Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 31:12-18.

“12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16 So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17 It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.” Exodus 31:12-18.

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We think of the Sabbaths as just the fourth commandment. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11.

But, today’s Scripture teaches that Sabbaths are also a sign. “… You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” Verse 13.

The Law was presented from Exodus Chapter 20 through Exodus Chapter 31. We may feel overwhelmed.

But, there is hope!

Right at the end of this presentation of the Law, we read today’s Scripture about Sabbaths and that they are a sign that God sanctifies us.

We need this sign, this reminder that God sanctifies us, because we tend to want to work to sanctify ourselves. But, God is the only One Who can and does sanctify us.

Other doctrine tends to focus on man and alleged “free-will” and alleged sanctification by man.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God, man’s total depravity, and God’s grace from beginning to end (from “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistable Grace” through “Preservation of Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Rest in Reformed Doctrine.

“1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

“As I swore in My wrath,

They shall not enter My rest,”

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

“Today if you hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:1-11.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 31:1-11.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood; the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.” Exodus 31:1-11.

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“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

God still gives gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

With these gifts, rather than building up an earthly tabernacle, we build up the spiritual temple of God which is the body of Christ.

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” Ephesians 4:11-12.

These points do not merely tell us who we are and what we can do;   more importantly, these points tell us Who God is and what He does.

“Remember the former things long past,

For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure‘;

Calling a bird of prey from the east,

The man of My purpose from a far country.

Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.

Like God called Bezalel and Oholiab in today’s Scripture, God calls people of His purpose today and works in them to accomplish all of His good pleasure.

Reformed Doctrine helps us focus on God and understand that God is a sovereign God Who accomplishes all of His good pleasure. ““Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 30:34-38.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord. Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.” Exodus 30:34-38.

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The spices of the incense in today’s Scripture lead us to Solomon and the Song of Solomon which ultimately lead us to the sweetness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“6 “What is this coming up from the wilderness

Like columns of smoke,

Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,

With all scented powders of the merchant?

7 “Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon;

Sixty mighty men around it,

Of the mighty men of Israel.

8 “All of them are wielders of the sword,

Expert in war;

Each man has his sword at his side,

Guarding against the terrors of the night.

9 “King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair

From the timber of Lebanon.

10 “He made its posts of silver,

Its back of gold

And its seat of purple fabric,

With its interior lovingly fitted out

By the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 “Go forth, O daughters of Zion,

And gaze on King Solomon with the crown

With which his mother has crowned him

On the day of his wedding,

And on the day of his gladness of heart.” Song of Solomon 3:6-11.

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“Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,

Your name is like purified oil;

Therefore the maidens love you.” Song of Solomon 1:3.

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“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

So is my beloved among the young men.

In his shade I took great delight and sat down,

And his fruit was sweet to my taste.” Song of Solomon 2:3.

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“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret place of the steep pathway,

Let me see your form,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your form is lovely.” Song of Solomon 2:14.

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“His cheeks are like a bed of balsam,

Banks of sweet-scented herbs;

His lips are lilies

Dripping with liquid myrrh.” Song of Solomon 5:13.

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“His mouth is full of sweetness.

And he is wholly desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem.” Song of Solomon 5:16.

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“Hurry, my beloved,

And be like a gazelle or a young stag

On the mountains of spices.” Song of Solomon 8:14.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 30:22-33.

“22 Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, 24 and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. 25 You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29 You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31 You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’” Exodus 30:22-33.

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Speaking ultimately of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, according to Hebrews 1:8, we read the following in Psalm 45:7-9:

“7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of joy above Your fellows.

8 All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad.” Psalm 45:7-8.

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38.

But, God has also anointed us with the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the anointing oil.

“… You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5.

“But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;

I have been anointed with fresh oil.” Psalm 92:10.

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.” 1 John 2:20.

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

There is a joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52.

“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 30:17-21.

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.” Exodus 30:17-21.

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I boldly write these daily devotions for all to see, and yet, I sin.

“1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

And my sin is ever before me.

4 Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight,

So that You are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,

Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners will be converted to You.” Psalm 51:1-13.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 30:11-16.

“The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the Lord. The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.” Exodus 30:11-16.

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“The rich and the poor have a common bond,

The Lord is the maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2.

And, the rich and poor alike are sinners who need atonement. They need redemption.

But, not even the richest can truly buy it. The rich and poor alike need Someone Else to redeem them.

And, the redemption price is the same for the rich and the poor. It is the blood of Christ.

“1 Hear this, all peoples;

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2 Both low and high,

Rich and poor together.

3 My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will express my riddle on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in days of adversity,

When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

6 Even those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

7 No man can by any means redeem his brother

Or give to God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,

And he should cease trying forever—

9 That he should live on eternally,

That he should not undergo decay.

10 For he sees that even wise men die;

The stupid and the senseless alike perish

And leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inner thought is that their houses are forever

And their dwelling places to all generations;

They have called their lands after their own names.

12 But man in his pomp will not endure;

He is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

Death shall be their shepherd;

And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,

And their form shall be for Sheol to consume

So that they have no habitation.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,

For He will receive me. Selah.

16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,

When the glory of his house is increased;

17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

His glory will not descend after him.

18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself—

And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;

They will never see the light.

20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,

Is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm Chapter 49.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 30:1-10.

“Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” Exodus 30:1-10.

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“May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” Psalm 141:2.

The prayers of the saints are treasured by God as fragrant incense. They are held in golden bowls and on the golden altar. They are offered to God.

“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:8-10.

“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3-4.

Reformed Doctrine leads us to the Sola of “Glory to God alone!” Reformed Doctrine refutes alleged free-will and goodness of man to give all credit for our salvation to God. Reformed Doctrine delights in teaching about God’s sovereignty and His “Total Perfect Triumph”.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”  Zephaniah 3:17.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14.

Dear Father in Heaven:

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 29:26-46. Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+29&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.” Exodus 29:45-46.

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Two of the things that we need to know about God is that is His sovereignty extends over all, but that His lovingkindness extends only to His chosen people.

There is God’s sovereignty over the Egyptians, but there is not God’s lovingkindness toward the Egyptians.  God hurled them into the sea.

“4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;

And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

5 “The deeps cover them;

They went down into the depths like a stone.

6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power,

Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

7 “And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;

You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.” Exodus 15:4-7.

However, for God’s chosen people, Israel, there is both God’s sovereignty over them and God’s lovingkindness toward them.  God delivered His people through the Red Sea and conquered their enemies and established them in the land “flowing with milk and honey”.

“13 “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;

In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.

14 “The peoples have heard, they tremble;

Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 “Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed;

The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;

All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

16 “Terror and dread fall upon them;

By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone;

Until Your people pass over, O Lord,

Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.

17 “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,

The place, O Lord, which You have made for Your dwelling,

The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:13-18.

Another way of stating the truth that God’s lovingkindness extends only to His chosen people is to state that there is no common grace.  We may see people rise in power and prosperity as part of God’s overall sovereignty, but it does not necessarily mean that God showed them lovingkindness or extended common grace to them. 

As an example, consider all the power and prosperity that Pharoah of Egypt achieved.  God in his sovereign power used Pharaoh,  but Pharaoh did not receive lovingkindness nor grace from God.  God used Pharoah to demonstrate His special love for Israel, so that “They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt“.   

“17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” … 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” Romans 9:17 and 22-24.

Today, we need to know that that God is a sovereign God Who does not bow down to the alleged “free-will” of man.  We need to know that God is not a god who loves everyone nor shows lovingkindness (a/k/a common grace) to everyone.  Our God makes known to us (“They shall know …”) the riches of His glory upon His chosen people (a/k/a  His “vessels of mercy” in the language of the Romans 9:23 above), which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 29:15-25. Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+29&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“15 “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall slaughter the ram and shall take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head. 18 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. …

25 You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord.” Exodus Chapter 29: Verses 15-18 and Verse 25.

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God made these and other provisions for soothing sacrifices and aromas to lead us to Jesus Christ, the only truly Soothing Sacrifice. Nothing else can soothe God or appease God’s wrath.

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Romans 5:9.

“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11.

Article 21: Of the satisfaction of Christ, our only High Priest, for us.

“We believe that Jesus Christ is ordained with an oath to be an everlasting High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec; and that he hath presented himself in our behalf before the Father, to appease his wrath by his full satisfaction, by offering himself on the tree of the cross, and pouring out his precious blood to purge away our sins; as the prophets had foretold. …” Belgic Confession.

SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE

Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby

Article 1. God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. And his justice requires (as he hath revealed himself in his Word), that our sins committed against his infinite majesty should be punished, not only with temporal, but with eternal punishment, both in body and soul; which we cannot escape, unless satisfaction be made to the justice of God.

Article 2. Since therefore we are unable to make that satisfaction in our own persons, or to deliver ourselves from the wrath of God, he hath been pleased in his infinite mercy to give his only begotten Son, for our surety, who was made sin, and became a curse for us and in our stead, that he might make satisfaction to divine justice on our behalf.

Article 3. The death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sin; and is of infinite worth and value, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world.

Article 4. This death derives its infinite value and dignity from these considerations, because the person who submitted to it was not only really man, and perfectly holy, but also the only begotten Son of God, of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit, which qualifications were necessary to constitute him a Savior for us; and because it was attended with a sense of the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin. Canons of Dordt.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 29:10-14.

“Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. You shall slaughter the bull before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar. But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.” Exodus 29:10-14.

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The command may seem so small, so natural, and so unmeaningful that the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, should be burned with fire outside the camp. You don’t want the nasty remains of the bull to remain within the camp. But, this command points to Christ Who is the true Sin Offering Outside the Camp.

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” Hebrews 13:10-14.

And, there is reason why Christ suffered outside the gate and why “those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat”.

“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:24-25.

But, for those who continue to want to be under the Law, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4.

In other words, those within the camp want to continue to be under the Law. They serve the tabernacle. They are part of the crowd who want to prove their own righteousness and perfect themselves according to the flesh and the Law in front of admiring others in the crowd. They care more about their pride and what others think than they do for the necessity of going outside the camp bearing reproach in faith to get to the sole source of salvation.

The apostle Paul was willing to go outside the camp bearing reproach in faith to get to the sole source of salvation. Although he had every reason to have confidence in the Law and his own flesh to obey the Law, he states:

“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,” Philippians 3:2-9.

But, those who want to cling to the Law, those who continue to serve the tabernacle, those who stay within the camp, they shall not share the inheritance of salvation.

“30 But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,

For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” Galatians 4:30.