. 1/15/13: Exodus 3:8                  What was the promise?

So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

What was the promise? Land was promised as an inheritance

We. 1/16/13: Hebrews 11:13, 16                  What happened to the promise?

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

What happened to the promise? The promise was for eternity. We, too, might die in faith.

Th. 1/17/13: Revelation 21:2 – 3                  Will the promise be fulfilled?

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Will the promise be fulfilled? Heavenly Jerusalem fulfills the promise

Fr. 1/18/13: Revelation 22:5 – 6                  Who was the promise told to?

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

Who was the promise told to? The promise was to Abraham, etc.