Passover was when the Angel of Death would pass over the firstborn of the Jews. On that very day, the “chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft and put Him to death” (Mark 14:1), speaking of Jesus. Passover was a feast to give thanks to God that He passed over those who would take the blood and sprinkle it on their doorposts and lintels. (Exod 12:7, 22).
The Angel of Death would be pre-incarnate Jesus — the one who can kill both the body and the soul (Mat 10:28). In other words, at the Exodus, “Jesus” would decide who would enter the race toward the Promise Land. Paul remarked on such an event much later: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Cor 9;24).
Thus, those who chose life in the Promised Land to slavery and death in Egypt would enter the “race” against Pharoah toward Jerusalem.
The Hebrews would do as God said, they would sprinkle the blood of unblemished lambs on the “cross” of their doorways. Symbolically, the doors of their own homes would be the Way to the Tree of Life and the Garden of God. The race was on, but the entry fee of the race was trusting the blood of the lambs that God provided for the race. With that in mind, the race is on for the Christian who trusts the blood of Jesus for safety in running the race.
The race for the Israelites lasted forty-years, and few made it to the end because they tired of following God. Many entered the race against the Pharaoh — the “god” who was symbolic of the Devil — and only a few, such as Caleb and Joshua, made it to the finish.
For most of Christians, the race is of similar duration. Who shall it be that makes it to the end? Many trust the blood, but once they “taste” of the body and blood of Jesus, many forget Him! The prize is at the end of the “race.” How much plainer could Paul have said it?
Now back to the Exodus:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil… 30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, “This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.” (Exod 30:25,30-31)
Once the Israelites were safe from Pharoah, there call was to bless and revere God. They were to make a Tabernacle for God and make it in the grandest scale, and then to consecrate both the Temple and the priests. Consecrate in that passage is to make sacred. How would they do that? They were to make an anointing oil — an ointment for the unction (act) of setting them apart as holy and belonging to God.
The apothecary in those days made up the ointment and its application would be for all generations forthwith. The unit if measure for the ointment was shekels, each shekel is about 11.5 grams (0.41 ounces). The ointment compound weighing in total 1250 shekels would be 3.2 pounds. It was to last throughout the generations. Whether or not it could be replenished is not said.
Money from the “ransom” from the congregation would pay for the ingredients for the compound of myrrh, cinnamon, and calamus as the principle spices. Add to that amount 500 shekels of cassia and a hin (1-1/2 gals; 128 ounces;12 pounds ) of olive oil. The total weight of the mixture of species and olive oil was approximately 16.5 pounds to last forever. It was precious a precious ointment if that is true!
The directions were for the priests to take a census and each person enumerated
was to pay specifically the same mount — each a half shekel surely of silver.
God was not a respecter of persons; He did not discriminate because some had
more that they should pay more. It was the ransom for individual souls and one
soul was worth as much as the next:
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. (Exod 30:12)
The plague is specified but the general definition is “fatal blow” (Strong’s Dictionary). In those days plagues were often fatal blows, but a fatal blow from another person would be included. Hence, the small ransom that each would pay would keep them safe until the next annual census.
Now what this have to do with Jesus?
After two days was the feast of the passover and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft and put him to death. (Mark 14:1
Ointment had become the substitution for the blood of the Passover. The “bureaucrats” were to sprinkle the blood of the Lamb of God for that occasion. The Hebrew leaders chose the same method that God had planned… by coincidence? Surely not.
Note that those that God had designated were to do to Jesus what Lucifer did to Adam: “The serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field… the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die’” (Gen 3:1,4). Of course, the serpent, Lucifer, knew that they would die, and that was the plan of the Jewish leaders. The chief priests would celebrate the Passover by sprinkling the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) on the Cross and all the while, they thought it was their planning that would do that!
The key phrase is about the Jewish leaders (Mark 14:1), “take Him by craft.” Their method was the same as the “Serpent’s” — subtilty or cunning. The Serpent beguiled Eve and Adam hearkened unto his wife. “Guile” is deceptive cunning. The Jewish leaders were using Satan’s “craft” (guile) to shed the blood of Jesus. Someone was going to be beguiled, and it turned out that Judas was the one with guile (Satan) in him.
The obligations of the congregation and the duties of the Aaronic priests in Tabernacle worship was a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus. The greatest difference later than then was that Jesus paid the ransom for everyone! “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
During the exodus, the people paid the ransom. At the crucifixion, Jesus paid it all. In Tabernacle worship the priests did the ministering. The duty of the priests was to administrate but Jesus came to minister (diakonio) — to supply and to serve. Thus the job of the priest was to supply the sacrifice and serve it, but the congregation did the supplying.
The duties of the Church nowadays is to supply and serve the
congregation just as Jesus did. Jesus supplied His own Blood to serve all the
congregants of the world. At His death, Jesus supplied His Holy Ghost to continue
the ministry of Comforting the congregation (John 14:16). The minister is not
to be priestly in his duties but more like Jesus because the Priestly Covenant
failed God miserably. They ended up killing the one they said that they served!
Now for a while consider the ministry to the congregation by the minister. His role is to supply and serve. The ecclesia even refers to providing a minister as “supplying.” Once he is supplied, then his role is to serve, and not to rule like the chief priests did.
Neither were deacons to rule. Because ministering is so much of a service, the deacons were to be their supply to assist them in serving.
The Tabernacle “Church” was set up in that manner. The chief priest was the “minister” and the priests the “deacons” who would rotate in their service to the Tabernacle. The “deacons” would also minister but they would not handle the money but only the sacrifice. Any Levite could handle the money, and some were delegated to handle the finances. Their “deacon board” would have focused on serving and not the financing.
In the modern church denominations, deacons focus mostly on money. The “Levites” (trustees) should focus on the Tabernacle and the money, leaving the servers to serve God in the place of the chief priest, and in rotation.
For the modern church their business meetings are focused more on the money and the building. Seldom does the congregation hear how they could serve God better. The trustees should focus on the finances and the building and the deacon (diakoneo) ministering since they have the same responsibilities. The bishop (episcope) is the overseer, in doing what? Guiding and directing the deacons. The qualifications are similar. The bishop must keep his own house ordered to be expected to keep the church in order. That was the role of the chief priest and should be the role of the chief minister.
Who selects the bishop in scripture? Scripture does not say, but God selected Aaron. However, Aaron did not seek that status.
The bishop must desire to do the good work of God (1 Tim 3:1). God provides the desire, but desire is not enough. He must be blameless, sober, have fidelity to his wife, vigilant, of good behavior, hospitable, prone to teach, not subject to alcohol, not a striker, not greedy for pornography, patient, not argumentative, not covetous, and one that has control over his own house and family. (1 Tim 1:1-4).
A deacon, since they are much the same, have much the same characteristics. With them, the wives must be co-rulers of the household (1Tim 3:12).
The modern churches have a huge problem; it is hard enough to find a minister with such qualifications and much harder to find any who could be deacon. Thus, the congregation and ecclesia have relaxed the standards that God expects.
Who should select the bishops and the deacons? In the Old Testament God did. They were Aaron and the Levites. God appointed and consecrated Aaron and his sons. Nowadays the Association does that!
The priesthood was based on genetics. God cut some out to be ministers. He called them before they were ever born! But not all Levites could be priests. Some were strictly craftsmen who took care of the building and facilities. God planned their roles as well, but all were called to serve Him in some manner or the other.
The priests remained by birth in the time of Jesus, but they were by then foul people who had become depraved. Jesus did not look to the Levites to become his apostles but sinners of various trades and abilities. He essentially looked at the congregation, identified those that He needed for the gospel, and they followed him, most of them even to the grave.
They were the “bishops” during the time of Jesus. They were called and they were given the desire to follow Jesus. Their job was to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mat 28:19). They were the “royal priesthood” as Jesus was God and King.
Christians are to pick up their “cross” as the apostles should have done and follow Jesus. Many if not all of them died for Jesus. With them gone, the congregants are the “royal priests” who are to do their duties, “But ye (Christians) are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet 2:9).
All Christians are called, and all are to minister to the world. Any Christian that fits the criteria from the letter to Timothy are eligible to minister. They all are called, but again, few follow!
Preachers make a big deal out of being called to preach as if they are apostles. (Apostles are those who followed Jesus in Person or directly the Voice of the Spirit, as with Paul.)
The problem with the modern church is that it is more minister-centered than God-centered much like Tabernacle worship. Only the priests, one at time were allowed in, and the congregation had to stand outside and believe something was happening that they neither fully understood nor could participate in!
Jesus tore down that curtain: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom…” (Mat 27:50-51).
What had gone on behind the veil in the Holy of Holies was finally revealed. It was Jesus all the time behind the curtain! No longer did the congregation need the priests to supply and preserve; they were all ordained royal priests when Jesus gave up the Ghost. No longer would God be concealed from them but would live within the royal priests.
The modern church has destroyed the royal priesthood. Now, they are mere congregants who are too untrustworthy to minister.
Let me give an example: Minister “X” taught a several week course on the gifts of the Christian. The idea was to identify their best fit for the ministry. It was so that those who had a desire to minister could identify their ministry.
However, once the course ended, no more was said, even when people sought to volunteer. Several years after that, the ministry of the church remains basically the same. “X” as well have pitched his curriculum on the altar and burned it. Most of those who identified their ministry remain to this day congregants with nothing to do but listen to the preacher. They as well remain outside the veil that conceals God.
God may have called many of those to minister in some way or another. It turned out that their skill and aptitudes were no more than to be greeters, door openers, traffic directors, and money collectors. The staff never changed at all; only their duties were changed. It seems that God must have not called anyone to minister, only the preacher. After many years, only the few are called upon, and all the new people have little hope for service. They are called to sit and know their “place” — the congregation from which God is hidden and they are hidden from God.
Those with a desire are shunned and those already overloaded are selected. Have you ever noticed in your church that the same small group are always the doers, even when so many others are ready and willing to serve? Have you noticed that the preacher almost always picks the busiest person to take on more responsibilities while willing workers are sacrificed at the altar, so to speak?
God, at least, organized Tabernacle worship. Some paid the ransom, some killed the sacrifice, some kept the Tent of Meeting, some were on standby, and one did the sacrifice for all. The problem with Tabernacle worship was that the congregation was required to stand aside and believe whatever they were told without question. God was not real to them because they were kept away from serving God!
God had another take as well: If the priest was not worthy, like the bishops and deacons of today, God would kill them inside the Holy of Holies, and they would be dragged by a cord clear of God. No, we do not kill preachers in these days, but some wait until the church is dead and then God drags them out from a falling building and all that is left is ruins.
Scripture supplies criteria for the ministry and it is rigorous. Is it coincidence that the only ones who “qualify” are those closest to the preacher? The preacher should not be in the business of picking his deacons, nor recommending his replacement. Neither should the deacon board!
God provided criteria for minister evaluation (1 Tim), but nobody ever evaluates them. The minister’s job is to administer the church, not to kill it, but like Adam long before, the church is withering, not as slowly as Adam but as quickly as the fig tree that Jesus thought was worthless. One good metric is whether the church congregation is dying or reviving.
Those who have the desire should make it known. Who should they tell? The administrator — the preacher — who should make it known. Then the congregation, those who know the congregant the best, should evaluate them together and vote on them. Neither the preacher nor the deacons should have a hand in selection.
They did that with the replacement of Judas with Saint Matthias by casting lots, but then God ignored their foul method and He picked Paul personally as the replacement.
In other words, imperfect people only choose more imperfect and unqualified people. God must “nominate” the ministers. The job of the congregation is not to accept the nominee but see that he is truly the One that God provided by checking them to the criteria of 1 Timothy.
The congregation now votes for those that are not qualified because those who are qualified may be the quiet one sitting in the congregation. He may be the one more like Paul who had been wicked but is now humbled. It may not be the man who has gone to church all his life and follow their rituals but the man who looks out of the box that the church has become!
Ministers are there to comfort and teach, as well as to supply and serve. The deacons are as much ministers as the ministers but are not to administer the church. They must choose which minister they are to be!
But that is essentially all they should do! Do you see deacon “ministers” at the altar praying through with the repentant? Not very often, but that is what they should be doing. How many times have you seen the preacher busy with one while nobody ministers to the other? Quite often.
There are many problems in the church but a serious one is to have unloving men minister to the congregation about love. Does your minister practice love? Is he there among the congregation loving them?
Do those who supply the preacher when he is gone have integrity as any minister must have, or can he snub some and discourage others. Have you ever listened to someone supply that day who has nearly split the church on many occasions? Are those who are arrogant and proud allowed to stand behind the pulpit?
One deacon who was teaching, said under his breath, “He probably does not even believe in ______." At least one person heard that, and that is what I heard as well. Ministers are not to attack congregants but to minister to them!
Is it fashionable of a preacher to not be friends with a member of the body of Christ and to avoid their company at all costs?
Is it acceptable for a minister to turn his back on a Christian brother? Is it acceptable to minister to the popular more so than the downtrodden?
This is the modern “Church” whose “bricks have fallen down” (Isa 9:10). The choice seems to be, whose “bricks” (constitution) has fallen or which of them are falling the least. All Christians are the “pillar” of the Church (Gal 2:9) but apparently men have made some of them more the “pillars” and the others the “pews.”
All churches are like the congregants and are imperfect. Like us, though, they should strive to be more perfect than what they are. The minister must be focused on God and the pursuit of money secondary. Neither should bartering be done at the expense of the Temple.
(picture credit: Beaver County Times)
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