Non Gamstop Casinos
February 24

Reading 1 - Exodus 37

Click here to Listen
v. 29 - This oil was not for use in the tabernacle, but for anointing the priests in order to sanctify them. It was made of 2 parts myrrh, 2 parts cassia and 1 part sweet calamus (Ex.30:23,24), and these were mixed 'according to the work of the apothecary'. The apothecary, according to the margin, and supported by other sources, was a perfumery rather than a medical institution, and would have been a place of favourable smells. (except when violated - Eccles.10:1, and the lesson from it). The smell created symbolically a purity for the priests (Ex.30:25-38). Consider also Ps.23:5, 92:10, Isa.61:1-3, 2Cor.1:21-22, 1John 2:27.
Peter Cresswell
The exactness of the workmen to their rule should be followed by us, seeking for the influences of the word, that we may rejoice in and glorify God while in this world, and at length be with him for ever.
Peter Cresswell
v.12 'Gold for the borders thereof round about' is picked up [Song of Solomon 1:11] as already noted [Chapter 27]. So again we see the 'daughter' of the Song as having the attributes of the tabernacle which was of God's design and making. We have to conform to the image of His son [Romans 8:29]
Peter Forbes
This chapter deals with the construction of all the items in the Holy place. There is even structure in the way in which the recording of the manufacture of the tabernacle is recorded.
Peter Forbes

Reading 2 - Psalms 96 - 99                Click here to Listen
96 v.4 - This concept of God being above all the gods is quite common (see some of the refs at the end). We looked at this word 'gods' before and realised that it refers to anyone in a position of authority. Let us learn then that God comes first, even, if necessary, before the laws and the leaders of the land. Ex.18:11, Ps.89:7, 95:3, Jer.5:22, 10:7, Luke 12:5, Rev.15:4.
Peter Cresswell
97 v.10 - We are often reminded that one of the most straightforward ways to show our love for God is to develop along with Him a hatred for evil. This is very hard to do as we are so inextricably tied up with evil in all our natural ways, but it is presented as being possible so it gives us something to strive for.
Peter Cresswell

Psalm 96 Verse 13 that God will judge the world with righteousness is a repeating refrain in Scripture. It will have it's fulfilment when Christ returns Acts 17:31. God is going to judge the world because of the way in which man consistently is idolatrous. Idol worship - worshipping a non existent god - demeans the creator. This is the main thrust of this Psalm.

Psalm 97 This Psalm continues the theme of the vanity of idol worship and adds some references to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. :4 lightning :5 the presence of the LORD

Psalm 98 The faithful should rejoice because God has saved them. The original salvation was from Egypt but this typified a much greater salvation - salvation from sin and death. The God who has save us is going to judge the world - but not like men. His judgement will be with equity. This type of judgement is to be manifest by the one prophesied in Isaiah 11:4 - the Lord Jesus Christ at his return.

Psalm 99 In saying 'sitteth between the cherubim' the psalmist is reflecting on the promise Exodus 29:45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. In mentioning the cloudy pillar (verse 8) there is another reference to tabernacle worship. Thought the Psalm was certainly written after that time - see the reference to Samuel (verse 6). So worship in Zion (verse 2) reflects worship in the wilderness.
Peter Forbes

96:5 In saying that the Lord made the heavens Yahweh is truly being singled out as superior to all the gods of the nations. As creator He clearly must be lord of all.

97:7 this verse gives us a contrast. Instead of the gods - idols - being worshipped the 'gods' that is the angels [Hebrews 1:6] actually worship Jesus after his resurrection. So the correct relationship is shown. The idols are nothing but to Jesus every knee shall bow.

98:3 The 'mercy' which God had remembered was to provide the Messiah. Mary [Luke 1:54] quotes this verse in her wonderful words of praise to her God when she met with her cousin Elizabeth.

99:6 Moses and Aaron certainly were dead and Samuel probably was by the time this Psalm was written. In speaking of these three faithful men together the Psalmist is demonstrating, in an almost incidental way, that he believed in the resurrection.
Peter Forbes

96:13 Paul (Acts 17:31) quotes the work of God. From Acts we see that the way in which God is going to judge the world - by Jesus Christ. All judgement has been given to the son (John 5:27)

97:2 That God is surrounded by darkness is seen elsewhere Exodus 20:21 1 Kings 8:12 - but 1 John 1:5 'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all'. How are these two seeming contradicting concept reconciled?

98:4-5 The call to praise God is a consequence of the fact that God 'remembered His mercy' (:3) which relates to the coming of Jesus - so it is not surprising the angels praised God (Luke 2;13)

99:2 That the Lord was 'great in Zion' means that this Psalm was written after David had brought the ark to Zion (2 Samuel 6)
Peter Forbes

Reading 3 - 1Corinthians 7

Click here to Listen
v.39 - All of the passages that refer to marriage, whilst giving us a perfect basis for our own relationships to which we must stick rigidly in this strangely permissive world, are there that we might see the relationship which God had with Israel and which Christ now has with us as his bride - one which we would only be free to break if he were to die, that we might marry another. As Christ lives for ever, this makes our marriage vows, which we took at our baptism eternally binding. We should behave accordingly. Rom.7:2,3, Deut.7:3,4, 2Cor.6:14-16, Eph.5:31-33.
Peter Cresswell
:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me' marks that Paul is responding to a specific question from the Corinthians so we know that the ecclesia had already written to Paul. See also 8:1 12:1 16:1 for the way that Paul addresses, in a systematic way, their questions.
Peter Forbes
SEX AND MARRIAGE

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul's advice to us was to avoid sexual immorality. Sex outside marriage dishonors our body and, more importantly, dishonors God. So in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul goes on to show the best ways to avoid sexual immorality. He puts forward two suggestions. The first is not to marry and to have self control. Obviously that does not suit everyone, so he has another suggestion too. He says "each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."

It is important, if we are to keep ourselves pure, that as a husband and wife, we stay together and stay devoted to each other, satisfying each others needs. If one partner deprives the other of the physical or sexual side of a relationship, they are opening cracks in the marriage bond that will invite sexual immorality, sin and division. So husbands and wives have a responsibility to help keep each other pure by giving themselves to their partner. We need to keep ourselves and our marriages pure and strong so that we will never dishonor our Lord.
Robert Prins