Here are six observations...What it means to approach God as a people:

1) Approaching God as Prayerful People

2) Approaching God as Ransomed People

3) Approaching God as Purified People

4) Approaching God as Holy People

5) Approaching God as Gifted People

6) Approaching God as Covenant People

Today we talk about priests:

Priests Are:

1) Appointed- the priests were specially chosen and set apart by God for this role. This points to Jesus as the anointed/chosen One whom God the Father appointed as prophet, priest and king to save and rule the world.

2) Set Apart- not just anyone could enter God’s presence only the priests. They were clothed in special clothing, cleansed, made holy for this role. Their whole lives and persons were to be set apart for God. This is a reminder of how our entire selves and lives are to be set apart for God now that we have been redeemed.

3) Representatives- they represent the people of Israel before Yahweh- they carry their names as they offer sacrifices, as they pray, as they worship, as they enter God’s presence. This is a pointer to Christ and all that he has done for us.

Why are the instructions to build the tabernacle important to us today? Here are four reasons...

1) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Worth- the materials, the detail, etc. all point to God’s worth- that he is worth all of this time and material wealth. The question is whether we see God’s worth and live in light of it.

2) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Holiness- there is a separateness built in- in the attention given, in the curtains and dividers, in the altar- its clear that sin couldn’t enter- the common couldn’t draw near. Yahweh is holy. Now, we as his temple are to be holy.

3) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Provision- we see the provision in the ark, in the table/bread, in the lamp stand, with the altar. In all of it he is providing for the needs of his people. All it though ultimately points to his provision in Jesus Christ.

4) The Tabernacle Speaks to Yahweh’s Goal- the goal of all of this is that God would dwell in the midst of his people. That they would get to draw near and that they would know him and live in relationship with him. This is what we have in Christ- full access- an uninhibited relationship.

God is establishing a covenant with His people in Exodus 23-24. God asks for obedience and the people agree.

1) Covenant Conditions- the conditions for this covenant were obedience and specifically worship of God alone. We cannot live in relationship with God if we do not keep these conditions.

2) Covenant Commitments- the commitment that Israel made was to keep this covenant and obey God’s commands. They failed miserably almost immediately and throughout their history.

3) Covenant Consequences- the consequences for breaking the covenant involved blood and death. The person who broke the agreement would die. This was all of the Israelites and this is us. We could never keep a covenant with God. We could never live in relationship with him on our own. This is why we needed Jesus to shed his blood for us- to keep the conditions of the covenant for us- so that we could live in relationship with God.

Today we look at the "law." The four points are:

1) God Cares About All of Life- these laws cover almost everything you can think of. Its a reminder that God cares about all of it and that living as his people involves all of life.

2) God Cares About Worship- this section is bookended with sections on worship. Its a reminder that our vertical worship is the foundation for our horizontal living. Everything flows from our worship of God.

3) God Cares About Justice- God cares about what is right- about restitution for wrongs- etc. You see this in the cross where God doesn’t just forgive- he also satisfies justice in Christ.

Today we have a message from Jason Matossian from Mount Ararat Bible Church, Northridge. He covered the last of the Ten Commandments, "Thou Shalt Not Covet." The 4 points are:

1) The Tenth Commandment is the No Escape Clause.

2) It is about the heart.

3) Coveting includes contempt for others.

4) The Ten Commandments point us to Christ alone.

Here is the ninth commandment. We divide this sermon into four parts:

1) The Original Command- a courtroom setting where there were high stakes on the issue of whether someone’s testimony was correct or not. It highlights the power of words and the way they can impact other people- people made in the image of God- neighbors whom we are to love.

2) The Broader Application- the broader application is to any use of our words that harms others- lying, gossip, reviling, harsh words, etc. It can also apply to written words- think social media. There are all kinds of ways we can harm people with our words.

One of the basic commandments has two parts:

1) Taking: the command against stealing is broad and includes all kinds of activities where we take from others to try to gain for ourselves. It is evil because 1) we are harming our neighbors- no matter if its a corporation or organization or whatever. 2) it is rebellion against God’s sovereignty. It’s trying to take the throne and say that his decisions fo what we have are wrong and that we should have what he has given our neighbor

2) Giving: the positive side of this command is to 1) work and 2) give. This reflects the gospel where Jesus worked and gave in order to benefit us. This is the very opposite of stealing.

Two parts today:

1) Marriage as Covenant Making- marriage is 1) a part of God’s good design from the beginning 2) is from God 3) is between one man and one woman 4) involves a deep commitment and bond. It is a covenant- a personal, whole-life commitment before God to each other. Sex is the sign of this covenant. From a positive perspective this command is a call to honor and protect and cultivate marriages.

2) Adultery as Covenant Breaking- adultery is to break the covenant by engaging in a kind of oneness that only belongs in marriage. It tears the one-flesh union apart. And it goes beyond the outward manifestation- Jesus said it happens in our hearts.

There are two foundations of for life:

1) The Value of Life- this commandment conveys the value of life- this is based on the fact that human beings are created in God’s image. Therefore, they are valuable to him and we are called to value life in the way we treat other people.

2) The Authority Over Life- God is the authority over life. He gave life and he has the right to take life. We do not. We cannot take life into our hands. We are not God. This makes Jesus’ giving of his own life for us even more astonishing. He had authority over life and death and chose to use it to give his own life for us.