FBC Morning Light – February 14, 2023

Well, good Tuesday morning to you. Today we're in our Bible reading plan, reading the last two chapters in the book of Exodus, as well as Mark chapter 4 and the 32nd

Psalm. I wanted to just focus on a brief passage, a brief section, in Exodus 39 and verses 8 -14.

A lot of the book of Exodus is giving instructions. The Lord is giving instructions to Moses, or through Moses, to the people on how to build the tabernacle and all the different elements involved in it, the furniture of the tabernacle, the tapestries, the coverings, the curtains, and all the rest of that.

Also included instructions on how to make the incense that would be burned, how to make the fragrant oil that would be used in the worship of the

Lord, and then also gave instructions on the garments that the priests would wear, and then specifically the garments that the high priest would wear.

Now, I'm not going to go into all of that and all of the garments of the high priest, but I just want to remind you that the role of the high priest in Old Testament Jewish worship was to be representative.

It was a symbolic role that pointed to the

Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our great high priest. We can go to the book of Hebrews and see how so much of the

Old Testament sacrificial system and worship system was all pointing forward to Christ as the fulfillment of so much.

He fulfilled all the sacrifices. We are his dwelling place, his tabernacle, and so forth.

But the writer of Hebrews makes clear that Jesus is our great high priest.

This Old Testament high priest, Aaron, the first one, when he was robed in these garments, was representing the

Lord Jesus Christ's future ministry as our great high priest. One of the features of those garments was the breastplate that Aaron, the high priest, would wear.

In describing how that thing was to be made, the Lord gave instructions that on this breastplate there were supposed to be placed twelve stones.

In verses 8 -14 of chapter 39, the Lord specifies what stones are to be on that breastplate.

There are supposed to be these different roles, four rows of stones, and on each row there were three stones, and each one of them is a precious stone.

Listen to the list. A sardius, topaz, emerald were the first row.

The second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond. The third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.

The fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. We don't know what those stones would fetch in the economy of the day, but we do know that today most of those stones would be considered precious stones, and they would fetch, you know, ounce for ounce, a good price.

So what's the point? Well, the Lord explains in verse 14 that these twelve stones were according to the names of the sons of Israel, according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.

So each one of these precious stones was representing one of the tribes of the nation of Israel, one of the tribes of God's people.

So the twelve stones taken collectively represent the sum total of God's people.

They are precious stones, and they are stones that are placed closest to the high priest's heart as he goes in before the presence of the

Lord to offer the sacrifices and so forth on behalf of the people. What is the imagery here?

What is this communicating to us? Well, the New Testament tells us that believers in Christ are

God's people. We are that holy nation, a people of his own, and by this rich symbolism of these precious stones, that indicates the value that God places, that our high priest places, our

God places on his people. We are his precious people.

And where are they placed? These stones are placed close to the heart of the high priest, which indicates to us that Jesus looks at those who are his followers, those who are his people, he looks at them as his precious possession who are the closest to his heart.

Now, listen, if you're a child of God, if you're a follower of Jesus, that should give you great joy today and great encouragement to know how our

Lord Jesus views you and me as his people, as those who are trusting in him.

We are precious in his sight. We are close to his heart.

I trust that encourages you today. I trust that you indeed are one of his people, true to him, precious to him, blessed by him.

And so our Father and our God, we are so grateful today for this picture that demonstrates the attitude of Jesus toward his people.

Oh, may we be encouraged by that today, may we be humbled by that, that the

Lord Jesus would think so much and love us so dearly as he does.

We thank you for it, in Jesus' name, amen. Alright, well listen, have a wonderful, blessed