The Names of God Lesson 6 - Fairhaven Baptist Church

The Names of God

Lesson 6

Jehovah “MEKODDISHKEM”

(M-Qad-Ash)

Text: Exodus 31:1-18

Intro: Last week we looked at Jehovah Nissi, God is my Banner. One of the questions I asked, was which one of the people in last weeks story could have been done without? Moses, we know that he was needed because the scriptures said, when he let his hands drop, the people of Israel died in war. Aaron and Hur was needed, because Moses was not able by him self to hold his hands up. Joshua was needed to lead the men into battle, as well as select them out of the Nation. And of course, without the men fighting there would be no need for any of them to be there. They were all needed. Just like the kingdom of God needs all Christians to be engaged in the ministry they are called to.

Tonight, we are going to look at another aspect of this message, the need for all, and the need for all to be engaged in ministry, and for the need for all to be used for service.

Background,
1. The Tabernacle Plans,
  1. God gives the Plans,
    1. starting about Exodus 25 we see Moses getting the directions to supply, furnish and build the Tabernacle.
    2. God affirms His covenant with Moses in Chapter 24, and then chapter 25 begins “The LORD spake unto Moses, saying….”
      
      The Plan for the Tabernacle was not the idea or plan of man, it was God plan,
  2. The Purpose of the Tabernacle,
    1. Exodus 25:8 “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”
      - this would be the place where God would fill with His presence,
      - God has always desired a relationship with man,
        
        it was man that severed that relationship, and it has always been God that has made provision to reconnect,
        
        wither it is through the building of the tabernacle, the temple,
        
        or calling men to salvation, it is God’s initiative first, God seeks men, where man does not seek God.
        
        Romans 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”
      - However, it was never intended as a prison for God,
        
        a place to trap Him, and expect Him to only be there,
        
        It also had another purpose,
    2. Galatians 3:25&25 tells us that the Law was given to lead the way to Christ,
      - This was part of the Law, even if you use some of the strictest definitions of what the LAW is, the first 5 books of the bible,
    3. So every thing has a purpose, a meaning, and we could spend the rest of our lifetimes researching the things of the tabernacle and still come up short.
      - Every item, every sacrifice, every thing, it all pointed to Christ in some way.
    4. Bobby Sparks is a great resource for this if you want to study more,
  3. The Furnishings,
    1. Chapter 25,
      - gives us the details of the Ark of the Covenant,
      - The Table of Show-bread,
      - The Candle stick,
    2. Chapter 26 gets into detail about the Tabernacle it’s self
      - the curtains, the panels, the fasteners, etc.
    3. Chapter 27,
      - the plans for the Altar,
      - the set up of the area,
      - and the making of the lamp oil,
    4. Chapter 28,
      - The Priest garments,
      - the breastplate,
      - the robes,
    5. Chapter 29,
      - The Consecrating of the Priest,
        
        and this is an important side note to the study tonight,
        
        was it only the priest that was consecrated?
    6. Chapter 30,
      - the altar of incense
      - the laver, oil and perfumes,
    7. then we get to Chapter 31,
  4. The Appointment of Workmen,
    1. Notice who the first one God uses is,
      - the grandson of Hur, remember him form last week?
        
        Although, I know we all have our individual relationship with God, He has no grandchildren, I do believe God rewards go beyond the individual.
    2. God gave him: Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge,
      - I like the order of these three,
        
        Knowledge is just information, and people can have knowledge with no understanding or wisdom.
        
        For instance, we know what E=Mc2 is, but do we have understanding of it?
        
        Understanding is how the knowledge is to be applied,
        
        and wisdom is knowing how to apply that understanding,
      - but God gave him all,
      - and God called him to not only do the work, but teach and oversee the work.
    3. I also think it is worth pointing out, that God had prepared them for the work, before they were ever told about the work.
2. The Sabbath, Vs.12-18
  1. How many Sabbaths were there?
    1. At first thought we may want to say 1 per week, so 52, but this is not correct,
    2. for the Jewish people there were many Sabbaths for them to observe,
      - the most complete list we have is found in See Leviticus 25
      - but even this list doesn’t include them all,
    3. the weekly, the passover, the unleavened bread, the second unleavened bread, Pentecost, trumpets, atonement, the tabernacles, the last day, then there is the 7^th year and 50^th year
    4. And God was saying, keep them all, it is a sign between Me and you through the generations,
      - I have to think that since this was a sign to the generations what the children thought about it, when the parents didn’t observe it?
      - I wonder about today when Church and God are not made a priority?
  2. God tells them to keep the Sabbath, that you may know “I am the LORD that doeth sanctify you” Jehovah Mekoddishkem
Meaning
1. The Lord that sanctifies,
  1. To Be Set Apart,
    1. the simple of it is to be set apart, but what does that really mean?
      - We all have items that we have set apart for a purpose or special use,
        
        either good or bad,
        
        For instance, we have special dinnerware that is reserved for special occasions,
        
        We also have certain dinnerware that we would only use to serve the dog, or throw our scraps in.
    2. II Timothy 2:20&21 “ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
      - I would point out here, that not only are the vessels of honor of use, but the ones of dishonor are useful as well.
        
        In fact may be of more use than the ones of honor.
        
        Let me ask it this way, what gets used more in the house, the old beat up coffee mug, or the fine china tea cup?
        
        In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he was referring to things like the waste water bucket, and you m ay not think it is important, but try to live with out one…
    3. But two very like items can be set apart from one another.
      - This is what was happening int the tabernacle,
        
        when it came to things like the knives used there, were they really different than the hunting knife that was used out side of the tabernacle?
        
        But the one was set apart from the other.
        
        Which brings the question….
  2. To Be Set Apart For What?
    1. For items used in the tabernacle such as the knives, they were set apart for exclusive service there.
      - They didn’t want you to trim the wicks of the lamp with the same knife you cut your bologna off with.
    2. For the Nation of Israel, they were set apart form other nations,
      - not as being more valuable or somehow special, but they were set apart as instruments of the Lord use
      - I have said many times, the people of Israel was suppose to represent the Lord to the World,
        
        it was through Israel that “all nations” would be blessed.
        
        They had a job to do. They were the Lords to advance His message and Kingdom.
    3. I guess we could simply say they were set aside for the work of righteousness in the Lord.
  3. Who Chose to Set an Item Aside,
    1. one last point I want to make under the definition,
    2. it is not the object that chooses to be set aside, it is the master.
      - No cup in our home can say, you know I think I want to be a tea cup now,
      - God made us, formed us, and ordained us for a particular sanctified work.
    3. What does this mean to us?
Application,
1. We Are Sanctified,
  1. this is not just an Old testament Event,
    1. I Peter 1:16 “ Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
    2. one of the prevailing thoughts in the New Testament is “We are not our Own, We Serve at the Pleasure of the Lord”
      - almost anywhere we read in the New Testament we find one of three will’s of God,
        
        1, Salvation, 2, Sanctification, 3, Service,
        
        the first one is to the Lost, the second two are for the saved,
        
        and the second two are both about being set apart.
    3. When Jesus called His disciples, He said Come follow Me,
      - leave what you are doing, set your self apart for my service,
  2. What are we to Separate from?
    1. The answer to this is simply two fold;
      - first, to be separate from the general population,
        
        if we go back to the analogy of the knife, the one that was to be set apart, was to be taken from the drawer, and took to the tabernacle, and put to use there.
        
        So to be separate form the rest, or form the world.
        
        A little boat in the middle of the water is normal, but a little water in the middle of the boat is a disaster.
        
        We are still in the world, but we are no longer part of the world.
        
        The word of God is full of sermons to help us separate form the world, there are list full of things we are to keep from, and things we are to do.
      - The Second thing is separation form Self,
        
        you may ask, how do we separate from self, can I leave my body, and enter another? No, but we can stop letting self direct our lives, and our direction.
        
        When Jesus called His disciples, He told them, Deny Self…
        
        sanctification carries the meaning, our purpose is no longer in our desire, but in the desire of our master.
        
        Do we have anything that we use for something other than it was intended for?
        
        Such as a screwdriver that we no longer use for screws, but as a pry tool, etc…
        
        You may want to _____________ and I may want to ____________, but our purpose is not found in our desires,
    2. However, I think true fulfillment and Joy is found in finding our God given Purpose.
  3. What is the result of this separation?
    1. How long could we go down this path?
      - The result of sanctification?
      - II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
    2. I like the way David Said it,
      - Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
        
        notice after the Lord brought him up:
        
        He Set My Feet On A Rock, our Sanctification gives us stability,
        
        He Established My goings, our Sanctification gives us Direction,
        
        He Put a New Song in my Mouth, Sanctification Gives us a New Attitude,
        
        and Many Shall See It, Sanctification Gives us Ministry.
      - We could spend a lot of time on What we wouldn’t do if we were Sanctified, but I think it is easier to do what we know to do, and the other things will happen.