Series: Exodus
Title: Christ our Intercessor
Text: Ex 31: 18-32: 14
Date: Sept 6, 2020
Place: SGBC, NJ
Exodus 31: 18: And he gave unto Moses, when he had
made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,
tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Back in Exodus 24, Moses wrote in a book “all the words of
the LORD and all the judgments”—here God writes the law on two tables of stone. All the law that Moses
wrote in a book and these two tables of testimony written by the finger of God is
what the Spirit of God moved Paul to
call the “handwriting of ordinances which was against us.” The whole
law of God is against us because we have broken every law in Adam. God gave the
law that the offense might abound; to declare us all guilty and shut our mouths.
In
the next chapter we see why the law is against us. In Aaron and the children of Israel we see our
sin and guilt in breaking God’s law. We
see what we are before the law. Guilty! We see what our sin-nature is and what it
produces continually—idolatry, sin, transgression.
But
here is the good news. While Aaron and
the children of Israel were breaking God’s law, Moses was in the mount with God
making intercession on behalf of some.
Proposition: In Moses we see a type of Christ our Intercessor
who intercedes for all God’s elect.
We are saved from the curse of
the law because Christ Jesus
Colossians 2:14: Blott[ed] out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to
his cross;
Christ’s people are right now
shown continual mercy from God because Christ is in the mount with God where he
“ever liveth to make intercession for [us]” (Heb 7:25)
AN
EXAMPLE OF OURSELVES
Exodus 32: 1: And when the people saw that Moses delayed to
come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron,
and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for
this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not
what is become of him. 2: And Aaron said
unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your
wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3: And
all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears,
and brought them unto Aaron. 4: And he received them at their hand,
and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they
said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land
of Egypt. 5: And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and
Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6: And
they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought
peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to
play.
When Moses gave them the law they said, “All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be
obedient.” Moses sprinkled the blood of the covenant on
them and they entered a covenant of works with God to obey all that was written
in the law of God. Less than 6 weeks
later here they are breaking the law.
Carnal sight is not faith.
Therefore carnal sight never discerns correctly—"When the people
saw”—with carnal sight—“that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount…” True worship is of God in spirit through God-given
faith
Hebrews 11: 1: Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
But carnal men only have natural senses; so natural man always
see spiritual things wrong. There was no
delay. The time was set, by God, for
Moses to come down. But to carnal sight Moses
delayed to come down.
Brethren, whether we are waiting on God to save our lost children,
waiting on God to work in trials or waiting on Christ’s return, we wait on the
Lord by faith. It is unbelief that thinks
God has delayed. He never delays. I have never been disappointed for waiting on
the Lord but I have made many a blunder by not waiting.
Carnal sight, unbelief, wants visible gods—"the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron,
and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us.” When we take matters into our own hands, we “make us
[ourselves to be] gods.” Carnal
sight wants something to see, wants to see something happen. Later, they wanted a king like the nations
had. We have one God—our triune God in
Christ—we worship him alone!
They quickly turned on Moses—"for as for this Moses,
the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become
of him.” Remember, they turned on Moses
before when things were not to their liking. They attributed being brought out of Egypt to
Moses as a thing he did against them, for their hurt. This is after they had seen all that God had done for them through Moses.
God provided them Moses—God provided his Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, for us. Through
Moses God worked many signs and wonders in Egypt—God in Christ worked many
signs and wonders when he walked this earth for his people. Through Moses God provided a passover lamb and
when he saw the blood he passed over their firstborn sons—Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for his people, Christ as Head of his house applies the blood to the
doorpost of our hearts and God passes over us, believer, beholding the blood of
Christ who died in our room and stead.
Through Moses God delivered them out of Egyptian bondage loaded with
riches from the Egyptians—through Christ God delivered us and loaded us with
unsearchable riches of Christ. Through
Moses God delivered them through the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh and his
army—God has made us more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. Through Moses God led them through the
wilderness, provided them Manna, defeated Amalek, and delivered them to mount
Sinai—through Christ God has led us through this wilderness feasting on Christ
our Bread and providing all our needs.
But where Christ is not reigning in the heart, where Christ is not constraining
us by his love, unbelief quickly forgets—"as for this Moses, the man
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”
Remember, carnal religion had the same contempt for
Christ—the translators added the words “fellow” and “man.” But they spoke of Christ with contempt.
John 9:29: We know that God spake
unto Moses: AS FOR THIS fellow, we know not from whence he is.
Luke 23:18: And they cried out
all at once, saying, Away with THIS man, and release unto us Barabbas:
Brethren, you and I will forget Christ and all the work God
has done for us just that quickly but for God’s keeping hand of grace.
But that was the people, surely God’s high priest,
Moses’ brother will stand faithful against this idolatrous multitude—"And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden
earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your
daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden
earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received
them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it
a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee
up out of the land of Egypt.”
This was not that spirit God gave
Aholiab. This was Aaron’s carnal spirit—man’s
works. Aaron was a sinner in need of
Christ’s righteousness like all God’s elect.
Aaron was a sinner in need of God’s keeping grace just like the rest of
the children of Israel. So is every
pastor God uses in the cause of Christ. But right then, while Aaron was leading the people into
idolatry, God was declaring that Aaron was his high priest and God would adorn
him in his beautiful garments; this is that same Aaron scripture describes as
Psalm 105:26…Aaron whom [God] had chosen.
Psalm 106:16…Aaron the saint of the LORD.
How could God declare him thus? Only in Christ. The same is true of you and true of me. The apostle Paul said, “Christ came to save
sinners of whom I AM CHIEF!”
Idolatry is the worship that comes from our sin-nature. It is the worship of another god other than
Christ our Altar—"And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it;
and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6: And
they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought
peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to
play.”
Not far off was the altar God commanded but Aaron built
another altar. Christ is our Altar, no
other. Only Christ makes our worship acceptable
to God. These
were not offerings God commanded, notice, there was no sin offering. Where there is no truth of man’s sin—total depravity,
total inability, necessity of the new birth, necessity of preserving grace there
is no worship of Christ. Where there is
no truth of Christ’s righteousness it is merely a vain, carnal, show of religion
full of man-made offerings of men.
Brethren, Aaron called this “a feast to the LORD”
while they said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out
of the land of Egypt.” They knew yesterday
the gold was dangling in their ears. It
shows us that this claim that the idol is only a symbol, not the actual belief
of idolaters. They say the symbols are
only a help. They say observing days and
meats is only a help but they really worship Christ. It is a lie.
God says,
Psalm 106: 19: They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 20: Thus
they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 21:
They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt 22: Wondrous
works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
Every form of religious imagery is idolatry. Every addition to the worship of God is
idolatry. Every mixture of false
religion with the worship of God is idolatry.
Every effort of man to mix the work of his own hands with the glory of
God is idolatry. “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from
idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).”
God warned that in our day that religion would resort to man-made
messages, means and methods because religion without the Spirit of God only discerns
by carnal sight, they think Christ has delayed his return. Peter said,
2 Peter 3: 3: Knowing this first, that there shall
come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4: And saying,
Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5: For
this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were
of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6: Whereby the
world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7: But the heavens
and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto
fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8: But, beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9: The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth
also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11: Seeing then that
all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to
be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12: Looking for and hasting
unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13: Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness. 14: Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15:
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even
as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you;
Brethren, the things that
happened to the children of Israel are written for you and I who believe:
1 Corinthians 10:6: Now these
things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things,
as they also lusted. 7: Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of
them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to
play.
1 Corinthians 10:11: Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12: Wherefore let
him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Let’s not forget, brethren, even at our best state we have
a sin-nature. Sin is mixed with all we
do. We may not have physical idols
but due to our sin-nature idolatry mixed with our purest worship—to break one
law is to break the whole law of God. Flee from every form of sin and flee to Christ. When you have done so remember that our very
nature is yet sin. Therefore, look away
from ourselves and cast all our care on Christ. We need Christ continually. We need God’s mercy continually. We need Christ’s intercession continually
because we are sinners continually.
CHRIST OUR
INTERCESSOR
Exodus 32: 7: And the LORD
said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out
of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8: They have turned
aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a
molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said,
These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land
of Egypt. 9: And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and,
behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10: Now therefore let me alone, that
my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make
of thee a great nation. 11: And Moses
besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against
thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great
power, and with a mighty hand? 12: Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and
say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to
consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent
of this evil against thy people. 13: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy
servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will
multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken
of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14: And the
LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
God knew everything that was taking place with Aaron
and the children of Israel. He sees all
our sin, too. We are naked and open
before God at all times. No sin is out
of God’s sight: no sin of thought, no sin of word, no sin of deed, no sin commission,
no sin of omission.
The good news is that Christ intercedes on behalf of
his people in the presence of God in the mount.
Christ Jesus intercedes for those that are his
as Moses beseeched God for Israel. Here
we see four things Moses used to beseech God.
These are things Christ’s presence with God speaks for his people.
One, Christ’s intercession says these are “thy people.” God gave them to Moses. God said “thy people” have corrupted
themselves. Then Moses “said, LORD,
why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people.”
In John 17: 2, Christ speaks to the Father concerning the people God
gave to him—"As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should
give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.” Then in verse 9: Christ gives
them back “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast
given Me; for they are Thine.” Christ’s
intercession for his people is that his people are chosen by God’s free and sovereign
grace. “If by grace then it is no more
of works.” Christ’s intercession for us
declares grace chose them freely, grace must save us freely. They are “thy people” by free and
sovereign grace.
Two, Christ’s intercession says Father you redeemed them—"Thy
people which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power,
and with a mighty hand?” Christ is God,
the great Power of God, his Mighty Hand.
Christ has blotted out our sins
by his blood. Therefore, God will not
pour out justice on us since our Substitute has justified his people from all
our sins. It is Christ’s presence with
God—his wounds—that plead for us. Christ’s
precious blood has purged our sins and his obedience has made us righteous in
him. So it is for Christ’s sake that God has mercy on us,
forgiving us all our sins continually.
Three, Christ’s intercession says Father remember thy name
and thy glory—"Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For
mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume
them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this
evil against thy people.” Just as
God will not share his glory with another, God will not lose one he chose and
redeemed for his name’s sake. God will
not allow the rebel to accuse him of anything less than the full salvation of each
and everyone of his people
Isaiah 48: 9: For My name’s sake will I defer Mine anger, and for My
praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off...11: For Mine own sake,
even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted?
Four, Christ’s intercession says Father remember your
everlasting covenant of grace—"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy
servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will
multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken
of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” God gave us his covenant word and
confirmed it with an oath (Hebrews 6:18). Those are two immutable things because God
cannot lie. All
God’s covenant promises are written in Christ’s blood. Therefore they are yes and Amen! God cannot lie and God cannot break one promise
to his Son nor to his people.
2 Corinthians 1: 18: But as God is
true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 19: For the Son of God, Jesus
Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and
Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20: For all the promises of
God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Here is the good news.
Christ’s intercession on our behalf never fails—"And the LORD
repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”
Psalm 106: 23: Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not
Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest
he should destroy them.
Christ bore the wrath of God in our room and stead. Christ Jesus, God’s chosen, stands before him
in the breach for all Christ’s blood bought people. Therefore, we shall never see God’s wrath
upon us. Due to Christ’s continual
intercession at God’s right hand, we read,
Psalm 106: 45: And he
remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of
his mercies.
This is what John comforted us with in his first
epistle. He reminds us never to
sin. Sin is not excusable in any
way. He says,
1 John 2: 1:
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
Then knowing that we are sinners who shall sin,
he says “when you do”, remember Christ our Intercessor is our Advocate with the
Father, Christ is our Righteousness with the Father, therefore Christ is our Mercy
with God.
1 John 2:
1: 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.
Amen!