23 P'KUDAY (Accounts); Ex 38:21-40:38, Mark 16

[Bruce Bertram]

Exodus 38:21-40:38; 1 Kings 7:51-8:21, 7:40-50; Mark 16

We get a little more detail here and there on how the Tabernacle was built, such as in 39:3 where it is explained how the gold thread was made. The court around the Tabernacle is about 150 feet by 75 feet depending on what size your cubit is.

The Tabernacle is finally set up in the first month of the second year of their escape from Egypt. Chapter 41 gives us the layout, and tells us that Moses made some offerings right away (as opposed to a golden calf). We can assume that Aaron and his sons also began the regular sacrifices and other duties assigned to them. The pillar of cloud comes on the Tabernacle and for a while Moses can’t go in. Gradually, though, we hear that the cloud would lift when it was time for the Israelites to move, and settle again when they parked.

In Mark 16, some women come at sunrise, probably on Sunday morning (the Greek actually says ‘first sabbath’ which is puzzling) to finish the job of burial and are wondering how they will get the stone in front of the tomb moved. They don’t have to worry however because the stone is already rolled away. They look in the tomb and see what looks like a young man there who tells them that Jesus has risen and to tell the disciples He will meet them in the area of the Galil (Galilee) soon. The disciples at first refuse to believe, and even the testimony of two people traveling who encounter Jesus (perhaps on the road to Emmaus?) do not convince them. But later they meet up with Him at a dinner and are rebuked for refusing to believe. At the dinner and after, Jesus tells the disciples to take His message to the world and baptize those who will listen.

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

P’kuday: Exodus 38:21-40:38; 1 Kings 7:51-8:21, 7:40-50; Mark 16

In the passages of this week’s reading section the tabernacle is completed and the glory of God comes and fills it and overshadows it (Exodus 40:34-35). It is a tremendous cause for celebration and hope that one day all things will be restored to the glory originally intended for them from the beginning. However, it’s just a tent, and it’s just His glory. It will be much later that God Himself takes up residence in the ‘tent’ of the Messiah Jesus.

In the Mark 16 section, the glory of God is again manifested, without quite the same ‘look;’ that is, without the visual fireworks. But this glory is much more spectacular and enduring, because ‘God with us’ has conquered death and hell. His glory is shown in the resurrection of the One whom God would not allow to see corruption or be confined to the grave. The resurrection is glory for Jesus, and Jesus is the glory of God. Through this resurrection the presence of God is made accessible to all who accept the death of His Son.

Paul says that without the resurrection our faith is dead in the water. If Jesus wasn’t raised, then we are of all men to be pitied.

16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:16-19 NASB95)

In Exodus, the work of the people of Israel, from contributions to the skilled labor, is accepted, and the good news that God was going to live with His people has come to fruition. This gives us a hint of what God has in store for His people which comes to fruition in the resurrection described for us in Mark. The difference is that in and through the resurrection of the Christ, people are made acceptable, worthy of becoming residences for the glory of our King and God. Our hope is that, like the Christ, we also will not be left in the grave, but will, like the Messiah who we trust and believe and obey, also be raised with Him. The resurrection proves that the work of Jesus was acceptable to God. Because it is acceptable, God’s glory resides in Him, and He shares that glory with all who are in Him.

13But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. (2 Corinthians 4:13-14 NASB95)

This gift of a resurrected life comes to us with no work on our part, such as that which went into the building of the tabernacle. While we were yet unacceptable (as Paul says below, “dead in our transgressions”), God makes us acceptable, not through us cleaning ourselves up and earning salvation, but through the anointing and cleansing which comes by the blood of the sacrifice of His only Son and our Messiah. We gain these blessings, the fruit of the blessing of God with us, because of the boundless love and mercy of our God and Father.

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB95)

The ‘greater and more perfect tabernacle’ was entered by our high priest Jesus through His own blood, and cleanses us from dead works to serve a living God. The blood of animals was not sufficient to accomplish this; it had to be the blood of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus the Christ.

11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11-14 NASB95)

Through the death and resurrection of our Messiah Jesus we gain an inheritance that is better than anything this world has to offer. I agree with Paul in his prayer for us, that we may know what riches we have been given.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB95)

Peace and blessing to you and yours.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 NASB95)

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

Exodus 38:21 - 40:38; 1 Kings 7:40-8:21; Mark 16; Revelation 15:5-8

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. (Mark 16:6, ESV)

After the sadness of the crucifixion account in Mark 15, we get the Spirit-lifting aftermath of the resurrection. We hit the lowest of lows in the tortured, painful and unjust murder of our Messiah, then the highest of highs with His foiling of the grave in the defeat of death. Sometimes it makes me wonder if Jesus said the equivalent of ‘Suckers!’ as He was ascending to heaven. Probably not, He’s much more polite than I am. Exultation and joy He had, but maybe not mocking. Still, it’s a good time for the sentiment, and one slang word expresses many of the feelings of victory very well.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13–15, ESV)

Okay, so maybe He’s not as polite as we sometimes think. Disarming rulers and authorities, “put(ting) them to open shame, by triumphing over them” sounds a lot like our modern version of ‘Suckers!’

The word also points to the fact that the deceiver was indeed a sucker. He thought he had God. He thought he had removed the Messiah and derailed all of God’s plans for, well, pretty much everything. The Promise of Genesis 3:15, with added explanation to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the Prophets, looked like it might turn into a lie. I’m sure Satan was convinced he had pulled off the greatest defeat ever in the history of defeats. But he overlooked a few details. You’d think someone who could quote chapter and verse of the Bible at Jesus would’ve read further into the book himself.

I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Psalm 2:7–9, ESV)

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26–27, ESV)

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” (Daniel 2:44–45, ESV)

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:15–16, ESV)

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7–10, ESV)

All those rulers and authorities (probably fallen angels or demons under Satan’s rule) should’ve read ahead in the play book. God wins, they lose. They should’ve asked themselves something like, “Wait. This is too easy. Why is He allowing us to succeed here?” They should have been suspicious that there was a sucker play in progress and they were falling for it.

The funny thing is, God didn’t have to ‘make’ anyone do anything. All He did was present them with an opportunity. He put aside His glory and was born as an apparently weak, powerless human. Any football player or warrior worth his salt would’ve instinctively stopped, looked around, and said, “Something’s wrong. This is too easy.” Even wolves are usually too smart to take bait like that. Satan and his minions were too busy salivating at the prospect of a lamb slaughter and derailing the plans of God to realize they were playing right into His hands. Suckers.

Because of the resurrection we have been delivered from the power of Satan. Forgiveness of sins is ours by His payment of our debt. We have a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus (Acts 26:18). We are not stuck like prisoners in a cage. It’s all over with but the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20, ESV)

Shalom
Bruce