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Toledo, November 1975, Second reading meeting.
154.
Opportunity offending. Verse three, Yes. On Lost on Change.
Recall my heart enjoying all its right to see things and parts a fertility attention.
Oh.
My God.
I am here. I want.
To buy.
My first brother Anderson, 1St State.
First, The Crystal of Peter, chapter 2 and verse 6.
Wherefore also is contained in the Scripture.
Behold our lands, I am the chief cornerstone. Elect precious, neither believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Under you, therefore, which believe he is precious, but understand which we disobedience, the stone which the builder disallowed, the same as made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rocket offense. Even to them we stumbled at the word being disobedient, for under altar they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
A peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time passed, were not of people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts with war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good words, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King of Supreme or under governors, is under them, that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doors, and for the praise of them that do well.
Soul is the will of God that was well doing. You may put the silence and ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as a servant of God.
Honor all men. Love their brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all. Fear not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward, for this is thank worthy.
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If a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
When you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God.
For even here unto where you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his depths, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
When he was reviled, reviled not again, when he sovereignty threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges, righteously.
Through his own self there are sins in his own body on the tree, the way, being dead descends, should live under righteousness, by whose stripes he were healed. For ye were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Notice the authority that Peter gets to the scriptures as though that was the final.
Decision for all things.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scriptures.
That was the Old Testament scriptures.
And so he refers to the Old Testament Scriptures. But wonderful to think that we have all the whole revealed mind of God.
And now we're so favored, so specially blessed, we not only have the Old Testament, but we have the New Testament.
And as it has been said.
And well said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
The question was asked about the reference that we had in Isaiah 28.
Yesterday.
Verse 16, which no doubt is what Peter is referring to in this sixth verse.
He's a believer.
Shall not make haste.
Is that not explained in the New Testament in the sixth verse? He that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
I believe we have salvation in Peter in two ways, do we not?
He's speaking to the Jewish people, and there's a time coming when that people will be going through a great tribulation. But at the time that Peter wrote, they were about ready to pass through a real trial as well because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed.
And so.
They could count on the Lord for His deliverance, and I'm sure that those who were real believers.
I'm not. I don't know how many, but a great many of them escaped this this trial that came on the nation because they were believers and the Lord no doubt protected them in that way. They countered on Him, and this will take place in the coming day. But I'm sure that we can all enjoy the fact that the one who simply believes in Jesus as his Savior and trusts in that precious blood.
Has eternal life and we must not neglect the simple gospel that we have here in this in this verse.
Is something that might be helpful.
Sometimes we wonder why that they when a burst from the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament, that they're words that are changed like in this verse. For in Isaiah 28 it says he shall not make haste, and when Peter quotes it, he shall not be confounded. We have to remember.
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That the Holy Spirit that indicted the Old Testament also indicted the New Testament. And if the Holy Spirit was pleased to change a word when He gave it in the New Testament.
And gave the writers of the New Testament to write and quote that verse. He had a perfect right to change a word to bring out a certain meaning that was more in keeping with New Testament truth. So don't be surprised because it's the Holy Spirit.
Same way if I was writing a letter and decided I wanted to change a word or it's my letter and I certainly have the right to change the word to suit certain occasion or a reason why I think the word should be changed.
We have another example of that, just to mention two things over in First Corinthians chapter 2.
And verse 9.
But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them, that love him. Now the quotation is taken from Isaiah and over there instead of saying love him that wait for him.
Well, in the Old Testament, they were still waiting.
For the Lord Jesus Christ, for Christ to come the this all was hidden so far, but now that the Lord Jesus has come then the word love him can be put in there so it as her brother Barry bringing out It depends on the circumstances and what the Holy Spirit has in mind in the way of the application.
Isn't this word confounded or ashamed? A very, very beautiful thought, too, I suppose. In Isaiah the reference is to those who had trusted in a refuge of lies, and it proved to be of no avail to them but the one who today put his or her full and complete trust in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and in his precious word.
Will never be confounded.
Will never be ashamed. There's a great deal of advertising today that would encourage you to use this or that product. And of course they're all played up so highly that once in a while, to say the least, you find the product is just quite as wonderful as the advertising might lead you to believe. But when in the word of God you read every encouragement to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to rely upon His precious word, you find this wonderful promise that He who does so will.
Never be confounded.
Never be ashamed. Is this perhaps something of the meaning that Paul has in mind when he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. In other words, I can preach it fully knowing that it is everything that ever has been claimed for it. I don't think he really means that.
I'm not ashamed in the sense that.
I tremble with embarrassment at the talent of preaching it, but rather the fact that the message that I have to deliver is everything that ever has been claimed for it, and I'm not ashamed to present it because I know it's true. So in connection with the encouragement to put our complete trust in the word of God and in the person of Christ, we have this wonderful shorts. Never be ashamed, Never be confounded.
Is that the thought of the tried stone we have in that 17th verse or 16th verse of Isaiah 28? Brother hey ho.
Contrast the refuge of lies. Well, I was thinking of the fact that.
The Lord Jesus has been here, and he's been through the path. He's gone into death and he's he's gone on high.
We have a similar thought in Revelation. I believe the.
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The third chapter.
If I'm correct in the interpretation of that.
The third chapter of Revelation.
In the eighteen first I counseled thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire.
Well, that's divine righteousness, isn't it? And one who puts his trust, and this applies especially today because this is Laodicea and one who puts his trust in the Lord. It's a it's something that's been tried in the fire. That goal, that righteousness is been proven. The Lord Jesus has been through the.
Death and resurrection, they seated at God's right hand.
And the one who simply makes a profession of Christ does not have gold tried in the fire, and so with the Jew in the coming day.
And those that Peter was writing to, who Peter was writing to?
He brings before them a stone.
A tried stone. A precious cornerstone.
Sure Foundation.
Well, that's that's really assuring the heart, is it not?
Doubly assuring the heart of what they have to rest upon.
Nice to notice the Lord spoken of in different ways, as a stone, as the foundation of stone, as the cheap cornerstone, and as the topmost stone. As the foundation of stone is set upon which our faith rests, something that's as followed as the Rock of Ages. There is the Rock of Ages.
Then.
And Ephesians 2 speaks of being built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. I understand that they were the they were the foundation builders.
So there you get Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Well, as the chief cornerstone, he binds all together.
Holds it secure, then as a chief, as a headstone, the topmost stone.
Why? Here's the hears that which is the final, complete, and glorious completion of all the purposes and thoughts of God.
When the church is complete, why then we'll see the headstone as baccarat sells, saying grace, grace unto it, although we understand that's the different subject there. But we could apply it to ourselves of course, there in Zechariah 4. Or he's talking about the rebuilding of the temple, which seems so impossible at that time.
When there was every obstacle to hinder but will, the prophet Zechariah receives the revelation that that.
Joshua, the high priest, and is it drivable, would complete the work, and he would come forth with the headstone, saying, Grace. Grace underwent it would be complete.
Well, we can just use that as an illustration.
The problem the Church that someday was going to be complete, and when he will present it to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And there Christ will be the glorious.
Headstone of the whole.
Complete work of God.
Why does it say in our first?
I lay in Zion.
I think you know Brother Barry.
Well, I'm not sure if I do, and the only thought I had was that when the when David brought the ark back, he didn't place it on the threshing floor location, but that he placed it in Zion, which is a picture in scripture of a new position of of grace that you were mentioning.
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I was just wondering does that tie in with this thought that it is the churches position resting now? And grace very nice brother.
That's Hebrews 12, isn't it? You get Zion there again.
That'll be the earthly center of grace in the coming day.
And that was the stone that Israel stumbled over when the Lord was here in humiliation, wasn't it?
But the very stone that Israel stumbled over is yet to be the the chief cornerstone and the headstone, and they'll have to submit to that stone that they once rejected and crucified.
The word precious here is comes in so nicely.
This this living stone that's mentioned in the fourth verse.
Chosen of God and precious.
And.
Then in the sixth verse, it's contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect.
Precious and that goes on to.
Introduced to us the thought that unto you therefore which believe he is precious. Perhaps there's another translation is there to that The preciousness is that the thought he has the preciousness.
But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallow. The same is made the head of the corner, and Israel will see that in coming day.
And those who reject Christ today will see it.
They will see that they'll have to bow the knee to the one who is the.
Chief head of the corner. It's nice to to notice brother 1 Dean, that before you get back that unto us that believe he is precious or the preciousness, and we find that he is the preciousness to God himself. Look at that in the fourth verse, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God.
And precious.
God would remind you and me that what is precious to His heart, that he can make that precious to your heart and my heart. And when we think of how precious the Blessed Lord is to the heart of the Father, the one who always did His will, even through the going to the shameful cross of Calvary and taking the judgment of our sins, and we not rightly say that.
Even though God must forsake his Son, because he couldn't look on him when he was bearing our sins, yet never in all his life was that one so precious to his heart when He saw that he was willing to pass through that forsaking. So there never did cease to be that deep affection in the Father's heart for the Son.
That was there, bearing that awful load of sin in his own body when he was there.
Under the in the darkness and under the solemn judgment of God.
Oh, how precious he was to the father's heart.
Versus the God's estimate and the fifth verse, as the sixth verse is God's estimate and the 7th is ours. I think it's nice to see it that way. Brother Barry, how about the breastplate?
Did it not have the stones on it? I do not. The stones speak of of the how precious the believer is.
Yes, individually. Individually, the shoulder stones would remind us of the the strength and the security. But as you say, the the breastplate had all the individual stones in all their different colors and they would reflect and shine from the light in the Tabernacle. So they would bring before us the position. Individually, we are in love.
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Are held in this way before God and love individually.
No doubt the IT was by the Spirit of God.
That Peter was writing these words and these words that we're reading are inspired words.
They were indicted by the Spirit of God using the Apostle Peter.
But Even so.
I'm sure that the Lord Jesus Christ was precious to Peter. He saw the preciousness of it. Why was that?
Well, he walked with him. He communed with him.
He'd been corrected by the Lord. He'd been refused.
He'd been chastened and taught and instructed. He'd been in the presence of the Lord.
He speaks of him as the preciousness. He's precious to Peter. Well, how will he become precious to us?
When we know something about walking with the Lord, communing with him.
Having fellowship with him, spending time in his presence, having him chasing us.
Allow things in our lives when we have the sense that the Lord is allowing it.
He becomes more precious to us. This is what we need. We get so busy occupied with everything else but him, and he doesn't really become precious to us.
Well, Peter makes a tremendous distinction between those that believe and those that are disobedient.
What a solemn word that is to any who are unsafe in this company. Are you among those that believe? Let me ask the question to any poor here is Christ precious to your heart? Of course, his brother Anderson has remarked that there is a special preciousness we experience in communion with the Lord.
When we learn more of his love and his patience with us. But I believe as far as the.
The enjoyment or the beginning of that preciousness.
It's It's immediately experienced when one accepts Christ as a Savior. He becomes more precious to you as you find out how faithful His love is.
But still you couldn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior without his being precious to your heart. There is a solemn word there that Paul closes the First Epistle of Corinthians with these words where he says if any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.
That means a curse that is coming. It doesn't say there, you see.
If any man has confessed or has accepted Christ, or anyone has believed in the Lord that it says if any man love of love, that's a very solemn thought.
Is Christ precious to your heart?
One who suffered and died on Calvary? Or is it just a profession that you have made with your lips?
Well, that's what Paul says to the Corinthians, and I'm still there, that he had a concern about that large assembly, their corn for the Lord told Paul that he had much people in that city and there was a large assembly there. But it's always possible when many come into the truth that there are laws that come in with only.
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An awkward profession. And so he closes that pistol with old birds. If any man loved not our Lord Jesus Christ, what will happen to him? Let's stop and think about that. I was thinking when we were.
Sitting here in prayer this morning.
That if the Lord should come, would there be some left on their seats here?
With this building be completely emptied, should the Lord come? Well, those are searching thoughts for us.
Because it says let him be accursed.
Maranatha cursed at his coming. Oh, it's the most solemn thing to think of being left, because it seems that there is a special warning of the solemn judgment of God. Cursed is spatially connected. Then there was being left, when the Lord comes and gives the shout in the air.
Isn't it lovely, too, to think that in all this he has preceded and he has exceeded? That is, if in any measure our poor hearts love him and find him precious, He preceded us in this, and he certainly exceeded also. We were precious in his sight. We were beloved by him, chosen in him. And it's a delightful thing to feel that if in any measure there is this response in our hearts, it is only a response.
He has loved us. We are precious in His sight, and to find some response in our poor hearts, to find that by His very wonderful grace, He is precious to us. It's because He has sent His love upon us. He has made it known to us that we were precious in His sight before there was any response in our hearts at all toward Him.
Our unbelief for the unbelief of a Sinner doesn't change in any way the thoughts and purposes of God.
That's why he says here, but unto them that be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner. Man in his folly seems to think that if he wants to believe a certain way, that that's.
Sells all the whole subject. If he doesn't want to believe in the hell, well, then hell fades out of the existence. But let's remember friends, that our thoughts.
Our poor reasoning?
In no way whatever alters the truth of the Word of God.
I might, in my ignorance, say I didn't believe there was such a city as Paris. Does that change the fact that there is a Paris over in Europe? Why? Saying I don't believe a thing doesn't change the facts. The facts remain and.
They're they're brought before us there and really what the counsel Peter is bringing.
To our attention here is disobedience, For God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man only hath ordained.
Remember a brother close used to say God commanded all men everywhere to repent, He says. Have you repented?
Well, that's a pretty solemn command.
It's not only believing, it's repentance. It's taking one's place before God.
As a lost, guilty, hell deserving Sinner.
Our brother Franco asked the question what is meant by the reference to the builders in verse 7, the stone which the builders disallowed.
Would they be the ones who?
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Answered the question to to Harrod.
When Herod inquired.
Where is he that is born, king of the Jews? And when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of a Judea, For thus it is written by the prophets.
Thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah, For out of these shall come a governor that shall rule my people, Israel. They knew all the answers, these leaders, that they rejected, that blessed one. Would that be would they be the builders?
They were the responsible one.
And now they have been set aside.
And God has brought in something else, the Church.
And now there are other responsible ones.
And there are still builders the apostle Paul speaks of, of laying the foundation and another build of their pond.
Responsible ones today too, and.
We can't shake our responsibility.
Without detriment to our own soul or the solemn thing it was for these leaders in Israel to reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is that what is called attention to in Revelation 2 and three?
Where you have the churches reminded of their failure.
Responsibility.
And would this then apply your brethren to each one of us?
And although it may have a special application as well to those who who would seek to be a help and and lead the people of God, there is a certain responsibility to the whole assembly if they're not.
Yes, I believe you're right there because.
The the decisions, important decisions like.
Receiving someone into fellowship.
That is the responsibility of the whole assembly.
And it's also the responsibility of the whole assembly to acknowledge the place that the Lord Jesus Christ has in the midst.
And us being the head of the church.
So everyone is responsible really.
I remember it one of the meetings that was held in Grand Rapids years ago, Brother McMillan was present and he remarked that this connection that there was an old legend that the jewels had that when they were building the temple it was 1 stone that always seemed to be in the way they stumbled over. It didn't seem to be any place where this stone would fit.
And when the temple was complete, except the pop stone, why they discovered that this stone that seemed to be in the way and no place for it was the very storm that that completed the whole work of building the temple. I just remember his telling that, and rather interesting.
Is there even a present day parallel perhaps, in the way in which this precious elect cornerstone is so absolutely rejected here in so-called Christendom?
But in a land that professes to be a Christian land, the very one who by the grace of God is precious to the heart of the true believers, is.
Rejected and unwanted, sad to say, even among those who are the Lord.
But reject this precious cornerstone as worthy of its significant place.
I have mentioned but it seems very very strongly.
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Significant to me that in going to other lands.
You will find that folks will very, very proudly and gladly identify themselves by saying I am a Buddhist. You go to another land and they will all tell you proudly, I am a Hindu, I am a Mohammed. No embarrassment, no hesitation. They will identify themselves by the name of the leader or religion that means so much to them. And you come to a Christian land and what do you find?
Ask 50 people in a row and what do you find? If one among the fifty said, I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm gathered to his precious name, it would be rare to find one in 50 that made such a confession as that that if he did, they'd look at him with strange, strange, wondering. What does he mean? I belong to the Lord Jesus, and I'm gathered to his name. They would understand you if you use some name that men have invented.
Definitely. This does refer to those of old who went right ahead with all their Jewish ritual and rejected the person of Christ. But I believe it's it's sadly evident today that the precious person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of all, is rejected even today in Christendom.
What does that mean in the end of the eighth verse? Where unto also they were appointed?
It's really marked out, is it not? It's not the thought that God has ever.
Created anyone to be appointed to wrath, but because of what the place they have taken, they're marked out for that judgment. Is that the thought? I think so, yes, it's in connection with.
Coming in contact with this stone, meeting this stone. That's the supreme test. And if they don't stand the test well.
What's the result?
Brother Brown used to say that Judas didn't have to be Judas or the betrayer of the Lord, but he made himself a candidate when he became one of the Lord's disciples. The Lord looked around and chose 12 disciples and made them apostles. Well, Judas was among that number. Well, in the scripture it was foretold that he that.
Eateth bread with me shall lift up his heagle against me.
There must be a traitor, and Judith made himself that traitor.
He was responsible for making himself that traitor, but he didn't have to be the one that God had appointed for that particular place of lifting up his heel against the Lord and himself.
Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. There was never any place prepared for man in that regard, but man chose that place by rejecting the Savior. And who would ever think that man would reject?
The way out, The way out, the blessing. After he'd sinned, the angels had no such choice. But man has. And who would think that man would reject the invitation of salvation? And yet, as far as that's concerned, we all rejected it, and was only grace that opened our eyes to see it.
Well, we get in the next verse, the Royal Priesthood.
But TR a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation of peculiar people, that ye should show forth.
The praises of him who have called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We have first the holy priesthood and as it was remarked yesterday, that especially in connection with worship, offering up sacrifices.
To offer of spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But when we look at the royal priesthood, it's in connection with testimony.
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For it says.
Who have called you that showing forth the virtues it should read?
Correct in the margin of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So there is testimony, and it was remarked that the holy priesthood precedes the royal priesthood. That is, worship comes before testimony, or other words, the gospel to the unsaved.
I think perhaps this also stands out in contrast to the words just discussed in the end of verse 8, where unto also they were appointed but ye, and there is an emphasis there on the word ye. But ye are a chosen generation. Isn't that lovely? It leaves us with absolutely nothing whatsoever to to boast of, put a great deal to thank God for.
We're under also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. When you read words like that and realize that he's talking about me, doesn't it cause our hearts to overflow?
They were appointed, but ye are a chosen generation of royal priesthood. What a privilege.
It seems that Peter is referring back to the 19th chapter of Exodus.
At the time when they had reached Mount Sinai, and God makes certain proposals to them.
Yeah. No, I believe that's the.
Yes, 19 and five. Yes, 19 and five. Thank you, brother.
And.
If you offer a sacrifice, and so on.
No, that isn't where they put themselves under conditions.
Now, therefore, if he will obey my voice.
That's nineteen and five.
Turn to the wrong book and I got confused.
Yes, I read that now. Exodus 19. Five. Now therefore if he will obey my voice indeed, and keep my commandment, then ye shall be a peculiar traitor unto me above all people, for all the earth's mind. And you shall be unto me A a Kingdom of priests and holy nations. These are the words which thou shalt speak.
Unto the children of Israel.
Well, as we know, they put themselves at that time under law condition. It says Jehovah. And then if you read on, they said all that the Lord has said we will do and that just brought out their complete breakdown and failure and they forfeited everything by their disobedience. But here in this verse there's no conditions brought in in this ninth verse.
It's almost word for word. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation.
Are peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of Him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That is, grace brings those that are believers now until the blessings that they had previously forfeited by their self-confidence in trusting themselves instead of trusting Jehovah as poor helpless creatures in themselves.
This was fulfilled in Israel at Pentecost, wasn't it?
When that nation the little remnant.
Laid hold of these promises.
Received the blessing and they were a special people and.
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A special possession, as the thought is.
They were a special possession of Jehovah.
And of course this will apply in a sense to the nation in the coming day when he brings them back not on the ground of law, but as a new nation on the ground of grace, their children.
This is a solemn thing to think that.
The whole nation.
Was regarded by God as a priest. Each one was a priest on the ground of grace, because that's the ground that's really referred to in the fourth verse of Exodus 19. Taking them off God, taking them up on the ground of grace. And so they're all priests.
But they say we'll, we'll obey, we'll do all things the Lord says. They put themselves on the basis of law. And so after that, God.
Institutes the priesthood. That is, the ironic priesthood. And there's only one priest.
And they don't have access to God individually.
Well, what about today?
When there's not a recognition of the priesthood of everyone, of us.
And giving the Lord Jesus Christ the place that belongs to him in in the church, in the assembly we find in Christendom.
That they have set aside the Lord Jesus Christ and brought a man in to be a priest.
Virtually denying that each one of them has that intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and access into His presence.
Oh, what a privilege it is for each one of us to be a priest, a holy priest, and a royal priest as well. And we have access right into the very presence of the Lord Jesus, every one of us. We don't have to have a man in between US and the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed Lord is the one mediator between God and men, and we can come directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, and so to God.
This is a privilege that is ours, and I wonder how much we really appreciate it.
Would you say then, that in the Holy priesthood we really find what you were Speaking of Brother Anderson as the ironic priesthood? That is Aaron went into the Holy of Holies?
The only one except Moses, that was permitted to go into the immediate presence of Jehovah, where he dwelt between the cherubims. Well now in in figure the believer, as you say, as a priest, and he has access, just as Aaron had into the immediate presence of the Lord. Of course, the Lord's in heaven now, and the Tabernacle was just a tight.
Of.
Place where the Lord is now seated on high, and by faith we can come right into His presence at any time.
And in a very special and blessed way, when we meet to remember his death in the breaking of bread.
But when it's the royal priesthood, it's more the Melchizedek thoughts of priesthood, because we find that when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings.
That he came out to bless.
So one is going in and the other is going out with blessings to.
The poor, perishing world, as it were, so in this wonderful way. The believer.
Is privileged to being to be enjoying both his ironic priesthood and his Melchizedek Priesthood.
There are much food for thought and blessing in Leviticus 8 what we read of the consecration of the Aaron and his sons as priests.
And the offerings that were to be brought in my turn to that chapter for a moment.
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Long chapter to read, but just to get.
What is in the chapter 4? So when Aaron was to come with his sons to be consecrated as priests, we read that they were to bring a book.
For a sin offerings and two ramps.
Get that in the beginning of the 8th chapter. Then we have the clothing. The sons of Aaron and Aaron was the clothing that was made for them.
And the chin offering was brought first.
And I would say here to anticipate what we have in our chapter.
And it is very precious to one soul that the sin offering is mentioned, the very last thing in our chapter in Peter.
Where the Lord has made sin for us, where He bore our sins on the cross, but we have it first in Leviticus, and that which raised the foundation, we have to have a sin office. Well then in verse 18 we read and He brought the ram for the bird offering.
There, And these sons leave their hands upon the head of the ramp, and he killed it in. Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar around the bombs got some ram into pieces, and Moses burnt them head, and the pieces in the fattening Marshall, the inwards, the legs in water. And Moses, birds of all, ram upon the Albert. It was a birth sacrifice for a sweet savior, an offering made by fire under the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
But we have exactly the Lord's Day Morning here. Do we know?
So we have exactly repeated what we read in the first chapter of Leviticus, the bird offering holy for God, and this is in holy priesthood. And then we get in verse 22 we brought the other ram, the ram of concentration. And Aaron, his sons, laid their hands upon the head of the ram, and he threw it, And Moses took off the blood of it and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
And so forth we see doing here not the royal priesthood going forth as those who are under the block. And the blood characterizes every step of the path of service for the Lord, but it is in its proper places what brought before us here before first worship God's part, non Georgia thought for the very first we have that the Lord Jesus is precious to God. That's what I heard of.
Melanie is precious to the believers.
And you know our ears are dumb to our grateful. It's what we hear, It's what we do. It's where we walk all under the blood. Isn't it Noah's precious there that the Apostle Peter, an ignorant fisherman, that he was led by the Holy Spirit to pen the words that are so plain to us here in Leviticus as having the exact order.
In John's Gospel, chapter 10.
The Lord saying.
I on the door by me, if any man enter any shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.
The thought was expressed by a brother some years ago in connection with that.
That David in Second Samuel Chapter 7 where the Lord was telling what would come to him for a long time ahead and how the Davis went into the House of the Lord and he worshiped.
There was going in, but you find David in the 9th chapter, Second Samuel coming out and showing and blessing Melchizedek, or rather Mephibosheth.
And the thought of that in connection with what we're Speaking of.
That we have the privilege of going in as holy priests for worship and coming out for testimony and for blessing.
A precious that we have those two, but there's first the going in into the presence of the Lord and there receiving from him.
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The blessing for our own souls and the preciousness that comes from being in His very presence.
But then the going out for testimony to others and for blessing that will flow through his own people to those who are not so blessed.
Now the translation plus the kingly priests to show forth the excellencies.
And that's what the believer the position is in now, is it not? And I believe this is true of all believers. It isn't simply to.
Creates is to show forth the excellencies. This would take in the whole life of the believer, would it not?
Sure, I was thinking of the children of Israel.
Before they went into the land of Canaan.
Into the promised land.
And.
The inhabitants of Canaan had heard things about what the Lord had done for the children of Israel.
And I'm looking at Joshua chapter 2.
And it's when the spies go in before the children of Israel had actually gone into the promised land.
And.
We find that.
The spies at Grenza Rahab's house.
And she has something to say to them in verse 9. And she said unto the men I know.
That the law that given you the land, and let your terrors fall upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did under the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side. Jordan.
Sai Han and all whom he utterly destroyed.
And as soon as we have heard these things, our hearts didn't melt. Neither remained there anymore courage than any man because of you.
For the Lord your God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath.
Well now.
What our brother Lundine was bringing before us was about the life. The children of Israel had not been in that land to do any preaching. They had seen the spies now.
And.
The inhabitants of Canaan had heard what the Lord had done had done for his people.
We realized that the children of Israel went on in much weakness there in the wilderness.
But still it got manifested what the Lord was doing for them.
And even in all of their failure.
There was a testimony that went out and it was in connection with the relationship to God, and it was recognized that they were God's people, but it was gone three times. I believe in what Rahab speaks says God is mentioned as the one that is behind this whole thing, in other words.
They.
The walk of the children of Israel through the wilderness was showing forth the virtues of God. Jehovah, His Excellency. What God did, what He could do, Of course, He struck terror to those inhabitants of Canaan.
But it was a testimony concerning Jehovah, and that's our testimony. And isn't it mentioned over and over in the Scripture about preaching Christ, preaching Christ?
Well, that's our message, telling forth his glories, his virtues, his excellencies. And this is really what wins the hearts of sinners and wins the hearts of the Saints as well.
Like I say that Max 16. We have an illustration of these two points. I've enjoyed this X16 and the verse 25.
Acts chapter 16, verse 25. And at midnight Paul and Stylist pray and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them. Here we have these two men with the same thoughts. They they prayed and they they sang praises to God and ladies in the chapter.
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Verse 28.
But Paul cried with a loud voice. And do thyself no harm.
But we are all here. Let me call for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before.
Fallen style of brought them out and said, Sir, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in my house. And verse 25 there are one lion they sang praises under God.
Let us see the royal priest.
They both have the same message. Paul didn't preach one message and silence another. They both had the same message and they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in my house. So in verse 25 we have the holy priest with one mind for the Lord and verse 31 we have the the royal priest with one line.
For Christ, I think it's. I think that's nice to say that I don't know.
I was thinking of.
A young lady school teacher who moved in to a home where the people were outstanding unbelievers. They had no use for the Gospel. And this young woman said, do you, you know, were there any Christians live around here? And they were able to tell where the Christians live.
Still, they didn't believe in the truth, but they were able to tell where the Christians live.
That's what we have here, isn't it? Show 4.
There wasn't any preaching necessarily, but it's simply the fact that there was evidence that they were Christians.
I suppose that primarily this is addressed to Christian Jews.
You, Peter, writes to the strangers, those Jews who were in the Dispersion gathered when they were taken captive.
In the days.
The sons of Josiah and many of those Jews in these various places have been converted.
Because Paul and Silas went first to the synagogue, so Paul and Barnabas before that as where they began the work in most places, so that there were many Jews that were converted and then the Gentiles got to hear the gospel and the Gentiles were converted to. But we find in the second chapter of Galatians that Paul was basically commissioned.
Well, the gospel of the circumcision, that is basically to the Jewish people. And Paul was given the gospel to the uncircumcision or to the Gentiles. Well, Peter writes more particularly to his own nation. And while we can appropriate the truth to ourselves, yet we can enjoy seeing, there was a certain bearing.
Upon the people of Israel.
When James.
Is beginning his epistle. He addresses the 12 tribes scattered abroad.
At that time they were known, and James didn't have the same line of things that Peter was given for. Peter wrote much later than James, but the only part of the nation that.
Peter acknowledges.
As the believing nations are wholly.
Nation a peculiar people.
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So God just owns now in His wisdom and counsels those who accept the gospel. Someday there will be a nation of Israel brought into blessing after the church is gone. Now the Jews are brought into blessing by receiving the same gospel the Gentiles receive, and God looks at those among the air nation of Israel.
And he says of those people, he says they are a holy nation separated from the rest of their own people. And then?
Peculiar people, the margin says. They're a purchase people.
Now is anyone here looked up? Is that a correct the correct clock here people have purchased?
I think in the Old Testament it says special, doesn't it?
In one instance.
The thought is.
A. People that possess because they've been purchased.
That would make them a peculiar people, special people.
Doubtless that made the Jewish believers very happy to think that while their nation was in the state of unbelief, had rejected and crucified their Messiah, that still Jehovah formed among that people what he speaks of as an holy nation, and these who are a holy nation are a purchased people.
Because Peter seems to dwell much on that word. Precious even speaks of trial.
Precious trials, and then the precious blood of Christ. And here unto you therefore that believe he is precious. Then in the second epistle he speaks of precious faith. So here are the people that have a peculiar and very special place.
In the heart of God during the time that Israel is in six darkness and unbelief. But we can appropriate that very happily to ourselves to think that we have been bought for the precious blood of Christ, that we do our purchase possession. And we never should forget what it costs in order that we might be purchased boxes of precious blood of Christ.
That should be a very happy thought to. Or should it not, to think that as we pass through this world that has no heart for the Lord Jesus at all?
That we are a Curtis possession, and if in any sense that should make us looked upon by this world, by what they would consider peculiar, that should be quite all right with us. When you're in a far away land, you realize that folks are looking upon you.
As some I say, different, Peculiar if you wish. There is something about your speech and perhaps other things that betray the fact that you're not part of that land or culture in which for a time, you're only a visitor of the Pilgrim. But it doesn't humiliate you at all, because you have a happy sense in your soul. I don't belong here. I'm visiting here. I'll soon be in the land where I really belong. I'll soon be with those.
Who are so dear to me? Well, as we pass through this world with the joy of knowing that we are a purchased possession, he knew what he was about when he paid the price for that possession. He knew all about you and me and loved us enough to pay the full purchase price. And now he looks down upon us and he considers us to be his possession.
And if in any sense this gives to us the feeling of strangership here, if in any sense folks look upon us and consider that our conversation, our plans, our objectives are not what they would consider proper to this world, that's all right with us. We're a purchased possession. We're visitors. We're strangers and pilgrims here, as we shall see shortly, and it should give us real joy.
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I remember years ago hearing Brother McDowell make a statement that really bewildered me. I couldn't understand it, he said. The one good thing about this world is that I don't belong to it. I thought it was the strangest thing to say. I was just a young fellow going to school.
It just didn't seem the right to me at all. But I quite agree with it. I don't belong to it, not by any choice of my own, but by his choice and by his purchase.
We sing 109.
Save all my snacks.