Placing & Removing the Shewbread (01/27/2002) | NOTE: Tape malfunction from 17:32 to 18:00

The Duties of the Believer Priest and the Showbread in Leviticus

Amen. Turn with me this morning to the book of Leviticus in chapter 24 verse 5. What a good day it's been already. I needed a good day today. I she was like a prophet this morning. She said if you came in here with a headache and I'm sitting here my head's hurting.

But it's better. We're talking about the duties of the believer priest as we see them in types. In the Old Testament priests. We've talked about the fact that the believer priest offers sacrifices to the Lord.

He keeps the charge of the tabernacle. He keeps the sacred fires always burning. And today we're going to talk about the fact that it is his duty to place and remove the showbread will be in Leviticus chapter 24.

Let's pray together father we thank you so much for your word. Thank you for the musicians you brought to our church and for the teachers and for the students and everyone that you've placed in their hearts the desire for the Word of God and the things of God and the face of God help us to study what it means to gaze into your face and help us to practice it all the remainder of this week and all of our days till you come back for us.

We ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Let's read the scripture in Leviticus chapter 23. And let's start with about verse 10 speaking to the children of Israel and saying to them when you be coming to the land which I given to you and shall reap the harvest thereof we've got to stop.

What does that picture coming into the land. Promise land. What is the picture for us when you have come into the land victorious living the blessings of God. We're in. I mean you're in if you're saved this morning.

And you know that you've received the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. And you have that gladness in your heart this morning. You're in now. Now that you're here. He's giving us some instruction.

This can't apply to anyone who's not in that place. A person who doesn't isn't here yet can understand this. We talked in Sunday school this morning about the simplicity of the finished work of Christ.

It's simple to us. And yet what he did that day on the cross we'll never understand the complexity of that I suppose. But he's made it simple to us and we're in. And so he says when you come to the land which I given to you it was a gift.

Wasn't it. We didn't earn our salvation. Did we. We didn't purchase it. Did we. He purchased it with his blood and it was given to us. So when you come into that land which I given to you and shall reap the harvest thereof.

Weren't we supposed to bear fruit now. Then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest. Am I reading the right place. Did I say Leviticus 23 10. Okay. Yeah. I'm supposed to be in 24 or 5.

Well I'm gonna finish this one. This is going pretty good. We got it. The only problem is I'm preaching next week's sermon. There's no way we'll get to this today. There's just absolutely no way even though it's one little paragraph on my notes.

Then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest. Now if you would let's go to chapter 24. I really don't want to preach that one today. Unless we get to it that would be a real miracle now.

And thou shalt take fine flour. This is notice. This is the next chapter. So we're already in this place. We're in. We're in the promised land. We're in the place where we're supposed to do these things.

So here's another thing. Thou shalt take fine flour and bake 12 cakes thereof. Two-tenth deals shall be in one cake. Now these things seem kind of strange the detail that God gives them in but they all picture something for them but even more for us because we have the advantage of hindsight now.

So we have these the fine flour. We're going to bake 12 cakes of bread. Two-tenth deal shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows six on one on a row upon the pure table before the Lord.

Remember when we studied the tabernacle the wilderness tabernacle and would go into the holy place. There is the table of showbread. You remember that we showed you the picture. I wish I'd left here but I took it home.

I'd show it to you again this morning. But you can picture it. And you have the lamp stand on the left side on the right side the table of showbread and that's what we're referring to. So these 12 loaves are supposed to be placed on this table.

It was the priest's duty to place and remove the showbread and then replace it again so that it's always there. Now let's go on. It's placed in six in a row upon the pure table before the Lord. Verse 7.

And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row that it may be on the bread as a memorial even an offering made by fire into the Lord every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

What does it mean. It's taken from the children of Israel. Where do they get this bread from children of Israel. They bring it and the priests take it. Now this bread it's I'm sure you're ahead of me already.

You know what the bread pictures or who the bread pictures. Who does it picture the bread of life. And where was he taken from out of the children of Israel every Sabbath. He shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

Every Sabbath this bread was placed on the table in the six rows. Six is the number of man. So it pictures the humanity the human side of Jesus for one thing. And every Sunday this is placed there. It comes out of the nation of Israel from the nation of Israel.

That's where he came from for us. And is it interesting that it is set before the Lord on the Sabbath. The Sabbath pictures rest and we have a continual rest in Jesus. If you're born again all of it picture right here first night and it shall be Aaron's and his sons and they shall eat it in the holy place.

So they would eat this bread and then it would be replaced with new bread. So the bread is always there. It pictures that it can be consumed but not consumed. It's never consumed it can be partaken of but it's always there again.

And you know the poor Catholics picture that when they take their and they say that when they eat that bread that it turns into Jesus and they're really eating Jesus. So that's their salvation. That's why they get saved again and again because they think every time they eat that they eat Jesus and they're saved for a while longer till they eat it again.

It reminds me so much of what brother Otis was teaching in Sunday school how those priests had to continually be working working working working never resting always working. And the Catholic is the same way.

And yet our Lord Jesus has finished his work and sat down at the right hand of God and has an eternal Sabbath rest. He's resting and we can rest in him. But the picture what is pictured by the eating of the bread is the fact that we are in Christ and Christ is in us.

And yet unlike the Catholic who pictures that you have to continually be eating that bread fact is we have the Lord in us forever he and us in nevertheless this bread does picture the union of Christ with us.

I mean if you picture the physical thing that happens when you eat bread it literally becomes part of you. This is what's pictured here is that Jesus is attached to us in such a way that we are part of his body and we cannot be separated.

The Bible says that just as in physical marriage there is a union spiritually you become one spirit. And that union is is a unity that can't be separated. It's pictured by these eating this bread now it's a picture and when you go beyond the picture you do damage to it like the Catholics do.

But it is a picture of something that is very very real and that is the spiritual union of our spirit with the Spirit of Christ. So these errands and his sons they shall eat it in the holy place for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statue.

What all can we find this picture in this show bread. What's interesting when you look at the Hebrew word for show bread. I think the best English translation would be this face bread. Face bread. And so it speaks of looking into the face of our Lord.

Seeking the Face of God in the Psalms

Turn with me to Psalm 27 in verse 6 we're going to take a little journey through the Psalms today with David the inspired songwriter and musician and lover of God the one who wrote more love songs to God than any man probably has ever written and therefore he was the apple of God's eye.

He has a lot to say about the face of God. This show bread pictures the body of Jesus but the very name of it meaning face bread points out that aspect of Jesus that we think about when we say that he is all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Or that we think about when he says if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Or when we think about the scriptures that say he is the express image of God. When we look into the face of Jesus in time which is where we are right now we see the face of God.

And so the show bread is to remind us that we need to seek his face every day and that we have access to the countenance of God as it has a pleased look on it as he looks at us his children. The world can't see God's face that way.

All they can see is the wrath of God. All they can see is God the judge. All they can think about is the fact that from time to time their conscience reminds them that they have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and they don't know what to do about it.

One reason we're supposed to give the gospel is they can hear the good news. Problem is they won't all have ears that will hear it. But we're still supposed to give it because the good news is that if any man woman boy or girl would receive the Lord Jesus Christ into their heart as their personal Lord and Savior all the sudden for the first time in their life and for the rest of their life on this earth.

They can look upon the countenance of God and see a smile a look of satisfaction as a father looks at a child that he's satisfied with. And this showbread pictures all these things. Let's go with David in the Psalm 27 6 and see if we can find some things we can learn about the importance of gazing into the face.

Father. And now shall mine head be lifted up. We're in verse 6 Psalm 27 6. Now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy.

He's offering sacrifices of joy because his head is lifted up higher than the crowd. The crowd represents the human race. It represents the fallen human race. And here David is shown by God. It is revealed to David by the Holy Spirit of God that when God looks down upon the fallen masses he sees his child's head sticking up taller and looking at him and he spots him in a crowd.

How many of you ever had your children be in a crowd. Maybe they were playing sports or I saw a basketball game the other night. The only kid playing was Paul the only one I can see. Well I saw Jonathan there once while but he moved so fast he's hard to see.

But you've had your children in a crowd of children other children or just people who stands out in the crowd. That little face you adore so much not you Paul it. I'm thinking of Ben right now. But David was shown by the Lord that this is how it was that he says you lift my head up above the enemies all of Satan's children around me.

And therefore I sing sacrifices of joy. I will sing yeah. I will sing praises unto the Lord. I will sing praises. David says because I've been separated out made part of the family of God here O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me.

When thou said look at this. He's recalling God's Word from an earlier time. And he said there was once in your word when you said this now look he said when you said seek ye my face. So God has already commanded David and all of his children to seek his face.

David remembers that and he says I remember that man he said when I remember it when you said seek my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I see. Does it come from your heart. It does. You're in that place God has brought you into that promised land.

And when you remember the fact that God desires God yay commands that we seek his face on a day-to-day basis our heart response should be yay Lord my face will I see. This was a great secret of David.

This is what David what made David who he was and who we think of him as this is what brought forth the songs that he wrote was the face that he was looking. Hide not thy face from me. He says don't ever let my life get the place where I'm so much in the flesh that I don't see your face and can't see it anymore.

Hide not your face from me but not thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Leave me not neither forsake me. Oh God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up.

Now he gives a human comparison. David is talking about the fact that God is so ready to provide for us. God is so willing to love us. God is so ready to fellowship with us that if the closest friend you had on this earth even if it were your own father and mother forsook you.

God will not. And I'm sure David felt this way many times his own family trying to kill him from time to time. And he says. But even if my own father and mother forsake me the Lord will take me up as to say in his arms teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of my enemies.

In other words it's necessary because if you don't my enemies will devour me. We see a lot right there in that little passage. Now let's stop before we go to another passage with David. Let's see what we found in this one.

First of all we found out that we stand out in the crowd. You put us in a crowd of humans and our heads are higher than they are from God's viewpoint. And he sees us. And if you look back you can see him.

You can see him watching you. Another thing that we see so I guess that speaks of sonship more than anything. Another thing we see is he talked about God's mercy. God's mercy when you look into his face what happens.

Is you see a countenance of pleasure. And so you you're reminded he is a merciful God. You don't fall back into the fear of the lost or even the fear that you had. Or even the fear that if you get in the flesh you can have because you have believed a lie.

You believe Satan's lie that your flesh is revived and you fall into fear. Do you ever have times of fear late at night. Children won't even believe we adults have that. Will they. It's just that we fear different things.

We have a different boogeyman. We fear what the enemy's gonna do to us. Don't we. Now we may not frame it in a thought of the devil actually doing it. But that is who's doing it. We may be thinking about a human who's not treating us right.

May be a church brother or sister member hopefully just for a short season if that's the case. Whatever it is we tend to put human clothes on it. But the Bible says we battle not against flesh and blood against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places etc etc.

We should remember who our enemy is. But we should remember when we see the face of God that it should not bring fear. It should bring peace and joy because it's the countenance of a father towards a little child.

And all of this he's reminded of when he thinks of the face of God. You said seek my face. David says I am seeking it. And here's what I see. I see my sonship. It reminds me of my sonship. I've been separated out.

It reminds me of your mercy that you from David's viewpoint you shall do what it takes to be able to justly have mercy upon me. From our viewpoint he has already finished completed what it takes and Jesus is set at the right hand of God.

The finished work of Christ on the cross has made it possible for God's mercy to be shed upon us and he is totally satisfied with us. Why. Because we're in his son and he is satisfied with his son. We see David mentioned salvation in this passage.

Salvation to him means more than it means to a Baptist. Because to a Baptist is what happened 20 years ago. When and where. Oh I remember when and where to David it was ongoing because God allowed David to live such a life that his enemies were always before him reminding him that salvation is really deliverance.

It's not a one-time thing only it is a one-time thing. But it's not only one time. It's continual deliverance from the enemy day by day moment by moment as he would attack through the different avenues that he has.

David was reminded about his salvation but to him he would call it deliverance. And then the tender watch care of God. David remembers that God sees him as a parent sees a little child and takes care of him.

And he says if my mother and father forsake me you won't. You'll take me up now hold on to that phrase. Take me up. Picture a mother taking a little newborn babe in her arms taking him up. That's where he wants to be.

He doesn't want to be down in that cold crib. He wants to be right there next to mama. Now you picture that. And that's the way it is with you and the Lord. David says when I look in God's face I'm reminded that he wants to take me up into his arms.

And then he prays for guidance through the battle. Lead me in a plane path. Interesting that we talked about simplicity in Sunday school this morning. You don't need to be confused. God is not given us a spirit of confusion.

A plane path. God give me a plane path. Clearly show me where my foot steps in the morning. Where do I go tomorrow. Show me in the morning where I go because I have enemies. And if I step the wrong direction.

If I step in the wrong direction out of my house tomorrow I could be devoured. David knows that David was well aware. Enemies were all around him to kill him if they could. So he says Lord lead me in the plane path.

Teach me thy way O Lord because of my enemies. Now there's five things we see in that passage. Look at Psalm 31 15. That's not the only time David is reminded to think about the face of God. In Psalm 31 15 we see where true bravery comes from.

Do you think as Christians were called to be brave. It's a fearful thing in the night to think about what the enemy could do to you. Isn't it. I mean some of us can think back about what he's already done to us.

And then we can imagine all sorts of interesting things he could do to us in the future. Bravery is not the absence of fear but it's the ability to perform in the midst of it for God for the captain of our salvation.

So David speaks of fear a little bit in Psalm 31. And he shows the cure for it all. Right. I won't say the cure for fear but he shows the the sure cause of bravery. My times are in thy hand. That's the first thing to remember.

Isn't it can any man or can Satan himself kill you one second before God has fulfilled his purpose in this life for you you're immortal until that day comes. There's nothing that can take you out that would bring bravery.

Wouldn't it. Let me ask you this. If you were going into battle and the bullets were whizzing around your head could you be a lot more brave if you knew two things. Number one you're not gonna die in this battle.

And number two you're gonna win the battle. You can't lose it because you your captain Jesus is the leader. Would you be brave. Oh yeah. Let me. That'd be fun. Let's go. I hear him coming around but none.

I'm gonna hit me and I'm gonna win the battle. That would bring real bravery. Well that's what it's all about. Look what David says here my times are in your hand. I don't need to worry about it even if it were physical battle and war.

Young people some of you who knows you may have to go to war someday. Your time is in God's hand. It's not in the enemy's hand. Hallelujah. And he goes on and he says deliver me from the hand of mine enemies.

And from then that persecute me. Look at verse 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. David knows it really does. Save me for thy mercies sake. There's nothing like the shining countenance of a satisfied God a God who's looking at you as if you've never sinned because you have the full righteousness of Jesus Christ all over you.

There's nothing like that to put away fear. What can man do to us after all if God is not against us. Yea if he is the one who died for us. If he is not against us who cares. Who is brings awesome bravery in this walk.

In this battle that we fight. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. Save me for thy mercies sake. Let me not be ashamed. Oh Lord. For I have called upon thee. Let the wicked be ashamed. And let them be silent in the grave.

You know what it means when he starts talking about let me not be ashamed. He says Lord don't ever let a time come my life where the enemy can come to me and say look what's your God. Let happen to you.

That's not gonna happen in David's life. Read about it did. Was there ever a time when David had to fear back and say okay the enemy one God. You know you let me down God. And I'm ashamed of you. When he says let me not be ashamed he says let me not be ashamed of God.

That's what he means. Don't let there come a time when the enemy can laugh at my face and say look your God let you down. You know what it never happened to David. And if you've ever seen that seemingly happen to someone that was a Christian just remember this.

You can't know the walk of that person. You really don't know if he's even a Christian. But you can know you. You can know this. You'll never be ashamed of God when it's all done. When it's all over and the last little moment of your life has been written you will look back.

And you won't find one spot where he didn't prevail over the enemy. Not one little place. David is reminded of that when he looks at the shining face of God. That shining face pictures a pleased look a happy countenance.

One that has already received the finished work of his son. One that has already seen the blood applied to the mercy seat and who is smiling. We could never bring that smile to God's face on her own. Don't ever let ourselves think we could through anything that we might try to do.

We want to please God. If you get out of the right steps and you sin and you're in the flesh. Don't ever let the devil bring to you the idea oh I've got to do all these things down and crawl my way back on my knees to make God please.

You know what you need to do. Do just what the devil tells you. You can't do. Look right in his face and see that it's still just as smiling and pleased as it was because it's not looking just at you.

There's like a little black lady said I'm all dressed up in Jesus. So we see true bravery comes from this shining face of God. Now let's go into Psalm 41. David still you know he thinks he's just about written down everything he can write about the face of God.

But he's not through yet. He reminds me of my sonship. It reminds me of God's mercy of God's deliverance of God's tender care of his guidance through the enemy in the battle reminds me to be brave. He said oh no I've thought of some other things.

Better write Psalm 41 verse 9. Yay. My own familiar friend in whom I trusted is bad enough. Now it says. If my parents forsake me what about if my best friend who I trusted which did eat of my bread and fellowship and sat at my table in my home and he lifts up his heel against me.

But thou O Lord be merciful unto me and raise me up that I might requite them by this. I know that thou favorist me. Do you see this countenance is all about favor. Because mine enemy doth not triumph over.

You know you may find yourself sinning. But you'll find yourself having more victory over that sin than you ever had. You'll find yourself not doing that same sin. Next year you'll find that if you think back some of the sins that so easily beset you or beset you I think would be the right way to say it can't get a past tense.

For that can you in the past. They don't so easily overtake you. Now do they. Now there may be new ones that crop up. But the ones of the past that got you so quickly and so easily before you were saved.

And then shortly after they can't get you that easily. Now can they. You know why. Because the Lord brings triumph over the enemy. My enemy doth not triumph over me. This is how I know God's favors on my life.

One of the ways. And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity and set us me before thy face forever. Now the next time Satan tempts you to get down into a guilt complex. You've just sinned. Yes you got in the flesh and you blew it and you sinned.

And Satan the accuser comes to you and begins to work you over. You need to think about what David said right here he said. As for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity and set us me before thy face forever.

You know what he's talking about here. I know he's not a New Testament writer but he's talking about positional positional righteousness the position that you have because of your sonship. Why would looking in his face remind you of this.

Because as you look into his face you see a father's face. And it reminds you you're a son. That is your position. You can't change that. There's no sin you can do. That can change that now that you're his son.

There's nothing that any of my five children can do to make me kick them across the street and say Ivan Jackson they're your kids. Now there's nothing they can do that will undo their sonship. Why. It's their position.

They were born into it. They didn't arrange it. Did they. Neither did we. God knew us for the foundation and the creation of anything as his children. And then he birthed us. He brought us forth into his family.

And David is saying in the midst of my own sin in the midst of the enemy. The enemy cannot triumph over me. And this reminds me that I'm God's child. As for me as the enemy tells me that I'm no good. The enemy tells me I'm the sinner.

Still he tries to convince me I'm just an old sinner saved by grace like you've heard prayed so many times which is wrong. The Satan wants you to think you're still a sinner. You need to remember this phrase as for me thou holdest me in my integrity not in my iniquity.

And set us me before your face. For when you look into his face now in time do you have the ability to view that as an eternal situation. You'll be gazing at that face forever because you're his son. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.

Amen and amen. When we gaze into his face it reminds us of our position. We are righteous before him because we have the righteousness of Christ. That verse was brought up I think by Diane in Sunday School.

2nd Corinthians 521. He made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. Our sins were placed in him that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. His righteousness is placed on us. When you look in his face you'll see that.

Because you'll see that pleased smile that could only look at you if he didn't see your sin. It could only look at you that way. If he saw you as righteous as his righteous child. Go to Psalm 69 17. I wish I could let you go to lunch.

But David wasn't through. He thought of another one. Psalm 69 17. Notice the face of God. How he speaks of God's face. Hide not thy face from thy servant. Now what is the face of God. Seen. Who is God seen.

Who is the show bread. The face bread it is Jesus. And hide not thy face from thy servant. For I am in trouble. Couldn't we say that a lot. Well that could be the psalm of David Mitchell. Not David. David I'm in trouble.

Rest tells me I stay in trouble. I'm in trouble. Hear me speedily. Draw nigh into my soul and redeem it. Deliver me because of mine enemies. They're after me. They're after you. They hate you with the cruel hatred.

David says. Thou has known my reproach. Uh-oh now David is reminded of his past. We're going to talk about the past of David. David was exposed naked before all of us. Wasn't he now has known my reproach.

Father see. You have to have father. Not God. Not wrathful judge. But daddy like Jesus called him Abba. Thou has known my reproach. Thou has known my shame. Thou has known my dishonor. Mine adversaries are all before thee.

Then it interesting that he names his own shame and dishonor which is part of his own flesh. As one of his adversaries we know that our flesh is part of the enemy. Reproach have broken my heart. David says.

And I am full of heaviness. David says. Now he's right where God wants him. Now let me tell you something I've learned from brother Otis. Well from God. Actually. But I guess brother. Oh God put brother Otis in my life.

And yours teach us a few things. But when you look back at your past and you think about your reproach you think about your dishonor. You think about the shame of your past. What you should think about is God used that as an instrument to make you be who you shall be who you are now you shall be for all eternity.

You're right. On track. It was part of the trip. It was foreordained like everything else. Now we're not supposed to blame the bad things on him. We're responsible. But when we come back and we look at it with hindsight we're gonna see we were never truly out of God.

People in modern theology throw around what you got to get out in God's will. It implies you were out of God's will. How can you be out of a sovereign God's will. You could only be out of God's will if you're an Arminian if you believe you're in control a humanist.

I'm not out of God's will. Now I may do something that the Bible teaches displeases him. But look at this. Even in the midst of all this it brings reproach to the heart it brings heaviness. And David says.

And I looked for some to take pity. But you know what. When I fall you won't take pity. Most of you won't. Some of you would but most by and large humans won't. But look what he says. I looked for some to take pity but there was none.

And for comforters. But I found none. So what does he think about in that situation. You get into the sin. It's not always real wise to look for comfort among humans. Even the closest. Maybe even your spouse your parents your favorite friend that's eating at your table so many times.

David's just shown all of these can not always be for us. But he says that this face that you've been looking at all morning this morning this face is always for me. He's reminded through his own reproach and shame and dishonor that God is the one that delivered me because of the very enemies.

God will not allow you to be ashamed of him. In the presence of your enemies God will deliver you. And this brings forth the New Testament concept of and Old Testament concept of redemption from the slave market of sin.

David looks into the face of God. He sees his sonship. He sees the very righteousness of Christ is on him because God's face is looking at him pleased which is amazing. And as he even thinks of his own dishonor and shame of his past he is reminded by the pleasant face of God that he has been redeemed bought for with a price and brought out of that market.

You picture yourself when you sin is you're standing up on the blocks and Satan is bidding on you. And Jesus Christ says no here's the price. It's my blood. I only mean he takes you off the block. You're not even in the market anymore.

You're taken off the market. You are not a sinner saved by grace. You're a once-upon-a-time sinner that got saved out of it and your sins been removed as far as the East is from the West removed. And you look into his face.

It'll remind you of that Psalm 80 verse 2. The faster you turn those pages the quicker we'll be through. Psalm 80 verse 2. Let's go let's go before Ephraim. Now you have to understand Ephraim becomes the kind of like the enemy Benjamin Manassas.

Stir up thy strength and come and save us. Turn us again Oh God. And cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved. It speaks of deliverance. A shining face of the father. If you look at it guarantees you you're gonna win the battle.

The the war is won already. He is pleased with you. He is pleased with you. You you you don't want to get into this modern theology of putting the cart before the horse and saying that well he's not pleased with me.