Christ in all the scriptures Corporate worship

 Christ in all the scriptures

Corporate worship  Numbers 7

The chapter is a flashback to Exodus 40v17-36, when the tabernacle was erected to the specific commandments of the Lord; and to Leviticus 8v10/11 when it was anointed for Divine service.  What came in between was the sacrificial offerings and holy anointing in Leviticus.  Before they took any journey, or engaged in any war, they must learn the primary purpose of their salvation from bondage, which is to worship the Lord in the way He prescribed.  This order of presentation is important for we are called to worship as the principal function of our redeemed lives.  This is the corporate response of the princes of the tribes of Israel, to the mercy of God upon them, and there are many lessons we can learn from this today.

The bible is God's mind in print, and we should mark not only what He says, but also what He omits to say, and the context in which He says it!  In Exodus 40 the emphasis is on His authority as Moses obeyed every command of God.  In Leviticus 8, it is His sanctity as He dwells amongst His people.  Now, in Numbers 7, it is His beauty that draws the leaders in their offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle, and particularly the altar.  In all three portions, worship is the principal thought, and is the highest form of service to God.  The modern expression "Saved to serve" is o.k. if we understand serve as worship which it oftentimes means in scripture.  The New Testament underlines this principle as follows: Romans 15v16 "That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost".   After many chapters of exposition of the gospel, Paul is saying that the purpose of it all is for the corporate worship of the Gentiles. 1st. Peter 2v5 "Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ".  Old Testament offerings were material, the New Testament equivalent are spiritual.  Ephesians 5v19-20 "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ".  Emphasis is on heart appreciation of the Lord.  Hebrews 13v15 "By Him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name".  Before anything else, gratitude to God in worship is priority in any community of God's people.

The threefold ascription of the hymn of praise in Ephesians 1v3-14 is to the Trinity: God the Father in election (v3-6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace"; God the Son in redemption (v7-12) "to the praise of His glory"; God the Spirit in sealing us as the Lord's (v13-14) "unto the praise of His glory".  This is the ultimate purpose of our salvation, and it is illustrated in these Old Testament scriptures.

We note some interesting aspects of corporate worship in these verses.

The leaders led the corporate worship  The response of the people came from the leaders, as it says "the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered".  As mentioned before, there was a structure in their congregation.  A similar structure is found in the Christian churches-Philippians 1v1, "...to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons".  Over 12 consecutive days the 12 leaders of the tribes brought their offering for the dedication of the altar.  All this took place at Sinai commencing from the second day of the first month in the second year from leaving Egypt-refer Exodus 40v17.  According to Numbers 1v1, the duration of Leviticus and the instructions concerning the offerings, and practical holiness, was one month.  The people had supplied the raw materials for the construction (Exodus 25).  The leaders now offer the supplies for the dedication.

Each leader brought the same gifts to the Lord  This was a superb display of unity in worship, each one brought exactly the same.  First, Nahshon of Judah (v12); then Nethaneel of Issachar (v18); Eliab of Zebulon (v24); Elizur of Reuben (v30); Shelumiel of Simeon (v36); Eliasaph of Gad (v42); Elishama of Ephraim (v48); Gamaliel of Manasseh (v54); Abidan of Benjamin (v60); Ahiezer of Dan (v66); Pagiel of Asher (v72); Ahira of Naphtali (v78).  Day after day, for 12 consecutive days they came with the same offering to the Lord,  What is the message of the Holy Spirit in this?  You do not change perfection!  Unity in worship across all 12 tribes!  Note that the order in which they offered was the same order in which they journeyed through the foreign lands (refer Numbers 10v14-28).  Internal unity was displayed publicly!!  Didn't Jesus pray for the same in John 17v21 "That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me".  Notice the link between unity and credibility.  The Lord linked church unity to world evangelism.  Perhaps our disunity is the reason for our weak testimony.

Each gift is symbolic of Christ!  One silver charger (dish), one silver bowl-both of them filled with fine flour mingled with oil.  One golden spoon full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering: one kid of the goats for a sin offering: two oxen, five rams five he goats, five lambs of the first year for peace offerings.  All of them point to Christ in His saving mission on earth.  We can go back in the studies to reflect the meaning of each.  God never tires to hear us extol the wonders of His Son on earth.  The silver of redemption, the fine flour of perfection in humanity, the oil of the Spirit who controlled His every move, the gold which speaks of deity in humanity, the incense that brought such fragrance to God, the animal sacrifices portraying the one sacrifice of Christ in its many aspects.  Day after day, for 12 days, the princes of Israel offered the perfections of Christ to God.  This is worship, this is what God wants from us; the wonder of that perfect life will never be exhausted (John 21v25).  Our old mentor, the late James Paton, friend of my late parents, and the man who officiated at our wedding (he was exceptional in prayer worship), he said, "when you have offered a thanksgiving on a Sunday, you start preparation for the next!"  As the hymn says, "Jesus thou art enough the mind and heart to fill...O fix our earnest gaze, so wholly Lord on Thee, that with thy beauty occupied, we elsewhere none may see".   Tracing the offerings and the instruments of the Old Testament in the four gospels is the work of a lifetime.

The offerings were valuable and each was recorded  They each contributed to the cost of one half wagon and one ox for transportation of the tabernacle.  The silver charger was 130 shekels according to the measure of the sanctuary; the silver bowl was 70 shekels; the golden spoon was 10 shekels; also animals for the burnt offering; a kid goat for the sin offering; animals for the peace offerings.  In total 21 animals per offering.  It would be impossible to estimate the value, enough to know that the material cost was considerable.  The total was counted after the twelfth day, being 12 times each individual offering.  The Spirit records everything which each tribe donated.  Heaven records everything that we do which exalts Christ and brings pleasure to the Father above.   

What we have is far better than anything this world can offer.  As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians "...ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven"-1st Thessalonians 1v9-10.  Note, they did not turn from idols, they turned to God...from idols!  They with us found One so much better than the fiction of the world in the present, and the future is glorious! 

When Moses erected the tabernacle, he was unable to approach the sanctuary for the glory of the cloud that filled it (Exodus 40v35).  After the offering of the twelve princes, which so delighted the Lord, Moses spoke with God face to face at the mercy seat (Numbers 7v89).  In this we have been given the secret of Divine nearness and blessing, when we are prepared to follow His way instead of our own.  As He said through the prophet Malachi in 3v10, "Bring ye all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith , saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it".