the watcher

Exodus 30:11-13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the Lord. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them. Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) Giving has been one area of worship that could be controversial. The reason is not far fetched - - "human interference" Generally, there is no way you will be part of a family or group without contributing one thing or the other. The children of Israel owed their life to God, he had rescued them from the hand of their oppressors, it was little to ask for a little piece of silver each time there was a census. It seemed as if it was to say "Thank You Lord that I am among the living". Exodus 30:14-15 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred ...

Exodus 30:6-8 Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there. “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. What do the incense and sacrifice signify today. What do we do on the altar? The book of Psalms points us to it: Psalm 141:2 (kjv) Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice. We no longer offer animal sacrifice neither do we burn incense or do all the other rituals which were shadows of things to come because they were all fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Anyone still doing them is only trying to play a religious pattern, as we saw days ago, Chri...

Exodus 29:42 “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation. Offer them in the Lord’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you. As we said yesterday, the daily sacrifice had to be done everyday but Christ came to make the sacrifice once and for all. Hebrews 10:10-12 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Religion tries to bring back all those old practices, it is an accumulation of the unnecessary for all have been fulfilled in Christ Jesus. We cannot keep trying to validate ourselves, Christ has validated us, we are to hold on to tha...

Exodus 29:1a “This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests:  Reading through Exodus 29, you see the various procedures that had to be done to ordinate the priests, Aaron and his sons. All of the procedures have significances which I am not able to explain in this devotional.  However, what we know is that Christ has fulfilled them all by paying a higher price that the blood of rams, bulls etc could not pay. Anyone trying to return to this practice is actually wasting time because a better sacrifice has been offered, an everlasting sacrifice, which we have in Christ Jesus. Isaiah 1:11-13 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord.  “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle.  I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningles...

Exodus 28:35-36,38 Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the lord, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the Lord’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die. “Next make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave it like a seal with these words: holy to the lord. Aaron must wear it on his forehead so he may take on himself any guilt of the people of Israel when they consecrate their sacred offerings. He must always wear it on his forehead so the Lord will accept the people. Aaron and his sons were the first priesthood for the people of Israel, the lineage continued along that bloodline. However, just as scripture records, it was a shadow of things to come. Christ, our great High priest was to be revealed at a later time. He was not a priest to Israel alone, but for the whole world. Luke 4:14,18-19,21 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. “The Spirit of th...

Exodus 28:29-30 “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the lord. Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the Lord’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the Lord. When we read the old testament we should always remember: Colossians 2:17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Also remember that Christ made all believers priests - the "religion" folks, do not like hearing this, however they can't be greater than Christ! Listen: Revelation 1:6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Ro...

Exodus 28:2-3 Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. The Lord instructed that special clothings be made for Aaron and also another set for his sons to distinguish them as priests for Him. They needed to adorn this clothings to be able to serve as priests to God thereby being able to worship. Exodus 28:4-5 These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests. So give them fine linen cloth, gold thread, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was very important to God that these clothes be made with a special design. Notice two descriptions of the garments: Exodus 28:2 Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glori...