curg14

Can You Reach God

Lesson Fourteen: by turtle30c

God designed the first covenant to be a resemblance of the covenant to come. Moses was a priest, He did the instruction of
God. God gave him the plans for the tabernacle. A tabernacle is a tent used for worship. However what about before the
tabernacle, how did worship of God be established. We know men began to worshipped God in Genesis 4:26.

Genesis 4:26 KJV
(26) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the
LORD.

Yet in Genesis 4 we see the first sacrifice being given, with a responsibility of what was required. God required a blood
offering. Not an offering of fruit that had fallen, but first fruit. Cain gave what remained, Abel gave a lamb, first fruit,
something that had not reproduced yet, something not used. Something not old.

Genesis 4:3-5 KJV
(3) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
(4) And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to
his offering:
(5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Yet even so we see a covenant made between God and man as being either individual like the covenant between God and
Abraham or ones that were a promise to future generations. For example the promise that all nations would be blessed through
Abraham.

Genesis 12:3 KJV
(3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 18:18 KJV
(18) Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him?

Genesis 22:14-18 KJV
(14) And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be
seen.
(15) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
(16) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son:
(17) That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
(18) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Yet a sacrifice between parties is saying we are willingly going to give up something because you asked. God asked for the
sacrifice of Abraham son. Yet provide a way out for Abraham. Making a point that to give up was to receive a blessing in
return, yet the blessing not expected. Yet Abraham knew God could resurrect His Son. Jacob Isaac son would make a
covenant with God that if God would provide safety to bring him back to his homeland that he would worship Him and give a
tenth of what he had. Yet not until Moses do we see a corporate worship being established. No doubt families worshipped
together before this time, but establishment for worship would begin with Moses leadership. God told Moses and the people
what He expected of them, through the ten commandments and the congregation was afraid. Want Moses to intercede between
them and God because of fear what God might do. A shame a guilt was felt of disobedience to God when the law was read.

Exodus 20:18-26 KJV
(18) And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and
when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
(19) And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
(20) And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that
ye sin not.
(21) And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
(22) And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with
you from heaven.
(23) Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
(24) An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy
sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
(25) And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou
hast polluted it.
(26) Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

The first congregational worship and sacrifice would begin with Moses sitting up twelve pillars, a reading of the law of God and
confirming with a blood covenant, through the sprinkling of blood. The blood covenant being a demonstration of living for God
in replace of the sacrifice.

Exodus 24:1-8 KJV
(1) And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of
Israel; and worship ye afar off.
(2) And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
(3) And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with
one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
(4) And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and
twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
(5) And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto
the LORD.
(6) And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
(7) And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said
will we do, and be obedient.
(8) And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD
hath made with you concerning all these words.

The tabernacle would come later a place of worship. This Tabernacle God would design.

Exodus 25:8-9 KJV
(8) And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
(9) According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so
shall ye make it.

God was teaching Israel the meaning of His design, that He created, yet they would have a part in it. That there would be a
relationship between Him and them. A more permanent establishment would come much later through His Son. For Christ
being a High Priest an intercessor, like Moses and the priesthood was intercessor. God never wanted a division man requested
it. Yet God would establish the great covenant in time with the people. God designed the blood covenant and He would
establish the final covenant between man and Himself.

Hebrews 8:1-5 KJV
(1) Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
(2) A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
(3) For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also
to offer.
(4) For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
(5) Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to
make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

All priest before Christ offered sacrifices, never before had anyone become the sacrifice. Christ was the only one pure, only
one that could be the sacrifice for sin. He became the blood covenant, He became a living sacrifice for us. Yet we must
remember that Christ sacrifice was for the sins of the world and the world crucified Him. Yet it was in God’s eternal plan for
this to happen. Christ would be the new covenant and the old covenant of the sacrificial law would be changed for a better one.

Hebrews 8:6-13 KJV
(6) But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was
established upon better promises.
(7) For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
(8) For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
(9) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of
the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
(10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
(11) And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know
me, from the least to the greatest.
(12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
(13) In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish
away.

This promise is made when. Let us look in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV
(31) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah:
(32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
(33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they
shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will
remember their sin no more.

God desires for us to know Him. We could not reach God, in fact people turned away from God, yet God established a blood
covenant with His people that if they followed Him He would take care of them. Yet the better covenant to come would be
through Christ Jesus. He would be a mediator for us. He would go as a go between to the Father when we sin.

1 John 2:1-2 KJV
(1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous:
(2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

However the new covenant required us to have faith in Jesus. And that all we need is faith. For Christ paid the price for sin
and acts as a lawyer between us and God. Taking away our open shame of not being able to obey the law.