Articles
Just as the Lord Commanded
Our last article asked, "What is your view of Scripture?" The question is asked because it is the origin of religious differences. A high view of Scripture is God-breathed every word of it. A low view of Scripture is it is just another human-authored book. A high view relies upon Scripture as authoritative for religious practice. Recently, some with a high view have questioned the need to follow biblical patterns. Should we follow patterns or ignore them?
Israel followed a pattern in constructing the Tabernacle. God instructed Moses to construct the Tabernacle and its furnishings, saying, "Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the Tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” (Ex. 25:9, 40 ESV) God enabled craftsmen to ensure Israel could construct it. God told Moses, "Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence...shall work in accordance with all the Lord has commanded " (Ex. 36:1). God enabled these men so they could follow his pattern exactly. Why such insistence on following the pattern exactly? The Tabernacle was a "copy and shadow of the heavenly things." Because it was a shadow of heavenly things, God told Moses, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (Heb. 8:5 ESV) If Moses failed to follow the pattern, the Tabernacle would be just a tent. Following the pattern allowed God to commune with Israel.
Moses erected the Tabernacle according to God's pattern. In Exodus 40, God told Moses, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.” (Ex. 40:2 ESV) The rest of the chapter records Moses setting up the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Eight times, it says Moses set up the Tabernacle "as the Lord commanded him." (cf. v. 16,19,21,23,25,27,29, 32). The text details Moses' care in following God's commands exactly. Upon completion, “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." (Ex. 40:34 ESV). Would the glory of the Lord have filled the Tabernacle if Moses ignored the pattern?
The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle because Moses and Israel faithfully followed the pattern He gave them. What if they had failed to follow the pattern? Leviticus 8-10 records the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests and the first worship service at the Tabernacle. Moses inaugurated the priesthood as the Lord commanded. Everything, including Aaron's first sacrifices, was performed as the Lord commanded (cf. 8:4-5,9,13,17,21,29, 34,35,36; 9:6,10,21). God showed he was pleased with careful obedience: "And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” (Lev. 9:23-24 ESV)
A nearly perfect day was ruined by careless worship. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.” (Lev. 10:1 ESV) What was God's response to unauthorized worship? “And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.” (Lev. 10:2 ESV) God demonstrated that day the kinds of worship that are acceptable and unacceptable. When worship was "as the Lord commanded," He showed His glory, signifying He was pleased. When Nadab and Abihu did something the Lord "had not commanded them," He consumed them. Why did God punish them? "Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" (Lev. 10:3 NAS95) Obeying God treats Him as holy and honors him. When we ignore commands, we treat Him with contempt and dishonor him. Immediate punishment is unlikely, but we will face his wrath at the judgment. “Therefore... let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:28-29 ESV)
Some might say, "This was under the Old Testament, and these things do not apply to us today." God said, “For I the LORD do not change.” (Mal. 3:6 ESV) God gave us a pattern. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 1:13 ESV) Should we not be careful today to do just as the Lord commanded? Remember the warning of the Holy Spirit: "let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
