[Study Aired June 13, 2022]

Exo 13:1  The LORD said to Moses, 
Exo 13:2  “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” 
Exo 13:3  Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 
Exo 13:4  Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
Exo 13:5  And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
Exo 13:6  Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 
Exo 13:7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 
Exo 13:8  You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
Exo 13:9  And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 
Exo 13:10  You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. 
Exo 13:11  “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 
Exo 13:12  you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. 
Exo 13:13  Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 
Exo 13:14  And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 
Exo 13:15  For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 
Exo 13:16  It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” 
Exo 13:17  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 
Exo 13:18  But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 
Exo 13:19  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 
Exo 13:20  And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 
Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 
Exo 13:22  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. 

Today’s study focuses on what happened to Israel immediately after they left Egypt. The study deals with the sanctification of the firstborn of Israel and their beasts for the Lord, the observance of the Passover and the Lord’s guidance and protection of the people of Israel as they began their journey through the wilderness. The journey from Egypt into the wilderness reflects our coming out of Babylon to serve the living God in this world (wilderness). As we come out of Babylon, we need to prepare the way of the Lord for the glory of the Lord to be revealed in our lives. The question is, “How do we prepare the way of the Lord?” The verses below show us how to prepare the way of the Lord.

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Preparing the way of the Lord means exalting every valley, bringing down every mountain and hill, making straight the crooked and rough places plain. As you can see, Isaiah 40:4 is cast in passive voice, and with the passive voice the subject is acted upon by some other performer of the verb. As we have said over and over, our salvation is the Lord’s work. Therefore, the performer of the verb to exalt the valley and make low the mountains and hills is all the work of the Lord. Now, the question is, “What does it mean to exalt a valley?” In the scriptures, a valley serves as the gulf that separates the people of the world and the Lord’s people as shown in the following examples:

1Sa 17:3  And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Now, this gulf or chasm or valley is the Lord’s judgments which separate the elect from the people of the world.

Joe 3:12  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Joe 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

So, every valley being exalted means that the Lord takes us as people of the world (fleshy) and makes us His people (Israel) through His judgments. Every mountain or hill being brought low means that the beast or the old man within us shall be destroyed by the Lord. The crooked being made straight and the rough places becoming plain is another way of saying that the Lord will straighten us up to become His people. That is when the glory of the Lord will be revealed in our lives for all flesh to see.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

With this in mind as the introduction, let’s look at how the Lord sanctifies us as His firstborn children to bear His glory.

Exo 13:1  The LORD said to Moses, 
Exo 13:2  “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

We, the elect, are the Lord’s firstborn and therefore constitute the church of the firstborn. In verse 2, we are admonished to be consecrated to the Lord. As we have indicated in earlier studies, both man and beast refer to us.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Consecration means to purify. Purification is attained through the Lord’s judgment of our old man.

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Exo 13:3  Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
Exo 13:4  Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.

It is the Lord’s strong hand by which He has taken us out of our slavery to sin in this world to become His people. The strong hand of the Lord refers to His judgment of our old man through the ten plagues. The essence of His judgment is for us to learn His righteousness which is symbolized by the eating of unleavened bread.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The name “Abib” by implication means a young ear of grain. The Israelites coming out of Egypt in the month of Abib is therefore to let us know that when we come out of Babylon, we are still young in the faith. It takes time therefore, after coming out of Babylon to mature.

Exo 13:5  And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.

This land that the Lord is bringing us to is our bodies. There is the need to possess our bodies to offer them as living sacrifice to the Lord. The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and the Jebusites are all part of the enemy within us that we must conquer. This composite enemy is the old man or the beast or the flesh.

We are told that the land the Israelites are going to inherit after leaving Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. Let’s try to understand what milk and honey stands for. Milk in the scriptures represents the basics of the Lord’s word as shown below:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Honey can also mean the milk of the word of Christ. It only helps us to distinguish between good and evil.

Isa 7:15  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 

On the other hand, honey essentially deals with how we hear the word of the Lord. When the word of the Lord comes to us, it tastes so sweet as honey. After we start to apply to our lives, that is when it becomes bitter.

Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

So, the Lord delivering the Israelites from Egypt and taking them to the land flowing with milk and honey is to let us know that when we come out of the world, we are to start with the milk of the word of the Lord and must be zealous for the word of the Lord.

Exo 13:6  Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 
Exo 13:7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 
Exo 13:8  You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the word “feast” can also mean sacrifice as shown in the following scripture in which the Hebrew word for feast is translated as sacrifice:

Exo 23:18  Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

Once the source of our strength or power of the old man is dealt with by the Lord through judgments of the death of the firstborn, we are able to offer a sacrifice of unleavened bread throughout the rest of our lives which is signified by the seven days of the feast of eating unleavened bread. The unleavened bread here signifies sincerity and truth. This means that through judgment, our understanding of the word of the Lord is deepened and is accompanied by a life of sincerity and truth. In other words, our life then reflects the righteousness of Christ.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 
1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The seven days of unleavened bread refers to the complete period of our lives that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord by living a life of Christ’s righteousness.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

In verse 8, we are told to tell our sons of what the Lord has done for us when we came out of Babylon. What the Lord did to liberate us from the world is the unleashing of the ten plagues on our old man to set us free from the shackles of sin. Our message to our sons and daughters in Christ is that it is through tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Exo 13:9  And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 
Exo 13:10  You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

What the Lord has done must be a sign to us on our hands and a memorial between our eyes. The Lord’s work here refers to His judgment of our old man. A sign to our hands symbolizes that our works, a symbol of our hand, becomes pleasing to the Lord as He works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. The Lord’s work being a memorial before our eyes means that our eyes are enlightened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. It is when we come to see this that we are able to have the word of the Lord in our mouth.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

In verse 10, we are required to keep the statute of the Passover. Every elect of every generation is required to observe the Passover throughout his/her life through faith. Every day of our walk with the Lord is the feast of the Passover.

Heb 11:28  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

The question is, “What does it mean to keep the passover?” First and foremost, we need to understand the sacrificial offering of the Lord on our behalf.

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Secondly, we need to know that our lives were spared by the Lord from destruction. This has nothing to do with anything we have done. It was just the mercies of the Lord that He showered on us.

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Thirdly, we need to know that the blood of Christ purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. In spite of our wickedness and flaws, the Lord has chosen us and purged us of our sins so that we can worship him acceptably.

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The Passover also commemorates our eating of the lamb. This lamb is Christ who is also the word. This means that through the mercies of the Lord, our eyes are being enlightened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

The enlightening of our understanding is accompanied by the Lord’s judgment which destroys the power and influence of the old man or the flesh in our lives. This is signified by the roasting of the lamb eaten at the Passover.

Exo 12:8  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Observing the Passover also means that we are eating the lamb with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. The unleavened bread here signifies sincerity and truth. This means that our understanding of the word of the Lord must be accompanied with a life of sincerity and truth. In other words, our life must reflect the righteousness of Christ. When our lives reflect the righteousness of Christ, then we are observing the Passover in our lives.

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

It is so exciting when the Lord reveals some aspects of the truth of the word of the Lord to us. In other words, it is sweet in our mouth. However, when it enters our belly, it is bitter. The bitter herb that must accompany the eating of the unleavened bread refers to the bitter experience we must go through to actualize the word we have received.

Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Exo 13:11  “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
Exo 13:12  you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. 
Exo 13:13  Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

As indicated earlier, we, His elect, are the firstborn (whether from man or beast) being set apart for the Lord to become part of the church of the firstborn. Being set apart means to be consecrated to the Lord. That means, we are to be purified. The attainment of purification is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man. In verse 13, we are told that the firstborn of an ass must be redeemed with a lamb. That means that it is through the Lord Christ, who is our lamb, that we have been redeemed or rescued from destruction. In the scriptures, breaking the neck is related to breaking the yoke of bondage as shown in the following:

Jer 28:11  And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

So, what verse 13 is implying is that if we are not redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ from the burden (yoke) of sin, then we shall face spiritual death through the breaking of our necks.

Exo 13:14  And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
Exo 13:15  For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

What is said here in verse 14 and 15 embodies what we are to teach in our assembly. Firstly, our teaching must address the strong hand of the Lord in delivering us from bondage to sin. This strong hand of the Lord refers to the ten plagues or the judgment of our old man. Secondly, our teaching must emphasize the stubbornness of our old man or the beast within, signified by Pharaoh’s stubbornness. This implies that the defeat of the beast through the dying of the firstborn is all the work of God and that we play no part in our salvation. Thirdly, we must clearly demonstrate the goal of our being called and chosen as the firstborn, that is, to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. The goal also includes the reward to be received which involves the role of the elect in the salvation of the world.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Exo 13:16  It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

The strong hand of the Lord leaves a mark or imprint on our hands. The mark left by the Lord’s judgment of our old man is that our works (our hands) become pleasing to the Lord as we walk in the spirit and do not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The judgment that we go through, also enables us to appreciate the word of the Lord better. In other words, our understanding of the word of God is deepened which is signified by the frontlets between our eyes.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Exo 13:17  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 

As we have stated earlier, our exit from Babylon does not mean that we have matured. It takes time to mature in the things of God. Our fight against the flesh is a war which the Bible describes as trying to break a bow of steel with our arms. Iron is hard and is almost impossible to break, but steel is several times harder than iron. It is, therefore, impossible to war against the flesh and be successful unless the Lord does it on our behalf. The Philistines stand for the war against the flesh. In the wisdom of the Lord, He leads us in this world (wilderness) toward the red sea so that we encounter the Philistines later. In doing this, He takes His time to train our hands for war before engaging the Philistines. If we start our walk by engaging the flesh (Philistines), we will be discouraged by the cycle of defeat and may give up.

Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 
Psa 18:32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 

Psa 18:33  He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 
Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Exo 13:18  But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 

The Lord leading us in the wilderness toward the red sea is for our benefit. The Lord was going to demonstrate to the us (the people of Israel) how to war against the flesh by leading the Israelites towards the Red Sea. This is to serve as training for the people of Israel on how to war against the flesh. It was after the Red Sea experience that the people of Israel started battling against other nations that opposed them. The color red means the ground of the earth which represents mankind as we were made out of the ground of the earth (dust). This means that the Red Sea represents the sea of flesh or simply, our flesh. As we shall see in the next chapter, the Lord making a way through the Red Sea for the people of Israel to walk through is to demonstrate the fact that overcoming the flesh is the work of God. When we are able to learn this lesson of the Red Sea, then we are ready to overcome the flesh or Philistines. That is how the Lord teaches our hands to war so that we are able to break a bow of steel.

Jos 4:23  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

Immediately after leaving Egypt, the Amalekites waged war with the Israelites, and this war was to teach the Israelites how to war – that is to depend entirely on God.  This war was such that the Israelites were fighting, but victory depended on Moses’ hands being raised.  So technically, the Israelites fighting the Amalekites is not what wins the war. It is the hands of Moses. Moses’ hands here are the hands of the Lord who fights our battles for us. This war against the flesh within is not to be fought in our strength. The reason we are losing this fight is that we are depending on ourselves!!  It is the Lord’s battle. Let us lift up our eyes unto the hill from whence cometh our help.  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth!! This help is what wins the war, not our strength.

Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 
Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 
Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 
Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psa 121:4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 
Psa 121:5  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

Exo 13:19  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 

As we mentioned in the previous review, the first mention of bone in the Bible was in relation to the Lord taking the rib (bone) of Adam and using it to form a woman. The woman was produced from a bone taken from Adam. This means that a bone signifies life. This life is the Spirit of the Lord and it is this Holy Spirit (bone) which came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost to form the bride of Christ (woman).

Gen 2:21  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
Gen 2:22  And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 
Gen 2:23  Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Joseph is a symbol of Christ. So, Joseph prophesying about the Israelites carrying His bones is another way of saying what the Lord told His disciples about the promise of the Holy Spirit when He was about to be taken away at the Mount of Olives. This means that Moses taking the bones of Joseph with him is a symbol of the people of Israel (the elect) receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit which is what is needed to form the church of the firstborn.

Act 1:4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 
Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 
Act 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 
Act 1:7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 
Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Exo 13:20  And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 

Succoth means booths or tents.  Succoth signifies that as His elect, we are in this world, but not of this world. Our journey through this world must be a journey of faith with the view of inheriting the promise. In other words, we are looking for the city whose foundation is Christ and the builder being our Lord.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Encamping at Etham is spiritually significant. Etham means their plowshare.  A plowshare is the most important part of a plow as it does the cutting of grass and soil. In the Bible, grass signifies the flesh as follows:

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

This means that moving from Succoth to Etham signifies that we start our walk in faith (Succoth) and then we move to the next stage of dealing with the flesh (Etham).

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 
Exo 13:22  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. 

These verses show the Lord’s protection and guidance throughout the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness. As we are aware, ‘cloud’ signifies the elect as witnesses. Therefore, the pillar of cloud refers to the Lord’s elect.  In the sight of the Lord, both night and day are the same. What this means is that in this life (wilderness), we, His elect, are protected and led or guided by the assembly of the elect through His word which is the pillar of fire which gives us light in the night of our walk.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

May the Lord teach our hands to war so that we may be able to war against the Philistines (flesh or the old man) within us!! Amen!!

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 109

”The Garments of Christ as examined in the priesthood”

January 20, 2017

As many of you do, I love learning new things in scripture. It’s not that the thing I am learning is new, but that it is new to me and my understanding of the Word. Being given understanding of the Word is being given a direct connection to the mind of God the Father, and that is always exhilarating.

I have been covering the setup of the priesthood as it pertains to the mentioning of the word ‘hand’, “yad”, in scripture. However, I thought I was going to move to the next mentioning of the word in scripture, which I thought was found as “hands” in Exodus 30:19.

As is often the case, the Lord has different plans than what I had planned, and that leads us to the verses which will be covered tonight.

Exo 29:29  And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
Exo 29:30  And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

Consecration

As you listen or read Exodus 29:29-30, you may notice that hand or hands are not immediately mentioned. However, that’s because we only see the English words translated from Hebrew.

When we look at the Strong’s numbers behind the translation, a different and compelling pattern of words immerges.

Exo 29:29  And the holy^H6944 garments^H899 of Aaron^H175 shall be^H1961 his sons’^H1121 after^H310 him, to be anointed^H4886 therein, and to be consecrated^{H4390 (H853) H3027} in them.

As you can see from the Strong’s breakdown, the Hebrew word “yad” H3027 is mentioned in direct connection with “consecrated”.

Very interesting indeed!

The next mentioning of the same word is mentioned only a few verses later:

Exo 29:30  And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
Exo 29:31  And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
Exo 29:32  And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Exo 29:33  And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
Exo 29:33  And they shall eat^H398 those things wherewith^H834 the atonement was made,^H3722 to consecrated ^{H4390 (H853) H3027}and to sanctify^H6942 them: but a stranger^H2114 shall not^H3808 eat^H398 thereof, because^H3588 they^H1992 are holy.^H6944

It is obviously not a mistake that “yad” is mentioned with consecrate or consecrated, since the Lord inspired that it be there, but why is it not apparent in the English translations?

Actually, it is mentioned in several translations.

(ABP+)  And^G2532 the^G3588 apparel^G4749 of the^G3588 holy place^G39 which^G3739 is^G1510.2.3 Aaron’s,^G* shall be^G1510.8.3 to^G3588 his sons’^G5207 G1473 after^G3326 him,^G1473 for them to be anointed^G5548 G1473 in^G1722 them,^G1473 and^G2532 to perfect^G5048 G3588 their hands.^G5495 G1473

The ABP uses Greek so it is not an apples to apples comparison, so let’s look at some others in Hebrew.

(Brenton) And the apparel of the sanctuary which is Aaron’s shall be his son’s after him, for them to be anointed in them, and to fill their hands.
(LITV) And the holy garments which are Aaron’s shall be his sons’ after him, for anointing in them and for filling their hands in them.

Some of the translations do not mention either “consecrated/consecrate”, but instead they mention ordaining.

(ESV)  “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them.
(ESV+)  “The holy garments of Aaron ^R11shall be for his sons after him; they shall ^R12be anointed in them and ordained in them.
(GNB)  “Aaron’s priestly garments are to be handed on to his sons after his death, for them to wear when they are ordained.
(GW)  “Aaron’s holy clothes will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.
(ISV)  “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him so that they may be anointed in them and ordained in them.

Those are the verses for Exodus 29:29. Let’s see if Exodus 29:33 gives us any more insight into what is being said.

(KJV)  And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
(KJV+)  And they shall eat^H398 those things wherewith^H834 the atonement was made,^H3722 to consecrate^{H4390 (H853) H3027} and to sanctify^H6942 them: but a stranger^H2114 shall not^H3808 eat^H398 thereof, because^H3588 they^H1992 are holy.^H6944
(DRB)  That it may be an atoning sacrifice, and the hands of the offerers may be sanctified. A stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy.
(YLT)  and they have eaten those things by which there is atonement to consecrate their hand, to sanctify them; and a stranger doth not eat—for they are holy;

That all seems interesting, but what exactly can we gather from all these verses and differences?

In order to start to answer that, we need to figure out what the Word of God says about consecration.

H4390
mâlê’    mâlâ’
maw-lay’, maw-law’
A primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively): – accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) fully (-ly, -ly set, tale), [over-] flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a [hand-] full, + have wholly.
Total KJV occurrences: 251

H4390
mâlê’ / mâlâ’
BDB Definition:
1) to fill, be full
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be full
1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle)
1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
1b2) to be accomplished, be ended
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to fill
1c2) to satisfy
1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
1c4) to confirm
1d) (Pual) to be filled
1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

“To fill the hand” or “to take a handful?” That still doesn’t seem to fully tell us what is being said.

So, where else in Hebrew is “consecration” mentioned? Well, it is only mentioned a handful of times as consecrate or consecrated and is many more times mentioned as a different English word.

H4390
mâlê’ / mâlâ’
Total KJV Occurrences: 241
filled, 74
Gen_6:11 (2), Gen_6:13, Gen_21:19, Gen_24:16, Gen_26:15, Exo_1:7, Exo_2:16, Exo_31:3 (2), Exo_35:31, Exo_35:35, Exo_40:34-35 (2), Num_14:21, Jos_9:13, 1Ki_7:14, 1Ki_8:10-11 (2), 1Ki_18:35, 1Ki_20:27, 2Ki_3:17, 2Ki_3:20, 2Ki_3:25, 2Ki_21:16, 2Ki_23:14, 2Ki_24:4, 2Ch_5:13-14 (2), 2Ch_7:1-2 (2), 2Ch_16:14, Ezr_9:11, Job_3:15, Job_22:18, Psa_71:7-8 (2), Psa_72:19, Psa_80:9, Psa_126:2, Pro_3:10, Pro_12:21, Pro_20:17, Pro_24:4, Ecc_1:8, Ecc_6:7, Son_5:2, Isa_6:1, Isa_6:4, Isa_21:3, Isa_34:5-6 (2), Isa_65:20, Jer_13:12 (2), Jer_16:17-18 (2), Jer_19:4, Jer_41:9, Jer_46:12, Jer_51:5, Jer_51:34, Eze_8:17, Eze_10:3-4 (2), Eze_11:6, Eze_23:33, Eze_28:16, Eze_36:38, Eze_43:5, Eze_44:4, Nah_2:12, Hab_2:14, Zec_9:13, Zec_9:15
full, 50
Exo_8:21, Lev_19:29, Jdg_16:27, Rth_1:21, 1Sa_18:27, 2Ki_4:6, 2Ki_6:17, 2Ki_9:24, 2Ki_10:21, Est_3:5, Est_5:9, Job_20:11, Job_21:24, Job_32:18, Job_36:16, Psa_10:7, Psa_26:10, Psa_33:5, Psa_48:10, Psa_65:9, Psa_74:20, Psa_104:24, Psa_119:64, Psa_127:5, Ecc_11:3 (2), Isa_1:15, Isa_11:7-9 (4), Isa_13:21, Isa_15:9, Isa_28:7-8 (2), Isa_30:27, Jer_6:11, Jer_23:10, Eze_7:23 (2), Eze_9:9 (2), Eze_10:4, Eze_32:6, Joe_2:24, Joe_3:13, Mic_3:8, Mic_6:12, Hab_3:3, Zec_8:5
fill, 33
Gen_1:22, Gen_42:25, Gen_44:1, Exo_10:6, 1Sa_16:1, 1Ki_18:33, Job_8:21, Job_15:2, Job_20:23, Job_23:4, Job_38:39, Job_41:7, Psa_81:10, Psa_83:16, Psa_110:6, Pro_1:13, Isa_14:21 (2), Isa_27:6, Jer_13:13, Jer_23:24, Jer_33:5, Jer_51:14, Eze_3:3, Eze_7:19, Eze_9:7, Eze_10:2, Eze_24:4, Eze_30:11, Eze_32:5, Zep_1:8-9 (2), Hag_2:7
fulfilled, 20
Gen_25:24, Gen_29:21, Gen_29:28, Gen_50:3 (2), Exo_7:25, Lev_12:4, Lev_12:6, Num_6:5, Num_6:13, 2Sa_7:12, 1Ki_8:15, 1Ki_8:24, 2Ch_6:4, 2Ch_6:15, Job_36:17, Jer_44:25, Lam_4:18, Dan_10:2-3 (2)
fulfil, 7
Gen_29:27, Exo_23:26, 1Ki_2:27, 2Ch_36:21 (2), Psa_20:4-5 (2)
accomplished, 6
Est_2:12, Job_15:32, Isa_40:2, Jer_25:12, Jer_25:34, Jer_29:10
wholly, 6
Num_32:10-12 (3), Deu_1:36, Jos_14:8-9 (2), Jos_14:14
replenished, 5
Isa_2:6, Isa_23:2, Jer_31:25, Eze_26:2, Eze_27:25
set, 5
Exo_28:17, Exo_31:5, Exo_35:33, Exo_39:10, Son_5:14
consecrate, 3
Exo_28:41, Exo_32:29, 1Ch_29:5
consecrated, 3
Exo_29:29, Jdg_17:5, 2Ch_29:31
expired, 3
1Sa_18:26, 1Ch_17:11, Est_1:5
fully, 3
1Ki_11:6, Ecc_8:11, Nah_1:10
filleth, 2
Psa_107:9, Psa_129:7
gather, 2
Jer_4:5, Jer_51:11
replenish, 2
Gen_1:28, Gen_9:1
accomplish, 1
Dan_9:1-2 (2)
become, 1
Lev_19:29
confirm, 1
1Ki_1:14
end, 1
Lev_8:33
fenced, 1
2Sa_23:7
filledst, 1
Deu_6:11
fillest, 1
Psa_17:14
fulness, 1
Job_20:22
furnish, 1
Isa_65:11
gathered, 1
Job_16:10
handful, 1
Lev_9:17
overfloweth, 1
Jos_3:15
overflown, 1
1Ch_12:15
presume, 1
Est_7:5
satisfied, 1
Exo_15:9
satisfy, 1
Pro_6:30
space, 1
Lev_25:30 (2)

Out of the 241 times it is used on Hebrew, it is used 184 times as either filled, fill, full, fulfil or fulfilled.

A few of those examples are:

Gen 6:11  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

Eze 11:6  Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

Lev 19:29  Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

Hab 3:3  God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

Gen 25:24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

The reason this may seem a bit confusing is because it can easily become confusing when translations use the same English word for several different Hebrew words and vice versa.

In the case of consecration as found in the form of “consecrate” or “consecrated”, we see it used as being full or filled. However, other places in English, it means something different.

Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate^H6942 (means sanctify) him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Exo 28:3  And thou^H859 shalt speak^H1696 unto^H413 all^H3605 that are wise^H2450 hearted,^H3820 whom^H834 I have filled with^H4390 the spirit^H7307 of wisdom,^H2451 that they may make^{H6213 (H853)} Aaron’s^H175 garments^H899 to consecrate^H6942 him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.^H3547

Another time we see it as:

Num 6:12  And he shall consecrate^H5144 unto the LORD^{H3068 (H853)} the days^H3117 of his separation,^H5145 and shall bring^H935 a lamb^H3532 of the first^H1121 year^H8141 for a trespass offering:^H817 but the days^H3117 that were before^H7223 shall be lost,^H5307 because^H3588 his separation^H5145 was defiled.^H2930

This means separate in this verse. The other example is found in Micah 4:13.

Mic 4:13  Arise^H6965 and thresh,^H1758 O daughter^H1323 of Zion:^H6726 for^H3588 I will make^H7760 thine horn^H7161 iron,^H1270 and I will make^H7760 thy hoofs^H6541 brass:^H5154 and thou shalt beat in pieces^H1854 many^H7227 people:^H5971 and I will consecrate^H2763 their gain^H1215 unto the LORD,^H3068 and their substance^H2428 unto the Lord^H113 of the whole^H3605 earth.^H776

The time it is used here means “destroy”.

H2763
châram
Total KJV Occurrences: 51
destroyed, 23
Exo_22:20, Num_21:3, Deu_2:34, Deu_3:6, Jos_2:10, Jos_6:21, Jos_8:26, Jos_10:1, Jos_10:28, Jos_10:35, Jos_10:37, Jos_10:39-40 (2), Jos_11:12, Jos_11:21, Jdg_1:17, 1Sa_15:8-9 (2), 1Sa_15:15, 1Sa_15:20, 1Ch_4:41, 2Ch_32:14, Isa_34:2
destroy, 14
Deu_7:2 (3), Deu_20:17, Jos_11:20, Jdg_21:11, 1Sa_15:3, 1Sa_15:9, 1Sa_15:18, 1Ki_9:21, Isa_11:15, Jer_25:9, Jer_50:21, Jer_50:26, Jer_51:3
destroying, 5
Deu_3:6, Deu_13:15, Jos_11:11, 2Ki_19:11, Isa_37:11

I have listed and talked about this day because part of the lesson to take away from this study today is that we must always be diligent as the Bereans were and search out what we are being told in scripture.

I know many of us do this already, but as can be seen from the examples given, it is important that all children of the Lord know what is truly being told to us.

The other part of the lesson that we can take away from this study is just what it means to be a “son of Aaron”. Remember, Aaron typifies Christ our High Priest, and it is Aaron and his sons who are going to put on the garments being made for the priesthood, which in turn consecrates those wearing the garments.

Exo 29:29  And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be CONSECRATED IN THEM.

Even the food that was set aside was special for Aaron and his sons.

Exo 29:33  And they shall EAT THOSE THINGS wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

What then is the practical take away of this “fulfilling” that we are reading about?

It may not seem apparent at first, but it quickly becomes one of those “ah ha” moments.

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

There are 94 times in Greek that G4137 is used.

Since we are directly talking about the holy garments and holy things that must be eaten in Exodus 29, and now we know they are used to fulfill the purposes of God, why is it EXTREMELY important that we recognize that it is ONLY Aaron and his sons that can partake of this fulfillment?

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

What do the sons of God have fulfilled in themselves because of Jesus Christ our High priest as it pertains to garments and things we eat?

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Mar 13:16  And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

If you search for the terms “garment” and “clothed upon” separately in the New Testament, a wonderful word story appears that tells us just Who our covering is.

However, it isn’t just anyone who is welcomed to this “wedding feast”. You still must have the proper garment.

Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Are we only talking about physical raiment and physical meat as was being talked about in the old testament priesthood? I hope that is not all that comes to mind.

Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Luk 12:31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

What is a part of seeking the kingdom of God?

Mat 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Joh 6:52  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

There are many examples I can use to show that we are fulfilling the priesthood as sons of God now, when we “have our hands filled” with the work of the tabernacle. This filling of the hands is telling us that it is God alone who has setup His priesthood by providing both the garments we wear and the food placed in our belly.

It just so happens that the garment and sustenance, both the OUTSIDE and INSIDE are provided for and sustained by the Lord alone, and that is simply via our High Priest Jesus Christ. It all starts and ends with Him.