Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20100606.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Exodus: God's Forming The Nation Israel For His Abrahamic Covenant
Part II: God's Forming Israel To Heed Him, Exodus 15:22-40:38
K. God's Directive Of The Tabernacle To Fellowship With His People
6. The Lamp Oil: God's Effective Communication Of His Truth
(Exodus 27:20-21 et al.)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    Though we have learned in this sermon series that the Bible is inspired of God, that He has preserved His truth in the canon of Scripture and that God "feeds" us His truth by his servants who expound it, such claims now fail to satisfy many professing Christians.

    Why? Due to the influence of postmodern thinking, many question that we can be SURE that any interpretation of the Bible by anyone is correct, or that the Bible is the ultimate vehicle of God's truth to us! We can easily document this as follows:

    (1) In their book, Truth Is Stranger Than It Used To Be, evangelicals, J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh claimed: "Since all worldviews in a postmodern reading are merely human inventions . . . any truth' we claim for our cherished positions must be kept strictly in quotation marks." (p. 4-5, as cited in John H. Armstrong, gen. ed., The Coming Evangelical Crisis, 1996, p. 37)

    In other words, they claim one can never be sure he knows what the truth of God is!

    (2) Thereupon, to interpret "many biblical texts that we find difficult . . . [or] offensive,'" Middleton and Walsh held: "(G)enuine faithfulness to the authority of Scripture means that we must go not only beyond the biblical text but sometimes against the text.'" (Ibid., Middleton and Walsh, p. 184, as cited in Armstrong, op cit., p. 38)

    So, "(t)he reader decides what is and is not true and authoritative in the biblical text . . . " (Ibid., Armstrong)

    (3) Some Charismatic evangelicals reflect Wayne Grudem's view that prophetic utterances, dreams and visions are used of God so that "God now speaks as He has never previously spoken . . . the words . . . are no longer His very words, inerrant and authoritative." Thus, God offers us imperfect directives, Ibid., Armstrong, p. 83-84!

    With this view, many hold God speaks now in imperfect or erroneous statements through various experiential means!

    (4) Representing this view, one of our members last week was told by a professing believer that she was a "Christian psychic"!

    The term, "psychic" is used of practitioners of the occult, but this lady felt free to "sanitize" it for referring to a Christian ministry!



    So, we ask, "How can I be SURE I KNOW God's TRUTH?"

    Need: "How may I be SURE I KNOW God's TRUTH?!"

  1. God had Israel build a tabernacle to typify how He as a holy God could fellowship with sinful man and meet man's needs, Ex. 25:1-9.
  2. In Exodus 27:20-21, God gave instructions on the lampstand oil, teaching how He effectively causes man to have sufficient, accurate insight of His truths throughout human history:
    1. God indicated He would cause His Holy Spirit to illuminate His truth in written Scripture so clearly that His people could easily interpret it:
      1. Israel was told to bring the priests the purest of olive oil to light the lampstand, "especially fine and costly oil" of "beaten" (katit) versus "crushed" ( mekitah) olives, B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 510; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Ex. 27:20.
      2. Viewing the olive tree explains this: it is mainly INEPT as a tree, with its gray, twisted trunk, small, drab-hued leaves and plain fruit, and it very inefficiently yields only 1 olive per 100 blossoms, but pure olive oil burns in a bright flame with little smoke or odor, Ibid., Ryrie; motherearthnews.com; Z. P. E. B., vol. 4, p. 528.
      3. As olive oil typifies the Holy Spirit (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible, 1981, v. 1, p. 27), pure olive oil that burns brightly with minimal distraction of smoke or odor in the LAMPSTAND then depicts the Spirit's CLEAR ILLUMINATION of SCRIPTURE:
        1. We before learned the solid gold lampstand with its 22 almond buds, the almond being the "awake" tree as it even starts to grow buds in the fall for the next spring, refers to the 22 Hebrew consonants that were written in Moses' era, typifying God's (gold) living inspiration of written Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:16-17.
        2. Now, the Holy Spirit moved men of God to pen the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21), but He also CURRENTLY illumines its truths to the one who is in right relationship with God , 1 Cor. 2:9-15!
        3. So, as Israel was to use the purest oil for the best light, Exodus 27:20a in view of 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 taught God's Spirit Who authored Scripture would clearly illuminate its truths to man!
        4. Scripture explains this ministry: (1) Mark 12:18-27 revealed Jesus' interpretation of Exodus 3:6 exemplifies we must use the literal, historical, grammatical method to interpret the Bible. (2) John 14:26 and 16:13 explain the Spirit will remind us of Bible verses and guide us into all truth! (3) 1 John 2:20, 27 teach the Spirit subjectively signals the godly if they face what is true or false, (4) and 2 Timothy 1:13-14 shows we keep upright beliefs through relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit!
    2. God indicated He would always cause His Holy Spirit to illumine His Scripture truth brightly -- even under trials of great spiritual darkness:
      1. The lamp's oil was to burn regularly, especially seen in God's call for the priests to have it lit from evening until morning, the time when man had the greatest need for light, Exodus 27:20b, 21b,c.
      2. Thus, we can be sure that even in trials where great confusion or deception is prevalent, the Holy Spirit reliably clarifies the Bible's truths so we can interpret and know them well, 2 Timothy 1:13-14.
    3. God indicated He would cause His Spirit to illuminate His Scripture truth as the sure means of communicating to us all our earthly lives:
      1. The Exodus 27:20-21 instruction on the lamp oil was made in stated relation to the "testimony", the tables of the Law, that were in the ark beyond the veil in the Holiest of Holies, Exodus 27:21a.
      2. This reveals a great truth: God's shekinah glory lit the Holiest of Holies, the place that depicts heaven, but because of the veil, it did not illumine the Holy Place that depicts the godly believer's earthly life. So, absent God's visible presence, we on earth need God to illumine His truth some other, sure way. Well, God gave us the lampstand, depicting His written Word, with the purest olive oil, depicting the Holy Spirit's illuminating work, as that means for us to know His truth. (Isa. 8:19-20 & Deut. 13:1-4 -- the Bible is authoritative over miracle workers and miracles; 2 Tim. 3:13-4:2 -- the Bible is our ultimate authority at least until Christ returns)
    4. God indicated He would cause His Holy Spirit brightly to illuminate His Scripture truth throughout history [at least until Christ returns]:
      1. The illumination by the lampstand was to occur throughout Israel's history, from one generation to the next, Exodus 27:21c.
      2. Thus, the Holy Spirit illumines Scripture's truth to us at least until Christ returns, Matthew 28:20b; John 8:31-32; 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2.
Application: (1) May we trust in Christ to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit, John 3:16; Romans 8:9b. (2) May we confess any sins we believers have that block our fellowship with God (1 John 1:9), and (3) rely on the Holy Spirit to interpret the Bible (1 Cor. 2:9-15).

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 Questions raised in our introduction we now answer as follows:

(1) Some professing Christians suggest "any truth' we claim for our cherished positions must be kept strictly in quotation marks," meaning you cannot be sure you have or know it! (Ibid., Middleton and Walsh, p. 4-5, as cited in Armstrong, op. cit., p. 37)

However, in John 8:32, Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

(2) Some who find some Bible passages difficult or offensive say " . . . we must go not only beyond the biblical text but sometimes against the text'" to interpret it, Ibid., Middleton and Walsh, p. 184, as cited in Armstrong, op. cit., p. 38.

However, Proverbs 30:5-6 NIV holds: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."

(3) Some Charismatic evangelicals claim current experiential and at times fallible prophetic utterances, dreams and visions are used of God today to speak to Christians as He has never before spoken, providing imperfect or inaccurate guidance aside from Scripture! (Ibid., Armstrong, p. 83-84)

However, 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2 claims all Scripture is inspired of God and thoroughly equips the believer to perform every good work at least until Christ returns, so we do not need another word from God.

In addition, that Bible is inerrant down to every letter or part of a letter that affects the meaning of each word in the autograph manuscripts, Matthew 5:18; Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible , ftn. to Matthew 5:18. Thus, we need only the Bible's text for God's sure truth, and the indwelling Holy Spirit to understand it as we ought!

(4) As for the expression "Christian psychics", it is never used in Scripture, and "psychics" practice occultic activities so typical of the demonic realm (Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense , 1991, p. 365); the occult is condemned by God in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. (Ibid., p. 367)

We then must not heed a "Christian psychic" -- there is no such sanctioned "spiritual gift" in the Church according to the Word of God!

May we (1) trust in Christ to be saved, and (2) confess any sins that block our experiential relationship with God (1 John 1:9). (2) Then, may we rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit to read and interpret God's Word ASSURED that we KNOW God's TRUTH!