Preparation for Worship Exodus 3011 38

Preparation for Worship in Exodus 30:11-38

We will be continuing in our series for Exodus and of course even in Exodus there is a subsection Which we started in chapter 25 and it will end in chapter 31 and it is this whole section for Israel to prepare themselves to live Among the Lord, what does it mean for God to live with Israel?

Right and We are nearing the end of that subsection. So please turn with me to Exodus chapter 30 verses 11 through 38. Exodus chapter 30 verses 11 through 38. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying when you take the census of children of Israel for their number then every man shall give a Ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them that they made there there be no plague Among them when you number them.

This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give half a shekel. According to the shekel of the sanctuary a shekel is 20 geras. The half shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. Everyone included among those who are numbered from 20 years old and above shall give an Offering to the Lord.

The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel. When you give an offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves and you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting and it may be a Memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying you shall also make a layer of bronze Laver a bronze with its base also a bronze for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar and you shall put water in it.

For Aaron and his son shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. When they go into the tabernacle of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister to burn an offering made by fire To the Lord they shall wash with water lest they die.

So they shall wash their hands and their feet lest they die and it shall be a statute forever to them to him and to his descendants throughout their generations. Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses saying also take for yourself quality spices 500 shekels of liquid myrrh half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon 250 shekels 250 shekels of sweet-smelling cane 500 shekels of cassia According to the shekel of the sanctuary and a hen of olive oil and you shall make from these a holy anointing oil and anoint Anointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer.

It shall be a holy anointing oil with it. You shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the Ark of the Testimony. The table and all its utensils the lampstand and its utensils and all the altar of incense the altar of burnt Offering with all its utensils and the laver in its base.

You shall consecrate them that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them must be holy and you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them that they may minister to me as priests and you shall Speak to the children of Israel saying this shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

It shall not be poured on man's flesh nor shall you make any other like it according to its composition. It is holy and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people and The Lord said to Moses take sweet spices stack tea on Nika and galbenum and pure frankincense and with these sweet spices There shall be equal amounts of each you shall make of these an incense a compound according to the art of the perfumer salted pure and holy you shall and you shall beat some of it very fine and put some of it before the testimony of the tabernacle of meeting before I will meet with you and It shall be most holy to you.

But as for the incense which you shall make you shall not make any for yourselves according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord whoever makes any like it to smell it He shall be cut off from his people.

This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray Father we are Grateful that we can worship you through your son Jesus Christ Who died for our sin to atone for our sin so that we may be redeemed and that we can?

Worship you not in our own righteousness, but in Christ's righteousness. Thank you so much that the preparation has been done through Christ and in Christ in Jesus name Amen as I started This morning.

This is one of the ending parts of the subsection of what does it mean? For the Lord the Holy God to dwell among his people Israel and It was it's close to six chapters it is six chapters long of the whole preparation of the tabernacle and all the utensils inside the tabernacle and even outside the tabernacle the altar of bronze and.

The reason why Moses and of course God put so much emphasis in this section is Because it is important to worship the Lord correctly according to his way. Now we have reached one of the final sections of what it means for the Lord to dwell among his people and this text teaches us how must God's people prepare to worship the Lord and as you know preparation is important for worship.

For Christians, we prepare our hearts. We prepare our minds before we go to worship the Lord and For the Israelites they had to do physical preparation because under the Old Covenant the physical phenomena Pointed and taught the spiritual reality the spiritual truth, and I've been repeating that phrase over and over again that's because the physical phenomena phenomena were not just for a ritualistic do-nothings they meant something and they taught something to the ancient Israelites and this section teaches us how God's people must prepare in order to worship the Lord and preparation is very important to us because certain religions their preparations look much different and more self-centered right if you think about meditation that many False religions or even a lot of secular people often do.

Meditation is about emptying one's mind. But in the Bible meditation is filling up one's mind with God's truth. There's a huge difference in preparation before worshiping right and and even in certain churches they might Whether intentionally or not shift the focus in preparation to something or someone else than God.

Right and and that becomes tragic when the focus is on The pastor or the focus is on me having a good time or the focus is on a certain program. Where when the focus is on those things? But the church loses focus on God and who he is and how wonderful he is.

So today we will be going over four Different points that teach us in principle How we ought to prepare? Worshipping the Lord as God's people. So first in order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people must be atoned for at the same price.

In order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people must be atoned for at the same price. Atoned for is a Christian and Jewish language. It means to be accounted for. There's the sin that prevents us from approaching.

God is Accounted for we are bought from that enslavement. So that's what atonement means. So after describing the altars the main means of worship under the Old Covenant God reveals to Moses what must occur in Preparation for worship.

Verse 12 introduces the necessity for a census. When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord. When you number them that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

In the Old Testament census was not taken every 10 years just like in this country under the Constitution. The census was taken either in preparation for war to count how many eligible men there are to fight anyone above 20 or for an institution of a new tax.

Both reasons were taken seriously and had to be done according to God's command. Even a king could not willy-nilly Put census as an agenda. In fact when King David commanded a census to be taken Against God's will God punished him for it.

It was according to God's will not any human will.

And.

Verse 13 to the first part of verse 15 detail how it must be done. First verse 13 tells us how much is must be collected by each man. Half a shackle according to the shackle of the sanctuary and a shackle is 20 garras and half a shackle shall be an offering to the Lord.

A Shackle was about 0 .4 ounce. So not a huge amount. But with precious metal a 0 .4 ounce is not something to laugh about right? Although it's not an exorbitant amount that people could not pay. But it was not a small amount where people could just throw away as if they're pennies, right?

So it was not a small. It was not a huge sum, but it was not a small sum. It was an important amount. Now verse 14 to the first part of 15 tell us from whom the census offering must be taken. Everyone included among those who are numbered from 20 years old and above shall give an offering to the Lord.

The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than a half a shackle. The offering to the Lord will count everyone who is old enough to be counted in Israel and It is significant that the census offering did not discriminate against based upon the social status of the giver.

Right whether rich or poor the same amount would be collected. Now contrary what to what our current culture might say to that, right? They are this was not regressive at all this command actually was impartial and equitable.

Remember the offering here is taken in order to build the tabernacle. The very dwelling place of God and it was symbolically important that Anyone who is old enough to contribute to their wealth to build the tabernacle the Lord's dwelling place that they were contributing the same amount.

Now for those who could give more. Logically, you would expect more would be given. But God forbade that and this is because in Israel God could not be bought. Right in Israel. God could not be bribed.

No single individual could claim that the tabernacle was built because of him alone. It was a communal effort and the tabernacle belonged equally to all of Israel. God would not have an elite group of people taking more credit among his people and that is significant.

Now what was the reason for the census. In this context the census has two purposes. First it is an offering for the tabernacle when you give an offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. Right this census Collection had an atoning effect.

This was a way for Israel to Purchase their lives back from God so that they may live. The half a shekel was given to redeem one's life back from God. Right and this would have taught them two lessons one all of their lives belong to God.

Right. There was no such thing as it's my life my way. My way or the highway, right? There was no. I did it my way in Israel. They all belong to God.

To the Lord.

Graciously allowed his people To buy their lives back from him so that they may live in an abundant life that God has provided. Right. It was an act of grace. Could God take away all the lives of Israel whenever he wanted?

Yes. But through the census offering they would buy their lives back. This act of redemption Was in play for Israel. That's what they would remember. My life was bought back from the Lord so that I may live and It was at the same price as anyone else.

Even if I'm poor same price. Even if I'm rich my price my value to before the Lord was the same as the poor guy outside my gate. Second purpose is introduced. The second purposes is introduced in verse 16 and You shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of Meeting that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.

As mentioned above the offering would contribute to the building of the tabernacle. It was so that everyone contributed to God's dwelling place. There will not be a big plaque For the giant donors and some honorable mentions for the poor donors.

Whenever an Israelite would walk by the tabernacle whether poor or rich young or old that Israelite would know that he Contributed something so that the Lord may dwell among them. That God used him that God Required him to give something in order for God to dwell with them, right?

It was very special. Now how is this relevant to the new covenant people. After all, we do not pass by the tabernacle nor has anyone given to the tabernacle the census offering although the theme of Ransom for all of God's people without discrimination based upon social status Starts here.

It does not end here. It is ultimately fulfilled by Christ. In the New Testament this theme of ransom.

Redemption.

Bought with a price is ultimately fulfilled when Christ Died for our sin so that our lives would be bought at a price. At a at a price much higher than a half a shekel. At the price the cost of the life of our Savior Jesus Christ.

That redemption theme is caught on and intensified in the New Testament It's not just gonna be a half a shekel anymore. But God himself who shed his blood for us. But also the Discrimination the lack of discrimination would also broaden.

Remember under the Old Covenant the tabernacle offering was only it only applied to the Israelites. The Canaanites didn't pay for this the Egyptians didn't pay for this right. The Babylonians didn't pay for this.

However under the New Covenant That price paid Affects not just one ethnic group but every ethnic group. That's why in 1st Timothy 2 5 through 6 Paul can proclaim. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind the man Christ Jesus Who gave himself as a ransom?

For all people this has Now been witnessed to at the proper time. All people here Means every ethnic group. It's not just some it's not just a couple. But all people are redeemed at a different price now at the same price at the highest price the life of Christ crucified on the cross.

Bearing our sin so that we may be purchased from the enslavement of sin the greatest slave master of all. And that redemptive theme starts in Exodus. For all people not just the sum. Second in Order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people must be purified.

In Order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people must be purified. Instead of the term laver. I will use the more commonly used term Basin right wash basin. Now one may claim that the bronze basin is placed out of order because it should have been Introduced along with the bronze altar, which is outside the tabernacle.

However, I believe this section is exactly where it needs to be. Because the basin just like a Basin unlike unlike the bronze altar was not used for worship. But in preparation for worship. Right basin was not used.

For the worship itself it was to prepare the priests for worship through the sacrifice. Now the altar Was the crux of the Old Covenant worship? The bronze basin was to prepare the priest for that verse 18 introduces the basin.

The bronze basin filled with water is for Washing it must be placed in between the tabernacle the tent and the altar outside. Now verse 19 through 20 give us the instruction for the priests. They shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it when they go into the tabernacle of meaning or when they come Near the altar to minister to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord.

They shall wash with water lest they die. Under the Old Covenant as I mentioned before the physical phenomena taught the spiritual reality. Here the physical washing continual washing before approaching any of the Lord's artifacts showed the cleanliness and the purity of the Lord.

Before attending though any of the Lord's items the priest must be cleansed before setting a foot inside the Lord's house the priest must be purified any contact with the Lord's items. That body part must be washed.

That's why the hands and the feet had to be washed. Because he will be walking into the tabernacle and he will touch the bronze altar when making the sacrifice. Right. That's why the hands and feet had to be washed to teach them over and over again.

This God is so holy. I will die if I don't Purify myself. The physical dirtiness must be removed before approaching this holy God and Hence the warning of death is repeated in both verses 20 and 21 lest they die.

So they shall wash their hands and their feet lest they die. Even if the priests who are anointed and set apart apart from the whole community for the ministry. Even if he attempts to approach the Lord in an impure manner they risk their lives.

And This is because no one can withstand God's holy presence in their impurity. No one unclean can approach the Lord and expect to live. This taught the importance of purification among the Old Covenant people.

Now, how do we cleanse ourselves as the New Covenant people before approaching the Lord? And the short answer is you don't. Under the New Covenant washing is not done by us. It's done to us. Moreover the cleansing is not just external.

It's internal and in fact this was anticipated in the Old Covenant. When the post-exilic prophet Ezekiel Talks about the demise and fall of God's people Judah he doesn't leave thing hanging as if to be continued he actually discloses God's Redemptive plan for the sinful rebellious people of Judah and Israel and He catches up in Ezekiel 36.

To talk about the reality of a new covenant how it will be different from the Old Covenant. While the Old Covenant was about physical washing the New Covenant will be internal. Ezekiel 36 25. This is God speaking.

I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. Notice the subject of this beautiful promise. I Will sprinkle clean water.

I Will cleanse you. The subject. Here for purification is not us. It's not Israel. It's God himself. And How does God cleanse his people? From some of the impurities. Some of our idols. No, it's an internal power.

Wash all of our impurities and all of our idols are washed away.

By God.

When you belong to God, there is no square inch inside you that that God leaves unclean.

And.

How is this done? God sent his son to carry all of our uncleanness all of our impurities all of our sins and all of our filth and he carried that on the cross and God the Father poured out his wrath that we deserved on Jesus the Son the purest being of all and.

And when you believe that Jesus died for your sin and is risen God does not just forgive you and leave you hanging He also purifies you. He does not leave you in that filth that you grew up in and. The best of luck to you.

Try to live cleaner. But he cleanses you From the inside and out and we see that in In Jesus His desire to cleanse us. Jesus desire to cleanse us did not just bubble out on the cross. His desire to cleanse his people Was seen even from the beginning of his ministry.

His job his ministry was undoing the dirty work of sin. Right even before the cross Jesus went around cleansing the unclean Mark 140 verses 42. And a leper came to him Imploring him and kneeling and said to him if you will you can make me clean.

Moved with compassion Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him I.

Will.

Be clean and.

Immediately.

The leprosy left him and he was made clean. The word for compassion that Jesus had upon seeing this leper Here means he was moved from his guts his inner parts When he saw the leper. When Jesus the cleanest being of all who has ever walked the earth encountered the unclean people he was not disgusted by them as We may when we walk Across some unclean people unclean animals.

Worms.

Bugs spiders. But from the death of Jesus core He desired to cleanse and restore them. He was affected at the gut level to see the unclean made clean. To see the impure made pure. And this is important for us because too often we paint Jesus in our image and Think how disgusted he must be with us after we sin for the umteenth time.

And.

Brothers and sisters that is not at all. What Jesus is like when Jesus sees the sinner. His God instinct is to touch and restore them. You may say but you don't know what kind of sin I'm committing.

You're right. I don't.

But Jesus does and His heart is not changed. After you sin Jesus does not lock you down as you as as if you're some sort of plague rat. But he welcomes you to himself to be cleansed. This means when you when you sin the first person you run to the first person you seek out His Jesus himself.

He desires to purify you more than your desire to be pure. He desires to make you clean more than you ever imagined possible. That's because that's who he is. Even if you've sinned the same way over and over and over again Even when you are disgusted with yourself when you are tired of your own sin Jesus is not tired of you.

Jesus is not tired of cleansing you once again. That's in his heart He cleanses and purifies from his core being.

Third.

In order to prepare to worship the Lord everything must be consecrated according to his way. In order to prepare to worship the Lord Everything must be consecrated according to his way. Verses 23 to 24 go over the materials used for the anointing oil as The list goes on the value of the spice actually decreases.

The myrrh was an aromatic gum resin right the tree sap and from trees probably from Southern Arabia or even Somaliland, Northern Africa and 500 shekels were required and this was about 200 ounces. For those of you who've ever tried to make essential oil You need a lot of the product just to get even a little amount of the essential oil.

That's why it is so expensive to buy this amount. It's a lot of materials, right and the finer the quality the more precious it is. And for the anointing oil God required really fine quality materials and a lot of it to Next hundred ounces of the sweet smelling cinnamon.

It came from Sri Lanka and elsewhere in Asia. The reason why they Distinguish sweet smelling cinnamon is that there is a type of cinnamon that doesn't smell so to make that distinction God calls it a sweet smelling cinnamon and Third it is uncertain what the sweet smelling cane is because a cane Plant is pretty broad.

So it is unknown Where that came from or what it could be? And cassia is a type of calamus plant. So they're they're from various regions and they're from various plants and Then of course a hint of olive oil was required for the base of the oil and that was about a gallon of olive oil.

Now verse 25 states how the anointing oil must be made and you shall make from these a holy anointing oil and Ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

All the precious ingredients weren't just blended together in a giant tub willy-nilly, right? It wasn't just pour it all together. I'll mix it with my hands but it was by a Professional perfumer and he had to mix it skillfully In a specific order that we don't we actually don't know how to make this.

And.

Verses 26 to 28 lists what must be Anointed with the anointing oil. It is to anoint and to consecrate to set apart make holy in order to prepare. Worshiping the Holy God. Everything involved in worship must be consecrated.

Verse 26 starts with the most important of the furnishing right the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Testimony the very meeting place of the Lord, right? That's where the Day of the Atonement would occur.

Verse 27 branches out to the tools used inside the altar, right? Inside the tabernacle rather the table and all its utensils the lampstand in its Utensils and the altar of incense all these golden furnishing inside the tabernacle.

Now verse 28 branches out to the outdoor ministry Artifacts the bronze altar and there and its utensils and the basin and its base, which we just went over previously. Now verses 29 to 30 state the purpose of anointing.

You shall consecrate them and they may be most holy. Whatever touches this touches them must be holy and you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and Consecrate them that they may minister to me as priests.

It is not just the artifacts but also the people ministering directly to the Lord Had to be consecrated with his anointing oil. In order to worship the Holy God God's people must prepare everything involved in worship by Consecrating them.

Nothing unclean nothing unholy must be allowed in worship. Verses 31 to 33 prohibit the improper ways to fabricate holiness and you shall Speak to the children of Israel saying this shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

It shall not be poured on man's flesh. The first part of verse 32 Prohibits the improper use of the consecrating anointing oil. It must be done according to God's way and the anointing oil if we remember from Last couple of chapters was anointing oil for the head of the priest.

Not the body. It had to be poured on the high priest's head. Therefore it had to be done according to God's way. You couldn't just Try to consecrate every part of you. Second the divinely decreed oils recipe must not change.

Nor shall you make any other like it according to its composition. It is holy and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it in on an Outsider shall be caught off from his people.

Only the Holy God has the prerogative to consecrate everything he gets to choose how what when and whom and any attempt to play God any attempt to Make something or someone else holy not according to God's will Resulted in excommunication.

If you defile what is holy you can no longer be part of the holy people and Of course to defile the consecrating oil itself would have been idolatrous. How dare you? Think that God's holy anointing oil is not holy enough that you have to edit that.

Or use it a different way than what is prescribed. That is a form of idolatry to think yourself higher than God to know better than God. And this is important to us this morning. Because the sinful desire to attempt to seize the authority to consecrate from God's Prerogative is quite rampant all around.

First it starts with false religions. They get to set up What it means to be set apart and holy. It's about avoiding certain foods, right? It's about eating certain foods. It's about not eating period.

Right. It's about what you wear. Right. That's what makes you holy. That's what they lie to you not according to the Bible not in the New Testament and then. Sadly that idea seeps in to the church. What counts as holy?

What counts as good? What counts as set apart? During the worship service on a Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the examples are too many that I To bring up all this morning but when you have a pastor. And a dance team behind while the pastor is dancing with them.

That's not holy. We're not against dancing, but let's not use the worship time the holy time when we have to be devoted to God or when you have a church service and there's a giant rocket behind that's getting launched off or When a pastor is preaching through a movie.

Instead of the Holy Scripture that's taking God's mandate of. Only he can make things holy and us faking it. Unfortunately faith Bible Church does not have any of those problems. Where we try to incorporate something that's not holy but try to pretend it is fabricating holiness and This is because in the end God is the one Who makes us holy?

It is not our effort. It is not our will it is God's will it is God's power. Who works through us in our obedience that we become holy? Set apart from the world and that's God's job. The world has no business changing that forth.

In order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people present only the authorized Offerings. In order to prepare to worship the Lord God's people present only the authorized offerings. After describing the preparation of consecration for worship the Lord Prescribes the holy incense for the golden altar.

Not only was it necessary to consecrate everything related to worship, but also what was offered by the consecrated priest had to be authorized by God and thereby holy. Verse 34 lists the ingredients.

Sweet spices right quality spices. Stacty the Anika galvanum and pure frankincense all of equal amount. Stacty refers to a resin maybe a balsam or or a persimmon tree. Anika's identity is uncertain, but it is thought that it is From a snail that is a nail shaped snail because the Greek and Latin translation of the Old Testament Used the word for nail.

Galvanum was a gum resin also right sap from the tree that dried from a plant grown in Persia and Crete and frankincense is also a gum resin that is native to Southern Arabia or Northern Somaliland right.

And we're used to frankincense because it's part of the Christmas story. Now verse 35. Through verse 36 Describes the procedure for making the incense. You shall make of these an incense a compound according to the art of the perfumer salted pure and holy and You shall beat some of it very fine and put some of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of meeting.

Where I will meet with you and it shall be most holy to you. The repeated term here is holy. The incense has to be holy. What's offered up to the Lord is holy. You can't offer up just anything you'd like.

It had to be set apart just for the Lord and in order to meet the Holy God God's people offered up what was authorized by God only and Similar to the last section this section also ends with the same warning.

But as for the incense which you shall make you shall not make any for yourselves according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. Whoever makes any like it to smell it it he shall be cut off from his people.

If Anyone could make the incense There would be a temptation to worship the Lord any way he wanted to. Why go to the tabernacle when you could offer up the incense at home the pagans do it just fine. How about adding a statue in front of the incense it would be nice to have something to visualize right.

There that's just idolatry. Soon enough the incense would be offered up to false gods. Because the wrong people seize the control of the worship procedure. The prohibition was to prevent any attempt to hijack the worship procedure.

It was to prevent that because that would be committing an apostasy rebellion against the Lord worship of another God. Therefore it was limited to a certain individuals on how the incense must be made and You got to really appreciate the Jewish tradition because they really Whether how true or not?

They really should give you that impact of how seriously they took it, right? It's a powerful illustration. So according to the Jewish tradition The secret recipe for the incense was heavily guarded by one family called of Tina's.

Only they knew how to make the incense properly and how they made it allowed the Supposedly, right? I've never seen this incense. Allegedly made the smoke just go up like a column like a pillar. Of course, no one alive has seen it to verify this but that's how.

Unique it was how they made the incense according to.

Scripture.

That they followed right and this is a Jewish tradition. So you won't see this in Scripture so only they knew how to make it. And One time a sage asked one of the family, right? why the recipe is kept so secret and the family replied Perhaps an unworthy man will learn this art and will serve an idol therewith.

They were scared they were cautious. That if this secret art gets out that it would be used improperly that's some serious dedication and the secret art is lost now after the fall of the temple in 70 AD and The family did not disclose it even till the end now.

That story does not mean that's how we need to burn our incenses, right that story Illustrates what it looks like for God's people to take seriously What they offer up to the Lord and we have to do it according to his way and keep it holy.

For Christians, we do not rely on a secret incense. In fact if we try to attempt to make a secret incense that would be idolatrous and this is because Under the New Covenant God commands us to offer up something other than an incense and It's us God commands us to offer ourselves up in Romans 12 1 through 2.

Paul Exhorts the church. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Under the New Covenant, we do not offer up the physical sacrifices or incense to God. But our whole lives are offered up to God. Everything with we everything we think everything we say everything we do are Holy and acceptable to God.

That's what that's the standard. We do this not by being conformed to the evil world. By desiring what they desire by pursuing what they pursue by speaking the way they speak by reading and enjoying watching what they enjoy but by being shaped by being transformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ.

And That we do this by continually renewing our minds. Constantly filling up our minds with God's Word. Continually saturating our minds with Scripture. Right continually meditating on the beauty of God.

The delights that are in God in Christ the love of Christ.

That abounds.

What he's done for us? What God has provided his church and God's characters his love mercy.

Patience.

Everything his goodness his gentleness his kindness. When we renew our minds like that God transforms us. We partner with the Holy Spirit in this transformation journey. When we rely on God And fill our minds renew our minds actively and Give ourselves up to God.

And ever since chapter 25 one thing That has been common. It's in order to live with God who dwells with you. You got to do it his way. We have gone over how God's people must prepare in order that the Lord may dwell among them.