The Tabernacle Today

The Consuming Fire Heb. 12:25-29

Great talkers…and great listeners!

There are at least 5 warnings in the Book of Hebrews:

The danger of drifting away from our salvation commitment (2:1ff)

The danger of hardening our hearts through unbelief (3:7ff)

The danger of not growing; being content with immaturity (5:11ff)

The danger of willfully sinning when we know better (10:26ff)

Today’s text has the last major warning in the book:

The danger of refusing to _________________ to God.

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God is speaking – are we listening? V. 25a

Turning from ________________ is worse than turning from law V. 25b

Whole lot of __________________ going on V. 26-27

Revelation 6:12-14 2 Peter 3:10-13

The Kingdom of God __________________ be shaken or burned V. 28-29

Ecc. 3:12-13 Col. 2:20-23

And so we have a challenge: to let heavenly priorities guide our earthly living while avoiding the _________________ of legalism and hedonism.

Applications:

Don’t take your _________________ too seriously

1 Cor. 2:13b-15

__________________ your life around what really matters

Matthw 6:33

__________________ when God speaks

Give one-___________________ of your time to rejuvenation

Receive and give ___________________

Serve God with reverence and godly ________________

I believe it boils down to this: those who fear God respect the _________________ he has imposed on us for our own good.

“If our souls were properly ordered, we would love our limits, not despise them.” -Ken Meyers

God Reveals His Nurture

Today we are going to look at one of my favorite words in the Bible – the great Hebrew word Hesed, which the ESV often translates as “steadfast love!”

Read Exodus 34:1-9

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and _____________, slow to ____________, and abounding in steadfast ______________ and truth, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation. -Exodus 34:6-7

God will reveal more of Himself to those who are growing in their relationship with Him.

The word abounding is the word Rab (H7227a), which occurs 414x in the Old Testament. It is often translated much, many, great, or abounding.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love (Hesed) surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. -Psalm 32:10

How does God want us to think about Him when we think about His name?

As the God who ABOUNDS in steadfast love (Hesed)!

The word Hesed (H2617) occurs 249 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The ESV usually translates it as “steadfast love.” The CSV usually translates it as “faithful love.” The KJV and others usually translate it mercy, lovingkindness, or goodness. One Jewish scholar translated it as grace.

Surely goodness and mercy (Hesed) shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:6

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness/ truth. -Lam. 3:23

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness/ truth forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. -Proverbs 3:3

Who perfectly embodied God’s Hesed (steadfast love, grace) and Emet (faithfulness, truth)?

Jesus

And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the of the only Son of the Father, full of (abounding in) grace and truth. -John 1:14

What special times will God’s steadfast love matter to you?

When you have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. -Psalm 51:1

When you love those who have sinned against you with a Godlike love.

And I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me in in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord. -Hosea 2:19-20

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. -Hosea 6:6

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (HESED), and to walk humbly with yout God. -Micah 6:8

When you are reaching out to those who don’t yet know God.

And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was yet in my country? This is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; FOR I KNEW that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” -Jonah 4:2

He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always live to make intercession for them. -Hebrews 7:25

Kingdom Living Now Hebrews 12:12-24

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the selfsame winds that blow.

‘Tis the set of the sails and not the gales

Which tell us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,

As we voyage along through life;

‘Tis the set of a soul, that decides its goal.

And not the calm or the strife.

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Your success as a believer will not come by the __________________ this life’s winds are blowing, whether for good or bad, but on whether or not you know your destination, and you set your soul toward it no matter what!

Keep on ____________________ V. 12-13

Reepicheep from Narnia Dan Jensen from the Olympics

Specific things the Christian has to overcome to finish well V. 14-17

Conflicts with __________________ (V. 14a) Romans 12:18

Conflicts within __________________ (V. 14b)

Conflicts with ____________________ (V. 15)

Conflicts between instant and ______________ gratification (V. 16-17)

“If our souls were properly ordered, we would love our limits, not despise them.” -Ken Meyers

You have not come to Mount ‘I - _________’ V. 18-21

Trying harder without your soul set right will just lead to a more spectacular _______________. Acts 15:10-11

You have come to Mount ‘Christ - __________’ V. 22-24

Psalm 41 Worksheet

Psalm 41 is the last of the 41 Psalms in “Book 1” of the Psalms. Almost all of those are Psalms of David, including this one. What word begins both Psalm 1 and 41 in Book 1 of the Psalms?

The word ___________________

The blessings that those who meet ________________ will enjoy V. 1-3

2 Cor. 8:13-14 Rom. 15:26-27 Acts 24:17

What was the offering that Paul was referring to in 2 Corinthians?

________________________________________________________________________

What are some of the ways David sees God taking care of a giving person:

David’s prayer from his ________________________ V. 4-12

Before David reflects on the hostility of his external enemies he ____________________ his own sins first.

Not everyone who says they are for you are _________________ you!

Who did Jesus apply verse 9b to in John 13:18?

____________________________

The first thing David did in difficult situations was praying to the Lord about the entire situation.

I love how specific David is in his prayers. We often are very specific in complaining to others about things, but vague and superficial in our prayers. David started with prayer because He believed God could _________________________ any situation.

Sometimes respect for the key position we hold means we do need to act to preserve _____________________ for that position.

A final statement blessing the Lord of Israel V. 13

A double amen ______________________ the verse, the Psalm, and Book 1 (see Psalm 72:19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:6).

God Reveals His Nature

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;

And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbed pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat – and a Voice beat

More instant than the Feet –

‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’

“The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson (1893)

Exodus 33:11 says God spoke to Moses “face to face.” That meant that by demonstrating his commitment to God, Moses now got to speak to God “openly and honestly,” one of the main benefits of believer’s seeking to live holy lives!

And He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name, “The Lord.” -Exodus 33:19

Read Exodus 34:1-9

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and truth, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation. -Exodus 34:6-7

Slow to anger involve 2 words in the original Hebrew. The word for slow is Arek (H750 – 16x), which literally means long-winged, like an eagle. The word for anger is Ap (H639 – 269x), which literally means nostril, nose, face.

God soars above mankind in a thoughtful, deliberate, and overshadowing way; He could deal with sin at any moment, but hasty anger cannot be seen in His “face, His nostrils.”

As God reveals His name in our passage He wants us to know that He is NOT like we often are – He is not hasty to exercise His rightful anger at sin; He is thoughtful, He is deliberate – He judges sin, but never in sinful anger like we do.

Why should God be angry at all?

Why does God take sin so seriously?

God has to deal with ALL sin or He is not 100% holy, just, and righteous!

The Triune God’s “John 3:16 Filter” allows God to be slow to anger, because it makes it possible for God to show both mercy and grace to unworthy sinners who repent, believe in, and follow Him!

Because of God’s John 3:16 filter He doesn’t need to express anger like we do, because to repentant believers He can say, “My Son is going to take care of that for you!”

Breaking Through the Wall

Hebrews 12:1-11

The New Testament is clear that the nature of this life __________ suffering; due to Satan’s influence sin entered the world and caused death and suffering, and that effects the entire world.

The Christian life is more like a __________________ than a sprint.

Three facts of the Christian life:

We each have a __________________ to run V. 1c

Each of us is running the race God has marked out for us, not our __________________.

To run _______________ we must lay some things aside V. 1b

Weights are things that may not be sin in and of themselves, but have become ______________ for us for any number of reasons.

We often get ____________________ in our race V. 3b

Jesus is a Great Savior, Christians have a Great Salvation, and they can make it through life’s Great _____________________.

Three things to do when the Christian “hits the wall”:

Remember the cloud of ____________ who “got it done V. 1a

Keep your ____________ on Jesus V. 2

Remember that you are a _______________ of God V. 5-10

Results of a race well run: ____________________ V. 11

Psalm 40 Worksheet

A Hymn of Praise V. 1-10

The first 2 and a half verses are mostly ___________________ praise, with David using “I” and “me.”

Can you think of a prophet who had to literally be lifted out of a muddy pit?

Do you remember the name of the Ethiopian who took initiative to get the prophet out?

If this was figurative language for some sickness that David had, it is a reminder that sometimes God gets His children to look _______________ by putting them flat on their back!

Verses 3b-5 call for corporate worship, calling others to _______________ their testimony to David’s testimony!

God’s thoughts cannot be recounted back to Him in order! We have the way we would order things – and it is ____________________! And we would leave things out He doesn’t leave out!

Most of verses 6-8 are quoted by the Author of Hebrews and applies the testimony to _______________________.

Verse 6 repeats the truth Samuel taught Saul (1 Samuel 15:22) and Isaiah 1:11 repeats.

Notice how David mixes both positive and negative _____________ in verses 9-10.

A Prayer for _______________________ V. 11-17

But the thing about David is – He is always ________________________ his prayer requests. Here he seems to have in mind things he faces from without from his enemies.

What kind of foes does David have in mind in verse 12?

Foes from _______________________ – his own sins.

Interestingly, Psalm 70 is nearly identical to Psalm 40:13-17.

The summary of am imprecatory prayer is that it asks God to repay the saints enemies because they are really ___________________’s enemies.

Let’s often be found saying, “The Lord be __________________________!”

God Reveals His Name

When someone tells you who they are (and shows you), believe them.

“You Israelis are fighting those who love death for Allah like you love life, and who compete among themselves for martyrdom like you flee from death.” -A Hamas leader

Up until Thanksgiving time I want to look at a beautiful passage in the book of Exodus in which God tells us who He is, a passage I hope will enrich your prayer life and desire to glorify God in all you do.

Read Exodus 34:1-9

Recap of the Old Testament up until Exodus 34:

Creation, Expectations of Adam and Eve, and Fall.

And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them. -Genesis 3:21

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. -Psalm 32:1

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring her Offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His Heel.” -Gen. 3:15

The age leading up to the flood.

When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” -Gen. 9:16-17

The age leading up to the tower of Babel.

The Abrahamic covenant.

And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” -Genesis 15:6

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. -Romans 15:4

The Mosaic Covenant/ Law.

The Golden Calf.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. -Heb. 7:25

Oh, that we could get a sense of the importance of living in God’s presence for His glory, the very thing that will set us apart from those who don’t believe.

And He said, “I make all goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name “The LORD.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” -Exodus 33:19

The 7 Central Features of God’s Magnificent Name given in Exodus 34:

Merciful

Gracious

Slow to anger

Abounding in steadfast love (twice)

Faithfulness

Forgiving (the repentant)

By no means clearing the (unrepentant) guilty

Mercy is not getting what your sins DO deserve (judgment); grace is getting what you DON’T deserve (forgiveness and restoration of fellowship with God).

For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him. -2 Chronicles 30:9

They and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey Your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that You performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. -Nehemiah 9:16-17

And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was yet in my country? This is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; FOR I KNEW that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” -Jonah 4:2

- - From our 10/8/2023 Worship Service - -

T.G.I.F. Hebrews 11:23-40

Novena = 9 days of fasting and prayer to repent.

Can you say these things we’ve learned in Hebrews 11?

God, I believe that You exist.

God, I believe that You will reward me as I seek You.

God, I trust You to keep every promise that you have made to me.

God, I will order my life according to what I believe about You.

Faith chooses temporary suffering over temporary _______________ V. 23-30

Moses looked to the reward and the reward _________________

When it comes to salvation…Thank God It’s ____________________ V. 31-38

By faith, God commended…

Moses in spite of his temper

Rahab in spite of her sordid _____________

Gideon in spite of his skepticism

Barak in spite of his _________________ to lead

Samson in spite of his lust

Jephthah in spite of his ___________________

David in spite of a _________________

Samuel in spite of his being a momma’s boy

God’s Hall of Faith is still taking __________________ V. 39-40

Whether or not I live all out for God is not optional – my living all out for God is ________________ part of God’s plan.