About title light (small) fire management
About lamp management
God's instructions for making the structure of the tabernacle and all equipment to be used in the tabernacle were finished. What remains now are God's instructions for making clothes for the priests who run the tabernacle. However, the Bible inserts an instruction between them. It's about lantern management.
We get curious here. After giving instructions on how to make the priest's clothes, it is natural for instructions on lamp management to come out. Any reason? That's right. It's in the form of an insert because it's so important. The point to emphasize is that you have to put something aside. So today's message is very important. We will study its importance.
1. God instructs that the lamps in the sanctuary must be lit 24 hours a day 365 days a year from the day the tabernacle was completed.
Now, let's ask a question. Why should the lights be on 365 days a year, 24 hours a day? Is it because God needs light? Is it because there is light in order for God to work? no. Because light is not what God needs, it is what we need.
As we saw earlier in 26:1-14, the sanctuary is covered with four coverings. It is covered with upholstery made of linen, goat's hair, ram's skin, and sea otter's skin. These covers will completely block out sunlight. So there is pitch-black darkness inside the sanctuary. A darkness that cannot be discerned is created. So they cannot do what God has instructed them to do. This makes lamps essential.
Therefore, it is God's consideration for us to light the lamp. Not necessary for God, but absolutely necessary for us. God's consideration, who knows our needs, lights the lamp.
When the person ahead opens the door and holds it for me to enter, we are cared for and feel good. A warm feeling of being cared for arises when you see a hand putting your shoes on the shoe rack after taking them off at a restaurant. When he responds to what I say, when he doesn't sound the horn even after interrupting suddenly, when he holds a cup of coffee in his hand when he wants to take a break, I feel cared for.
We are people in need of consideration. Caring is necessary both for me and for you. To put it bluntly, it's because we are poor people. Even small considerations, not big considerations, can make us happy. I am happy with the glass of water that Joohyung gives me at every Sunday meal.
God knows we are sinners. You know you're never perfect. So you know that what we do is always insecure and imperfect. That is why, to “make all things work together for good” means that we are rectifying what we have been thinking about. In other words, this is God's consideration.
We fail and make mistakes. Then you get frustrated and frustrated. You even hate yourself. But God tells us not to do that. He says that because we are imperfect beings, we can of course fail and make mistakes. If you pretend to be perfect, you will be repulsed. He tells us to admit our failures and mistakes. Here you can see God's consideration.
Beloved, let us praise God for still caring in spite of our failures and mistakes. Hallelujah!
2. Another reason to keep your lights on 24/7/365. It is because we can see God only when we light a lamp.
One of the symbols of light in the Bible is the social and moral responsibility of Christians. In other words, it means a life of love and justice. Let's look at Matthew 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world, and a city that is on a hill cannot hide it. People do not light a lamp and put it under a horse, but put it on a lampstand, and therefore it gives light to all the household. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
It is our responsibility to show good deeds to others. Good deeds should shine like light. What is good deeds? We live a life of law-abiding in an age of illegality, evasion, and illegality. To enforce justice in a world where injustice reigns. It's a united response to what creates division. It is to establish love and peace where hatred and war are encouraged.
You can only see God through this kind of life and good deeds. I have to explain in case you confuse believing in God and seeing God. It is desirable that believing in God and seeing God go together. But believing and seeing are two different things. To believe is to believe in God. We believe in God's sovereignty over the universe. On the other hand, seeing is that I see the glory of God. I am reading the mind of God. Therefore, although we believe in God, we cannot read God's heart because we do not do good deeds. You can see the glory of God and meet the power of God only when you follow the law, justice, unity, love, and peace.
Beloved, I bless you to see God every day and every hour by practicing good deeds in this world: obedience, justice, unity, love, and peace.
Whom is God telling me to bring olive oil for the lamp? It's the people. Who are the people? I mean all Christians. It is the priest's responsibility to light the fire and keep it from being extinguished, but fundamentally, to keep the fire from being extinguished, there must be a constant supply of olive oil from the people. Therefore, the responsibility of managing the lamp rests with us all.
Moreover, what the lamp symbolizes is the church. The church is the body of Christ and the unity of the saints. As Christ did, we must live a life of sacrifice to light the world by burning us. In this age, we want evangelism that is shown through life, not through words. If Jesus is the truth, he asks us to live as he did. Then I will believe you. The world lives according to its beliefs. Even though it is a fog-like belief, it lives as it is. What truth do we believe in Jesus? Isn't it perfect and eternal? Then we must live by faith. Of course you will fail and make mistakes. But we have God's consideration.
Therefore, dear friends, please show your faith in the background of God's strong consideration and support. Show good deeds. So let's show the world that the Jesus we believe in is the true truth. Amen!