[0:00] Ah, I forgot this. I wanted to read this to you earlier. I got an updated letter from the Russell family, from Adam and Sarah Russell, missionaries to Mexico, that are currently, continued to be in North Carolina, recouping and seeking some rehabilitation and healing for Sarah.
[0:24] And so it's been a while since we heard from him. He first just talks about being able to minister and some things he's been able to do since they've been in the States, one of which was preaching at a teen camp over the summer, and he still talks about some, just the blessing of that and some people still making comments on things that the Lord did during that week.
[0:43] But then he moves on to say, the last couple months have been hard on Sarah's health, but the Lord is still working through our health problems. These newer treatments she's doing are needed, but are hard on her nervous system and body.
[0:55] She's been weaker than normal and bound to the house. It has caused some discouragement, but as we keep seeking the Lord, he has been faithful to show us his will. It has been almost weekly that he keeps repeating the same things, quote, be still, wait on the Lord, and they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
[1:14] They shall run and not be weary. We are very thankful the still small voice has never stopped speaking to us. We truly believe the Lord still wants us in Mexico, so we wait for his perfect timing to return.
[1:27] The Lord obviously still has a plan for us with all that he has shown us and is setting up. A few months ago, I felt like the Lord wanted me to book some meetings with churches, so I left it in his hands to do it. Then on August, in August, I received several calls for missions conferences and for during this month of October.
[1:45] We're currently doing those meetings, and the Lord is encouraging the churches as well as us. The Lord keeps moving us forward, so we keep patiently waiting on the Lord for what he would have us to do. The Lord is still working in Mexico as the ministry continues forward in the right direction.
[1:59] Almost four years ago, the Lord officially established the local church there. The first week of November is the anniversary conference, and I just bought tickets to go during that time. Please pray the Lord encourages the church and helps me with the many other things I'll be doing while down there, as well as for my family during my absence.
[2:17] We appreciate all faithful prayers for us, especially during this time. I think waiting on the Lord is the hardest thing to do when you're chomping at the bit to get something done before he returns. Please keep praying for healing, for the meetings, for my trip to Mexico, and honestly, for encouragement while waiting on the Lord.
[2:35] We have you all in our prayers as well, and they send their love. Keep up the good fight, he says. And so, just having read that, I hope to give him a call maybe this week, if I can, and just touch base with him and try to encourage him.
[2:50] So, find in your Bible, if you will, to start. Find Jeremiah. Following Isaiah.
[3:00] Jeremiah chapter 18. It will be a moment until we get there, but I'm going to need to lay a little bit of groundwork. And it's going to take a little bit of laying some groundwork to get to kind of an idea or a thought or point, and then from there we'll go on.
[3:20] And most likely this will go more than a week. In the Old Testament, here we are in Jeremiah, and you read through your Bible, I trust you do, if you pick up that book, it's a big chunk of it is that Old Testament.
[3:34] And I fully am aware that sometimes it's tough reading, sometimes it's boring reading, just to be flat, plain, honest, it is. It's some boring spots, and we'll even maybe come upon one of them later tonight.
[3:48] There's some tough stuff in there, not just genealogies, but just some repetitive things and just some things that, quite frankly, you don't care about, and I really don't too much more than to think that God chose to put it in his book.
[4:02] But what God's doing in this, as an overview, is in that Old Testament, is it reveals God's hand dealing with nations, dealing with them on a national level.
[4:14] Primarily the nation of Israel, of course, but so many more. Sometimes directly dealing with other nations, sometimes there's prophecies of what he will do. Remember Daniel's day?
[4:25] Daniel, God told him the nations that are going to come after him, and it goes kind of clear out into the future, as a matter of fact. A lot of Isaiah deals with the second coming of Christ, and of judgment, specific judgment to specific nations that mistreated Israel in the past, and God's going to make it right in the future.
[4:45] And it's nation after nation after nation. You see God dealing with nations. Sometimes he raises up a nation for the purpose of punishing his people. And again, it's a national thing.
[4:57] And so this is a history, as well as prophecy, of God dealing with nations. Now, when you get to the New Testament, there's a change. Things start to get individual.
[5:08] And the ministry of Jesus Christ, the ministry of the Apostle Paul, make this very clear. For instance, Jesus Christ said a number of things, one of which, if any man thirst, let him come.
[5:20] Paul will write things like, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. Many times in the Gospel of John, Christ is saying, he, an individual, he that believeth on me, and so forth.
[5:33] There's much of a plea and a cry and an offer to an individual in the New Testament, whereas the Old Testament is a broad look at nations. Now, a great demonstration of this is by doing a quick little study, we'll see here, on two different illustrations, both using the same thing, and in the Old Testament, it uses that item to show you nations.
[5:57] In the New Testament, it uses that item to show you, guess what, individuals. And so here in Jeremiah chapter 18, verse number one, the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
[6:12] Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. What was he working with? Verse four, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter.
[6:23] So he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it. So that's what he sees, a vessel, the potter working with clay, shaping and molding a vessel. What is that vessel representative of?
[6:35] Look at verse five, then the word of the Lord came to me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord, behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye.
[6:49] You are a vessel in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up, to pull down, to destroy it, if that nation, and he goes on to describe how God will respond to nations, to nations.
[7:08] That's the thought here. The vessel is typifying a nation and it's typifying any nation that will respond to the hand of God. Now take your Bible and go to 2 Timothy, to the New Testament, and chapter number two.
[7:26] And now let's see the word vessel, another illustration, but this time not on a national level, but this time in the New Testament on an individual level. 2 Timothy chapter two.
[7:39] I'll begin in verse 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
[7:56] But in a great house there were not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
[8:19] Now this verse we studied recently on a Sunday, discussing the new man, discussing him being fitted and created for good works, and we may touch on that again in a moment.
[8:31] Now let's just keep that thought close for the time being. Vessel. A vessel. In the Old Testament it was nations, New Testament individuals. Now in your New Testament, come back to 1 Corinthians chapter three, and I want to add a new thought that we'll couple with that in a moment.
[8:49] 1 Corinthians chapter three. Try your best to stay with me. 1 Corinthians three, and I just want two verses, 16 and 17.
[9:11] Verse 16. Know ye not that ye, that's plural, that's not you, not an individual, but a plurality, a church. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, is plural.
[9:30] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye, plural, are. So this church, or the, we'll turn to Ephesians 2, I'll get there before I make the comments here.
[9:47] Ephesians 2, one more passage. God dwells in a temple. And this temple now is, is people, and not buildings.
[10:02] And so we'll see that the body of Christ is likened to a building, or to a temple, and something we would understand from the Old Testament, of Moses, and then of Solomon, and so forth.
[10:17] Ephesians chapter 2, and verse number 19, through the end of the chapter. Ephesians 2, verse 19, are we all there?
[10:28] Verse 19, Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together, for an habitation of God, through the Spirit.
[11:02] So these believers, make up a building, builded together, even growing, a living building, a growing temple, one that is called an habitation of God, an holy temple in the Lord.
[11:18] So the body of Christ is likened to a building, a place that God dwells in. No longer is it the building made by man's hand, the building that the Levites assembled and disassembled, over and over again, as they traveled through the wilderness, and then eventually got stationary in Shiloh, and then it looks like in Gibeon, as David mentioned, sacrificing there, and then finally, we'll see in Jerusalem, they build a permanent place, but that's not the case anymore.
[11:50] God is dwelling among people, inside of people, but collectively in a body, that he says is a habitation of God. Now, so far we have vessels, which are pictures of today, of you and I, believers.
[12:06] And we are vessels to be, called vessels unto honor. We are to be sanctified and meet for the Master's use. And then we have a temple of God, and today that temple of God is the body of Christ collectively.
[12:20] So if you have that two thoughts, we're going to couple that, and then kind of jump into something, and let's think about this. Back in Moses' day, early into this book, way back in Exodus even, and through Leviticus, there's more instructions, and even into Numbers, God instructed him to build, to erect a tabernacle.
[12:42] A tabernacle that was going to be a dwelling place, a small little building, really, smaller than this place. A dwelling place for Almighty God, that he would dwell, surrounded by Levites, and then surrounded by the entirety of the nation of Israel, camping around him.
[12:59] He would dwell on earth with men. Their name was Emmanuel, the country, the name of the place was Emmanuel, which means God with us, and that became the title and name given to Jesus Christ, as God came and dwelt among men.
[13:16] When God built this tabernacle, it was furnished with several pieces of furniture, and several instruments, and there's typology in all of this, it's very interesting study, showing the Godhead, showing the Holy Spirit, showing the Lord Jesus Christ.
[13:31] There's pictures in all of the furniture. It's an interesting thing, and maybe one day we go through that together. But for now, in addition to those, the table of showbread, or to where the candlestick was, or to the altars and things, in addition to that, there were vessels.
[13:49] There were individual vessels, instruments that were needed and useful and used in the ministration there inside the tabernacle. Depending on the certain function, there was a different vessel.
[14:01] For instance, the Bible says, of the table of showbread, and he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers, to cover with all, of pure gold.
[14:15] Now I'm betting, if you thought about the tabernacle, and if I asked you what was inside of there, you might come up with a few of the big things, but would you really come up with the detailed little things, the vessels, and the spoons?
[14:28] That probably slips your mind. Maybe even you skim right past it, reading, it doesn't stand out. But today I want it to stand out. The candlestick. It's a popular thing, with six branches, and a main trunk there.
[14:41] It has vessels, specifically made for it. It says, of a talent of pure gold, made he it, and all the vessels thereof. Just think for a moment, I can't speak specifically to this, I don't know if the Bible even does, but there was holy oil, that was to be poured into that, so that the lamp never went out.
[14:59] How do you think it got in there? There was a vessel that carried it, and it was stationary, it was for that candlestick. There was vessels for that. Okay. What about the altar of burnt offering?
[15:11] The Bible says, he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the flesh hooks, and the fire pans, all the vessels thereof, made he of brass.
[15:22] Now this is just in the construction, of the tabernacle, and all the details of it all. God gave it to Moses on the mount, he brought it down, it got, the work got done finally, and when it was all finished, here's what the Bible says took place.
[15:37] God speaking to Moses, and to Aaron, he's saying, thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof, it shall be holy.
[15:55] And in the book of Leviticus, you read that the priest did that very thing, and it said, to sanctify them. So he anointed this entire structure, all the elements and materials, the vessels, and all of it inside, he sanctified it.
[16:11] Why? Because it was set apart for God. Now this, all of this is leading up to just the first point I want to say here, is that the vessels of God's temple, of his tabernacle in Moses' day, were made holy, and they were sanctified.
[16:32] And they were done, sanctified means set apart. They were sanctified for the service of God alone. Nobody got to touch those things.
[16:44] They were gods. The Levites alone would minister inside that place. Nobody came through there. These were not displayed for tourists. You couldn't pay your shekel, and then go in and see behind the glass case, the pans for this, or the vessels for that.
[17:02] That wasn't a thing. They weren't made of gold, so that it could be displayed to all the nations, the power and the wealth and the might of Israel. That wasn't a thing at all. This was for God only.
[17:15] These vessels, and these instruments. Nobody walked by, and got to holler into the, the courtyard there, or to the tabernacle, and say, hey Aaron, hey Eliezer, come here.
[17:27] Hey, can I borrow a pan? Can I borrow a vessel? I'll bring it right back. I just don't want to walk all the way to the other side of the camp. I just got to use it real quick.
[17:37] I'll wash it out and bring it right. That didn't happen. Nobody was touching that stuff. Matter of fact, in Haggai chapter 2, you learn something.
[17:49] You probably don't really need to go there to learn it, but if anything, if the common man were to touch something that was set apart for God and sanctified, it would make it unclean.
[18:00] It wouldn't make the common man cleansed or holy. No, it would make it unclean. It never, it never carries it upward. It always brings it downward. So these vessels were, were sanctified, and made holy, and separated unto God, for God only, nobody else.
[18:21] Now let me talk about that for a minute. I want to give you two thoughts here about the vessels that God sanctifies for his service. And the first one I'll talk about positionally, because I'm likening you, the Christian, as that vessel.
[18:37] And then secondly, practically, meaning where your feet are on this dirt, on this earth. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Back to 1 Corinthians, look at chapter 2.
[18:50] Positionally speaking, meaning in Jesus Christ, chapter 1, I'm sorry. Being born again, and placed into Jesus Christ, you are now sanctified.
[19:09] Meaning you are set apart, and you are made holy in Christ. Even though you're not holy, you're dirty, and you're rotten, and you're carnal, but in Christ, the new man is made alive, and made, I always say, I say this all the time, he was made after God in righteousness, and true holiness.
[19:28] Ephesians chapter 4. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
[19:46] In other words, without Jesus Christ, you don't have wisdom, you definitely don't have righteousness, and you don't have sanctification, nor redemption.
[19:58] But in Jesus Christ, he was made that for us. So your position, in Jesus Christ, is sanctified. When God sees you, in this world, and he sees you in his son, he sees a cleansed, a set apart, a holy individual.
[20:19] That's hard to believe, but you just, I mean it's hard to conceive, I suppose, but there it is in the text. Turn to another place, 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Positionally, in Jesus Christ, you are sanctified.
[20:35] 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Look at verse, I'll start in verse 9. Know ye not, that the unrighteous, shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
[20:46] Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves, with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetousness, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[21:03] And notice now verse 11. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, thank God, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
[21:21] Your position in Jesus Christ is washed, sanctified, and justified. You're declared righteous. Why? Because we already read it.
[21:31] He was made unto us righteousness and sanctification. So in Christ, our position is that vessel in the holy temple, in the holy place of the temple, that is set apart unto God, and has been cleansed, and sanctified, and made holy.
[21:52] And the world, nobody comes in and touches it. Nobody defiles it. They can't. Because it's set apart unto God for his service. All right. Now this is true.
[22:03] In Christ, you're pure gold. You are pure, as pure can get. Now practically speaking, the life that you live right here today, let's consider that.
[22:14] Look at 1 Thessalonians, chapter number four. I want to run three verses about this thought. 1 Thessalonians, moving to the right a little ways.
[22:27] 1 Thessalonians chapter four. Practically speaking, you are to live sanctified, and live set apart, and live as if you were for the service of God alone.
[22:47] 1 Thessalonians 4. I'll begin in verse three. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles, which know not God.
[23:16] If you entertain yourself and watch the Gentiles and sinners how they live, they know not God. That's obvious. You just watch them for a little while. They're not going to praise Jesus Christ.
[23:28] They're not going to live sanctified. They're going to live in lust. They're going to speak of lust. They're going to act that way. And you're supposed to know how to possess your vessel in the way that you are in Christ Jesus.
[23:43] Sanctified. Moving on. Verse number six. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified.
[23:53] Verse seven. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. So we are to stay set apart. We are to refrain from some things, to abstain from some things that would dirty us in God's sight, would be sin in God's sight, would be unclean to God and to the new man.
[24:18] All right, go to 2 Timothy again. We were already here. I just want to repeat this verse, and repetition really aids in getting it down. So let's look back at 2 Timothy 2, where we read earlier.
[24:28] And now let some of the words jump out at you, beyond just the word vessel. Verse 19. Again, nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having the seal.
[24:41] This is two quotes. The Lord knoweth them that are His. And secondly, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Why? Because you're to be separate from that.
[24:53] You're to be sanctified. Verse number, I'll read verse 21. Again, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use.
[25:05] That's what you're called to. The service of God. His use, only His use. No one else's use. Nobody comes into the temple of God and takes the holy vessels and then goes out and does what they want to do with it and then brings it back and says, there, I did my best to cleanse it back for you.
[25:21] No. You've been set apart in Christ Jesus. And you're to start living like it and to start looking like it and speaking like it and show the sanctification that you are.
[25:35] The gold that you are on the inside should be evident to the world. Verse 21 ends by saying, and prepared unto every good work, ready to go.
[25:46] Ready for the Levite to come by and snatch you up to use you for God in His house. All right, one more passage. Come back to the left. 2 Corinthians now, chapter 6.
[26:01] 2 Corinthians 6. And watch how this connects and ties into this thought and study on sanctification. 2 Corinthians 6.
[26:14] I'll read the passage at the end of the chapter in verse 14 to the end. And remember, you're a vessel set apart for God, for His use.
[26:25] So, verse 14, the Bible says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. They are not sanctified. They have not been set apart unto God, by God.
[26:37] They're unclean. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Why? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? You know the answer is none. Zero.
[26:48] And what communion hath light with darkness? Again, zero. You can't pretend that they do. Verse 15, And what concord hath Christ with Belial?
[26:59] That gets a little bit stronger of a thought there. And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
[27:10] For ye are the temple of the living God. There it is again. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they shall be my people.
[27:22] And here's the result. Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.
[27:35] Doesn't that resonate now with what we've been talking about and studying? How the cleansed and holy and sanctified thing does not sanctify the unclean, but rather the unclean dirties or profanes is the Bible word, the holy.
[27:51] Touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you, saith the Lord. In chapter 7, verse 1, you are to cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness and the fear of God.
[28:04] That's what God's interested in. Now, God created you in Christ as a new creature. God created you in Christ holy, sanctified and set aside for himself.
[28:20] The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6 to glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. Why? Because you've been bought with a price. You know the passage. Remember, we've studied this in Ephesians chapter 2.
[28:34] We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So we're vessels that were fashioned by him for his use, not for ourselves, not for the world, but for our God that made us holy.
[28:54] That's what we're for. And so your vessel, Christian, is to be sanctified. It's to be consecrated. It's to be purposely and prayerfully dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ.
[29:12] That's what this thing is for. Him and his glory and his service. Your flesh or your body, your vessel is not to be engaged with worldly activities.
[29:26] Your body, your vessel is not to be seeking out worldly pleasures in the lust of concupiscence, doing the things that would be the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
[29:40] That's what the lost does. Your body, your temple is the property and the possession of God and he separated it unto himself for good works for his use.
[29:53] So just like those vessels were in the tabernacle of God just like they were set aside for God's service, so you, Christian, are to live every day of your life as if you belong to him.
[30:11] I am his and he is mine and touch not the unclean thing. God made you holy in Jesus Christ and he desires you to live that way.
[30:25] So be sanctified and be meat for the master's use. You understand so far what we've covered? It's been a little bit to get there but that was point number one was that God set those vessels aside for himself, sanctified, cleansed them, holy.
[30:42] I mean, they were dirt, they were minerals, materials taken out of the earth, beaten and fashioned into something and then they were anointed.
[30:53] Then they were made holy. Then they were placed into a specific place where it was only God's and only for God from here forward. Now there's a lot of stuff we're going to get out of this.
[31:05] It's going to go a direction but for now get that one and take that practical side and realize you have a duty and an obligation to your holy God to be a vessel that he is pleased with not to seek and chase your own carnal desires but to offer yourself to him and to do it in a manner that is pleasing and acceptable to him.
[31:28] Romans 12, 1 and 2. Offering your bodies a sacrifice holy. That's the one that's acceptable unto God. Alright.
[31:40] Now I want to give you one more point and then we'll stop for this week. Secondly that tabernacle had all of these vessels that were God gave Moses this pattern and he made them he sent them through his the specific men that were skillful in working those metallurgy whatever it is.
[32:06] Yeah. Alright. And that wasn't where it stopped. There were other vessels that were added to this tabernacle and as it goes forward there was actually lots of them.
[32:20] For instance in Numbers chapter 7 one of the most boring chapters in the entire Bible it goes 80 some verses maybe John will memorize it for us and if he does I'm going to blacklist it and say no that's just one we're not going to listen to.
[32:35] It is a description of all 12 tribes coming with their offerings maybe you remember this they were princes of each tribe and they offered a silver charger and it gives you the weight they offered a silver bowl maybe and a spoon that was a golden spoon with fine flour or something I really don't remember the details but there was oxen there was rams and he goats and I mean and identically you read one you could copy and paste it and just change the name because it just goes for verses and verses and they say you know what they were doing they were bringing more vessels at the end of that chapter I don't think I wrote it down here it calls them vessels it says what they were delivering it doesn't call them chargers or bowls it says and all the vessels and it gives the weight and the numbers of what it was they were added to the other vessels take a look at Joshua chapter 6 let's just run a few references and to show you there's more not too long after all of this
[33:42] I mean in comparison to the history of the nation it wasn't that much that passed before they went into the land under Joshua and they conquered first Jericho and in Joshua chapter 6 they were given instructions of what they couldn't do as far as taking some things in verse 18 Joshua 6 verse 18 and ye in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing lest ye make yourselves accursed when ye take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it but all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the Lord they shall come into the treasury of the Lord did you see that the treasury of the Lord now there wasn't even a place established yet where God was going to place his name Jerusalem's way down the road so the tabernacle still being born of the priests and meanwhile they just got some more weight added to their burden to carry because they just picked up some new vessels that are consecrated unto the Lord and he says it again in verse 24 about the vessels of brass and iron being put into the treasury of the house of the Lord now fast forward through time to when King David sat on the throne look at 2 Samuel chapter 8 2 Samuel chapter 8 and you know
[35:11] David God said he was a bloody man a man of war he was a fighter and he put down the enemies of the Lord all around not just locally but all around the region he really established his kingdom far even talks about some of this all the way to the river Euphrates in verse 3 now because he fought and destroyed a certain king there was another king that had beef with that king that was thankful that David got involved because now his enemy was subdued and he sends presents to David and that shows up in verses 9 and 10 and 11 look at the very end of verse 10 if you could skip through the names and get to 10 and you'll see and Joram brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass which also king David did dedicate unto the Lord with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued so the Lord's having David establish Israel far and wide and when things are coming in and gifts are coming in he doesn't take it for himself he says oh no that's for the Lord and dedicates it to the Lord more vessels more gold more silver coming from the heathen lands and being put into the treasury of the house of the Lord alright there's more look at 1 Kings chapter 7 and this is probably about where we'll wrap it up 1 Kings chapter 7 and now the son of David
[36:51] Solomon is building the most the exceeding magnifical the most beautiful thing structure ever on the face of the earth to date and probably far and long after that maybe ever this thing's oh if I could if I could behold one thing and just take a field trip this would be where it is in time time travel let's go back and see this thing 1 Kings 7 and he didn't just build the temple and then furnish it with the old stuff no he built new stuff and I'll just point out verse 45 where he says and the pots and the shovels and the basins and all the vessels which King Hiram made to King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of bright brass verse 47 and Solomon left all the vessels unweighed because they were exceeding many neither was the weight of the brass found out and Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord the altar of gold and the table of gold where upon the showbread was and the candlesticks of pure gold five on the right side five on the left before the oracle and the flowers and the lamps and the tongues of gold and the bowls and the snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the censers of pure gold and the hinges of gold in both the doors of the inner house and the most holy place for the doors of the house to wit of the temple so was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord and Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated even the silver and the gold and the vessels did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord it's growing and growing in number and in magnitude it's just compiling and the point I'm making is that there are other vessels that are being added to this temple and being accumulated over time now look at chapter 8 it wasn't just new vessels but rather they were the old ones that were put in there as well look at chapter 8 and verse 4 and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tabernacle of the congregation the tabernacle they probably assembled or took it apart rather the way they used to and they carried it and brought it into the temple if they'd have left it somewhere else they'd have went there to worship and that was against the Lord if they'd have left it somewhere else stored in somebody's barn they would have come before it to see it but no so it belonged to God it was holy to God it goes into the temple and it's stored there so verse 4 the tabernacle of the congregation notice now in the middle of the verse and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle even those did the priests and the Levites bring up so I'm sure now these are generations old these vessels have been used since Moses' day and they were pure gold and silver and brass but these vessels they probably had wear on them they probably showed signs
[39:51] I doubt that Solomon's man maybe I'm wrong here maybe because it's of the Lord and the pattern and all that maybe they're identical but I'm presuming that you could tell the difference between the brand new ones and the old ones I'm sure of it but nevertheless they brought them in these were all gods they're still gods and now here's something I just think this is interesting now the number of vessels of the temple is growing over time more are sanctified and brought into the holy temple and as the temple gets larger in Solomon's day magnified compared to the tabernacle much larger much more work and service and the nation much more established and coming before that place as it grew the vessels and the need for vessels grew and so more and more vessels are sanctified and dedicated to the service of God even moving through this book you'll see different kings you'll see Joash when Jehoiada was the priest he adds these vessels of gold and silver into the tabernacle or the treasuries of the Lord you'll see it with Asa
[40:59] King Asa in chapter 15 verse 15 of this book bringing in more vessels to the house of God and in this I want to leave you with what I think is a blessed thought these vessels were consecrated to the service of God and they grew over time in number it wasn't just that original few that was handcrafted of the people of Israel for that back in the wilderness but when it went on forward more were brought in and more were brought in as a matter of fact there was vessels that were rescued from heathen lands that were used for no doubt heathen purposes and rituals and practices they were rescued and brought to the house of God and sanctified to be meat for the master's use in the house of God as a matter of fact as we just looked at with Solomon bringing up those old ones from the tabernacle into the temple you've got generations of vessels that are all sanctified they're introduced beside each other dedicated to God together
[42:15] I don't know if you're picking it up but it's a beautiful thought that while there have been vessels of man that have been sanctified of God in Christ Jesus over the years even yet today God is rescuing from heathen practices and outside lands saving souls and bringing them into his presence and sanctifying them and making them clean whereas they were perhaps defiled and profane and used for unspeakable things in worldly ways now they're cleansed and now they're brought in to the service of God just like the ones that have been there for generations before so I see that as an interesting thought and a blessed thought and a beautiful picture that whereas some were outside of Israel outside like Gentile nations vessels from those nations are brought in vessels from those nations by the decree of God and by his grace are able to stand beside another generation and be cleansed and be used by God now there's more things I want to study from this thought of these vessels and so far we only got through two things being number one that these vessels were were dedicated to God and consecrated for his use alone and it's it's up to us to start showing that and then secondly an interesting thought in history of how vessels are added to that temple and how dirty ones are cleansed and brought in by the will of God and next week
[44:00] Lord willing we'll study some more things and see that even God's holy vessels don't always stay in God's holy temple where they should stay in some cases they get pulled out they were consecrated for the Lord but in some cases they don't always stay in the temple and they're not always used for the holy purpose in which they were designed and dedicated and sometimes the world gets a hold of them and sometimes the world uses them we'll see this for profane things and we'll also see that the Lord gets his vessels back and so that's a blessing so we'll stop there this week and I hope you can take something with you from that study and we'll continue it next week on these vessels we'll see