Feb 06 2024 46 mins
In this episode God told Moses to give the children of Israel laws for the daily offerings, the Sabbath, Passover and the seasonal feasts.
Most of the laws were given to the first generation at Mt. Sinai. Now they are being given to the second generation. They were told to make offerings at the beginning of every month. This law was briefly mentioned in Numbers chapter 10 verse 10.
Here’s the text:
Numbers 10:10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
We note that all the commandments, and sacrifices not only served as a memorial to the Israelites, but they also served as a memorial to God himself.
Mounce says, memorial means, a record, honorable remembrance, to remember, recollect, call to mind, to be mindful of, to fix the thoughts upon, to make mention, speak of.
God remembered the Israelites, when they obeyed him and offered sacrifices to him. He fixed his thoughts upon them and set out to do good to them.
We don’t offer animal sacrifices today but we are to offer sacrifices to God. Hebrews chapter 13 verses 15 and 16, tells us what kind of sacrifices we should offer the Lord.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
David also said, in Psalms chapter 141 verse 2, " Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."
We are told in the book of Acts chapter 10, that Cornelius was a devout man of prayer, who feared God, and gave much alms to the people.
Alms is another word for charity given to the poor, such as food, clothing, money and hospitality. God took notice of Cornelius' deeds, they went up as a memorial unto Him.
Here’s the text:
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
Acts 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
Acts 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
When Cornelius prayed and gave alms to the poor, God took notice of him. He wanted to do good to him. He wanted to bless him and the biggest blessing he could give Cornelius was Salvation through Christ.
God was pleased with Cornelius but if he died, he wouldn’t inherit eternal life because he didn’t know Christ.
So God sent an angel to him, who told him to send for Peter. When Peter arrived, he preached the gospel to him and his household.
Peter preached Christ, and the remission of sins. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and were baptized.
So all of Cornelius’ prayers, his good works, and almsgiving or charity to the poor was nice, and noticed by God but without Christ, it wasn’t enough to enter into heaven, it wasn’t enough to receive eternal life.
Eternal life comes from Christ alone, so God showed loving kindness to Cornelius. And led him to the door of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the door to eternal life. Without him we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
We note that Jesus said, some will claim to know Him. They will even do work in his name. But He will declare, that He never knew them.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I never knew you means, he never looked upon them with favor. He was never pleased with them as a person, because they did not obey the word of God.
So they will not inherit eternal life. Eternal life is a privilege granted to those known by Christ. He will not abandon them when they die. The angels will transport them into the kingdom of God upon death. There they will welcomed with great joy.
Psalms chapter 116 verse 15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
Most of the laws were given to the first generation at Mt. Sinai. Now they are being given to the second generation. They were told to make offerings at the beginning of every month. This law was briefly mentioned in Numbers chapter 10 verse 10.
Here’s the text:
Numbers 10:10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
We note that all the commandments, and sacrifices not only served as a memorial to the Israelites, but they also served as a memorial to God himself.
Mounce says, memorial means, a record, honorable remembrance, to remember, recollect, call to mind, to be mindful of, to fix the thoughts upon, to make mention, speak of.
God remembered the Israelites, when they obeyed him and offered sacrifices to him. He fixed his thoughts upon them and set out to do good to them.
We don’t offer animal sacrifices today but we are to offer sacrifices to God. Hebrews chapter 13 verses 15 and 16, tells us what kind of sacrifices we should offer the Lord.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
David also said, in Psalms chapter 141 verse 2, " Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."
We are told in the book of Acts chapter 10, that Cornelius was a devout man of prayer, who feared God, and gave much alms to the people.
Alms is another word for charity given to the poor, such as food, clothing, money and hospitality. God took notice of Cornelius' deeds, they went up as a memorial unto Him.
Here’s the text:
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
Acts 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
Acts 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
When Cornelius prayed and gave alms to the poor, God took notice of him. He wanted to do good to him. He wanted to bless him and the biggest blessing he could give Cornelius was Salvation through Christ.
God was pleased with Cornelius but if he died, he wouldn’t inherit eternal life because he didn’t know Christ.
So God sent an angel to him, who told him to send for Peter. When Peter arrived, he preached the gospel to him and his household.
Peter preached Christ, and the remission of sins. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and were baptized.
So all of Cornelius’ prayers, his good works, and almsgiving or charity to the poor was nice, and noticed by God but without Christ, it wasn’t enough to enter into heaven, it wasn’t enough to receive eternal life.
Eternal life comes from Christ alone, so God showed loving kindness to Cornelius. And led him to the door of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the door to eternal life. Without him we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
We note that Jesus said, some will claim to know Him. They will even do work in his name. But He will declare, that He never knew them.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I never knew you means, he never looked upon them with favor. He was never pleased with them as a person, because they did not obey the word of God.
So they will not inherit eternal life. Eternal life is a privilege granted to those known by Christ. He will not abandon them when they die. The angels will transport them into the kingdom of God upon death. There they will welcomed with great joy.
Psalms chapter 116 verse 15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.